will.i.am100. “Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)” by Freemasons featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor
99. “Starstrukk” by 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry
98. “Let It Go” by Will Young
97. “
Beautiful” by Eminem
96. “My Love Is Better” by Annie
95. “No You Girls” by Franz Ferdinand
94. “Fire” by Kasabian
93. “Skeleton Boy” by Friendly Fires
92. “Get Sexy” by Sugababes
91. “Songs Remind Me of You” by Annie
90. “Oopsy Daisy” by Chipmunk featuring Dayo Olatunji
89. “Meet Me Halfway” by Black Eyed Peas
88. “If U Seek Amy” by Britney Spears
87. “Take Me Back by Tinchy Stryder featuring Taio Cruz
86. “Anthonio” by Annie
85. “Earthquake” by Little Boots
84. “Left My Heart In Tokyo” by Mini Viva
83. “Silly Boy” by Eva Simons
82. “Magic” by Ladyhawke
81. “Thinking Of You” by Katy Perry
80. “Dirtee Cash” by Dizzee Rascal
79. “New In Town” by Little Boots
78. “Ready For The Weekend” by Calvin Harris
77. “Notion” by Kings of Leon
76. “22” by Lily Allen
75. “Bodies” by Robbie Williams
74. “Number 1” by Tinchy Stryder featuring N-Dubz
73. “Brick By Boring Brick” by Paramore
72. “Heavy Cross” by Gossip
71. “Supernova” by Mr Hudson featuring Kanye West
70. “Breathe Slow” by Alesha Dixon
69. “Waking Up In Vegas” by Katy Perry
68. “Flashback” by Calvin Harris
67. “Never Leave You” by Tinchy Stryder featuring Amelle Berrabah
66. “Who’d Have Known” by Lily Allen
65. “Million Dollar Bill” by Whitney Houston
64. “Ignorance” by Paramore
63. “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz
62. “Funhouse” by P!nk
61. “Back Of The Van” by Ladyhawke
60. “Better Off As 2 by Frankmusik
59. “3 Words” by Cheryl Cole featuring will.i.am
58. “Please Don’t Leave Me” by P!nk
57. “Revelry” by Kings of Leon
56. “Beat Again” by JLS
55. “Paris Is Burning” by Ladyhawke
54. “Mama Do (uh oh, uh oh)” by Pixie Lott
53. “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson
52. “I’m Not Your Toy” by La Roux
51. “Broken-Hearted Girl” by Beyoncé
50. “4Ever” by The Veronicas
49. “Untouchable by Girls Aloud
48. “Doesn’t Mean Anything by Alicia Keys
47. “I Do Not Hook Up” by Kelly Clarkson
46. “Don’t Upset The Rhythm” by Noisettes
45. “Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus
44. “Russian Roulette” by Rihanna
43. “Spaceman” by The Killers
42. “Quicksand” by La Roux
41. “Uprising” by Muse
40. “She Wolf” by Shakira
39. “Day ‘N’ Night” by Kid Cudi vs. Crookers
38. “Untouched” by The Veronicas
37. “Daniel” by Bat for Lashes
36. “Love Sex Magic” by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake
35. “LoveGame” by Lady GaGa
34. “Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks
33. “Sweet Dreams” by Beyoncé
32. “Holiday” by Dizzee Rascal featuring Chrome
31. “Remedy” by Little Boots
30. “Not Fair” by Lily Allen
29. “Knock You Down” by Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo
28. “Boom Boom Pow” by Black Eyed Peas
27. “TiK ToK” by Ke$ha
26. “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” by Florence + The Machine
25. “In For The Kill by La Roux
24. “Underdog” by Kasabian
23. “Red” by Daniel Merriweather
22. “Radar” by Britney Spears
21. “The Loving Kind” by Girls Aloud
20.
