Liberal Arts Colleges

The culture and vibe of a bar is determined by the music it plays. A fun night out at an establishment is enhanced immeasurably with an appropriate tune. These days, your average college or young person’s bar may feature the rhymes of Lil- Wayne and an abundance of -80 songs – the same songs to which the patrons-parents- probably danced before they were born. But through the years, there have been a handful, errr earful, of songs that have become ingrained into mainstream American bar culture. Step into a normal-looking bar – today or 20 years ago – anywhere in the country and you’re bound to hear a few of the songs listed below.

1. Journey – Don’t Stop Believin-
   Every bar that’s located within a mile or two from a professional or college stadium of note plays this song ad nauseum. And it makes sense – after a big game in which your team has won or lost, as a fan, you can’t stop believin’ and you must hold on to the (good, winning) feelin-. This tune is also excellent for karaoke or impromptu sing-alongs with your newest and most plastered friends.
2. Bon Jovi – Livin’ on a Prayer
   “Livin’ on a Prayer” is an epic sing-along song that seems to be a favorite of many female bar-dwellers. Despite its depressing lyrics, it also seems to convey a feeling of positivity that few other rock songs possess, likely because of Bon Jovi’s pop-like sound. Given the song’s strong presence on iTunes and continued use in bars across the country, the song’s popularity hasn’t waned much since it came out in ‘86.
3. AC/DC – You Shook Me All Night Long
   Brian Johnson’s transition into the role of lead singer for AC/DC was a resounding success thanks to “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Lines such as “knockin’ me out with those American thighs” have been immortalized and etched into the brains of anyone who has spent time in a bar from ‘86 to present. The first sound of the guitar in this song always indicates the party is on.
4. Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
   For more than three decades, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ has been a staple of parties and bars in Alabama and 49 other states. And even though Alabama isn’t quite California or New York, when the tune hits the speakers in its original form, everyone becomes an Alabaman. It’s also a popular song to cover – by inserting their home state in the place of “Alabama” and substituting in a couple of other lyrics, lesser-known local bands invoke a feeling of unbridled state pride from their liquored-up audiences.
5. Def Leppard – Pour Some Sugar on Me
   “Pour Some Sugar on Me” is one of the racier songs you’ll hear at bars, excluding songs from the rap genre, of course. It’s certainly appropriate for those who are out on the prowl, feeling hot, sticky and sweet from their heads down to their feet. Because of the lyrics, it’s quite the popular choice at gentlemen’s clubs as well.
6. Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
   “Sweet Caroline” is an excellent song to serenade to your date when good times have never seemed so good, though a chorus of your fellow patrons will inevitably blurt out “bah, hah, bah,” ruining your mojo. You, Neil Diamond and countless drunken karaoke singers aren’t the only ones to have worked with the song – Frank Sinatra, Elvis Pressley, Waylon Jennings, Julio Iglesias and The Drifters recorded the song during their careers.
7. Eddie Money – Take Me Home Tonight
   “Take Me Home Tonight” is a night-capping song for bars in which every guy is pleading to their new lady friend to “take them home tonight.” It’s ’80s cheese, which is all the rage these days in college bars, as previously mentioned. If you hear this song, it most likely played after songs like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
8. Jimmy Buffett – Margaritaville
   When a recording of “Margaritaville” plays over the speakers, you don’t have to be sipping on the frozen concoction to feel as though you’re wasting away in a tropical locale. It’s the perfect escapist song, representing the leisure life we all wish we could live year-round.
9. Garth Brooks – Friends in Low Places
   Coinciding with the assimilation of country music into the mainstream music scene has been the popularity of “Friends in Low Places,” which can be heard in bars from Austin to Nashville to New York City. Most guys can relate to song, as old flames die hard and resentment can fester from relationships past. There isn’t a better place to drown your sorrows than in your favorite watering hole while this song plays in the background.
10. Semisonic – Closing Time
    Although “Closing Time” is young relative to the other songs on the list, it has made up for lost time. Aptly, it’s heard at closing time, when there’s one last call for alcohol and the patrons must finish their whiskey or beer. Of course, they don’t have to go home, but they can’t stay there.


Semisonic – Closing Time
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