Mix Tape of the Day: April 3, 2015 - The Best of 2002

I love the music of 2002.  Maybe because it was the first year that I really started paying attention to the music around me.  Whatever the reason, I found it unbearably hard to make today's mix of 13 songs.  That means, in order to get every song I actually wanted on this list, over the next few days, we'll have some mixes inspired by the songs I left off.

1. Complicated - Avril Lavigne (2002) 2002 was the year we met Avril Lavigne, a common face on my mixes.  It was incredibly hard to choose between this one and "Sk8er Boi," because, while I acknowledge that the latter is sillier, it holds a special place in my heart.  But I ultimately went her first hit, the one that made us all (well, 14-year-old me) fall in love with her.

2. All You Wanted - Michelle Branch (2001) I guess I never realized how important Michelle Branch was to my early teenage years until now.

3. Just Like a Pill - Pink (2001) Although I was more familiar with Pink's "Don't Let Me Get Me," I found myself enjoying this one a bit more.  I think that's because it sounds similar to "Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing.

4. Underneath It All - No Doubt ft. Lady Saw (2001) No Doubt was all over the chart this year!  But none of them can beat "Underneath It All."  No Doubt was a pretty good band, it seems.

5. Soak Up the Sun - Sheryl Crow (2002) Summer isn't here yet but that doesn't mean we can't look forward to the essential summer song of 2002.

6. Hot in Herre - Nelly (2002) Haha, I had to include this one.  It's just so wrong and right at the same time.

7. One Last Breath - Creed (2001) ....Here is the only Creed song we'll ever need.

8. Cleanin' Out My Closet - Eminem (2002) In 2002, I would probably say that I wasn't a fan of Eminem.  Yet I was just inexplicably drawn to this song.  It made me a fan.

9. Wherever You Will Go - The Calling (2001) Yeah, 4 chords!  Give us another jam!

10. No Such Thing - John Mayer (2001) Starting high school with a song about running through the halls of your high school was a perfect correlation.

11. Standing Still - Jewel (2001) These next three songs were probably the whole reason I turned out the way I am today.  When you're 14 years old, these pop rock ladies really speak to your sense of hopeless romance.

12. A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton (2002) Thanks to that magnificent piano and string section, this song is elevated to a grand status.  And while White Chicks was a critically-panned film, I once caught a brief scene on television that featured Terry Crews singing along to this song and I knew it was one of the best scenes ever recorded on film in history.

13. A Moment Like This - Kelly Clarkson (2002) It was all leading up to this moment.  When I started my freshman year of high school, Kelly Clarkson had just become our first American Idol.  And this song spoke to me.  It gave me the impetus to have the best four years of high school possible so that, come senior year, I could experience this very moment.

Mix Tape of the Day: February 27, 2015 - The Best of 2007

I had a lot of contenders for my 2007 list, but there weren't really many stand out choices for me.  It was strange, but I feel like since I had listened to these songs so many times in 2007 that they all just started fading into the background.  Some of my true favorites have already been featured on other lists, so these all kind of feel like "runners up."  When making the tough choices about losing "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," I decided that if I listened to it on my iPod repeatedly back in 2007, then it must have been worthy of this list.

1. Stronger - Kanye West (2007) This is the song that would eventually inspired Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger." Kanye West took a classic Daft Punk track to create the hook for this song, making it instantly memorable.

2. The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani ft. Akon (2006) I'd probably listen to this song everyday throughout my freshman year of college.  Boy, was that a bad decision.  But I must remember what drew me to it in the first place.  It was the line about the refrigerator.

3. Thnks fr th Mmrs - Fall Out Boy (2007) Remember when Fall Out Boy was the cool thing to listen to?  Good times(?).

4. Who Knew - Pink (2006) Apparently Pink disappeared for a bit, then came back with this and "U + UR Hand."  Both are great, but I gave the slight edge to this one.  I tend to like like "hardcore sad" Pink music.

5. Snow (Hey Oh) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers (2006) Oh yeah, I still have to do my Red Hot Chili Peppers mix.  Thanks for reminding me!

6. Beautiful Girls - Sean Kingston (2007) I thought this was the stupidest song for the longest time. I felt the "Stand by Me" sample clashed with the lyrics.  He just seemed like an overdramatic moody teenager...I guess my opinion has changed.

7. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood (2005) Since this song is technically based on speculation (the narrator never specifically witnesses cheating occurring and assumes a lot of the more incriminating moments), I'd like to imagine a scenario in which it's all a big misunderstanding and the guy was innocent the whole time.

8. If Everyone Cared - Nickelback (2005) I'm hoping that by putting this song here at #8, you'll overlook the fact that I included a Nickelback song, especially one as pandering as this one.

9. Teardrops on My Guitar - Taylor Swift (2006) Ah, we finally made it to the beginning of Taylor Swift's career.  Singing about unrequited love and heartache.  That's our Taylor.

10. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance (2006) Back when lipdubs were all the rage, I really wanted to make one set to this song.  Um, it's probably for the better that I didn't move past the brainstorming stage on that one.

11. Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne (2007) I don't care if she ripped off the song "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" by the Rubinoos.  It's still fun and great and both songs complement each other well.  Let her have this one.

12. Face Down - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (2006) No comment.

13. Apologize - One Republic (2005) I'm cheating here and not using the Timbaland remix that actually charted.  The two songs are virtually identical, but the original is just purer and feels more heartfelt.  And it's my favorite OneRepublic song, so there.