“Fight For This Love” by Cheryl Cole
If “Umbrella” taught us anything, it was that less is more. Simple lyrics, a catchy melody and (of course) repetition are the ingredients for perfect pop. Everyone’s favourite talent show judge takes a leaf out of Rihanna’s book with this deceptively simple slice of R&B-pop that gets better with every single listen.
19.
“Run This Town” by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West
And speaking of Rihanna… almost unrecognisable since her debut as a Barbadian teenager, Rihanna now appears as the ultimate urban pop princess. Allegedly this track was intended for her album, but Jay-Z liked it so much he decided to keep it for himself. The most hated rapper of the year Kanye West also appears, albeit pre-Taylor Swift controversy, on this declaration of Roc Nation’s hip-hop reign.
18.
“Sexy Bitch” by David Guetta featuring Akon
David Guetta must feel like the cat who got the cream. Not only did he produce one of the biggest hits of the decade (Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling”) but he had two UK number one hits of his own this year, this being one of them. Yes, “Sexy Bitch” is a track so infectious that even Akon fails to irritate. Although, when he claims that he’s “trying to find a word to describe this girl without being disrespectful” and then settles for calling her a bitch, you can’t help but feel that he didn’t try very hard, did he?
17.
“Bad Boys” by Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida
Following Alexandra’s Beyoncé assisted victory on 2008’s X Factor, there was always a possibility that she would fade away into obscurity like the previous year’s winner Leon Jackson. Thankfully, rather than turn her into a Leona Lewis clone, Cowell has allowed Alex to move away from ballads (mostly, anyway) and her debut album is a mostly up-tempo affair. “Bad Boys” is the best of the bunch, with it’s hard-talking verses into a sing-along chorus – this is one of the finest examples of urban pop this year.
16.
“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
What’s this? Jay-Z outshone by the featured artist for a second time in one year? It’s fair to say that Jay’s rapping isn’t his greatest here – the lyrics are great, but his delivery is hoarse, raspy at best – but when Alicia Keys’ chorus comes in, frankly you won’t care less. An love song to their hometown, “Empire State of Mind” is the best US hip hop song of the year. It’s also worth checking out Alicia’s solo version on her album.
15.
“When Love Takes Over” by David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland
Poor Kelly Rowland. Throughout her solo career, she has shown flashes of brilliance (“Dilemma”, “Work”) but it seems she is always destined to remain in Beyoncé’s shadow. This is another such flash, Guetta provides the beats and Rowland delivers her best vocal performance to date – this is Euro-house at it’s finest, “When Love Takes Over” is heaven on a dance floor. Rightfully a number one in the UK, the single stalled in the US. Maybe if Beyoncé had been featured instead…
14.
“Jump In The Pool” by Friendly Fires
A dance rock masterpiece over tropical sounding drumbeats, “Jump in the Pool” is as infectious as it is well crafted. The finest track on Friendly Fires’ self titled debut may not have set the singles chart alight but definitely introduced the Mercury nominated group to a wider audience.
13.
“Just Dance” by Lady GaGa featuring Colby O’Donis
“RedOne… (insert artist’s name here)” is a sound that we’ve heard a lot this past year and it’s easy to forget that “Just Dance” is where it all started. It’s hard to imagine a world without GaGa, but just over a year ago she had yet to have set foot on our shores in the UK and no one had a bloody clue who she was. Fast forward 12 months later and she is the world’s most famous pop-starlet, what she wears (or perhaps more what she doesn’t) is headline news and she shoots out one hit after the other. “Just Dance” is the most pedestrian of her number one hits, but that doesn’t make it any less of an electropop classic.
12.
“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” by Beyoncé
It took Beyoncé six years to match the dizzying heights of debut solo hit “Crazy in Love”, but with “Single Ladies” and it’s simple but mesmerizing video (“One of the best videos of all time, man!” – Kanye West) Beyoncé near enough took over the world. The track bears a strong resemblance to “Get Me Bodied”, a little known late single release from her last album campaign, but repeated plays reveal a songwriting genius that were not apparent before. “Single Ladies” has more vocal and melodic hooks than an entire album of material from some of Beyoncé’s peers and paired with that dance routine… well, resistance is futile.
