Writer: Helena Bergström
Music has a remarkable ability to take us back in time. A song can be a place, a person or a moment - sometimes all at once. Here's a list of songs that we associate with different memories and emotions. Feel free to copy the list and add your own songs and memories - in a comment or your own blog!
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1. a song that reminds you of childhood
Peter
Let: She loves you / Beatles
Memory/why: Peter's first record player, which he shared with his brother, had speakers in the lid. This is the first song he remembers!
Helena
Let: Our House / Madness
Memory/why: My older brother played this song over and over again, in his room, in our terraced house in Lund.
2. a song that reminds you of your teenage years
Peter
Let: All songs by Tom Jones
Memory/why: Peter's mum loved Tom Jones, and these songs were played in the house all the time.
Helena
Let: Where the Wolf / The Empire
Memory/why: I could probably pick any of the Empire songs. Simply listened to these albums to death!
3. a song that reminds you of first love
Peter
Let: Two Out of Three Ain't Bad / Meatloaf
Memory/why: Peter and the first girl he was really in love with kept playing this song together.
Helena
Let: Laugh ’n’ a 1/2 / D.A.D.
Memory/why: My boyfriend at the time and his mate beloved this song. I've probably heard it thousands of times.
4. A song that reminds you of a broken heart
Peter
Let: It Must Have Been Love / Roxette
Memory/why: A girlfriend, with whom Peter lived for many years, went behind his back. At the time, he was listening to Roxette and this song in particular!
Helena
Let: To love is greater / Lisa Ekdahl
Memory/why: When I was young, I liked to listen to this song, especially if I felt lonely and was full of emotions ...
5. a song that reminds you of home
Peter
Let: The winner takes it all / ABBA
Memory/why: Peter often played this song at home, and thinks it is one of the finest songs ever written.
Helena
Let: Dancing Queen / ABBA
Memory/why: When travelling in other parts of the world - in Europe, Asia and Africa - we quite often hear ABBA playing. And what does it remind us of? Our home country Sweden of course!
6. a song that reminds you of a place
Peter
Let: Little Mike and the Sweet Soul Music Band
Memory/why: Peter was with a girl, and his brother and his wife, and saw this band at Berns Salonger. People were standing on the tables. What pressure! An experience you won't forget!
Helena
Let: Rómeó and Júlía / Bubbi Morthens
Memory/why: When I was 17, I spent a school year at Iceland, as an exchange student. Of course I listened to Icelandic Bubbi Morthens!
7. a song that reminds you of travelling
Peter
Let: Wake me up / Avicii
Memory/why: The first time we visited Boracay In the Philippines, we often hung out at the same bar. The guys in the bar played the song over and over, and danced to it. Memories!!!
Helena
Let: Keep on Rising / Ian Carey
Memory/why: In the summer of 2008, we had a sun holiday in Yalta, on Crimean peninsula in Ukraine (now a disputed country). We often hung out at a bar called ”Orange” and there they played this song over and over again ...
8. A song that reminds you of summer
Peter
Let: When we dig for gold in the US / GES
Memory/why: The song is associated with summer, happiness and the 1994 World Cup bronze medal!
Helena
Let: Boulevard of Broken Dreams / Green Day
Memory/why: We saw a Green Day concert at Bråvalla Festival summer 2013. The song reminds me of a lovely festival week, with the campervan, in the mud.
9. A song that reminds you of winter
Peter
Let: Saturday Night Fever / Bee Gees
Memory/why: Discon came to Sweden! All the songs from the film were played on the dance floors and everywhere. What memories!
Helena
Let: Stand My Ground / Within Temptation
Memory/why: We had a winter in Sundbyberg (or longer, probably!) as we listened to the songs of Within Temptation. Not forgetting!
10. A song that reminds you of a party
Peter
Let: Miss Broadway / Belle Epoque
Memory/why: DJ Sidney brought disco to Stockholm. Peter came here every Saturday, and everyone wanted to hear it. So pops!
Helena
Let: So we dance / Stromae
Memory/why: We were with the campervan in Gothenburg and went out dancing in a club. When I woke up the next morning, I still had this song on my mind!
11. A song that always makes me nostalgic
Peter
Let: Life on Mars / David Bowie
Memory/why: David Bowie was his idol and Peter has been to many concerts. He misses him, and this song touches him!
Helena
Let: Summer of ’69 / Bryan Adams
Memory/why: One summer, when I was young, I went to a theatre and dance camp in Kapellskär. So Fun we had! Each day's dance practice started with a warm-up - to this song...!
12. A song that makes me want to travel
Peter
Let: Tell us where you are travelling / National team
Memory/why: An absolutely perfect song for travel inspiration!
Helena
Let: Africa / Toto
Memory/why: Africa is a continent that has always attracted me. At the time when I (a little more often) heard the song Africa, it was also a place in the world that felt very exotic to me ...
