Students embrace old school tunes from their parents’ playlists

Music has a way of passing down through generations like a family heirloom. For Sophomore Savannah Stine, her personal soundtrack isn’t just a collection of modern hits. It is a musical puzzle built from ride-along road trips, family living rooms and the songs her parents used to play.

Growing up, Stine’s home was filled with a diverse combination of genres, ranging from heavy rock to early 2000s hip-hop and classic rock anthems. Today, those early listening habits have permanently shaped her personal music rotation.

While many listeners stick strictly to current releases, Stine claims the 2000s as her ultimate favorite era. Some tracks she loved as a child were The Notorious B.I.G.’s legendary “Hypnotize” and Lowrider’s “Slow Ride.” Shaggy’s hit single “It Wasn’t Me” eventually made its way directly onto her main playlist too.

“I chose these songs because I liked the beat and the lyrics, and they brought up a lot of memories,” Stine said.

The sense of remembrance extends to track-by track memories of home. When spending time with her dad, Luke Bryan’s country hit “That’s My Kind of Night” was the go-to background track.

Over with her mom and stepdad, the energy shifted entirely to Rob Zombie’s industrial rock standard “Dragula”—a song so beloved in their household that her brother would always headbang along to this song.

Finding common ground on a long car ride can be a challenge for any family, but Stine says one track is guaranteed to keep everyone happy: Shaggy’s hit single “Angel.”

“It’s a really good song that everyone likes, and they enjoy it,” Stine said, naming it the ultimate consensus track if she were given control of the aux cord on a family road trip.

Her parents’ taste also served as an early indicator of trends before they resurfaced on modern platforms. Long before Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” became a viral dance phenomenon on TikTok, Stine had already heard it at home. Seeing the song blow up online only confirmed what she had suspected: her parents actually had good taste.

Not every classic hit was an instant favorite, however. Stine admits that Queen’s iconic rock opera “Bohemian Rhapsody” took time to grow on her.

“I used to think it was super outdated because I didn’t like how Freddie Mercury’s voice sounded,” she said, “but now I can break down the lyrics to really understand it.”

Her appreciation for heavy hitters from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s doesn’t stop there. Stadium rock staples like Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Paradise City,” alongside Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name” have secured permanent spots on her rotation. To Stine, these tracks aren’t just nostalgic—they are timeless bangers that are impossible to hate.

With regard to which artist from her parents’ stereo she would pay to see live today, Stine didn’t hesitate: rap icon Nelly. Having grown up listening to hits like “Ride Wit Me,” “Country Grammar” and “Batter Up,” the music became second nature.

“My mom would always play his music from when I was young until now,” Stine said. “We all know it by heart.”

For junior Taryn Bumblauskas, every song tells a unique story, but the tracks on her phone read more into how she found these songs and how they relate to her family.

Her music collection is proof that her parents’ taste was far cooler than she first gave them credit for.

Bumblauskas gets a lot of her music from her dad, who listens to all kinds of bands. One day she heard the song “Hanging Out to Dry” by Florence Road on his playlist. She liked it so much that it went right onto her own playlist.

She also learned to love older music. At first she thought the Jackson 5 song “Who’s Lovin’ You” was way too old, but once she had given it a real chance, she loved it.

Bumblauskas also plays a lot of 2000s music because it reminds her of being little.

Some songs take her back to some special places. Bumblauskas spent her childhood summers in Ireland, where she heard a lot of Ed Sheeran. Now, hearing his music makes her feel safe and happy, just like being home.

Her mom also knows how to find some good hits. Her mom played the song “Juice” by Lizzo non-stop at home. Taryn thought it was just a secret song her mom found, but a week later, it was trending all over TikTok.

Usually when the whole family gets in the car, picking music can be really hard, but everyone agrees on the singer Kelsea Ballerini. Bumblauskas said her song “Anything” works for everyone, even if they like different types of music.

In fact Kelsea Ballerini is the one artist her parents love that Taryn would go see live in a concert today.