No seriously. I need to get this wrapped up. No long preamble about how good this year was. It was not. I can honestly say that I would be willing to stick up for like 30% of this year end list and that's fairly lower than normal. But I will say this. Picking out the ten best songs from this year was more of a challenge than normal. I had to make some painful cuts, so maybe that is a sign as to how good this best list was? Yeah let's go with that. I genuinely love this best list.
Not one of my stronger preambles admittedly. But you guys have been waiting long enough. Let's say thnks fr th mmrs to....
THE TOP TEN BEST HIT SONGS OF 2007
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There were a lot of worthy candidates for this number ten
spot. I don’t normally get embarrassed
by certain picks. But this one, I will
admit is a tad awkward to talk about.
Mostly because I just want to talk about how damn sexy it is.
10. “Shut Up and Drive” – Rihanna
I just want to sit here and watch this video. Oh yeah.
This absolutely does it for me.
But you know what, even without all the sex metaphors and
double entendres, this is just a damn good driving song. I mean those guitars. Rihanna is one of the few popstars out there
that can still manage to include some kickass guitar solos in her music. I wish she did that more to be honest.
It’s goofy, it’s clumsy, but it is absolutely charming all
the same. I mean it tried to bring back
new wave in a decade that really didn’t fully embrace the 80s like it did
nearly ten years later and hell even now.
Yeah I went with this silly song over the Chili Peppers,
Fall Out Boy, and many other contenders for
this spot. It’s my list and I love it. Next.
I can’t believe how huge Transformers was during this time
period. Hopefully these movies rebound
in quality with new direction because of how huge this property is. But with all the negatives surrounding this
franchise, I would like to talk about at least one positive with the Michael
Bay era of Transformers. They always had
a kickass tie-in song.
9. “What I’ve Done” – Linkin Park
…okay hold up. This
is the first time I’ve listened to this song in like ten years. And oh my god.
This song’s message. How fucking accurate is this in 2020. A song about how cruel human beings are. How wrong the world is. And how we all need to admit our faults. ...maybe this song needs to be bumped up on
this list for being so in the moment?
…anyway, this song just fucking rocks. Linkin Park is amazing. I love this band. Chester Bennington was a supremely underrated
singer. His voice just hits you right in
the feels every time. No matter how
nasally it is. I absolutely adore this
man and he is truly missed.
And despite the many things I’ve said about songs being used
for commercialization, this is how it is done right. By being able to stand alone as its own
merits as a song. And I for one give
this song all the credit in the world for being able to do that. Hell if it made me sit through three fucking
terrible Transformers movies, Linkin Park did something right.
It is absolutely safe to say that Pink is coasting now. She has been on autopilot for like nearly six
years now. Shelving out half-finished
songs that are only popular due to payola.
And it’s a damn shame too because back when she was on, she was spot on.
8. “U + Ur Hand” – P!nk
Remember when Pink’s music use to have some grit to it? And that explanation point in her stage name
actually meant some sort of edge?
Because this song just fucking rocks.
Listen to those guitars. Listen
to that attitude. You’re telling me that
this artist now releases slow moody ballads now?
…okay she also had this song too this year. And “who knew” that this would be the song
that defined the turned P!nk to Pink.
And speaking of “who knew”…who knew that the lead songwriter and
producer ended up being this guy:
…it’s hard to talk about pop music in the 2000s and 2010s
without talking about Dr. Luke because along with Max Martin (who also worked
on this song), these were the defining pop producers of the last twenty
years. I will say this about him, rape
allegations aside, Dr. Luke knows how to make pop songs sound larger than
life. He has always had a knack for it
and look no further than this song as an example.
…you know what forget what I said. I do have memories of when Maroon 5 was
actually good.
7. “Makes Me Wonder” – Maroon 5
Look I was never the biggest Maroon 5 fan before they sold
out, but I was ALWAYS a fan of this song.
I remember so many people being divided on this song back in the day for
being so cold and heartless. Mostly
because of that “f bomb” in the chorus.
But here is the thing. It’s that
curse word that makes the delivery nail it right on the fucking head. I love it.
It makes the song all the more ruthless.
And my god, the music.
This was easily the most polished they ever sounded as a funk band. I love those synths. I love those guitars. And for one of the few occasions in Adam
Levine’s career, his catty vocals work so well in context with this song.
Let this be a lesson that even the worst of acts can have
some of the best of songs. And while the
rest of their discography is overwhelmingly negative, I definitely give a fuck
about “Makes Me Wonder”.
The first retrospective year end list I ever did, I said
this was my favorite hit song of 2006. A
lot has changed in seven years.
