“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John. Can’t hear it without the memory popping up of slow dancing with an ex in her kitchen.
Margaritaville. (Substitute any Jimmy Buffett song).
I had a couple of friends in high school who were obsessed with Jimmy Buffett. One of them got pulled over one day doing 85 is a 55 and was nearly arrested; still had to go to court to avoid a suspended license (these days it would be an automatic revocation for being a minor). He wasn’t normally a reckless driver; he was just rocking out to Jimmy Buffett in the car.
My father was not a fan of or even aware of most popular music recorded post-1963. But he heard Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"on a trip to Hawaii a few years before he died, and he LOVED it. It will always remind me of him.
I decided to test myself on this one by not picking a former flame to be reminded of…
“Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. In college, my girlfriend’s roommate and I were friends as well and, while walking to the liquor store, would sing this (and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue Something) just to be obnoxious. Said girlfriend is long in the past but I still keep in contact with Sandra now and then and both of those songs remind me of walking with her and having a great time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSBeHRVBVoc
Young guy I used to work with, 20 years younger and so very, very hot. His name, Oscar, means ‘divine spear’, and never was there anyone whose name was more appropriate.
Anyway, this song came out right around that time.
Reminds me of my best friend from high school.
“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu2pVPWGYMQ"]Have you Ever Seen the Rain?” from CCR makes me smile and think of my grandpa. Decades ago, we were watching the sun shine through the thunderstorms near his house off Yates Rd. in Memphis. I remember him telling me that, if the sun shines while it’s raining, it means “the devil’s beating his wife” (whatever the hell that was supposed to mean to a 7 year old). I don’t have a memory of him ever listening to the tune, but it was part of life’s background during this time.
That reminds me of a dude that I can barely remember; Clifford. I remember him because he was the first person to introduce me to good (off-the-top40) music. Night at the Opera was one of his examples.
Guns N Roses - November Rain.
It was the song that was “our song” of my girlfriend, for the first two years of high school, and me. Even though it’s been over 20 years it’s still weirdly kind of hard to listen to. She was the only girl that I ever had “a song” with. I didn’t even have one with my ex-wife.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzpPy9hJYA8
“Time of the Season” by the Zombies. It was summer, I had my first boyfriend. This was his favorite song.
Although he and I didn’t last the year, I became very close to his mother during the time I dated her son. She and I remained dear friends until she died.
April Wine’s If You See Kay reminds me of two sisters I knew back in the day. They drove a '66 Mustang with a straight six.
Last Dance with Mary Jane by Tom Petty
After a girlfriend and I broke up – she started a relationship with a friend of mine and they eventually married – this song felt on par with the anguish at the time. The pain is gone, but the song still takes me back.
What I Got by Sublime
No backstory 
Not in the game, but I couldn’t resist adding to this one. There’s too many of them linked to men to narrow it down to just one.
“Layla,” Derek and the Dominoes, 1971, Mike, Syracuse
“Everybody’s in Showbiz”, The Kinks, 1970’s, Chaz, Syracuse (actually, the whole Kinks catalog up until 1980 works here)
“The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust”, David Bowie, 1982, Helsinki and Berlin, Nigel
“Always Crashing in the Same Car”, David Bowie, 1981-1982, Steve, Helsinki
If I don’t include the two songs that she wrote about me, Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman” used to remind me of my 1st girlfriend. She was a big Billy fan and used to unselfconsciously groove to said song while I just sat there and let him describe her oh so uncannily.
It’s not a very flattering description.
Eddie The Horrible, Jack Batty, and kayaker all have until 3pm tomorrow (when I’m posting the next one, abouts) or they’ll be off the list
“Old Man” - dad.
When I saw this category, I resolved to not choose a song that reminded me of someone romantically, just because I thought it made it more challenging and fun.
My submission is Roxette’s Seduce Me, which reminds me of my friend Jenny. She and I used to have this ongoing e-mail thread, where one of us would send a few song recommendations, and the other person would respond with her reactions to the songs, and then recommend a few back. So over the course of the thread, we suggested tons of songs. But out of all the zillions of the songs I suggested, this was the suggestion she fell in love with, and years later, she still tells me how it’s one of her favorite songs of all time and thanks me for introducing it to her.
Whenever I hear “Angie” by the Stones it brings back memories of MKW. A real hurtin’ song from a real hurtin’ love afffair.
And then there’s “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart that evokes smiles and fond memories of CEW.
Where are those girls now?