Song Of The Day: Flo Rida- "Good Feeling"

Songs like these make me wonder about what goes on behind closed doors in the music industry.  For instance, the song sampled in this track (no, I don't think Flo Rida can make a hit song without using a sample), is "Something's Got A Hold On Me," by Etta James, an obscure R&B song from 1962 that doesn't even have it's own Wikipedia page.  Yet in the last year, it was already sampled by indie-electronic favorite Pretty Lights and house sensation Avicii.  Now Flo Rida becomes the third artist in a year to use James' vocals, which is almost incomprehensible.  Why did his producers decide to use a sample that's already been done twice very recently, instead of finding a new track to use?  And if they really wanted to use this song, why couldn't they make it better?  The only good part of this song is the sample, and it's not used as well as Avicii or Pretty Lights used it.  Overall a very disappointing effort from Flo Rida, and an extremely confusing one as well.

Song Of The Day: Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi- "Beautiful People"

This song came out ages ago, back when Chris Brown released F.AM.E. (which stands for either "Fans Are My Everything" or "F**k All Male Entertainers,"* I can never remember which), but it's back in the spotlight again after he performed it during the VMA's, and did an elaborate wire-flying act where he soared over the crowd while pretending to sing.  It looked awesome, and since the vocals were pre-recorded, it sounded great too!  I was eagerly waiting for this to get released as a single, since it was one of my favorite songs of the year so far, and it looks like it may now be getting its moment in the sun.  It may even be as good as "Forever"...but let's not rush to any conclusions too fast. 

*I'm aware that this is an absolutely terrible joke.

Song Of The Day: Young The Giant- "My Body"

With the VMA's last night, Lil Wayne and the Red Hot Chili Peppers dropping new albums today, and the four-day layoff since I last posted a SOTD, I had a lot of material to choose from.  But these guys forced my hand after their captivating performance at the VMA's last night.  Props to MTV for realizing how good they would look and sound on national TV, even though they were a relative unknown coming into the night.  I certainly had never heard of Young The Giant (questionable name BTW) before, but they won me over, and their gimmick of bringing 250 of their original fans from back home in California was a great idea.  Now this song is rocketing up the charts, and it looks like they're getting their proverbial big break.  I guess I might as well jump on the bandwagon.

Top 10 Songs Of The Summer

The sun may be setting on this summer, but pop music never stops......yikes, that is bad

HOLY CRAP WE’RE DOING SUMMER REVIEWS ALREADY???  Yes, school is starting again (for yours truly, essentially tomorrow) so somehow the time has come to look back into the deep recesses of the mind and select ten songs that appear to have stood out from the rest over the last few months.  This list is roughly chronological- don’t expect me to actually rank them because none of them are really good enough to be called "number 1."

Katy Perry feat. Kanye West- "E.T."

           

            This may just be the most ludicrous concept for a song I’ve ever heard.  It’s actually hard for me not to laugh when this song comes on.   It actually borders on creepy at times- “I’ma disrobe you, then I’ma probe you, see, I abducted you so I tell you what to do” is pretty much just Kanye West admitting to rape.  Nevertheless, this song was inescapable this summer and, to be honest, it was pretty catchy, so my gripes ring fairly hollow.

Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull- "On The Floor"

            The first time I heard J-Lo’s voice wafting over the airwaves this summer, I couldn’t believe my ears.  Then I heard Pitbull’s unmistakable grunts and I knew it was for real, she had returned to chart-topping with all the ingredients for success in 2011.  As J-Lo said, “It’s a new generation, of party people,” and they certainly got a reminder of why she’s one of the queens of getting you on the floor.

Adele- "Rolling In The Deep"

            I just wrote about “ADELE” yesterday, and you have ears, so you may not need me to tell you what a runaway success this song, and her album 21, have been this summer.  But it’s worth pointing out that this song spent seven weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 this summer, the most of any song this year, and according to Billboard, it’s the biggest crossover hit of the last 25 years.  No big deal or anything though.  Just some girl from England with a big voice.

Bruno Mars- "The Lazy Song"

            Has there been a more classic summer song released this year?  Name me one if you think it’s possible.  I sure as hell don’t think so.  The acoustic guitar, the whistles, and the subject matter all combine to make this an irresistible piece of pop, which is unfortunate because sometimes you really need to get something done, and then “The Lazy Song” comes on and, well, there goes all productivity for a little while.  Hopefully next year’s summer anthem will be called “Work Your Ass Off,” so our economy doesn’t grind to a halt again.

Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer- "Give Me Everything"

            Ah yes, Pitbull.  The king of making tracks that are mildly enjoyable but not good enough to download, and that get increasingly aggravating the more often you hear them until you realize you would be perfectly okay not hearing another Pitbull song for a few years.  Not that I feel that way about this song though.

LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock- "Party Rock Anthem"

            Everyday I’m shufflin’!  What’s funny is that in a few years, nobody will remember why that line makes sense.  Which is too bad, because the first time I heard it, I thought it was genius.  In general, the rise of this song has been curious because the beat is so weak and uninspiring.  But good for LMFAO- they deserved a #1 hit and they sure did get one this time.

Nicki Minaj- "Super Bass"

            The all-out assault of Nicki Minaj on the music world was taken to a new intensity this summer when she dropped “Super Bass,” her biggest hit to date.  This lady never stops working, and it’s paying huge dividends for her now.  She’s already the biggest female hip-hop artist in years, and pretty soon she’s gonna be the biggest star in the world and we’ll be wondering how on Earth she managed to do it.

Katy Perry- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"

            I just did an in-depth piece about this song when it hit #1 last week (making it the fifth single off Teenage Dream to do so, which is, in short, historic), so I won’t rehash it all.  Let’s be real, though: you love this song.  Even though you probably want to hate it.  And that is exactly what I look for in a Song of the Summer, so you better believe it makes the list.

Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera- "Moves Like Jagger"

            I should probably make a list of “Best Songs of the Summer,” because that’s where this song really belongs.  Might even top the list, actually (it’s been a pretty weak summer).  But that’s not the point of this list, so instead I’ll just remark on its immediate rise to #1 and its subsequent charge back up the charts after a quick drop, a very rare feat.  I’ll also point out how its popularity seemed to correllate directly with its debut on “The Voice,” which proves the popularity of the NBC hit (could it challenge “American Idol?”  We’ll have to wait and see).

Hot Chelle Rae- "Tonight Tonight"

            Look, I know this is an absolute teenybopper fave jam.  I know I’m not supposed to enjoy songs like these- rather, I’m supposed to roll my eyes at the little girls who love it and profess my love for more “mature” music.  But guess what: if that was my mindset, why on Earth would I be writing this blog?  I refuse to grow up.  I like this song, and if that makes me essentially a “Musically Oblivious 8^th Grader,” so be it.  

 Like what you like, people.  Don’t have any reservations.  Have a good rest of the summer.  “Fall jams” are a little trickier to suss out, but I’ll do my best to get a list going for them too.

Song Of The Day: Adele- "Someone Like You"

How do you follow up the biggest song of the year?  I was hoping it would be with this, but I guess Adele (and her people) decided to go with this instead (or, as she would say, "in-stayeeed").  There's no way "Someone Like You" will be as big a hit as "Rolling In The Deep," but it doesn't really matter, since her sophomore album 21 has sold way, way, way more than any other album this year.  Obviously huge props have to go out to Adele for succeeding so remarkably only using her natural vocal talent.  That's also a testament to the buying public that we still (apparently) recognize good music and not just a scantily-clad chick or a thumping beat.  So let's all pat Adele, and ourselves, on the back for being so awesome, and I'll leave you with a burning question:

Why does iTunes continue to refer to the artist of this song as ADELE???  All caps?  Really, iTunes?  Why do you insist on yelling her name?  Is this some kind of marketing ploy to get us to notice her, or is this a longstanding technical glitch that you somehow either can't fix or repeatedly ignore?  I actually don't want them to fix it at this point because I think it's hilarious, but it truly baffles me.

Song Of The Day (Brand New): David Guetta feat. Jennifer Hudson- "Night Of Your Life"

This song was released TODAY.  Rarely do I turn around give you a song released that recently, but this time I decided to for two reasons.  First, I had to give Guetta some props for releasing basically one new track a week all summer.  Although it's relatively easy to fiddle with a computer program and come up with some new beats every couple days, his ability to make most of these songs listenable deserves some recognition. 

Secondly, and more importantly, this new track sounds eerily similar to my favorite song of 2010, Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World)."  Many people would consider such a blatant ripoff to be a bad thing.  But I fail to see how ripping off something awesome and making your own version that's 80% as good is a bad thing.  It just means more jams.  If every song ripped off "Only Girl," there'd be a ton of great music out there!  Seriously, this is a fantastic song- Jennifer Hudson's soaring vocals are perfect with the beat, and it repeatedly crescendos into a melodic and hard-hitting chorus.  This is probably the best of all the singles Guetta has released this summer, and I see it being a big-time dance jam in the coming weeks and months.

