In the midst of graduation season, it’s a fine time for reminiscing and recalling favorite memories.
There are plenty of pop songs to get you in the mood:
We’ll start with the graduation classic “Graduation Day.” Here’s the best-known version — by the Four Freshmen — and a rare version by, of all people, Bobby “Boris” Pickett of “Monster Mash” fame.
Not surprisingly, most memories fall into one of two general categories — happy or sad. We’ll start upbeat.
Happy times
• Bruce Springsteen relives those “Glory Days.”
• Perry Como recalls lots of “Magic Moments.”
• Wayne Newton sings his way through a spendy European honeymoon in “Remember When (We Made These Memories).”
• Frankie Laine was busy “Making Memories.”
• The Four Lads have many “Moments to Remember.”
• John Mellencamp has fond recollections of younger days in “Cherry Bomb.”
Bittersweet memories
• Little Caesar and the Romans concentrate on sock-hop times and favorite 45-rpm memories in “Those Oldies But Goodies (Remind Me of You).”
• The Earls, too, are waxing nostalgic with some doo-wop in “Remember Then.”
• And more heartbreak from Martha and the Vandellas with “Come and Get These Memories.”
• And all those souvenirs and mementos bring sadness to Connie Francis (“Among My Souvenirs”), Patsy Cline (“She’s Got You”) and Rod Stewart (“These Foolish Things”).
• “It’s Been a Long, Long Time,” with Harry James and his orchestra, along with Kitty Kallen.
• “Memory,” Barbra Streisand’s take on the signature song from Broadway’s “Cats.”
• And Don McLean’s “American Pie” tour de force.
Vera Lynn’s musical memories
We’ll close with two of the World War II chanteuse’s most well-known songs: “I’ll Be Seeing You” and a cover version of her “We’ll Meet Again” by Engelbert Humperdinck.
And we’ll wrap up with a real downer — Vera Lynn’s version of “We’ll Meet Again” playing over the final scene of the Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.”
