10.

Santana featuring Rob Thomas - "Smooth"

Courtesy Arista Records

"Smooth" genuinely appeared out of left field. Who would have thought legendary Latin guitarist
Carlos Santana would record one of the biggest pop hit singles of all time? Add to that - who
would have thought the vocalist would be the lead singer for post-grunge band Matchbox 20? It
did happen and "Smooth" deserved the sales and acclaim. In 2005 Rob Thomas, the lead vocalist
with Matchbox 20, proved his performance on "Smooth" was no fluke with a stellar solo album
...Something To Be.

9. R.E.M. - "Losing My Religion"

Courtesy Warner Bros.

With the grunge revolution lurking just over the horizon, R.E.M., pioneers of alt rock, burst into
the mainstream. Sparking dozens of conversations about its meaning, "Losing My Religion" is,
in its most basic sense, a gorgeous folk-influenced pop tune about the feeling of going crazy. It is
understated and unforgettable.

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8. Sinead O'Connor - "Nothing Compares to You"

Courtesy Chrysalis

It's difficult to remember now the image of Sinead O'Connor prior to the controversial television
appearances that nearly brought down her career, but few pop performers have put together more
powerful heart-stopping performances than this. The song itself, written by Prince, is
outstanding, but Sinead's emotional, gutsy performance made it a classic. Painful loss meets
stunning vocal beauty with a perfectly understated instrumental arrangement.

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7. Jay-Z - "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)"

Courtesy Roc-a-Fella

Jay-Z consolidated his status as the best of East Coast rappers with this brilliant single that
weaves a showstopping number from the Broadway musical Annie into a stunning hip hop opus.
Pop audiences were made aware that the range of experimentation in hip hop were limitless.

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6. Alanis Morissette - "You Oughta Know"

Courtesy Maverick Records

Alanis Morissette's debut sent shock waves through the music industry. No pop singer had ever
laid bare the anger and pain of a relationship gone bad quite so explicitly. "You Oughta Know"
clearly touched a nerve and led audiences into the complex, intricate songcraft of the
phenomenally successful Jagged Little Pill album.

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5. Madonna - "Ray of Light"

 Courtesy Maverick Records

With her first completely new studio album in 4 years, Madonna brought electronica to the top of
the pop charts. Working with collaborator William Orbit, the music sounded fresh, new, and
invigorating.

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4. Smash Mouth - "Walkin' On the Sun"

Courtesy Interscope

The ska-punk bound Smash Mouth burst into the spotlight with this catchy slab of 60s-ish
psychedelic soul. Unfortunately, the band never quite returned to the glory of this single, but it is
one of the greatest tracks of the decade.

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3. Everything But the Girl - "Missing"

Courtesy Atlantic

"Like the deserts miss the rain..." Remixed in countless ways over the years, there has never been
a more powerful expression of emotional and sexual longing in pop music than that at the core of
"Missing." In a year marked by wistfulness and longing in pop songs, this is the peak.
2. Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Courtesy DGC Records

The emergence of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" as a top 10 pop hit remains one of the most
dramatic events in pop music of the 1990s. Kurt Cobain's sardonic view of teenagers set amongst
a pop melody pounded out by drums and guitars bathed in fuzzed up distortion rattled the pop
music establishment. It was all accompanied by a music video that presented a memorable and
unrelentingly dark view of the classic school pep rally. Grunge had arrived.

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1. Britney Spears - "...Baby One More Time" 1990’s

Courtesy Jive Records

She first gained national notice as a member of The New Mickey Mouse Club on Disney's cable
network, but it was as a pop singer that Britney Spears became the most watched celebrity in the
world. Her first single "...Baby One More Time" is a brilliant piece of pop music. It's catchy,
sexy, and it sports a mildly controversial video certain to keep people talking.
Top 100 Pop Songs 2000

10. Christina Aguilera - "What a Girl Wants"

Courtesy RCA

19 year old Christina Aguilera proved she was no one hit wonder when she roared to the top of
the charts for a second time following the breakthrough "Genie in a Bottle." She earned a
Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal with her mature beyond her years vocal
style.

9. Janet Jackson - "Doesn't Really Matter"

Courtesy Def Soul

Janet Jackson headed to the top of the pop singles chart for a ninth time with this song included
on the soundtrack for the movie Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. It was her first trip to the top in
three years.

8. Faith Hill - "Breathe"

Courtesy Warner Bros.

Country singer Faith Hill leaned heavily in a pop direction here. Although the song didn't climb
higher than #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 it spent over a year on the chart and was named the top
pop chart single of the year. It is a classic power ballad that also spent 17 weeks at #1 on the
adult contemporary chart.
7. *NSYNC - "Bye Bye Bye"

Courtesy Jive Records

This song represents boy band *NSYNC at their peak. It was the lead-in to the album No Strings
Attached and helps celebrate the group leaving a negative relationship with their manager Lou
Pearlman. "Bye Bye Bye" was the most quickly added single to pop radio in history with 200
stations adding it to playlists in the same week. It was nominated for Grammy Awards for
Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo or Group with Vocal.

