Sweatin' to the Oldies

This morning I was at the gym and the two girls who were working the front desk were taking complete advantage of the music selection. Normally the music is a satellite radio station playing either Top 40 Hits (which drives me bonkers because they somehow manage to play at least two Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift songs in the time span of just over an hour) or a more Classic Rock station (which I enjoy). Today the girls had brought in some old homemade CD that one of them probably found buried deep in the back of her closet in an old shoe box labeled “Why the 90’s were awesome”. 

Obviously they knew that the boss wouldn’t be in today. So in went the CD and out came big smiles to nearly everyone working out today. Most of us were even openly singing along. Oh! And for several songs, dancing occurred! Yep. When “Backstreet’s Back” and “Spice Up Your Life” came on, there were numerous girls dancing in a choreographed fashion in the middle of the gym. It was awesome!

Whitney Houston, Hanson, Backstreet Boys, TLC, Ludacris, Spice Girls, ‘N SYNC, Puff Daddy (before he was P. Diddy and all of those other names), Nelly, Toni Braxton, Vanilla Ice, Brandy, Monica,  Chumbawumba, Boyz II Men, J.Lo and so many more, all got us sweating to the oldies.

Marky Mark alone got us sweating back then.

As I sang to myself and grinned stupidly at nearly every song that blared through the speakers, I started thinking about my relationship with these ridiculous songs and why they make me so happy to listen to 15 years after their release. Granted, Backstreet Boys drove me crazy when they were huge because I hated the music; but hearing songs by bands that I never even liked stirred an emotional connection within me. With every song that came on today, I could go back in time and think about where I was then I first heard the song or a situation I was in that I could relate back to the song.

For example:

Spice Girls– Wannabe. It was April of grade 9 (2007) and I had the stomach flu. I was lying in bed with a puke bucket by my head when my sister came home from school. She walked by my door and saw me in all of my patheticness and said, “I’ve got something to cheer you up.” Then she went into her room (right across the hall), put in the CD and blasted Wannabe. She danced up and down the hall singing along while I clutched my tender tummy laughing. I doubt she even remembers this but I most certainly do.

‘N SYNC –This I Promise You. I don’t know the month, but it was grade 11 and I was at a high school dance. I wanted to dance with a certain guy to this song (him and I had a silly story with the song) but unfortunately he and his girlfriend (who he had just gotten together with) danced together instead. I don’t know if this guy even knew that I had a crush on him, but I totally did and I think of him every time that I hear this song.

Aqua –Barbie Girl. It was the spring of 1997 and I remember hearing the song on the radio and thinking, “what the hell?” but instantly loving it. A week or so later I was in the living room with my best friend when it came on the radio again and I said, “Have you heard this song?” and blasted it. I sang along at the top of my lungs while we danced and giggled hysterically. I remember these 2 young guys walking by the house (the living room faces the road) and hearing the commotion blasting from the house. They pointed and laughed but we didn’t care because the world was awesome at that moment in time.

ToniBraxton – Unbreak My Heart. This song takes me back to sitting on my bedroom floor with my friend, and me singing along in the most ridiculous Toni Braxton impersonator voice that I can come up with. She has this deep rich voice and my voice is deep too, but I still had to concentrate to keep it low enough to match hers. We were both laughing so hard that I was gasping for air as I tried with all of my might to keep in sync with the song.

So now I am wondering what are the songs of today that will inspire these wonderful pockets of nostalgia in 10 years? Honestly, it makes me cringe thinking about the hit songs that kids these days are loving so much and 90% of it is just noise to me. Apart from my massive love affairs with Bruno Mars and Pink, I really feel no need to be involved with what the kids are listening to these days. And the only reason I like "I'm Sexy and I Know It" is because every time I hear it I get to imagine Ralph with his shirt off (insert devious smile). 

 But then again, who am I to judge when the songs that made me so happy today were cheesy love ballads and bubblegum pop chart-toppers? We all have our faults I suppose :)