6. “My Love” – Justin Timberlake (featuring T.I.)
Don’t get me wrong, I still absolutely love this song. But what shrunk on me in the seven years
since? Well…
Listen baby, I don't wanna ruin your plan
But if you got a man, try to lose him if you can
But if you got a man, try to lose him if you can
Hi T.I.
But she still has fans from Peru to Japan
…yeah Peru to Japan really
isn’t that impressive of a distance.
Baby France so fly, I can go fly
Private, cause I handle mine
Private, cause I handle mine
…gross.
But forget your face, I swear I will
…isn’t the point of this song to talk about how nobody is
going to take her spot? Way to
absolutely contradict the point of this song T.I.
All kidding aside, T.I.’s guest verse isn’t bad. I still like it. He at least sounds like a sincere stand-up
guy. Or as he refers to himself as….a
CANDLE GUY. I still love that part. But over the years, this song has shrunk on
me mostly due to his guest verse not really holding up as the years go by.
That being said, I still love this song to death. It’s easily one of my top five JT singles and
it’s still phenomenal.
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Quick refresher from my worst list two months ago. This is how to do a kiss-off anthem wrong:
…and the following is how to do a kiss-off anthem right.
5. “Irreplaceable” – Beyonce
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Beyonce is the queen
of slaying men that do her wrong. And
while I still wouldn’t consider myself a Beyonce fan persay, I will without
question go to her defense as one of the defining popstars of my lifetime. This woman is just too talented for words.
And when the day comes that Beyonce retires and steps away
from the music industry for good, this will be the defining hit of hers. It perfectly represents what Beyonce does and
does well. It is her at her most
forceful and confident. I mean take a
look at some of Beyonce’s other career defining hits like Crazy In Love and Single
Ladies. My personal opinions on those
songs aside, they don’t exactly show off her personality.
When Beyonce says she doesn’t need this asshole, you
absolutely buy it hook line and sinker because Beyonce says those words so easy
and effortlessly. Honestly, it works on
more than just that level. This song is
performed so casually that it just gets stuck in your head all day. I should know. It’s on my retail playlist. As soon as I hear “to the left to the left”,
this song is irreplaceable from my memory banks.
I should hate it for doing that, but it just makes me love
it more. So kudos Beyonce. You could say you have this song “irreplaceable”
for me….haha…I’ll see myself out.
Picking the best hit of this year was tough. I went back and forth between these next four
choices quite a bit. They are all
exceptional songs and picking between how to rank these was challenging. So don’t be surprised if I look back and
regretting these positions.
So with that being said…KANYE.
4. “Stronger” – Kanye West
What is there to say about this man that hasn’t been said? Lots actually. The guy has quite the history. Kanye will be looked back at as mad in many
ways. But even amongst all the drama,
the political controversies, the many many quotes and just all the public
relations nightmares he’s gotten himself into, I’ll think of him more as a mad
genius.
Say what you will about the guy, every album cycle differs
from the last. A Kanye album cycle is
not boring. Honestly, the album cycle in
2007 for “Graduation” might possibly be the last normal Kanye album cycle. And this was the big single from it and I
will eternally love it.
And for the many great lines Kanye spits out on this track,
I’ve got to give props to Daft Punk for that sample. To say that this song samples “Harder Better
Faster Stronger” is an understatement.
It honestly improves that song by giving it some edge thanks to Kanye’s
rapping.
This song is forceful.
It’s full of personality. It’s
Kanye. Would you expect any less?
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So My Chemical Romance is getting back together. Emo-rock fans around the world are
rejoicing. And you know what, so am
I. I was never the biggest My Chemical
Romance fan, but I respected the hell out of them. Their music was theatrical in ways that I
wish rock bands were more like today.
You can tell that they were inspired by Queen. Well if that’s the case, consider this their
“Bohemian Rhapsody”.
3. “Welcome to the Black Parade” – My Chemical Romance
Back in the day, this was called an emo rock opera. I laughed it off at the time, but as the
years go by, it has aged phenomenally.
Especially now that emo music is absolutely a subgenre now, this is the
quintessential emo anthem. And I don’t
use the word emo as an insult. This is
2020. We have emo rap now. Emo is a mood. And I absolutely stand by anyone trying to
make music more self-reflective.
I just love every element of this song. Those opening piano chords, all the tempo
changes, the iconic
chorus, that bridge.
It’s a larger than life song about facing and overcoming death, but it
transcends that into an exceptional song about carrying on with life no matter
what struggles you face.
