I was just thinking today about 'classic' songs...ones that are known to everybody, whether you were around at the time or not even born, name the song to anyone and they'll know it. I went back to my birth year of 1988 and tried to find the biggest 'classic' for every year from then up to 2012, a list of twenty-five. Note that I used the year the song was first released in the United Kingdom.

 

And, well...I almost have. :P There's a couple of gaps below, anyone got any suggestions, or whether you'd change some of the ones I have already? This is my list:

 

1. 1988: Erasure - A Little Respect. Probably their most well-known song, covered by Wheatus, Bjorn Again and I still hear it played today.

2. 1989: Stone Roses - Fools Gold. Kicked off the Madchester boom, and especially topical now they've reformed again.

3. 1990: Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U. Very famous ballad & equally famous video.

4. 1991: The Source feat Candi Staton - You Got The Love. Probably most well known for the Florence version these days, but this was the original that led to a zillion remixes & covers!

5. 1992: Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You. Its re-emergence in the chart following her death sums it up, massive seller.

6. 1993: Robin S - Show Me Love. See The Source above! One of the most well-known dance anthems of all time.

7. 1994: Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You. Fairly forgotten for about a decade, until suddenly it started re-charting every year! Very well-known festive song.

8. 1995: Oasis - Wonderwall. A million-seller (eventually), their biggest seller and covered from everyone from Mike Flowers to Jay-Z!

9. 1996: Spice Girls - Wannabe. Kickstarted the career of one of the most popular girl-groups of all time...probably the most defining song of the decade.

10. 1997: Robbie Williams - Angels. Overplayed to death but a massively famous song from Robbie.

11. 1998: Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On. Unescapable in 1998 to go with an unescapable film.

12. 1999: Britney Spears - Baby One More Time. Again defines an era, a whole generation growing up with both Britney and this song.

13. 2000: Coldplay - Yellow. First hit for a band who've dominated the charts to this day.

14. 2001: Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head. Incessantly catchy song from the princess of pop.

15. 2002: ...I have no idea. :huh: Help guys! What song more than any from 2002 would you call 'classic'? All I see in the charts is countless Pop Idol...

16. 2003: OutKast - Hey Ya!. Party classic still played today, 'shake it like a Polaroid picture' indeed.

17. 2004: The Killers - Mr Brightside. A song that was missed at the time but now seems to permanently occupy the chart, a sing-along anthem.

18. 2005: James Blunt - You're Beautiful. Overplayed, irritating...but everyone knows it.

19: 2006: Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars. Of course. :P The song that will not die!

20: 2007: Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - Umbrella. Ella, ella, ella, ey ey ey...defined the wettest summer of a lifetime!

21: 2008: Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire. Punch-the-air festival anthem just before rock music slipped away from the top reaches of the chart.

22: 2009: Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling. Already confined to cheesy wedding discos, but this repetitive party-rocker remains unescapable.

23: 2010: ...not sure. :blink: I'm torn between 'Love The Way You Lie' & 'Just The Way You Are', but any other suggestions?

24. 2011: Adele - Someone Like You. Coming back from nowhere with a song that although just a year old, it's impossible to imagine life without it.

25. 2012: Too early to tell, but on early indication it's Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know'. I'd love it to be Fun's 'We Are Young' though!

 

Note that half of these weren't the biggest sellers of the year, or indeed even placed in the year-end top 40...but to most of the population, young and old, if you asked them if they knew any of those they'd say Yes. Of course, if you don't, then I've clearly made the wrong choice :lol:

 

Any more suggestions? Especially for those gaps!

Las Ketchup - ""The Ketchup Song (Aserje)" for 2002 :lol:

 

 

On a more serious note; Eminem's "Lose Yourself" was released in 2002 and would say it's the most "Classic" song released in that time.

'Just The Way You Are' would definitely be the one for 2010.