11.
“Release Me” by Agnes
Why can’t Cowell find a song like this for our reality stars? A soaring pop melody over synth-disco beats, Swedish Idol Agnes delivers a pleasantly restrained vocal for a singing competition winner – altogether this is a fine example of europop, thankfully not of the Cascada variety, this is a far classier affair. Leona take note – you could do (and have been doing) a lot worse than getting in touch with the Swedish team behind this. Hey, you and Agnes even look a little alike. Bonus!
10.
“Bad Romance” by Lady GaGa
By the time “Bad Romance” was released in the last few months of 2009, Lady GaGa already ruled the world. The lead single from her second album in just as many years (one year in some territories) and with an accompanying music video that featured GaGa being sold as a sex object (wonder if Smirnoff realized that before they product placed their vodka?), “Bad Romance” is “Poker Face” all grown up. Juvenile as the Rah-rah-rah-ah-ah/Roma-roma-mah/Gaga-oh-là-là” hook seems, by the time GaGa is wailing “I don’t wannabe friends!” at the end of the middle 8, you are feeling her pain, her longing, her desperation. The real revelation of “Bad Romance” is not that GaGa can knock out a cracking pop tune, we knew that already, it’s that she’s does emotional just as good as she does greed.
9.
“Sober” by P!nk
If P!nk couldn’t convince America that she had been criminally underrated in the past with her performance of “Sober” at the VMA’s this year, then she never will. Suspended high above the stage, singing every note live and being swung back and forth on a trapeze by her dancer, hers was one of the best performances of the night. It was also one of the best songs performed – P!nk has proved time and time again (“Who Knew”, “Just Like a Pill”) that a good song sung well is all you need and “Sober” is no exception. It’s little surprise when you take a look at who was involved. Aside from the lady herself, production and writing credits go to Danja, American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal.
8.
“I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris
Moving away from more indie sound of his first album, Harris opts for a more European sound on his follow up with surprisingly impressive results. The juxtaposition of Harris’ melancholy lyrics and vocal delivery with the blaring, trancy synths is one of the song’s main strengths. According to Harris, the track deals with feeling too old to be going to nightclubs anymore. At just 25, it’s safe to say he doesn’t have anything to worry about just yet.
7.
“Halo” by Beyoncé
If it was ever safe to say that Beyoncé’s songwriting credits are not what they seem, 2009 was it. Knowles claims a percentage of Ryan Tedder’s “Halo” despite the fact that it’s common knowledge that the song was offered to Leona Lewis first (who, quite frankly, missed a trick). To add further insult to injury, Tedder offered a practically identical track to Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was so annoyed by this that she fought her record label to stop the release of “Already Gone”, a track that even opens with the exact same word as “Halo” before following a suspiciously similar melody, but to no avail. But while Clarkson raged and joked about the “Already Halo” controversy, Beyoncé never even acknowledged the issue, which was probably the best thing to do – Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted was hardly a flop but it certainly underperformed, while Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce has been an overwhelming success. Did Beyoncé have a hand in writing “Halo”? It seems that no one could care less.
6.
“I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
Everything about this Guetta produced floor filler suggests that it shouldn’t really work. The vocals are terrible (well, not too bad for Fergie), there is a distinct lack of melody, the lyrics are hardly genius… but for some reason, “I Gotta Feeling” is just one of those moments in pop where everything comes together. To hear it and not dance is impossible, the infectious hook “tonight’s gonna be a good night” truly makes you feel that way. “I Gotta Feeling” helped to make the Black Eyed Peas one of the most successful groups in the world in 2009 at a time when a lot of people had written them off. Well done, the Peas.
5.
