Taylor Swift's Speak Now was predicted to have strong first week sales, but the Grammy winner's new album exceeded expectations and broke records last week, selling over a million copies in a time when many doubted that could ever happen again.
Nielson Soundscan reports the album sold 1,047,00 last week, the first album to sell over a million since Lil Wayne in 2008 with Tha Carter III. Billboard reports that one out of every six albums sold last week was Speak Now, giving Swift the best first week numbers since 2005 when 50 Cent's The Massacre sold 1,141,000 copies in a week.
In addition, Speak Now posted the best one weeks sales for a female since 2000 with Britney Spears' Oops!...I Did It Again and the best one week sales for a country artist since 1998 with Garth Brooks' Double Live according to Billboard.
So, how did she do it? Taylor Swift is an anomaly in the collapsing record industry. Record sales continue to tumble, and 2010 is on track to be the worst year for record sales ever, but somehow, America's sweetheart pulled it off.
The secret to Swift's broad appeal is similar to what politicians try to do election after election: energize their base and pull independents.
In the crumbling record industry, there are few bright spots. Twenty-year old country crossover Taylor Swift is one of them.
Swift became the youngest artist to win Album of the Year at last year's Grammy Awards for Fearless, which also was the biggest selling album of 2009. Her successes have led to high hopes for her third record, Speak Now, with some industry insiders wondering if she can break the illusive one million sales mark in its opening week.
The last artist to shift 1 million units in a week was Lil Wayne who did so with Tha Carter III in June 2008. No album since has come close to matching the feat.
"It feels like if anybody can do it now, she could be the one," said Will Botwin, president/CEO of Red Light Management and ATO Records to Billboard.com. "She has the sales base and heat from the last few albums. And with all the amazing things she has going on, she is as likely as anybody to reach a million units."
Swift's broad appeal stems from her ability to court pop radio while not alienating her country base, often a difficult task. Her job is made easier however, by her sweet and authentic temperament which is impossible to hide during interviews and performances. This was cemented in pop culture following Kanye West's interruption during her acceptance speech for Female Video of the Year at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. She is America's Sweetheart.
Regardless, the singer faced criticism that the fairytale and young love themes common in her music would get old soon. Swift got the message. Her forthcoming record was initially entitled Enchanted, but that was soon scraped. Still, listening to the song "Enchanted", it's evident that this isn't the same territory charted in songs like "Love Story" and "Today Was A Fairytale". "This night is flawless, don't you let it go," she sings over building strings and timpani. "It was enchanting to meet you." It's a sentiment that is probably scribbled in countless 15-year-olds' diaries, but Swift no longer sounds like a teenage girl obsessed with boys. She's grown up.
2 million copies of Speak Now have been sent to stores, meaning it won't be hard to find a copy. With such high expectations, it makes you wonder if Swift feels any pressure on her record to be a blockbuster.
"I have a lot of anxiety about things on certain days, but I have anxiety because I care," she said to Billboard magazine. "It's not anxiety that's crippling. It's a five-minute conversation with myself about if a [sales] number really defines this piece of art that I've created and what that means, and what the number's going to be. I try to predict what it's going to be, and then I realize that I can't predict what it's going to be, and then I realize that I can't predict what it's going to be, and then I sit there and say something to myself like, 'Well, you're happy today. Enjoy this and be proud of the music that you've made."
Speak Now is available at Best Buy for $9.99 during its first week in stores and a special edition featuring bonus tracks is on sale exclusively at Target.
This Tuesday, my brother Boston gets back from serving a two year mission in Houston, Texas. During that time, he didn't watch movies, kiss girls, check Facebook, or listen to music. Instead, he talked to people about Jesus and restored Christianity, selflessly served others, and changed people's lives. Now that he's back, I feel that it's my duty to help him adjust to post-mission life, and to do that, I made a mix of some of the music he missed in those two years. Most of the songs are good, some of them are not as good, but I'd like to think that they paint a pretty accurate snapshot of what music was like in the past two years. Some songs are from Schwarz brother's staples like Kanye, Coldplay, and the Killers and then others are inescapable time stamps of pop culture ("I Gotta Feeling", "Single Ladies", "TiK Tok"). Check out the list after the jump. Any songs from June 2008-June 2010 that deserved to make the cut but didn't?
