Nonsensical Power Rankings: "Back-in-My-Day" Songs

I've decided to arbitrarily rank stuff I like. Could become a recurring series if it goes well. Doubt it.
There are plenty of great artists in the world and even more great songs that they have produced throughout history. However, the tunes that we loved when we were younger have a special place in our hearts - a certain combination of nostalgia and je ne sais quoi that make them forever ours. "Throwback Jams" is a popular term for these types of songs, but I like to call them "Back-in-My-Day" songs, perhaps with the full expectation that one day someone younger (maybe even a child of my own) will bring one of these joys up in conversation, providing me with the chance to immediately explain that "back-in-my-day" this was an amazing song, and the music today just isn't as good, and blah-blah-blah, etc. Without further ado, a few of my favorite "Back-in-My-Day" songs that I (and hopefully you) will never forget. Enjoy this subjective list in an even more subjective order!:
*Note: I realize that all of these are R&B or Rap songs.
**Extra-Special Note: I don't care.

5. In Da Club - 50 Cent

BAHM-BOM....BOM-BOM...BOM-BOM....BAHM-BOM. If there was ever a song to make even the most mundane task feel cool, it's "In Da Club". The track that put 50 Cent on the map, produced by the illustrious Dr. Andre Romelle Young, is number 5 on this list. I would be tempted to put it higher, but anytime anyone other than 50 Cent says "Go (insert name), it's your birthday", they are participating in one of the most cacophonous, trying-to-be-hip-yet-exposing-self-as-completely-lame phrases of all time (others include "getting jiggy with it", "drop it like its hot" - both great songs, but not awesome catch phrases).


4. Say My Name - Destiny's Child

Just reading the title of "Say My Name" might cause it to get stuck in your head if you're familiar with the tune - and if you turned on the radio or TV in 2000, you probably are. Possibly their most well known jam, "Say My Name" won Destiny's Child two Grammy Awards in 2001. This song holds up and makes one think of a simpler time, before Beyonce ruled the world as Queen Bey/Mrs. Carter and was simply just Beyonce Knowles. Alas, those days are gone. Well, unless it's the Super Bowl. "Say My Name" doesn't make it higher than 4 on this list though, only because the top 2 are indisputable and the next one a personal favorite.


3. Without Me - Eminem

Remember when Eminem was hilarious and fun? Don't you miss that guy? Em's older stuff will always have a special place in my heart, but "Without Me" was one of the most perfect Slim Shady songs ever released. In my mind, there are three "Eminems" and I'll use a song title that may help describe each one a little better: There is the ultra-silly-don't-care-about-nothing Slim Shady ("Slim Shady"), the serious/hard-rhymer "Eminem" ("Lose Yourself"), and the vulnerable/personal Marshall Mathers ("Cleaning Out My Closet"). Each version of Eminem has its own merits, but Slim Shady is easily the funniest. 2002's "Without Me" is a classic, and for that, it is number 3 on this list.




2. Yeah! - Usher
If you didn't hear this song in 2003, you may have lived under a rock. And if you haven't heard it by now, then you probably stopped reading this list a while ago. One of the most beloved songs of my generation, "Yeah!" by Usher is an absolute dance-floor show-stopper. It makes you want to "take that, rewind it back" nearly every time. This is arguably the most representative song for kids who were born in the '90s and grew up in the '00s (what should we call those by the way?). Undoubtedly, when my future children ask me what "kids were into when I was a kid", "Yeah!" will be mentioned right away. But why is it only number 2? Well, it isn't the next song...


1. Hey Ya - Outkast

This song is perfect. I miss Outkast dearly. Listening to mainstream music today, it's hard to believe a song like "Hey Ya" being as popular now as it was when it came out in 2003. Quite possibly the pinnacle of auditory experiences, the sounds of Andre 3000 & Big Boi's party anthem can't help but put you in a good mood every time. "Hey Ya" is also educational - it taught us that "what's cooler than being cool" is, indeed, "ice cold" and that you should always be willing to lend your neighbors "some sugar". This is always the song I think of when I think of songs I will tell future generations of and, for that reason, its the #1 "Back-in-My-Day" song.



So there you have it, my "Back-in-My-Day" Songs Power Rankings. Agree, disagree, take heed, or shrug... I don't really care. There are A LOT of these types of songs by the way (I debated filling this list with older Kanye songs, but I refrained) and I'm sure you can think of a completely different Top 5 from your experiences growing up. Please share in the comments so I can take that trip down Memory Lane with you. I hope you have as much fun thinking about this stuff as I did.