Backseat Cuddler’s Top 100 Singles of 2008
10 - Britney Spears - Womanizer
Everyone loves a good comeback. From being strapped to a gurney earlier in the year to releasing a single with more buzz than a Jenna Jameson toy chest, “Womanizer” attacked the charts from the day it dropped. Countless covers later (via Lily Allen, The All American Rejects and more), it’s still going strong well into the new year. She’s back!
9 - M.I.A. - Paper Planes
Tehnically, the Kala single shouldn’t even be eligible for “Best of ‘08″ inclusion, since the Sri-Lankan born, U.K.-based rapper’s sophomore album was released in 2007, but that was well-before the Seth Rogen/James Franco-fueled phenom known as “Pineapple Express” came along (which featured the single in its soundtrack). The no-nonsense, socially aware shoot and rob ‘em up finger-snapper quickly flew to the tops of international pop charts quicker than you can say “thug life.”
8 - Coldplay - Viva La Vida
Chris Martin and the boys returned to the music scene this year with this smash single that featured futuristically-processed string arrangements complete with cymbal crashes and bridges so dreamy the title track even made Kanye forget about competing with 50 Cent this go-round. Joe Satriani who?
7 - Rihanna - Disturbia
2008 became known as the year of special editions and re-releases, and following boyfriend Chris Brown’s footsteps, Good Girl Gone Bad was reloaded, redesigned (albeit the limited creativity of a red-screened cover) and back atop the charts. This haunting pop track has enough panache to hold its own against old school Grace Jones and Marilyn Manson fans alike (have you seen the video?).
6 - Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
The newlywed Mrs. Carter capped off 2008 with a ridiculously over-ambitious double album I Am… Sasha Fierce that thankfully included this single to boast its way onto Soundscan reports. It’s two parts “Get Me Bodied” with a dash of En Vogue complimented by a video provocative enough to inspire one of this season’s funniest SNL skits. The result? A viral flood of YouTube wannabes, and a club staple we’ll never live to see the end of. Poor Michelle and Kelly.
5 - Jason Mraz - I’m Yours
Sounding his most-acoustic yet, Jason Mraz continued to prove his relevancy to pop music with this lovebird anthem. Simple arrangements along with his staple scat bee-bopping made this song a hit for weeks, propelling his third studio album We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. towards platinum status. Nominated for “Song of the Year” and “Best Male Pop Vocal Performance” in the running for this year’s Grammy Awards, 2008 may have proven to be Mraz’s best year so far.
4 - Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
While Perry swore up and down that her breakout single had nothing to do with homosexuality, conservative groups across the world lambasted the former Contemporary Christian soloist, and she rode the notoriety all the way to the top of the charts. Less a song about scandal and one more about appreciating “the beauty of women,” Perry even said, “everyone takes the song and relates it to their situation, they can see it however they want to see it. Love it, hate it, for me it was about us girls. When we’re young we’re very touchy-feely. We have slumber party sing-alongs, we make up dance routines in our pajamas. We’re a lot more intimate in a friendship than guys can be. It’s not perverse but just sweet, that’s what the song is about.”
Uh huh. Now what was that whole MTV Awards stint riding a phallic tube of Chap Stick about again?
3 - Flo Rida - Low (feat. T-Pain)
Absolutely inescapable this year, the Florida-raised (get it?) MC ushered in the hit-making magic of vocoded crooner T-Pain with this infectious that nearly every artist tried to replicate. We’ll overlook the irony that this song probably earned Nelly (who founded the rump-friendly jeans line Apple Bottom) more money than his own album release Brass Knuckles this year. If your mother has this song on her iPod, raise your hand. That’s what I thought.
2 - Lil’ Wayne - Lollipop (feat. Static Major)
“Lollipop”. Either you love it or you hate it. Lil’ Wayne is a global phenom, a far cry from his early days as a member of the Hot Boyz, but however you feel about the lead single from the record-breaking The Carter III, you can’t deny its success (4x platinum certification by the RIAA, 5 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard charts, and voted the #7 hip-hop song of 2008 by MTV). Interestingly, the song features the late R&B singer Static Major who died (reportedly from a brain aneurysm) just two weeks before its release. Auto-Tone has since become an unfortunate staple in hip-hop this year, but this song officially created the trend (a trend which Kanye West stretched all-too-thin by the year’s close). While “shorty” may indeed want a thug, About.com’s Bill Lamb named Weezy’s mainstay the most annoying pop song of 2008.
1 - Lady Gaga - Just Dance (feat. Colby O’Donis)
In many ways this song represented alive & kicking hope for the music industry in 2008. Released mid-summer, it’s taken Gaga (and producer RedOne) four months to ascend to the top of the charts (sitting pretty as the #1 in December), harking back to the days of working and promoting a single the old-fashioned way. Its strength lies in its insanely infectious chorus, an anthem we all craved in a year wrought with oil-price spikes, layoffs, and presidential campaign bickering. Nevermind the sketchy drink-til-you-black-out-and-forget-where-you’re-partying lyrics, just dance your cares away (face paint optional). Check out Backseat Cuddler’s interview with Lady Gaga RIGHT HERE!
Check out the full list of BSC’s 100 top singles of 2008! Did we leave something out? Disagree with my ranking? Share the eclectic love under the jump!
1 - Lady Gaga - Just Dance (feat. Colby O’Donis)
2 - Lil’ Wayne - Lollipop (feat. Static Major)
3 - Flo Rida - Low (feat. T-Pain)
4 - Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl
5 - Jason Mraz - I’m Yours
6 - Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)
7 - Rihanna - Disturbia
8 - Coldplay - Viva La Vida
9 - M.I.A. - Paper Planes
10 - Britney Spears - Womanizer
11 - Alicia Keys - No One
12 - Kid Rock - All Summer Long
13 - Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
14 - Chris Brown - Forever
15 - Ne-Yo - Closer
16 - Taylor Swift - Teardrops on My Guitar
17 - Lil’ Wayne - A Milli
18 - Sara Bareilles - Love Song
19 - T.I. - Live Your Life (feat. Rihanna)
20 - Rihanna - Don’t Stop the Music
21 - Jordin Sparks - No Air (feat. Chris Brown)
22 - Enur - Calabria 2008 (feat. Natasja)
23 - Britney Spears - Circus
24 - Mary J. Blige - Just Fine
25 - Daughtry - Feels Like Tonight
26 - Pink - So What
27 - Danity Kane - Damaged
28 - Chris Brown - Kiss Kiss (feat. T-Pain)
29 - Paramore - Misery Business
30 - Jonas Brothers - Burnin’ Up
31 - T.I. - Whatever You Like
32 - Beyonce - If I Were a Boy
33 - Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
34 - Madonna - 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
35 - Usher - Love In This Club (feat. Young Jeezy)
36 - Ray LaMontagne - You Are the Best Thing
37 - Estelle - American Boy (feat. Kanye West)
38 - Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You
39 - Katy Perry - Hot N’ Cold
40 - Kanye West - Love Lockdown
41 - Gavin DeGraw - In Love With a Girl
42 - Metro Station - Shake It
43 - Jesse McCartney - Leavin’
44 - Kardinal Offishal - Dangerous (feat. Akon)
45 - Taylor Swift - Love Story
46 - Lil’ Wayne - Got Money (feat. T-Pain)
47 - Gavin Rossdale - Love Remains the Same
48 - Kanye West - Flashing Lights (feat. Dwele)
49 - Lupe Fiasco - Superstar (feat. Matthew Santos)
50 - Duffy - Mercy
51 - Flo Rida - In the Ayer (feat. will.i.am)
52 - David Archuletta - Crush
53 - We the Kings - Check Yes, Juliet
54 - Fall Out Boy - I Don’t Care
55 - Mariah Carey - Touch My Body
56 - Lady Gaga - Poker Face
57 - Ne-Yo - Miss Independent
58 - Saving Abel - Addicted
59 - Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine
60 - Kevin Rudolf - Let It Rock (feat. Lil’ Wayne)
61 - Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes
62 - John Mayer - Say
63 - Colby O’Donis - What You Got (feat. Akon)
64 - One Republic - Stop and Stare
65 - Shontelle - T-Shirt
66 - Paramore - crushcrushcrush
67 - Akon - Right Now (Na Na Na)
68 - The Fray - You Found Me
69 - Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
70 - Coldplay - Lost + (feat. Jay-Z)
71 - David Cook - Light On
72 - Sean Kingston - Take You There
73 - Ray J. - Sexy Can I (feat. Yung Berg)
74 - The Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
75 - Day26 - Got Me Going
76 - John Legend - Green Light (feat. Andre 3000)
77 - Beyonce - Halo
78 - Janet Jackson - Feedback
79 - Pink - Sober
80 - Brandy - Right Here (Departed)
81 - Missy Elliott - Ching a Ling
82 - New Kids on the Block - Summertime
83 - Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss a Beat
84 - David Banner - Get Like Me (feat. Chris Brown)
85 - Kanye West - Heartless
86 - Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad
87 - The Killers - Human
88 - T-Pain - Can’t Believe It (feat. Lil’ Wayne)
89 - Rihanna - Rehab
90 - Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight
91 - Colbie Caillat - Realize
92 - Keri Hilson - Turnin’ Me On (feat. Lil’ Wayne)
93 - Solange - Sandcastle Disco
94 - Gnarls Barkley - Run
95 - Beck - Gamma Ray
96 - Madonna - Give It to Me (feat. Pharrell)
97 - Danity Kane - Bad Girl (feat. Missy Elliott)
98 - Michelle Williams - We Break the Dawn
99 - Veronicas - Untouched
100 - Jesse McCartney - It’s Over
POSTED BY: DJ Sidekick
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Great job DJ! I think I would have been lucky to come up with a list of the Top 5 Songs of 2008.
Kudos!
Haha thanks. It really puts into perspective how FAST a year flies by when you think back like this.