Apple is counting down to a major milestone as digital music retailer iTunes nears the 10 billion mark for songs sold. The customer who downloads the lucky 10 billionth song will win a $10,000 iTunes gift card.
iTunes also released a list of its top twenty best-selling songs. This is the first time the site has released this type of information before.
The top seller is the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". They also come in at No. 3 with "Boom Boom Pow". Lady Gaga is the only other artist to land two songs in the top ten. Her "Poker Face" is the second most downloaded song and "Just Dance" sits at No. 6. Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Flo Rida, and Taylor Swift also scored high downloaded singles. See the full list after the jump.
The 2010 Grammy Awards were one of the highest watched in years. The show had an audience of 25.8 million people, up 35 percent from last year.
Beyonce lead the winners with six awards, the most by a female in a single night. Her "Halo" won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" won Song of the Year.
Album of the Year was won by Taylor Swift, the youngest artist to ever win in this category. Swift also walked home with a Grammy for Best Country Album, Best Female Country Performance for "White Horse", and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Breathe" with Colbie Callait.
Record of the Year was awarded to Kings of Leon for "Use Somebody", and the Zac Brown Band took home the award for Best New Artist.
Country star Taylor Swift scored her third top three hit this week with the record breaking "Today Was A Fairytale", giving her yet another reason to celebrate.
Swift, who has been nominated eight times at this week's Grammy awards, debuted at No. 2 with "Fairytale", from the soundtrack to Valentine's Day. With digital sales of 325,000, Swift broke the record for best first week sales by a female artist. The previous record holder was Britney Spears who sold 286,000 downloads of "Womanizer" in October 2008.
Even with a stellar week in sales, radio airplay for "Fairytale" is non-existent, giving Ke$ha her sixth week at No. 1. It does beg the question though, will Taylor Swift ever get a No. 1 single?
After having the best selling album of 2009, scoring two top five hits, and winning the first VMA moonman for a country artist ever, it seems like Taylor Swift could easily sit back and enjoy her success.
The twenty-year-old refuses to rest on her laurels however. Even after re-releasing Fearless with six new songs to tie her fans over, Swift continues to flood the marketplace with new songs and her loyal fans continue to eat them up.
Check out four of Taylor's new songs after the jump.
Neilsen Soundscan has released the sales figures for 2009's top selling albums, and Taylor Swift beat out Susan Boyle and Michael Jackson for the top spot. Swift's Fearless sold 3.2 million, just barley ahead of Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream which shifted 3.1 million copies. Jackson's Number Ones came in third selling 2.3 million. Check out 2009's top selling albums below.
1. Fearless
Taylor Swift
3.2 million copies sold
Released November 11, 2008
Swift's victory comes as no surprise. Fearless spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Eleven songs from the album charted on the Hot 100, including "Love Story" at No. 4 and "You Belong With Me" at No. 2. She became the first country artist to win a MTV Video Music Award (and she won over the hearts of Americans thanks to Kanye). Her cross-over appeal ensured both country and top 40 radio airplay. If that wasn't enough, the album was re-released with six new songs (and yes, all six landed somewhere on the Hot 100) spurring sales even more.
2. I Dreamed A Dream
Susan Boyle
3.1 million copies sold
Released November 23, 2009
Susan Boyle's second place finish is very impressive. Released the last week in November, I Dreamed A Dream managed to sell almost as much as Fearless did in an entire year. Thank you YouTube. Thanks to the Britian's Got Talent contestant's audition clip which went viral, the entire world fell in love with Boyle, the unlikley star. Her compelling story, powerful voice, and collection of ballads released right before Christmas was a recipe for success. Millions of consumers who usually don't buy CDs did (And the best thing about those kinds of consumers? They don't illegally download, nor do they know how).
