Oh, the Songs that Played!

Here's something nice to share with your friends when you get together for dinner: talk about the songs that you liked. And no, you can't pretend to not like that one song by that one boy-band; and no, you can't pretend that you did not actually like the Spice Girls.

In other words: NO. THERE WILL BE NO PRETENDING.

Own up to actually liking a few songs that are no longer in your playlist (or are buried deep in the recesses of your operating system, where no one can find them and thereby blackmail you). Be honest about the bands that you wanted to follow around and stalk. Don't hold back: hey, these are your friends! What's the worst that could happen?

Well, actually, there really IS blackmail, but who cares?

You can start your conversation along any of the following lines:

1) Which of the Spice Girls did you really like? What Spice Girls song did you dance to in your room or sing to in the bathroom? (Guys, you are NOT exempt from this question!)

2) Pick: New Kids on the Block, N*SYNC, Boyz 2Men, Backstreet Boys, 5ive, Westlife - pick any boy band. Now, OWN UP. What song did you really like? Come on now, don't be shy!

3) Which rock band did you want to be a groupie for?

4) What was the first concert that you ever went to?

5) What was the first CD or tape that you ever bought for yourself?

You can think up thousands of questions along these lines, but the point is to be honest and to be brave about your inner - ehem - groupie. Or Boy Band Fan. Or Girl Group Fan.

And then you all can start singing choruses. Sing it with me now! "Ice ice baby...dum dum dum du du dum dum...all right stop, collaborate and listen..."

You know you want to.