Mix Tape of the Day: February 20, 2015 - The Best of 2008

I'm so 2000 and late in getting to this 2000 and 8 mix.  I had difficulty settling on one of the songs, but I think I've found one that I'm happy with.  Let's live our life and fall in love like it's 2008!

1. Viva la Vida - Coldplay (2008) While not my favorite Coldplay song, it has remained a constant radio favorite.  Maybe it's because it sounds like the Super Mario invincibility theme slowed down.  It'll never die.

2. Live Your Life - T.I. ft. Rihanna (2008) Don't just "viva la vida," live your life.  And do it to the sounds of "Dragostea din tei" because that song is the soul of life itself.

3. Paper Planes - M.I.A. (2007) It seemed like every movie in 2008 featured this song.  I was introduced to it a bit earlier and I found it amusing that a song like this would make it on the charts.  I guess we all like robbing people.

4. Low - Flo Rida ft. T-Pain (2007) STEP UP 2 THE STREETS!!! Nary a party in 2008 could be found without this adorable love song.

5. Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna (2007) Sampling Michael Jackson is always a great move.  Well, not always.  But this time, it was a great move.

6. Shake It - Metro Station (2007) Haha, this is exactly the kind of song I expect from a band called "Metro Station."  And that video really sells it, too.  Ah, generic lyrics about love and shaking.

7. Love Remains the Same - Gavin Rossdale (2008) This was my surprising final choice.  I didn't realize that this was actually a 2008 or one that charted.  It was familiar, yet not immediately memorable.  But after learning that Rossadle was part of Bush, things started clicking in my brain.  And this song is a nice slow jam as for the mix.

8. Love Story - Taylor Swift (2008) Welcome back, Taylor!  Aww, innocent fairy tale love!  How far you've come!

9. Hot n Cold - Katy Perry (2008) I almost thought this song wouldn't make it.  Recent Katy Perry hits just haven't been resonating with me, and it started turning me off to her older hits.  But she's right.  I'm just changing my mind more than a girl changes clothes.

10. 7 Things - Miley Cyrus (2008) Hating things about the person you love?  Well, I understand the concept, but I can't exactly relate.  Whatever, the girls in the video seem to be going through the worst junior high school relationships imaginable, and I can feel their pain.

11. Forever - Chris Brown (2007) Chris Bown released this song before his horrible actions, so I try to enjoy this song with an untainted mind.  Thankfully, that cheesy Youtube wedding video claimed the song as it's own, promoting true love and fun.  Because, I really do enjoy this song on it's own.

12. Womanizer - Britney Spears (2008) I felt like I should retaliate against a Chris Brown song with the two female empowerment songs of 2008.  First up, is Spears's "Womanizer" which was her big comeback after years of absence and bad press.  She really rebounded well.

13. So What - Pink (2008) And then here's Pink's message to the masses: So what?  I think I've unconsciously sung this song to myself every day since I first heard it.

Mix Tape of the Day: February 13, 2015 - The Best of 2009

Here it is.  2009.  The best year ever.  The best songs ever.

1. Fireflies - Owl City (2009) I almost included this in my Australia mix since a dear friend from Australia introduced me to this song.  But then I remembered that she shared it with me right after we had all returned back home to America.  Still, it reminds me of that wonderful year.

2. Poker Face - Lady Gaga (2008) 2009 was when we all started realizing, "Oh dang, this Lady Gaga lady is something special."  And this song me filled with such amazing frisson the first time that I knew it would be one of my top songs of the year.

3. Fallin' for You - Colbie Caillat (2009) Aww, I hate when they don't have the official video on Youtube.  I liked that Bobby Moynihan was the object of desire in an unironic comedic fashion.

4. Green Light - John Legend ft. Andre 3000 (2008) This is just a fun song.  And it's nice to have a song that's about asking for consent.  Other contemporary songs should take note.

5. 21 Guns - Green Day (2009) Green Day! Finally!  This means that my Green Day mix should be on it's way, lest I use them all to fill slots on my best of the year mixes.  I love the Full House intro breakdown in the middle of this one.

6. Down - Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne (2009) Thanks to DJ Puppies and Kittens, I will never forget this song.

7. If U Seek Amy - Britney Spears (2008) Ah, finally, Britney Spears has arrived.  I am an unashamed Spears fan, and she had a lot of good choices for 2009.  Soon, I'll be unleashing my Britney Spears megamix.  This one earned the spot on the mix for being able to sneak curse words past the censors.  And songs about Amy are always great.

8. Please Don't Leave Me - Pink (2008) I like Pink a lot more than I realized.  I feel like she keeps showing up on all of these year-end lists.

9. Love Drunk - Boys Like Girls (2009) This song reminds me of "Somebody Told Me" by the Killers.  That's good enough for me.

10. Don't Trust Me - 3OH!3 (2008) I'm assuming this song is being ironic with it's lyrics and subject material.  Because it's a lot of fun to sing and I don't want to get in trouble.

11. You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift (2008) I've held off on using this song so often.  This is my favorite Taylor Swift song and it convinced me to give her a shot as an artist.  It's cliché, but this song speaks to me so much that I'd consider it one of my top 13 personal anthems.  Maybe one day, I'll compile that list for you.

12. Halo - Beyoncé (2008) Man, I think this is one of the most beautiful sounding songs in existence.  And maybe Kelly Clarkson was upset because it sounded exactly like "Already Gone," but hey, she'd get her own great song of 2009.  Let "Halo" be.

13. My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson (2009) Okay, I was so tempted to put the Glee version on this list, because it introduced me to the song. (I was aware of it, but the title turned me off and I'd never listen to it the whole way through.) I'll save that version for later, so let's just enjoy the original for now.