Pop's Top 200 - 1985-2015

[Musicguy]

<3 this countdown... Metallica, Siouxsie & The Banshees, En Vogue...

"We Belong" is a fabulous song, and I was surprised to see "Hourglass" there. My second favorite Squeeze song, just behind "853-5937". <3

[josh]

Aug 6, 2015 9:28:28 GMT -5 popstop said:

Now that we have hit the top 40 songs, let's take another break for honorable mentions :)

Once again, one from each decade:

80s: Invisible - Alison Moyet (1985)

90s: All I Wanna Do - Sheryl Crow (1994)

00s: When It's Over - Sugar Ray (2001)

10s: Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jeppsen (2012)

*Jepsen

[popstop]

Whatever. You are lucky she gets a mention.

[popstop]

Aug 6, 2015 9:46:02 GMT -5 Musicguy said:

<3 this countdown... Metallica, Siouxsie & The Banshees, En Vogue...

"We Belong" is a fabulous song, and I was surprised to see "Hourglass" there. My second favorite Squeeze song, just behind "853-5937". <3

I was so happy when I checked the charts and saw We Belong had peaked at just the right week. If she had peaked one week earlier, she wouldn't have been eligible. :'(

Thanks for the nice comments <3

EDIT: Unlike josh 's >:(

[Musicguy]

Aug 6, 2015 11:31:12 GMT -5 popstop said:

Aug 6, 2015 9:46:02 GMT -5 Musicguy said:

<3 this countdown... Metallica, Siouxsie & The Banshees, En Vogue...

"We Belong" is a fabulous song, and I was surprised to see "Hourglass" there. My second favorite Squeeze song, just behind "853-5937". <3

I was so happy when I checked the charts and saw We Belong had peaked at just the right week. If she had peaked one week earlier, she wouldn't have been eligible. :'(

Thanks for the nice comments <3

EDIT: Unlike josh 's >:(

I think he does that on purpose to get spanked. :kii:

[mamooshka]

Nice to see Five for Fighting make your chart.

Pity that he is one of his generation's most underrated artists. He's had considerably more success writing for others. Outside of Adult radio, his own recordings haven't made the impact deserving of his skills. Hard to understand why he's never had a Top 10 Hot 100 entry.

I would have had a tough time deciding between 'Superman' and '100 Years'.

Attachment Deleted

[popstop]

Wow, didn't mean to skip so many days, but I'm hoping to wrap up this countdown sometime next week.

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#39 - Crazy in Love - Beyonce featuring Jay-Z

2003

Your love got the best of me and baby, you're making a fool out of me Those horns at the beginning might have well been a royal pronouncement that the QUEEN had arrived. Simply put, the music world was waiting in breathless anticipation for Beyonce to break from the Destiny's Child pack, and this opening salvo assured to the masses that Beyonce would be around for a long, long time. With quick patter and a lilting vocal, Beyonce manages to be incandescent enough to  make Jay-Z merely incidental - something she's been doing ever since. :kii: Popstop's chart - #1 (6 weeks) - June-August 2003 Additional Songs to chart: Irreplaceable - #1 (2 weeks) - December 2006 Drunk In Love - #1 (1 week) - February 2014

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#38 - Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra

2012

You can addicted to a certain kind of sadness Bitter - party of one? This song may open with what sounds like a nursery-rhyme progression, and then has some wobbly strings to make it seem like theme music for a funhouse. But, the lyrics reveal someone who is anything but fun - Gotye details an awkward break-up. His girl refuses to pick up the phone, sends someone else over to claim her things, and leaves him pretty much disgusted and clearly dismissive as the title suggests. But what made the song (apart from the Katy Comperrysons) was Kimbra showing up to present her side of things - which reveal Gotye, to be frankly, dickish about the whole relationship - she mentions "all the times he screwed her over" and his obsessivness. Sounds like Kimbra dodged a bullet. Popstop's chart - #1 (3 weeks) - March 2012

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#37 - I Touch Myself - Divinyls

1991

When I feel down, I want you above me. This Australian Duo had been around for about a decade before this ode to jilling off become their signature hit in the US. In their native country, they were consistent hitmakers throughout the 1980s. This song has so many charming elements - Christina Amphlett's smoky voice, the drum beat just before the second verse, the humorous coos at the bridge - the subject may be risque, but the music is on point. The Divinyls would only release one more album after this became a hit, which yielded a #14 song in Australia, but did nothing in the US. Sadly, Amphlett died in 2013 at the young age of 53 due to breast cancer for which she could not get radiation treatment doing to concurrently having multiple sclerosis.