“The Fear” by Lily Allen
“I look at the Sun and I look in the Mirror, I’m on the right track, yeah I’m on to a winner.” Lily Allen has always been a witty lyricist, but this double entendre is possibly her best so far. In fact, “The Fear”, Lily’s ode to celebrity excess, is lyrically the greatest thing that she has ever written. As a song, it’s second only to “Smile” in her catalogue and it’s release definitely cemented her position as one of Britain’s greatest pop talents. If we are to believe that she is truly taking a break from the music industry, I sincerely hope she isn’t away for too long. Pop will be a very boring place without her.
4.
“Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal & Armand van Helden
Some scoff at Dizzee Rascal’s mainstream makeover, but “Bonkers” packs just as big a punch as his previous material. Over a throbbing, harsh dance beat, Dizzee raps about his crazy lifestyle. Admittedly, the content (as well as much of the album’s) is shallow in comparison to his early material. Inevitably though, he will return to his grime roots eventually. If the results of his “commercial experiment” sound this good, then he can have a little bit of fun beforehand if he wants.
3.
“Bulletproof” by La Roux
Less original than “In For The Kill” but much more listenable, “Bulletproof” became a number one single for La Roux in the summer of 2009. Ellie Jackson delivers a much less shrill vocal over a bouncy electropop backing, declaring her new found strength to an ex lover. Catchier than a cold and far more enjoyable, “Bulletproof” is brilliant on every single level.
2.
“Poker Face” by Lady GaGa
If one single defines 2009, “Poker Face” is it. Half-rapped verses, power pop chorus, so many synths it’s like the 1980s never left us – every woman (and some men) in pop wanted their very own “Poker Face”, which is why you hear that fateful “RedOne!” shout at the start of so many songs on the radio. GaGa claims that “Poker Face” is about masking her desire for women while sleeping with men, which is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the lyrics, but we’ll let her get away with that one. Whether it’s about sexy card games or bisexual fantasizing, one thing’s for sure: “Poker Face” is the song that made Lady GaGa into a superstar.
1.
“Paparazzi” by Lady GaGa
I didn’t want two songs by the same artist to top this list. I thought about whether I could give “Bulletproof” second place. I even swapped “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi” around a few times. In the end, it was best just to admit that these two were simply the best two singles of 2009.
As mentioned previously, “Poker Face” is definitely GaGa’s signature tune, but “Paparazzi” is the point where all her pretentious arty nonsense finally met up with her musical output and started to make sense. The epic video shows GaGa as a fading starlet who eventually kills her boyfriend – it was probably the best video of the year. Beyoncé may have claimed that less is more with “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” but GaGa is all about the excess. Her outfits, her music videos, even the music on The Fame is about the love of power, fame, money and men.
“Paparazzi” is the best song in her catalogue. Whereas most of GaGa’s songs smack you in the face with all the subtlety of sledgehammer, “Paparazzi” relies on a gorgeous melodic chorus. In particular, her vocals are at their best here, especially when she moves up a key to purr “Promise I’ll be kind, but I won’t stop until that boy is mine.” Lady GaGa is a criminally underrated vocalist.
And where would a GaGa song be without a double meaning? Seemingly a straightforward love song, the object of GaGa’s affection is playing hard to get. The other interpretation (that of the lady herself) is that “Paparazzi” is about GaGa’s flirtation with fame and fortune. She is courting the paparazzi, she wants them to love her. This theme is echoed throughout the rest of the Fame and with her performance at the VMAs (and the music video) “Paparazzi” began to lay the foundations for the follow up The Fame Monster at which point GaGa began to examine the darker side of fame.
All pretentious arty nonsense, of course. Great tunes though.
