—Lizzie Manno, Though Britpop stalwarts Supergrass were unfairly overshadowed by Oasis, Blur and Pulp in the press and became largely associated with their kooky debut album I Should Coco (featuring their 1995 hit “Alright”), the band’s second album, In It For The Money proves they were just as capable and exciting as their peers. His first two albums had been critically acclaimed but didn't sell particularly well. It topped both mainstream pop and adult contemporary radio charts. It’s been covered countless times, appeared in several films, perhaps most famously during Bruce Willis’ recruitment in Pulp Fiction, and Barack Obama even sang a line from it during an appearance at the Apollo Theater in 2012. Click here to find the lyrics to all these songs now! The accompanying video was highly acclaimed. Prince wrote "Nothing Compares 2 U" for his proteges in the group the Family. Ben E. King had first gained fame as a member of vocal group The Drifters. "Bohemian Rhapsody" topped the pop singles chart in the U.K. for nine weeks and is regularly cited as the greatest pop single of all time in U.K. polls. It was Katrina and the Waves’ first U.S. top 40 hit, and their biggest success in the United Kingdom until “Love Shine a Light” (1997). If you’re looking for a very happy song, look no further. There was conflict over that decision, but it remains a stunning vocal tour de force. Controversy erupted around the song in the late 1960s when it was adopted as a civil rights anthem by militant protesters. In celebration of World Emoji Day, put your emoji and pop culture knowledge to the test and see if you can figure out these emoji song titles. However, many believe that such figures as the Byrds, Mick Jagger, and the Beatles are subjects mentioned in the song. They’re squirrelly and skyscraping and seductive, like Television plucked out of a New York City punk dive and plunked down in front of some sweeping L.A. vista at sunset. It was one of seven top 5 pop hit singles from the album "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814." By the time he gets to the line “We’re nothing/ And nothing can help us,” his voice is cracked with emotion. "Hey Jude," the Beatles' biggest pop hit single, began as a song written by Paul McCartney titled "Hey Jules," It was meant to comfort a young Julian Lennon while his parents were going through a divorce. The song spent six weeks at No. The song became a chart-topping hit in more than a dozen countries around the world. However, the song received little attention until released as a single by Irish artist Sinead O'Connor in 1990. Sonic switch-ups aren’t supposed to work this well, especially for bands of this genre, but The Clash weren’t just any band, somehow finding a way to becoming the UK’s preeminent punk act and one of the first post-punk outfits. Rock/Pop. Rod Stewart has said he's not sure why it became such a big hit because it has no melody. Co-written with guitarist Steve Cropper, Otis Redding recorded what became his signature song just days before his tragic death in a plane crash in December 1967. —Bonnie Stiernberg, Now get this! She was inspired by the Roman Catholic belief in transubstantiation, by which the bread and wine in the Eucharist become literally the body and blood of Christ. The biggest hit single by the band R.E.M. 1980. At first listen it appears as a clap-happy ditty, but, digging deeper, “The Boy With The Arab Strap” is about the downside of the human experience, how everyone experiences pain: “Everyone suffers in silence a burden.” Belle & Sebastian are at their best when both deeply perceptive and empathetic, and their story of “The Boy With The Arab Strap,” and a cast of other colorful characters, is as widely relatable as music comes. It remains one of the hardest rocking songs to ever spend that length of time at the top of the pop chart. It has become a favorite for jukebox singalongs and has sold more than 3 million digital copies. —Robert Ham, Whether it’s advertising Trainspotting or the second largest cruise ship line in the world, Iggy Pop’s pre-YOLO ode to liquor, drugs and ear sex remains the jangly punk rock equivalent of an endorphin flood. It begins with whispered, cooing, with the narrator imploring his companion to be his queen. —Hilary Saunders, Madonna was already a sensation by 1984 but it was the release of her second album Like A Virgin that turned the pop star into a phenomenon. In celebration of the mighty title track, Paste’s music staff compiled 50 of our favorite title tracks of all time, limiting ourselves to one song per artist. Featuring a distinctively beautiful guitar solo, "Hotel California" went to No. Its crooning, romantic R&B style is considered a rock-and-roll landmark. At The Disco are well known for having hilarious and long-winded song titles. "Bye Bye Love" is the song that introduced the world to the Everly Brothers. The song is a murder ballad detailing the crimes of a highwayman known as MacHeath. "Hey Ya" was released as one of the two lead singles, along with "The Way You Move," from OutKast's double-disc set "Speakerboxxx / The Love Below." The electronic pop band Human League was skeptical about the release of "Don't You Want Me" as a single and thought it would stall their commercial progress. It eventually became a top 10 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Donald Trump - Mac Miller. