Pop's Top 200 - 1985-2015

[surfy]

Can't Get You Out of My Head!!! <333333333

la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la

[H.]

Yay ZZ Top!

[popstop]

Hehehe, I had a feeling someone would be happy to see Kylie :)

[popstop]

Wasn't sure I'd have a chance to post this today, but here is the next set!

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#117 - You Know I'm No Good - The Arctic Monkeys

2007

I cheated myself like I knew I would The summer of 2007 was dominated by this Amy Winehouse song, with it holding the top two positions for a month - the original at #1 and this outstanding cover holding the runner-up slot. So many things to like about the cover - the quicker pace, the refusal to change the love object's gender, the adherence to the song's pain and frustration. Basically, Amy is cheating on her man left and right, her lover shrugs it off, and his refusal to care is killing her. Or in this case, the Arctic Monkeys. Popstop's chart - #2 (6 weeks) - June-July 2007

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#116 - I Am Not My Hair - India Arie

2006

Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity? India Arie has made a career out of songs that promote self-acceptance and love. Now, I'm not going to pretend to understand the social dynamics and interplay that go with hair in African-American culture, but I think this song does a pretty good job of conveying the polemics within and outside of the community. Poor India details a series of coiffure miscues from a Jheri curl at age eight to an unfortunate straightener decision in her teenage years before raising her hands with a "f**k it" in February of 2002, realizing that beauty comes within whether people are going to judge her for her appearance or not. Why do people shade those with conventionally kinky hair? Another interesting note for India - she is the first artist from Colorado to hit #1 on my chart :)  Popstop's chart - #1 (3 weeks) - July 2006 Additional Songs to chart: Video - #1 (1 week) - May 2001

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#115 - Crush - Jennifer Paige

1998

White picket fences in your eyes So this is what happens when you want a crush to get more serious. You write a song about it, everyone calls you on your s**t that, and then you apparently never have a hit again. Which really is a shame because Jennifer actually had a great voice. In fact, I remember thinking it was Mariah Carey when this song was first popular. In any case, there's no hidden meaning here - just a cute pop song about denying your feelings about the man you want to spend your life with. Popstop's Chart - #3  - October 1998

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#114 - S&M - Rihanna

2011

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me. Rihanna has hit my top ten over a dozen times, but this is the only time she ever hti #1 as lead. We Found Love ran into problems by peaking just as Christmas season hit. Umbrella was held back by Amy Winehouse, and Pon De Replay couldn't ever topple Mariah Carey. This song sneaked a week at #1 in between two juggernauts (which are coming later, so I won't spoil the surprise now) and I think I realized it was about damn time for Rihanna, and also that this song was such goofy fun, I couldn't deny it. Popstop's chart - #1 (1 week) - April 2011 Additional songs to chart: Disturbia - #2 - August 2008 Love the Way You Lie - Eminem featuring Rihanna - #1 (7 weeks) - July-August 2012

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#113 - Dirty Diana - Michael Jackson

1988

Every musician's fan after the curtain comes down. By selecting 1985 as the cut-off, I've missed out on MJ's Off the Wall and Thriller albums, which are both overflowing with classics. We are left with the Bad album, which despite it's failure to live up to Thriller (but then what album could) was the first album to collect five #1s. Man in the Mirror is probably the more popular choice from that album, and while I do like it, this one has so much more grit and energy - it is one of MJ's darker song - about a groupie to avoid - who he never trusts and rightfully so. And you can't argue with adding Slash from Guns N' Roses to the mix - just a  supreme fusion of talent in this song.

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#112 - Wake Me Up! - Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc

2013

All this time I've been finding myself and I didn't know I was lost. First of all, I realize that Aloe wasn't actually credited in the release, and I think that's a ridiculous crime. Because it's Aloe's vocals that really sell this mash-up of styles - with it's dance, yet Western, yet soulful mix, there has really been little since to which it compares. I can still play this anytime; I just don't get tired of hearing it. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) - September 2013 Additional songs to chart: I Need a Dollar - Aloe Blacc - #1 (3 weeks) - July 2011 The Man - Aloe Blacc -  #1 (5 weeks) - February-March 2014

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[H.]

Great #117!

[surfy]

S&M, Dirty Diana, and Wake Me Up!!!! <3

[House Lannister]

Nice to see Black Velvet and Emile Sande on this batch (although I'm a bigger fan of My Kind of Love myself).

In the next batch, Nice to see Anita Baker, The Cardigans, Kylie Minogue, and ZZ Top (probably would have went for Gimme All Your Lovin').

Enjoying this!

[Deleted]

#112!!!

[mamooshka]

Love Emeli.  Isn't she due for a sophomore CD?

Does Gwen's solo appearance preclude 'Don't Speak' from sneaking up elsewhere on your chart?

Both 'Vidéo' and 'I Am Not My Hair' had similar themes and it's difficult to choose between them.    