Singles artists of the year
1. Lady GaGa (featured on 5 singles in the Top 100)
2. La Roux (4)
3. Beyoncé (4)
4. Lily Allen (4)
5. will.i.am (4)
(songs are featured in their UK single release year)
99. “Starstrukk” by 3OH!3 featuring Katy Perry
98. “Let It Go” by Will Young
97. “
Beautiful” by Eminem96. “My Love Is Better” by Annie
95. “
No You Girls” by Franz Ferdinand94. “
Fire” by Kasabian93. “Skeleton Boy” by Friendly Fires
92. “Get Sexy” by Sugababes
91. “Songs Remind Me of You” by Annie
90. “Oopsy Daisy” by Chipmunk featuring Dayo Olatunji
89. “
Meet Me Halfway” by Black Eyed Peas88. “
If U Seek Amy” by Britney Spears87. “
Take Me Back by Tinchy Stryder featuring Taio Cruz86. “Anthonio” by Annie
85. “Earthquake” by Little Boots
84. “Left My Heart In Tokyo” by Mini Viva
83. “
Silly Boy” by Eva Simons82. “
Magic” by Ladyhawke81. “
Thinking Of You” by Katy Perry80. “Dirtee Cash” by Dizzee Rascal
79. “New In Town” by Little Boots
78. “Ready For The Weekend” by Calvin Harris
77. “
Notion” by Kings of Leon76. “
22” by Lily Allen75. “
Bodies” by Robbie Williams74. “Number 1” by Tinchy Stryder featuring N-Dubz
73. “
Brick By Boring Brick” by Paramore72. “
Heavy Cross” by Gossip71. “
Supernova” by Mr Hudson featuring Kanye West70. “
Breathe Slow” by Alesha Dixon69. “
Waking Up In Vegas” by Katy Perry68. “Flashback” by Calvin Harris
67. “
Never Leave You” by Tinchy Stryder featuring Amelle Berrabah66. “Who’d Have Known” by Lily Allen
65. “
Million Dollar Bill” by Whitney Houston64. “
Ignorance” by Paramore63. “Break Your Heart” by Taio Cruz
62. “
Funhouse” by P!nk61. “
Back Of The Van” by Ladyhawke60. “
Better Off As 2 by Frankmusik59. “3 Words” by Cheryl Cole featuring will.i.am
58. “Please Don’t Leave Me” by P!nk
57. “
Revelry” by Kings of Leon56. “Beat Again” by JLS
55. “
Paris Is Burning” by Ladyhawke54. “Mama Do (uh oh, uh oh)” by Pixie Lott
53. “
My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson52. “I’m Not Your Toy” by La Roux
51. “
Broken-Hearted Girl” by Beyoncé50. “
4Ever” by The Veronicas49. “Untouchable by Girls Aloud
48. “Doesn’t Mean Anything by Alicia Keys
47. “
I Do Not Hook Up” by Kelly Clarkson46. “Don’t Upset The Rhythm” by Noisettes
45. “
Party In The U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus44. “
Russian Roulette” by Rihanna43. “
Spaceman” by The Killers42. “
Quicksand” by La Roux41. “Uprising” by Muse
40. “
She Wolf” by Shakira39. “Day ‘N’ Night” by Kid Cudi vs. Crookers
38. “Untouched” by The Veronicas
37. “
Daniel” by Bat for Lashes36. “Love Sex Magic” by Ciara featuring Justin Timberlake
35. “
LoveGame” by Lady GaGa34. “
Battlefield” by Jordin Sparks33. “
Sweet Dreams” by Beyoncé32. “Holiday” by Dizzee Rascal featuring Chrome
31. “Remedy” by Little Boots
30. “
Not Fair” by Lily Allen29. “
Knock You Down” by Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo28. “
Boom Boom Pow” by Black Eyed Peas27. “
TiK ToK” by Ke$ha26. “
Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)” by Florence + The Machine25. “
In For The Kill by La Roux24. “
Underdog” by Kasabian23. “
Red” by Daniel Merriweather22. “
Radar” by Britney Spears21. “The Loving Kind” by Girls Aloud
20.
“Fight For This Love” by Cheryl Cole
If “
Umbrella” taught us anything, it was that less is more. Simple lyrics, a catchy melody and (of course) repetition are the ingredients for perfect pop. Everyone’s favourite talent show judge takes a leaf out of Rihanna’s book with this deceptively simple slice of R&B-pop that gets better with every single listen.19.
