17 Oct 2023

The 500 Best Pop Songs (Nos. 500-301): Staff List

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It all comes back to pop music. Pop is the backbone not only of the music industry, but of culture in general: Nothing else connects people, defines moments and lives and passes down history from generation to generation the way pop does. It’s our shared language, our communal experience. It’s why wedding receptions are usually joyous and celebratory occasions even if the DJ doesn’t know a thing about the people they’re playing to, why karaoke can feel like a spiritual awakening in the right circumstances, why top 40 and oldies radio remain cultural staples a decade into the streaming era. There is no safer bet, no easier sell than pop music.

And yet, there’s been relatively little attempt to properly canonize modern pop’s greatest works and practitioners. While rock as a genre has been listed and anthologized to death over the past 50 years, and hip-hop and country are finally starting to catch up, such pop histories are relatively few and far between. There’s no official pop hall of fame, like there is for those other genres. It shouldn’t be possible for the biggest music on the planet to be overlooked, but it does feel that way sometimes.

So we here at Billboard have decided to take the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Billboard Hot 100 — with the chart finally having lived a full-enough life to be at retirement age, though it’s still as vital as ever and certainly nowhere near hanging it up — to take our shot at listing the 500 best pop songs since the chart’s debut. Though songs had to hail from the Hot 100 era to qualify for our list, this isn’t a charts-determined ranking: Rather, these are the songs our staff felt were simply the greatest, most enduring pop songs of that 65-year period, the songs that we most think of when we think of what pop music could and should be. (Because 500 is a much smaller number than you think when talking about 65 years of pop music, and because we wanted to be able to include as many different artists as possible, we capped the number of pop songs per lead artist at three.)

How are we defining “pop songs,” you might ask? Well, that’s a little tough: One of the reasons pop can be hard to summarize is because there’s no real sonic or musical definition to it. There are common elements to a lot of the biggest pop songs, but at the end of the day, “pop” means “popular” first and foremost, and just about any song that becomes popular enough — whether it be rock, dance, rap, R&B, country, reggaetón or some combination — can be considered a pop song. So the only hard-and-fast qualification we laid down for songs to be eligible for our list was that they had to have hit the Hot 100 at some point, in some version. (The only exception we made was for songs that came during the ’90s period where many huge airplay hits were ineligible for the Hot 100; read here for more details on that.)

All that said, the “pop” part of this project was still essential when determining our ranking. We were looking for the songs that most fit our idea of pop music — catchy, tight, rousing, emotional, immaculately crafted, instantly memorable. If a song didn’t strike us as an obvious pop song, we might have ranked it lower on our list than most other all-time songs lists have in the past, or left it off altogether. Conversely, if a song makes us go “now that’s a pop song!” every time we hear it, even if it’s not the kind of critically revered song that often ends up on all-time lists, we made sure to give it a little extra love here. Our definition of pop might differ from yours — we couldn’t even all agree on every song ourselves — but even if we can’t do much better than “we know it when we hear it,” we’re confident you’ll hear it plenty yourself while reading through the songs on our list.

Here are our staff’s 500 favorite pop songs since the introduction of the Billboard Hot 100 on Aug. 4th, 1958 — from Lesley Gore to Carly Rae Jepsen, from Sam Cooke to SZA, from The Kinks to The Chainsmokers, from Chubby Checker to Rae Sremmurd. We’ll be counting down from 500 to 301 today (Oct. 17), then from 300 to 101 on Wednesday, with the final 100 being unveiled on Thursday (Oct. 19), along with more related articles you can read all about here.

Join us below all week, and feel free to sing along; we know you know the words.

500. Los Del Rio, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”

Image Credit: Evan Agostini/Liaison/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Aug. 3, 1996)

You Know What It Is: One of the first-ever (largely) Spanish-language No. 1s on the Hot 100, a mercilessly ubiquitous mid-’90s dance craze — and a much more irresistible pop song than you likely remember.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: The famous Bayside Boys remix not only gave “Macarena” its squelchy dance groove and flirty sung-spoken verses, it also handicapped it with a number of extremely ’90s, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it samples — including Anne Bancroft’s “I am not trying to seduce you” protestation from The Graduate, used just a couple years earlier in George Michael’s “Too Funky.”

Gimme More: You may have just as many painful wedding, confirmation and/or bar mitzvah flashbacks to go along with Marcia Griffiths’ 1990 hit “Electric Boogie” — better known as the Electric Slide — but few pop songs of its era still sound as delightfully effervescent.
499. New Kids on the Block, “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (March 11, 1989)

You Know What It Is: This song simply Has It (The Right Stuff) – and that stuff is a bass-heavy beat, puppy-love lyrics, and the voices of five Boston boys blending just right to make teen fans (and beyond) swoon.

This Magic Moment: It’s all about the sing-along “oh-oh-OH-oh-oh” chorus, which birthed the boy band’s trademark penguin dance move, made famous in the classic black-and-white music video.

Coming Around Again: “Weird Al” Yankovic reached into his cookie jar of tricks for this one, flipping “The Right Stuff” to “The White Stuff” as an ode to the crème filling of an Oreo.
498. Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal, “Saturday Love”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 26 (Apr. 19, 1986)

You Know What It Is: The sweetly aching mid-’80s pop&B duet about still needing your love, babe — exactly one day a week.

Who Put the Bomp: Legendary hitmakers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, months away from conquering the top 40 world with Janet Jackson on her Control album, give both the lyrics and production here the exact right mix of seductive allure and anxious melancholy.

Coming Around Again: “Saturday Love” has been resurrected in recent years through songs by Charli XCX, Jason Derulo & David Guetta and many others — but the best lift remains Junior Jack’s 1999 U.K. dance hit “My Feeling,” which loops the vocal from the song’s finest moment: O’Neal’s “When I think about you/ My feelings can’t explain!” entrance.
497. Toni Basil, “Mickey”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Dec. 11, 1982)

You Know What It Is: The stomping rhythm that resonates like a squad of cheerleaders on a hardwood floor, the bratty “Mickey you’re so fine” chant and an ascending synth riff add up to a slice of new wave bubblegum that’s clung to brains for decades.

Who Put the Bomp: Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn co-wrote the song, originally performed by ’70s U.K. pop-rockers Racey (and then known as “Kitty”). The duo also penned Exile’s “Kiss You All Over,” Suzi Quatro’s “Can the Can” and Sweet’s “Ballroom Blitz,” while Chapman served as producer on Blondie’s classic album Parallel Lines.

Coming Around Again: According to Kembrew McLeod and Peter DiCola’s book Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling, DMC of Run-D.M.C. copped to basing one of their signature singles off the Basil smash.
496. Connie Francis, “Stupid Cupid”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 17 (Sept. 22, 1958)

You Know What It Is: The squawking dismissal of the titular cherub torturer that gave Connie Francis’ ballad-focused sound (and slowing career) a much-needed jolt.

Who Put the Bomp: “Stupid Cupid” was co-written by Brill Building stalwarts Howard Greenfield and Neil Sedaka, the latter of whom was about to become one of the biggest singer-songwriters in pop thanks to his own hits like “Calendar Girl” and “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do.”

Because of You: Francis’ hit helped establish Cupid as a staple title subject in pop music, recurring in excellent later Hot 100 smashes by artists ranging from Sam Cooke to 112 to the Gym Class Heroes.
495. Demi Lovato, “Give Your Heart a Break”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 16 (Aug. 25, 2012)

You Know What It Is: Demi Lovato’s post-Disney Channel breakthrough at pop radio, a nifty bit of “heartbreak” wordplay that flipped the script on Lovato’s mainstream aspirations.

This Magic Moment: Lovato goes for broke during the final chorus, starting off with some background melismas (“I know you’re SCARED it’s WROOOOONG”) and then changing the lyrics in the second half for some elongated pleading.

Gimme More: Lovato’s 2011 album Unbroken has a deep bench of vocal showcases beyond “Give Your Heart a Break” and top 10 hit “Skyscraper” — the snappy, soulful “My Love is Like a Star” should have been a hit based solely on how Lovato sells its titular concept.
494. Tommy Tutone, “867-5309/Jenny”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (May 22, 1982)

You Know What It Is: The power-pop gem that turned seven digits’ worth of bathroom graffiti into the catchiest (and most-pranked) phone number of the 1980s.

Who Put the Bomp: Alex Call, who wrote “Jenny” with Tommy Tutone guitarist Jim Keller, was also the singer/guitarist for ’70s rock band Clover — which backed Elvis Costello on his classic debut album My Aim Is True, and which employed a harmonica player named Huey Louis (later “Lewis”).

This Magic Moment: Keller and lead singer Tommy Heath trading off “I got it! / I got your number on the wall” harmonies on the bridge, leading to Heath’s climactic “For a good time, CAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!” wail.
493. Pharrell feat. Jay-Z, “Frontin'”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (Sept. 20, 2003)

You Know What It Is: Pharrell’s falsetto-laden come-on and solo breakout moment, after a half-decade of pop, rap and R&B smashes as one half of superproducer duo The Neptunes.

This Magic Moment: Plenty of swoon-worthy moments to go around here, but when Skateboard P takes a breather from the crooning on the outro to promise, “I’ma see you through your window.”

Because of You: Rapper Tyler, the Creator has said he considers “Frontin’” the greatest song of all time, taking to Instagram this April to testify about the impact hearing the song for the first time had on him: “The trajectory of my life changed at that moment… I’ve subconsciously been trying to chase that high for 20 years.”
492. Irene Cara, “Flashdance…What a Feeling”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (May 28, 1983)

You Know What It Is: The propulsive and anthemic theme song that perfected the art of the film/music tie-in at the outset of the MTV era.

Hollywood Nights: Cara performed the song, written for and titled after the 1983 welder-turned-dancer drama Flashdance, on the Academy Awards the next year, in a dazzling production number in which she was joined by 44 boys and girls. Later in the show, she won an Oscar for co-writing the song with Moroder and Keith Forsey — becoming the first Black woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting category.