Song Of The Day: Lil Wayne feat. Drake- "She Will"

As good as this song is, and as big as it may get, it's too bad Lil Wayne might not get to see it top the charts or get to perform it.  Wait, what's that you say?  Wayne's back in jail already?  Nope, he just got in a skateboarding accident in a St. Louis skate park and gashed his head.  Good looks Weezy.  Stick with dressing like a skater and acting like a gangsta (slash a member of a probably-nonexistent secret society) in the future, and don't try actually skating unless you know how to do it.  Besides, skateboarding is so 2005.  Now it's all about beer pong slam dunks (or whatever other dangerous, vaguely anti-authoritarian activity is popular with the kids these days).

Song Of The Day: Lady Gaga- "You And I"*

Let me be clear.  This is the best song off Lady Gaga's most recent album Born This Way.  And no, it's not close.  It would have been a disgrace to Gaga and her fans if it hadn't been released as a single for the rest of America to hear.  Thus, I was beyond thrilled to discover it has finally been released as the album's fourth single and given the full Gaga music-video-production treatment.  With that in mind, allow me to review the video.

Why, Gaga, why?  Why do you insist on being so weird, so theatrical, so goddamn out there in all of your music videos and public appearances?  Your music is so great- powerful, danceable, and genuinely moving to some people.  Yet you make it hard for people to take you seriously when you sprint as far from the mainstream as humanly possible, seemingly only to prove that you can.

For instance, in this video here, you have composed a song that I would consider a potential classic, and with a more conventional classic Americana-type video, you could have redeemed your image in my eyes and in the eyes of many, and given yourself a surefire hit.  Yet you instead chose to go the route of dressing up as what appears to be Lady Gag-enstein, as well as a mermaid, and yourself as a man (not gonna do much to dissuade those rumors, although that was probably the point), and attempting to subvert and mock the corn fields surrounding you.  Why do that?  Why not try subverting the subversion and being normal for once?

I get that Gaga's main message is proving that weird can be popular, and I get that by constantly being outrageous she manages to stay in the news.  But here's the problem: eventually, the act gets stale, and people move on.  But you know what doesn't get stale?  Good music, of which to this point she has made a lot.  So if she would just focus on making more songs like "You And I" and not on whatever radical theme or message she decides to push in any given week, she could allow her career much greater longevity.  But alas, it seems she's going the other way, so who knows if I'll ever be this excited about another Lady Gaga song again.


*No, I don't know how to make the umlaut over the u in "You."  And even if I did, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of putting an entirely unnecessary umlaut.  Also, this should have been posted yesterday but I didn't have time to put it up, so it goes up today.  My apologies.

Song Of The Day (Shocker): Katy Perry- "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"

In honor of "Last Friday Night" hitting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and thus making her album Teenage Dream the first album since 1987 to have five #1 singles, I'll give Katy Perry the Song Of The Day even though it's been a full year since "Last Friday Night" was actually released.

I know there will be some complaints about how Perry "cheated" to get five #1 singles, re-releasing both "E.T." (Kanye West) and "Last Friday Night" (Missy Elliott) as remixes featuring other artists to get extra sales.  But the facts are indisputable.  Her five singles have spent a total of 18 weeks at #1.  Back in 1987 when Michael Jackson's Bad had five singles reach #1 (the only other solo album to ever do it), they spent only seven total weeks at #1.  So, could we make the case that Teenage Dream is the biggest solo album of all time, despite selling fewer than 4 million copies worldwide so far?  If we go by singles, yes, we could at least make that argument.  And since singles are so important these days, it would be a fairly compelling argument.

As for this video, it too will be in the running for my music video of the year.  Any time you successfully incorporate Rebecca Black, Kenny G, "Glee" characters, nerdy alter egos, 80's child stars, and 80's nostalgia in general (except for a conspicuously out-of-place laptop) into an 8-minute music video, you get A) a surefire hit in 2011, and B) a thumbs-up from me for somehow pulling it all together.  And one more time, put your hands together for Katy Perry (love her or hate her) for making pop music history.