“Run This Town” by Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West
And speaking of Rihanna… almost unrecognisable since her debut as a Barbadian teenager, Rihanna now appears as the ultimate urban pop princess. Allegedly this track was intended for her album, but Jay-Z liked it so much he decided to keep it for himself. The most hated rapper of the year Kanye West also appears, albeit pre-Taylor Swift controversy, on this declaration of Roc Nation’s hip-hop reign.
18.
“Sexy Bitch” by David Guetta featuring Akon
David Guetta must feel like the cat who got the cream. Not only did he produce one of the biggest hits of the decade (Black Eyed Peas’ “
I Gotta Feeling”) but he had two UK number one hits of his own this year, this being one of them. Yes, “Sexy Bitch” is a track so infectious that even Akon fails to irritate. Although, when he claims that he’s “trying to find a word to describe this girl without being disrespectful” and then settles for calling her a bitch, you can’t help but feel that he didn’t try very hard, did he?17.
“Bad Boys” by Alexandra Burke featuring Flo Rida
Following Alexandra’s Beyoncé assisted victory on 2008’s X Factor, there was always a possibility that she would fade away into obscurity like the previous year’s winner Leon Jackson. Thankfully, rather than turn her into a Leona Lewis clone, Cowell has allowed Alex to move away from ballads (mostly, anyway) and her debut album is a mostly up-tempo affair. “Bad Boys” is the best of the bunch, with it’s hard-talking verses into a sing-along chorus – this is one of the finest examples of urban pop this year.
16.
“Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
What’s this? Jay-Z outshone by the featured artist for a second time in one year? It’s fair to say that Jay’s rapping isn’t his greatest here – the lyrics are great, but his delivery is hoarse, raspy at best – but when Alicia Keys’ chorus comes in, frankly you won’t care less. An love song to their hometown, “Empire State of Mind” is the best US hip hop song of the year. It’s also worth checking out Alicia’s solo version on her album.
15.
“
When Love Takes Over” by David Guetta featuring Kelly RowlandPoor Kelly Rowland. Throughout her solo career, she has shown flashes of brilliance (“
Dilemma”, “Work”) but it seems she is always destined to remain in Beyoncé’s shadow. This is another such flash, Guetta provides the beats and Rowland delivers her best vocal performance to date – this is Euro-house at it’s finest, “When Love Takes Over” is heaven on a dance floor. Rightfully a number one in the UK, the single stalled in the US. Maybe if Beyoncé had been featured instead…14.
“Jump In The Pool” by Friendly Fires
A dance rock masterpiece over tropical sounding drumbeats, “Jump in the Pool” is as infectious as it is well crafted. The finest track on Friendly Fires’ self titled debut may not have set the singles chart alight but definitely introduced the Mercury nominated group to a wider audience.
13.
“
Just Dance” by Lady GaGa featuring Colby O’Donis“RedOne… (insert artist’s name here)” is a sound that we’ve heard a lot this past year and it’s easy to forget that “Just Dance” is where it all started. It’s hard to imagine a world without GaGa, but just over a year ago she had yet to have set foot on our shores in the UK and no one had a bloody clue who she was. Fast forward 12 months later and she is the world’s most famous pop-starlet, what she wears (or perhaps more what she doesn’t) is headline news and she shoots out one hit after the other. “Just Dance” is the most pedestrian of her number one hits, but that doesn’t make it any less of an electropop classic.
12.
“
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” by BeyoncéIt took Beyoncé six years to match the dizzying heights of debut solo hit “
Crazy in Love”, but with “Single Ladies” and it’s simple but mesmerizing video (“One of the best videos of all time, man!” – Kanye West) Beyoncé near enough took over the world. The track bears a strong resemblance to “Get Me Bodied”, a little known late single release from her last album campaign, but repeated plays reveal a songwriting genius that were not apparent before. “Single Ladies” has more vocal and melodic hooks than an entire album of material from some of Beyoncé’s peers and paired with that dance routine… well, resistance is futile.11.
