One of music’s best qualities is its ability to transport a person to any place or memory. For instance, “Sweet Caroline” will take any Chuck’s regular back to the closing hour — RIP. After spending the last four years making many memories — and mistakes — I’m sure you’ve created your own playlist that encapsulates your college career at Syracuse University. If not, maybe these best-selling albums from 2013-17 could help you.

As a freshman, 2013 was a year full of exciting possibilities. While you were walking to your first college class, you might have been bumping Lorde’s debut album “Pure Heroine.” As you decorated your dorm room, you rocked out to the Arctic Monkeys’ “AM” while subconsciously dedicating “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” to your first ever college hookup.

On the weekends, you were probably drunk-singing Miley Cyrus’s “We Can’t Stop” from her “Bangerz” album. Then, at that random house party you snuck into, you got low to Queen B’s self-titled album, “Beyoncé,” which was full of hits like “Drunk in Love” and “Partition.” Scrolling through your Instagram feed the next morning, you saw too many captions from Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same” album such as “started from the bottom now we here” or “on my worst behavior.”

The year 2013 was also one of the most brutal winters. It led to one of the first half-snow days Syracuse University has had in years, which was fitting because the “Frozen” movie soundtrack topped the charts that year. The cold never bothered us anyway, right?

After counting down the days until returning to campus, you finally moved back for your sophomore year. You weren’t a freshman anymore, so it was time to get more serious about your studies. Hozier’s first album was perfect to listen to while you were in Bird Library because you could always belt “Take Me to Church” during your study break.

Or maybe you wanted something deeper like J. Cole’s “2014 Forest Hills Drive” album, which was full of intimate lyrics and hypnotizing rhythms. EDM fans rejoiced when Skrillex and Diplo released their collaboration album, featuring big artists like 2Chainz and Justin Bieber. “Where Are Ü Now” was blasted at every frat party on this campus for the entire year.

To end your sophomore year on a fierce note, your playlists might have consisted of feel-good party hits like “Feeling Myself” and “Only” from Nicki Minaj’s album “The Pinkprint.”

As a junior, you were halfway done with college, which may have made you feel nostalgic for those memories in your freshman dorm. To accompany your emotional state, you may have turned to Adele’s “25” for some power ballads and breakup anthems.

The year 2016 was also focused on the presidential election but we all hoped that Beyoncé would run for office after she released her groundbreaking visual album “Lemonade.” Once you were in “Formation” you tried to score tickets to another political yet beautifully written musical, “Hamilton.”

And even though the nation seemed tense and divided, the campus agreed that Justin Bieber made an epic return to the music industry with his album “Purpose.” Another 2016 highlight was when Luke Bryan made a stop on his tour at the Carrier Dome and students put his album “Kill the Lights” on repeat. Soon enough, it was our last summer break, so we cruised to Chance the Rapper’s “Coloring Book” all the way home.

Fast forward to now. Just days from graduation, you might be chilling to Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” or grooving to Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic” to celebrate the end of college. Maybe you want to end the year with SU alumnus Drew Taggert by jamming out to The Chainsmokers’ newly released album “Memories… Do Not Open.” Or did you love your last Block Party so much that you only listen to Travis Scott’s “Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight”?

Regardless of what your music taste is, these bestselling albums have shaped the Class of 2017’s years at Syracuse University. Now, if you find yourself missing this campus post-graduation, you can always listen to these albums to bring you back home.

Published on May 8, 2017 at 4:20 pm