17 Best Songs About Memories & Good Times
A memorable song can transport us back in time and represent specific memories and good times in our lives. Whether it is a song from childhood or adulthood, if you are trying to remember good times in your life, they are probably inspired by a classic song. Yet, there are also songs that are actually about memories and good times.
Whether you are reminiscing about childhood, getaways with best friends, college life, or memories you are making today, there is a list of songs about memories and good times that may coincide with the times in your own life. Below is a list of out top songs about memories and good times. If you have not heard any of them, now is the time to listen.
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Adele – When We Were Young
This first song reminisces about being at a party with old friends and acquaintances as Adele narrates her own experiences with relatable lyrics and Adele’s powerful voice. Many of Adele’s songs are about memories and a lingering or troubling past, and “When We Were Young” does not disappoint to bring you back to the memories of youth.
The song originally came out in 2016, yet it stands the test of time when it comes to reliving those important moments in one’s life when you were young with friends. The song hits the memories of being young and not knowing where life is headed by narrating running into an old lover from youth and looking back at the uncertain time.
As Adele goes through the lyrics, she recounts the memories of Adele and her lover of the past and how those memories begin to engulf her. This is the perfect song about memories because the entire story is about Adele being in this man’s presence and how being with him again reminds her of her youth and coming home again with him.
“When We Were Young” is an emotional song about memories flooding back to you when you are older and reflecting on a time where you may not have had a care in the world. It is a perfect example of being an adult, running into someone from your past, and then remembering a time from the past and the unforgettable truth about it.
Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days
A year after Adele spoke about the memories of an old lover, Macklemore and Kesha were singing about remembering youth positively instead of dwelling on the past with regrets. Macklemore remembers his own experiences that, at the time, were not appreciated, but were remembered as good times now that he is older and wiser.
Macklemore and Kesha make some very relatable points about how the youth usually take for granted the simplicity of going to school and hanging out with friends. It is not until one is older that these good old days are appreciated and, as adults, one can truly look back and appreciate these moments. This is what made this song a 2017 hit.
If you are looking back at your own past and realizing you had some great memories that you did not appreciate when you were young, this song is definitely relatable. Not only that, but it is a catchy song that can be listened to while driving in the car, going for a run, or sitting by the pool. It will more than likely spur your own memories of the past.
Similar to Adele, the fact that Macklemore uses his own life to add power to a song about memories is what makes this song so special. He expresses how he knows his own future is coming and, in your youth, you should not worry about the future or dream about only finding success. In the end, all you will have are these good old memories.
Ed Sheeran – Photograph
Ed Sheeran remembers his long distance relationship with singer Nina Nesbitt in this autobiographical account of the memories of love lost. It is called “Photograph” because that is how he keeps the memories alive, looking through photos of the memories with Nesbitt and trying to keep their old relationship alive through visuals:
- We keep this love in this photograph…
- Hearts were never broken…
- Time’s forever frozen still…
As Ed Sheeran notes, your memories can be frozen in time with a single photograph. Long-distance relationships are tough and are difficult to sustain. This memory is very relatable and Sheeran uses his own personal experience with a fellow musical artist to relate to his audience about memories that are frozen in pictures.
The photographs have a double meaning when it comes to memories, as Sheeran used them to remember his love when they were apart and then again to remember those good and bad times once the relationship was over. It is relatable to anyone who had a relationship fail in the past because of the distance that was between the two lovers.
These lyrics can mirror the listener’s own life who have photos from their youth, particularly of relationships from the past. Although relationships may not last, the memories can through the pictures that document those good times. In the end, photographs may be the only way you can hold onto that love from your youth.
Honorable Mention – Green Day, Good Riddance
Green Day’s “Good Riddance” comes in at a close second when it comes to reminiscing about a relationship of the past that did not last. Singer Billie Joe wrote the song about breaking up with his girlfriend and feeling nostalgic about the relationship lost. This song is notable because it is heard in so many emotional scenes of feature films.
Maroon 5 – Memories
You cannot have a list about songs about memories without having an actual song that is entitled “Memories.” If you are looking to remember your loved ones you lost, this song is perfect. The song was written and sung by Maroon 5’s lead singer, Adam Levine, and dedicated to his manager and longtime friend who died from health issues.
