Top Ten Most Iconic Freshers Tunes 2011-2012

I’d say that most young people have had the experience. It only takes an old song from the seventies or eighties to come onto the radio and it’s likely that one parent or another will brighten up, sing along, and say ‘Oh, this reminds me of when I was twenty.’ The thing is, often, there’s very little exceptional about the music- the reason it has stood the test of time is sentimentality. I’ve therefore compiled a list of what I believe to be the songs that I’ll associate with being at University in the years to come.

10) Twilight – Cover Drive – I begin with this at number ten for a couple of reasons: it’s quite a good, entertaining piece of music and also it came to fruition for me during the spring term of my time at university so I associate it with those good times, for some reason, more than many other tunes.

9) Be Faithful (Hundred Dollar Bill)– Fatman Scoop – I personally first heard this in a club called Bambu on a Freshers night in Birmingham. My lasting memory of it is, and forever will be seeing a girl dancing on a podium to the lyrics ‘who’s f*****g tonight?’

8) N*ggas in Paris – Jay Z ft Kanye West – This track makes the list not out of its artistic merit (because of course, this list does not judge by quality alone, but by how meaningful each song is) but due to how, almost virally, it took on the mass market and found itself played in clubs and by those who do not, generally, enjoy rap music. It also, for some reason, makes hundreds of people in every club speak along to the ridiculous line ‘it’s provocative, it gets the people going,’ and that’s quite memorable when it happens.

7) Heart Skips a Beat – Ollie Murs ft Rizzle Kicks – There’s little more to say about this song than to recognise that it embodies youth, fun and carelessness. Perfect happiness for a carefree time of your life.

6) Magic – B.o.B ft Rivers Cuomo – Here we have one of the freshers week tracks; those that were seriously popular around mid-September 2011. It’s iconic for me because my first memories of my flatmates, the clubs I now adore and the place I now call home are accompanied by this song being played in the background.

5) Feel so Close – Calvin Harris – This track makes the list as a wild card. My memory associated most strongly with it is predominantly that of my co- contributor on this blog, friend from home and fellow student at the University of Birmingham: Ashley Kirk, being heavily under the influence. Enough said.

4) Call me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepson – This needed to be included on the list due to how memorable its irritating tune became. It is already exhibiting the characteristics of a one hit wonder, but who cares, it was kind of catchy and we all loved how cheesy it was. What more is there to memorable party music?

3) Let the Sun Shine – Labrinth – Again, this is one of those freshers week tunes which take me back to first term and all of the frivolity associated with it. It is very light hearted music, through its words, literally implying that there is little to care about in the world other than sunshine and fun.

2) Party all Night – Sean Kingston – An iconic track which accompanied the discovery of much of Birmingham’s nightlife during my freshers week. It also correctly narrates what students like to do, so it makes number two.

1) Loca People – Sak Noel – For me, when I think of my freshers year, this one song has had the most lasting effect on me. Not only is it excellent dance music, and in fact, perfect for getting yourself into university nightlife around the start of freshers, but the words ‘Johnny, la gente esta muy Loca’ will now forever be in my Spanish vocabulary. Even now, after a few months, it takes me all the way back.