# What music was popular the year you graduated high school? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368 "2009-03-22T19:30:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/1 "2009-03-22T19:30:12Z")
There may be better sites than [this one](http://www.popularsong.org/1959.html) to find the data for your year. There may even be some that would have the month’s top x-number. If you can actually remember any unassisted, more’s the better. Anyway, what are your favorites from that point in time? Mine would have to include: 1. Mack The Knife - Bobby Darin 2. Venus - Frankie Avalon 3. Come Softly To Me - The Fleetwoods 4. El Paso - Marty Robbins 5. Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny 6. What I’d Say - Ray Charles 7. The Happy Organ - Dave “Baby” Cortez 8. Dream Lover - Bobby Darin 9. Misty - Johnny Mathis ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/2 "2009-03-22T19:45:21Z")
I graduated in 1992 and I remember… Nirvana Pearl Jam Red Hot Chili Peppers REM Guns N’ Roses Metallica U2 It’s not just me, right? Objectively speaking, music was much better back then than it is now, wasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/3 "2009-03-22T19:51:55Z")
_Dancing Queen_ - ABBA _Blinded By the Light_ - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band (the lyrics are so deliciously bizaare) _Hotel California_ - Eagles (not as popular at the time as it is now) _If You Leave Me Now_ - Chicago _Tonight’s the Night_ - Rod Stewart _Evergreen_ - Babs _Blue Bayou_ - Linda Ronstadt (there was a Time magazine cover about this song, hailing her as a new torch singer) _Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue_ - Crystal Gayle (what can I say, I’m a sucker for long hair and a pretty face!) _Nobody Does It Better_ - Carly Simon (see above comment, plus she can actually sing) Fleetwood Mac had one of their best albums ever come out that year (_Rumors_), but I didn’t really start listening to them until that fall when I got to college and my roommate had all their stuff. So I associate them with college, not high school. Oh, the year: 1977 ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/4 "2009-03-22T21:38:07Z")
I couldn’t navigate that site well enough to find my year (1975), but according to Billboard, these are the top ten of my graduation year: 1. **Love Will Keep Us Together** –The Captain & Tenille (Yes, I recall this being on the radio every 5 minutes or so) 2. **Rhinestone Cowboy** –Glenn Campbell (I like it more now than I did then) 3. **Philadelphia Freedom** –Elton John (Loved this one; crank the volume in the car and roll the windows down!) 4. **Before the Next Teardrop Falls** –Freddie Fender (Are you shitting me? Not even on my radar) 5. **My Eyes Adored You** –Frankie Valli (Bleah. I love some Four Seasons and all, but this is a pile of soppy crap.) 6. **Shining Star** –Earth, Wind & Fire (Loved it then, love it now. I had the album.) 7. **Fame** –David Bowie (What’s your name? What’s your name? What’s your name?) 8. **Laughter in the Rain** –Neil Sedaka (I actually like his weird girly voice.) 9. **One of These Nights** –The Eagles (Along with Elton John, the Eagles were the undisputed kings of radio during my HS years.) 10. **Thank God I’m a Country Boy** –John Denver (Not my favorite John Denver song, but OK.) Pretty bland with a couple of hot exceptions like Bowie and EWF. I recall listening to a lot of Loggins & Messina, Elton John, Van Morrison – I was also in Ramsey Lewis phase and played that Sun Goddess album constantly. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/5 "2009-03-22T21:47:11Z")
I graduated in 2005. Jimmy Eat World’s _Futures_ album was released the October before. It pretty much dominated my life. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/6 "2009-03-22T21:47:52Z")
> [@Proudest\_Monkey](#): > > I couldn’t navigate that site well enough to find my year (1975), but according to Billboard, these are the top ten of my graduation year: > > \ It wasn’t your navigating. Best I can tell it’s only for 1940-1969. Maybe your Billboard link will be a better source for most others, if you don’t mind posting it. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/7 "2009-03-22T21:49:48Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Objectively speaking, music was much better back then than it is now, wasn’t it? No, it wasn’t. Music I remember from the year I graduated… P!nk - “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” “Like a Pill,” and “Get the Party Started” Avril Lavigne - “Complicated” Jack Johnson - “Flake” Dave Matthews Band - “Where are you Going” No Doubt - “Hey Baby” Shakira - “Wherever, Whenever” Fat Joe - “What’s Love?” Nickelback - “How You Remind Me” Jimmy Eat World - “The Middle” Eminem - “Without Me” The Strokes - “Last Night” Nelly - “Hot in Here” That was 2002. ---