3. Number Ones
Michael Jackson
2.3 million copies sold
Released November 18, 2003
Chart watchers predicted front runner Fearless would face stiff compitition from Number Ones after Jackson died this June. Although 2.3 million isn't bad for a compilation album released in 2003, sales of Number Ones were cannabalized by consumers buying other Jackson records. I'm sure the Jackson estate isn't too worried; the King of Pop ended up the top selling artist of the year with a total of 8.2 million albums sold. Other albums of his in the top 20 were This Is It landed at No. 12, Thriller at No. 14, and The Essential Michael Jackson at No. 20.
4. The Fame
Lady Gaga
2.2 million copies sold
Released August 19, 2008
I actually got The Fame the day it came out. Lady Gaga had lit the blogosphere on fire, but I had no idea that her debut even had the potential to be one of 2009's biggest selling albums. "Just Dance" took its time climbing up the Hot 100, and consumers responded. Gaga wasn't finished though, popping out hit after hit. After so many smash hit singles, consumers eventually decided that buying the full length album was worth their time. The Fame peaked at No. 4 on the album charts in March, but in December, following the release of The Fame Monster, it shot back into the top ten. As of this week, The Fame is ranked No. 2 on the album charts, a new peak.
5. My Christmas
Andrea Bocelli
2.2 million copies sold
Released November 3, 2009
There is something unfullfilling about a Christmas album selling well. At least it isn't 2007, when the best selling album was a Christmas album, Noel by Josh Groben. I guess that's all I have to say about that.
6. Hannah Montana Movie Soundtrack
The Artist Formerly Known As Hannah Montana
1.8 million copies sold
Released March 23, 2009
The artist formerly known as Hannah Montana had one of the same problems as Michael Jackson - too many releases to choose from. Busy soccer moms had three different 2009 Hannah albums to choose from to play for their girls as they drove their SUVs around. The soundtrack to the Disney star's movie was the best choice though, it had "The Climb" on it for crying out loud!
7. The E.N.D.
The Black Eyed Peas
1.7 million copies sold
Released June 9, 2009
You would think that six straight months with the No. 1 song in the country would ensure a little more than 1.7 million in sales, wouldn't you? And how much of these sales are from when the price for the digital album dramatically dropped to coincide with their DirectTV ad and the group's attempt to return to the top ten and make "Meet Me Halfway" their third No. 1 single?
8. Relapse
Eminem 1.7 million copies sold Released May 15, 2009
Eminem had the biggest opening sales week of the year, selling over 600,000 copies of Relapse. That is until Susan Boyle blew him out of the water. Despite a cover that looked like puke in the form of Slim Shady and a slew of under performing singles (except the No. 1 hit "Crack A Bottle"), Relapse was a hit, a comeback for one of the early 00s biggest rappers.
9. Blueprint 3
Jay-Z 1.5 million copies sold Released September 11, 2009
Jay-Z passed Elvis and became the solo artist with the most No. 1 albums when Blueprint 3 opened at the top spot, his 11th to do so. Anchored by high profile guest appearances like Rihanna, Kanye West, and Alicia Keys, Hova appealed to his rap base but had the hooks to cross over to pop. Even though the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana sang about the Jay-Z song being on, she reportedly never heard one. After Blueprint 3 singles impacted radio, I'm sure that changed.
10. Only By The Night
Kings of Leon 1.3 million copies sold Released September 19, 2009
Like The Fame, I bough Only By The Night the day it was released after I fell in love with "Sex On Fire". The Kings of Leon seemed destined for mediocrity when it came to sales of their latest album, but then "Use Somebody" happened. Its a cheap Nickleback-lite tune, but for some reason, Americans loved it. Not only did they buy the song, but they ended up buying the entire album. Only By The Night ended up being iTune's Album of the Year.
The 2000s were a decade ripe with fragmentation and it saw old ways of doing things crumble and fail, yet 2009 was full of instances of cultural unity. The Black Eyed Peas dominated the Billboard Hot 100 for six whole months. Michael Jackson's death resulted in wall-to-wall coverage and commemoration that will continue well into next year. The world collectively glared at Kanye, comforted Taylor, and applauded Beyonce following the MTV Video Music Awards. Gagamania swept the globe becoming the biggest pop phenomenon since the teen pop reached its peak at the turn of the century. It was quite the year.
Below are the top 25 songs of 2009. Each song has an embedded video below so you can enjoy the sights and sounds of each song. Most of the videos are provided by Vevo, something that wasn't even available a few short weeks ago when 17 Tracks counted down the top 100 songs of the decade. Basically, its a way for record companies to monetize the vast Internet frontier that is YouTube. The bad thing is you might get commercials prior to watching the video, but just keep watching because it will show up. The good thing is now bloggers everywhere can embed high quality music videos put out by the record labels without them being blocked or getting yanked hours later. I support Vevo.
And with that, I humbly present to you for your consideration, the 17 Tracks Top 25 Songs of 2009. Enjoy.
1. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
When Lady Gaga made her debut last year, she seemed destined for indie electro-pop greatness. She would be hailed as the savior of pop on such sites as Popjustice, mentioned on Pitchfork every once in a while, and would develop a cult following among music fans who are obsessed with obscure Scandinavian pop stars. Boy, was I wrong.
Although Lady Gaga ended 2008 as an underground artist, 2009 saw her rocket to a world famous superstar. "Just Dance" became a No. 1 hit in January, but any notion that the singer would be a flash in the pan ended when "Poker Face" followed its predecessor into the penthouse in April.
While "Just Dance" was an amazing pop single (and 17 Track's No. 7 song of 2008), "Poker Face" has quickly become Gaga's signature song. Its grinding synth as suggestive lyrics that use poker as a metaphor for bisexuality cemented her status as one of the 2000s definitive pop stars despite emerging in its final eighteen months.
2. Kasabian - "Underdog"
"Underdog" manages to combine post-punk sensibilities with electro-crunch and a slightly western folk swagger in "Underdog". The results are an anthemic and defiant opener to their horribly titled West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
3. Girls Aloud - "The Loving Kind"
"The Loving Kind" is Girls Aloud's twentieth and final (so far) top ten single, and one of the best songs they've recorded. A desperate plea for a final shot at love, the track has enough bounce to make it danceable, but enough sophistication to keep it classy.
4. Phoenix - "1901"
I can't hear Phoenix's "1901" without thinking of the Cadillac commercial it soundtracks. "All designed to reignite the soul," the announcer says about 2009 SRX, but it can also be said about the song that features synth reminiscent on 1970s "high-tech" sound effects.
5. Cheryl Cole feat. Will.I.Am - "3 Words"
Former Girls Aloud singer takes a break from her award winning group to make music with Will.I.Am. Earlier this year, that didn't exactly sound like a recipe for success, but both Cheryl Cole and "the new Bob Dylan" proved us wrong with this haunting hypnotic masterpiece.
"Box N Locks" was this year's "L.E.S. Artiste", a new wave tune by a female black singer that challenged the idea that she has to make a certain type of music singing, "Supposed to be this ghetto chick making all this urban music...bet you never knew that I could do this too."
7. Kanye West feat. Kid Cudi - "Welcome To Heartbreak"
Kanye West made Taylor Swift cry so he's keeping a low profile for a while. Chris Brown physically assaulted Rihanna and he's got a new album out. Doesn't make much sense, but it also doesn't take away from the greatness of "Welcome To Heartbreak", the thesis for 808s & Heartbreak.
8. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
Jay-Z has never had a No. 1 single without the help of a leading lady, and even though Hova has lead credits on "Empire State of Mind", it wouldn't have become the smash hit that it is without Alicia Key's and her larger than life hook.
9. Bat For Lashes - "Daniel"
"Daniel" is the most instant track British-Pakistani singer Bat for Lashes has ever recorded. The mystic track channels Stevie Nicks with poetic lyrics about love, loss, and the fictional character Daniel who may or may not be the karate kid.
A diva is a female version of a hustler, and "Diva" is a female version of "A Milli", Lil Wayne's freestyle critic charming rap. Beyonce's foray into rapping comes as no surprise considering who her husband is. The track oozes swagger and attitude.
11. Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"
Kanye West protege Kid Cudi proved he deserved Ye's praise with his debut single. Both the laid back album version and the dancefloor pleasing Crookers remix are steller, telling the tale of "the lonely stoner" and his quest for happiness.
