#177. Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg - California Gurls

2 weeks at #1 in 2010 (#7 of 34 for '10)

 

 

So this is the highest of Katy's four #1's. This was my year end #1 of 2010. Lol. However my tastes have changed since then, and this song hasn't aged that well. It's lost whatever spark that made me used to love it. This is about as gimmicky and camp as Katy gets, as is the video, and that's why I loved it that summer. It's also ridiculously catchy and was always stuck in my head. It was such a huge summer anthem for me.. and now it feels rather forgotten. "Love The Way You Lie" and "Airplanes" really feel more like the summer anthems of that year instead of this. Also, I'm pretty sure this was #1 when I first started looking at the UK charts. So there's that.

Edited August 28, 201410 yr by n4yr

#176. Aaliyah - More Than A Woman

1 week at #1 in 2002 (#13 of 29 for '02)

 

 

This was released in the early January lull, and it was her first single to be released in the UK since her untimely death. That explains why this is her one #1. If any of her songs could take on the role of her posthumous #1, I'm glad it's this one. I like it more than "Try Again", which I found a bit too repetitive. I'm not that familiar with Aaliyah's discography, but I really like this one. It's very well written and Timbaland's production is great.

 

Catching up...I was just as shocked as you to see Blu Cantrell had a FOUR-WEEK #1, but I liked it at the time and was relieved to see it had success somewhere!

 

I've just written my own review for 'Crazy In Love' and now I see it's very very similar to yours, I might have to edit it :P

 

I tend to equate 'Praise You' with Calvin's 'Feel So Close' as they both have some alt-rock elements, plus they're certainly among the best of each artist.

 

And 'California Gurls' definitely seems to be a victim of Katy having so many major hits the rest of the era...they all seem to still get airplay except CG for some reason!

#175. Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake - Give It To Me

1 week at #1 in 2007 (#6 of 17 for '07)

 

 

Timbaland had produced all these huge hits for Nelly and Justin in the previous 12 months, and now it was the moment for all three of them to come together and send a big "screw you" to their critics. This song is very shady, especially Justin's verse. This song feels so forgotten now and completely overshadowed by their other hits. But it's still a great song, and I loved just about everything these 3 were doing at the time. All those Timbaland songs had a great beat and great hooks, and this song is no exception.

Edited August 30, 201410 yr by n4yr

#174. Take That - Patience

4 weeks at #1 in 2006 (#8 of 24 for '06)

 

 

What a comeback song! My love for mid-tempos comes into play here, though this is very MOR. This could've easily been a Gary Barlow solo track and I wouldn't have really known the difference. But that doesn't matter. Like I said, this is a very strong comeback song. Don't we all need a little patience sometimes? Gary brings out his falsetto in the chorus (with the "I-I-I-I-I" and "ti-i-i-i-ime").

#173. Rita Ora feat. Tinie Tempah - R.I.P.

2 weeks at #1 in 2012 (#11 of 36 for '12)

 

 

Produced by Chase & Status and Stargate; co-written by Drake; featuring Tinie Tempah. Lots of names thrown in there. This song was originally intended for Rihanna, which makes sense because I've always thought this sounded like a Rihanna song. So the key things I like about this song: "sexy senoRITA can i feel your ORA"; Tinie's random censoring on what sounds like "meter motor"?; the production, especially during the first two choruses; "So keep thinking you're the man; Cause it's all part of my plan." This song is basically Rita being the girl in charge; sexually.

#172. Nelly feat. Tim McGraw - Over And Over

1 week at #1 in 2005 (#5 of 25 for '05)

 

 

Mixing R&B with country was a very odd combination, and was always going to seem risky. I'd say that risk paid off, and the two sounds blend very well together in this. And it makes the song distinct for that reason. Though it doesn't sound as country as it could sound (but I'm not going to complain about that.) Tim's parts sound like a sample, and that's probably why it flows with the song. This is about seeing your ex with someone else, and replaying everything in your head "over and over again." The lyrics and instrumental are a bit basic, but I don't mind.

#171. Diana Vickers - Once

1 week at #1 in 2010 (#6 of 34 for '10)

 

 

A rarity in 2010; a #1 song not about partying. And fairly well written #1 at that. This song is basically saying you have just one shot with her; "I'm only gonna let you kill me once". You mess it up, then that's it, she's gone. I love Diana's quirky voice, and I really wish "Cinderella", and her second album era in general, didn't do as badly as they did. :/

#170. Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love?

6 weeks at #1 in 2003 (#7 of 22 for '03)

 

 

So the Black Eyed Peas started off as a hiphop trio, with limited commercial success. Apparently their record label wasn't happy with this, and basically forced them to go down a more pop route, despite will.i.am worried that they'd be selling out (oh the utter irony of THAT.) Fergie was brought in to help with the new sound/direction. Not only do we have a new vocalist, that's also a separate gender from the rest of the group, being brought in to do hooks.. we have Justin Timberlake being featured on this track to lay down the chorus. Though not receiving any credit for it (I read somewhere that Justin and/or his management didn't want this song to clash with the campaign of his own Justified singles at the time...) Anyway, I liked practically every single this group put out during the Elephunk and Monkey Business eras (bar "Don't Lie"). Those songs are such a stark contrast to the sound this group went with from 2009 onwards. "Where Is The Love?" is a social commentary piece. It addresses social/political issues such as terrorism, government conspiracy, racism, global warfare, mainstream media, etc. It's saying that the world is full of hate, and simply asking "where is the love?" It's such a simple message, but has such a strong meaning.