"Last Friday Night" Hits #1

 


http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart_watch/74400/week-ending-aug-14-2011-songs-not-bad

For those of you who don't know, this makes Katy Perry's Teenage Dream the first album since Michael Jackson's Bad to have five #1 singles.  In other words, big news in pop music!  I wonder what tomorrow's Song Of The Day will be...

Song of the Day: Bruno Mars- "The Lazy Song"

Yes yes yes I know this song is ancient by Top 40 standards.  I just needed to post this video before it got any older.  If you haven't watched this yet, it's a must-watch, which most music videos these days are decidedly not.  Bruno and his monkey bros look like they had so much fun shooting this video.  It also could have plausibly been shot in one take, and I'm certain they did a hefty amount of improvising, yet it's been viewed 165 million times on YouTube, which means they got some serious bang for their buck.  You just can't watch this video and not smile, and probably laugh out loud a few times.  The song's great, too, unlike most other Bruno Mars songs.  In all just the total package and a complete pleasant surprise.  Certainly in contention for Best Music Video of the Year, which I guess is an award I'll have to hand out this year.

Song of the Day: Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars- "Lighters"

I'm not sure any rapper in the last five years can consider himself more blessed than Royce da 5'9''.  Sure, he's a pretty talented rapper, but he was a complete unknown to most of America despite toiling for years in the Detroit scene.  But, he had his one get-out-of-jail card that he could use at any time- a friendship with the highest-selling rapper of all time.  He got Eminem to do their collaboration album, Hell: The Sequel, and this song right here is Royce cashing in all his chips at once, hoping it brings him enough dough to keep doing what he's been doing for a few more years.  Judging by "Lighters"' chart performance, I'd say Royce's attempt to cash in on Eminem's massive fan base has worked.  What's funny is that without the Bruno Mars hook none of this would even be possible- he's the only reason "Lighters" is getting Top 40 airplay, and selling all these copies.  So both rappers can really thank Bruno Mars for delivering them a Top 10 hit.

Song of the Day: Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine- "Stereo Hearts"

Who else had a sweet boombox growing up?  Nothing topped the sound quality of those things.  My friend still has the kind that needs about ten D batteries to activate, and the bass those speakers pump out sounds like it would need no less than a car battery to fuel it.  "Stereo Hearts" feels, more than anything else, like an ode to that somewhat-bygone era of boomboxes, cassette tapes, and terrestrial radio, of which I am surprisingly in full support.  Not as much in support of the hipster clothes they're wearing though.  Heads-up, video directors: just because you have a sweet old-school boombox doesn't mean you have to dress like a starving Parisian bohemian from 1988.  But this is a music blog, not a fashion blog (and with good reason) so I give this song a thumbs up, if only because of the always-welcome voice of Adam Levine.

The Next Set Of Hot Dance Jams You Need To Hear

A few weeks have gone by since I posted the last set of must-listen dance jams, but in that time a bunch of new tracks have come to my attention, and thus, now, your attention.  Hopefully there will continue to be such an influx of awesome dance music that I can make this a regular segment, but no guarantees.  Europe can only crank out so many dance jams before it succumbs to "austerity" and rioting.  Sigh.

Nadia Ali, Starkillers, &Alex Kenji- "Pressure (Alesso Remix)"

Kelly Rowland feat. David Guetta- "Commander"

Above & Beyond feat. Robert Bedford- "Thing Called Love"

Lasgo- "Here With Me"

R.I.O.- "Miss Sunshine"

DJ Ross feat. Sushy- "U Got The Love"

Havana Brown- "We Run The Night"

Calvin Harris feat. Kelis- "Bounce"

It's also important that I mention where I found a lot of these tracks- an iTunes radio station called Energy 98.  If you like dance music, you need to give them a listen.  This is free publicity by the way- they helped me discover new music so I'll give them a plug.  Here is their website, here is their Facebook page (like them- I did!), and you can find them in the Electronica section of iTunes Internet radio.

Song of the Day: Drake- "Headlines"

It's Friday, so I had to leave you with the hottest hit of the week, even though it doesn't have a music video yet.  This song was only released on Tuesday, but it's been sitting at #2 on iTunes since almost the moment of its release.  I still maintain that Drake's best song was his debut single, "Best I Ever Had," (one of the greatest music videos of the last decade too) but this is certainly in the mix as one of his best tracks to date.  The real question, though, is what happens to a song like this now?  Will it get picked up by radio stations and have longevity, or will it be one of those promotional singles that has about a one-week lifespan? My guess is the former, but Drake is a fairly prolific artist, so by next week we could have a totally new Drake single to get excited about, and forget this one even existed.  Such is the music industry in 2011.