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#36 - Zero - The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2009

So get your leather, leather, leather on, on, on, on Lead singer Karen O has popped up in some unusual places the last few years as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs went on hiatus. You may have heard her singing "Marshmallow World" in last year's Yuletime Target ads. Or as the voice behind the first Google Doodle with its own theme song. She even had an Academy Award nomination for her contribution of a song to the movie "Her." If you click on those links, you'll see Karen O's voice is quite distinctive, and why I love this song. The music starts with a low-key buzz as Karen's lilts over the static. As the chorus starts, her voice lfts higher, the music includes strings and before too long, there's a whole sonic experience by the end of the song.  This was my #1 song for 2009 - it beat out Poker Face, I Gotta Feeling, She-Wolf, and 21 Guns, and completely deserved it. But one song from 2009 actually outpeaks it on this list.  Popstop's chart - #1 (8 weeks) - April - May 2009

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#35 - Wrap It Up - The Fabulous Thunderbirds

1986

I'm gonna treat you like the queen you are. The T-birds are better known for the single that preceded this one - "Tuff Enuff," but I prefer this one just because the blues guitars come out a-blazing immediately in this song. There's no question that you're about to hear some down-home good music. And it's definitely meant to be feel-good music - the lyrics, much less the video, probably wouldn't win over any feminists - since "wrap it up" here refers to commodifying women ("wrap it up, I'll take it), but Kim Wilson's booming voice and braggadocio makes it all work.

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#34 - The Honeymoon Is Over - The Cruel Sea

1993

And then I'm gonna get this tattoo changed to another girl's name. So, apparently I'm on a misogynist streak today, but I think this song - well, I hope this song - is meant to be a little over-the-top in its dismissal of an ex-girlfriend. I kind of love the outrageous arrogance of lines like "You can't sleep in my bed no more" or "I won't let you cook for me baby" as if the object of his ex-affection is really all that broken-hearted about leaving this jerk. He then goes on to say how he should have left her one town ago and is bitter about the fool she made him. Oh, honey. You were a fool long before she met you.

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[H.]

Great to see Zero and I Touch Myself charting!

[popstop]

Aug 6, 2015 20:16:45 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

Nice to see Five for Fighting make your chart.

Pity that he is one of his generation's most underrated artists. He's had considerably more success writing for others. Outside of Adult radio, his own recordings haven't made the impact deserving of his skills. Hard to understand why he's never had a Top 10 Hot 100 entry.

I would have had a tough time deciding between 'Superman' and '100 Years'.

I like both. Superman takes it for me because of the whole 9/11 subtext, but they are both really great songs.

[DJDaveMick69]

Some great ones there--thought of you when I heard "Kiss them for me" at Outback yesterday. :)

[popstop]

I've been looking forward to this posting! We've got some big Pulse favorites in the collection today.

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#33 - Viva La Vida - Coldplay

2008

I used to rule the world Coldplay first appeared in my chart way back in 2003 with Clocks, but then it would be five years before they'd make another appearance. Since then, they've managed to hit #1 five times, though curiously not with this song - in fact, the number one song of the year for 2008 was "Violet Hill."  This song, however, lasted longer in the top ten than almost any other song - an amazing 27 weeks despite never peaking higher than #7. In terms of recurrent play, this song of longing and yearning for glory days gone by tops all other Coldplay songs.  Popstop's chart - #7 - August-November 2008 Additional Songs to chart: Violet Hill - #1 (2 weeks) - July 2008 A Sky Full of Stars - #1 (1 week) - July 2014

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#32 - Work It - Missy Elliot

2002

Ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup Good god, Missy is a genius - this song just has so much win in its dirty, dirty lyrics that I don't even know where to begin. First, can we talk about the rhyming emphasis of this song - rhyming phone ya and sofa with "chocha" - her delivery is hysterical and punctuated. There's all sorts of inspired wackiness in the song - from the elephant sound that stands in for male anatomy to the backwards lyrics being incorporated into the rhymes, this song just glistens with brilliant lunacy. The song would spend 10 frustrating weeks at #2 behind the very strong "Lose Yourself" - tying a record for most weeks at #2 without ever hitting #1. Missy's legacy is solid and she has been a greatly missed presence on the charts. Popstop's chart - #2 (2 weeks) - November-December 2002

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#31 - All I Want for Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

1994

I won't even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer click. Yes, out of Mariah's complete oeuvre, I pick this one. Trust me, fifty years from now, this is going to be how future generations knows Mariah - it will be more of a legacy than Vision of Love or Fantasy or We Belong Together or whatever #1 hit she's had. Because Mariah managed to do the impossible - add to the notoriously tight-fisted holiday music canon. No other holiday song in the past thirty years has made more of a splash than this jingle-bell laden anthem. It's success  seemed to start off slow and picked up steam, but really exploded in 2005 when Mariah had her huge career resurgence.  It just comes down to being a well-done Christmas song - it manages to sound both modern and timeless. Even the most hard-hearted against Mariah have to admit this is the ideal Christmas song.