And while the rest of the concept album “The Black Parade”
is one hell of a listening experience that everyone needs to seek out again, I’ll
always seek out the self-titled track over and over again. It’s that powerful and transcends into more
than just being a song. It’s a
movement.
Guess who made this list twice? To the surprise of nobody.
2. “What Goes Around….Comes Around” – Justin Timberlake
Those who know me no I’ve always had a man crush on Justin
Timberlake. He’s what male popstars have
aspired to be even now in this climate where complete no names can get
hits. And even now, when Justin
Timberlake has become an absolute embarrassment to be a fan of, it hasn’t
changed my opinion on the pop music he used to make. It was full of unabashed personality. The epitome of cool. Music that screams, hey this guy is the
biggest star alive. And while
“FutureSex/Love Sounds” is one of the best pop albums I’ve ever listened to,
this song is the magnum opus from that album.
And while Justin Timberlake songs tend to run on the longer
side, this is one of the few occasions where it keeps getting better the longer
it goes. I absolutely love the slow
build of the story of how a girl did Justin wrong and then we hear that iconic
chorus and then we get to the interlude where the girl who did JT wrong gets
sweet karmic retribution for her actions (not including the music video, which
she dies…yikes).
Some might call this over the top, but honestly it
works. Justin Timberlake is one hell of
a storyteller with this fiercely polished masterpiece. And while I don’t love the guy like I used
to, he will always hold a spot in my memory banks with this modern work of
art.
For years now, people have asked me why I enjoy talking
about pop music so much? Not just
online, but offline as well.
Simple. Because no matter how
stupid the genre gets, it is by far the most interesting genre to me. From the popstars to the trends of the time,
I’ll never stop being fascinated by pop music.
And every so often, a pop song comes out that reminds me why I love pop
music.
And in 2007, this was one of
those times.
1. “Umbrella” – Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z)
It takes an absolute giant of a pop song to keep one of my
favorite popstars magnum opus’s away from number one. And I respect Justin Timberlake’s discography
ten times more than I do Rihanna’s, who released what felt like eight albums in
her nine peak years. Hell you could say
that I dislike more Rihanna songs than I do like. So why?
Why am I placing this at number one?
Because this perfectly epitomizes what makes pop music so
great. It has personality. It has flair.
It demands your attention for three to four minutes. It sounds great. It is performed perfectly. It makes a statement. It takes you into the world of the song and
ignore everything going on in the world.
“Umbrella” is a perfect pop song.
Every single element in this song just excels and excels greatly.
Even the parts that people often criticize.
-Jay-Z’s rap verse is not needed: You’re absolutely wrong. To me, Jay-Z is literally a hype man. He spits out what I think is a good pop song
rap verse to introduce the main course, Rihanna.
-Rihanna’s “ellas” and “ay ay ays”. To quote Todd in the Shadows, she’s allowed
to nonsense syllables. I actually really
like them. They feel like this grand
motion every time she says them.
Not a single criticism is valid to me. This is what pop music is supposed to be to
me. Just this fun entertaining three to
four minutes of just pure joyful bliss.
And “Umbrella” is one of the very few pop songs of the last fifteen
years that absolutely understands its purpose and does so exceptionally well.
Best hit of the year.
Ay ay ay.
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And here are the total rankings for those who are curious of what my 1-100 are:
1. "Umbrella" - Rihanna
2. "What Goes Around...Comes Around" - Justin Timberlake
3. "Welcome to the Black Parade" - My Chemical Romance
4. "Stronger" - Kanye West
5. "Irreplaceable" - Beyonce
6. "My Love" - Justin Timberlake (featuring T.I.)
7. "Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5
8. "U + Ur Hand" - P!nk
9. "What I've Done" - Linkin Park
10. "Shut Up and Drive" - Rihanna
11. “Snow (Hey Oh)” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. “Face Down” – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
13. “Glamorous” – Fergie (featuring Ludacris)
14. “The Way I Are” – Timbaland (featuring Keri Hilson)
15. “Thnks fr th Mmrs” – Fall Out Boy
16. “Same Girl” – R Kelly (featuring Usher)
17. “Money Maker” – Ludacris (featuring Pharrell)
18. “LoveStoned” – Justin Timberlake
19. “The Great Escape” – Boys Like Girls
20. “Promise” – Ciara
21. “The Sweet Escape” – Gwen Stefani (featuring Akon)
22. “Rehab” – Amy Winehouse
23. “Walk Away” – Paula DeAnda (featuring The D.E.Y.)