Who Put the Bomp: Giorgio Moroder, who supervised most of Donna Summer’s biggest hits, composed and produced Cara’s single. Joe Esposito, a member of Brooklyn Dreams, which teamed with Summer for the 1979 smash “Heaven Knows,” sang backing vocals.
491. Lil Kim feat. Lil Cease, “Crush on You”

Image Credit: KMazur/WireImage

Hot 100 Airplay Peak: No. 52 (May 24, 1997)

You Know What It Is: A solo showcase on Lil Kim’s Hard Core album for her Junior M.A.F.I.A. co-lieutenant Lil Cease, turned into an unforgettably frisky two-hander between Kim and Cease on the single version.

Coming Around Again: He’s not credited on the single, but M.A.F.I.A. don The Notorious B.I.G. gets both the chorus and the most frequently-referenced line on the song — “He’s a slut, he’s a ho, he’s a freak/ Got a different girl every day of the week” — most memorably turned around by Field Mob’s Smoke (“I’m a slut, I’m a ho…”) on the rap duo’s Ciara-featuring top 10 hit “So What.”

Living on Video: The color-coded and cameo-strewn (Aaliyah, Uncle Luke, Ed Lover) “Crush” visual gave the song an extra layer of playfulness, and made a multi-wigged Kim look like an immediate pop icon.
490. Berlin, “Take My Breath Away”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Sept. 13, 1986)

You Know What It Is: The slow-burning synth-pop anthem that made ‘80s-era swoon-worthy moments synonymous with cinematic romance.

Hollywood Nights: In the action-romance blockbuster Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise as Maverick and Kelly McGillis as Charlie, the two protagonists share a passionate motorcycle ride on a moonlit night, solidifying the song’s association with their intense love story.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: With its synth-driven sound and emotionally charged lyrics, Berlin’s quintessentially ’80s ballad captured the essence of a young generation in love.
489. Alice Deejay, “Better Off Alone”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 27 (June 3, 2000)

You Know What It Is: The most enduring (and emotionally resonant) anthem from the turn-of-the-century period where trance briefly worked its way from the clubs into top 40 radio.

This Magic Moment: When after little pops of it threaded through the song’s intro, the full hook is finally laid out in its total splendor — the “Smoke on the Water” of Y2K synth riffs.

Coming Around Again: That time-tested riff is never more than a year or so from showing up again somewhere in the pop world, most recently on Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj’s Hot 100 hit “Alone.”
488. Ella Mai, “Boo’d Up”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (July 21, 2018)

You Know What It Is: An addictive, punch-drunk R&B love song with a brain-sticking, near-nonsense-sounding chorus — the way mom and dad used to make ’em.

Who Put the Bomp: “Boo’d Up” was a new sound and vibe for co-writer/co-producer Mustard, then best-known for his work on hip-hop bangers from YG, Ty Dolla $ign and Tyga.

Living on Video: A great teenage-love ballad with an ’80s-reminsicent sound needs a music video to match, and the song’s clip was nearly as winning — with a great choice of co-lead in then-rising R&B star Khalid.
487. The Dave Clark Five, “Glad All Over”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 6 (Apr. 25, 1964)

You Know What It Is: An absolute British Invasion head rush, every bit as giddy and all-consuming as you’d expect from the title.

This Magic Moment: No more compulsory drum-along from the ’60s than the two-beat thump-thump in the middle of singer Mike Smith’s chorus insistence, “And I’m feeling… GLAD ALL OVER!“

Gimme More: If you need a double-shot of DC5 and even “Glad All Over” isn’t giving you the caffeine boost you need, try the absolute rocket fuel of 1965 hit “Any Way You Want It.”
486. Pretenders, “Back on the Chain Gang”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (Mar. 19, 1983)

You Know What It Is: Written by the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde about her strained relationship with The Kinks frontman Ray Davies, “Back on the Chain Gang” is Hynde at her peak: touching lyricism, timeless melodies and a delivery both supple and powerful.

This Magic Moment: The “Ooh! Ahh!” — the sounds of a prison chain gang — heard in the chorus, cleverly reminiscent of Sam Cooke’s similarly themed 1960 hit.

Gimme More: The excellent “Show Me,” another mid-tempo gem from 1984’s Learning to Crawl, shows a sweeter side of Hynde.
485. Tony Bennett, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 19 (Oct. 20, 1962)

You Know What It Is: With a vocal both understated and unforgettable, this performance from Bennett — a singer whose talent spanned decades and transcended generations — defined the phrase “signature song.”

This Magic Moment: “To be where little cable cars/ climb halfway to the stars,” sings Bennett, as a drummer brushes his cymbals and piano notes float in as gently as fog off the bay.

Come Together: After Bennett’s passing in July 2023, Scott Simon of NPR recalled a 1961 tour where Bennett and longtime accompanist Ralph Sharon found themselves noodling around on a piano at a bar in Hot Springs, Ark. after a show, and tried out a few bars of “San Francisco.” The bartender told them: “If you guys record that song, I’ll buy the first copy.”
484. Real McCoy, “Another Night”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (Nov. 12, 1994)

You Know What It Is: The gold standard for mid-’90s hi-NRG dance-pop, mixing house diva vocals with bass-voiced raps and more hooks than a fishing tackle box.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: Nothing timestamps this thing to the pop of the Clinton years like German rapper Olaf “O-Jay” Jeglitza’s heavily accented “I talk, talk, I talk to you” repetitions — a foundational element of the Planet of the Bass.

Gimme More: “Another Night” is essentially the midpoint between two other still-sparkling ’90s radio mix show fixtures: The dancefloor propaganda of Snap!’s “Rhythm Is a Dancer” and the romantic delirium of Amber’s “This Is Your Night.”
483. The Romantics, “What I Like About You”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 49 (March 15, 1980)

You Know What It Is: A textbook and instantly timeless power-pop rave-up that was only a modest chart hit upon release, but remains eternal at bars and sports stadiums across the country.

This Magic Moment: Hard to beat that intro, an immediate assault of riffage and handclaps, culminating in the full band shouting the only lyric you really need to know: “HEY!”

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: Ironically, there’s been no better demonstration of the supernatural tunefulness of the Romantics’ original than Kahn Souphanousinphone’s one-note rendition of the song on King of the Hill, as he tries to scare away an intrusive mariachi band.
482. Ciara feat. Petey Pablo, “Goodies”

Image Credit: KMazur/WireImage

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Sept. 11, 2004)

You Know What It Is: Ciara’s breakout debut single, which became the delectable chart-topping title track of her debut album, catapulting her to stardom.

Who Put the Bomp: Crunk legend Lil Jon produced the hypnotic beat, and is credited as a writer on the track.

Coming Around Again: The Crunk&b track went dance in 2023 with a new version by Dillon Francis, and a heavier-hitting remix of his remix by emerging DJ Knock2.
481. The Shangri-Las, “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”

Hot 100 peak: No. 18 (Jan. 30, 1965)

You Know What It Is: The most frenzied pop single ever released by the traditionally doomy-and-gloomy girl group, planning their smooch sneak-attack like a quartet of bouffanted major-generals on a sugar high.

Coming Around Again: The New York Dolls famously swiped the song’s classic “You best believe I’m in LUV, L-U-V” intro for the beginning to their own proto-punk killer “Looking for a Kiss” — but a little more subtly, the Grease soundtrack lifted its “tell me more, tell me more” backing pleads for the refrain to John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John’s “Summer Nights.“

These Words: Every response Mary Weiss offers in the song’s spoken question-and-answer section is a gem, but none more than “Hmmm…. well, he’s good-bad, but he’s not evil.”
480. First Class, “Beach Baby”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (Oct. 5, 1974)

You Know What It Is: The ’70s AM gold nugget that blended pure-pop instincts, symphonic ambitions and catch-a-wave obsessiveness better than anyone not named Brian Wilson.

Who Put the Bomp: “Beach Baby” was penned by John Carter — the man behind such golden-oldies catnip as The Music Explosion’s “Little Bit O’ Soul” and Herman’s Hermits’ “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat” — along with his wife Gillian Shakespeare, and the French horn melody on its bridge was borrowed from composer Jean Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony, getting the couple in legal trouble.

Gimme More: First Class singer Tony Burrows was the unavoidable voice of early-’70s bubblegum, also the singer behind winners like White Plains’ “My Baby Loves Lovin’,” and at least one more song still to come on this list.
479. Debbie Gibson, “Only in My Dreams”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (Sept. 5, 1987)

You Know What It Is: The big bang of the late-’80s mall-pop explosion, and the introduction of one of the most gifted young stars in teen-pop history.

Living on Video: The clip, set in New Jersey’s Asbury Park, properly captured not only the indefatigable energy of then-16-year-old Debbie Gibson, but the wistful-beyond-her-years longing of “Dreams” — and its cuts between vibrant color and hazy black-and-white would become a visual cliché of the era.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: Did this song really need a sax solo to raise the dramatic stakes after the second chorus? (Yes, because it was released in the mid-’80s.)
478. Little Anthony and the Imperials, “Tears on My Pillow”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (Oct. 13, 1958)

You Know What It Is: Doo-wop’s most sublimely forlorn moment, represented in one of its most instantly evocative title images.

These Words: While most of “Tears on My Pillow” is a big ol’ guilt trip laid at the instigater’s feet, Little Anthony makes the song a more complex one with his second-verse admission: “If we could start anew, I wouldn’t hesitate/ I’d gladly take you back, and tempt the hand of fate.”

Gimme More: “Two People in the World,” B-side to “Tears,” is just as spellbinding, and with even richer harmonies — as the group demonstrated in a show-stopping a cappella performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert in 2009.
477. Biz Markie, “Just a Friend”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (Mar. 17, 1990)

You Know What It Is: A deliciously goofy sing-along that finds an off-key Markie wailing about getting friend zone’d over what sounds like a Fisher-Price piano.