12. Lady Gaga - "Paparazzi"
Lady Gaga capitalized on her two No. 1 hits with "Paparazzi". The insistent beat and obsessive lyrics were set to a stunning music video that clocked in just under eight minutes and provided commentary on the fatal cost of fame. And then you have the blood drenched VMA performance. Lady Gaga was only beginning.
13. La Roux - "Bulletproof"
La Roux lead singer Eleanor Jackson has weird hair and an...interesting...voice. I originally compared it to an electric drill to the head. A few months later, her voice has grown on me, and its definitely not bad enough that you can't enjoy their marvelous "Bulletproof" for three minutes and thirty seconds.
14. Lily Allen - "The Fear"
As a self made Myspace celebrity, British singer Lily Allen has a few things to say about fame. "I want to be rich and I want lots of money, I don't care about clever, I don't care about funny," she sings. Drowning in irony and poking fun at the notion of 15 minutes of fame, the track won over critics' hearts and consumers' wallets in the UK.
15. Girls Aloud - "Untouchable"
Its a shame that Girls Aloud's 6:44 epic had to be edited for radio. Still, this icy neo-disco track finds the Girls waxing poetic over blissfully pulsing synth. "Without any meaning, we're just skin and bones, like beautiful robots dancing alone." Amen.
Ryan Tedder has got a lot of flack this year, but can you write songs as good as "Halo", "Apologize", "Bleeding Love", or "Already Gone"? This single was the most beautiful song to pass from Beyonce's lips, especially juxtaposed with her fire breathing Sasha Fierce stuff she did.
17. Shakira feat. Lil Wayne - "Give It Up To Me"
It's a mystery how Shakira's She Wolf never took off with singles like "She Wolf", "Did It Again", and "Give It Up To Me". "Up" features the ubiquitous Lil Wayne and was produced by Timbaland. It should have been a homerun. What does the average American know about good music though anyways?
18. Annie - "Anthonio"
"This may come as a surprise, my baby has your eyes," says Annie to her one time lover over a sophisticated thumping beat. Despite being dropped by her record label, Annie has maintained near universal popularity and acclaim from major music sites and minor blogs alike, and with songs like "Anthonio", it's not hard to hear why.
19. Kasabian - "Fire"
"Fire" is an extremely overused word in the post-punk genre. How else do you show how edgy you are? I'm on fire, you're on fire, sex is on fire. Still, I'll give it to Kasabian for putting the word to good use in their propulsive yet twangy track.
20. Basement Jaxx - "Raindrops"
"Raindrops" made 17 Tracks Summer mix and was then called an Amazonian rainstorm from the future. There's no better way to describe this song which packs primitive beats, colossal synth, and electric guitar into one euphoric track.
21. Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"
Lady Gaga turned her stage name into a primal chant that has become a catch phrase that you can become a fan of on Facebook, as well as made a music video with a dance that's the closest thing to becoming a cultural phenomenon since "Single Ladies". The dark and danceable beat of "Bad Romance" continued her streak of critic charming hit songs.
22. Rihanna feat. Young Jeezy - "Hard"
Rihanna proves she stronger than before in "Hard". The musical middle finger incorpirates lyrical elements from her recent hit with Jay-Z, "Run This Town", and is the darkest and...well hardest song she's ever recorded.
23. Beyonce - "Sweet Dreams"
Beyonce's first electro-song shares a title with one of the most famous electro-songs ever. That's always a gamble, but B pulls it off, singing about a love that's either, "a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare," that she doesn't want to wake up from.
24. Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"
Love rarley seems to work out the way you wish it would. You like someone who likes someone else who likes someone else, and no one's happy. That's why "You Belong With Me" works. That, and its perfect blend of Nashville and Kelly Clarkson which made it a radio smash.
25. Britney Spears - "Circus"
Although it became evident this year that Britney isn't into being a pop star like she used to, when the heavy breathing and guitars kick on in the pre-chorus of "Circus", it's impossible to not be excited. And has she ever had lyrics as thought provoking as, "There's only two types of people in the world: The ones that entertain and the ones that observe"?