The song is an emotional ride about how you remember the loved ones you lost and try to let go of them while keeping the memories of the good times with them. Levine not only remembers his own friend who was lost too soon, but also reflects on the lives of others who are no longer with their loved ones. It is a relatable song of love and loss.
The song “Memories” is so much more than just remembering the past. It literally pays homage to anyone who has lost someone and can be a moving tribute that you can use to think about someone in your life who was taken too soon and make you appreciate them even more when they were once alive.
If the song itself does not motivate you, Maroon 5 made an accompanying video that is also filled with emotionally-wrought visuals of how we try to reminisce about our loved ones, pay tribute to them, but then also learn how to let go of them and just keep their memories alive. It will help you appreciate your loved ones that much more.
Shawn Mendes – Memories
Here is another song appropriately entitled “Memories,” this time by solo artist Shawn Mendes. Mendes was discovered on YouTube, but has since become one of the most popular singers today. This song in particular is a perfect way to remember someone who used to be important in your life but is no longer in it:
- A heartbroken man remembers his relationship
- He invested a lot of hope in keeping it alive
- The woman is now gone and just memories and photographs remain
Similar to Maroon 5, Mendes remembers memories of someone that could be heartbreaking and sad. However, Mendes is not singing about someone who had passed away, but about a failed relationship with someone you once loved. He looks back at the precious moments of that relationship and how the memories were made.
Many times, your memories are about not-so-good times, and this is the basis for Shawn Mendes’ “Memories.” If you have had your heart broken in the past, this song will speak to you beautifully about your memories of a failed relationship and how you only have the memories of the relationship in the past.
This song is not only the perfect illustration of remembering a lost love, but also illustrates the talent of a young Shawn Mendes and how he can use his lyrics and vocals to transport his audience back in time so that they can remember their own memories and relationships of the past.
Thomas Rhett – Unforgettable and Sixteen
Country Singer Thomas Rhett gets two songs on this list when it comes to memories, “Unforgettable” and “Sixteen.” The first hit, “Unforgettable,” goes back in time to remember the chronology of meeting a spouse, the good times of the relationship, and how you got to where you are with her today, including:
- The first date
- The details of the first moments
- The time you know you fell in love with her
- How she would end up becoming you wife
This is the perfect song to listen to and remember how he met his wife, fell in love with her, and how those memories built their life together today. This song could be used as a dedication to a wife through the voice of Rhett and his touching and emotional lyrics. The song has truly been unforgettable since its original release in 2017.
Rhett’s second hit on the list is “Sixteen.” Instead of remembering a love, this song remembers the wild and crazy time of being sixteen-years-old and how those memories will last a lifetime. From first driving lessons to sneaking out at night, it is the perfect song to transport you back in time to that special year of high school.
The narrator of sixteen is a man who fondly recalls being sixteen, a young boy who at that time was a confident teen living a free and wildlife. As an adult, he looks back and wishes he could go back to that simpler time and recapture all the feelings he had as a sixteen-year-old teen. It is a memory all adults can more than likely share.
Honorable Mention – Kenny Chesney, I Go Back
This country song receives an honorable mention in that it can literally transport you back to your childhood when you simply enjoyed parties, high school loves, and all the other times in which you could be a teen without real-life, adult problems. It is a very relatable song about the good times you have as a teen in comparison to adulthood.
Fall Out Boy – Thnksfr the Mmrs de
Although the name of this song is a bit convoluted, Fall Out Boy does a great job of being thankful for their memories even when the memories are not always positive. This older song from 2007 will transport you back in time and look back at your life with nostalgia, both the good times and the bad. You will be thankful for them both.
Why do they look at the not so good memories? The lyrics specifically discuss a relationship that in the present is really just going through the motions. However, they can both look back to the past and be thankful for the times they spent together. It is a story that listeners may be able to relate to, looking back at the good and bad of love.
Fall Out Boy developed a romantic atmosphere disguised in rock music in which the narrator recognizes that his relationship was never perfect, but it is still something to look back on. No memories are perfect when it comes to relationships, and Fall Out Boy notes this perfectly.
If you were wondering why the title was spelled so awkwardly, it was because Fall Out Boy’s record label thought the title of the song was too long. Their response? Simply take out all of the vowels.