Gimme More: While he was justly hailed as the Clown Prince of Hip-Hop, Markie could spit with authority when a sick beat called for it: Check out “Nobody Beats the Biz” from his 1988 debut, Goin’ Off.

Coming Around Again: Markie’s song – which includes an interpolation of Freddie Scott’s 1968 minor hit “(You) Got What I Need” – directly inspired Mario’s “Just a Friend 2002,” which peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100.
476. Nina Sky feat. Jibbs, “Move Ya Body”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (Aug. 7, 2004)

You Know What It Is: The beguiling dancehall breakout hit for identical twins Nicole and Natalie Albino, the “Ni” and the “Na” in Nina Sky.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: The slithering Coolie riddim that the song rides was unavoidable in 2004, also buoying hits by Elephant Man (“Jook Gal”) and Pitbull (“Culo”) — but the Albino sisters’ twisting harmonies and brilliant deployment of micro-hooks throughout make “Body” peerlessly electric.

This Magic Moment: Hard to beat when a future pop classic calls back to an established one, as when the duo spends the bridge singing the refrain to fellow New Yorkers Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam’s 1985 hit “Can You Feel the Beat.”
475. Right Said Fred, “I’m Too Sexy”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Feb. 8, 1992)

You Know What It Is: The inane-ly catchy debut single from the bald, be-muscled Fairbrass brothers about preening, peacocking models and mirror-obsessed flexers — and a ’90s dance camp classic that taught us about being too sexy for shirts, hats, cars and (sorry) your party.

Coming Around Again: Not only did “I’m Too Sexy” top the Hot 100, but it led to Fred and Richard Fairbrass and RSF guitarist Rob Manzoli earning songwriting credits on two additional No. 1s: Taylor Swift’s 2017 single “Look What You Made Me Do,” which borrowed bits of the hook’s melody and rhythm, and Drake’s 2021 smash “Way 2 Sexy,” which both sampled and interpolated the song.

Living on Video: Though the silly song has its own unique allure, the undeniable ridiculousness of the buff Fairbrass bros shaking their little tushes on the catwalk, posing in mesh tanks and being chased by bikini-clad paparazzi amped the kitsch factor up to 12.
474. Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 15 (Dec. 31, 2022)

You Know What It Is: Phil Spector’s Xmas high point — no small designation there — with a legendary Darlene Love vocal, capturing the heightened emotional stakes of the holidays like few seasonal songs before or since.

Coming Around Again: Few would’ve guessed Joshua Tree-era U2 to perform the closest thing “Christmas” has to a second definitive version, but Bono put his whole chest into their 1987 cover, hitting levels of desperation untouched even by the original with his climactic “BAAAAABY please come home”s.

Because of You: “Christmas” turned Darlene Love into an annual pop culture presence, with the song now re-charting every year, and has led to multiple unofficial sequels — including the also-excellent “All Alone at Christmas” (from 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York) and the pitch-perfect 2005 SNL parody “Christmastime for the Jews.”
473. Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Jan. 18, 2020)

You Know What It Is: The majestic, squeaky and bizarrely sticky breakout single that made Roddy Ricch a star — perhaps only briefly, turns out — and gave us the first true crossover smash of the 2020s.

Come Together: “The Box” owes its breathless nature — it often sounds like one long verse, or maybe one really long chorus — to being recorded in 15 minutes at the end of a marathon recording session for chart-topping debut album Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial. “I made it at, like, 7 A.M. in New York after recording all night,” Ricch told GQ in 2020. “It was actually the last song I made for the album.”

These Words: No other pop song could make a late-song climax out of a line like “B–ch don’t wear no shoes in my house!”
472. Badfinger, “No Matter What”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (Dec. 5, 1970)

You Know What It Is: The sound that plays when you look up “power pop” in the dictionary.

Who Put the Bomp: Badfinger were such Beatlemaniacs that they actually got their breakout single “Come and Get It” to be written and produced by Paul McCartney. They didn’t score any of the Fab Four for “No Matter What,” but they did land longtime Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick to produce most of parent album No Dice, and give “What” a last-minute remix before releasing it as the lead single.

Hollywood Nights: “What” was established as the sound of the early ’70s for a new generation when it was featured in a 1970-set singalong scene in the coming-of-age drama Now and Then.
471. En Vogue, “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”

Image Credit: Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (May 16, 1992)

You Know What It Is: A girl-group classic that rode spicy vocals and a funky and a looping guitar riff from James Brown’s “The Payback” to become one of the premier pop kiss-offs of the decade.

This Magic Moment: The a cappella breakdown that hits about 3:30 in is a showstopping demonstration of the foursome’s butter-smooth vocal harmonies.

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: In a Season 2 episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race, the song soundtracked a memorable “Lip Sync for Your Life” segment between Nicole Paige Brooks and the season’s runner-up (and future Drag Race makeup artist/creative producer) Raven.
470. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “The Love I Lost”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 7 (Dec. 8, 1973)

You Know What It Is: A mighty heartbreak testimony from R&B icon Teddy Pendergrass, with an upbeat groove that proved instrumental in facilitating the mid-’70s mainstream’s transition from soul to disco.

Who Put the Bomp: Like the majority of the Blue Notes’ classic catalog, “The Love I Lost” was written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff — who, through their work with artists like the O’Jays, Billy Paul and Lou Rawls at their Philadelphia International label, helped define the sound of Philadelphia in the 1970s.

Gimme More: That sound was defined somewhat more literally by studio musician group MFSB — who often backed the Blue Notes — with their enduring 1974 No. 1 hit “TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia),” also helmed by Gamble and Huff.
469. Usher, “You Make Me Wanna…”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (Oct. 25, 1997)

You Know What It Is: It’s Usher, baby, encapsulated in the single that launched him to superstardom: a smooth-meets-street slice of R&B perfection about the temptation of a love triangle (a subject Usher would return to … a lot).

Who Put the Bomp: “You Make Me Wanna” kicked off Usher’s career-long creative partnership with producer Jermaine Dupri; if he sounds a lot more experienced in love and life than the typical 18-year old on the track, consider it foreshadowing of what Dupri would help him tap into five years later on Confessions.

This Magic Moment: The dramatic bridge (a showcase for Usher’s emotional and technical vocal range) dropping off into pure beats, punctuated only by Usher’s “you make me wanna” refrains for the dance break (a showcase for Usher’s other considerable talents).
468. Luther Vandross, “Never Too Much”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 33 (Nov. 28, 1981)

You Know What It Is: The joyous, club-wrecking R&B single that put Vandross, a gifted session singer with a slew of A-list credits, on the map as a force in his own right.

Who Put the Bomp: The propulsive, springy bass-work — that’s the very first, slap-in-the-face sound on the recording — is courtesy of Marcus Miller. In addition to being an indispensable part of so many Vandross records, Miller’s playing graced albums by Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Miles Davis.

Gimme More: Vandross’ biggest hits were often ballads which built to epic peaks perfect for his elastic, emotionally wrenching voice. But “Never Too Much” is dance-floor dynamite, and Vandross has other tracks in this vein: Try “I’ll Let You Slide,” a bottom-heavy boogie cut from 1983.
467. Cam’Ron feat. Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey & Toya, “Hey Ma”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (Nov. 2, 2002)

You Know What It Is: The ultimate call-and-response club track of the early 2000s, with Juelz Santana and Cam’ron’s respective verses buttressed by a back-and-forth flirtation (delivered by fellow Dipset member Freekey Zekey and guest singer Toya).

Who Put the Bomp: “Hey Ma” was the lone song on Cam’ron’s breakthrough 2002 album Come Home With Me that was helmed by Brooklyn producer D/R Period, who had broken through with the M.O.P. classic “Ante Up” two years prior.

This Magic Moment: That conclusive “And we gon’ get it on ton-iii-ght,” which arrives at the beginning and end of each chorus, is the sing-along line when you’re in a big group setting, leaving the rest of the chorus to be mumbled along with the track.
466. Roxette, “It Must Have Been Love”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (June 16, 1990)

You Know What It Is: It’s that heart-rending, goosebump-inducing ballad full of yearning and ache that plays as Julia Roberts’ Vivian rides off in a limo after turning down Edward’s (Richard Gere) offer to “stay … not because I’m paying you … but because you want to” in Pretty Woman.

This Magic Moment: “Yeah it must have been love/ But it’s over now/ It was all that I wanted/ Now I’m living without,” Marie Fredrikkson practically screams in the final third of the song as the key modulates way up, her agony over an epic lost love palpable in the chorus’ final lines.

Coming Around Again: A power ballad deserves power vocals, and Kelly Clarkson gave the song just that when she took on the heartbreak hit in a December 2020 Kellyoke session on her eponymous talk show.
465. Ohio Express, “Yummy Yummy Yummy”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (June 15, 1968)

You Know What It Is: As bubbly and gummy as ’60s bubblegum gets, the lone top 10 hit for Midwestern pop-rockers the Ohio Express is like snorting a ground-up pack of Bazooka.

Gimme More: Arguably the Ohio Express’ lone rivals for pure chewiness in the late ’60s was the 1910 Fruitgum Company, whose “1, 2, 3 Red Light” from just a few months later is probably still stuck in the teeth of some Boomers.

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: No better illustration of the song’s all-consuming infectiousness than the Simpsons flashback scene to a young Homer listening to it on headphones, blissfully unaware that his father is watching man land on the moon for the first time a room over.
464. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Achy Breaky Heart”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (July 18, 1992)

You Know What It Is: The pleading breakup song that introduced a hip-shaking, ponytail-wearing Billy Ray Cyrus to the country music scene (and everyone else) in 1992.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: “Heart” is the ‘90s song that, along with songs such as Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and shows from CMT and TNN, helped thrust line-dancing into a commercial peak.

