90. Lee Ann Womack with Sons of the Desert - "I Hope You Dance" (2001)
Courtesy MCA Nashville
Prior to the release of this single Lee Ann Womack had four #2 country hits. "I Hope You Dance" finally took her to the top and became a major crossover pop hit in the process. It is one of the most effortlessly inspiration hits of the decade.
89. Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out" (2004)
Courtesy Domino Records
This is the song that introduced the Scottish art school rock band Franz Ferdinand to the world. The innovative accompanying video won MTV's Breakthrough Video of the Year and the Q Awards' Video of the Year.
88. Lifehouse - "Hanging By a Moment" (2001)
Courtesy Universal International
Christian rock band Lifehouse released this song as their first major label single. It became a monster of a hit spending over a year on the Billboard Hot 100. "Hanging By a Moment" was named the top single of the year even though it never made it to #1 on the chart.
87. Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne - "Down" (2009)
Courtesy Cash Money Records
British R&B artist Jay Sean holds the honor of knocking the Black Eyed Peas from a 26 week reign at #1 with this song. It is also Jay Sean's first hit after signing with US rap label Cash Money. Interestingly, the song is primarily R&B and pop with just a rap break from Lil' Wayne.
86. Janet Jackson - "Doesn't Really Matter" (2000)
Courtesy Def Soul
This song is one of the best examples of how Janet Jackson can make a hit single sound completely effortless. Jackson said she found the lyrics in a notebook that was lying around and thought it would go well on the soundtrack for the movie The Nutty Professor II: the Klumps. It did work for the movie, and it sounded fantastic on the radio as well.
85. Beyonce - "Sweet Dreams" (2009)
Courtesy Columbia
"Sweet Dreams" is one of the adventurous tracks from Beyonce's stellar album I Am...Sasha Fierce. She heads into heavy electronic pop territory delivering a memorable, slightly creepy, chorus.
84. Fountains of Wayne - "Stacy's Mom" (2003)
Courtesy Virgin
This is the stuff that movies are made of. A teenage boy fantasizes about his friend's sexy mom. Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger also says it is a tribute to the Cars' classic song "My Best Friend's Girl." The song is a pure power pop classic.
83. Eminem - "When I'm Gone" (2005)
Courtesy Interscope Records
Once again Eminem turns to his personal life to inspire a genuinely moving small pop masterpiece. This time around he begins with relatively simple words of regret for neglect of his family. However, by the time the song ends he has taken the listener through a dream that reveals a strained, but loving, relationship with his daughter Hailie and provides cogent arguments for retirement.
82. Jimmy Eat World - "The Middle" (2002)
Courtesy Dreamworks
"The Middle" was written in response to difficult times the band Jimmy Eat World were facing after being dropped from a contract with Capitol Records. The sleek power pop song became the breakthrough hit the band needed.
81. The Fray - "How to Save a Life" (2006)
© Epic Records.
The song "How to Save a Life" was born out of the experiences of Isaac Slade, the singer and pianist of The Fray, working as a mentor at a summer camp for troubled teens. He faced an experience common to many of us - how to help someone who is having severe difficulty in helping himself or herself. Then he went one step further and turned the experience into a song.