“
Release Me” by AgnesWhy can’t Cowell find a song like this for our reality stars? A soaring pop melody over synth-disco beats, Swedish Idol Agnes delivers a pleasantly restrained vocal for a singing competition winner – altogether this is a fine example of europop, thankfully not of the Cascada variety, this is a far classier affair. Leona take note – you could do (and have been doing) a lot worse than getting in touch with the Swedish team behind this. Hey, you and Agnes even look a little alike. Bonus!
10.
“
Bad Romance” by Lady GaGaBy the time “Bad Romance” was released in the last few months of 2009, Lady GaGa already ruled the world. The lead single from her second album in just as many years (one year in some territories) and with an accompanying music video that featured GaGa being sold as a sex object (wonder if Smirnoff realized that before they product placed their vodka?), “Bad Romance” is “
Poker Face” all grown up. Juvenile as the Rah-rah-rah-ah-ah/Roma-roma-mah/Gaga-oh-là-là” hook seems, by the time GaGa is wailing “I don’t wannabe friends!” at the end of the middle 8, you are feeling her pain, her longing, her desperation. The real revelation of “Bad Romance” is not that GaGa can knock out a cracking pop tune, we knew that already, it’s that she’s does emotional just as good as she does greed.9.
“Sober” by P!nk
If P!nk couldn’t convince America that she had been criminally underrated in the past with her performance of “Sober” at the VMA’s this year, then she never will. Suspended high above the stage, singing every note live and being swung back and forth on a trapeze by her dancer, hers was one of the best performances of the night. It was also one of the best songs performed – P!nk has proved time and time again (“
Who Knew”, “Just Like a Pill”) that a good song sung well is all you need and “Sober” is no exception. It’s little surprise when you take a look at who was involved. Aside from the lady herself, production and writing credits go to Danja, American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi and No Doubt’s Tony Kanal.8.
“I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris
Moving away from more indie sound of his first album, Harris opts for a more European sound on his follow up with surprisingly impressive results. The juxtaposition of Harris’ melancholy lyrics and vocal delivery with the blaring, trancy synths is one of the song’s main strengths. According to Harris, the track deals with feeling too old to be going to nightclubs anymore. At just 25, it’s safe to say he doesn’t have anything to worry about just yet.
7.
“
Halo” by BeyoncéIf it was ever safe to say that Beyoncé’s songwriting credits are not what they seem, 2009 was it. Knowles claims a percentage of Ryan Tedder’s “Halo” despite the fact that it’s common knowledge that the song was offered to Leona Lewis first (who, quite frankly, missed a trick). To add further insult to injury, Tedder offered a practically identical track to Kelly Clarkson. Clarkson was so annoyed by this that she fought her record label to stop the release of “
Already Gone”, a track that even opens with the exact same word as “Halo” before following a suspiciously similar melody, but to no avail. But while Clarkson raged and joked about the “Already Halo” controversy, Beyoncé never even acknowledged the issue, which was probably the best thing to do – Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted was hardly a flop but it certainly underperformed, while Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce has been an overwhelming success. Did Beyoncé have a hand in writing “Halo”? It seems that no one could care less.6.
“
I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed PeasEverything about this Guetta produced floor filler suggests that it shouldn’t really work. The vocals are terrible (well, not too bad for Fergie), there is a distinct lack of melody, the lyrics are hardly genius… but for some reason, “I Gotta Feeling” is just one of those moments in pop where everything comes together. To hear it and not dance is impossible, the infectious hook “tonight’s gonna be a good night” truly makes you feel that way. “I Gotta Feeling” helped to make the Black Eyed Peas one of the most successful groups in the world in 2009 at a time when a lot of people had written them off. Well done, the Peas.
5.
