Not too long before my 26th birthday last year, I compiled a list of my favorite movie of every year I was born.
So, now I'm doing the same: Picking a Hit song for every year since I was born(I was born on September Seventh, 1990). The reason I required these songs to be specifically Billboard Hit songs is because it would be a bland list if I picked random songs from my favorite albums which nobody knows.
Since GAG has a 15 photo/video limit, I picked the best music videos to be included on this list. LEt's get this party started!
1990. "Cradle of Love" by Billy Idol.
The year I was born was a lousy year for music(and movies), so we should be thankful someone as awesome as I was-Was born this year. THIS was the best I could come up with-Yes, Billy Idol.
1991. "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses
I coin this epic song the "Stairway to Heaven" of the 1990's! It begins with a peaceful interlude, proceeds to soft singing, and ends on a bang. This song is nothing short of a masterpiece.
1992. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix A Lot
I know, I know, it's such a boring pick. But it would be foolish to not pick the most overplayed song from the decade for this particular year-Which just happens to be a song which preaches my thoughts to a "T."
1993. "Woomp There It Is" by Tag Team.
Whether it's a commercial, sporting event, wedding, dance, club, or prostate exam check, this song is so fun to sing, and dance to, and it would be a sing not to pick this for 1993.
1994. "Buddy Holly" by Weezer
You know, the lead singer of Weezer(Rivers Cuomo) really does look like Buddy Holly.
1995. "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal.
Fun fact: The first time I heard this song was in the movie Vacation(2015). True story. And I've fallen in love with it ever since. (I also wasn't aware that the "Super Bowl Babies" choir song from the Super Bowl 50 commercials was a remix of this song).
1996."Macarena(Bayside Boys Remix)" by Los Del Rio.
Everyone knows it...and I doubt many people know who sung it, and I highly doubt you knew it was a remix of a much older song. Before "Juju On That Beat", "Gangham Style", "Harlem Shake", "Cupid Shuffle", "Wobble", or even "Crank Dat", there was the most simple, yet, fun dance song: Hey, Macarena!
1997. "I Believe I Can Fly" by R. Kelly
This was a tough battle, between this, and "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy, but this is one of the most beautiful, and influential songs of the decade. I just had to pick it.
1998. "Spiders" by System of a Down.
The very first Hit single from this epic rock band was also one of their best songs. Even though it was a Hit song, it really doesn't get much recognition at all.
1999. "All Star" by Smash Mouth.
This was by far the most difficult year in the 1990's to pick a song, without a doubt. There were so many great hits this year, but how can I not pick one of the most famous hits of all time?
2000. "Higher" by Creed
Why Creed got so much hate, I don't know. But no matter how much you hate this band, this song was powerful, and still gives me chills to this day.
2001. "Drops of Jupiter" by Train
This was the hardest choice on this entire list, because for some reason, 2001 had an absurd number of memorable Hits. I don't know if the turn into a new millennium brought out some enthusiastic artists, and clever writers, but picking one song from this year was harder than compiling my list, and thoughts between 1990-1999.
So, I ended up taking the easy route, and picking "that song everyone likes" again.
2002. "Pass the Courvoisier, Pt. 2" by Busta Rhymes featuring P. Diddy, and Pharrell
This was another tough year, and this is the first year I began listening to rap, and hip hop. You may have been expecting me to pick the famous "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, but I surprised you all with this one.
Let me say I could care less about "part 1" of this song, but this version is a great song to jam to.
2003. "Ignition(Remix)" by R. Kelly
Ugh, another tough one(the 2000's were so great for music). R. Kelly just seems to sucker-punch you with a killer Hit-And he did it again in 2003.
2004. "Hey Ya!" by Outcast.
No, I didn't pick the most overrated, overplayed, annoying, long-lasting, pointless song "Yeah!" by Usher.
Instead, I took the initiative of picking a song which people probably think the same as I feel about "Yeah!".
2005. "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani.
The first part of the 2000's had some amazing hits, but for this year, it was an easy pick. This was the big standout Hit, and I still wonder what the heck a hollaback girl is.
2006. "London Bridge" by Fergie.
This was the first year of the 2000's which saw music going downhill fast.
