Soundtracks of the Summer
Every era of Greystone has a “press play and you’re there” soundtrack. We all have those songs that take us right back through the gates of Greystone, and we asked alums across decades what came pouring out of the speakers (or record players) when they were campers. Turn up these tunes and time-travel with us back to your decade at camp, one chorus at a time.
1960s
It was truly the “needle on the record” during this decade, as many campers brought record players and 45s to camp so they could listen to their music. Motown and timeless hymns led the way: Uptight (Stevie Wonder), You Can’t Hurry Love (The Supremes), I Can’t Help Myself (Four Tops), and the proverbial favorite No Man Is an Island. Instant joy and instant return to the 1960s.
1970s - Early 1980s
A little Broadway, a little worship, a lot of feelings with these tunes: Landslide (Fleetwood Mac), Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (Diana Ross & The Supremes), the Godspell soundtrack, Annie and Mary Poppins sing-alongs, plus Sunday favorites like To God Be the Glory and The Lord’s Prayer. And when the clouds rolled in (or maybe it was the Men Staff?), girls knew how to cue up It’s Raining Men (Weather Girls) for a dance break.
1980s
Nothing says nostalgic 80s summer quite like Friends Are Friends Forever (Michael W. Smith) and the Amy Grant canon - My Father’s Eyes, El Shaddai, and Sing Your Praise to the Lord. Movie nights also spilled into soundtracks during this era: You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Top Gun throwback) and Footloose. Dance-floor gold could be heard from every corner: I Feel for You (Chaka Khan…well, until it was banned), Carolina in My Mind (James Taylor), Walk Like an Egyptian (The Bangles), Livin’ on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), And She Was (Talking Heads), Things Can Only Get Better and No One Is to Blame (Howard Jones), and Don’t Stand So Close to Me (The Police). Big hair and even bigger sing-alongs for our 80s campers.
1990s
These were our praise-band years with a pop edge as we started our concert era during this time. Girls came to camp with stacks of burned CDs as they belted Big House (Audio Adrenaline), In the Light (DC Talk), and Steven Curtis Chapman all summer long. Due to the kick off of Street Dance (aka Greystone Groove), 90s campers mixed in Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics), Free Your Mind (En Vogue), and 99 Red Balloons (Nena) on repeat. Bonus memories: Wes King live concerts and Ed Cash’s Marry Me echoing under the stars.
2000s
Choreography along with the sing-alongs? Absolutely. No Air (Jordin Sparks) turned cabins into music video choreo, and counselor-talent-show legend status belongs to Baby (Justin Bieber). These 2000s Greystone girls were the TikTok dance era before TikTok was a thing.
2010s
The decade of cabin iPods and EP dance breaks, where pop bops met power dancing and everyone knew the motions. Girls couldn’t get enough of Leavin’ and Body Language (Jesse McCartney), and campers lost their voices belting out Every Time We Touch (Cascada). When EP wrapped up, the dance parties began - cue Can’t Be Tamed and Always Be My Baby in the Tentalows.
Have a must-add we missed from your decade? Send us your song and the memory it unlocks; we’ll keep the playlist (and the party) growing!