[Musicguy]

Awesome to see some Kylie, LeAnn, and ZZ Top!!!! "Crush" by Jennifer Paige is soooo good. Too bad lightning didn't strike even twice for her. Her second album "Positively Somewhere" had a few gems. :(

Can't wait to see some more hits!

[popstop]

Not going to lie - trying to get this wrapped up before I leave for the day, so the content may not be up to its usual par.

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#111 - The Way I Are - Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson

2007

I can't even buy you flowers The lyrics to this are basically a lot of back and forth by a couple explaining how they are perfect for each other. Ho hum. Its the production that makes this sizzle though - with its futuristic electropop beeps and clicks, it heralded a redirection from pure R&B that would define music for the next few years. It was a harbinger of the Gaga age, and made for incredible listening. Popstop's chart - #1 (2 weeks) - July 2007

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#110 - Supernova - Liz Phair

1994

You f**k like a volcano and you're everything to me Liz Phair was a critics darling in the mid-90s for her frank, emotional lyrical content established by her debut album, Exile in Guyville. Her debut was a lot to live up to and this was the opening single to the follow-up. While not as acclaimed as the debut, this single was her biggest hit, with its fuzzy feedback and bubbly guitar, she kept true to her content talking about the stud in her life shining as bright as a supernova.

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#109 - Breakout - Swing Out Sister	1986
The time has come to make or break God, this song is cheesetastic. The escalating horns, the insincere fight in her voice at the bridge, and the harmonizing vocals at just the right time. They must have known it to if you look at the ever-so-80s neon brightly colored video. But it's on this list, so  obviously for me, it all comes together to make some purely 80s fabulosity.

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#108 - Orange Colored Sky - Natalie Cole

1991

Watch out for flying glass. A throwback to the big band era, Natalie Cole recorded this song as part of a collection called Unforgettable. Far enough into her career for it to not appear too gimmicky, she chose the greatest hits of her father in her own big band arrangements. The title track even featured her crooning with her departed father to form a duet. Like that's not creepy. I'm not sure if it's because of the lack of pwer in her voice or thats he is of a later generation, but I don't think the ballads on this album work for her as much as the more upbeat songs like this - she nails the quick phrasing and knows how to build to the soaring end. The lyrics are cute - basically about being surprised by unexpected love.

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#107 - California Love - 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre

1996

Cali is where they put the mack down. I thought this song hit #1 on the Hot 100  in the wake of 2Pac's death, but no, this actually hit #1 just a couple months before he was murdered - it's certainly his most successful song, and it was a comeback fo rhim after having served time in prison. The songs uses some great samples that featuring blaring horns, and a staggered beat as 2Pac raps over the whole set-up with his love letter to his home state of California.

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#106 - Kandi - One EskimO

2010

Why? Why? Why did you need him? Where was I? I did a top 200 of 1985-2010 and this song was then ranked really high. That is the problem with using recent songs, so the songs from the last year or so here may not be as high come 2020. In any case, despite the drop, I think this is still a brilliant song - that builds as a man tries to learn why his lover has forsaken him for another. At the end, her answer is echoing in his head.  Popstop's chart - #1 (1 week) - April 2010

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[H.]

Great #107!

[surfy]

The Way I Are and California Love!!! <3

[Deleted]

Yes for #107!

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

I really enjoyed Kandi and the other single One Eskimo put out after that. I wanted to get their CD but it wasn't in any store near me so I passed over them after that.

[popstop]

Jul 9, 2015 20:34:56 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

Love Emeli.  Isn't she due for a sophomore CD?

Does Gwen's solo appearance preclude 'Don't Speak' from sneaking up elsewhere on your chart?

Both 'Vidéo' and 'I Am Not My Hair' had similar themes and it's difficult to choose between them.    

There are three of four artists where they had two singles which would land them at around the same spot in he countdown and it was really difficult to pick a song or them. She was one of them. I love Video!

It is possible for an artist to appear twice if they were in a group and appeared as solo. 

[Musicguy]

The Way I Are is fab, but my favorite in this group is definitely "Breakout". Loved the colorful video. <3

[popstop]

And the first half of songs is done!

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#105 - Bring Me To Life - Evanescence

2003

Wake me up inside The song that put this map and kept them there for a few years - this song details the person whose heart has been pushed emotionally past the brink. She is seeking someone to combat her complete apathy with passion. Apparently, it's someone who has been there all along, but perhaps she has been desensitized to realize it. Her desperation is palpable. Anyone who has ever been through pain and decides they are completely done with love can relate. Popstop's chart - #1 4 weeks) - May 2003

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#104 - Zoot Suit Riot - Cherry Poppin' Daddies

1997

Now you sailors know where your women come for love Well this was a weird and short-lived trend in the 90s - swing came back for a hot second and it must have been glorious to hear these old sounds back on the radio. Yes, apparently there was a time when bands like the Squirrel Nut Zippers and  Big Bad Voodoo Daddy could be found on the radio alongside Puff Daddy and Fatboy Slim. What a weird age. But that doesn't take away from the fun of this song - which makes the list because it's the first song I ever sang at a karaoke bar.

