Before the 1950s, pop music was hard to come by. The 1920s saw a few hits from artists like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, but nothing would qualify as “pop.” With Elvis Presley in 1956 came what we now know as rock ‘n’ roll or just plain old “Pop.” Since then, the genre has evolved tremendously into something much more expensive than its humble beginnings. Their chart performances determine the rankings of all pop songs. This is because different periods have had differing turnover rates. These old charts would not be relevant to modern-day fans who weren’t alive or interested in that kind of music.
The following is a ranking of songs written from different genres over time. Besides Michael Jackson and Madonna, these tracks are bound by specific parameters.
‘Another Night’ by Real McCoy
This Eurodance pop single from Real McCoy is such a guilty pleasure. ‘Another Night’ only reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song climbed straight to the top of the Pop Songs chart and stayed there for six weeks. Decades later, this catchy tune still has addictive energy that can’t be beaten. It’s also been voted as one of today’s most popular songs in modern music history.
‘Smooth’ by Santana feat. Rob Thomas
Santana and Rob Thomas’s 1999 collaboration, “Smooth,” quickly became a radio mainstay. The song goes from describing the singer looking for his ‘smooth’ to later switching over to an outsider point of view that sees him as being too smooth with women. Santana teamed up with Matchbox Twenty vocalist Rob Thomas in 1999 to produce this hit single. This track became one of Santana’s most famous songs since his start in the 1970s.
‘Here Without You’ by 3 Doors Down
“Here Without You” is a song that resonates with the American military, serving in Iraq during the war. The music strikes an emotional chord with soldiers who have missed home and loved ones while living abroad. It spent 51 weeks on Billboard Radio Hot 100 charts before fading out of popularity.
Check Out: Top 5 Songs Of All Time
‘Apologize’ by Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
At the height of his career in 2007, Timbaland tried to branch out and release a more guitar-driven song. ‘Apologize’ featured vocals by One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder as well as an acoustic piano melody. The track reached #1 on Billboard’s Pop 100 chart for seven weeks straight.
‘How You Remind Me’ by Nickelback
‘How You Remind Me’ by Nickelback is everything that a good pop song should be. It’s a reflection of the relationship between Chad Kroeger and his girlfriend. Chad and his girlfriend argued back in 2001. If the song would have failed, we might have one less band to poke queerly at.
What is your favorite pop song from these picks? Tell us in the comments section below.