Living on Video: The exciting music video for the song, which featured Cyrus exiting a limousine while crowded by a throng of shouting fans, positioned Cyrus as star from the get-go and included the line dance steps that would help bolster the dance’s popularity.
463. Cassie, “Me & U”

Image Credit: MJ Kim/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (July 22, 2006)

You Know What It Is: A hypnotically twinkling and deeply synthed statement of romantic intention that quickly became a classic of the ringtone pop era.

Who Put the Bomp: “Me & U” was written and produced by Ryan Leslie — an R&B singer-songwriter in his own right, who earned a cult following and a lot of early hype but never got above No. 95 on the Hot 100 as a lead artist.

Living on Video: While the song’s main video features Cassie doing a solo dance routine inspired by Janet Jackson’s “The Pleasure Principle,” another clip exists — intended for international audiences, and mostly disavowed by Cassie herself — that’s much more risqué, highlighting the pretty adult undercurrents to what is on its surface a very innocent-sounding song.
462. Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, “It Takes Two”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 36 (Oct. 29, 1988)

You Know What It Is: One of the earliest examples that rap as a genre could produce party and wedding staples as timeless as Motown.

These Words: Countless quotables to be had throughout “It Takes Two,” but few more out-of-nowhere memorable than Base declaring, “I like the Whopper, f–k the Big Mac” — up there with Run-D.M.C. hanging out at KFC in “You Be Illin’” and the Beastie Boys shilling for White Castle throughout Licensed to Ill for rap’s greatest fast-food product placement of the ’80s.

Coming Around Again: “It Takes Two” still shows up time and time again in music and pop culture, but perhaps most notable was barely a year later, when Seduction lifted both the chorus hook and the song’s famous break (originally sampled from Lyn Collins’ “Think (About It)”) for their much bigger 1990 chart hit “Two to Make It Right.”
461. Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto, “The Girl From Ipanema”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (July 18, 1964)

You Know What It Is: Bossa nova’s crossover peak, a universally accessible bilingual pop song, and a recording so intimate-sounding that every listen feels like you’re hearing it being performed from the bar stage for the first time.

Hollywood Nights: In the midst of The Blues Brothers’ action-packed climax, the titular bros take an elevator ride soundtracked by a nondescript instrumental cover of “Ipanema” – a nod to the song’s eternal ubiquity as incidental background muzak.

These Words: “Tall and tan and young and lovely” become an iconic description for model-like beauties of the time – so much so that when a character on ‘60s-set TV drama Mad Men used it admiringly about protagonist Don Draper’s wife, no explanation of the allusion was needed.
460. Bobby Brown, “My Prerogative”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Jan. 14, 1989)

You Know What It Is: The New Edition star’s battering-ram breakthrough as a crossover solo artist.

These Words: Co-penned by Brown in response to criticism about his leaving New Edition, “My Prerogative” is a live-your-life anthem that still resonates 35 years later: “Everybody’s talking all this stuff about me/ Why don’t they just let me live?/ I don’t need permission, make my own decisions / That’s my prerogative.”

Coming Around Again: Britney Spears channeled her own frustrations with fans and media dissecting her life when she covered “My Prerogative” in 2004 — just days after her marriage to now ex-husband Kevin Federline.
459. J Balvin & Willy William, “Mi Gente”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (Oct. 21, 2017)

You Know What It Is: The French and Colombian artists collaborating to create a global hit in Spanish, crossing cultural and genre barriers with their killer fusion of reggaetón and dancehall beats.

Come Together: In late 2016, Balvin’s trip to Paris sparked his interest in collaborating with a prominent French artist. Balvin called William and asked to do a remix together. They collaborated on the song’s melody, and Balvin wrote the lyrics for the Spanish verse. Willy William remembers it happening almost unintentionally.

Because of You: Along with an even bigger crossover hit from the same year still to come on this list, “Mi Gente” opened doors for Latin music as a global phenomenon — aided by a profile-boosting remix featuring American superstar Beyoncé — redefining the mainstream and making history in the process.
458. The Angels, “My Boyfriend’s Back”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Aug. 31, 1963)

What You Know It Is: A deceptively sweet bop of Angels harmonizing about how you’re about to catch hands for those inappropriate comments.

Who Put the Bomp: As a young man, heavy metal musician Ronnie James Dio (Dio and Black Sabbath) played trumpet on the track.

Hollywood Nights: In 1993, the song was featured in the trailer (though not the film) for the teen zombie romance My Boyfriend’s Back, which follows a high school girl defending her undead boyfriend from pitchfork-wielding angry mobs.
457. Olivia Newton-John, “Physical”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Nov. 21, 1981)

You Know What It Is: The half-Skinemax, half-Jane Fonda smash single and video that updated the ultimate girl-next-door of the ‘70s for the MTV years.

These Words: “There’s nothing left to say unless it’s horizontally” – no other pop song has ever managed to make a five-syllable adverb sound so explicitly libidinous.

Coming Around Again: Already this decade, Dua Lipa has borrowed the phrase and Doja Cat the musical phrasing of Newton-John’s “Let’s get physical” command – each ending up with one of their most beloved singles for it, as evidence of the original’s enduring potency.
456. Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland, “Promiscuous”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (July 8, 2006)

Know What It Is: A hip-shaking duet that takes flirting in the club to another level, while moving away from Furtado’s earlier head-bopping pop tunes.

Who Put the Bomp: Furtado of course tapped Timbaland, in the middle of his second career renaissance, to not only feature on the single, but to co-write and co-produce on the majority of her 2006 album Loose — alongside longtime collaborator Danja and Jim Beanz — modernizing her sound and bringing her closer to pop’s forefront than ever before.

Coming Around Again: You can catch a hat-tip to the song’s beat and hook in Tate McRae’s recent top 40 hit “Greedy” — proving “Promiscuous” not just a signature 2000s single, but an enduring bop in 2023.
455. The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Aug. 14, 2021)

You Know What It Is: The commercial apotheosis (so far) of Australian singer-rapper The Kid LAROI’s career, a synth-pop anthem with Justin Bieber that became one of the biggest hits of the early 2020s.

Who Put the Bomp: Along with pop studio stalwarts Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin and Cashmere Cat, “Stay” was co-produced by Charlie Puth, who had shown The Kid LAROI the melody on his keyboard during a songwriting session; Puth was already credited for the piano on Bieber’s “Anyone,” which was released six months before “Stay.”

This Magic Moment: The “Stay” chorus moves so rapidly as LAROI rattles off his broken promises that it’s not exactly a sing-along hook; instead, the song’s most euphoric bellowing point comes in the pre-chorus, as a series of “Ohhhh-a-whoa-whoa’s” get punctuated by the melodically bounding plea, “I’ll be f–ked up if you can’t be right here!”
454. Dawn Penn, “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 58 (Apr. 9, 1994)

You Know What It Is: The apex of forlorn rocksteady balladry, Dawn Penn’s seminal “You Don’t Love Me” harnessed the ’90s Stateside dancehall boom and turned that energy into a cutting breakup anthem so sharp that even Beyoncé and Rihanna have delivered their own renditions over the years.

Who Put the Bomp: Bo Diddley. Penn’s track is a redo of Willie Cobbs’ “You Don’t Love Me,” which, in turn, heavily borrows elements of Diddley’s “She’s Fine, She’s Mine” (1955).

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: During the first episode of the first season of Big Little Lies, “You Don’t Love Me” plays softly in the background as Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz) and Nathan (James Tupper) converse after a yoga class — a sly allusion to the show’s overarching theme of performative love that everyone operates under but never names.
453. New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 36 (Jan. 30, 1999)

You Know What It Is: The out-of-nowhere alt-pop success that crashed the era of boy bands and nu-metal with a song so timelessly tuneful and urgent that even Joni Mitchell was an avowed supporter.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: Look in the mirror and say “Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson/ Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson” three times, and you will be immediately transported back to your local mall food court in 1999, wearing a bucket hat and Old Navy khakis.

Gimme More: While “You Get What You Give” is frequently cited as the New Radicals’ lone hit, the Hot 100-missing “Someday We’ll Know” is nearly as heart-piercing — and has been lent an impressive shelf life through covers by Mandy Moore and Hall & Oates, and even an interpolation on rapper Yëat’s 2023 album Aftërlyfe.
452. Todd Rundgren, “I Saw the Light”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 16 (June 10, 1972)

You Know What It Is: One of pop-rock’s greatest and most unpredictable studio maestros, with a piano-led ‘70s gem so immaculate Carole King probably thought she wrote it the first time it came on AM radio.

Come Together: The simple brilliance of “I Saw the Light” was a joint result of Rundgren being intent on having a pop hit to lead off his Something/Anything album, and him popping a whole lot of Ritalin at the time. “[It] took me all of 20 minutes,” an unimpressed Rundgren said of the song in 2004. “You can see why, too, the rhymes are just ‘moon/June/spoon kind of stuff.”

This Magic Moment: Splendiferousness abounds throughout, but hard to beat the moment in the song’s final chorus when Rundgren’s “’Coz I saw the light in your eyes” transforms into a satisfyingly pleading “Can’t you see the light in my eyes?”
451. Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne, “Rather Be”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 10 (Oct. 11, 2014)

You Know What It Is: The heart-racing classical-house jam that brought orchestral riffs to top 40 radio, introduced U.K. pop star Jess Glynne to listeners across the pond, and rode the post-EDM dance boom into the upper reaches of the Hot 100.

The Sun Always Shines on TV: “Rather Be” received a spirited performance during the final season of Glee — blink and you might miss Finneas O’Connell, who played Alistair on the show before breaking big alongside sister Billie Eilish, dancing and crooning!