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#103 - Diamonds and Guns - The Transplants

2003

It's a wicked world we live in 2003 may have been the height of my alternative phase where I primarily listened to more alternative songs. Diamonds and Guns preceded #105 by mere weeks and there would be other to come that year. I can't say I ever heard anything else by the Transplants, but happened to catch this on the radio one day and the piano loops reeled me in. There's a plot to the song too, involving heroin, and well, diamonds and guns. Popstop's chart - #1 (5 weeks) - March 2003

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#102 - I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas

2009

Fill up my cup (Drink) Mazel Tov (L'chaim). I was torn about including this song because it was honestly so played out, I am pretty sure I never want to hear it again. But I had to be true to my 2009 self who loved this song and has tons of happy memories of travel and general goofiness to go with it. Let me just say that even in Easter Island, this song was getting airplay. This might have been the perfect song for a recession - people wanted to escape and there's no better way than a party song with basic lyrics.  Popstop's chart - #1 (2 weeks) - August 2009

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#101 - Killing Me Softly With His Song - The Fugees

1996

It felt like he had found my letters and read each one out loud. This entry is here for Lauryn Hill alone as much as the Fugees - her solo debut was a masterwork that I played for months - months -s he released her album in 1998 and I was still playing it hard enough that she had a #1 song in 2000. But this was a song of unity in our house - it called back to the Roberta Flack song my mom loved in her 20s, and it was my sister's song of choice that summer of 1996. The faithfulness of this song to the original, even including the sampling, probably had something to do with that. Unfortunately, after Lauryn's solo debut that would be pretty much the last we'd truly hear from her, which is one of the music world's great tragedies.

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#100 - Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer/Crazy Frog	1985/2005
Wh-Wha-What's going on? So we crack into the top half of the chart with the song that started it all. This was the first #1 my brother had on his chart. 20 years later, I made it #1 (it's only chart week) with the craptastic Crazy Frog version. Because this song started it all, it deserves a place in the top 100. Popstop's chart - #1 (1 week) - June 2005

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[Deleted]

YES at I Gotta Feeling making the list!

[popstop]

So, now that we are halfway through the chart, let's take a break for some more honorable mentions.

Once again, one from each decade:

80s: Somewhere Out There - Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram (1987)

90s: Foolish Games - Jewel (1997)

00s: I'm Yours - Jason Mraz (2008)

10s: Girls Chase Boys - Ingrid Michaelsen (2014)

[Musicguy]

Of this new batch, my favorite is "Bring Me To Life"

[popstop]

Jul 14, 2015 13:08:12 GMT -5 Musicguy said:

Of this new batch, my favorite is "Bring Me To Life"

Such a dramatic song! She has a fantastic voice!

[Musicguy]

Jul 14, 2015 13:21:54 GMT -5 popstop said:

Jul 14, 2015 13:08:12 GMT -5 Musicguy said:

Of this new batch, my favorite is "Bring Me To Life"

Such a dramatic song! She has a fantastic voice!

Absolutely. "My Immortal" is my favorite, and loved "Everybody's Fool" as well.

[Mirago]

popstop this is incredible work. Girls Chase Boys was one of my favourite songs last year, def a lifetime recurrent!

[mamooshka]

" ... and there he was this young bwahhh
Stranger to my eyes
Strumming my pain with his fingers ... one time
Singin' my life with his words ... two time"

A pity she disappeared from the charts after her hugely successful "Miseducation" ... well, unless you count that Bob Marley duet.  She could have been the next Mary J. 

 Attachment Deleted

[popstop]

Sorry for the week-long sabbatical. But it felt like midway through was a good place to take a break. This seems to be the "Don't" set, with the word factoring into three songs.

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#99 - Short Skirt/Long Jacket - Cake

2001

I want a girl with uninterrupted prosperity This song makes my list for one big reason. I clearly recall laughing out loud at the video - normally not an event in itself, but this was right after 9/11 and I feel as if I hadn't smiled for days. The video actually took place in NYC and the single had just recently been released. It was a look at NYC just before the catastrophe and must have held some sort of cathartic release for me. To this day, I can't listen to this song without thinking about how he helped me move past my grief. Popstop's chart - #2 (1 week) - August 2001

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#98 - I Don't Want Your Love - The Waterlillies

1994

Set my soul on fire This may be the most obscure song in the top half of the chart - I could only find one video for it and it only has 257 views! My sister got this album when she was in high school, and it was something to which I listened a bit after she left it behind when she went to college. The Waterlillies are an electro duo who actually hit #1 on Billboard's dance chart with a remixed song, Never Get Enough from the same album, Tempted. I think what I love about this song is it's often almost whispered vocal over the relentless beat - the juxtaposition is jarring. ANd that juxtaposition is a match for the seductive vocas tinged with the sentiment of disinterest.