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: “100 Days, 100 Nights”, 13. "Good Vibrations" is the Beach Boys' magnum opus. “And all of my friends who think that I’m blessed,” she sings. It has all of the components of a classic Rolling Stones hit, including Keith Richards' arresting guitar intro and Mick Jagger's distinctive preening vocals. Ultimately, musical taste is subjective, as are "best of" lists. It won a Grammy Award for Best Short Form Video. : “Transgender Dysphoria Blues”, 44. From the opening note of both the song and the album, it’s dynamic and utterly explosive. Waters, Roger; REC: Pink Floyd. 14 on the pop singles chart, but its social and political overtones were perfect for the times. The song remains one of the most powerful and poignant pleas for a peaceful world ever recorded. It also took home both a Golden Globe and Academy Award. At that age, she was known primarily for her work on the sitcom Good Times and had released a middling R&B album, overseen by her domineering father. 1 pop hit around the world and was certified gold in both the U.S. and the U.K. After coming out publicly as a trans woman in 2012, Grace addressed her gender transition and coming out on her band’s new record. The song was included in the Abbott and Costello film "Buck Privates," and it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Producer Giorgio Moroder was one of the key architects of its sound, which features an entirely synthesized backing track. Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2) Rock/Pop. However, the emotional power of "Send in the Clowns," from the musical "A Little Night Music," attracted the attention of a wide range of performers, including the legendary Frank Sinatra. 1 pop single for four weeks. That vibe? Daryl Hall and John Oates took the song back into the top 20 in the U.S. in 1980. The Motown-style production, combined with Winehouse's distinctive vocals, hit the pop top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic. D'Ye Ken John Peel - John Woodcock Graves. Martin also notes, however, that musical tastes change over time. Propelled by a distinctive drum line, "Peggy Sue" became one of Buddy Holly's three top 10 pop hits. —Lane Billings and Logan Lockner, The lyrics to “Control,” the title track for Janet Jackson’s 1986 album are much more autobiographical than you might realize. New Order recorded it just two years after the group had risen out of the ashes of the postpunk band Joy Division, which fell apart when lead vocalist Ian Curtis died. It was also the title song for the Beatles' second feature film. Her record label rejected it, claiming they had enough songs for her upcoming collection. The song is the fourth and final song that makes up the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" on the double album "Out of the Blue.". Kansas farm girl Dorothy Gale's wistful ditty in "The Wizard of Oz" led the American Film Institute's list of 100 best movie songs Tuesday, followed by "As Time Goes By" from "Casablanca" and the title tune from "Singin' in the Rain." It won Grammy Awards for Record and Song of the Year as well as the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Another One Bites The Dust. Eight years before Carrie Underwood ever begged “Jesus” to “Take The Wheel,” Williams described herself as a child, “about four or five years,” sequestered in the backseat, bumping along a dusty gravel road. It’s basically a perfect song, the most elegant summation of Motorhead’s version of punk-inspired metal (if you can call anything about this band elegant, that is). "Over the Rainbow" was written specifically for the movie "The Wizard of Oz" by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Jack Robinson/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, James Kriegsmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Columbia Records/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images, Silver Screen Collection/Contributor/Getty Images, Electric Light Orchestra: 'Mr. Pop songwriter Jimmy Webb wrote "Wichita Lineman" after driving through Oklahoma and noticing a seemingly endless line of telephone poles, broken only by the silhouette of a lone lineman atop a pole in the distance. 