**Author:** ![Discipline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/82dd89/32.png) [@Discipline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Discipline)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/8 "2009-03-22T21:59:56Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > No, it wasn’t. > > Music I remember from the year I graduated… > > P!nk - “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” “Like a Pill,” and “Get the Party Started” > Avril Lavigne - “Complicated” > Jack Johnson - “Flake” > Dave Matthews Band - “Where are you Going” > No Doubt - “Hey Baby” > Shakira - “Wherever, Whenever” > Fat Joe - “What’s Love?” > Nickelback - “How You Remind Me” > Jimmy Eat World - “The Middle” > Eminem - “Without Me” > The Strokes - “Last Night” > Nelly - “Hot in Here” > > That was 2002. Dude. Are you kidding me? ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/9 "2009-03-22T22:01:55Z")
> [@Discipline](#): > > Dude. Are you kidding me? It wasn’t any better when I graduated in 2005. ---
**Author:** ![berff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@berff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/berff)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/10 "2009-03-22T22:09:49Z")
Some songs that come to mind: Beck - “Loser” Counting Crows - “Mr. Jones” Ace Of Base “The Sign” Smashing Pumpkins “Disarm” Nirvana - “All Apologies” Enigma - “Return To Innocence” James - “Laid” Warren G - “Regulate” Green Day - “Basket Case” Offspring - “Self Esteem” Lisa Loeb - “Stay” Soundgarden - “Black Hole Sun” Tori Amos - “God” Crash Test Dummies - “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” The year was 1994, of course. As much as I loved a lot of the music from that era, I’d have to say that most of my favorite songs of all time have been released in just the last few years. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/11 "2009-03-22T22:30:45Z")
> [@Discipline](#): > > Dude. Are you kidding me? About what? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/12 "2009-03-22T22:30:52Z")
> [@Discipline](#): > > Dude. Are you kidding me? I prefer the music in **Alessan** ’s post to the music in **shy guy** ’s, but I agree that music then was no better than it is now, especially not in any objective sense. If anything, music now is much better simply because of the internet. Very few of my favorite (non-local) musicians get any significant radio play, and some get none at all. Were it not for the internet, I’d’ve never heard of them. As to what was popular when I graduated: “Smooth” - Santana “What a Girl Wants” - Christina Aguilera “Thank God I Found You” - Mariah Carey “I Knew I Loved You” - Savage Garden “Amazed” - Lonestar “Say My Name” - Destiny’s Child “Try Again” - Aaliyah “Be with You” - Enrique Iglesias “Everything You Want” - Vertical Horizon “Bent” - Matchbox Twenty “It’s Gonna Be Me” - 'N Sync “Incomplete” - Sisqo “Doesn’t Really Matter” - Janet “Music” - Madonna “With Arms Wide Open” - Creed “Independent Women Part I” - Destiny’s Child This was 2000. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/13 "2009-03-22T22:41:04Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I prefer the music in **Alessan** ’s post to the music in **shy guy** ’s, but I agree that music then was no better than it is now, especially not in any objective sense. And at any rate, I didn’t post the songs I did as some kind of counter to Alessan’s music (though I do vastly prefer, say, P!nk to U2, who I think are awful). I was just pointing out what was popular when I was in high school, not all of which was good, obviously. Alessan was just doing what a lot of people do, which is only remembering the “good” music from when (s)he was young and ignoring the bad. Sure, Nirvana and REM are great. But take a look at the [top ten songs of 1992](http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1992.htm) - 1. End Of The Road, Boyz II Men 2. Baby Got Back, Sir Mix A-lot 3. Jump, Kris Kross 4. Save The Best For Last, Vanessa Williams 5. Baby-Baby-Baby, TLC 6. Tears In Heaven, Eric Clapton 7. My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It), En Vogue 8. Under The Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers 9. All 4 Love, Color Me Badd 10. Just Another Day, Jon Secada ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/14 "2009-03-22T23:20:15Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > Alessan was just doing what a lot of people do, which is only remembering the “good” music from when (s)he was young and ignoring the bad. Of course I am. Why shouldn’t I? I only care about the good stuff. I mean, should I care how many bad restaurants there are in my town if I only eat at the good ones? If 95% of all movies are bad, but I see only one film out of 20, then waht differnce does it make? The ability to filter out the crap is something to be honed, not ignored. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/15 "2009-03-22T23:37:55Z")