24. “Say It Right” – Nelly Furtado
25. “Beautiful Liar” – Beyonce & Shakira
26. “SexyBack” – Justin Timberlake
27. “Hey There Delilah” – Plain White T’s
28. “Runaway Love” – Ludacris (featuring Mary J Blige)
29. “Teardrops on My Guitar” – Taylor Swift
30. “Walk It Out” - Unk
31. “Far Away” – Nickelback
32. “Cupid’s Chokehold” – Gym Class Heroes (featuring
Patrick Stump)
33. “Bed” – J. Holiday
34. “I Tried” – Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (featuring Akon)
35. “Fergalicious” – Fergie (featuring will.i.am)
36. “Rock Yo Hips” – Crime Mob & Lil Scrappy
37. “2 Step” – Unk
38. “Keep Holding On” – Avril Lavigne
39. “Apologize” – Timbaland (featuring OneRepublic)
40. “This Ain’t a Scene. It’s an Arms Race” – Fall Out Boy
41. “Who Knew” – Pink
42. “Bartender” – T-Pain (featuring Akon)
43. “Summer Love” – Justin Timberlake
44. “Let It Go” – Keyshia Cole (featuring Missy Elliott &
Lil Kim)
45. “Because of You” – Ne-Yo
46. “Paralyzer” – Finger Eleven
47. “Make It Rain” – Fat Joe (featuring Lil Wayne)
48. “Break It Off” – Rihanna (featuring Sean Paul)
49. “Make Me Better” – Fabolous (featuring Ne-Yo)
50. “Crank That” – Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em
51. “Big Shit Poppin’ (Do It)” – T.I.
52. “Never Again” – Kelly Clarkson
53. “Outta My System” – Bow Wow (featuring T-Pain &
Johnta Austin)
54. “I’m a Flirt” – R Kelly (featuring T.I. & T-Pain)
55. “Go Getta” – Young Jeezy (featuring R Kelly)
56. “Last Night” – Diddy (featuring Keyshia Cole)
57. “Chasing Cars” – Snow Patrol
58. “You” – Lloyd (featuring Lil Wayne)
59. “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin)” – T-Pain (featuring
Yung Joc)
60. “This Is Why I’m Hot” – Mims
61. “Give It to Me” – Timbaland (featuring Nelly Furtado
& Justin Timberlake)
62. “Pop, Lock, & Drop It” – Huey
63. “No One” – Alicia Keys
64. “Ice Box” – Omarion (featuring Timbaland)
65. “It’s Not Over” – Daughtry
66. “Cyclone” – Baby Bash (featuring T-Pain)
67. “Shortie Like Mine” – Bow Wow (featuring Chris Brown
& Johnta Austin)
68. “Get It Shawty” – Lloyd
69. “Lost Without U” – Robin Thicke
70. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – Fergie
71. “On the Hotline” – Pretty Ricky
72. “Wait For You” – Elliott Yamin
73. “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne
74. “Party Like a Rockstar” – Shop Boyz
75. “Bubbly” – Colbie Caillat
76. “Home” – Daughtry
77. “Throw Some D’s” – Rich Boy (featuring Polow da Don)
78. “Smack That” – Akon (featuring Eminem)
79. “The Way I Live” – Baby Boy da Prince
80. “First Time” – Lifehouse
81. “Shawty” – Plies (featuring T-Pain)
82. “That’s That” – Snoop Dogg (featuring R Kelly)
83. “Rockstar” - Nickelback
84. “Kiss Kiss” – Chris Brown (featuring T-Pain)
85. “Don’t Matter” – Akon
86. “Waiting on the World to Change” – John Mayer
87. “It Ends Tonight” – The All-American Rejects
88. “We Fly High” – Jim Jones
89. “Like a Boy” – Ciara
90. “Lips of an Angel” – Hinder
91. “A Bay Bay” – Hurricane Chris
92. “How to Save a Life” – The Fray
93. “Here (In Your Arms)” – hellogoodbye
94. “Beautiful Girls” – Sean Kingston
95. “I Wanna Love You” – Akon (featuring Snoop Dogg)
96. “Ayo Technology” – 50 Cent (featuring Justin Timberlake
& Timbaland)
97. “Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood
98. “Better Than Me” – Hinder
99. “Wind It Up” – Gwen Stefani
100. “If Everyone Cared” – Nickelback
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Thanks again to everyone that is following along with this blog. Next up will either be my retrospective revisit of the best hit songs of 2013 or my Summer Billboard Top 20 chart ranking. I'm also trying to figure out other revenues for what to do with my film review series as well. Hopefully more major releases should be coming out in the coming months, but we'll see. Until next time, take care everyone!
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