Here in New York City, there's definitely a start to the change in the seasons. Last week's nasty heat and humidity have given way to clear skies and crisp weather. Not only that, football season is underway and the combination of the two makes this my favorite time of year. Around this time I always think back to my high school days and the excitement of seeing friends after a long summer and enjoying Friday night football games on crisp September nights. So in a slightly selfish way, today's Way Back Wednesday is a walk down memory lane and the year that I graduated high school; 1998.

Yes, it's been a while but these are the years you remember as you get a little older. For those of you who are still in school, I know you want to get out as soon as possible but take time to enjoy your experience because before you know it, it'll be over. The best advice I can give is from the greatest high school student ever, Ferris Bueller who once said "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Kim Gun Mo - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

From the godfather of K-pop came this totally fun, refreshing, and exciting song which reached the top of the charts in January of 1998. Kim Gun Mo is so amazing because his voice can translate into so many different genres. For me personally, this song is in the pantheon of great Kim Gun Mo songs and always puts me in a happy mood. It was recently back in the limelight when Brown Eyed Soul's Sung Hoon covered it on the show 'Immortal Songs 2'.

Yang Pa - I Want to Know

From her sophomore album, 'I Want to Know' had the unenviable task of following up Yang Pa's massive freshman success. The song is a great ballad that showcases her silky smooth voice and was a strong follow up, but never could reach her previous highs. No matter, I think that I totally underestimated Yang Pa back then but fully realize her tremendous talent now.

Tae Sa Ja - Time

Tae Sa Ja has been covered in this column before but they haven't been mentioned much recently, so I thought it would be a good idea to feature their music again. To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan because I just didn't have room in my life for another boy band at that point, but everyone remembers this song and video. Even though they were short-lived, they made some good songs while they were around.

Shin Seung Hun - A Promise That Can't Be Kept

I think I've done a fairly decent job of covering the big names in old school K-pop but the one name that I don't think I've mentioned is Shin Seung Hun. He is without question the king of ballads. Debuting in 1991, he has been a major force in K-pop and a true legend for the past twenty years he's been the measuring stick for all other ballad singers. Of his many, many hits, this one was a big one back in 1998 and I remember listening to this song while studying back in the day.

R.ef - Neverending Story

From one of the OG K-pop groups was vintage R.ef. A strong dance track from the group's fourth album 'Forever', the song went onto become a hit during the summer of 1998 and marked the beginning of the end for the trio. It was good to see the guys on a recent episode of 'Come to Play'.

Lim Chang Jung - Dance with the Wolf

Whenever I mention Lim Chang Jung in this column, it's usually to talk about one of this many ballads. But back in 1998 he released a really cool and fun dance song from his fourth album. The song was much more in line with the characters he has played in his movies rather than his big hit songs, and there was also that great dance with the little leg shimmy. Great song.

Yoo Seung Jun - The Love I've Been Waiting For

One of his least known songs, it never reached the heights of his massive hits but was still a good tune. More understated but still with that well-known Yoo Seung Jun bounce, another great memory from a singer who's still sorely missed on the K-pop scene.

Park Ji Yoon - Steal Away

Probably my second favorite Park Ji Yoon song, "Steal Away" was from her second album 'Blue Angel' released in the winter of 1998. At this point in my school career I had graduated high school, was attending college, and was onto the next part of my life. But that winter break, I have memories of coming home and catching up with old friends and this song reminds me of those times.



Of course there were many other songs that we couldn't add to this list or were already covered before but please mention your favorites from 1998!