Here are selections from my MP3 collection: Everclear “Santa Monica” Lisa Loeb “Do You Sleep?” Sponge “Plowed” Smashing Pumpkins “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” Garbage “Only Happy When It Rains” Folk Implosion “Natural One” U2 “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” Seal “Kiss From A Rose” Bush “Everything Zen” Sheryl Crow “Strong Enough” Tom Petty “You Don’t Know How It Feels” Better Than Ezra “Good” Soul Asylum “Misery” 1995, of course. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/16 "2009-03-22T23:40:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Of course I am. Why shouldn’t I? I only care about the good stuff. Well, yeah, but that’s hardly speaking objectively. I’m just pointing out that when people say, “Is it just me, or did pop music reach its zenith when I was seventeen years old?”, there’s a lot of selective memory and rose-tinting involved, and so the answer is invariably “No.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/17 "2009-03-23T00:30:51Z")
1963: The Beach Boys: \*Surfin’ U.S.A. \*Bobby Vinton: \*Blue Velvet \*The Chiffons: \*He’s So Fine \*The Angels: \*My Boyfriend’s Back \*Jan & Dean: \*Surf City \*Leslie Gore: \*It’s My Party \*The Beach Boys: \*Surfer Girl \*The Ronettes: \*Be My Baby \*The Crystals: \*Da Doo Ron Ron \*Ricky Nelson: \*Fools Rush In \*Elvis Presley: \*Devil in Disguise \*The Drifters: \*Up on the Roof \*Leslie Gore: \*Judy’s Turn to Cry \*Elvis Presley: \*Bossa Nova Baby \*The Chiffons: \*One Fine Day \*And, of course: Peter, Paul & Mary: \*Puff the Magic Dragon \* Wow, I wish I had the playlist from our senior prom (now that we really are seniors). ---
**Author:** ![Liddle\_Lamsy\_Divey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Liddle\_Lamsy\_Divey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liddle_Lamsy_Divey)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/18 "2009-03-23T02:53:59Z")
I find most of the music on the radio this decade has been boring. I love music from the '90s and feel radio back then was more eclectic as far as genres were concerned. That said, I agree with shy guy’s point about looking at music in one’s past objectively, not just omitting the music that wasn’t so great in favor of finding comfort in nostalgia. There were plenty of bad songs in the '90s, and there has been some good music this decade. The difference seems to be that a lot of that good music is being found online, not on the radio.\* Anyway, 2001 seemed to be a turning point, as teen pop and nu!metal were on their way out… Hanging by a Moment: Lifehouse Fallin’: Alicia Keys All for You: Janet If You’re Gone: Matchbox Twenty Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me): Train I’m Real: Jennifer Lopez/Ja Rule Let Me Blow Ya Mind: Gwen Stefani and Eve Thank You: Dido Hit 'Em Up Style: Blu Cantrell Independent Women Pt. 1: Destiny’s Child \*A fact which is unsettling to me, in a way, but I’ll save that for another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus\_alba](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quercus_alba/32/4061_2.png) [@Quercus\_alba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus_alba)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/19 "2009-03-23T02:57:20Z")
1979–Disco’s Last gasp: 1. My Sharona, The Knack 2. Bad Girls, Donna Summer 3. Le Freak, Chic 4. Da Ya Think I’m Sexy, Rod Stewart 5. Reunited, Peaches and Herb 6. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor 7. Hot Stuff, Donna Summer 8. Y.M.C.A., Village People 9. Ring My Bell, Anita Ward 10. Sad Eyes, Robert John ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368/20 "2009-03-23T03:00:53Z")
Oddly enough, I can never off-handedly remember what year I graduated high school - I always have to look it up. There: [1985](http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id215.htm). I know this because _the_ song that was big at my graduation was [Money for Nothing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehl_VQuKRTc). Looking at that list, what I listened to was: _Shout, Money for Nothing, Alive and Kicking, Boys of Summer, Miami Vice, One Night in Bangkok_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-music-was-popular-the-year-you-graduated-high-school/490368.md?page=2)