..songs that bring back floods of memories and emotions... — camuswetdream

Hearing a sound can be like seeing a photograph of the past. As such it functions as a symbol in which you can recognize things and events of which you have memories; the sound evokes those memories, and nostalgia is typically a positive attitude to them.

Just as an odor can trigger very strong memories that have been silent for decades (or memories can trigger the experience of the odor), so it is with music: Music (like odor) is often remembered with strong emotional ties to other memories. A particular song might awake an odor, a very vivid picture, the feelings that went with it.

Music, places, people, things, odors, feelings... all kinds of memories, are linked in sometimes unpredictable ways. They are linked by literal physical connection among neurons. Sometimes the connections make sense, and sometimes are baffling.

Some songs are so strong in this respect that they bring painfully vivid images of the past to my mind's eye of the times in which these songs were of relevance to my daily life. — camuswetdream

I am interested in why you say painfully vivid images. Why should you find pain as something you need to avoid? My absolute favourite album when I was young was 'The Distance to Here' by Live and I remember just how unique I was and how the album reflected my state of mind so many years back. As you get older, priorities and desires change so I see nostalgia - however the memories are induced whether it is musical or not - as an opportunity to reflect and remember where you went wrong and where you can improve.

When I went back to listen to the album recently, I realised I stuffed up later in life because I sacrificed my freedom consciously because I was lonely, so while trying to be like others I paid the price. When I listened to the lyrics of the album, I remembered who I was again and I have never been happier.

Give no mercy to your fear.