The year was 1997. My uncomfortable teen years were in their infancy and that’s all I need to say about that.

Their awkward phase long behind them, the off-again, currently on-again Ben Folds Five would release arguably their biggest hit and most passionate song, “Brick”. I think by now everyone knows the track’s backstory, but its because of that anguished tension the listener is afforded such a soulful harmonic outpouring. That’s why for a lot of 90’s kids going through their own personal dramas the somber melody resonates so popularly. And not to sound too flippant but this is hands down the best song about abortion out there.

Like so many before and those still to come, the act found that perfect blend of raw emotion, poignant intonation, and aural gratification; a hallmark of any pop classic. It also doesn’t hurt that there’s some stellar piano play from probably the closest thing to my Celebrity Doppelgänger I’ll ever see.