I was 12 years old when my big sister played me the first Tegan and Sara song I'd ever heard. She was driving me to my French immersion middle school, and we were both drinking Tim Horton's coffee, because we grew up in Canada and those are things that Canadians do. In fact, we grew up in the same city as Tegan and Sara, who in 1998 launched their music career with three demo cassettes — the red tape, yellow tape, and orange tape — one of which I marveled over in the car that morning.

Back then, the duo's bare, acoustic rants evoked a younger, more accessible Ani DiFranco. Fifteen years later, Tegan and Sara have evolved into a much different, much bigger band — their latest album, Heartthrob, entrenches the two firmly in the world of radio-friendly pop jams. Which leaves me entrenched in that annoying "Hey! I loved them before they made it big," fan camp. But I did. And I have the Tegan and Sara tattoo to prove it. (No. Seriously. I do.)

Whether you're new to the band or just don't see what all the fuss is about, consider this a chronological, definitive primer on Tegan and Sara's best. Brought to you by a definitively passionate fan.