Song of the Day: Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera- "Moves Like Jagger"

I'm well aware that this song has been around for a couple months now, and has already topped the iTunes and Billboard charts.  But the video just came out this week so I have an excuse to feature it now.  I'm a huge Maroon 5 fan, and this song represents one of their best efforts.  But you already know the song.  It's the video that's noteworthy at this point- OMG it's actually Mick Jagger!  His moves nowadays are not really worthy of a tribute, but it's cool to see him kickin' it.  And don't think I didn't embed the "explicit" version on purpose.  Apparently YouTube lets little slices of "explicit content" into its videos now, but it's still a shock when it pops up unexpectedly in a chart-topping music video..  If this is a new trend in music videos, let me go on the record as a supporter.  Now I just have to hope this blog doesn't get labeled "adult content" (or should I hope it does?)

PS- What exactly is that thumbnail?  That looks dangerously close to something that should never be on YouTube...let me reiterate that I have no power over choice of the thumbnail!

Song of the Day: Black Eyed Peas- "Don't Stop the Party"

I had some other songs lined up for today's Song of the Day, but then I came across this track, the third single off BEP's most recent album, The Beginning, and I simply had to change my plans around.  Is it just me or is this their best song since at least 2006?  It's certainly the first time I've actually sought out and chosen to listen to a Black Eyed Peas song in at least that long.  However, the Peas clearly don't see this song as a gem in the same way I do, considering Will.i.am had to read the lyrics for his verse off his cell phone while performing recently in France.  What a disgrace.  However, I think they could top the charts with this one.  Which of course means it will never be released as a single in the US.  Oh well.  Go ahead and enjoy it, and enjoy the video, which shows just how global the Black Eyed Peas are these days.

Song of the Day: Britney Spears- "I Wanna Go"

There may be no better example of the wonders of modern technology than Britney Spears.  Look at how good she looks in this video (as she shamelessly steals Ke$ha's entire playbook).  Then try to recall how bad she looks in undoctored photos you see in magazines and on gossip websites.  This could only be made possible by ungodly amounts of makeup and airbrushing.  Then again, that pretty much sums up Spears' entire career.  As for the song, obviously it's a jam, does she make anything else these days?  If she keeps making jams like this, she'll be prancing around under pounds of makeup in these types of videos for years to come.

Song of the Day: Rihanna- "Cheers (Drink to That)"

This is something like the sixth single off Rihanna's most recent album, Loud.  If you follow the blog, you know I'm a huge Rihanna fan.  In fact, she may be my favorite artist right now.  So I certainly wasn't going to let a "new" Rihanna single get released without featuring it as a Song of the Day.  While this isn't my favorite song off Loud (too slow and repetitive) it does have a huge redeeming factor: a sample of Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You."  How awesome is an Avril sample, huh?  You may not know this, but I'm also a huge Avril fan, and "I'm With You" is one of my favorite Avril songs.  So a Rihanna song sampling an Avril song?  I'll certainly drink to that!

Spotify Review

The other day I suddenly received an invitation to sign up for Spotify.  I did it right away, because I was curious to see what all the fuss was about.  Coming in, my main question was: How is this going to be different from iTunes?  Why are people so excited about Spotify when they already have iTunes, Grooveshark, and YouTube?

Well, after playing around with Spotify for an hour or so, I can confidently say that none of these questions were satisfactorily answered.  In fact, I now have more questions than I came in with. 

I will say this: head-to-head against the other three music sources I just mentioned, Spotify is the best service.  You don't have to pay a cent to hear unlimited music (with a few commercials here and there) whenever you have internet access and you can import your iTunes library and have access to that even when you don't have Internet (because Spotify is an application and not a website).

However, Spotify's layout and design is irritating.  One thing I love about iTunes is all the links to various types of new music (or new-to-you music) they provide for you.  On Spotify, if you want to hear new music, you have to search for it (meaning you have to know what you're looking for, which is a rarity).  Spotify also doesn't categorize music into genres like iTunes does.  In short, Spotify is not nearly as detailed or intuitive as iTunes.  In fact, basically the only thing better about Spotify is that you can listen to whole songs for free and put them into playlists, instead of settling for 90-second previews like you do on iTunes.

