I'm not sure how things work in other parts of the world, but in the US, Fall is a pretty magical time. At least in my neck of the woods. As the the school buses hit the road in late August or early September, the air takes a turn and the evenings/mornings have a pleasant chill that make you want to curl up in a blanket.
and I slept with the windows open in our house last night and it was a crisp 64 degrees in the house this morning. The outdoor temperature was 47. Shorts get traded in for jeans, and t shirts get swapped out for sweatshirts and flannels.
American Football dominates the weekends and somewhere in there high school students start turning their attention to Homecoming.
If you aren't familiar, Homecoming is high school tradition where graduated students who have went off to university or a career come home to reunite and catch up with their old classmates. I'm sure there might be a more traditional meaning to it, but I don't feel like doing the legwork to Google it right now.
Meanwhile, current high school students have their time consumed with the homecoming parade, homecoming football game, homecoming dance, and most important of all, the crowning of the homecoming king and queen. This usually takes place at halftime during the football game.
Full disclosure, the photos above aren't from a Homecoming dance. They are and I at a wedding when we were much younger. They were the closest thing I could find to fit my theme this week without hitting up Pixabay.
In case you haven't figured it out, the theme for this weeks #threetunetuesday sponsored by is Homecoming. My wife and I work for a public school district, so we have a front row seat to all of the festivities. We even participate in the parade most years. I drive my truck and
sits in the back with students from her building and they throw candy out along the route.
My nieces have already went to their homecoming dance. The one down in Ohio went with some friends, and the one that lives up here went with her boyfriend. They both looked beautiful in their dresses and it's awesome to see them participating in this teenage right of passage.
So let's get to the music. Songs you might have heard at the homecoming dance from the year I was born, the year I graduated high school, and today.
We are taking this one all the way back to 1976 and there is absolutely no way DJ's weren't playing Wild Cherry "Play That Funky Music" at the homecoming dance. Honestly, back then they probably had a live band playing the music. I don't know if DJ's were as much of a thing back in the 70's.
It was hard to pick a single song from 1976, there were honestly quite a few I could have used. The Bee Gees had "You should be dancing" out, Stevie Wonder had "I Wish", "Car Wash" by Rose Royce was out, and "More More More" by Andrea True Connection was in the top ten on the charts.
That's just the top ten!
Go a little further down and you will find the gem by Tavares "Heaven must be missing an angel", you can't tell me you don't get up and dance whenever that song comes on.
It's crazy to think how long ago this was now. I better move on before I get lost in some deep soliloquy about how fleeting time is.
This song isn't particularly one of my favorites, but back in 1994 when I graduated high school, it was all over the place and I am pretty sure there is zero chance it wasn't played at at least one homecoming dance in the US. Actually, this song just came on the other day when I was listening to Sirius/XM Fly channel 47.
As I said, I honestly don't care for the song that much, but it was radio friendly and probably a pretty sure bet for a DJ to put into their rotation. That gives me a good thought... Maybe can pick a decade and start sharing playlists they would have put together given that time period. That could be fun.
1994 was an interesting year, that new kind of rap music was coming out and boy bands were starting to become a bit of a thing. As a DJ if you wanted to slow things down you could always play "I Swear" by All 4 One, or if you wanted to make it a bit more durty you could throw on "Creep" by TLC.
Tell me you didn't get a little freaky to "Creep" back in the day? Better yet, how about a little bit of "Bump and Grind" by R Kelly, back before everyone figured out he was a disgusting pedophile.
Finally, that brings us today. I have a strong inclination that once upon a time in a different life I was a teenage girl. Artists like Olivia Rodrido, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Ray, and Sabrina Carpenter are some of my favorite. Those angsty heart broken songs that a typical American teenage girl is drawn to.
I was going through my Spotify the other day and I realized that Olivia Rodrigo had a new album out. GUTS, which is the follow up to her freshman album SOUR is pretty fantastic if you ask me. I listened to the whole thing twice yesterday and then I texted my niece to say "how did I not know there was a new Olivia Rodridgo album out?". We then went on to have a short conversation about how good it is.
Anyway, "Bad Idea Right?" is one of the bangers from that new album and quite possibly my favorite song on the whole thing. At least right now. I am sure after a couple more listens I might change my mind.
Don't like Olivia? I'm sure at least one Taylor Swift song was played at the dance this past weekend. Maybe "Bejeweled"? Kids love their rap, trap, and electronic music these days, so I wouldn't doubt there was some Nicki Minaj, Latto, Cardi B, or Drake played either.
What about you? Do you celebrate Homecoming where you are from? Do you remember any songs from yours? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
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All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or unless otherwise sourced