Bonus: A song I wish more people associated with me
Peter
Let: Purple Rain / Prince
Memory/why: The Prince is Fashion! Peter also loves fashion and music. This feels right!
Helena
Let: I miss you less and less / Melissa Horn
Memory/why: Not entirely logical perhaps, but sounds are just so well, not to mention the text! Emotion and text are important to me.
Want to join in? Copy the list, fill in with your own songs and share.
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English (UK) 
Svenska
Anna Nilsson Spets says:
Fun list... My most special memory is from 1980, on my way to Africa for months of travelling, stop in Hamburg and went to disco.. they played I wanna go to Africa with Nina Hagen.
Nostalgic... yes Bob Marley, all the songs. The concert on the green where people were hanging like monkeys in the trees and there was a cover of smoke over everything.
08 February 2026 - 7:57
Helena says:
What a memory with the stop in Hamburg, perfect! And Bob Marley yes ... 🙂
08 February 2026 - 21:01
Madde says:
Fun list. Would probably not be able to get the whole list together. One song / dance I have fond memories of is the Macarena (my nickname comes from there) Had just left a really tough relationship, where a lot of violence occurred. My mate got me to Rhodes, but just days before she backed out so I got another mate. On one street there were a lot of bars and every time I walked past, the bartenders stood up and sang Macarena (O Madelena)
08 February 2026 - 8:38
Helena says:
What a special memory...!!! Thanks for sharing!!! 🙂
08 February 2026 - 21:01
Anni says:
I'm content with the teenage memory of Kjell Alinge's late night radio programme when I was supposed to fall asleep and instead was woken up by New York City Serenade. 10 minutes long song that was absolutely magnificent. I waited impatiently to find out who was playing.
Bruce Springsteen! The rest is history...
08 February 2026 - 11:09
Helena says:
Lovely memory ...!!! 🙂
08 February 2026 - 21:02
Ditte says:
Lovely list and with high recognition of many songs - For my part, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen and Queen had also been included. Also David Bowie....
08 February 2026 - 12:34
Helena says:
Yes, agreed ... ! We started from the headlines, which we put first, but yes, even I have memories that I can link to both Leonard Cohen and Queen ...! 🙂
08 February 2026 - 21:03
Jossu says:
One song I associate with childhood is Magnus Uggla's ”Jag mår illa” as it was my first favourite song. There's a video of me when I'm 2-3 years old and that song is playing. I stop, look into the camera and say ”Mannus”, because I hadn't learnt the gn pronunciation yet.
I also listen to Abba on my travels, most recently a couple of days ago when they played ”Mamma Mia”.
08 February 2026 - 17:34
BP says:
What a fun list! And what memories you have. I mean, you can associate songs with different events.
Then I can only conclude that music obviously does not seem to be my thing. There weren't many songs and artists that I recognised the names of...
08 February 2026 - 18:53
Tove says:
Wonderful! Memories and why, so nice read it too. Of course I think of my own. There have been many tied to something special over the years. What that special something was I can't quite remember now. Except when I got out of bed one morning many years ago, when I lived in Skellefteå. I switched on the radio and heard Kari Bremnes's song Gje dae ly, which means give you peace. Totta Näslund, Finn Kalvik, Norah Jones, etc. etc. I have not yet come there as I have lists on Spotify, I have CD and choose in the moment what I want to listen to. When I paint, I like to listen to Sissel Kyrkjebö, Loa Falkman. Leonard Cohen's Dance me to the end of love I think is the one I have had in my heart for the longest time from a wonderful time as a cohabitant. A little classical now and then, and then jazz of course 🙂
09 February 2026 - 7:48
Marika says:
Great list! Music always brings back memories.
09 February 2026 - 22:02
KulTur i Natur says:
What a fun idea and nice arrangement with this list. I could comment here for ages. Great to read ”Memory/Why” too. Thanks for this post!
10 February 2026 - 8:30
Monnah says:
Really fun list! Nice to read your reflections too. I will take this to heart and hope to write my own eventually.
10 February 2026 - 9:59
Annika says:
SO much fun!!!
What a fun list to be part of.
Little Mike and his Sweet Soul Music Band-just YES YES YES!!! Loved them.
They often played at Karlssons in Sthlm, and we were there.
Now I have several of their songs on Spotify.
10 February 2026 - 14:23
Nilla Tankebubblor says:
Music and memories! What a great post. Fun to read.
Maybe something to pick up on his blog.
10 February 2026 - 19:59
JoY says:
Fun list you have made. Many songs are recognised, the National Team's song is appropriate and Dj Sidney, which you have danced where he played. Like Peter, we had a gramophone with speakers in the lid and the Beatles with Rock'n Roll Music went on and on. Santana, Creedence, Jimi Hendrix, yes, there are many memories of my youth.
11 February 2026 - 21:44