Weekly Lists #98: Songs 16 year old me loved!

All of us probably have those songs that make us go “Oh my GOD I LOVE that song!”. As a matter of fact, most of us have quite a few of them, right? But there’s a special sub-category of that genre. The ones you absolutely loved when you were 16, and now you’re just sort of… Moderately embarrassed about? You know the kind – you still know all the lyrics, but let’s hope no-one ever hears you shouting along to them? Yes, so, here’s 5 songs 16 year old me loved!

Some context: I’m turning 24 next week, so my angsty teens were almost a decade ago. And they were exactly that – angsty. To this day, my sisters can’t even listen to some songs because they are so intrinsically linked to me, alone, in my room, upset about one thing or the other.

1. Nobody’s Home , Avril Lavigne

This could really have been any song by Avril Lavigne. Surely I can’t have been the only one who found in her the perfect mixture of rock-y and punk-y? And those outfits! Oh, how I longed to have those skirts, those mittens-without-fingers, the fish nets. Let’s not even get started on the hair!

2. The End of All Hope, Nightwish

So remember how I said “angsty”? Yeah, I wasn’t kidding. Where most kids my age went more towards the “punky” side of Avril Lavigne, I full on went for the symphonic metal. Again, some context: I took singing classes from the age of 13 up until last year. Singing, as in: opera. So the fact that this band had a lead singer with the most amazing vocals? I was sold. I was also banned to the attick when singing along, because, well… My voice is kind of loud.

(Fun fact, at one point, during my singing classes, I actually got to sing one of Nightwish’s number: Sleeping Sun. It was the highlight of that year.)

In related music: Within Temptation. Stand My Ground was my jam for a good while there.

3. SOS, Ola Svensson

And by extension: Molly Sandèn, Eric Saade… There was a whole bunch of talented people participating in the Eurovision Song Contest as well as in the Junior edition in those years, and I loved every second of it. I’ve had fascination with anything Swedish ever since I first read Pippi Longstocking (so that’s, what, about 20 years?) and as such, these Swedish singers immediately held my attention.

Looking back, I’m wondering why I liked the singers so much – but the songs? I will still sing along. Loudly.

4. 7 Things, Miley Cyrus

Aaaah, the innocent Disney days… Not so much for the actors, more so for me. I still know the words to all three of the High School Musical movies, I loved Princess Protection Programme and the Jonas Brothers’ tv-show was probably my introduction to the Disney Channel. When all my favs collaborated on Send It On? I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.

5. Skye Sweetnam

I’m not choosing a song here. No. Way.

To this day, when my sisters here her name, they groan. I think my parents do as well, but they’re more subtle about it :p

But seriously now: this was my one true love during most of my teens. She’s this Canadian singer that nobody in Belgium seemed to have ever heard about, but I loved her. How I came to discover her? Disney. Of course. She sang Part of Our World for one of those newer editions, and I (at the tender age of 13 already an expert at getting lost in the wonderous world of covers) found it, looked her up, and got hooked.

I have her Noise From the Basement cd on my iPod to this day. I also play it to this day. Again: one true love ?

And there you have it, that’s 5 (and then some) of the songs my 16 year old me loved. Were you also obsessed with any of these in your teens? Do these sound incredibly dated to you? What music were you constantly playing when you were 16? Or are you constantly playing now? Be sure to let me know below!

-Saar