Gimme More: “Disconnect,” Clean Bandit’s 2017 single with Marina, is an elegant contemplation about setting your phone down; it was stuck in development for years before its release, and while it never took off, the song should have been another Clean Bandit smash.
450. The Outfield, “Your Love”

Image Credit: Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 6 (May 10, 1986)

You Know What It Is: As soon as you hear those instantly recognizable guitar chords and famous opening line – “Josie’s on a vacation far away!” – you know exactly the level of sing-along power-pop you’re in for.

The Sun Always Shines on TV: “Your Love” inspired a totally ’80s SNL sketch back in 2013, in which host Josh Hutcherson lip-syncs the undercover-lover lyrics to come on to an older girl (stick around for a cameo from musical guest HAIM!).

Coming Around Again: The song found a whole new generation of listeners when it was put in regular rotation on Flash FM, the nothing-but-hits top 40 station from the ’80s-set video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, released in 2002.
449. Tyga, “Rack City”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 7 (Feb. 18, 2012)

You Know What It Is: The simultaneously retro and futuristic club-killer that set the early-’10s trap-pop standard and confirmed that proved that the ascendant Young Money label had star power even beyond its Big Three.

Because of You: The chant-along nature of “Rack City” inspired a countless number of remixes and re-dos – with sports-themed takes on it proving particularly popular, including a Yelawolf Lakers take and Bun B’s Astros-boosting “Crush City.”

Hollywood Nights: Boo! A Madea Halloween featured a Tyga appearance to perform “Rack City,” with a disapproving Madea unable to stop her body from responding viscerally to the trap anthem – ultimately declaring, “I got to get the hell out of here, my ho comin’ out.”
448. Laura Branigan, “Gloria”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (Nov. 27, 1982)

You Know What It Is: An unshakeable English-language cover of Umberto Tozzi’s Italian-language 1979 European smash, which ended up finding the perfect musical midpoint between the disco ‘70s and synth-pop ‘80s.

Living on Video: The relatively unassuming charm of “Gloria” was amplified by its decidedly low-budget visual, which featured a game Branigan performing in front of a trio of glittering mirrorballs – making the singer look like just another one of the thousands of suburban pop aspirants who would soon give the song their all on karaoke night.

Coming Around Again: The song’s iconic jackhammering synth hook would be lifted on guitar a decade later for Britpop greats Pulp’s wistful U.K. smash “Disco 2000,” with that unforgettable melody triggering the intended nostalgic rush from its first two chords.
447. CeCe Peniston, “Finally”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (Jan. 18, 1992)

You Know What It Is: A feel-good house hit, fueled by a bobbing bassline and Peniston’s brawny vocal, which celebrates the pure joy of finding Mr. Right — finally.

This Magic Moment: Peniston sings the word “finally” about 20 times in this song, but it’s lucky no. 13 where she destroys the word on the break, growling it out and turning a song about meeting the man of your dreams from a cloying concept into a hard-won victory cry.

Gimme More: Though “Finally” was Peniston’s first track released from her debut album of the same name, the second single, “We Got a Love Thang,” is an even better showcase of her vocal elasticity, as she easily reaches for highs and lows in an effortlessly breezy performance.
446. Modern English, “I Melt With You”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 78 (Apr. 16, 1983)

You Know What It Is: New wave’s finest cold war love song, which was only a minor hit upon its original release, but whose reputation in the decades since keeps on getting better, all the time.

Hollywood Nights: Whatever initial impact “I Melt With You” did make was likely due to its appearances in the 1983 teen romance Valley Girl, soundtracking sweetly us-against-the-world montages of its star-crossed lovers (played by Deborah Foreman and Nicolas Cage).

These Words: For all the apocalyptic doominess of its verses and chorus, the song’s most memorable line remains its repeated bridge declaration of defiant optimism: “The future’s … open … wide!”
445. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, “Low”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Jan. 5, 2008)

You Know What It Is: The love-it-or-hate-it 2007 hip-pop anthem known for its catchy chorus, which will always be relevant on dance floors across the world.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: Fashion trends are meant to be a sign of the times: Apple Bottom jeans, Reebok sneakers, baggy sweatpants… need we say more?

This Magic Moment: Flo Rida’s classic hook that we all know and love, particularly its how-low-can-you-go ending: “Shawty had them apple bottom jeans (jeans)/ Boots with the fur (with the fur)/The whole club was lookin’ at her/She hit the floor (she hit the floor)/Next thing you know/Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low.”
444. Sister Sledge, “We Are Family”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (June 16, 1979)

You Know What It Is: The good-hearted, disco-era smash that became an anthem of positivity and inclusion, and a must-play at any family celebration big enough to require a band or DJ.

Who Put the Bomp: Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, then members of Chic, wrote and produced this song (and also Sister Sledge’s previous single, “He’s the Greatest Dancer”).

Hollywood Nights: “We Are Family” is featured prominently in director Mike Nichols’ 1996 comedy The Birdcage. In the closing scene, the entire cast, some in drag, sing and dance to the song.
443. Billy Joel, “Uptown Girl”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (Nov. 12, 1983)

You Know What It Is: 1960s doo-wop meets 1980s pop-rock in an endlessly-singable ragtag love story — one that’s had everyone from downtown to uptown putting an extra pep to their step for decades.

Coming Around Again: The Piano Man has said his An Innocent Man single was inspired by Frankie Valli, but many of today’s tweens were likely introduced to this song thanks to a lyric in Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 hit, “Deja Vu”: “I bet that she knows Billy Joel ‘cause you played her ‘Uptown Girl.’”

Living on Video: In a look reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe, Christie Brinkley stars as the video’s titular leading lady — just two years before the couple tied the knot.
442. House of Pain, “Jump Around”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (Oct. 10, 1992)

You Know What It Is: That head-nodder of a rap song with the catchy squeal that gets everyone to literally “jump around” for the home team at sporting events, causing stadiums to shake to their foundations.

Hollywood Nights: House of Pain’s classic has appeared in a cavalcade of (mostly ’90s) movies — from Mrs. Doubtfire, when it soundtracks the rowdy kids’ party that gets Robin Williams’ Daniel in trouble, to Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, when he, well, jumps up the leaderboard at the Waterbury Open golf tournament.

Sign o’ the Times: “Or better yet a Terminator, like Arnold Schwarzenegger/ Tryin’ to play me out like as if my name was Sega” arrived just after Terminator 2 exterminated the competition at the box office in July 1991, and the Sega Genesis console was well on its way to outselling Nintendo by the end of that same year.
441. Janet Jackson, “All for You”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Apr. 14, 2001)

You Know What It Is: The disco-funk, turn-of-the-millennium jam that saw Janet Jackson balance her airy voice against pounding dance-pop production, starting a third consecutive decade of pop cultural dominance.

This Magic Moment: There’s just something special about when Janet enters on the syncopated first verse with “I see you starin’ out the corner of my eye,” scratching a rhythmic itch you weren’t even sure you had in the first place.

Coming Around Again: Taylor Swift never would have sang “now I’m all for you like Janet” during the bridge of “Snow on the Beach” had it not been for Ms. Jackson’s iconic hit; Taylor herself even made sure to thank Janet for “all you’ve done to inspire female artists everywhere” after releasing her song.
440. Aretha Franklin, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”

Image Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (Nov. 4, 1967)

You Know What It Is: Aretha Franklin’s signature reading of the ballad, penned by Carole King, Gerry Goffin and Jerry Wexler, effectively capturing the knee-buckling amazement of a genuinely fulfilling and wildly unexpected love.

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: “Natural Woman” made a pair of appearances on hit ’90s sitcom Murphy Brown — first when Aretha plays it performs it live next to an awestruck Murphy (chastising her as she tries to sing along: “I ain’t Martha, and you ain’t no Vandella”), and then when Murphy herself sings it to her newborn baby (a scene later parodied by Selma and pet iguana Jub-Jub in The Simpsons).

Because of You: A pre-fame Madonna sang an impromptu rendition of “Natural Woman” at what ultimately turned out to be a career-making audition — a story that she shared in long and somewhat self-serving fashion at her infamous VMAs homage to the Queen of Soul following her 2018 passing.
439. Toni Braxton, “You’re Makin’ Me High”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (July 27, 1996)

You Know What It Is: “High” is actually one of the defining slow-and-low songs of the ’90s, Braxton’s signature contralto burrowing deep into a crackling R&B groove.

Who Put the Bomp: Co-penned and co-produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, in case you thought he was too classy to get quite this funky.

Living on Video: Few mid-’90s visuals more fun than Braxton and her buds — actresses Erika Alexander, Vivica A. Fox, and Tisha Campbell-Martin — getting together for a ladies’ night of evaluating gentleman callers individually via private elevator, with a rating system displayed via cartoonishly large playing cards.
438. Joe Jackson, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 21 (Aug. 18, 1979)

You Know What It Is: Jackson showcased his biting humor on this perfectly penned loser’s anthem, slinging vitriol at men who are having better luck in the dating market and capping his self-pity with a five-star chorus of defeated incredulity.

These Words: Jackson knows how to s–t talk. “Look over there (where?)/ There, here comes Jeanie with her new boyfriend,” he sings. “They say that looks don’t count for much/ If so, there goes your proof.”

Gimme More: Jackson is more nuanced on the downcast single “It’s Different for Girls,” which captures the back-and-forth between a hapless boyfriend, bumbling through a relationship, and his partner. Her final exasperated line about men — “you’re all the same” — is more damning than anything Jackson can muster in “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”
437. Maroon 5, “This Love”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (Apr. 24, 2004)

You Know What It Is: Maroon 5’s finest (and nastiest) radio moment before dissolving into a collective aggregate of top 40 lowest-common-denominatordom, with every moment of its hard-edged pop-funk groove crackling with lust and acidity.

This Magic Moment: Levine’s frenzied vocal hits a particular fever pitch on the climax to the song’s bridge, as his wails take the song from PG to PG-13: “Sinking my fingertips into every inch of you/ ‘Cause I know that’s what you want me to do.”

