Songs which date themselves by mentioning the current year.

Cafe Society
21

Salt N Pepa, “None of Your Business”:

Nineteen ninety three, S and P, packin’ and mackin’
Bamboozlin’ and smackin’ suckers with this track
Throw the beat back in!

Ice Cube (featuring George Clinton): “Bop Gun”

1993, much more ba-e-ya-e-younce
Ice Cube comin’ with the half ounce
Not Just Knee Deep, jeep fulla smog
A, To, mic, Dog . . .

What was it about 1993, anyway?

22

And “20th Century Boy”, by T-Rex.

23

Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones references the end of the Eighties, and the concurrent fall of Communism:

I saw the decade end
When it seemed the world could change
In the blink of an eye

24

“Love Potion #9” mentions the singer not having gotten a date since 1956, which immediately pins it at a certain time.

25

“Don’t look now but here come the 80’s!!!” -Styx , intro to “Borrowed Time”

26

“Headin’ for the 90s, Livin’ in the 80s… Livin’ in the Wild Wild West.”

27

Lloyd Cole, “Rich”:

She left you 1958
When the thought of another fifteen years
Was more than she could face . . .

Remember 1970
When the thought of a day without a drink
Was more than you could face . . .

28

Nah, it just makes the singer more pathetic as time goes on.

29

“Alwayz Into Something” by NWA mentions 1991 in the intro, or “Nineteen-ninety motherfuckin’ one” to be more exact. And from “California Love” by Dr. Dre and 2Pac:

Now it’s '95 and they clock me and watch me
Diamonds shinin lookin like I robbed Liberace

30

–Dropkick Murphys - Ten Years of Service

31

The Boomtown Rats managed it twice in the chorus of She’s So Modern:

She’s so twentieth century
She’s so nineteen seventies…

And to horribly date myself… me and my best mate were front row center and terribly impressed when Bob Geldof brought the band to Wellington and sang the updated lyric;

She’s so nineteen eighties.:smack:

32

I thought it was interesting how the song Viva La Radio, although it doesn’t mention the year, dates itself by talking about carrying a radio around with her, since no one does that anymore with the advent of mp3 players.

Valete,
Vox Imperatoris

33

Silverchair -Anthem for The Year 2000.

34

Melissa Etheridge, “2001”. Early 90s angst-y.

35

Let’s all meet up in the year 2000
Won’t it be strange when we’re all fully grown

‘Disco 2000’, by Pulp

36

“1990, Chubb Rockjumps upon the scene with a lean and a pocket full of green…”

37

“Christmas Wrapping” by the Waitresses: “Most of '81 passed along those lines.”

“Walking on the Sun” by Smash Mouth doesn’t mention a year, but a specific time gap: “Twenty-five years ago they spoke out”, referring to the protests of the late 60s. That pins the song to the mid-90s.

*** Ponder

38

“Living in the Seventies” by Skyhooks from their debut album of the same name.
Skyhooks - Living In The Seventies Lyrics

“I’m livin’ in the 70’s
Eatin’ fake food under plastic trees
My face gets dirty just walkin’ around
I need another pill to calm me down”

39

In “Play that Funky Music,” the legendary Vanilla Ice says “1990 is my year!”

40

Todd Rundgren
*
Sons of 1984*
*
Initiation* “…cause, in 75 something comes alive”