Nostalgic Hits of the 2010s That Will Have You Traveling Back in Time

You may have been listening from the back of your parent’s car or on your morning run. No matter where it was or how old you were, the ‘2010s were a transitional time for music. Consequently, the generation created songs some folks could live without, not live without, and lastly, have had drilled in their core memories ever since the first time they heard them.

It’s a funny thing—memory and music. We all have those songs that take us back to moments in our lives we cherish and maybe even try to forget. Regardless of the feeling, the sheer fact that songs have the power to transport us to the past is something worth acknowledging. Of course, everyone has their own song which does this for them. However, between 2009 and 2019, three songs consistently flooded the airwaves and as a result, flood our memories to this day. Here are some of the 3 most nostalgic hits of the ‘2010s.

1. “Someone Like You” by Adele

Now here’s a question for you—Where in your memory does this song take you? Was it at a time of heartbreak or was it just belting the lyrics driving down the road? No matter the memory it invokes, this tear-jerking song released by Adele in 2011 is one of her all-time greatest songs. It’s as if Adele is screaming with you in the room given that her vocals are so powerful.

It is the purely grandiose and epicness of the tune that has made it inescapable 13 years after its release. Often considered one of the best vocalists of all time, every Adele song from the ‘2010s has the magnitude to make someone’s life feel like a movie. Lastly, it’s safe to surmise that whatever type of memory this arises one thing always entails: Goosebumps.

2. “Levels” by Avicii

Maybe it was at a party in college or a club in your home city. Avicii’s 2011 hit not only launched EDM into the mainstream, but also cemented itself as the party anthem of a generation. With notes of youthfulness, senseless fun, and a beat that’s impossible not to dance to, the song remains a staple in the memories of the folks who associate it with their late teens and ’20s.

Sadly, another element of the song that leads to its nostalgic appeal is the passing of Avicii in 2018. It’s not often that people of the ‘2010s generation can see the complete arc of an individual’s career, but with Avicii, they can and they did. And they are more connected to him and music because of it.

3. “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars

Similar to “Someone Like You,” Mars plants himself in our memories through his vocals. Furthermore, the song may remind someone of their first break-up or merely, a time where the song offered some sort of solace. Nonetheless, upon it release in 2012, the song became an instantaneous hit due to its lyrical pathos.

Encompassing young love to the fullest extent, Mars’ song sits in the memory of old and young heads alike. As the themes present in the song apply to anyone who has ever dealt with heartbreak. A love song of the generation, Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” not only revitalizes personal memories but also reminds people of a time when heart-ache songs were sad and simple.

Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele