The Tops of 2010: The Pop Side (Part 2)...
Now that I got the ball rolling, here's the second part of my recap of the best of last year's biggest pop hits in the US.#11: B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars - Nothin' On You (from the CD The Adventures Of Bobby Ray)
Hot 100 peak: #1
Money quote: "Beautiful girls all over the world, I could be chasin' but my time would be wastin'"
"Nothin' On You" was a double introduction, more so to singer Bruno Mars than to rapper B.o.B. A classic soul chorus and a pleasant romantic rap flow that LL Cool J would kill for today.
#12: Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull: "I Like It" (from the CD Euphoria)
Hot 100 peak: #4
Money quote: "My girlfriend's downtown and I'm all alone, your boyfriend's on vacation and he doesn't have to know"
Who knew it would take the Jersey Shore to reignite Enrique's career? This ode to screwing being your partner's back somehow became a fist-pumping anthem. Pitbull's assist as well as a random Lionel Richie sample help.
#13: Young Money featuring Lloyd - "Bedrock" (from the CD We Are Young Money)
Hot 100 peak: #2
Money quote: "Call me Mr. Flintstone, I can make your Bedrock"
Lil' Wayne, Drake, and Nicki Minaj are the stars of this three minute expansion on a bad pun, but the singalong nature of the come-on ain't all THAT bad.
#14: Jason Derulo - "In My Head" (from the CD Jason Derulo)
Hot 100 peak: #5
money quote: "I'll be the teacher, I'll show you the ropes..."
Jason Derulo proved to be the worthy non-violent successor to Chris Brown, and followed his debut Imogen Heap infused "Whatcha Say" with a pure pop-R&B concoction that was a stealth killer tune.
#15: Rihanna - "Rude Boy" (from the CD Rated R)
Hot 100 peak: #1 (5 weeks)
Money quote: "Tonight I'll let you be a rider, giddyup"
After Rihanna's ordeal of the past year, it was a surprise that her ode to nasty boys proved to be the highlight of her album. The dark dancehall track made no excuses with the "baby, if I don't feel it I ain't fakin'" throwdown. Blissfully different from the usual dancepop of the day.
#16: Lady Gaga featuring Beyonce - "Telephone" (from the CD The Fame Monster)
Hot 100 peak: #3
Money quote: "What did you say you're breakin' up on me, sorry I can't talk I'm kinda busy"...
Lady GaGa reinvents the "Thriller"-style "event" video and dirties up Beyonce in the process. All with a pop-song I can play over and over and over. For all the talk about how much GaGa's the freak, all this jam is a plea to be left alone to party with her peeps. And who can argue with that?
#17: Katy Perry - "Teenage Dream" (from the CD Teenage Dream)
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (2 weeks)
money quote: "I finally found you, my missing puzzle piece, I'm complete"
Perry's first "serious" big hit made youthful indiscretions sort of nostaglic and current at the same time. The bellowing wall-of-sound production gave the song the urgency the presumably teenage girl needs. No wonder it was such a coup for Glee to cover it (with Darren Criss singing).
18: Bruno Mars - "Just The Way You Are" (from the CD Doo-Wops and Hooligans)
Hot 100 Peak: #1 (4 weeks)
Money quote: "When I see your face, there's not a thing I would change..."
If Bruno Mars was born 30 years prior, he'd be certainly in Motown's venerable writing stable. "Just The Way You Are" was classic in its simplicity, and Mars' high-register plea confirms him as the Smokey Robinson of this generation.
#19: Mike Posner - "Cooler Than Me" (from the CD 31 Minutes To Takeoff)
Hot 100 Peak: #6
Money quote: "If I could write you a song to make you fall in love, you'd already be under my arm.."
DIY pop-singer Posner cribs the synths from disco hit "Knock on Wood" to this kiss-off dance track that fills in the space during Justin Timberlake's absence.
#20: Black Eyed Peas - "Imma Be" (from the CD The E.N.D.)
Hot 100 peak: #1 (2 weeks)
Money quote: "Come and join our festivities, and party like Imma Be"
The most inexplicable #1 hit from last year, riding on the momentum of "I Gotta Feeling", the Peas freestyle under the party gets going in the second half of the track.
Comments