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#30 - Toxic - Britney Spears

2003

With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride A cautionary tale for you stans who defend your artist against all others - your narrow-mindedness will prevent you from appreciating the ingenuity of some great works out there.  Back around 2003, I was Team Christina all the way - Britney was a vocal flash-in-the-pan hack and Christina was the real deal. And this song never charted. Well, look at today - Christina is way down on my top 200, and Toxic has become one of my favorite jams. It would be years before I'd appreciate its awesomeness (I actually added it to a Halloween mix because "toxic", and well, whatever - it was on my mix), but once I did, there was no turning back. Years ahead of its time, it still fits in perfectly with the pop hits of today - from its feedback bridge to its inspired vocals, this is Britney's finest moment. Popstop's chart - DID NOT CHART! FML :'(

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#29 - Vasoline - Stone Temple Pilots

1994

Keep getting stuck here all the time STP ranks pretty highly on my list of all-time favorite bands, though they've had to put up with a bit of derision over the years. Their first album was seen as little more than capitalizing on the grunge movement, but they exploded with their second album. Purple. Purple yielded the two biggest singles of their career - this one, and the follow-up, Interstate Love Song, a signature hit for them.   I love the unusual opening of the song - mimicking the stuck fly they reference in the lyrics, and the song carries a constant buzz throughout to amplify that theme. As so many STP lyrics, these are rather cryptic and I've heard comments from the band and from other fans about their meaning, but it's safe to say the song discusses an unhealthy situation that seems inescapable.

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#28 - LDN - Lily Allen

2007

Sun is in the sky - oh why oh why would I want to be anywhere else? Lily Allen, I love you! Please don't ever go on hiatus again! :'( Lily first caught my attention with "Smile" - a delicious tale of schadenfreude at her ex-boyfriend's expense.  The combination of the bright, ska-pop with Lily's perky, chipper voice mixed incongruously with sardonic and bitter lyrics. And she put that combination into full force with LDN - a love letter of sorts to her native London. Poor Lily has had her driver's license taken away, and decides to go on a bike ride. She appears oblivious to the seedy underbelly of London life - a dapper looking fellow turns out to be a pimp, an "al fresco" lunch turns out to be a homeless get-together, and that charming kid helping an old lady is actually mugging her. It's just that kind of bizarre perspective that makes Lily a continual favorite. And the mariachi horns in the song don't hurt, either. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) - February-March 2007 Additional Songs to chart: Hard Out Here - # 1 (1 week) - February 2014

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[H.]

Great to see Vasoline, Viva La Vida, and Mariah charting!

[Deleted]

#40-#39 and #33-#30!!!

[House Lannister]

Playing catchup:

63: Grenade's a very good song. Could have easily gone with Just the Way You Are, When I Was Your Man, or Uptown Funk. Definitely a Bruno fan.

60: This Love is decent, but I don't think they've yet topped their original song Harder to Breathe. The closest I thought was Wake Up Call.

57: One of the iconic songs/videos of the 1980s. Good call.

56: My Lovin' is a good song. Probably would have personally gone with Don't Let Go. I do miss the 1990s R and B women's groups, though.

54: Couldn't escape that song for awhile, so good choice.

53: Let's just say that I'm not a fan of the song and leave it at that.

51: I'll have to check that song out, but I really liked Take Me Out and Do You Want To.

49: Big fan of the song when it came out. But my summer song of 2014 was probably Love Runs Out. Probably alone in that.

48: Liked their song Alive and Kicking, but considering its iconic nature, great choice.

47: Yeah, the lyrics are grim. But the song does rock pretty good.

46: I will admit liking this one.

45: Loved this one and like many of us, I had no clue that she ever released a follow-up.

43: Either that one or Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For works for me here.

42: Shakira is beautiful, but Whenever, Wherever is a much better song. Even Empire got more play from me.

41. Great selection. And I agree with the musical outro part as well.

40: Best song they've done since One.

[House Lannister]

More catching up:

39: You definitely picked the right Beyonce song, although Irreplaceable was pretty good too.

38: I really don't think either one comes across as great, but the song about a bitter breakup was great.

37: Sorry to hear about the lead singer. But another good choice.

36: The video doesn't help their cause, but the song is on point (I read it more as a song about a guy finally willing to settle down with a woman).

33: Not the biggest fan of the group (not sure why), but Viva La Vida is probably the best song that I've heard from them.

32: Hoping that that Super Bowl appearance can spur the Missysaince. It was nice to see several of her songs chart the next week.

31: I get the reasoning, but I'd picked Vision of Love or Fantasy myself.

30: I like Toxic, but probably more a fan of her first hit Hit Me Baby One More Time.

29: Good choice.

I really like this chart and the fact you're attempting to cover over 30 years of song in 200 selections. Kudos.

[popstop]

Thank you, pulse boards, for allowing me to type up the first four entries, and then erasing everything I typed because I hit the back button and somehow wasn't clicked in anything.  I am going to try to finish this list this week, as long as there aren't more shenanigans like that, but I lost about 30 minutes of work. >:(  

SO these descriptions might not be as detailed as I originally intended because I'm kind of over it now.