6. Eiffel 65 - "Blue (Da Ba Dee)"

Courtesy BlissCo

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" is one of the true nonsensical pop classics of all time. Members of Italian
dance group Eiffel 65 say the writing of the song began with the piano hook, but much of the
lyrical content is intentional nonsense. It was a top 10 pop hit that was also nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.

5. Destiny's Child - "Say My Name"

Courtesy Columbia Records

R&B girl group Destiny's Child scored their second #1 pop hit with this classic. Producer
Rodney Jerkins provides an infectious backing track incorporating 70's style guitar, drum
machine beats and synthesized strings. Reportedly group member Beyonce originally did not like
the track because it was too dense with too many elements. However, it has become one of the
group's best loved songs.
4. Eminem - "Stan"

Courtesy Aftermath / Interscope

Rapper Eminem cemented his artistic standing with this chilling tale of fan obsession. The
singing vocals are provided by British vocalist Dido. The song unfolds through letters sent to
Eminem and finally Eminem's attempt to write back to the fan.

3. Madonna - "Music"

Courtesy Maverick

Madonna headed triumphantly into the new decade with this heavily electronic classic. The voice
in the beginning that sounds male is actually Madonna's words heavily reprocessed. It was a #1
smash around the world and nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.

2. U2 - "Beautiful Day"

Courtesy Island

Although "Beautiful Day" was not U2's biggest hit on initial release, it has gained a powerful
reputation over time. The recording won three Grammy Awards for Record of the Year, Song of
the Year, and Best Rock Duo or Group with Vocal. Bono says the song is about, "a man who has
lost everything, but finds joy in what he still has." The song had particular poignance when
performed live by U2 at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans following the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.

1. Aaliyah - "Try Again"

 Courtesy Blackground

One of the most tragic music losses of the decade occurred in late summer 2001 with the death of
22 year old singer and actress Aaliyah in a plane crash. "Try Again" is arguably her finest
moment. It features an innovative, skeletal production from Timbaland. The song was included
on the soundtrack to the film Romeo Must Die and is Aaliyah's only #1 pop hit. "Try Again" is
the first song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 purely on the basis of radio airplay.

2007

IRREPLACEABLE

Beyonce

B'day

UMBRELLA

Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z

Good Girl Gone Bad

3

THE SWEET ESCAPE

Gwen Stefani Featuring Akon

The Sweet Escape

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY

Fergie

The Dutchess

5
BUY U A DRANK (SHAWTY SNAPPI...

T-Pain Featuring Yung Joc

Epiphany

2008
1

LOW

Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain

Also Charted On

2
BLEEDING LOVE

Leona Lewis

NO ONE

Alicia Keys

LOLLIPOP

Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major

5
APOLOGIZE

Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic

2009
1

BOOM BOOM POW

The Black Eyed Peas

The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

2
POKER FACE

Lady Gaga

The Fame [Bonus Track]

JUST DANCE

Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O'Donis

The Fame [Bonus Track]

I GOTTA FEELING

The Black Eyed Peas

The E.N.D. (Energy Never Dies)

5
LOVE STORY

Taylor Swift

Fearless

2010

TIK TOK

Ke$ha

Animal

2
NEED YOU NOW

Lady Antebellum

Need You Now

HEY, SOUL SISTER

Train

Save Me, San Francisco

CALIFORNIA GURLS

Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg

Teenage Dream

5
OMG

Usher Featuring will.i.am

Raymond V. Raymond

AIRPLANES

B.o.B Featuring Hayley Williams

B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

LOVE THE WAY YOU LIE

Eminem Featuring Rihanna

Recovery

8
BAD ROMANCE

Lady Gaga

The Fame Monster

DYNAMITE

Taio Cruz

The Rokstarr Collection

10

BREAK YOUR HEART

Taio Cruz Featuring Ludacris

Rokstarr
2011

1*

Grenade

Bruno Mars

Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Firework

Katy Perry

Teenage Dream

3*
What's My Name?

Rihanna Featuring Drake

Loud [Clean]

We R Who We R

Ke$ha

Cannibal

5
Raise Your Glass

P!nk

Greatest Hits...So Far!!!

6*

Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)

Enrique Iglesias Featuring Ludacris & DJ Frank E

Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)

7*

Black And Yellow

Wiz Khalifa

Black and Yellow

8*

The Time (Dirty Bit)

The Black Eyed Peas

The Beginning
9

Just The Way You Are

Bruno Mars

Doo-Wops & Hooligans

10

Only Girl (In The World)

Rihanna

Only Girl (In The World)