By Joe Clark, sports news editor

Whether you’re “into the thick of it” with a summer job or you’ve been a castaway on the beach all summer, if you’ve been on TikTok, then you know The Backyardigans are back, baby. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the all-time classic, the show aired for four seasons and followed the adventures of five animal neighbors with a big imagination who express themselves through song. The music is straight fire, and whittling this list down to five songs meant I spent too much time watching a show and listening to music with a target audience 15 years younger than me. Without further ado, here’s my list of my top five favorite songs from The Backyardigans.

5. “Into the Thick of It”

One of the three Backyardigans songs currently going viral on TikTok, this is a true group effort with featured vocals from Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone and Austin. The background music makes the pitchy vocals pop, and it’s catchy as heck. I cannot for the life of me get it out of my head, so if only for that reason, it makes the list.

4. “Drumming Song”

The drum beat on this song is fantastic. Tasha and Austin’s voices blend together really well to create an upbeat, vibe-y song that’s played while Tasha and Austin wait for the rest of the gang to arrive for a cave party.

3. “Flying Rock Song”

Uniqua, Pablo, Tyrone and Tasha sing this while attempting to find — you guessed it — a flying rock. Backed by an electronic beat, the song is catchy. With lyrics such as “We’re such a questing team/None of us are slowpokes/And we tell the best jokes,” it really makes you root for them to find the flying rock. Unfortunately, when they do find the flying rock, they all individually try to make it fly, causing it to fall off the temple and smash into pieces. Luckily, the Backyardigans are able to put the rock back together and learn the value of teamwork. The friends realize that if they say the spell together, the rock will fly. When the spell is cast, the four of them levitate while holding onto the rock like Dua Lipa wishes she could.

2. “Castaways”

“Castaways” hit the number one spot on Spotify’s viral charts last month, and for good reason. It’s a perfect summer song, with mellow vocals and a fantastic performance from Pablo. He really makes you feel what the Backyardigans felt when their ship tipped and they launched a lifeboat. All kidding aside, this song is 100% a must-add to every summer playlist.

1. “Not an Egg”

This is a power ballad sung by Dragon, who reflects on his newfound freedom and responsibility after cracking out of his egg. Dragon’s performance reminds me of when Benji steps in for The Treblemakers and sings Magic at the end of Pitch Perfect. An electric guitar stands out in the background to help Dragon’s vocals come through, empowering his realization that he is, indeed, no longer an egg.