With that out of the way, how many of you forgot all about this song, and now that you've heard it again, you're thinking "I remember this! I loved this song"? Yeah, me too.
2007. "Crank That(Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy 'Tell'em
If I ask random people to tell me the title, and artist of this song, I would get an interesting, yet, inaccurate range of answers. No, it's not called "Soulja Boy" by Soulja Boy.
Unlike the "Juju On That Beat" dance, everyone could, would, and did do this dance: Whether you were Black, White, nerdy, athletic, religious, or non-religious, Republican, Democrat, Alien, or Human.
2008. "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.
Thank the sweet Jesus H. Christ this song came out in 2008. If not, this year is arguably as bad as my birth year.
2009. "We Made You" by Eminem
Eminem released a surprise "comeback" Hit song in a lackluster year for music. Can this be an easier choice?
2010. "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy featuring Bruno Mars
The 2010's have been a major disappointment for music, but this was the last bit of music which carried the 2000's vibe. When this song was released, I bet you all were thinking: Who is Travie McCoy, and Bruno Mars? Why are they jealous when they're already wealthy? Why Billionaire, and not Trillionaire? These are questions which need answers.
2011. "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO
This is when things began going downhill. I had to pick this catchy beat, since nothing else in this year even came remotely close. It's also sad both of LMFAO's Hits(before they "broke up") came in this same year.
2012. "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO
For anyone wondering how this is possible, the song "Sexy and I Know It" was released at the end of 2011, which carried on into 2012. So it's considered a "Hit Song" for both years.
I really really didn't want to put a repeat song, but I was left with no choice. Get a box of tissues, a glass of wine, some cheese, and prepare to be saddened when you Google a list of 2012 "Hits" for the year of 2012. Maybe the world should have ended.
2013. "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz.
At the end of 2012, a rap duo came along to save us all with one of the best Hits of the decade(so far). Thank you Macklemore and Ryan Lewis! We needed you!
2014. "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor.
A thick girl by the name of Meghan Trainor released her breakout hit, in a year which was a sigh of relief in a suffering decade.
2015. "Uma Thurman" by Fall Out Boy.
I never thought in a billion years I would pick a Fall Out Boy for my favorite Hit of any given year, but I also never thought in a trillion years I would see a decade do bad for music. Also, they played "The Munsters" theme song, how cool is that?
2016. "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots
The good news is: Twenty One Pilots are joining the forces with Meghan Trainor, and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, to save us from this decade. The bad news is: Their music is considered "Rock N Roll." How pitiful.
Interesting fact: My favorite music group are the Gorillaz, but they didn't make this list, despite the fact they began in 2000, and last released music in 2010. While they have some amazing Hit songs, there wasn't one song of theirs which stood out as the best Hit of the decade. Ironic? Sure.
What Girls & Guys Said
Opinion
0Opinion
Yeah, you definitely started losing me around 2006 in terms of even just knowing the songs, lol, because I quit listening to the radio for the most part or, really, switched to Smooth Jazz stations for a while at that point. To me, about 2001 or so is when music became crap, but I'm older than you.
https://youtu.be/QNhQAsRpSn0I love "November Rain" and "Higher," and I like "Buddy Holly." The rest are basically annoying because they were overplayed, and I know who System Of A Down is but never got into them and so don't know that song. But I get why you picked the really mainstream songs that got overplayed.
And, lol, no offense meant at all, but I could tell you were a white guy by the selections and looked at your profile to verify... I've noticed a lot of white people love that "Baby Got Back" song, but... a lot of us old black people grew up on "Old Skool Rap," and, to me, Sir Mix-A-Lot's entire first CD "Swass" from 1988 is better than "Baby Got Back," lol. Or very close to it. It kills me that "Baby Got Back" is their biggest hit. So, I'd advise checking it out, if you're interested... and if you can, find the remixes of "Posse On Broadway," because that's their best song, to me, if it's the Godzilla remixes. Just checked YouTube, one is there.
I also really like the song "Swass" by them, which the Pussycat Dolls ripped off in their song "Don't Cha."
Despite the fact I'm Caucasian, I despise Country music, and for the longest time, I thought Hip Hop, and R&B were better than Rock 'N' Roll.
I would say I'm somewhat atypical for the average white person, especially when it comes to music.
I saw Macklemore and died.
RIP me.