It's here, the list you've waited ten years for (which was difficult being that this column hasn't existed that long) - Pop Shots' Top 10 Pop Songs of the Decade! Before getting to the list, however, I want to really quickly go over the standards for it. Anyone could simply list the ten most popular songs based on their time on the charts, or album/single sales, and although those things should obviously play a factor in any list of this kind, I don't think they should be the only factors. For this list, in addition to being a big hit, I wanted to make sure the songs were actually good songs, either lyric-wise, or production-wise. I also wanted to make sure the songs had some real staying power and could easily be played 5-10 years after they were first released and still have their intended impact. My feeling is, if they're the top ten songs of the decade, they should have some staying power in our collective pop consciousness. That being said, here are songs 10-6 of Pop Shots' Top 10 Pop Songs of the Decade.
10) Pink - Sober (2008)
"Sober" might not have been as big a hit for Pink as "Don't Let Me Get Me," "I'm Coming Out," or "So What," but for my money it's, by far, her most well written, and well-sung, song to date. It's beautiful, reflective, and the pause after the line "I don't want to be the girl who has to fill the silence" is really a spectacular musical moment. "Sober" is a grown up Pink, complete with grown up ideas and a grown up musicality. Pop music isn't just for kids, it's allowed to have some maturity to it, and Pink, when she wants to, exemplifies this perfectly.
9) Backstreet Boys - Incomplete (2005)
About halfway through the decade the era of the boy bands had its last gasp. The Backstreet Boys, the group that arguably started the boy band craze back in the 90's, also marked its closing with the last major hit from the genre. "Incomplete" is a gorgeous song with a chorus that is impossible to get of your head. It's almost as though they knew their time was up and they wanted to put everything that was good about boy bands into one song. If that was the case, they should consider "Incomplete" one big mission accomplished.
8) Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (2006)
After years of being a part of some of hip-hop's greatest songs, both as a solo artist and as a part of Goodie Mob, Cee-Lo linked up with Danger Mouse for a project. The duo called themselves Gnarls Barkley, and they introduced the world to their work with "Crazy." I don't think either of them could have predicted the heights to which "Crazy" would launch them, but it's a song that everyone from ages two to 102 can enjoy and it sounds just as good today as when it was first played four years ago. During a time when the pop world was starting to embrace technologically altered artists, the widespread adulation of "Crazy" proved everyone still loves real music.
7) Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Chokehold (2006/2007)
"Cupid's Chokehold" took a while to make an impact, but once it did the song turned Gym Class Heroes into a household name. The ode to new love with the hilariously less than happy hook, used personality as a drawing point. This wasn't about a look, this was all about the vibes Travis McCoy and crew were putting out there, and with their witty, and relatable, take on relationships people couldn't help but be drawn in by the group. My personal favorite moment is at the start of the second verse, when Travis tells his dad he's "tryin hard not to talk fast," and then follows it up by fitting as many words into the next bar as humanly possible while still staying on beat. It's both funny and brilliant.
6) Christina Aguilera w/ Redman - Dirrty (2002)
Lyrically, "Dirrty" didn't exactly break any new ground, but every other aspect of the song makes it deserving of ranking so high on this list. Christina's voice was fantastic on "Dirrty." There were no attempts at vocal Olympics like she does on so many of her songs, she simply used her naturally fantastic range and knocked it out of the park. The production is great, the song still has the same impact on a crowd when it's thrown on today as it did eight years ago, and Redman's verse adds a nice grimy cherry on the top of this perfect pop song. With Redman and Cee-Lo both being on this list I guess it just goes to show an emcee can still retain his hip-hop cred even when making great pop music (T.I. also proved this on Justin Timberlake's "My Love").
With that, my time is up for the week, but come back next week when we roll out the red carpet for songs 5-1 and crown one song the best pop song of the decade.
10) Pink - Sober (2008) "Sober" might not have been as big a hit for Pink as "Don't Let Me Get Me," "I'm Coming Out," or "So What," but for my money it's, by far, her most well written, and well-sung, song to date. It's beautiful, reflective, and the pause after the line "I don't want to be the girl who has to fill the silence" is really a spectacular musical moment. "Sober" is a grown up Pink, complete with grown up ideas and a grown up musicality. Pop music isn't just for kids, it's allowed to have some maturity to it, and Pink, when she wants to, exemplifies this perfectly.
9) Backstreet Boys - Incomplete (2005) About halfway through the decade the era of the boy bands had its last gasp. The Backstreet Boys, the group that arguably started the boy band craze back in the 90's, also marked its closing with the last major hit from the genre. "Incomplete" is a gorgeous song with a chorus that is impossible to get of your head. It's almost as though they knew their time was up and they wanted to put everything that was good about boy bands into one song. If that was the case, they should consider "Incomplete" one big mission accomplished.
8) Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (2006)After years of being a part of some of hip-hop's greatest songs, both as a solo artist and as a part of Goodie Mob, Cee-Lo linked up with Danger Mouse for a project. The duo called themselves Gnarls Barkley, and they introduced the world to their work with "Crazy." I don't think either of them could have predicted the heights to which "Crazy" would launch them, but it's a song that everyone from ages two to 102 can enjoy and it sounds just as good today as when it was first played four years ago. During a time when the pop world was starting to embrace technologically altered artists, the widespread adulation of "Crazy" proved everyone still loves real music.
7) Gym Class Heroes - Cupid's Chokehold (2006/2007)
"Cupid's Chokehold" took a while to make an impact, but once it did the song turned Gym Class Heroes into a household name. The ode to new love with the hilariously less than happy hook, used personality as a drawing point. This wasn't about a look, this was all about the vibes Travis McCoy and crew were putting out there, and with their witty, and relatable, take on relationships people couldn't help but be drawn in by the group. My personal favorite moment is at the start of the second verse, when Travis tells his dad he's "tryin hard not to talk fast," and then follows it up by fitting as many words into the next bar as humanly possible while still staying on beat. It's both funny and brilliant.
6) Christina Aguilera w/ Redman - Dirrty (2002) Lyrically, "Dirrty" didn't exactly break any new ground, but every other aspect of the song makes it deserving of ranking so high on this list. Christina's voice was fantastic on "Dirrty." There were no attempts at vocal Olympics like she does on so many of her songs, she simply used her naturally fantastic range and knocked it out of the park. The production is great, the song still has the same impact on a crowd when it's thrown on today as it did eight years ago, and Redman's verse adds a nice grimy cherry on the top of this perfect pop song. With Redman and Cee-Lo both being on this list I guess it just goes to show an emcee can still retain his hip-hop cred even when making great pop music (T.I. also proved this on Justin Timberlake's "My Love").
With that, my time is up for the week, but come back next week when we roll out the red carpet for songs 5-1 and crown one song the best pop song of the decade.
[Tags] POP
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