 

Your choice for 2006 renders the entire list invalid :kink:

I'd agree with the majority of yours although I'd possibly go with Aerosmith's I Don't Want To Miss A Thing for 1998, Eminem's Stan for 2000, Daniel Bedingfield's If You're Not The One or Shakira's Whenever, Wherever for 2002 and Cee-Lo Green's Forget You for 2010 (it's pretty much on par with Just The Way You Are in 'classic' terms). I feel like Take That's Rule The World deserves a mention for 2007 too but you can't argue with Umbrella's 10 weeks at #1, I still hear Rule The World far more though these days.

Surely Madonna- Like A Prayer is the most classic song from 1989?

As much as the Sinead O'Connor track is great, I would personally go with Depeche Mode Enjoy The Silence for 1990 after all it's been covered by Susan Boyle LOL. But in all seriousness when the video is remade by Coldplay(to one of their own tracks I believe) you know you're onto a ggod thing.Many other artists have covered the track and I think it stands the test of time better than Nothing Compares 2 U.

Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" would probably be more 'classic' for 1988 now..

 

Also, when you consider what a great year 1994 was for music, it makes it all the more depressing that the public would remember that of all songs from the year. :( *Epic sad face*

2010 I'd say Just the Way You Are. I think it's an awful song, but everybody knows it. I don't think Love the Way You Lie is THAT well-known. Forget You is also very well-known. Or Empire State of Mind, Part II even (or does that count as 2009?).

 

For 2002, was Hero by Enrique Iglesias released that year, because everybody knows that song I think? Or maybe Dilemma by Nelly.

Las Ketchup - ""The Ketchup Song (Aserje)" for 2002 :lol:

On a more serious note; Eminem's "Lose Yourself" was released in 2002 and would say it's the most "Classic" song released in that time.

Yay! My favourite song of 2002. 'Lose Yourself' that is, not 'Las Ketchup'!

 

Lose Yourself is amazing, but if we're talking about songs known to everybody, I don't think it's the best choice. I can imagine like pensioners knowing songs like Angels, You're Beautiful, etc, but I can't see how they'd get to know Lose Yourself (yes, I know SOME pensioners will know the song, I'm just saying, most probably won't :lol:).

ill be a pensioner in 30 years and ill remember the song lol,def Empire state of Mind for 2009 - it will replace frank sinatra as the soundtrack for NYC for this century!

Edited April 27, 201213 yr by steve201

I would argue that Sweet Child O'Mine for 1988/89 and Smells Like Teen Spirit for 1991 are more 'classic' that the examples given, however, I think you've hit the nail on the head with pretty much everything else (I would say Just The Way You Are for 2010 and for 2002, maybe Lose Yourself)

Some of your song selection choices appear a bit strange to me. I was actually thinking rolling in the deep is more classic than someone like you.

Some of your song selection choices appear a bit strange to me. I was actually thinking rolling in the deep is more classic than someone like you.

 

Definitely not, not in the UK anyway. Maybe over in the States yes, but here Someone Like You was arguably a song which went a long way towards changing the entire sound of the charts, as well as selling some 500k more than RITD.

While "Rolling In The Deep" is a far superior song, "Someone Like You" is very much the classic of last year with arguably "Party Rock Anthem" second.

Lose Yourself is amazing, but if we're talking about songs known to everybody, I don't think it's the best choice. I can imagine like pensioners knowing songs like Angels, You're Beautiful, etc, but I can't see how they'd get to know Lose Yourself (yes, I know SOME pensioners will know the song, I'm just saying, most probably won't :lol:).

 

You'd be surprised. I went to an old people's home a few weeks ago and it came on the radio. A lot of the old folk were "dancing" to it :lol:

 

Another great song from 2002 was "Just Like A Pill" by P!nk. I'm not too sure if I would consider it a classic though.

EMINEM LOSE YOURSELF or LIBERTY X JUST A LITTLE 2002

I would strongly argue that Common People was the most iconic song of 1995 and epitomises the Britpop movement.

I would strongly argue that Common People was the most iconic song of 1995 and epitomises the Britpop movement.

 

It's not quite as universally known as "Wonderwall", though.

It's not quite as universally known as "Wonderwall", though.

I disagree actually - Common People is very very well known. I'm not doing down Wonderwall as a classic mind, as it is as well.