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#27 - Dedication to My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd ft. Andre 3000

2011

Who the hell have you been giving my lovin' to, girl? 2011 was all about Adele on my chart, yet this song managed to challenge her for #1 song of the year. Appearing in the wake of CeeLo's "f**k You," this song mimics its concept - coarse language backed by a throwback 70s R&B vibe. Unlike the CeeLo song, I prefer the "clean" version of this song - the dirty version liberally uses the word pussy, and the clean substitutes "lovin," and that works better for me. I don't need to think about pussy that much. Otherwise, I like the song's humorous and dismissive take on his ex, who cheated on him, and ruined her "lovin" for good.  Andre 3000's rap is lightning fast as usual. We'll be hearing from him again soon. This song had a disappointing performance (#79) on the Billboard chart, but peaked in the top ten throughout Europe. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) -  November-December 2011

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#26 - Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles

1987

If you want to find all the cops, they're hanging out in the donut shop  I believe this song has the distinction of being the only time an all-female band hit #1. If so, whata  goofy song to hold that honor! But it's goofiness is what I love - from the adorable lyrics that paint the scene in Egypt to the world party with the Japanese and Russians at the end (not to mention that tensions were higher with both of these countries at that time, which makes that party all the more poignant, if poignant is word you can use talking about this song.) The iconic video has "guest appearances" from Miami Dolphin player Mark Gastineau to Libyan leader Qaddafi to the Statue of Liberty. It's hard not to appreciate all that 80s big hair as well. This song is unique for the Bangles in that it's their only hit that features them mixing the lead - only Debbi Peterson was left out, but that still caused a lot of tension within the band. Susannah Hoffs was getting more attention as the default lead singer. Despite having another successful album after this song, the band would break-up mid-tour.

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#25 - Fallin' - Alicia Keys

2001

Sometimes I love you. Sometimes you make me feel blue. Alicia Keys set off a firecracker with this song that gave fuse to a superstar career. A piano driven ballad, it starts off vulnerable and crescendos into being backed by a gospel-esque group of talented back-up singers who completely sell the song. The lyrics, simplistic and written by Alicia as a teenager, detail a relationship that teeters consistently on the edge - it's not so much the lyrics though, but the power and control in Alicia's voice that make this song such a classic. This song hit #1 on my chart just before 9/11 and its melancholy tone was the perfect backdrop for the fallout from that event. Alicia would go on to hit #1 three more times, and have several other top ten hits. By the end of the decade, Alicia would be the woman who's have the most top ten songs on myc hart (she has since been surpassed). I am anxiously awaiting what she will do next. And she'll continue to look good doing it --> Popstop's chart -#1 (7 weeks) - September - October 2001 Additional Songs to chart: Karma - #1 (3 weeks) - November 2004 No One - #3 - October-November 2007

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#24 - Truffle Butter - Nicki Minaj ft. Drake and Lil Wayne

2015

I'm still the highest selling female rapper, for the record. Uh, thinking out loud... this may be a little inflated since I created this list in the post-haze success of this song on my chart, but I knew Nicki HAD to be represented because she's virtually exploded all over my personal chart over the last five years. And Drake and Wayne have both had their own chart impact as well.  This is a filthy, filthy song, but I still love it. I love how each rap builds from one another - they all open with discussion of their bank accounts, and then move on to discussing dirty, dirty sex with the "pretty women" out there - Drake wants all of them to get in his car, Nicki wants to let them know about her "ballpoint" technique, and Lil Wayne is discussing bathroom sex positions. Oh, my! Popstop's chart - #1 (5 weeks) - February-March 2015 Additional Songs to chart (Nicki:) Monster - #3 - October 2010 - Kanye West ft. Jay- Z, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver, and Rick Ross Bang Bang - #1 (4 weeks) - August-September 2014 - Ariana Grande, Jessie J, and Nicki Minaj Anaconda - #3 - October 2014 (Drake): Hold On, I'm Coming Home - #2 (3 weeks) - November 2013 (Lil Wayne): Shooter - #1 (2 weeks) - September 2006 - Lil Wayne ft. Robin Thicke How to Love - #4 - August 2011

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#23 - All Apologies - Nirvana

1993

What else should I say? Everyone is gay. The definitive band of the 90s - their influence is still surprisingly impactful, as you can hear elements of grunge in much of today's rock output. They might be the last rock band to have sparked a fashion movement. Their appearance and music stood in contrast to the heavy metal bands that lost popularity with the grunge movement, and their authenticity was seen as backlash against the Milli Vanillis of the world. This song was the last single released before Cobain's suicide, which feels oddly appropriate. Cobain sounds resigned, yet rebellious on this song. While the lyrics seem to belie apathy with his detractors, it's not so much resignation as it is acceptance in being true to himself.