Gimme More: Fellow Songs About Jane single “Sunday Morning” is the golden, sun-soaked haze — or maybe just the much-needed church soul-cleansing — after the storm of questionable Saturday Night decisions that is “This Love.”
436. Diana Ross, “I’m Coming Out”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (Nov. 15, 1980)

You Know What It Is: Produced by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards during their imperial phase, Ross’s uplifting gem took on another life as an anthem of pride for the LGBTQ+ community.

Who Put The Bomp: “I’m Coming Out” features the rare pop trombone solo – which was performed by Meco Monardo, the jazz-fusion artist behind Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk and the Hot 100-topping “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band.”

Sign ‘o’ The Times: According to Rodgers, Ross wasn’t aware of the meaning behind the song’s titular phrase, and the influential radio DJ Frankie Crocker almost convinced her not to release the track, on the grounds that it would make listeners think she was coming out as gay herself.
435. The 5th Dimension, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Apr. 12, 1969)

You Know What It Is: “Champagne soul” hitmakers The 5th Dimension’s somehow-appropriate medley of bookending songs from the epochal ’60s musical Hair — one mysterious and foreboding, the other cathartic and triumphant — which adds up to a perennial singalong for any time the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars.

Come Together: According to producer Bones Howe, the song’s genesis came from Dimension singer Billy Davis, Jr. leaving his wallet in a cab and it being found by a Hair production team member, who persuaded the group to come see the musical. Afterwards, Howe recalls a phone call in which “they were all talking over one another, saying, ‘We’ve got to cut this song “Aquarius,” it’s the best thing ever.’”

This Magic Moment: The medley achieves true lift-off thanks to Davis’ improvised solo during the group’s “Let the sunshine in” refrain, most memorably when he instructs: “I want you to sing along with the 5th Dimension!“
434. Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (May 30, 2015)

You Know What It Is: The frenetic pop romp primed for wedding receptions that yet again proved the formula to sustainable party hits is keeping the lyrics simple and the beat light on its feet — while giving listeners a clapping break before exploding into a final chorus.

Sign ‘o’ The Times: The mid-2010s were littered with mainstream pop hits aimed at pulling people onto the dancefloor: “Shut Up and Dance” arrived mere weeks after Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” in 2014 and finished at No. 6 on a year-end Hot 100 that also included Maroon 5’s “Sugar” and another future wedding staple still to come on this list in the top 10.

Gimme More: “Tightrope,” from the band’s 2012 self-titled studio album, leans more into the band’s indie side, but it yields the same thumping energy guided by frontman Nicholas Petricca’s vocal — and houses a heavier dosage of the synths that elevate the instrumental bridge on “Shut Up and Dance.”
433. Ice Cube, “It Was a Good Day”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 15 (Apr. 24, 1993)

You Know What It Is: A breezy one-day highlight reel that invites listeners into the life of one of rap’s preeminent gangstas.

These Words: “Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp/ And it read “Ice Cube’s a Pimp.” In 2012, a blogger calculated the exact day Ice Cube rapped about the song — and two years later, the post garnered enough traction to resulted in Goodyear throwing Cube’s name on a blimp and flying it over South Central.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: Violence permeated the streets of LA, courtesy of the 1992 LA Riots. Rather than report on the dark moments that punctured the city, Cube penned a song spiked with positive energy.
432. Thelma Houston, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Apr. 23, 1977)

You Know What It Is: Thelma Houston’s mighty cover of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes’ R&B hit, which in her hands became one of the defining singles of the disco era.

This Magic Moment: Few choruses in pop history have a better lead-in than when the groove starts to stutter here, leading to a slowly rising “aaaaaahhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHH BABY!” that introduces Houston at max power, declaring, “My heart is full of love, and desire for you!”

Gimme More: For another classic gender-flipped disco rendering of a heartaching R&B hit, consult Gloria Gaynor’s roof-raising version of the Jackson 5’s “Never Can Say Goodbye.”
431. Spiral Starecase, “More Today Than Yesterday”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 12 (June 14, 1969)

You Know What It Is: A pure blast of horn-led soul-pop sunshine — and through the sheer giddiness of its lyrics, melody and performance, simply one of the most convincing love songs ever recorded.

These Words: Nearly every line of “More Today Than Yesterday” kinda digs its ways into rarely-touched crevices of your heart, but probably none more so than the simplicity of the singalong (if you can get up that high) chorus: “I love you more today than yesterday/ But not as much as tomorrow.”

Gimme More: Soul-pop, horns, blissed-out lovey-doveyness that anticipates even clearer skies ahead: Hey, that sounds like Chicago’s “Beginnings,” originally released the same year as “Today” but only a top 10 hit upon its 1971 re-release.
430. Dionne Warwick, “I Say a Little Prayer”

Image Credit: David Redfern/Redferns

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (Dec. 9, 1967)

You Know What It Is: Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s master-class ode to romantic gratitude (and distraction), delivered with audible eyelash flutter and grinning sigh by the peerless Dionne Warwick.

These Words: Bacharach and David leave their arms hanging in the rim throughout “Prayer,” stuffing too many syllables into melodic phrases and deploying rhymes that verge on the absolutely incredulous, and still leaving every line a gut-punch of perfection: “At work I just take time/ And all through my coffee break time/ I say a little prayer for you.”

Hollywood Nights: Children of the ’90s will still invariably smell seafood upon hearing the opening lines here, thanks to the famous Rupert Everett-led Joe’s Crabshack singalong scene to “Prayer” from smash 1997 rom-com My Best Friend’s Wedding.
429. LEN, “Steal My Sunshine”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (Nov. 13, 1999)

You Know What It Is: A breezy, left-field earworm that mixed oddball lyrics with a freewheeling slacker-pop energy (and an inspired sample from Andrea True Connection’s similarly sublime disco smash “More, More, More”) to become one of summer ’99’s definitive anthems.

These Words: “Sunshine” is chock-full of delightfully inscrutable lyrics (“Impaired my tribal lunar speak,” anyone?), but the opening spoken-word interlude that invokes butter tarts as a cure for melancholy is arguably the most unforgettable line in the song.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: The song was memorably featured on the soundtrack to Doug Liman’s 1999 cult classic Go, which centered its plot around late ’90s rave culture and featured an of-the-moment cast including Katie Holmes, Scott Wolf and Breckin Meyer.
428. Sylvester, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 36 (Feb. 24, 1979)

You Know What It Is: An electrical surge of futuristic disco energy that remains an all-time LGBTQ anthem, and one of the too-few disco hits of the time actually by an out gay artist.

This Magic Moment: In the song‘s intro, as the song’s main hook starts to gather steam, a laser synth sound rises from out of nowhere, as if the song’s about to zoom off into outer space. And then it does.

Who Put the Bomp: Co-producer Harvey Fuqua’s storied career goes back to the ’50s, when he founded Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted doo-wop group The Moonglows — but his greatest contribution to pop history might have come as husband of record executive Anna Gordy, when he introduced a singer under his direction named Marvin Gaye to his brother-in-law, Berry Gordy.
427. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown, “No Air”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 3 (Apr. 26, 2008)

You Know What It Is: This emotive duet about lacking oxygen when the love of your life isn’t around became a breakout hit for Sparks following her American Idol win.

This Magic Moment: After the instrumental bridge cools things down, Brown and Sparks let out a wail in perfect harmony, kicking the final minute into emotional overdrive.

Who Put the Bomp: Harvey Mason Jr., current CEO of the Recording Academy, has a co-writing credit on this Grammy-nominated smash.
426. Chief Keef feat. Lil Reese, “I Don’t Like”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 73 (Oct. 6, 2012)

You Know What It Is: An eternal college party and club anthem that also doubled as Chicago drill’s mainstream breakthrough moment; whether it’s the original version or the remix, you’re yelling this hook at the top of your lungs.

This Magic Moment: The 30-second synth-laden, ad-lib-ridden build-up that finally gives way to the beat drop halfway through the hook.

Living on Video: The “I Don’t Like” music video — with its inimitable rendering of genuine teenage rebellion and sparse setting — marked a subtle spiritual bookend to the era of glitzy big-budget wealth-as-the-only-end-goal video productions in hip-hop.
425. Kim Carnes, “Bette Davis Eyes”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (May 16, 1981)

You Know What It Is: An enigmatic pop character study with a forever-indefinable undertow and one of the most iconic synth riffs from a decade filled to the brim with ’em.

Who Put the Bomp: “Bette Davis Eyes” was co-written by ’60s pop hitmaker Jackie DeShannon in the mid-’70s — and originally performed by her, though a listen to the jarringly jaunty original will just give you more respect for what Kim Carnes and producer Val Garay accomplished with their re-do.

Living on Video: Though its nine-week reign atop the Hot 100 came months before MTV’s Aug. ’81 launch, Carnes’ strikingly hazy, gothic clip for “Bette” — filmed by the great Russell Mulcahy — was resonant enough to hang around the channel’s first couple years, further welding it to its cultural moment.
424. Candi Staton, “Young Hearts Run Free”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 20 (Aug. 21, 1976)

You Know What It Is: A classic country ballad in a disco leisure suit, as Candi Staton extols the virtues of romantic independence over a soul-stirring horn groove, while simultaneously lamenting that she didn’t practice what she’s preaching in her own relationship.

Come Together: The song‘s genesis came from writer/producer David Crawford grilling Staton about her romantic life and finding her to be in a “very abusive relationship,” leading him to promise her a song “that’s gonna last forever.”

Hollywood Nights: With all things disco receiving new life in the mid-’90s, house diva Kym Mazelle covered “Young Hearts” for the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet — lip synced in the film by Harold Perrineau’s Mercutio in costume-party drag.
423. t.A.T.u., “All the Things She Said”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 20 (Mar. 15, 2003)

You Know What It Is: Beneath the absurd “controversy” over a music video centered on a girl-girl relationship, a propulsive piece of defiant, yell-along electro-pop from the Russian duo of Lena Katina and Julia Volkova.