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#97 - Lights - Ellie Goulding

2012

I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown I bet this will be a popular choice! Ellie Goulding can do no wrong. It was hard to decide between this and Love Me Like You Do, but in the end, I went with the song that introduced me to her unusual vocal - a voice that sounds simultaneously vulnerable and powerful - she teeters on this edge like no one else - you don't expect her voice to launch into the epic sonic events that they sometimes do, and it makes for such a unique listening experience. Of the two, Lights seems to better amplify her strengths - the twinkling piano matches the delightful chirp in her voice. I am still bitter that Whistle jumped ahead of it when it was #2 to block her from a chart-topping hit. Popstop's chart - #1 (3 weeks) - June 2012 Additional songs to chart: Love Me Like You Do - #1 (2 weeks) - March 2015

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#96 - Don't Know Why - Norah Jones

2003

My heart is drenched in wine. Norah Jones' career may have stalled after the diamond success propelled by this song, but what a gift she left along the way! This song is nothing short of perfect - the heartache-ridden pain of regret that Norah brings to the song - the lyrics themselves speaking to a lost chance. Because of the regret, it is all the more poignant that Norah has some slight off-pitch moments - it was simply genius to leave a slightly flawed vocal - an indication that the singer is barely holding on to the frustration that goes along with heartrending decision Popstop's chart - #2 (5 weeks) - March-April 2003

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#95 - 7 - Prince

1993

And we will smoke them all with an intellect and a savoir-faire. Good lord, it was so hard to pick a Prince (or, as he was once known when this song was released, ) to represent him! I think what ultimately wins for me is the cryptic, allegorical nature of the song. I'd always thought that the "7" in the song referred to conquering the seven deadly sins, hence the verse about succumbing to lust in the sand while the other six sins curse them. But now that I've been reading up, I've seen all sorts of interesting theories about what the seven are to which Prince and his love are fighting. Some think it refers to dismissing and even mocking the moralizing of the seven major religions. Whatever the song is about, there's certainly a religious context and makes for fascinating interpretation. Sorry for the Perez link - it appears Prince is removing a lot of material from youtube. Additional Songs to chart: Raspberry Beret (1985) Cream (1991)

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#94 - Don't Make Me Dream About You - Chris Isaak

1991

Felt so hot when I kissed you, now you come on cold The haunting Wicked Game from Chris gets all the love, but this is a bit more rollicking and less moody than that song. It follows similar themes though - frustration with the beguilement of a love interest, and the regret of a love gone sour. There's an interlude in here where CHris says, by my count, "No" seventeen times in a row, and somehow he manages to make everyone of them equally pleading and remorseful. If that's enough to interest you, I think this is also the video where he was at his sexiest - hence this picture.

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[popstop]

Jul 15, 2015 19:24:19 GMT -5 Mirago said:

popstop this is incredible work. Girls Chase Boys was one of my favourite songs last year, def a lifetime recurrent!

Thank you so much! Girls Chase Boys did very well on my 2014 chart!

Jul 17, 2015 21:30:39 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

A pity she disappeared from the charts after her hugely successful "Miseducation" ... well, unless you count that Bob Marley duet.  She could have been the next Mary J. 

She really could have! I am so bitter that she never followed up that fantastic album!

[H.]

Great to see Lights and Cake!

[Deleted]

I haven't commented on much, but this is a great list!

Prince's never-ending war against the internets has always been my one reason for not doing a personal chart/top list for his songs. He has always been anti-YT so I'm surprised there was even a brief moment when he let something stay there. Now he's taken his stuff down from every streaming site except Tidal (of course we would go with the least popular of them all ) and this is not to mention that his discography is so dense that a lot of it is comprised of rare cuts, including one MASSIVE collection of unreleased songs/demos/alternate versions called The Work. It's just insane. But it means the mere idea of doing a list for stuff that you can't even link other people to is pretty much a pointless endeavor.

With that small vent out the way, 7 reminds me of one of my best friends. This was always one of her most favorite Prince songs - Diamonds and Pearls being another - because she says that she is always here for people counting or spelling in their music. She insists that this guarantees your song will be awesome, lol. I don't know that I agree with that as a whole, but she might be on to something.

Don't Know Why is such a beautiful song, but my absolute favorite by her is Thinking About You, from the Not Too Late album - funny enough, for pretty much the same reasons you love DKY. Even though the production is a bit more polished than on DKY her vocals still have that slightly untouched feeling, intensifying the sense of loss, regret, and resignation.

[Deleted]

#97!