By Evan Young | June 2, 2025
Nothing can evoke memories of WashU quite like a song. One minute you’re running errands, driving to work, or cleaning the house, and the next you’re transported back to the Bear’s Den, your residence hall, or The Rat.
We asked alumni on social media to tell us what song instantly takes them back to their time as students. More than 120 Bears chimed in with titles that span multiple decades and genres.
Expand the sections below to explore the music (and musical memories) of WashU through the years, submitted by your fellow alumni. You can also find this playlist on Spotify!
Want to add a song to the playlist? Comment on our Facebook post or email alumnisocial@wustl.edu.
- Crimson and Clover — Tommy James and the Shondells
- Do Wah Diddy Diddy — Manfred Mann
- Gimme Some Lovin’ — The Spencer Davis Group
- I Can’t Stop Loving You — Ray Charles
- I Want to Hold Your Hand — The Beatles
- My Generation — The Who
- Proud Mary — Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Respect — Aretha Franklin
- Roses are Red (My Love) — Bobby Vinton
- The Sound of Silence — Simon and Garfunkel
- Tuesday Afternoon — The Moody Blues
- Afternoon Delight — Starland Vocal Band
- All the Young Dudes — Mott the Hoople
- Beast of Burden — The Rolling Stones
- Black Water — Doobie Brothers
- Can You Handle It — Graham Central Station
- Crocodile Rock — Elton John
“‘September’ by Earth Wind and Fire, and Jackson Browne’s ‘Stay,’ played over and over as we packed up after freshman year. Shout out to Bread for breakup music.”
Laura Geringer Gross, AB ’81, on Facebook
- December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night) — The Four Seasons
- Dixie Chicken — Little Feat
- Do It — B.T. Express
- Don’t Fear the Reaper — Blue Oyster Cult
- Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough — Michael Jackson
- God Save the Queen — Sex Pistols
- Heart of Glass — Blondie
- I Am Woman — Helen Reddy
- I Shot the Sheriff — Bob Marley and The Wailers
- I Will Survive — Gloria Gaynor
- If You Could Read My Mind — Gordon Lightfoot
- London Calling — The Clash
- Maggie May — Rod Stewart
- Mississippi Queen — Mountain
- More Than a Feeling — Boston
- My Sharona — The Knack
- Nights in White Satin — The Moody Blues
- Rock Lobster — The B-52s
- Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) — Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Satellite of Love — Lou Reed
- September — Earth, Wind, and Fire
- Shout — Otis Day and the Knights
- Somebody to Love — Queen
- Stay — Jackson Browne
- Sweet Home Alabama — Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Sweet Mary — Argent
- Thunder Road — Bruce Springsteen
- Time Warp — from The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Too Old to Rock ’n’ Roll: Too Young to Die — Jethro Tull
- Y.M.C.A. — Village People
- You’re So Vain — Carly Simon
- A Little Respect — Erasure
- Back in Black — AC/DC
- Billie Jean — Michael Jackson
- Birdhouse in Your Soul — They Might Be Giants
- Blister in the Sun — Violent Femmes
- Blue Monday — New Order
- Burning Down the House — Talking Heads
- Closer to Fine — Indigo Girls
- Come On Eileen — Dexys Midnight Runners
- D.M.S.R. — Prince and The Revolution
- Don’t Worry Be Happy — Bobby McFerrin
- Elephant Talk — King Crimson
- Fast Car — Tracy Chapman
- Fight for Your Right — Beastie Boys
- Get Here — Oleta Adams
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun — Cyndi Lauper
- Gloria — Laura Brannigan
- I Melt With You — Modern English
- In the Air Tonight — Phil Collins
- It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) — R.E.M.
- It’s Raining Men — The Weather Girls
- Just A Friend — Biz Markie
- Kiss of Death — New Order
- Love Shack — The B-52s
- Lovergirl — Teena Marie
- Me, Myself, and I — De La Soul
- Missing You — John Waite
- Mony Mony — Billy Idol
- One Night in Bangkok — Murray Head, from the musical Chess
- Paid in Full — Eric B. & Rakim
- Pump Up The Jam — Technotronic
- Purple Rain — Prince and The Revolution
- Push It! — Salt-N-Pepa
- Rain in the Summertime — The Alarm
- Raspberry Beret — Prince and the Revolution
- Red Red Wine — UB40
- Relax — Frankie Goes to Hollywood
- Roam — The B-52s
- Runaway — Bon Jovi
- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) — Kate Bush
- She Blinded Me With Science — Thomas Dolby
- Shout — Tears for Fears
- Sunday Bloody Sunday — U2
- Superman — R.E.M.
- Tainted Love — Soft Cell
- The Spirit of Radio — Rush
“Rush, ‘Spirit of Radio,’ which I played lead guitar on in my band ThisSideUp at the Rat, shortly after the song came out.”
Paul Brown, BS ’80, on Facebook
- True Faith — New Order
- Walk Like an Egyptian — The Bangles
- Walking on Sunshine — Katrina and the Waves
- West End Girls — Pet Shop Boys
- What I Like About You — The Romantics
- Where the Streets Have No Name — U2
- White Wedding — Billy Idol
- Who Can It Be Now? — Men at Work
- With or Without You — U2
- You Shook Me All Night Long — AC/DC
- All Together Now — The Farm
- Baby Got Back — Sir Mix-a-Lot
- Bitter Sweet Symphony — The Verve
- Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) — Mint Condition
- Candle in the Wind 1997 — Elton John
- Closing Time — Semisonic
“I heard ‘Closing Time’ for the very first time while driving away from WashU after graduation. Listen to those lyrics with that mindset. It was crazy.”
Deena (Dotseth) Laugen, AB ’98, on Facebook
- End of the Road — Boyz II Men
- Everything Sux — Descendents
- The Freshmen — The Verve Pipe
- Gin and Juice — Snoop Dogg
- Groove is in the Heart — Deee-Lite
- Hip Hop Hooray — Naughty By Nature
- If I Ever Fall in Love — Shai
- Lightning Crashes — Live
- Linger — The Cranberries
- Macarena — Los Del Rio
- Motownphilly — Boyz II Men
- Mysterious Ways — U2
- Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) — Digable Planets
- Remote Control — Beastie Boys
- Rump Shaker — Wreckx-n-Effect
- Scenario — A Tribe Called Quest
- Send Me on My Way — Rusted Root
- Smells Like Teen Spirit — Nirvana
- Spiderwebs — No Doubt
- T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You) — Pete Rock & CL Smooth
- The Choice is Yours (Revisited) — Black Sheep
- Tubthumping — Chumbawumba
- Two Princes — Spin Doctors
- U Can’t Touch This — MC Hammer
- Unbelievable — EMF
- Your Woman — White Town
- Bye Bye Bye — NSYNC
- Country Grammar — Nelly
- Over My Head (Cable Car) — The Fray
- Sk8er Boi — Avril Lavigne
- Temperature — Sean Paul
- Yeah! — Usher feat. Lil Jon and Ludacris
- Call Me Maybe — Carly Rae Jepsen
- Closer — The Chainsmokers
- Gangnam Style — PSY
- Neon Lights — Demi Lovato
- Ode to the Mets — The Strokes
- Party Rock Anthem — LMFAO
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