Edited August 31, 201410 yr by n4yr

#169. Natasha Bedingfield - These Words

2 weeks at #1 in 2004 (#7 of 29 for '04)

 

 

She has had such a mismanaged career. A classic case of being too caught up in trying to capitalize on US success. But this is before all that happened. This is such a gem from her first album. I love the melody. It's a song that's basically about itself. It's about her struggle to write a hit record... and then it becomes a hit record. The chorus sums it up: there's a million different ways to express the words "I love you", but sometimes simply saying "I love you" is all that's needed.

Edited August 31, 201410 yr by n4yr

#168. Roger Sanchez - Another Chance

1 week at #1 in 2001 (#11 of 30 for '01)

 

 

"If I had another chance tonight; I'd try to tell you that the things we had were right." Don't we all wish we could have another chance? Another well-produced dance tune.

#167. Geri Halliwell - Bag It Up

1 week at #1 in 2000 (#15 of 42 for '00)

 

 

Now here's a solo Geri #1 I can get into. This is very camp but I love it. It's a typical "men suck" type song, but it's ridiculously catchy. I love the pre-chorus.

#166. The Fugees - Ready Or Not

2 weeks at #1 in 1996 (#12 of 24 for '96)

 

 

Really surprised this was a #1. Makes me wonder how well this would've done if it wasn't for their previous hit. Anyway. This samples that same Enya song that Mario Winans sampled. I really love this sample because it's just so haunting, and it really adds a chilling atmosphere to this song. The lyrics themselves are very haunting, chilling and dark. I believe it's about the life of being a refugee (hence the group's name), and the everyday struggles, and trying to hide from the government.

Edited August 31, 201410 yr by n4yr

#165. The Vengaboys - Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!

1 week at #1 in 1999 (#9 of 35 for '99)

 

 

I don't care, I love this! The Vengaboys tend to be one of my guilty pleasures. "Boom boom boom boom; I want you in my room.." It makes me laugh everytime. It's something that would've gone completely over my head as a kid lol. The "wahhh ohhh"'s also make a good hook.

Edited August 31, 201410 yr by n4yr

#164. JLS - Beat Again

2 weeks at #1 in 2009 (#10 of 32 for '09)

 

 

So my favourite JLS single is easily their debut single. This song is about how they went to the doctor and the doctor told them that their heart won't beat again due to heartbreak from their break-up, and now they want to get back together again. Which is so ridiculously corny. But that's part of the reason why I like it? The corniness kind of works. I also like the beat and the way they sing this. I mean like the way they emphasize the last word in each line ("damn / no time / that I / how could I / died / cry / try / same as I"). I'm not sure why I like that aspect so much, though. Either way, it's a strong debut from an X Factor act.

#163. Little Mix - Wings

1 week at #1 in 2012 (#10 of 36 for '12)

 

 

And speaking of strong debuts from an X Factor act. Might be surprising to see someone with a Little Mix avatar rank this so relatively low. But ranking this top 200 has been incredibly difficult. I love every single song in it. And I prefer "DNA", "Move", and at least five album tracks over this anyway. I was so ecstatic to see these girls win X Factor and I was eagerly anticipating their debut single during much of 2012. I was so happy to see this go #1 and it made me hopeful that they'd be a girl group that could last. Two albums in, and they're still doing well. :D I love the marching band clappy production. It sounded fairly distinct at the time. I love their vocals in this (especially the "flyyyyy" part.) They just harmonize so well, and that's part of the reason why I like them so much. It's a simple message about not letting others stop you from reaching your dreams. It's very uplifting and doesn't come off as cheesy, and it's also very catchy.

Edited September 1, 201410 yr by n4yr

#162. DJ Fresh feat. Rita Ora - Hot Right Now

1 week at #1 in 2012 (#9 of 36 for '12)

 

 

It's just a really fun and energetic song. I love the drum n bass production. The lyrics are a bit lacking, but that's not a big deal. This blocked "Next To Me" from #1, and I can say I much prefer this to that.

#161. Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle

2 weeks at #1 in 1999 (#8 of 35 for '99)

 

 

I'd consider this to be a classic. This song is so recognizable; especially that opening piano bit. When Christina came into the game, she became the rival to Britney. They were both teenagers doing bubblegum pop, starting their careers a few months apart. But Christina had the stronger voice (back then anyway), and her songs came off more mature than Britney's at that point. I mean this song is full of subtle suggestive lyrics ("you gotta rub me the right way..") Though to be fair, Christina was 18 years old when this came out. But it's that subtly that makes the song work. On a basic level, this song can be seen simply about waiting for the right guy to come along that will treat her right. But it can also be taken as a teenager debating whether to have sex or not.

Edited September 1, 201410 yr by n4yr

#160. The Verve - The Drugs Don't Work

1 week at #1 in 1997 (#9 of 24 for '97)

 

 

"Bittersweet Symphony" is fantastic and would be in my top 50 of this list had it gone #1. This doesn't reach the same heights as that, but this is great too. This song is so depressing and really emotional.

#159. Aqua - Turn Back Time

1 week at #1 in 1998 (#10 of 30 for '98)

 

 

After releasing two novelty hits (and three in some territories with "Lollipop (Candyman)"), they arguably became known for releasing those types of songs. But then they release a ballad, and it really sticks out compared to those songs. This really doesn't sound like an Aqua song at all. The male singer with the funny voice isn't in this song (he would just ruin the emotional sentiment of it anyway), and their usual fast-paced electronic production isn't here. The song is about regrets, and I think this song is fairly underrated. Though I obviously prefer their non-ballad #1's.

Edited September 1, 201410 yr by n4yr