Middtunes

Author: H. Kay Merriman

Former "American Bandstand" host and pop culture icon Dick Clark once remarked that "music is the soundtrack of your life." It's true. Sometimes the best way to define an experience is through song. Certain songs remind us of the good times, and bad times can remind us of a song too. Whether that catchy little ditty you have been humming during class is a Top-40 hit that you just cannot get out of your head or a classic from before your time, it will always have special significance within that frame of reference. Seeing as it is nearly impossible to gauge the songs "most played" in your heads, we took a poll. What follows is the soundtrack for the 2008-2009 school year and the reasons why you should add these songs to your playlist.


"I Love College" by Asher Roth
"Because that party last night was awfully crazy. I wish we taped it."
Laura Dalton '10

"The Proxy" by Raven
"Because it brought the roof down in LoFo." Noah Feder '09

"The Final Countdown" by Europe
"Why? I'm a senior."
Eva Nixon '09

"Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley
"You know the rules and so do I: Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt you."
Graham Majorhart '09

"Love Story" by Taylor Swift
"Poker Face" by Lady Gaga.
"I just haven't been able to get them out of my head this entire year!"
Donny Dickson '11

"I love this bar" by Toby Keith
"This year my education has placed particular emphasis on the nuances of night-time extracurriculars."
Annie Onishi '09

"F*** her gently" by Tenacious D
"Why? 'F*** her gently' is my best memory from college. (I high five Connor Stewart '10 every time Jack Black says 'That's f***in' teamwork!'"
Sophie Thompson '09

"My President Is Black" by Young Jeezy ft. Nas
"BECAUSE HE IS!"
Laura Dalton '10

"Kid Cudi" by Day n Nite
"Because it blew up in '09 after some sick early mixes in '08."
Noah Feder '09

"Hot Pants" by James Brown
"The other night at the AAA fashion show everyone there fell in love with the girl in the pink hot pants. She made sunrises look like poop. Seeing her in those hot pants was the greatest thing that has happened all year. The rest is down hill." Israel Carr '09

"Jerk it" by Thunderheist
"This song embodies the 2008-2009 school year because its PUMP-PUMP-PUMP theme reminds me of the GO-GO-GO mentality that we have (just listen to the lyrics... and that BEAT!), yet at the same time, it is a song that instantly puts me into an amazing mood and makes me want to enjoy life, in the same way that spending great times with some people here do just that."
Hannah Epelbaum '09

"Hot N' Cold" by Katy Perry
"This is a truly amazing song if all you want to do is roll the windows down, turn the volume up, and belt cheesy, pop lyrics with your girls!"
Raina Lynn Crawford '10

"Your Protector" by Fleet Foxes.
"I want to know if you would wait for me. The day I get back, the day I graduate, on move-in day and move-out day. There are plenty of good people I have met here at Middlebury, and I think most of them would."
Charlie Freundlich '10

"Jai Ho" by A.R. Rahman
"Slumdog Millionaire was the best movie this year, and this song was everywhere. It's catchy, uplifting and allows you to bust out some killer dance moves from the movie."
Spencer Wright '11.5

"Ragged Wood" by Fleet Foxes
"This particular song is a great sing-along with friends, but I think the entire Fleet Foxes album helped me survive the winter." Miranda Tsang'09

"Does It Offend You Yeah" by We are Rockstars Now
"Because it's the house song of the Giggle Pot."
Noah Feder '09

"I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" (Designer Drugs Remix) by Mariah Carey
"Nothing is better than an impromptu dance party with the people I love."
Sakura Yagi '09

"Negative Thinking About Tight Pants" by Ninjasonik ft. The Deathset
"Because it provided many entertaining sing-along-stand-on-furniture-jump-up-and-down sessions. Two chairs and a couch have been destroyed thanks to this song." Laura Dalton '10

"Hallelujah" by John Cale & Leonard Cohen
"It was once a touching song that described the intimate relationship between Shrek and Fiona. Now, however, for anyone who has seen the movie 'Watchmen,' it stands for nothing more than a glorified sex scene that will haunt my dreams forever. Oh, how I miss the simple days of pure simplicity." Scottie Gratton '09

"Proud Mary" by Tina Turner
"Tina needs no explanation."
Ann McGrane '09