The first album I remember owning on CD was Busted's 2003 release A Present for Everyone. And what a present it was. With memories of blaring tunes from the pink CD player in my bedroom to hijacking the soundtrack whenever there was a car journey, it's a song I remember playing everywhere. 'Crashed the Wedding' is a chaotic song that I associate with long drives to visit my grandparents and the first band I really got into. Looking back, it's made me realise how much music has changed since that time and part of me would love to revisit the days of outdated CDs, long car journeys and teenage boybands.
Lily Holbrook
How ironic that a song set almost a thousand years in the future reminds me of my past. I can still remember first hearing this song pounding through the floor of my older brother’s room upstairs, with its iconic chorus which many of us will know off by heart. The song was inspired by the movie Back To The Future, with such lyrics as “He told me he built a time machine like the one on a film I’d seen”. The track is a staple of early 2000s pop punk/rock, and reminds me of simpler times.
Tom Moorcroft
Released in 2006, this song sprung to mind as one that would be played on the radio on the way to school, back in the halcyon days of year 2. It is undoubtedly the most popular track released by Razorlight, and courtesy of a simple yet catchy chorus, it is one that I would happily listen to today. It may not have earned itself a place in the pantheon of musical classics, but there is something quite nostalgic about listening to ‘America’, and I can’t help but wonder what might have been on my mind 14 years ago as I sat in the back of the car and hummed along. Either way, this is a song that takes me back to simpler times, making it an ideal choice for the penultimate day of this challenge.
Tom Hardwick
Some of my most enduring memories of childhood are of my parents and their mates having piss ups round our house or at campsites in the Lake District. After a while my Dad would get his guitar out and everyone would drunkenly sing along (it was less David Brent than it sounds). There was always a lot of old Irish music and my favourite of them was probably ‘Dirty Old Town’, written in the late 40s and made famous by later covers by The Dubliners and The Pogues. Listening to it always transports me back to being a kid and being allowed to stay up late sitting around a campfire pissing about with all the other kids, so I love it for nostalgia alone.
Stanley Gilyead
The Foo Fighters features again on my list as their greatest hits was the soundtrack to my childhood. It was a CD that always played in the car and in the house and reminds me a lot of my dad, who introduced me to one of the greatest bands ever. 'Learn to Fly' is one of my favourite Foo Fighters’ songs and one that I listened to constantly as a child.
Rebecca Johnson
I know everyone hates on Coldplay, but back in the day I was a die hard fan. I do still like the odd song of theirs no matter how much flak i'll take for saying it now. Perhaps one of Coldplay's best known songs 'The Scientist' is best known for it's video showing a scene in reverse, for which, Chris Martin had to learn how to sing the song backwards, no mean feat. I can't tell if I loved Coldplay because of this tune, or I loved it because I loved Coldplay. Despite my music tastes moving to different bands, I still remember early 2000's Coldplay fondly.
Patrick Harland
Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun' was the song that turned a little Dom into a massive Grunge lover! Its dirty sound coupled with Chris Cornell's legendary vocals had me hooked. The song is one of the best by the legendary Seattle band and featured on their 1994 album Superunknown. My fascination only increased upon a visit to America's beautiful Pacific Northwest- the birthplace of Grunge- a few years ago. I have Soundgarden and 'Black Hole Sun' to thank for putting me on to one of my all time favourite genres!
Dominic Lee
