Listening to Number One songs through the years

[alkeiper]

2012. Getting into stuff I know through Sesame Street parodies. I love Adele honestly. "We Are Young" by Fun featuring Janelle Monae is perhaps the greatest waste of a guest voice in music history. Maroon 5 sucks. And thank god I never heard from Gotye again.

 

[Epic for the Summer]

I remember when I first heard "Someone I Used to Know". I thought "huh, Sting is trying to make a comeback, yeah?".

 

[alkeiper]

And when I see the song title I think Elliott Smith. 2012 also gave us "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars. Sting had a good year.

2013. Macklemore gave us the Sesame Street version of Thrift Shop with Oscar the Grouch, so I can't hate on that song.

I actually like Lorde's "Royals."

 

[King of Summer Kamala]

I remember there was a huge controversy amongst my friends circle in 2013-14 about whether or not it was acceptable that the local alt rock station was playing Lorde. I wasn't a huge listener of the local alt rock station but my argument was that it's long past overdue that they play a current song that was actually GOOD. And I think alt rock stations have always played a smattering of weird pop. "Royals" would fit totally alongside Whitetown's "Your Woman" which got played all the time during my peak alt rock radio listening years.

 

[Laz]

Bruno is underrated for killer pop tunes.

 

[Epic for the Summer]

I remember there was a huge controversy amongst my friends circle in 2013-14 about whether or not it was acceptable that the local alt rock station was playing Lorde. I wasn't a huge listener of the local alt rock station but my argument was that it's long past overdue that they play a current song that was actually GOOD. And I think alt rock stations have always played a smattering of weird pop. "Royals" would fit totally alongside Whitetown's "Your Woman" which got played all the time during my peak alt rock radio listening years.

That reminds me when "Royals" won Best Rock Video at the VMAs that year. I knew already that the definition of "rock" was rapidly being redefined but even that was a head scratcher for me.

Local rock stations would play Eminem and Afroman growing up so, I don't know.

 

[King of Summer Kamala]

Bruno is underrated for killer pop tunes.

I genuinely think he is the best pop star of this generation. An incredible performer. I feel like if he came along 10 or maybe even 5 years earlier, he’d be rivaling the MJs and Madonnas of this world . He would have made Timberlake irrelevant.

I am sure he is fine with settling merely being a really fucking huge arena act though.

 

[alkeiper]

TBH I didn't find myself enjoying his songs. But he's immensely talented and I can certainly see his appeal.

 

[alkeiper]

2014. PBS gave us this:

Taylor Swift hitting the charts. Not my style but I never understood the hate at all.

 

[alkeiper]

2015-17. Listened to way more Justin Bieber than any sane person should. And by some I mean any. TBH most of this was just dull. Drake does nothing for me. Despacito was a monster hit but really, it's just THERE. "Uptown Funk" though. Yeah, Bruno Mars is really good. "Happy" was good too but got way overexposed.

2018. This "Cardi B" person might be something. Of note to this board, Bad Bunny is on her first number one ("I Like It"). So yes, it's we that are out of touch.

 

[Laz]

"Uptown Funk" though. Yeah, Bruno Mars is really good.

That entire Mark Ronson release was awesome, and convinced Bruno to copy James Brown and become fucking awesome.

 

[Valeyard]

It's now where I know the songs much more than I know the artists themselves, but dude Bruno Mars.

I missed the Lorde discussion but "Royals" is the shit and her skull is weird.

 

[alkeiper]

2019. Oddly I like Old Town Road. I also like Billie Eilish and I'm a little surprised "Bad Guy" only topped for a week considering how much I seemed to hear it. Mariah Carey hitting #1 with "All I Want For Christmas Is You" a good twenty years after its release is a bit of weirdness. We're also getting well to the point where I've heard all the Kidz Bop versions of these songs. Thanks Noelle.

2020. I wasn't a fan of the Weeknd and didn't like his hits. "Blinding Lights" though is where it seems to all come together for him. Cardi B, I'm not going to complain. Pop music is thirsty as hell. Just once though I want a musical artist, particularly a male one, admit that they just aren't that good at sex.

 

[Epic for the Summer]

I don't like OTR but I am starting to come around on Billie Eilish. Her music has a bit of a Fiona Apple-tinge (which I guess is blasphemous to say) which I'm starting to dig.

 

[King of Summer Kamala]

Just once though I want a musical artist, particularly a male one, admit that they just aren't that good at sex.

A sobering reminder that Weezer has never had a #1 hit.

 

[King of Summer Kamala]

https://www.stereogum.com/2190877/the-number-ones-divines-lately/columns/the-number-ones/

It's weird that there's a late '90s #1 that I just barely remember.

And I thought the story about one of the members having to audition for American Idol was depressing until I got to the end. Yeeesh.

 

[tekcop]

@alkeiper where's 2021?