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#22 - Hey Ya! - Outkast

2003

Shake it like a polaroid picture It's hard picking just one great line from this song outside of its almost anachronistic signature one - "What's cooler than being cool?" "They say nothing lasts forever, then what makes love the exception?" This song was the apex of Outkast's output in a period where they held the top two (along with "The Way You Move") for weeks on end. The song simply percolates in its misery as one of the most buoyant break-up songs of all time - he regards his failure in living up to his parents stability, decides to forgo ever being in love again, calling on all fellas to go ice cold, asking the baby dolls to get on the dance floor and shake it for his pleasure - just everything, from the off-kilter 11/4 time to Andre's snarky delivery fits together for a perfect piece of pop. Popstop's chart - #1 (5 weeks) - December 2003 - January 2004

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[H.]

Great to see Hey Ya, Nirvana, and Truffle Butter charting!

[popstop]

Thanks for all the comments! I appreciate you following this. :) I'll respond to a couple of these. :)

Aug 13, 2015 9:48:59 GMT -5 House Lannister said:

Playing catchup:

63: Grenade's a very good song. Could have easily gone with Just the Way You Are, When I Was Your Man, or Uptown Funk. Definitely a Bruno fan. Uptown Funk was definitely a contender, but I wanted more representation from the 2000s, and lots of song from 2014 made the cute.

60: This Love is decent, but I don't think they've yet topped their original song Harder to Breathe. The closest I thought was Wake Up Call. Loved Wake Up CAll - it also hit #1 on my chart

53: Let's just say that I'm not a fan of the song and leave it at that. Pretty sure this is my least popular choice. :)

45: Loved this one and like many of us, I had no clue that she ever released a follow-up. She had a single release - Well, Well, Well, and it didn;t do well. I don;t even know if she released the follow-up stateside. But it failed miserably, and she hasn;t been heard from since.

42: Shakira is beautiful, but Whenever, Wherever is a much better song. Even Empire got more play from me. I think this was another instance of trying to spread the wealth and keep some parity from year to year. Whenever, Wherever did extremely well on my chart. I am suprised more people didn't bring up Hips Don't Lie.

Aug 13, 2015 10:04:26 GMT -5 House Lannister said:

More catching up:

39: You definitely picked the right Beyonce song, although Irreplaceable was pretty good too. I very nearly chose Drunk In Love just because it was more recent, but this is really quintessential Bey.

38: I really don't think either one comes across as great, but the song about a bitter breakup was great. SOmeone said it was Sting ft. Katy Perry - haha!

32: Hoping that that Super Bowl appearance can spur the Missysaince. It was nice to see several of her songs chart the next week. It was. I hope she takes the opportunity to at least get out there and produce. I miss her.

31: I get the reasoning, but I'd picked Vision of Love or Fantasy myself. So, here I was thinking about Brenda Lee. I mean she had over a dozen top ten hits, I think, but "Rockin Around the Christmas Tree"is the one people know her by today. I'm really curious to see what people remember about her songs in retrospect. I think Vision of Love and We Belong Together have the best chance of living on.
.

[Deleted]

#24 and #22.

[popstop]

Sorry, I lied. This won't finish this week, but we are so close to wrapping this up!

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#21 - Get Lucky - Daft Punk featuring Pharrell

2013

Like the legend of the phoenix... Pharrell manages to make two appearances on this list thanks to features. He was on fire the summer of 2013, and became the only act to appear in four songs on my top ten at once, though three of those were features (Happy also charted that summer, well before it became the Billboard's #1 song of 2014).  The lyrics have never been a draw for me, but the retro disco vibe, which seemed to pop throughout 2013 was kind of a bouncy, unexpected, and enjoyable shift in music for that year. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) -  June 2013 Additional songs to chart: Derezzed - #1 (4 weeks) - January-February 2011

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#20(TIE) Crazy - Gnarls Barkley f**k You - CeeLo Green	2006/2010
Ha, ha, ha - bless your soul. You really think you're in control Crazy blasted out of nowhere to dominate the summer of 2006 - it was a song that didn't fit easy genre categorization - was it R&B? Alternative? Pop? It was all these and charted on all of those charts becoming one of the few transgenre hits of our time. The coupling of Danger Mouse and CeeLo was so unusual and the song stood out so well, I'm surprised they never had another hit together, but then... Popstop's chart - #1 (8 weeks) - May-July 2006 
You see he's an Xbox. I'm more Atari. CeeLo came back a few years later as a one-hit wonder in his own right. I couldn't decide which CeeLo hit I wanted on this list more - Crazy was my #1 song of 2006, and f**k You was #2 for 2010 (the #1 is still coming!). So I'm going with both because I play the hell out of both even today. They are such different songs - whereas Crazy was multi-genre and contemplative, this song was straight old school R&B with the sardonic lyrics berating the gold-digging object of his affection. Two different sides of CeeLo, but both are a delight. Popstop's chart - #1 (5 weeks) - September-October 2010

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#19 - Criminal - Fiona Apple

1997

What would an angel say the devil wants to know? This song was peaking about the time I started my chart, but its mature themes would have been completely over my head then. Its infamy now is in a vaguely disturbing video of a barely dressed Fiona lounging around with other jailbait-ish looking male models.  This song details the internal conflict as Fiona has, as she put it, commit sins against her lover - an apparently sensitive man who will be destroyed if he found out about these sins. The crime she's committed isn't specified, but I'll assume she's cheating with someone, and now needs that person's help to hide the affair or move on as if it didn't happen. In any case, Fiona sounds absolutely destroyed and conflicted in her deep, smoky vocal. The ominous musical coda is absolutely stunning.