“
The Fear” by Lily Allen“I look at the Sun and I look in the Mirror, I’m on the right track, yeah I’m on to a winner.” Lily Allen has always been a witty lyricist, but this double entendre is possibly her best so far. In fact, “The Fear”, Lily’s ode to celebrity excess, is lyrically the greatest thing that she has ever written. As a song, it’s second only to “Smile” in her catalogue and it’s release definitely cemented her position as one of Britain’s greatest pop talents. If we are to believe that she is truly taking a break from the music industry, I sincerely hope she isn’t away for too long. Pop will be a very boring place without her.
4.
“Bonkers” by Dizzee Rascal & Armand van Helden
Some scoff at Dizzee Rascal’s mainstream makeover, but “Bonkers” packs just as big a punch as his previous material. Over a throbbing, harsh dance beat, Dizzee raps about his crazy lifestyle. Admittedly, the content (as well as much of the album’s) is shallow in comparison to his early material. Inevitably though, he will return to his grime roots eventually. If the results of his “commercial experiment” sound this good, then he can have a little bit of fun beforehand if he wants.
3.
“
Bulletproof” by La RouxLess original than “
In For The Kill” but much more listenable, “Bulletproof” became a number one single for La Roux in the summer of 2009. Ellie Jackson delivers a much less shrill vocal over a bouncy electropop backing, declaring her new found strength to an ex lover. Catchier than a cold and far more enjoyable, “Bulletproof” is brilliant on every single level.2.
“
Poker Face” by Lady GaGaIf one single defines 2009, “Poker Face” is it. Half-rapped verses, power pop chorus, so many synths it’s like the 1980s never left us – every woman (and some men) in pop wanted their very own “Poker Face”, which is why you hear that fateful “RedOne!” shout at the start of so many songs on the radio. GaGa claims that “Poker Face” is about masking her desire for women while sleeping with men, which is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the lyrics, but we’ll let her get away with that one. Whether it’s about sexy card games or bisexual fantasizing, one thing’s for sure: “Poker Face” is the song that made Lady GaGa into a superstar.
1.
“
Paparazzi” by Lady GaGaI didn’t want two songs by the same artist to top this list. I thought about whether I could give “
Bulletproof” second place. I even swapped “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi” around a few times. In the end, it was best just to admit that these two were simply the best two singles of 2009.As mentioned previously, “Poker Face” is definitely GaGa’s signature tune, but “Paparazzi” is the point where all her pretentious arty nonsense finally met up with her musical output and started to make sense. The epic video shows GaGa as a fading starlet who eventually kills her boyfriend – it was probably the best video of the year. Beyoncé may have claimed that less is more with “
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” but GaGa is all about the excess. Her outfits, her music videos, even the music on The Fame is about the love of power, fame, money and men.“Paparazzi” is the best song in her catalogue. Whereas most of GaGa’s songs smack you in the face with all the subtlety of sledgehammer, “Paparazzi” relies on a gorgeous melodic chorus. In particular, her vocals are at their best here, especially when she moves up a key to purr “Promise I’ll be kind, but I won’t stop until that boy is mine.” Lady GaGa is a criminally underrated vocalist.
And where would a GaGa song be without a double meaning? Seemingly a straightforward love song, the object of GaGa’s affection is playing hard to get. The other interpretation (that of the lady herself) is that “Paparazzi” is about GaGa’s flirtation with fame and fortune. She is courting the paparazzi, she wants them to love her. This theme is echoed throughout the rest of the Fame and with her performance at the VMAs (and the music video) “Paparazzi” began to lay the foundations for the follow up The Fame Monster at which point GaGa began to examine the darker side of fame.
All pretentious arty nonsense, of course. Great tunes though.
Singles artists of the year
1. Lady GaGa (featured on 5 singles in the Top 100)
2. La Roux (4)
3. Beyoncé (4)
4. Lily Allen (4)
5. will.i.am (4)
(songs are featured in their UK single release year)
