Kickin' it old school

A few bits of brilliance that feel like a blast from the past.

1. "Unpretty" by TLC

The 90s were so the time for "girl power", cheesy as that might be. The result? Sharon singing "Revolución femenina" in the early days of reggaetón, the Spice Girls, and this song by TLC, among others. Who didn't love TLC back in the day? This song is just so good. Every woman can identify with it at some point in her life, but it's the the kind of thing that gives you hope. It reminds you that your worth as a woman is in something so much deeper than your looks. Even pretty girls need to hear that.

2. "When Can I See You Again" by Babyface

Oh, the crush I had on Babyface growing up.... I remember singing my little heart out to this one. Now, with more experience and more reasons to connect with the lyrics, it's taken on a new meaning. "What if I'm not truly over" and "When does 'you'll get over it' begin?" - mmmm. I feel ya. Besides, there's something about a stripped down r&b song that's refreshing.

3. At risk of totally embarrassing myself on the world wide web: "Missing You" by Amy Grant"

Obviously, it's not Amy Grant, but the one version of her actually singing it on youtube is in six parts or so. If you can get past the rambling at the beginning, the girl sings it pretty well. That song was on repeat when I was in high school and on-again-off-again with good ol' F. Haha. I still think that in spite of, or maybe because of, the cheese factor, it's a good song. That part about the "hopeful thrill" of the phone ringing is just so right, you know?

4. "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover" by Sophie B. Hawkins

I used to belt this one out when it came on the radio when I was about, oh, ten. I remember that I felt oh-so-bad-@$$ singing it because she said both "damn" and "lover" in the chorus. What I didn't realize then is how incredibly bold she is in the song.

5. "Under the Bridge" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers

This song.... This song was the beginning of my love affair with music. I was in fifth grade and it was the first song that I loved that my parents hadn't already preapproved for me. Does that make sense? It was my first completely independent musical selection, not, of course, that I was allowed to buy the cd (Blood Sugar Sex Magik? I wasn't stupid!) but I fell in love with the Chili Peppers then. The thing is: they're still flippin' brilliant. Even then, I knew this song was hauntingly beautiful; now that I know what it's about, it's even more amazing. Plus, I was able to appreciate the sexiness of Anthony Kiedis then. ;)

6. "Peaches" by The Presidents of the United States of America

Yeah, it's crazy random. Crazy, crazy, crazy random. And hilarious! I got a can of peaches for my fourteenth birthday, that's how much this song influenced my life. But come on now: "Peaches come from a can, they were put there by a man in a factory downtown"?! Brilliant! And ninjas in the video before ninjas were even that cool. Bonus.

7. "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" by the Beastie Boys
What's not to love about The Beastie Boys?! They mixed up every kind of music I loved, wrote clever lyrics, and were so awkward that it was perfect. Everything they did was pure genius. This song pretty much sums up the teen experience, plus they give themselves a shout out in their own song. That always struck me as pretty stinkin' funny.

8. "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan

Just so stinkin' CATCHY! It's still the kind of song that makes me wanna get up and dance, just like it did back in the day.

9. "Crossroads" by Bone Thugs N Harmony

This song is just so beautiful. It was one of the first of the more - let's say urban - songs that I could really appreciate. When songs are true, there's a connection that transcends barriers of age and generation and socioeconomics. When this song came out, I'd only lost my great-grandmother. Ten, eleven years later, I've lost so many more people and I feel this song more deeply. It's such a good one - as are "Days of Our Lives" and "First of the Month".

10. "Jane Says" Jane's Addiction

I remember listening to this on Q101 back in IL - which I was totally NOT allowed to listen to, by the way. It was on several of the mix tapes that I was obsessed with making at the time. I didn't really understand that it was a song about a drug addiction - I was obviously a naive kid in that area (see number 5), but the lyrics and that plaintive quality really got to me. The lines that I most loved then are the ones I most love now: "I've never been in love, I don't know what it is. She only knows if someone wants her. I want 'em if they want me." I can't even put words to how good those lines are.

11. "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows

I was going to leave it at ten, but then I remembered this gem. I've always been a sucker for a story song - hence my love for country music - and for songs about wanting to be more than what you are. I guess that's the running theme in all of the above (with the exception of "Peaches" perhaps). This song is just so GOOD.