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#18 - (You Spin Me) Round Like a Record - Dead or Alive

1985

All I know is that to me you look like you're lots of fun. Uhm. I'm not sure what this look is all about - were Dead or Alive knock-offs of Culture Club? Possibly, but they came up with one of the crazier song titles of the 80s. It's a song that is busy and full of electricity - it's got all sorts of adorably 80s synth crackling around the campy vocal. Lead singer Pete Burns with his make-up and big hair represented the best of the neon androgyny of the time. This song didn't peak as high as I would have thought on the Hot 100 - just outside the top ten. And also to my surprise, they managed to follow that up with another top twenty hit - "Brand New Lover" in 1986. They had limited success in the states after that, but remained popular in the UK for a few more years. This song has maintained relevancy over the years - re-charting in the UK in 2006, and being the backdrop for Flo Rida's successful "Right Round." And Burns today - well, he's had some atrocious plastic surgery.

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#17 - Pump Up the Volume - M/A/R/R/S

1988

Yo all you homeboys out in 'Bronx! This one's for you! Years ahead of its time for its copious sampling, this number throws everything including the kitchen sink into the mix. A UK shout-out to the Bronx? Check. A random sample Middle Eastern singer Ofra Haza? Check. Kool and the Gang drum samples? Holy cow, check. The song has been remixed to death over the years since, and released as new singles with variations on the samples - seriously, there's a whole table as to which samples are being used for which version of wikipedia. It's like those choose your own adventure books. As for M/A/R/R/S themselves, it turns out this is not only just their only hit, it's their only SONG. Turns out they were created out of a failed collaboration between two groups of musicians - the musicians ended up not collaborating, and each released a different track - this being one of them. It is definitely a landmarx song in the world of house.

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#16 (TIE) Never Forget You/That Girl - The Noisettes	2009/2013
I borrowed your silver boots. Now will you just let me give them back to you? OK, I'll stop with the ties after this. This is the only artist besides CeeLO that I couldn't bring myself to just pick one. The Noisettes haven't even appeared on my chart that much, just four times, but I never, and I mean, never get tired of these two songs. Never Forget You is truly one of my favorite karaoke songs if I see it - it's a bittersweet reunion of former lovers who meet up after some time apart to reminisice. Popstop's chart - #1 (2 weeks) - October 2009
And I don't want to hear about her favorite magazines that she reads. Shingai Shoniwa, the lead singer, has such a distinct voice, but you can practically hear how over it she is with her crush, who notices that one of his "friends" is similarly obsessed with him. She seems to resign herself to this fact, and lets her clearly oblivious crush know this girl's intentions, but not before telling him she doesn't want to hear about her tweets, doesn't want to wait around to go clubbing with him, and certainly doesn't want to cure his hangover. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) - January - February 2013

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[Deleted]

#21!

[H.]

Great to see Crazy, Right Round, and Get Lucky!

[popstop]

Today's posting brings us into the top 10!

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#15 - Bloesem - Sam Feldt & De Hofnar

2014

LISTEN All credit to Mikey, this song rekindled my interest in dance music, and Sam Feldt has been a visitor to my chart since with his appealing tropical/deep house music. This song caught my interest when Mikey offered it as one of his songs in my Summertime Madness Tournament - unfortunately, it performed poorly there, but it captivated me enough that I added to my playlist and then proceeded to listen to the flute drop over and over. Repeatedly. OMG, I love the flute drop. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) -  September-October 2014

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#14 - Groove Is In The Heart - Deee-lite

1990

He's not vicious. Or malicious. Just delovely and delicious. I tried as hard as I could to find a picture where the folks at Dee-lite are not awash in crazy, groovy 60s clothes because their fashion sense could use some work. SOme interesting trivia on this song - it is the only time in UK chart history that there was an exact tie in sales for the #1 spot, but thanks to an odd rule, Dee-lite had to settle for #2. In any case, this song, with its psychedelic edge and loopy sampling (includes samples from the Green Acres them and an album called "The Art of Belly Dancing), is one of the more outlandish hits to make the top 10. It's all held together by diva Lady Miss Kier who guides though lyrics like "we're going through to the nth hoop til Horton hears a who." This song is simply deee-liteful.

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#13 - Girls and Boys - Blur

1994

Love in the 90s is paranoid. I think I credit this song to being more Team Blur than Team Oasis. I prefer Damon Albarn, whose urbane wittiness for me outdistances the Gallagher Brothers' distinct edge. Damon went on to create the even more successful virtual act the Gorillaz (another favorite of mine) just a few years after this song broke. This song recounts the sexual adventures of wealthier British youth who spend their holidays doing whatever and god knows whoever down in Greece. Is Blur celebrating their adventurousness or criticizing it? Probably a  little of both - he references the paranoia of safe sex, and then goes on to talking of girls doing boys who are actually and other such machinations. Greece in the 90s sounds a lot more fun that it does today.

