Music and memory are often tied together. Like flipping through a photo album, hearing a song can take me straight back to a past moment.
Here’s 16 songs, albums and sountracks that bring back some of my strongest memories:
- I was probably five years old when mum spun me around the kitchen to this.
- My brothers and I squished in the back of the car on family trips with Billy Joel on repeat.
- Track one on my first mix tape – Rick Astley of course!
- Mega crush on Diesel at my first concert.
- Year Seven school formal and I sat there all night with no one asking me to dance. The following day, Dad took me shopping and to see Sister Act – it made everything feel ok.
- Thirteen years old, first heartbreak and a friend said, ‘Don’t worry. One day you’ll walk down the aisle in the November Rain wedding dress!’
- Being comforted by mum after one of my closest friends left me in her wake. This was on the radio.
- I was a bit of a dork so Year 12 was spent with my head in the books. This Whitlams song was always on the radio during that year.
- At the end of my first proper relationship, I wore The Avalanches CD out.
- When I was 21 I went to Byron Bay for a two week holiday and ended up staying. Every night at dusk, we’d drag the decks outside and have a few beers. This Rick James song always reminds me of those seriously golden days.
- The first time I spotted my fella, Groovejet was playing and he was busting out some fairly lairy moves!
- Fake fur, eyeliner and everything seemed all glittery when we danced to Lazy.
- I walked down the aisle to Nina Simone then for our first dance I matched his lairy moves with some equally lairy ones of my own!
- When Alfie was six weeks old, a lady at the market asked me what his name was. She then belted out (at the top of her voice) the most brilliant version of this.
- I was driving in the car and Ungirthed was on when I received the news that one of my dearest friends had just had a little girl. It was exactly a year to the day that I had miscarried our baby. My heart seizes when I hear this song. But it’s also my strongest reminder of the fragile circle of life.
- Whenever Mabel hears Major Lazor she is guaranteed to start dancing. I can only imagine what she’s going to be like when she’s 16!
What songs are the soundtrack to your life?