31 Songs That Rocked Our Teenage Lives

There are no years as emotional and thought-provoking as your teenage years.. or so they say.. Nonetheless, the drama would not have been half as big if you didn’t have the perfect soundtrack to go along with it. Here’s some of our favourite songs that will always bring back memories of those angst-filled years.. ________________________________________________________ Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag Ah many an hour was spent shouting this out as you could like totally relate to it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC3y9llDXuM Video via YouTube/WheatusVEVO The Offspring - Pretty Fly for A White Guy A revolution of its time, this was the summer track of 1998. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzY2Qcu5i2A Video via YouTube/offspringtvVEVO Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit Ah the early ninties, Nirvana were the kings and their lyrics were our motto. Post 1994 the lyrics became all the more powerful and a generation of head bangers were born. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg Video via YouTube/NirvanaVEVO Bloodhound Gang – Bad Touch Hmm... how many young spotty teenage lads thought they were chatting you up with the words, “You and me baby ain’t nothing but mammals…” oh the flirtatious moves of the past. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xat1GVnl8-k Video via YouTube/BloodhoundGangVEVO Robbie Williams – Angels The song broke hearts across the world. Girls weeped, slow dances became slower and the world just made sense with this song. Robbie rocked us all out with Rock DJ soon after. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luwAMFcc2f8 Video via YouTube/robbiewilliamsvevo Bon Jovi – It’s My Life Another "scream at the top of your voice" song, Bon Jovi knew exactly how you were feeling and put it into rocking words for you to blare to your heart’s content. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2u5uUu3DE Video via YouTube/BonJoviVEVO Eiffel 65 - Blue This song is still a smash hit when it’s played now, and coupled with the obsession with the blue lollies you could get for 10 cent in the shop that turned your tongue blue (was that just us?!) it was amazing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQlZweKNBjo Video via YouTube/Q-D.O.K crew The Tamperer featuring Maya – What's She Gonna Look Like This song was full of anger and frustration – the perfect fit for our teenage rebellion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht-m4vMWRqA Video via YouTube/Mohamed Boug Alanis Morrissette – Ironic Again, Alanis was the soundtrack of the teenage angst. Her songs had meaning, her lyrics spoke to you and she was basically able to look inside your head. Everything was ironic for us in those days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc Video via YouTube/Alanis Morissette Tenacious D – Tribute Alas a bit more towards the later teens (hmm, are we giving away our age a bit) this genius song was literally that.. genius.. there are no words, our minds were blown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lK4cX5xGiQ Video via YouTube/tenaciousDVEVO Oasis – Wonderwall The usual Oasis vs Blur fight could never even register if you took into account Oasis’ iconic Wonderwall. Coupled with Don't Look Back in Anger they were the only two songs to be sung on your guitar at a house party. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hzrDeceEKc Video via YouTube/Oasis Lou Bega - Mambo N0 5 We all wanted to hear our names in this song and screamed it as loud as we could when it did feature. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK_LN3XEcnw Video via YouTube/LouBegaVEVO Fatboy Slim – Praise You The video was a sensation, the song a massive hit. Genius. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex1qzIggZnA Video via YouTube/Fatboy Slim Run DMC vs Jason Nevins – It’s Like That Again, lyrics that spoke volumes to us - we were able to rap every single line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLGWQfK-6DY Video via YouTube/RUNDMCVEVO Vengaboys – Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom The Vengaboys that sparked so many rows over whether you were pronouncing them correctly (venga or benga – we still don’t know). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llyiQ4I-mcQ Video via YouTube/Vengaboys Aqua - Barbie Girl A song that we liked to sing semi tongue-in-cheek but secretly knew every word to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyhrYis509A Video via YouTube/AquaVEVO Greenday – Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) The Leaving Certificate graduation song for about ten years running, we sang this with passion and sadness as we headed for the greener pastures of college. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnQ8N1KacJc Video via YouTube/Green Day  Spice Girls – Spice up Your Life It wouldn’t be a proper look back at the teenage years without a Spice Girls mention. There were too many good ones to choose from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wfpXI5PKlw Video via YouTube/emimusic DJ Oatis – Hey Baby Again rewind to the youth club disco and everyone undoubtedly shouted “Ooh Ah” at just the right moment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNsmiqmaEWo Video via YouTube/hlxino Smokie - Living Next Door to Alice There was nothing bolder and more daring than singing the chorus to this song in full. You were cool as. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDvuskOGiY0 Video via YouTube/HDClipsMusic Scooter – The Logical Song Scooter was the undisputed king of dance music for most of the 1990s and this was the soundtrack of youth club discos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujcgcvOD_wc Video via YouTube/ScooterVEVO Stain’d – It’s Been A While Stain’d stormed into the charts with this song and Outside. Perfect when you were brooding over a love lost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=araU0fZj6oQ Video via YouTube/Atlantic Records Chumbawamba – I Get Knocked Down The song that helped you no matter what life threw in your face. You were always able to “get back up again.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1njIckENbRA Video via YouTube/TheSoaron Cascada – Everytime we Touch Be it the fast version or the slow version this song was one of the favourites. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G6QDNC4jPs Video via YouTube/SteveAATW Boyzone – Father and Son Yes, cringe though you all may, Boyzone deserve the mention as they dominated the charts of the 1990s. Father and Son was a poignant tune released around Christmas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqBEi2vfxAs Video via YouTube/BoyzoneVEVO  Alicia Keyes – Fallin’ The piano. The voice. The stunner. We wanted to be Alicia Keyes, or at least be able to sing like her. OMG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urdlvw0SSEc Video via YouTube/aliciakeysVEVO Notorious B.I.G – Hypnotize Who could forget that scene in Ten Things I Hate About You when she gets up on the table and rocks it before falling perfectly into Heath Ledgers arms.. sigh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZWwPaamC-s Video via YouTube/monicabee Blur – Parklife We knew most of the words to all Blur songs, but this one in particular stuck out. We always got up whenever we wanted too... eh we wished! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIEsmGzo2UE Video via YouTube/emimusic Elton John - Candle in the Wind Most people remember where they were in 1997 when the news broke that Princess Diana had died. Elton wrote this song for her. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0PKcKbjlKg Video via YouTube/gabriela2415 Dawson's Creek - I Don't Wanna Wait Dawson and Joey were part of our evening fill of drama.. even though they looked about 20 when they were meant to be 15..add this to My So-Called Life (well hello there Jared Leto) and our TV viewing was well and truly sorted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raGFI8pUau0 Video via YouTube/ralphmysta Take That – Never Forget Hearts were broken around the world when Take That announced their split and their Never Forget song was screamed back at them by thousands of heartbroken fans with tears streaming down their faces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoO_1FFr56k Video via YouTube/TakeThatVEVO And finally, the special mention.... Richie Kavanagh – Aon Focal Eile We know this was technically more of a primary school thing, but who else thought the lyrics were awful bold (but great fun to sing)? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPqT6_TkU6Q Video via YouTube/E Ryan