Two decades of music and memories
Music anniversaries… I should be celebrating them.
At this writing, it occurred to me that my music ‘awakening’ took place more than 20 years ago – in 2001. Only that I forgot to celebrate such an anniversary last year. It slipped off my mind. I was just busy getting through the pandemic. Blame COVID-19 for my forgetfulness.
A wonderful celebration it could have been! Anyways, there’s no point regretting over missed milestones.
But as I pored over this article, I came to realize that this year – 2022 – offers me some good reasons to celebrate a music milestone.
It was 20 years ago – in 2002 – when my mother brought home our first VCD player.
It was 20 years ago when I bought my first cassette tape and music magazine.
It was 20 years ago when I was first given music magazines by two classmates: one classmate gave me a music magazine that contains lyrics to NSYNC’s 2001 album Celebrity; the other classmate, one that contains lyrics to Bon Jovi’s 2000 album Crush.
It was 20 years ago when I first heard certain artists such as Eminem, Mandy Moore, Christina Aguilera, and O-Town.
It has been 20 years since I declared music to be my one and only ‘vice,’ thus my music awakening.
It has been 20 long years. What should I be listening to today?
Of course, the songs that I first listened to in 2002!
What a cause for celebration! I should be celebrating throughout the whole year!
Above all, I should be writing and sharing my memories.
It didn’t take long for me to compile a list of songs that I first listened to in 2002. However, I had to make sure they’re really the ones that I really first listened to in 2002 and not in 2001 and whatsoever year.
The song doesn’t have to be a 2002 release, only that it is a track that I first listened to in 2002. Moreover, I didn’t include everything but only the tracks that I like or those that left a lasting impression on my music experience of 2002.
My memory has become quite hazy over the years. I could have forgotten some or many songs, and I can’t include what I assume because I don’t want to fall into Mandela effect. But my love for music – good music – has always been strong and I am as committed as ever in sharing only the best music with others.
And should I regain certain memories and confirm certain tracks, I will add more to the list.
So, to my dear readers and followers, for your enjoyment, in alphabetical order:
20 Years Ago… The Tracks
BOLD: A noteworthy memorable track of 2002
2Be3, “Even If”
A1, “Caught In The Middle”
A1, No More
A1, “One Last Song”
Aaron Carter and Nick Carter, “Not Too Young, Not Too Old”
Aaron Carter ft. No Secrets, “Stride”
Aaron Carter, “I’m All About You”
Aaron Carter, “Oh Aaron”
Avril Lavigne, “Complicated”
Baad, “Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai”
Backstreet Boys, “Get Another Boyfriend”
Backstreet Boys, “The Answer To Our Life”
Backstreet Boys, “What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful)”
Billie Piper, “Day & Night”
Blue, “All Rise”
Blue, “Best In Me”
Blue, “Fly By II”
Blue, “If You Come Back”
Bon Jovi , “Thank You For Loving Me”
Bon Jovi, “It’s My Life”
Bon Jovi, “Livin’ on a Prayer”
Bon Jovi, “You Give Love a Bad Name”
Bosson, “One In A Million”
Bosson, “Over The Mountains”
Britney Spears, “Anticipating”
Britney Spears, “Born to Make You Happy”
Britney Spears, “Cinderella”
Britney Spears, “Don’t Go Knockin’ on My Door”
Britney Spears, “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know”
Britney Spears, “From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart”
Britney Spears, “Overprotected”
Britney Spears, “Stronger”
Britney Spears, “Where Are You Now”
Christina Aguilera, “Come On Over (All I Want is You)”
Christina Aguilera, “Genie in a Bottle”
Christina Aguilera, “I Turn To You”
Christina Aguilera, “Reflection”
Christina Aguilera, “What A Girl Wants”
Destiny’s Child, “Say My Name”
Dishwalla, “Somewhere In The Middle”
Emilia, “Big Big World”
Eminem, “Cleaning Out My Closet”
Eminem, “Lose Yourself”
Eminem, “Stan”
Eminem, “The Real Slim Shady”
Eminem, “Without Me”
Enrique Iglesias, “Hero”
Janet Jackson, “Doesn’t Really Matter”
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, “No Me Ames”
Jennifer Lopez, “If You Had My Love”
Jennifer Lopez, “Waiting For Tonight”
Jennifer Paige, “Stranded”
Jump5, “Spinnin’ Around”
Las Ketchup, “Asereje”
LeAnn Rimes, “I Need You”
Linkin Park, “In The End”
M2M, “Don’t Say You Love Me”
M2M, “Mirror Mirror”
Mandy Moore and Jonathan Foreman, “Someday We’ll Know”
Mandy Moore, “Candy”
Mandy Moore, “I Wanna Be With You”
Mandy Moore, “It’s Gonna Be Love”
Mariah Carey, “Always Be My Baby”
Mariah Carey, “Can’t Take That Away (Mariah’s Theme)”
Mariah Carey, “Hero”
Michael Learns To Rock, “Sleeping Child”
Michael Learns To Rock, “Wild Women”
Michelle Branch, “Everywhere”
NSYNC ft. Lisa Left Eye Lopes, “Space Cowboy”
NSYNC, “Bye Bye Bye”
NSYNC, “God Must Have Spent a Little More Time”
NSYNC, “Gone”
NSYNC, “I Want You Back”
NSYNC, “I’ll Never Stop”
NSYNC, “It’s Gonna Be Me”
NSYNC, “No Strings Attached”
NSYNC, “Pop”
NSYNC, “Tearin’ Up My Heart”
NSYNC, “That Girl (Will Never Be Mine)”
NSYNC, “That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You”
NSYNC, “Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)”
NSYNC, “This I Promise You”
O-Town, “Liquid Dreams”
Ronan Keatin, “If Tomorrow Never Comes”
Ronan Keating, “The Way You Make Me Feel”
Salbakuta, “S2pid Luv”
Shakira, “Whenever Wherever”
Shania Twain, “That Don’t Impress Me Much”
The Calling, “Wherever You Will Go”
The Corrs, “Irresistible”
Vanessa Amorosi, “Absolutely Everybody”
Westlife, “Dreams Come True”
Westlife, “Every Little Thing You Do”
Westlife, “Loneliness Knows Me By Name”
Westlife, “Somebody Needs You”
Westlife, “Unbreakable”
Westlife, “What Makes a Man”
Music and Memories 