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1996 Playlist
The full playlist is at the bottom of the post with appropriate links.
I skipped 1995, since my volume numbers correspond with the last digit of the year. I remember I was itching to do my next tape and was thrilled when 1996 arrived. I was ready for Volume 6!
The 1995-1996 school year was big for me socially. I dated and broke up with my college sweetheart. The break-up was really hard on me, which is reflected in my song choices. But without him, I had the opportunity to develop friendships that lasted many years.
The television show “Friends” premiered in September 1994, and the theme song, “I’ll Be There For You” opens my 1996 playlist. I attended high school in the same class (1993) as the students on “Beverly Hills 90210,” but didn’t watch it after high school was over. “Friends” was a refreshing change because it was about twenty-somethings making their way through life after college.
Joshua Kadison’s “Beautiful in My Eyes” is next. His voice can easily be mistaken for Elton John.
Continuing the theme of men who love their women and will do anything for them, Boyz II Men is next with “I’ll Make Love To You.”
The theme continues with “I Can Love You Like That” by All 4 One. The song describes many of us women who have dreams of the fairy tale romance, being swept off our feet, or rescued by our hero. Then, the singers promise they can embody those dreams.
Then, we flip the coin with a few break-up songs. Alanis Morrisette is first with “Head Over Feet.” Then, we have one of the rare non-love songs from Celine Dion, “Think Twice.” I add an old favorite, Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds.” It’s like I finally experienced what is described in these songs.
The break-up songs continue with some more Alanis Morrissette. “You Oughta Know,” her best-known angry woman hit, was perfect for describing break-up feelings. And since the 1990s were a gentler but not angelic time, this was the first time oral sex and the f-word were mentioned in a song in my sphere.
“Ironic” is next, and yes, it brought up discussions of irony versus coincidence. But let’s not get all nerdy and over-analytical. As a fairly naïve college student, I admired Alanis Morrissette’s ability to put to words feelings and thoughts that I couldn’t.
Mariah Carey wraps up the break-up songs with “Without You.” Once you sing about being unable to live without your ex, you realize you can and will.
The next songs are post-break-up songs, the stage where you are determined to move forward despite the pain. A good post-break-up song is “King of Wishful Thinking” by Go West, the theme of which is getting over the ex.
We return to Alanis Morrissette and “You Learn.” She talks about life lessons like getting hurt and how it’s a hard pill to swallow — that’s the meaning behind the album title, “Jagged Little Pill.”
In a sudden change of genres, we go to Phil Collins’ “Separate Lives.” This song is almost easy-listening after Alanis, but it’s about living a life without your partner.
We switch gears to Michael W. Smith’s “The Other Side of Me,” a love song. It’s part of a trilogy, so I had to include all three songs. The others are “Breathe in Me” and “Angels Unaware.”
Next is the love theme for “Casper,” “Remember Me This Way,” by Jordan Hill. I watched the movie several times and really enjoyed the sweet innocent romance of the young ghost boy and Kat, played by Christina Ricci.
Vanessa Williams’ “Save The Best for Last” comes up next. I had the piano music for this and loved it from the time it first became popular and then again when I put it in my playlist.
Then, we break the emotional tension with a handful of fun songs – “Casper the Friendly Ghost” by Little Richard, “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr., and “It’s A Sunshine Day” from “The Brady Bunch.”
Sheryl Crow wraps up the fun portion of the playlist with “All I Wanna Do.”
The next portion seems to be a hodge-podge of different emotions and themes, much like real life. First up is a friendship song, “Count On Me,” by Whitney Houston and Cece Winans.
“Anything For You,” by Gloria Estefan, is next, followed by Bryan Adams’ cheating song, “Run to You.” Then, a favorite of many ladies who lived on the same floor of my dorm, “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” by Bonnie Tyler. And we wrap up this playlist with Air Supply’s “Every Woman in the World.”
The list is in the same order that I used for my tape.
| 1996 MY FAVORITE SONGS PLAYLIST | ||
| Song | Artist | Album
Amazon link iTunes link |
| I’ll Be There For You | Rembrandts | Friends soundtrack |
| Beautiful in My Eyes | Joshua Kadison | I Will Be Here – 25 Love Songs |
| I’ll Make Love to You | Boyz II Men | Legacy – The Greatest Hits Collection |
| I Can Love You Like That | All 4 One | And the Music Speaks |
| Head Over Feet | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill |
| Think Twice | Celine Dion | Colour of My Love |
| Against All Odds | Phil Collins | The Singles (Expanded) |
| You Oughta Know | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill |
| Ironic | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill |
| Without You | Mariah Carey | Music Box |
| King of Wishful Thinking | Go West | Pretty Woman soundtrack |
| You Learn | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill |
| Separate Lives | Phil Collins | The Singles (Expanded) |
| The Other Side of Me | Michael W. Smith | I’ll Lead You Home |
| Breathe in Me | Michael W. Smith | I’ll Lead You Home |
| Angels Unaware | Michael W. Smith | I’ll Lead You Home |
| Remember Me This Way | Jordan Hill | Casper soundtrack |
| Save the Best for Last | Vanessa Williams | Love Songs Number 1s |
| Casper the Friendly Ghost | Little Richard | Casper soundtrack |
| Ghostbusters | Ray Parker Jr. | Greatest Hits |
| It’s A Sunshine Day | Brady Bunch | The Best of The Brady Bunch |
| All I Wanna Do | Sheryl Crow | Tuesday Night Music Club |
| Count on Me | Whitney Houston, Cece Winans | Waiting To Exhale soundtrack |
| Anything For You | Gloria Estefan | Greatest Hits |
| Run to You | Bryan Adams | Anthology |
| Total Eclipse of the Heart | Bonnie Tyler | ‘80s Pop Hits |
| Every Woman in the World | Air Supply | Playlist: Very Best of Air Supply |
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