Space ft. Cerys Matthews: Ballad of Tom Jones

This is so gimmicky, but I have good memories of the time when it was a hit. Also, Cerys is my girl.

Radiohead: High and Dry

This was the first Radiohead song I ever heard. (Thanks, Justin.)

LL Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out

I don’t care what Antoine says: We’re definitely having this played at our wedding reception.

REM: Nightswimming

This must be my very favorite REM record. Beautiful.

Spin Doctors: Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong

My father and brother used to call me Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong. Wonder why!

Spin Doctors: Two Princes

I don’t even know if I like this song, but it reminds me of sitting in World History class when I was 15, singing it with Karri and Karen. Oh my gosh, we’re old.

Son Volt: Drown

I’ve never heard any other songs by Son Volt, but when I was a teenager, I remember driving around just wishing so hard that this song would come on the radio. (If someone had told me about mp3s and YouTube back then, I would have been even more pissed off about it still being the ’90s.)

Garbage: Stupid Girl

My most vivid memory of this is dancing to it at my brother’s wedding, New Year’s Eve 1996. All the other girls were singing “Stupid boy,” which I must have rolled my eyes at, or would have if I hadn’t been so stinking drunk.

Garbage: Queer

It’s hard to pick my favorite Garbage song, but this one might be it.

Garbage: I’m Only Happy When It Rains

I loved Garbage. Yeah, me and millions of others.

Counting Crows: Hanging Around

Yes, I enjoy Counting Crows. (Or, at least, I loved their first album when I was a teenager and also very much enjoy this single. I haven’t heard anything else they’ve made since 1995.)

Mary Chapin Carpenter: I Take My Chances

I must have listened to the Come On Come On album about 60,000 times my senior year in high school. Now I can cry until I laugh and laugh until I cry. (Sorry for the homemade video some YouTuber made: This is the only time you’ll see Julia Roberts here, I promise.)