Which brings me to the crux of my argument.  Why are people so excited about Spotify, when you can already find new releases on iTunes, then listen to them in full on YouTube or Grooveshark, and download them for free from Mediafire or Video2mp3?  Don't get me wrong, Spotify is pretty cool, and definitely better than the other music-service options out there right now.  But it's not exactly an Earth-shattering development.  And most importantly, I don't think it's going to get me to change my habits for finding/obtaining new music.  And I have trouble seeing how it will change other people's habits either.

Do you agree with me?  Or do you think Spotify is the second coming?  Leave a comment!

Song of the Day: Cobra Starship feat. Sabi- "You Make Me Feel..."

The last time we heard from these guys, they were making good girls go bad.  Now they're making us feel so la, la, la.  Not sure if that's an upgrade, but this song is catchy enough to be a big radio jam as the summer winds down.  But, what I really want to know is who all the people are going into the picture booth in this video.  Am I supposed to know who they are or are they just extras?  Why is this not explained?  And when do I get to go into the booth with Sabi?

Song of the Day: Pitbull feat. Marc Anthony- "Rain Over Me"

Whoa!  Marc Anthony!  When was the last time we heard this guy on the radio?  Well according to Wikipedia, it was probably back in 2000.  Eleven years ago!  I guess he preferred picking up Father of the Year awards to Grammys.  But now that he and Jennifer Lopez have split (after seven years of marriage and two kids), he dives right back in with a guest spot here.  Speaking of which, how weird must it be for Pitbull to go from appearing on a J-Lo song and turn right back around and feature her ex-husband on a track of his own?  I wonder if he goes to their counseling sessions too.  Something tells me Pitbull wouldn't make a very good mediator.

Song of the Day: Lil Wayne- "How to Love"

People are saying this is a totally new direction for Lil Wayne, because he's singing and not cursing and all that.  The not cursing is admittedly a new direction, but the singing is nothing new.  However, the subject matter is a departure from the normal Weezy.  But hey, I get why he's going "soft."  Wayne's clearly going after the valuable black girl demographic with this song.  I guarantee you they'll be screaming the words at all his shows this summer.  Make no mistake, black girls go crazy for songs like this.  Next thing you know, Lil Wayne's gonna be the black Bieber.

Song of the Day: Hot Chelle Rae- "Tonight Tonight"

Yesterday we had Foster The People in this spot with their take on pop/rock.  Today we have Hot Chelle Rae, another band in a similar vein whose debut song is now in the Top 10.  What a difference a day makes.  "Tonight Tonight" is infectious, catchy, and fun, with memorable lyrics and a toe-tapping beat- in short, everything missing from yesterday's song "Pumped Up Kicks."  This is a true summer anthem, and I guarantee we'll remember it for years to come.  Yesterday I said that I hope we don't hear again from our Song of the Day artist.  Today I can say that I hope we do.

History Lesson: The Most Ubiquitous Songs of Each Year of the Last Decade*

Every year, there’s at least one song that, for a certain period of time, appears to be the only song on the radio.  Whether it’s blaring out of a passing car, at a bar, or in your friend’s basement, it’s inescapable.  Here’s a look at the most ubiquitous song each year from the past decade (obviously excluding 2011, on account of it being unfinished).

2001: Jennifer Lopez feat. Ja Rule- "I'm Real"

This was the biggest hit on the radio right around the time I started listening to pop music.  It was undoubtedly one of my least favorite tracks, and every time I turned on my clock radio or convinced my parents to turn on the car radio, I suffered a crushing letdown when this smarmy duet inevitably cascaded over the airwaves.  My stance has softened over the years, though- hearing it now mostly just brings back nostalgia for a time when hearing this song was literally the worst thing that could happen to me.

2002: Nelly- "Hot in Herre"

Not only was “Hot in Herre” the indisputable summer jam of 2002, but also it represented a time when nothing was hotter than the St. Louis/Dirty South rap scene, baggy clothes, throwback jerseys, huge chains, huge cars, and (apparently) Band-Aids included.  Man, I loved those songs, and their music videos, even though they were all the same.

’03: Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins- “Get Low”

           

If “Hot in Herre” was the summer radio jam of 2002 and a celebration of Southern rap culture, “Get Low” was an underground anthem that accomplished the same goals despite not getting nearly as much airplay.  There was a time when you literally could not escape people singing this song, because it had so many quotable lines, best of all, obviously, the one about the window and the wall.  “Get Low” was also the mainstream debut of crunk, and I distinctly remember the first time I heard this song with my brother, we both just went “Whoa…this is some wild shit right here…this is gonna be huge.”  We were right, and it’s still one of my favorite rap songs of all time. 

