by Rebecca Lumley

With the rapid technological changes that have taken place in the past few years, it’s easy to forget that just over a decade ago there were no iphones, ipods or even You Tube. The 90’s were a time of clunky aerial telephones, dodgy dial up internet and of course, mixtapes.

In 1999 I was four years old; “Family Guy” was first shown on tv, The Millenium Dome was built in London and I received my first mixtape. The tape in question was a present from my junior infants boyfriend (much romance, I know) and was filled with some of the biggest songs from the decade that still hold a special place in my heart.

The idea of the mixtape, to this day, still holds a certain romanticism. It was work to compile a tape like that as songs had to be recorded from the radio instead of downloaded in mere seconds from the internet. A mixtape was a personal gift, one that showed the person giving it to you knew you enough to pick songs for you. It’s a quaint, cute symbol of a less technologically driven time and the catalyst to romance in every 90s teen movie ever.

With that, here’s the top 5 songs from my very first mixtape that’ll bring memories of your childhood birthdays right back..

5. Mambo No.5- Lou Bega

We’ve all done the trumpet action when dancing to this.

4. Barbie Girl- Aqua

Naturally the lyrics to this mean something a little different now, but when I was four and thought it was about my barbies I adored it.

3. Wannabe- The Spice Girls

To this day I still have no idea what this song means but it’s one of the anthems to my childhood and was certainly one of the songs playing during pass the parcel at my fifth birthday.

2. U Can’t Touch This- MC Hammer

Classic.

1. Reach for the Stars- S Club 7

My absoloute favourite song when I was a child, this has to be number one. I’m still hoping for an S Club 7 revival!