What was the soundtrack to your senior year at Caltech? The song you had playing in your Walkman as you darted across campus or playing in the background during those late nights studying? Whether it was disco, grunge, hip hop, or synth-pop, every graduating class had a number one hit defining their moment.
To celebrate Alumni Weekend and this year’s milestone reunion classes ending in 0 and 5, we created two Spotify playlists. Based on Billboard’s Hot 100 Year End No. 1 Song tracking, these playlists pull the top song based on overall chart performance over the course of Billboard’s “chart year” (noted as December of the previous year to November of the current year). Our 2025 Milestone Years’ Top 100 playlist includes every number one song for milestone reunion years since the chart began in 1958. That’s 14 songs (52 minutes, 2 seconds) from Domenico Modugno’s “Volare” to Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” to The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights.” Let the playlist shuffle through the decades or play it straight through for a journey across time and across campus.
Not part of a milestone class this year? We have something curated for your listening pleasure too.
Cue up the Techer Top 100 playlist, a time capsule of every song that topped the list since the chart’s inception. It’s 67 tracks (3 hours and 45 minutes) of certified memory-lane material. Whether your anthem was “Shadow Dancing” by Andy Gibb, “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, or “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, this mix is bound to hit a personal note.
Tap in, press play, and relive the moments that defined your Caltech experience one beat at a time.
Are we missing an honorable mention that should define your year? Comment to let us know. Want to add a song for your class year? If so, email Danielle Salmon at dsalmon@caltech.edu and we’ll include your song alongside your name.
Techer Top 100 Playlist
1958: Domenico Modugno, “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)”
1959: Johnny Horton, “The Battle of New Orleans”
1960: Percy Faith And His Orchestra, “Theme From A Summer Place”
1961: Bobby Lewis, “Tossin’ & Turnin’”
1962: Mr. Acker Bilk, “Stranger on the Shore”
1963: The Beach Boys, “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
1964: The Beatles, “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
1965: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, “Wooly Bully”
1966: The Mamas & The Papas, “California Dreamin’”
1967: Lulu, “To Sir With Love”
1968: The Beatles, “Hey Jude”
1969: The Archies, “Sugar, Sugar”
1970: Simon & Garfunkel, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
1971: Three Dog Night, “Joy to the World”
1972: Roberta Flack, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”
1973: Dawn feat. Tony Orlando, “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”
1974: Barbra Streisand, “The Way We Were”
1975: Captain & Tennille, “Love Will Keep Us Together”
1976: Wings, “Silly Love Songs”
1977: Rod Stewart, “Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)”
1978: Andy Gibb, “Shadow Dancing”
1979: The Knack, “My Sharona”
1980: Blondie, “Call Me”
1981: Kim Carnes, “Bette Davis Eyes”
1982: Olivia Newton-John, “Physical”
1983: The Police, “Every Breath You Take”
1984: Prince, “When Doves Cry”
1985: Wham!, “Careless Whisper”
1986: Dionne & Friends (Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Elton John & Stevie Wonder), “That’s What Friends Are For”
1987: The Bangles, “Walk Like an Egyptian”
1988: George Michael, “Faith”
1989: Chicago, “Look Away”
1990: Wilson Phillips, “Hold On”
1991: Bryan Adams, “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”
1992: Boyz II Men, “End of the Road”
1993: Whitney Houston, “I Will Always Love You”
1994: Ace of Base, “The Sign”
1995: Coolio feat. L.V., “Gangsta’s Paradise”
1996: Los Del Río, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”
1997: Elton John, “Candle in the Wind 1997″ / “Something About the Way You Look Tonight”
1998: Next, “Too Close”
1999: Cher, “Believe”
2000: Faith Hill, “Breathe”
2001: Lifehouse, “Hanging by a Moment”
2002: Nickelback, “How You Remind Me”
2003: 50 Cent, “In Da Club”
2004: Usher feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris, “Yeah!”
2005: Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
2006: Daniel Powter, “Bad Day”
2007: Beyoncé, “Irreplaceable”
2008: Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, “Low”
2009: The Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”
2010: Kesha, “Tik Tok”
2011: Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”
2012: Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know”
2013: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, “Thrift Shop”
2014: Pharrell Williams, “Happy”
2015: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk!”
2016: Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”
2017: Ed Sheeran, “Shape of You”
2018: Drake, “God’s Plan”
2019: Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road”
2020: The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”
2021: Dua Lipa, “Levitating”
2022: Glass Animals, “Heat Waves”
2023: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
2024: Teddy Swims, “Lose Control”
2025 Milestone Years’ Top 100 Playlist
1955: Domenico Modugno, “Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)”
1960: Percy Faith And His Orchestra, “Theme From A Summer Place”
1965: Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, “Wooly Bully”
1970: Simon & Garfunkel, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
1975: Captain & Tennille, “Love Will Keep Us Together”
1980: Blondie, “Call Me”
1985: Wham!, “Careless Whisper”
1990: Wilson Phillips, “Hold On”
1995: Coolio feat. L.V., “Gangsta’s Paradise”
2000: Faith Hill, “Breathe”
2005: Mariah Carey, “We Belong Together”
2010: Kesha, “Tik Tok”
2015: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk!”
2020: The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”