10 Bro Jams That Can Now Be Considered ‘Throwbacks’

90’s nostalgia is merging into aughts nostalgia, and no away message is safe.

Music has long been one of the more universally sanctioned barometers of the shift. This not only makes perfect sense – certain sounds resonate better in certain times, and inevitably become associated with events in our lives, both personally and collectively – but it’s also pretty damn cool to see how something that was popular three seconds ago is now newly ancient history. With that, let’s take a look at 10 songs that are no longer “present”:


1. Suga Suga – Baby Bash & Frankie J (2003)

Why It’s Old: This very much has that “Old Usher” sound to it – the U Got It Bad, Burn sort of tunes that helped him turn into a megastar. That Usher is now gone, ceding way to dubsteppy power-croonage.  

 

2. Don’t Trust Me – 30H!3 (2008)

Why It’s Old:  30H!3, particularly their 2008 album Want, arguably represents the exact midpoint in the awkward shift between hard-hitting pop punk (Sum 41, Good Charlotte, The Starting Line) and dub-heavy stuff that the kids go nuts for today. Throw in that band Metro Station, and you really get the sense of the awkward transition.

 

3. City High – What Would You Do? (2001)

Why It’s Old: Sounded fresh for so long. It’s a heartbreaking story. But if you think about it, the baby momma’s kid is at least in middle school by now, and has possibly started to do drugs. Sad.

 

4. Midd Kid – The Allen Jokers (2010)

Why It’s Old: Exploding on the scene three years ago, this catchy song became an anthem of sorts to a very niche type of college kid. The passage of time shows that the shameless Bert the Broker-era laxers have since graduated and moved on to real-world endeavors, such as equally tremendous sports talk shows.

 

5. We Fly High – Jim Jones (2006)

Why It’s Old: This was the premier selection of my JV Basketball team’s warm-up soundtrack. Two and a half years later, a Jim Jones concert was somehow a fraternity rush event that I attended. The fact that both these things were at one point considered legitimate is everything you need to know. 

 

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6. Over & Over – Nelly ft. Tim McGraw  (2004)

Why It’s Old: Listen to the song and try and remember what it made you think about back in 2004. Replay, and think about what it makes you think about RIGHT NOW. Time = Pain.

 

7. Way Away – Yellowcard (2004)

Why It’s Old: This made it onto both the Madden ‘04 and SSX3 soundtracks. Yellowcard also fits into that semi-prehistoric pop-punk mold, though still definitely good for a solo car ride blast – the type that’d be highly embarrassing if anyone happened to catch you.

The kicker here is to get the new Madden in a few weeks, play it a whole bunch, then pop in Madden ‘04. The fact that you’ve forever thought this was the best Madden ever may get some second-guessing. It’s sort of like watching Space Jam as an adult.

 

8. Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) – Big & Rich (2004)

Why It’s Old: ESPN used this as the promo music for the 2004 World Series of Poker, the first time ESPN REALLY pushed the event. (The year prior was the Chris Moneymaker year, AKA the year the #pokerboom suddenly and inexplicably swept the nation.) Take a step back, and try and remember last time you and your buddies had one of those weekly poker nights. Probs no later than '07.

 

9. Donald Trump – Mac Miller (2011)

Why It’s Old: This came out a little over 2 years ago, so to say it’s already a throwback is probably a bit premature – much like in the way a college sophomore calling his freshman self an idiot is premature. Mac though, is the rare exception to that; listening to anything Milller’s put out recently proves he’s well beyond is frat-rap pop days. And with that genre arguably going by the wayside, throwback pinnie status achieved.

 

10. Kid Rick – Picture ft. Sheryl Crow (2002)

Why It’s Old: This now seems like a plot-line in Breaking Bad.