1 pop smash. Amy Grant’s Baby, Baby is a sweet song, which also happens to be one of the biggest hits of her career. “The Suburbs” is not only the title track, but it’s also the first song on the album, the listener’s first taste of Arcade Fire’s suburban stretch. "...Baby One More Time" has been widely covered by other artists, including Fountains of Wayne and Panic at the Disco. Stevie Nicks says she wrote "Dreams" in the studio in about 10 minutes. It won Grammy Awards for both Record and Song of the Year. —Annie Black, From the first rumble of Lemmy’s bass, to those final staccato chords, “Ace of Spades” is the closest any band has ever gotten to plowing right over its audience like a freight train. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was first recorded by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles but was rejected by Motown label owner Berry Gordy. 1993. —Robert Ham, When Dr. Dre says “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge” at the beginning of “Straight Outta Compton,” he’s not messing around. This version was a top 5 pop hit, and it returned to the charts in 1990 after being included on the soundtrack to the film "Ghost." The "Songs of the Century" list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts listed "Over the Rainbow" as No. Another Sad Love Song. Elton John: “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, 18. The song reached the top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100 once more after Houston died in 2012. "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" features vocals from the Islington Green School choir, along with shouted orders and mocking statements by presumed teachers. It did mark a shift in subject matter for the Beatles, who began to write more and more about personal, political, and social topics. Its lyrical meaning has been hotly debated over the years, but in the end what really matters is the power of Dylan's poetry and Al Kooper's organ work, which overlays the song like a gathering storm. "Fantasy," driven by a sample from Tom Tom Club's hit "Genius of Love," was released at the peak of Mariah Carey's commercial success. The song and accompanying video generated controversy, but the anthemic sound of "Like a Prayer" and its gospel backing chorus were enthusiastically received by fans, who turned it into a No. According to Gaga, the collaboration with producer RedOne was just supposed to be experimental. What becomes a smash hit in one era may not in another. Find album reviews, stream songs, credits and award information for 50 Best Songs from the Musicals - Various Artists on AllMusic Booyah Achieved by Minus The Bear (2002) “WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SONG TITLE?” Pete Parada (The Offspring): I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You by Colin Hay (1998) Its origin is the stuff of legend—a session in Muscle Shoals was going nowhere until that iconic Wurlitzer riff got things headed in the right direction, and Franklin (who, up until that point, had sung mostly pop for Columbia) delivered one of her best, most soulful performances. It reached the top 10 in both the U.S. and the U.K. upon its initial release. 97. It went all the way to No. Ike & Tina Turner: “River Deep – Mountain High”, 12. Neither of his first two albums had even placed inside the top 50. You can’t help but feel something when Lennon sings “Imagine all the people living for today”—children hold hands, dogs stop barking and the stripes of the world’s flags make a rainbow. "Son of a Preacher Man" is the centerpiece of English singer Dusty Springfield's landmark "Dusty in Memphis" album. "Dancing in the Street" was officially added to the National Recording Registry in 2006 by the Library of Congress. The Black Eyed Peas debuted at No. The celebratory party feel of "I Gotta Feeling" earned it a Grammy Award nomination for Record of the Year. (Fun fact: Pop and co-writer David Bowie based the beat on an Armed Forces Network call signal.) It also sets up the depression and subsequent withdrawal of the main character in the movie based on the album. Although it is not one of the group's biggest hits, "God Only Knows" is one of the Beach Boys' most daring and successful. "Son of a Preacher Man" became Springfield's fourth top 10 hit in the U.S. and her 10th at home in the U.K. "Unchained Melody" was originally recorded as the theme song for an obscure 1955 prison film, "Unchained, for which it was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Song From a Motion Picture." Here are the 50 best title tracks of all time: 47. It later went to No. Even if you pay not one lick of attention to the downcast lyrics cataloging the end of a fraught relationship, this song will connect and resonate with you on an almost molecular level. Speaking of long titles… This song was all over the radio in the ’90s, and was a smash for one-hit wonders Primitive Radio Gods.It was even featured in the Jim Carrey film, The Cable Guy — which further secured the song’s success.Written in an almost a stream-of-consciousness style, the verses seem to have little to do with one another, or with the chorus (which is actually a B.B. Buy on Amazon. "Fame" was recorded in a one-day session in which John Lennon provided backing vocals. The 12-inch single became the biggest selling 12-inch recording of all time. Click the appropriate link below for the ones to the end of 2016. 