2004: Outkast & Sleepy Brown- "The Way You Move"

           

I know “Hey Ya” was a bigger hit, but everyone remembers that song.  Big Boi’s single was also #1 for three weeks, and with good reason- I heard it so often (and I liked it even less than “Hey Ya”) that it certainly felt more ubiquitous than Andre 3000’s classic.  2004 was a great year for music, so it’s sad that the song that was the most inescapable was one of the least enjoyable.  But perhaps that’s why it sticks in my memory.

2005: Mariah Carey- "We Belong Together"

            

If you’re not a chart geek like me, you probably didn’t know that Billboard ranked this the #1 hit of the past decade.  You probably forgot this song even existed- after all, it’s pretty forgettable.  But for some reason (either record execs liked it or, God forbid, regular people liked it), it got almost constant airplay on Top 40 and urban radio back in 2005.  I think it’s an injustice that a song like this can get top billing over some of the far more memorable tracks released in the last 10 years, but stats are stats, right?

2006: Justin Timberlake- "SexyBack"

           

I have immense respect for Justin Timberlake.  He has succesfully navigated the transition from child star to boy-band star to solo artist to Hollywood leading man in a way that Justin Bieber can only hope to do (see my Pop Music Fantasy Draft for details).  All that being said, though…I’ve hardly liked a single song he’s ever made, and “SexyBack” is no exception.  It’s just repetitive and annoying, with little melody or a good enough beat to make me want to dance.  I am still mystefied as to why everyone loved it so much.  Just kidding I know it was because the ladies love JT unconditionally.

2007: Fergie- "Big Girls Don't Cry"

            

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that this song was absolutely everywhere for most of 2007.  I actually grew quite fond of it, and I always enjoyed singing along when it came on, trying to squeeze out the high notes, much to the annoyance (or perhaps amusement) of anyone around me.  Let me tell you- Fergie has an impressive vocal range, and it is hard to duplicate.

2008: Ray-J feat. Yung Berg- "Sexy Can I"

             

Was this a good song?  No, not even after just listening to it again for the first time in three years.  Was it catchy as hell?  Absolutely, and that’s why it got stuck in my head to a much hugher degree than it should have.  It must have happened to a lot of people too, because it wound up being one of the most played songs of the year, and one of the ones I remember most.  Like ’04, 2008 was a great year for music, maybe the best one of the decade, but all I can remember it by is this piece of crap.  What a waste.

2009: The Black Eyed Peas- "I Gotta Feeling"

             

The very first time I heard this song I was putting on my suit for prom.  Very interesting.  These are the things that stick with you.  Then I heard it approximately 7,674,329 more times that year.  I always thought it should have had a harder-hitting beat, but apparently America didn’t mind because I think it spent most of the year at #1.  The only part of it I liked every time were the “Mazel Tov” and “L’chaim.”

2010: Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg- "California Gurls"

             

I know I already mentioned this in my Pop Music Fantasy Draft a couple weeks ago, but this song serves as a bridge to right now.  “California Gurls” was the lead single off Perry’s album Teenage Dream.  The fifth single off that album, “Last Friday Night,” is currently #2 on the Billboard chart.  Hard to believe the lifespan for that album.  As for the song, it’s by far my least-favorite single of the five released so far, but I would absolutely say it was the most ubiquitous song of 2010.  As for 2011, well, Katy Perry has three entries that could make this list, but plenty of other acts could stake a claim as well.  We’ll just have to wait and see.

*Results compiled scientifically (in other words I looked at the Billboard Year-End Top 100 for each of these years and decided which one I thought was the most ubiquitous).

Song of the Day: Foster The People- "Pumped Up Kicks"

So this song has slowly crossed over from the Alternative scene and has now broken into the iTunes Top 10, and reached #29 on the Billboard chart.  You certainly won't hear anything else like it on Top 40 radio right now.  But although it's different, it's mostly just more boring than most other pop music out right now.  It doesn't hold up well on repeated listening.  So although I respect Foster The People and I hope to see more breakout alternative acts soon, I also hope this is the last we hear of them.

Do you agree?  Or do you wanna Kick me in my Pumped Up head?  Leave a comment and let me know!