Because of You: While the members of t.A.T.u. claimed that the “All the Things She Said” video, which depicted the members kissing through a metal fence, was not explicitly about lesbianism, the clip was banned in the duo’s native Russia while being hailed as an important piece of LGBTQ+ representation elsewhere.

Gimme More: Although t.A.T.u.’s follow-up single “Not Gonna Get Us” never reached the Hot 100, the track offers a similar jolt of shout-able pop and became a club hit in the mid-2000s.
422. Alicia Keys, “If I Ain’t Got You”

Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (July 3, 2004)

You Know What It Is: Alicia Keys’ heartwarming piano ballad, doubling down on the age-old saying that money doesn’t buy happiness.

Sign ‘o’ the Times: While the song was released in 2004, “If I Ain’t Got You” was inspired by a tough 2001, after the death of Aaliyah and the September 11 attacks.

This Magic Moment: That wild “you-ou-ou-ou” vocal run before the last chorus.
421. The Righteous Brothers, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Feb. 6, 1965)

You Know What It Is: One of Phil Spector’s greatest pop symphonies and the Righteous Brothers’ finest vocal duo work — lamenting a relationship grown cold, before pleading with increasing urgency to “bring it on back.”

This Magic Moment: The real show-stopper — particularly if you’re doing the song karaoke — comes on the bridge, as Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield try their damnedest to out-“BAYYYY-BEHHHHHH!!!” one another.

Hollywood Nights: Speaking of karaoke, bars near military bases in the late ’80s probably had to put up “NO ‘LOVIN’ FEELIN”” signs by the jukebox after Goose and Maverick become pop culture icons by torturing poor Charlie Blackwood with their rendition.
420. Ike & Tina Turner, “Proud Mary”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 4 (March 27, 1971)

You Know What It Is: One of the South’s finest soul duos claiming one of rock’s greatest songs about the South as their own — first nice and easy, then nice and rough.

Who Put the Bomp: “Proud Mary” was of course originally written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival, which had a crossover smash of his own with the song in 1969 and who was very complimentary about Ike & Tina’s version — dedicating a live performance of the song to “the Queen of Rock and Roll” after her passing in 2022.

This Magic Moment: Gotta be when the song goes turbo halfway through.
419. Bonnie Raitt, “Something to Talk About”

Hot 100 Peak: Oct. 19, 1991

You Know What It Is: The swaggering blues-pop sparkler where Raitt ‘fesses up to sultry attraction between she and a companion who “Laugh just a little too loud/ Stand just a little too close.”

Who Put the Bomp: “Something” was the lead track on Raitt’s 1991 Luck of the Draw album, and was co-produced by Don Was, who also worked with the singer on her Grammy-sweeping Nick of Time collection — and the great backing vocals are from Harry Bowens and Sweet Pea Atkinson of his band Was (Not Was).

This Magic Moment: Two-thirds of the way through the track, Raitt’s smokey vocals give way to her guitar solo, a searing bit of bottleneck slide fretwork that’s like nothing else heard on the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100.
418. Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais, “Summertime Sadness”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 6 (Sept. 21, 2013)

You Know What It Is: The cinematic, existential pop hit — helped by a propulsive remix from French producer Cedric Gervais — that propelled the ever-influential Lana Del Rey past the surface level of pop music, under which she’s lurked ever since like a glorious sea monster.

Living on Video: The “Summertime Sadness” music video finds Lana throwing herself off a cliff, after which a second woman joins her by jumping off a bridge – a twist that brought the song’s darker texture to the forefront.

Because of You: Lana’s impact on the trajectory of pop music has already been talked about at length, but “Summertime Sadness” on its own definitely played a major part in making moody, cynical “sad-girl” music mainstream – a movement that preceded the success of artists like Billie Eilish, Phoebe Bridgers and many others.
417. Shannon, “Let the Music Play”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 8 (Feb. 25, 1984)

You Know What It Is: The seductive and wildly ahead of its time club perennial that preached to girls out on the dancefloor that all they needed to get the guy they wanted was to leave it up to the DJ.

Because of You: “Let the Music Play” is often considered the first freestyle single, helping to define a genre that would ultimately take over New York, Miami and other major metropolitan areas in the second half of the ’80s, leading to major pop hits by Exposé, Stevie B, The Cover Girls and many more artists.

Coming Around Again: A popular and surprisingly seamless bootleg mashup of the song with The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” in the 2000s — cleverly titled “Shannon Stone” — highlighted what a strange, mysterious and elastic pop song “Music” had been all along.
416. Edison Lighthouse, “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 5 (Mar. 28, 1970)

You Know What It Is: The impossibly feel-good (albeit somewhat insulting) love song that brought bubblegum pop into the ’70s.

Come Together: Edison Lighthouse didn’t really exist when “Rosemary” took off, as the song had been written by U.K. pop vets Tony Macauley and Barry Mason and sung by AM pop go-to Tony Burrows with studio musicians backing him. Burrows left the “group” shortly after and Macauley and Mason were forced to hire a different band to mime along to “Rosemary” on U.K. chart show Top of the Pop Hits.

Hollywood Nights: While Gen Z-ers undoubtedly know “Rosemary” best from its success as a TikTok trend in early 2022, Millennials may be more familiar with its use in the Farrelly Bros’ 2001 rom-com Shallow Hal — and the incessant previews for the movie that aired on TV — as Gwenyth Paltrow’s female lead was named Rosemary.
415. Marc Cohn, “Walking in Memphis”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 13 (July 6, 1991)

You Know What It Is: A biographical song about singer-songwriter Marc Cohn’s cathartic trip to Elvis’s homeland, which you’ll recognize from the very first piano keys Cohn bangs out.

Coming Around Again: Cher released a cover of the soulful pop song on her 1995 album It’s a Man’s World. While she would later call it “a huge bomb” for her — her version debuted at No. 11 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart in late October 1995 — she included it on her set list for her Do You Believe Tour in 1999-2000.

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: Saturday Night Live comedian and boyfriend to the stars Pete Davidson gave the song fresh life in November 2021 with his parody “Walking in Staten.” In the skit, Davidson appears with Cohn, Big Wet and Method Man on the streets of his native Staten Island, “the land of Colin Jost and the legendary Wu-Tang.”
414. Bananarama, “Cruel Summer”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (Sept. 29, 1984)

You Know What It Is: The warm-weather perennial that approached summer with both less sentimentality and more xylophone than nearly any other pop song prior.

Living on Video: A big hit on MTV at the channel’s mid-’80s peak, the “Cruel Summer” clip made the song seem like less of a drag by showcasing the trio’s playfulness, without being so energetic that it undercut the song’s malaise. (Though you’d think their summer might’ve been a little less cruel if they traded in those heavy-looking overalls and long pants for some tank tops and shorts.)

Because of You: “Cruel Summer” has endured as much as a title as it has as a song, lending its name to otherwise unrelated projects like Kanye West’s 2012 short film (and GOOD Music label album), Freeform’s 2020 mystery TV serial, and Taylor Swift’s 2019 Lover deep cut, which belatedly grew into a 2023 top five Hot 100 hit.
413. Daryl Hall & John Oates, “She’s Gone”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 7 (Oct. 30, 1976)

You Know What It Is: The breakup lament to end all ’70s breakup laments, with an uppercut chorus that treats its breakup with the desperation and panic of an extinction-level event.

This Magic Moment: There’s key changes, and then there’s the climax to “She’s Gone” — in which the chorus departs for an instrumental break that modulates up multiple times, before cutting out completely as Hall comes zooming in overhead: “SHE’S GO-O-O-O-ONNNNNE!!!”

Gimme More: Late-’70s pop-rockers Player followed the “She’s Gone” playbook to a T with their own blue-eyed breakup ballad “Baby Come Back” — and were rewarded with an even bigger pop hit, as the song topped the Hot 100 in early 1978.
412. Snoop Dogg feat. Pharrell, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Dec. 11, 2004)

You Know What It Is: The highlight of the second part of Snoop Dogg’s career: a decade first scoring his Dr. Dre-assisted G-funk smashes, “Drop It Like It’s Hot” gave Snoop a new sonic blueprint courtesy of the Neptunes, and the first Hot 100 No. 1 of his career.

This Magic Moment: After releasing multiple hits with hooks built around his stage name, the “Snoooooooop!” refrain here became the catchiest exclamation of his moniker yet.

The Sun Always Shines on T.V.: Those Hot Pocket commercials, featuring Snoop re-creating the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” music video aesthetic and crowing “Pocket like it’s hot!” next to slow-motion microwave shots, still make you think about running out to the grocery store.
411. Labelle, “Lady Marmalade”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Mar. 29, 1975)

You Know What It Is: The most universal French singalong since “Frère Jacques,” though with a slightly more mature suggested age range.

Who Put the Bomp: “Marmalade” was written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan — both of whom had hits under their own names (1967’s “Music to Watch Girls By” and 1977’s “I Like Dreamin’,” respectively), and also co-penned Frankie Valli’s first solo No. 1, 1975’s “My Eyes Adored You.”

Coming Around Again: Likely forgotten to most by now, but “Lady Marmalade” was covered by a one-off girl group in the early ’00s for a movie soundtrack — Red House or something.
410. The Marvelettes, “Please Mr. Postman”

Image Credit: James Kriegsmann/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Dec. 11, 1961)

You Know What It Is: The catchiest song ever written about pestering a federal employee, with handclaps and harmonies weaponized to essentially intimidate a postal worker into producing a letter from the group’s intended — or else.

Coming Around Again: “Please Mr. Postman“ is one of the rare songs to top the Hot 100 twice, with The Carpenters’ less-zippy cover version following the Marvelettes’ original to No. 1 in 1975.

