Think about the music from our time you'd want folks in 2106 to know defined us.

What music do you hope Honolulans will still be listening to a century from now, cruising a 25-years-and-counting gridlock-free H-1, or clicking the scroll wheel of their 76th generation iPod while kicking back at Ala Moana Beach Park?

If you haven't thought about it, here's a good reason to start.

The Advertiser would like you to help us pick the 150 greatest songs from the past 150 years of Hawai'i history, in connection with The Advertiser's 150th anniversary. We'll download all of 'em into an iPod to be placed into a time capsule buried for the next century.

Readers have been busy logging on to our Web site since June 18 with song suggestions for the list. Each entrant is eligible for a drawing to win a video iPod, courtesy of CompUSA. And so will you if you go online before Tuesday's end and leave us your choices.

Advertiser entertainment writers Wayne Harada and Derek Paiva were asked to choose 25 songs each for the list. Amazingly enough, they even agreed to do it without the lure of that brand spanking new iPod as encouragement. (Relax readers, they're ineligible for it.)

Harada put together a list of 25 compositions that also rank among the greatest touchstones of the history of recorded Hawaiian music.

Paiva focused his list on favorite 25 songs that have defined his lifelong residency in Hawai'i, and included the memories that go along with them.

Here's hoping our writers' lists will encourage you to go online and share your favorites with us, too. Join us also, in hoping that our counterparts in the future have the technology to communicate with us — and recharge the battery in our time-capsule iPod.

WAYNE HARADA'S TIME CAPSULE 25

Honolulu Advertiser entertainment writer Wayne Harada has been a witness to Hono-lulu's musical history for more than 40 years on this newspaper's staff. His picks and comments on songs that belong in a time capsule that reflects the Island experience:

"Honolulu City Lights" — a lingering anthem, to say goodbye, and hello again.

"Mele Kalikimaka" — makes the season green and bright.

"I'll Remember You" — heck, even Elvis sang it.

"My Yellow Ginger Lei" — a hula pupil's staple and a true evergreen.

"To You, Sweetheart, Aloha" — epitomized the hapa-haole era.

"E Ku'u Home O Kahalu'u" — a defining moment for Olomana.

"Hawaiian Lullaby" — suggests an ethereal place and time.

"Pua Hone" — a contemporary honey of a hula hit.

"E Ku'u Morning Dew" — one of the few English-Hawaiian love songs.

"Waikiki" — Andy Cummings' indelible salute to our worldfamous place on O'ahu.

"Sweet Leilani" — a remembrance of Hawai'i, for an earlier generation.

"Wahine 'Ilikea" — helped Dennis Kamakahi establish songwriting supremacy, thanks to The Brothers Cazimero.

"Kawaipunahele" — a starmaking tune for Keali'i Reichel.

"Quiet Village" — the most exotic of Martin Denny's exotica.

"Kamehameha Waltz" — recalls the time of monarchal waltzes.

"Alika" — while others sing it, Genoa Keawe does it best ... sustaining that one big note.

"I Kona" — a ki'eki'e (falsetto) favorite.

"Koke'e" — a "place" song about that Kaua'i hot spot.

"Pupu A'o 'Ewa" — most folks know it as "Pearly Shells," but the Hawaiian original rocks.

"Koni Au" — a tropical big-band marching song.

"Hawai'i Aloha" — a song every Islander should know by heart, because it's regularly performed as a nightcap

"Maui Waltz" — one of the loveliest ballads in three-quarter time.

"The Ko'olaus Are Sleeping Now" — one of the many musical portraits of Island life, by Tennesseean Jay Larrin.

"Kaulana Na Pua" — Queen Lili'uokalani's endearing famous-are-the-flowers anthem.

"Kawika" — translates to David, as in Kalakaua, and a name song that's never out of style.

DEREK PAIVA'S TIME CAPSULE 25

Derek Paiva has been writing about music and entertainment for The Advertiser since 2000.

"God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys — the most genuinely romantic song of all time.

"Hey Jude" by The Beatles — the first Beatles song I ever heard. Thanks for listening to local oldies radio stations, mom.

"Let It Be" by The Beatles — the second Beatles song I ever heard. Thanks again, mom.

"Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley — a girl I was friends with (and had a huge crush on) while attending UH-Manoa gave me a mixtape with this. I'm still grateful.

"What'd I Say, Parts I & II" by Ray Charles — Dad drove me crazy playing Ray Charles albums constantly while I was a kid. Now, I can't get enough.

"London Calling" by The Clash — the song that was always playing way too loud in my room as a teenager.

"In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins — accompanied too many late-night cruises around Hilo in my mom's Honda during high school.

"Alison" by Elvis Costello — the boys and I simply cannot end a karaoke all-nighter without warbling this.

"Respect" by Aretha Franklin — if Ray Charles was king to my dad, Aretha was always the queen.

"In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel — "Say Anything." Kahala Theatres. April 1989. One of the greatest date movies ever.

"Tiny Dancer" by Elton John — reminds me of film director/former music journalist Cameron Crowe, whose work inspired me to return to UH and become a writer.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole" (1993) — Judy Garland made "Rainbow" famous with a movie. Bruddah Iz made it unforgettable by just being Bruddah Iz.

"Redemption Song" by Bob Marley — with just his voice and his guitar, Marley transcends his reggae roots to create a protest song for the ages.

"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison — hang around long enough in any local bar with an Island contemporary band and, by state law, the band will have to play this. Morrison's version will always be the best, though.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana — my greatest concert memory: Nirvana live at Pink's Garage in Kaka'ako, February 1992.

"Hi'ilawe" by Gabby Pahinui — listen to Pahinui's beloved classic and you'll know why the mythic godfather of ki ho'alu affectionately known as "Pops" is revered worldwide.

"Black" by Pearl Jam — my second greatest concert memory: Pearl Jam live at Andrews Amphitheater, September 1992, with Eddie Vedder taking a 20-foot stage dive into the crowd.

"Fight the Power" by Public Enemy — Chuck D is among the top five coolest people I've ever interviewed. This is P.E.'s best.

"Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen — I still remember tearing open Springsteen's "Live 1975-1985" box set on the day it was released, after waiting for Tower Records Ke'eaumoku to open, and hearing this song first.

"Tempted" by Squeeze — I've been busted singing along to this song in H-1 traffic with the windows rolled up so many times it's scary.

"Crosseyed and Painless" by Talking Heads — turntablist and former Honolulu nightlife columnist extraordinaire Mark Chittom and I have compared notes on this one being on lists such as this.

"This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" by Talking Heads — David Byrne is by far the coolest person I've ever spoken to for my job. This is my favorite Talking Heads song.

"Bad" by U2 — reminds me of couching in my mom's Hilo living room on a summer day in 1985 watching every hour of "Live Aid."

"Fell In Love With a Girl" by The White Stripes — not connected to any longstanding local memory — it's too new — but, man, I love this song.

"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder — I once saw Stevie shopping for a Walkman with his brother at Shirokiya. A salesperson queued this on a stereo, and Stevie smiled that smile.