Thumbing through the sleeve for Taylor Swift'sFearless: Platinum Edition is sort of like thumbing through your fifteen year old sister's journal. The confessional lyrics portray a hopeless romantic, a girl who wants nothing more than to fall in love with the man of her dreams and live happily ever after. And all the boys who broke her heart? Screw them.
Fearless has already been certified more than five times platinum. It debuted No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and notched up eleven weeks there, the longest run at the top in nearly ten years. Five tracks from the album have landed in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and thirteen more appeared further down on the chart. Fearless? More like peer-less.
Swift's key to success is her crossover appeal. Her country base loves her, and she's got enough pop that mainstream radio plays her too. Swift, along with Carrie Underwood, is able to get consumers who usually don't buy or listen to country music, to take interest. The results are remarkable considering we are in a recession and the record industry is imploding. Her music, written all or in part by her, resonates with her listeners.
"Romeo save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult, but its real," she protests in "Love Story". "When you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe them," she warns in "Fifteen". "If you can see that I'm the one who understands you...why can't you see you belong with me?" she wonders in "You Belong With Me". For anyone who has ever been in love, or thought you were, there is a lyric in Fearless that makes you stop and say, "Finally! Somebody knows what I'm going through!" I'm sure countless high school girls who in the past twelve months have felt like Swift was the only person who knew what they were going through. Its probably because she does.
Unlike the songs of teen stars of ten years ago, Swift's songs aren't Swedish tunes designed to go great with a synchronized dance routine, they're real. "Hey Stephen"...its about a guy named Stephen. In "Fifteen", Swift talks about a character named Abigail, singing, "Abigail gave everything she had to a boy who changed his mind and we both cried." Her best friend? A girl named Abigail. It would sure suck to be the cheating boyfriend she sings about in "White Horse".
"You Belong With Me" might not have one of the best music videos of all time, butFearless is one of the greatest albums by a teenager, and one of the best country crossover albums ever. The platinum edition packs in six new songs, all the album's music videos, and special features, just in time for Christmas so you can get your fifteen year old sister a copy...or one for yourself.
Rating: 9/10 Must download tracks: "Love Story", "White Horse", and "Forever & Always (Piano Version)"
Kanye West wasn't kidding, Beyonce really did make on of the best music videos of all time for "Single Ladies". All it took was a black and white dance video that could easily translate to a dance craze involving only a wrist twist. How could you ignore a fire breathing Sasha Fierce in a song like this? Jay-Z didn't. He liked enough that he did put a ring on it.
"Gotta Have You"
The Weepies Say I Am You (2006)
The Weepies' simple "Gotta Have You" is a heartfelt plea for love and a convincing argument that America needs to spend more time listening to folk-pop. It's melodic, blissful, and honest. "No amount of coffee, no amount of wine, no amount of whiskey or wine...nothing else will do, I've gotta have you," sings Deb Talan.
"Fit But You Know It"
The Streets
A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)
Most British singers are indistinguishable from American ones, but with British rapper the Streets, nothing could be further from the truth. Inspired by former S Club 7 beauty Rachel Stevens, Mike Skinner describes a “fit” (British slang for “hot”) woman as he talks in a strong cockney accent over a snappy but simple rock beat providing hilarious lines about tan lines and queues.
"I'd Rather Dance With You"
Kings of Convenience Riot on an Empty Street (2004)
This quirky number from indie duo Kings of Convenience (who hail from Bergen, Norway, also home to electro-pop singer Annie) recounts the all too familiar experience of dancing with a girl who wants to talk. Will they ever learn to just let their hips do the talking? The delicate strings and piano are a perfect match for the groups’ calming vocals.
"Love Story"
Taylor Swift
Fearless (2008)
Taylor Swift didn’t break any new ground with “Love Story”. It’s the tried and true model of boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl’s dad doesn’t approve, and boy convinces girl’s dad to let him marry her. Swift’s simple lyrics and heartfelt vocals provided the soundtrack millions of teenage girls’ first relationships as she sang, “Romeo save me, they’re trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult but it’s real."