Gimme More: Significantly more restrained but equally winning was the group’s 1966 hit “The Hunter Gets Captured By the Game,” penned and produced by the incomparable Smokey Robinson.
409. Donna Summer, “Bad Girls”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (July 14, 1979)

You Know What It Is: A working-girls anthem of near-militaristic purposefulness, General Summer directing her troops “Toot toot, hey, beep beep” with enough disco whistle to ensure they’re paying attention.

Who Put the Bomp: Summer co-wrote the chart-topper with R&B trio Brooklyn Dreams, whose Joe “Bean” Esposito would go on to be one of the most prolific soundtrack contributors of the ’80s — most famously with the Karate Kid montage classic “You’re the Best.”

Gimme More: A spiritual sequel to “Bad Girls” — but sonically updated for the post-disco years — 1983’s “She Works Hard for the Money” was nearly as great, and nearly as big, reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100.
408. Donna Lewis, “I Love You Always Forever”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (Aug. 24, 1996)

You Know What It Is: The gauziest pop smash of the mid-’90s, as soft and billowing and comforting as the fuzzy curtains Donna Lewis surrounds herself with in the song’s music video.

This Magic Moment: “I Love You Always Forever” peaks with one of the best bridges of the late 20th century, as the song’s previously even-tempered beat and vocals is suddenly replaced by pounding piano and Lewis insisting “Say you’ll love, love me forever! NEVER STOP, never whatever!…”

Coming Around Again: Australian singer-songwriter Betty Who — who may have very well have written “Forever” herself eventually if Lewis hadn’t gotten to it first — released a faithful cover of the song in 2016; it’s still by far her most-played song on Spotify.
407. Wizkid feat. Tems, “Essence”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 9 (Oct. 23, 2021)

You Know What It Is: Still the preeminent Afrobeats crossover anthem, Wizkid and Tems’ sultry slow-burning duet has kept global audiences enraptured by its charm every day since its mid-pandemic October 2020 release.

This Magic Moment: When Tems and Wizkid start harmonizing in the bridge, ever so slightly turning up the heat before delivering the final chorus.

Gimme More: Fave’s “Baby Riddim,” another blissful Afrobeats love song from 2021.
406. LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 17 (June 15, 1991)

You Know What It Is: The battle-ready, sample-heavy single that laid LL Cool J’s haters to waste and cemented his legacy as an all-timer.

Who Put the Bomp: The song was co-written and produced by Marley Marl, the seminal DJ-producer-rapper who was cited as an inspiration by such hip-hop heavyweights as the Notorious B.I.G., RZA and Madlib.

Come Together: The title chorus was actually inspired by LL Cool J’s grandmother, who told the rapper to “get out there and knock ’em out” after he bemoaned the disappointing reception to his previous album, Walking With a Panther.
405. Sheryl Crow, “All I Wanna Do”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (Oct. 8, 1994)

You Know What It Is: Well, it ain’t no disco and it ain’t no country club neither — it’s the L.A.-set slice-of-life breakout hit for singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, a “Piano Man” for the alt-rock ’90s.

Who Put the Bomp: The Tuesday Night Music Club jam sessions that titled Crow’s debut album and led to the writing of many of its highlights included contributions from Bill Bottrell, whose previous biggest claim to fame was likely being a co-writer (and uncredited rapper) on Michael Jackson’s Hot 100-topper “Black or White.”

Coming Around Again: Produced by Afrojack and sung my Max George of boy band The Wanted, the pro-mirth “All I Wanna Do” hook made for a rather natural choice of interpolation for Pitbull on his Global Warming cut “Have Some Fun.”
404. Odyssey, “Native New Yorker”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 21 (Feb. 18, 1978)

You Know What It Is: One of the best one-off disco hits ever recorded, with a sophisticated air and a somewhat jaded undertone.

Who Put the Bomp: Pop veterans Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, who co-wrote the song, had previously co-written The Toys’ “A Lovers Concerto” and the Four Seasons classics “Let’s Hang On!” and “Working My Way Back to You.” Frankie Valli, the lead singer of the Four Seasons, was actually first to record “Native New Yorker,” earlier in 1977 — though Odyssey was ultimately the right act for the song.

These Words: “Love is just a passing word/It’s the thought you had in a taxi cab/ That got left unheard/ When he dropped you off/ At East 83rd.” Damn, that’s good writing.
403. Martha & The Vandellas, “Dancing in the Street”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 2 (Oct. 17, 1964)

You Know What It Is: Whether it’s interpreted as a call to action or simply a call to party, you can’t possibly hear Martha Reeves “callin’ out around the world,” backed by that insistent beat and persuasive horns, and stay seated.

Who Put the Bomp: Marvin Gaye co-wrote the Motown smash — alongside William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter — and even recorded the first version.

Coming Around Again: The song has been covered many times since its 1964 release, but the ’80s brought a pair of high-profile top 40 versions: Van Halen’s in 1982 (No. 38 on the Hot 100) and David Bowie & Mick Jagger’s duet in 1985 (No. 7).
402. C+C Music Factory, “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)”

Hot 100 Peak: No. 1 (Feb. 9, 1991)

You Know What It Is The credits say C+C Music Factory, but this commanding ’90s dancefloor classic belongs to vocal powerhouse and former Weather Girl Martha Wash.

These Words: With a delivery that is two parts Ice T to one part Vanilla Ice, Freedom Williams drops some lines that make listeners do a double take: “It’s your world and I’m just a squirrel/ Tryin’ to get a nut, so move your butt/ To the dance floor, so yo, what’s up.”

Living on Video: C+C Music Factory infamously replaced Wash with a lip-synching Zelma Davis in the music video, but Wash fought back against the erasure in a lawsuit and publicly staked her claim by belting out the line for Arsenio Hall — leaving no doubt as to who was really behind the iconic vocal.
401. Fountains of Wayne, “Stacy’s Mom”

Image Credit: James Keivom/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images

Hot 100 Peak: No. 21 (Nov. 15, 2003)

You Know What It Is: The quasi-Oedipal fantasy of every teenage boy in 2003 and beyond, rendered in new-wave Technicolor by the tri-state’s finest.

These Words: The “Since your dad walked out/ Your mom could use a guy like me” line has always been particularly savage.

Because of You: Did you know that Northeastern University’s pep band made a cover of the song the unofficial theme song for the university’s men’s ice hockey team?

The 500 Best Pop Songs (Nos. 500-301): Staff List

500. Los Del Rio, “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)”

499. New Kids on the Block, “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”

498. Cherrelle with Alexander O’Neal, “Saturday Love”

497. Toni Basil, “Mickey”

496. Connie Francis, “Stupid Cupid”

495. Demi Lovato, “Give Your Heart a Break”

494. Tommy Tutone, “867-5309/Jenny”

493. Pharrell feat. Jay-Z, “Frontin'”

492. Irene Cara, “Flashdance…What a Feeling”

491. Lil Kim feat. Lil Cease, “Crush on You”

490. Berlin, “Take My Breath Away”

489. Alice Deejay, “Better Off Alone”

488. Ella Mai, “Boo’d Up”

487. The Dave Clark Five, “Glad All Over”

486. Pretenders, “Back on the Chain Gang”

485. Tony Bennett, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”

484. Real McCoy, “Another Night”

483. The Romantics, “What I Like About You”

482. Ciara feat. Petey Pablo, “Goodies”

481. The Shangri-Las, “Give Him a Great Big Kiss”

480. First Class, “Beach Baby”

479. Debbie Gibson, “Only in My Dreams”

478. Little Anthony and the Imperials, “Tears on My Pillow”

477. Biz Markie, “Just a Friend”

476. Nina Sky feat. Jibbs, “Move Ya Body”

475. Right Said Fred, “I’m Too Sexy”

474. Darlene Love, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

473. Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

472. Badfinger, “No Matter What”

471. En Vogue, “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)”

470. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, “The Love I Lost”

469. Usher, “You Make Me Wanna…”

468. Luther Vandross, “Never Too Much”

467. Cam’Ron feat. Juelz Santana, Freekey Zekey & Toya, “Hey Ma”

466. Roxette, “It Must Have Been Love”

465. Ohio Express, “Yummy Yummy Yummy”

464. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Achy Breaky Heart”

463. Cassie, “Me & U”

462. Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, “It Takes Two”

461. Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto, “The Girl From Ipanema”

460. Bobby Brown, “My Prerogative”

459. J Balvin & Willy William, “Mi Gente”

458. The Angels, “My Boyfriend’s Back”

457. Olivia Newton-John, “Physical”

456. Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland, “Promiscuous”

455. The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber, “Stay”

454. Dawn Penn, “You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)”

453. New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”

452. Todd Rundgren, “I Saw the Light”

451. Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne, “Rather Be”

450. The Outfield, “Your Love”

449. Tyga, “Rack City”

448. Laura Branigan, “Gloria”

447. CeCe Peniston, “Finally”

446. Modern English, “I Melt With You”

445. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain, “Low”

444. Sister Sledge, “We Are Family”

443. Billy Joel, “Uptown Girl”

442. House of Pain, “Jump Around”

441. Janet Jackson, “All for You”

440. Aretha Franklin, “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”

439. Toni Braxton, “You’re Makin’ Me High”

438. Joe Jackson, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”

437. Maroon 5, “This Love”

436. Diana Ross, “I’m Coming Out”

435. The 5th Dimension, “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In”

434. Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”

433. Ice Cube, “It Was a Good Day”

432. Thelma Houston, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”

431. Spiral Starecase, “More Today Than Yesterday”

430. Dionne Warwick, “I Say a Little Prayer”

429. LEN, “Steal My Sunshine”

428. Sylvester, “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”

427. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown, “No Air”

426. Chief Keef feat. Lil Reese, “I Don’t Like”

425. Kim Carnes, “Bette Davis Eyes”

424. Candi Staton, “Young Hearts Run Free”

423. t.A.T.u., “All the Things She Said”

422. Alicia Keys, “If I Ain’t Got You”