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Defining Pop Songs of the Decade

byron lomax

byron lomax

Commander
Red Shirt
Now we're approaching the end of the decade, a couple of friends and I debated what songs will be associated with the decade from now on. I'm not talking about the best, or personal favourites, or even the most popular, necessarily. The songs that seeped into popular consciousness, and will forever be associated with these times by generations after.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Wannabe" are examples from the 90s; "Billie Jean" and "Livin' on a Prayer" from the decade before.

Here's a couple of nominations for the 00s:

Gnarles Barkley - "Crazy"
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z - "Crazy in Love"
OutKast - "Hey Ya!"
Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Rihanna - "Umbrella"
Nickelback - "How You Remind Me" (....maybe)
TaTu - "All the Things She Said"
Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"

That's a list I'm comfortable with. Some of these songs may not have been hits everywhere, but i think they'll be remembered wherever they were. I wanted to include something by Coldplay and Girls Aloud, but can't really single out a particular song for either.

So, any other suggestions?
 
byron lomax said:
Here's a couple of nominations for the 00s:

Gnarles Barkley - "Crazy"
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z - "Crazy in Love"
OutKast - "Hey Ya!"
Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Rihanna - "Umbrella"
Nickelback - "How You Remind Me" (....maybe)
TaTu - "All the Things She Said"
Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"

That's a list I'm comfortable with. Some of these songs may not have been hits everywhere, but i think they'll be remembered wherever they were. I wanted to include something by Coldplay and Girls Aloud, but can't really single out a particular song for either.
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I'm no audiophile (my previous posts here can testify to that fact :lol:) but I do listen to a lot of commercial local radio. :bolian:

For Coldplay I'd opt for "Clocks" myself, especially as arguably the rest of their work since its release has been heavily influenced by that song. At a push you could also include "Viva La Vida".

As for Girls Aloud, well you could throw a dart at any of them (not literally, that would be hideous) as while they have this distinctive sound (copied by The Saturdays and any other such new electropop act from 2008 onwards) the songs all seem to blend into one after a while.

But your other choices in the list are good choices and certainly something I'd expect to see on any Noughties compilation album. For the 2000s, I'd also add:

"Lose Yourself" - Eminem
"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
"Bleeding Love" - Leona Lewis
"In Da Club" - 50 Cent
"I Predict A Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs
"Poker Face" - Lady Gaga
"Leave Right Now" - Will Young
"What You Waitin' For?" - Gwen Stefani
"Shine" - Take That
"Rock Your Body" - Justin Timberlake
"I Don't Feel Like Dancing" - Scissor Sisters
"Freak Like Me" - Sugababes
"Toxic" - Britney Spears
"Where Is The Love" - Black Eyed Peas
"Seven Nation Army" - White Stripes
"Knights of Cydonia" - Muse
"Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
"Get The Party Started" - Pink
"You're Beautiful" - James Blunt
"Chasing Cars" - Snow Patrol
"Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
"Maneater" - Nelly Furtado
"I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" - Arctic Monkeys
"Chelsea Dagger" - The Fratellis

While not necessarily the greatest songs of the 00s, or the most liked (I'm looking at YOU, Blunt), I'd expect these and more to represent the decade in years to come when people look back and reminisce.
 
Though I detest most of her music, I'd add Pink's "So What." To me, it epitomizes the attitude of celebrities of the past decade, the whole belief that their behavior is excused by the fact that they're famous.
 
I was unaware that there were ANY "Pop" songs. Rock, hip-hop, country, etc ... but were there any actual "Pop" hits in the last decade?

--Ted
 
Thanks Zion, those are good choices. It's hard to tell at this point which songs will stand out (for whatever reason) ten or twenty years from now.

I was unaware that there were ANY "Pop" songs. Rock, hip-hop, country, etc ... but were there any actual "Pop" hits in the last decade?

--Ted
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Well, i'd define "pop" as music with an emphasis on a catchy chorus, that is usually short and direct in its composition. Of course, pop absorbs elements from other, popular genres, especially hip-hop and R&B at this point in time (with some rock and electro as well).
 
Some other ideas:

Madonna - Hung Up or Music
Kleerup and Robyn - With Every Heartbeat
The Pussycat Dolls - Don't Cha
Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama Out
Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
Missy Elliott - Work It
Daft Punk - One More Time
Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At
M.I.A. - Paper Planes
Goldfrapp - Strict Machine
Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River
 
Another just came to me as well: "Another Chance" by Roger Sanchez. That was from the start of the decade, and now it feels like such a long time ago, that that kind of straight dance song could become such a huge hit.

"Rehab" by Amy Winehouse too.
 
For Girls Aloud you're talking either Sound of the Underground, Love Machine or Biology.

