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 Springs]

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 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 Springs]

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 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 Springs]

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 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 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?

 

[alkeiper]

@alkeiper where's 2021?

Source Material:

List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 2021 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bookended by "All I Want for Christmas Is You" which is a good song, honestly. Just severely overplayed.

"Mood." Ok, I know this, the Kidz Bop version. I searched for these songs manually via Spotify and most #1's have an explicit version and a clean version. This isn't bad. It's overproduced though and just kind of there.

"Drivers License." Talk about 16 year old problems. You want awkward? Try driving over the spot where your ex-girlfriend died in a car accident when her blood is still staining the road.

"What's up?" There's a fine line between rap music and "Sir, this is a Wendy's."

"Up." This probably sounds great in front of a crowd. It's weird on your headphones in an office.

"Peaches." Not to be that guy, but my generation had WAY better songs about peaches (they come in a can).

"Montero." I'm not going to relate to the kids' lyrics. But Lil Nas X has a good sense of rythmn. I can dig this.

"Leave the Door Open." This feels old school. Damn.

"Rapstar." There's the garbage I expected from 2021 music.

"Save Your Tears." The Weeknd and Ariana Grande being as safe and generic as possible.

"Good 4 U." This is a much better breakup song. Kinda slaps.

"Butter." Another one I've heard WAY too often from Kidz Bop. My daughter does not tolerate new things well.

"Permission To Dance." I've already forgotten what this sounds like.

"Stay." Yeah, this sucks.

"Way 2 Sexy." Just what we needed, a rap version of I'm Too Sexy. Not digging Drake.

"My Universe." This is the song that 40 year olds listen to at 9:55pm when we want to show that we party but also acknowledge that we have a curfew.

"Industry Baby." Good hook but this song lost the plot halfway through.

"Easy On Me." I love Adele. But this just doesn't stand out.

"All Too Well." I would need to listen to this again to give it a fair shake. Like I've said before, I don't get the Taylor Swift hate and honestly she's a good choice for a Super Bowl halftime show.

 

[King Kamala]

The Number Ones: Jennifer Lopez’s “All I Have” (Feat. LL Cool J)

In The Number Ones, I’m reviewing every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart’s beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present.

www.stereogum.com

Once every 1-2 months, there's a song in this column that I have little if no recollection of at all. Which is impressive cause 2003 is still when I was still deep into radio and MTV (and at this point, MTV2 and MuchMusic USA).

I know JLo has a ton of hits during this period so I guess it got lost in the shuffle.

 

[King Kamala]

The Number Ones: Clay Aiken’s “This Is The Night”

In The Number Ones, I’m reviewing every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart’s beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present.

www.stereogum.com

OK. I don't remember this one at all either. I remember "Invisible" mostly from being made fun of on VH1 Worst Songs countdowns in the '00s.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

I remember this song being HUGE in 1996. Not surprised it was #1 for 11 weeks either.

The Number Ones: Toni Braxton’s “Un-Break My Heart”

In The Number Ones, I’m reviewing every single #1 single in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, starting with the chart’s beginning, in 1958, and working my way up into the present.

www.stereogum.com