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#12 - Jump Around - House of Pain

1992

Trying to play me out as if my name was Sega. I think this is the last artist on my countdown who I'd consider a one hit wonder, though even then, Everlast left House of Pain to have a pretty solid career in his own right. Showing that rap had gone about as mainstream as you could get, these bunch of Irish-ish white boys played up their Gaelicness to great effect in the video. Good lord, so many shamrocks. The song starts with a blasting of horns before it delivers a punctuated short-pitched squeal throughout the verses. This song has a huge legacy - becoming a common sports stadium anthem and appearing occasionally on the big screen and television, including a favorite of mine, Mrs. Doubtfire.

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#11 - Into the Groove - Madonna

1985

And you can dance! Surprise! Madonna lands just outside of the top ten, having been pushed out of the top ten by some other divas. The years 1985-2015 just about cover Madonna's career - Borderline, Holiday, and Like a Virgin are the only ones that really preceded it. I wonder if anyone took one look at Madonna's superhot streak in 1985 and thought she'd be around thirty years later. She's simply had a legendary career that whether you care for her or not, has been incalculably influential.  It's a bit hard to narrow the breadth of her work down to one song, but I choose this one for a couple reasons - for one,  it just feels like quintessential Madonna - it's a dance song recorded just as her star was about to rise, set in that pocket of 80s synth groove that she did so well, and when she was all about crucifixes and boy toy belts. And for another, it was the second #1 ever on my brother's chart after Axel F (see #100). This was our first incarnation of Madonna and one with which she's still largely associated - we would see go through different periods - there was sexual experimentation Madonna of the early 90s, there was the earth mother Madonna of the late 90s, and rebellious Madonna during the Gulf War. She's the only woman who has made the top 10 in four different decades (though I'll grant that Gimme All Your Lovin' needs a huge stretch to be considered a "hit), and has more top ten hits than any other musical acts. Madonna these days is really more of a classic rock act than current trendsetter, but she still slays well into her 50s. Additional songs to chart: Open Your Heart (1986) Vogue (1990) Beautiful Stranger - #1 (5 weeks) - July - August 1999 Music - #1 (2 weeks) - October 2000

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#10 - The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim

1998

Right about now, the funk soul brother Feeling a little bad about this song bumping Madonna out of the top ten, but I want to be true to my middle school self, and this song's influence on me. It was probably the song I would most credit for getting me into dance music. I was only eleven, but this was the first song I truly remember being something I was crazy and would stan for. I remember looking everywhere for a copy of it - of course, this was the dark days before Napster and after record companies had pretty much stopped releasing singles, so I had to buy a whole album for just this one song. I'm glad I did though because Fatboy Slim's "You've Come a Long Way, baby" was a fantastic album. My eleven year old self was brilliant.  Popstop's chart - #1 (11 weeks) - September - November 1998 Other songs to chart: Praise You - #1 (6 weeks) - April - May 1999

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[Deleted]

#11!

[popstop]

Aug 21, 2015 16:29:34 GMT -5 @jakelmmrs44 said:

#11!

I know. She totally deserves to be top 10. :'(

[H.]

Great to see Fatboy, Blur, and Feldt!

[mamooshka]

Curious ... has Adele made an appearance yet?

[DJDaveMick69]

Some great ones in that last group, especially Into the Groove!

[popstop]

OMG, we are so close to the end. This leaves us with only the top 3 songs left to go. I love these songs so much :'(

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#9 - Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

2010

Gaga - ooh la la! QUEEN. Gaga skyrocketed out of nowhere as 2008 came to a close and went on to commandeer the media for the next three years. Bad Romance might be the apex of that trajectory before the unfairly labeled "reductive" Born This Way leeched away fan support. Gaga came along like a breath of fresh air - she brought back the outrageous fashion sense that at one point was more prevalent in the pop world. And just as importantly, she started a revolution in the music world by bringing dance music back to the charts in dominant fashion not seen in years.  Bad Romance might be her most crowning achievement though because it piggybacked upon the darker dimensions of fame that she brought forth in her breakthrough album. It was the song that cemented her reputation as a fashionista - carried forth through her video by the unusual and daring stylings of Alexander McQueen. The iconic video went on to clean up at the VMAs and begat the infamous meat dress. Gaga ruled our attention in 2010 in ways not seen from a musician in a generation. Bad Romance was my #1 song of 2010. Popstop's chart - #1 (4 weeks) - January-February 2010 Additional songs to chart: Poker Face - #1 (5 weeks) - February-March 2009 Born This Way - #1 (9 weeks) - February-April 2011