And I'd choose Biology every time.
 
Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows
Jack Johnson - Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Linkin Park - In The End
Melanie C - I Turn To You
Robbie Williams - Rock DJ
Sugababes - Overload
U2 - Elevation
3 Doors Down - Kryptonite
The Calling - Wherever You Will Go(well, at least for some of us)
Fatboy Slim - Weapon Of Choice
Michelle Branch - Everywhere
Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
Evanescence - Bring Me To Life
Maroon 5 - This Love
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder On The Dancefloor
The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Fountains Of Wayne - Stacy's Mom
Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground
Golfrapp - Twist
Joss Ston - Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?) Part 1
Live - Heaven
Nelly Fortado - Powerless
The Rasmus - In The Shadows
Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow
Turin Brakes - Painkiller
KT Tunstall - Black Horse And The Cherry Tree
Maria Mena - You're The Only One
N*E*R*D - She Wants To Move
Black Eyed Peas - Don't Phunk with My Heart
The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize
The Fray - Over My Head (Cable Car)
Jamiroquai -Feels Just Like It Should
OK Go - Here It Goes Again
Röyksopp - Only This Moment
Weezer - Beverly Hills
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On
Duke Special - Last Night I Nearly Died
The Feeling - Fill My Little World
Infadels - Love Like Semtex
James Morrison - You Give Me Something
Mika - Grace Kelly
Muse - Starlight
Razorlight - America
Red Hot Chili Peppers - any single from Stadium Arcadium
Rihanna - SOS
The Zutons - Valerie(the original!)
Fiction Plane - Two Sisters
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
The Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Mutya Buena - Real Girl
Sara Bareilles - Love Song
Alphbeat - Fascination
Duffy - Mercy
Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
Keane - Spiralling
The Killers - Human
Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
The Script - The Man Who Can't Be Moved
Snow Patrol - Take Back The City
Mando Diao - Dance With Somebody
 
Reading these lists only make me recognize that I've been pretty much asleep to popular music since about 2001 (and there was a good reason for that--I was put in a tough love rehab program in Mexico for 10 months--it got shut down for abuse--because of my Asperger's Syndrome and bullying-derived depression/isolationism/zero self-esteem). And after that, I pretty much became a permanent oldies girl like I used to be before my mom and friends ganged up on me as a tween with '90s pop to update me (starting in about the Spice Girls era through the Britney/Christina/BSB/*Nsync era). I'm back to my Elvis and Mozart-loving ways.

The last decade I really have any cognizance of music-wise (and the only one I lived) is probably the '90s. I'm MUCH more familiar with the '50s-'70s, however, despite not having been alive during it.

All the songs I recognize here are ones that I pretty much only know (or loathe) due to excessive use in fanvids on YouTube, were used memorably in television shows that I like (which means the songs are probably starting to age) or are the handful that reached even me.

I also happen to loathe rap, hip-hop, etc... and thus, even modern pop is damaged goods for me. Metal and fruity lounge jazz being the other genres I can't listen to. I wish people could sing a straight love song once in a while without all the diva scales and hip-hop r&b vocals (I'm an oldies ballad lover).

Country music is probably the closest thing to actual rock'n'roll today, believe it or not. They've added more and more rock elements over the years that give it somewhat of a rockabilly feel (rock'n'roll comes from mixtures of blues, country, gospel, pop, etc...). I'm not a fan of the silly parody/novelty songs that seem popular in country music today, though.

It never ceases to amuse me that the pop divas and modern-styled singers are completely incapable of singing older songs without butchering them all to Hell with their out-of-control style over substance (I'm looking at you, Céline Dion), while the country and blues people actually have a much easier time with singing older music.

Granted, I get more joy out of seeing a 73-year-old Jerry Lee Lewis boogying on his piano than any music out there today by modern artists.
 
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Maybe living in Seattle gives me an exaggerated notion of their popularity and importance but I can't believe no one has listed anything by Death Cab for Cutie. Here are my nominees for something from their oeuvre:

Title and Registration (2003)
New Year (2003)
I Will Follow You Into the Dark (2005)
I Will Possess Your Heart (2008)
No Sunlight (2008)

Anybody else out there feel like Death Cab deserves a place on a list of artists that define this decade?
 
