A musical memory...

When we were on spring break, one girl insisted on playing Blues Traveler's "The Runaround" at least once a day, usually twice. Her reasoning was that after the week in Mexico ended, we'd be able to bring up fond spring break memories every subsequent time we heard that song. I didn't particularly like the song in the first place, and by the tenth time or so I was ready to kill her. But, damn her, it worked. I heard the song on the radio yesterday and I had to keep it on.
It's so tragic how that happens--how your best or most formative memories get associated with the worst music. In addition to the spring break thing, there was the emotional breakdown that I now associate with Matchbox Twenty and some great college experiences that I recall when I hear Garth Brooks. Oh, and the loss of my virginity, which is, through unfortunate circumstances, inextricably linked with Staind. Honestly, what is worse than that? I mean, OK, it could've been Toby Keith. But...ugh.
"This Love" by Maroon 5 doesn't bring to mind any specific memories, but I mention it because there is some mechanism in my brain that does not allow me to get sick of that song. The reason? I had "This Love" burned on a CD in the winter of 2003--almost a year and a half before it was all over the radio. So I'm guessing that I keep liking the song because the "rock snob" part of my brain is still in an elated state of "I told you so."
I didn't think things worked that way. Goes to show that there is still a lot we don't know about the human mind.