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#8 - Rehab - Amy Winehouse

2007

Yes, I've been black, but when I come back you'll know, know, know. Amy's death absolutely gutted me that hot July day when she passed. I'd waited for years after her Back to Black album for a follow-up. Rehab had been my #1 song of 2007. I was ready for her new songs. But I'd also watched through the media with increasing dismay how her life unraveled and turned increasingly messy. I think I must have been in denial - that she's recover, she actually would do rehab, and then come out with brilliant, searing lyrics about her experiences climbing back from hell. But it was not to be, and one of the finest voices of a generation was forever silenced. This song catapulted out of nowhere to break into the top and sounded unlike anything on the radio - it had a throwback wall of sound quality as if it had stepped out of the 1960s, and there was AMy's old school bluesy voice, and yet it all sounded modern. The lyric detailing her rehab experience were made of raw emotion and were instantly relatable. I wish she had recovered. I still miss her.  Popstop's chart - #1 (3 weeks) - April-May 2007 Additional songs to chart: You Know I'm No Good - #1 (4 weeks) - June-July 2007

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#7 - Lose Yourself - Eminem

2002

Cause man, these goddamn food stamps don't buy diapers. It's been over a decade since this song came out and I still get chills listening to Em speak the story of his life (actually the character in 8 Mile's life, but lbr, it's Em's) with such conviction. There's both desperation and determination to succeed int he lyrics - Em has come about a moment in his life that could determine his entire future - we've all had those moments - an interview, a project, a proposal - where all of our fears and hopes are tangled together in a complex cavalcade of emotion, and Em sums up in one set of powerful lyrics. The song has spoken to me through the years, particular lines such as these which mirror my commitment to my education even in the face of trying to parent.  Eminem is the most successful musical act on my chart. He's made it to the top ten 25 times, more than anyone else. There was no way he wouldn't have made it to my top 10, even without a brilliant rap such as this.  I can't tell you how long I've been waiting to use this picture ---> ;) Popstop's chart - #1 (10 weeks) - November 2002 - January 2003 Additonal songs to chart: Forgot About Dre - #1 (4 weeks) - April-May 2000 Stan - #1 (2 weeks) - October 2000 Without Me - #2 (6 weeks) - June-July 2002 Love the Way You Lie - #1 (7 weeks) - July-September 2010 -ft. Rihanna

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#6 - How Will I Know? - Whitney Houston

1986

If he loves me. If he loves me not. So I always liked Madonna, but my true favorite diva of the 80s is Whitney. It's funny that I have her in the same set as Whitney Houston because my feelings about her death are very similar. Excellent talent, remarkable voice, completely preventable spiral of self-destruction. I know when WHitney first appeared she wasn't considered "black enough" with her music, whatever the hell that means - but she would prove she could navigate gospel, pop, and R&B with equal vigor as her career continued. Whitney's voice was amazing - listen to how she punctuates the "T" in the line "if he loves me not." - All sorts of seemingly intuitive nuances as to work with the music made her a star. I think Whitney is one reason I've always had a little less love for Mimi - because Whitney came first, and cast a long shadow on the many R&B divas that were to come after her.

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#5 - Something to Talk About - Bonnie Raitt

1991

Now that we know it, let's really show it, darlin' My favorite song of the 1990s goes to probably my all-time favorite musician. I have been closeted abotu my intense love for Bonnie Raitt, but right here and now, I am going to let my freak flag fly and let you Pulsers know that I love Bonnie Raitt more than anyone. <3 Let's talk about that voice first of all. Sure, she's no seven octave chanteuse, but the whiskey-drenched nature of the voice conveys a roughshod life better than operatic voice could. That voice conveys some real, lived pain that has happened in her life - struggles with alcoholism and living hand to mouth. Bonnie Raitt's voice is perfect for the a bluesy niche.  And yet, for all the pain she can coney with her voice, she releases something as buoyant and joyful as this song - realizing the love of her life has been right under her nose all along - and as an added bonus, you could add some gay subtext to this song both in the need to hide your love as well the rumours swirling about if you are/aren't gay. It was extremely tough to pick one song to represent the decades of her work, but this is clearly her signature song. Additional songs to chart: True Love is Hard to Find (1986) Love Letter (1990) Will the Sun Ever Shine Again? - #1 (3 weeks) - August 2004 I Will Not Be Broken - #1 (6 wees) - October-December 2005

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#4 - La Camisa Negra - Juanes

2005

Te digo con disimulo Who would have guessed that Juanes would end up as the highest peaking male on my chart? But this song represents a loss for me, just as the song itself is about loss. I went to Cancun for spring break when I was 17 and it was kind of my farewell to childhood - I would become a parent and start college laster that year and so I enjoyed my first and really only taste of true freedom there. This song played through the clubs, so I discovered what the song was and downloaded it, and then played the hell out of it for weeks. It ended up hitting #1 at the time my son was born, and so represents a time of immense transition for me.  Popstop's chart - #1 (6 weeks) - April-June 2005 Other songs to chart: Juntos - #1 (4 weeks) - April 2015

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[Deleted]

#9 and #7!!!