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50s - "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and The Comets, "At The Hop" by Danny and The Juniors, "Walkin' After Midnight" by Patsy Cline, "I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash

60s - "Runaway" by Del Shannon, "Age of Aquarius" by The 5th Dimension, "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" by Peter, Paul, and Mary, "Hey Jude" by The Beatles, "Can't Help Falling In Love" by Elvis Presley, "Flowers On The Wall" by The Statler Brothers

70s - "Close To You" by The Carpenters, "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson, ", "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Baby, I Love Your Way" by Peter Frampton, "Stayin' Alive" by The Bee Gees, "Dust In The Wind" by Kansas, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

80s - "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung, "Swingin'" by John Anderson, "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran, "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, "God Bless The USA" by Lee Greenwood, "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith and RunDMC, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston, "Forever and Ever Amen" by Randy Travis, "Walk Like An Egyptian" by The Bangles, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison, "Wild Thing" by Tone Loc, "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx

90s - "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche, "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus, "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice, "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, "I Want To Sex You Up" by Color Me Bad, "Freak Me" by Silk, "Any Man of Mine" by Shania Twain, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana, "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes, "Boot Scootin' Boogie" by Brooks and Dunn, "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, "Kiss From A Rose" by Seal, "Linger" by The Cranberries, "Good Enough" by Sarah McLachlan, "Don't Rock The Jukebox" by Alan Jackson, "MMMBop" by Hanson, "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morrisette, "...Baby, One More Time" by Britney Spears, "Under The Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins

00s - "Breathe" by Faith Hill, "Lady Marmalade" from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne, "Alcohol" by Brad Paisley, "In The End" by Linkin Park, "Hey Ya!" by Outkast, "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera, "This Love" by Maroon 5, "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence, "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson, "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day, "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt, "Not Ready To Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks, "Clocks" by Coldplay, "Ticks" by Brad Paisley, "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira, "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry, "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood, "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! At The Disco, "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's, "Umbrella" by Rihanna, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy Tell'em, "Butterfly" by Crazy Town, "Drops of Jupiter" by Train, "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem, "Du Hast" by Ramstein, "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, "Youth of the Nation" by POD, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley
 
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"Never Gonna Give You Up" ?:wtf: For the 2000's?

I think "Let's Get This Party Started" and "Clocks" will be the oft-played in endless repetition sounds of the 2000's.

Gnarls Barkley, The Gorillaz and Katie Perry win honorable mention. I'm surprised no one mentioned "Float On" by Modest Mouse.
 
Mistral said:
"Never Gonna Give You Up" ?:wtf: For the 2000's?
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Yes. And there are probably a couple of others like that that I should probably add, like "Hampster Dance". The Internet is really taking people in a lot of different directions all at once - in the future, people will probably identify that song more with the 00s phenomenon of Rickrolling much more than with the late 80s.
 
I think, in many ways, this decade is similar to the 80s in that the most popular bands didn't have all that much influence compared to underground bands that led to the wave of 90s alternative that was, at least for rock music, very popular. I think indie bands and indie bands who have signed to major labels (I realize there's something weird about calling them "indie" these days) will be the influence of the next decade and bands like Nickelback will slowly die out.

That being said, the songs most people will think of are likely to be hip hop or female solo singers. Generally, party music. Rhianna would be a good example (which I can't really complain about, since she at least sings catchy songs) or Soldierboy (which I will complain about because that song's a piece of shit).

For rockish songs,
Reptillia - The Strokes
Clocks - Coldplay
A couple of Red Hot Chili Peppers songs (By the Way, Can't Stop, Snow)
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Float On - Modest Mouse
Probably Bvd of Broken Dreams by Green Day

I'll think of more later

EDIT: Gorillaz with Feel Good, Inc will definitely be there. Gnarls Barkley with Crazy as well. Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet, probably some shitty Staind song, definitely some shitty Nickelback song (take your pick).

For a song that just makes it, All the Small Things by blink-182 would be on the list.
 
The Real Slim Shady by Eminem
Candy Shop by 50 Cent
Let's Get Retarded by The Black Eyed Peas
Miss New Booty by Bubba Sparxxx
Dare by Gorillaz
 
As much as I love them, QOTSA are nowhere near popular enough to be on any list like this.

And Modest Mouse? They're not remotely popular!
 
I don't think Modest Mouse is that popular (I was going to put them in the list of bands that will influence future bands, but aren't spectacular successes today). But people seem to know Float On, for what it's worth.

I took a look at the Billboard Top 100 singles (or whatever it's called, the crappy one that includes everything) and wrote down number one songs I've heard of, were up there for a long time, and didn't make want to vomit thinking about. I came up with this list. There's a slight bias for recent songs, since they're obviously fresh in my memory:

Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
Whatever You Like - TI
I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry
Low - Flo Rida
Umbrella - Rhianna
SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
Hips Don't Lie - Shakira
SOS - Rihanna
Gold Digger - Kanye West
Drop it Like it's Hot - Snoop Dogg
Yeah! - Usher
Hey Ya - Outkast
Lose Yourself - Eminem
How You Remind Me - Nickelback
 
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