1 pop single by Elvis Presley and the bestselling single of the year in 1956. "Light My Fire" spent three weeks at No. Cobain's searing delivery of inscrutable lyrics mystified some and were seen as an anarchic celebration by others. This track, the first off of N.W.A’s seminal debut record, acts as an introduction for what is arguably the most influential rap group in history. The song became Pink Floyd's only No. Blasphemy. Written by Paul Simon, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is one of Art Garfunkel's few solo performances. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. You can feel her years of wisdom, love and heartache in her powerful croon, singing of the long, sometimes painful journey into a man’s heart. As she attempts to save the marriage, her free-wheeling beau is “always gone,” out slinging drinks with the guys until the wee hours of the morning. A pop cultural tour de force, "Mrs. Robinson" became a No. All Rights Reserved. The title track displays the 1997 album’s lush sound and dynamic melding of space rock, shoegaze, neo-psychedelia, noise pop and art rock. Nikolai Fraiture’s bass line influenced a generation of musicians, like Jared Followill of Kings of Leon, who says that when he was 15, this was one of the first bass lines he ever learned, and that this album was one of the main reasons he wanted to be in a band. Der Fuehrer's Face - Spike Jones & His City Slickers. The result was a record that captured the prevailing sound of mainstream pop with near perfection. It received a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, was nominated for Song of ​The Year, and peaked at No. Whichever version of “Slave” you choose is entirely satisfying thanks to their disco-reggae leanings and Jones’s steady vocal performance that reveals nothing on the surface but is touched with a fierce spirit. One of country music’s all-time best and most popular songs, “Jolene” still hits the mark to this day. The image of Prince in a bathtub that opens the music video for "When Doves Cry" is one of the most memorable from the golden era of MTV. 100 of the Best Pop Songs of All Time 01. Chaplin, Saul; REC: Al Jolson. "Mack the Knife" was originally composed in German and made its premier onstage in Berlin in 1928. The "day the music died," the famous line from the chorus, refers to the day that Buddy Holly died in 1959 in an airplane crash with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. “Walking On Sunshine” is a very upbeat song that will instantly bring a smile to anyone listening! Tina’s voice is soulful and smooth one minute and immensely raw and gripping the next as she digs for the most robust, moving vocal take she can possibly muster. 1 disco chart hit and was significantly featured later in the movie "Saturday Night Fever." The recording is an effortless blend of pop, R&B, and light hip-hop and became one of the top 20 pop hits of the 1990s. This gospel-influenced classic was written by Curtis Mayfield of the vocal group the Impressions. The band incorporated influential elements from seminal dance artists Kraftwerk, Donna Summer, and Sylvester. Even if you didn’t learn the zombie dance from the video’s culmination, “Thriller” still lent itself to mad freestyling, with its rhythmic structure that people could samba, hustle, jitterbug or strip to. Though “Born to Run” is a classic, “Born in the USA” is the clear winner. Mick Jagger, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson, and James Taylor are all potential influences. Stephen Sondheim, one of the most accomplished composers of stage musicals of all time, does not aim to write hit songs. The song's memorable line, "Shake it like a Polaroid picture," was later used by that company in its advertising. —Ellen Johnson, “Hello, darkness, my old friend/ I’ve come to talk with you again.” Arrested Development jokes aside, this lyric from “The Sound of Silence” is one of the most iconic song openers in music. 2 in the U.S. and at No. "Maggie May" brought a British folk-pop style and Stewart's trademark raspy vocals into the pop mainstream. 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