"Pork and Beans"
Weezer Weezer (2008)
Weezer’s commentary on life in the late 00s made us nostalgic for this decade before we even got over 80s nostalgia. Written in response to their record label asking for a hit single, Weezer delivered although they had their tongue planted firmly in their cheeks as they mocked Timbaland, bathroom mirror pics, and the whole idea of writing records for the radio. And the video? Instant classic.
"One Word"
Kelly Osbourne Sleeping in the Nothing (2005)
Kelly Osbourne seems like the last person who would have a number one dance record in the country, but thanks to writing and production from heralded songwriter Linda Perry, she did. “One Word” is a slice of futuristic new-wave pop, complete with French dialogue to set the mood and Osbourne gently cooing about the one mysterious word that can change the future. "Faint"
Linkin Park Meteora (2003)
Don’t turn your back on Linkin Park because they won’t be ignored. As the kings of nu-metal, LP rammed rap together with metal to create inventive music you could feel like a B.A.M.F. listening too. “Faint” is a stirring declaration of war made up of screeching samples, hard hitting hip-hop beats, and heavy guitar. Sticking it to the man never sounded this good.
"Gimme More"
Britney Spears
Blackout (2007)
“Gimme More” perfectly captures Britney Spears' darkest days. From the immortal opening, “It’s Britney bitch” to the last blip of the minimalist synth, the song portrays an insatiable appetite for hedonistic self destruction. Her panting “gimme”’s are looped and followed by a host of robotic voices demanding “more” mirroring the bizarre relationship Spears had with the blog fueled tabloid industry.
"Me and Mia"
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Shake the Streets (2004)
When coming up with ideas for songs, I doubt eating disorders is ever at the top of the list. In fact, Leo and the Pharmacists might be the only band to ever do it. Referencing Mia (bulima) and Ann and Anna (anorexia), Leo both empowers and rocks as he sings about fighting for self control despite “bourgeois social angels telling you you’ve got to change”.
"Sound of the Undergroud"
Girls Aloud
Sound of the Underground (2003)
Reality television has largely failed to produce any great songs but “Sound of the Underground” is an exception. The pulsating track employs surf guitar and a neo drum and bass beat to annihilate any preconceived notions of what kind of music reality pop stars are allowed to make. In fact, the Aloud’s debut single makes pop out to be the most exciting, underground, electric, and overpowering medium known to mankind.
"Supermassive Black Hole"
Muse
Black Holes and Revelations (2006)
Supermassive black holes are black holes with the highest classification of mass and Muse’s song of the same name is probably one of their heaviest songs. A dance rock song that borrows from Kanye West and Prince just as much as it does from Radiohead, it was so good that it ended up on the soundtrack to a very popular vampire movie. That marked the first and last time millions of pink iPod nanos had a Muse song on them.
"Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex."
Rachel Stevens Funky Dory (2003)
Originally an imagined response to Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River”, “Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex.” was given to former S Club 7 star Rachel Stevens after Britney Spears wrote her own retort (“Everytime”). In the end, everyone won. Stevens’ sexy performance is a perfect complement to the juxtaposed acoustic guitars and brazen synth buzz. Sweet dreams indeed.
"Seven Nation Army"
The White Stripes
Elephant (2003)
There is no mistaking the baseline and thumping drums of "Seven Nation Army". Its role as the flagship garage rock revival song of the decade means it still gets plenty of spins and plenty of artists clammering to cover it. The song never gets too wild and out of control, but it still packs enough punch that the queen of England, the hounds of hell, or even a seven nation army can hold it down.
"Apologize"
Timbaland feat. OneRepublic Shock Value (2007)
All Timbaland did was add some percussion and his trademark "eh" but somehow he got the lead in the featuring credit. Not fair, but it's too late to apologize. Singer and songwriter Ryan Tedder has gotten his fair share of bad press for recycling songs but "Apologize" was the cream of the crop, lamenting late requests for forgiveness and the pain of having to move on even though you don't want to.
3. Number Ones
6. MPHO - "Box N Locks"
9. Bat For Lashes - "Daniel"
10. Beyonce - "Diva" 
22. Rihanna feat. Young Jeezy - "Hard" 
"Love Story"
"Me and Mia"
"Supermassive Black Hole"
"Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex."
"Seven Nation Army"
"Apologize"