1. Feist - "1234" (2007)
Courtesy Interscope
Feist's breakthrough hit single "1234" must be enjoyed in context along with its stunning video. Few examples of music video choreography have more of a simple sense of joy. This song and video brought the indie pop singer-songwriter to a wide mainstream pop audience in the fall of 2007.
2. Petula Clark - "Downtown" (1964)
Courtesy Buddha
Petula Clark was already a successful pop singer when she heard an incomplete version of this song written by Tony Hatch. She offered to record the song if he could write a set of lyrics of the same quality as the song's melody. As legend goes, he was still completing the lyrics in the washroom 30 minutes before the song was to be recorded. Inspired by a trip to New York City, "Downtown" turned Petula Clark into an international star. The song's confident statement that the life of a city could cheer any blue day went straight to the top of the US pop charts. It was the first #1 in the US by a British female artist.
3. The Monkees - "I'm a Believer" (1966)
Courtesy RCA Records
Written by Neil Diamond, this classic pop song went to #1 on the charts in the US for seven weeks becoming the biggest hit of the year. The powerful upbeat sound of the song owes itself to the redeeming power of love. The band Smash Mouth took the song back into the pop top 40 with a version included on the soundtrack to the movie Shrek.
4. Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On" (2006)
Courtesy EMI
Referencing a classic Bob Marley hit, Corinne Bailey Rae introduced herself to the world singing "Three little birds sat on my window/And they tell me I don't need to worry." This song hit #2 on the pop singles chart at home in the UK and was nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year Grammy Awards.
5. Beatles - "Here Comes the Sun" (1969)
Courtesy Apple Records
Few pop songs are clearer examples of the confidence that hope springs eternal. The Beatles' George Harrison wrote the song during a difficult winter in which he felt swamped by business and financial dealings with Apple Records. He walked away one day to visit his friend Eric Clapton and wrote this song while walking around the garden.
6. Katrina and the Waves - "Walking On Sunshine" (1985)
Courtesy Capitol
There are few things happier than confidence in a romantic relationship. One of the most deliriously happy pop hits of all-time was written by singer-songwriter Kimberley Rew. He also wrote Katrina and the Waves' "Love Shine a Light" which won the 1997 Eurovision song contest. "Walking On Sunshine" was the first major hit single by Katrina and the Waves reaching the top 10 in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada.
7. Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta - "You're the One That I Want" (1978)
Courtesy RSO Records
"Sandy!" exclaims John Travolta near the end of the movie Grease. It is the introduction to one of the movie's magical numbers, a deliriously happy love song that is also sexy and danceable. The song is not included in the original play Grease. Instead it was written by John Farrar, a frequent collaborator with Olivia Newton-John, for the film. This hit went to #1 on the pop singles chart in at least a dozen countries around the world.
8. Roxette - "Joyride" (1991)
Courtesy EMI
Swedish pop duo Roxette had already made themselves international pop superstars with the singles "Listen To Your Heart," "The Look," and "Dangerous" off the album Look Sharp! This entreaty to join in fun with a "magic friend" kicked off the follow-up album and went straight to the top of the charts again.
9. Wang Chung - "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" (1986)
Courtesy Geffen Records
Happy? Or abysmal? This #2 smash single by the band Wang Chung has been derided by Blender magazine as one of the worst songs of all time, but few pop fans will ever forget the line, "Everybody Wang Chung tonight!" Check out the video. It can be considered as groundbreaking with what seems like a flip-book animation approach to filming, or as a misguided attempt to produce epileptic seizures in selected viewers. Listen and watch the whole way through, and then try not to crack a smile.
10. Deee-Lite - "Groove Is In the Heart" (1990)
Courtesy Elektra
As the song intro says, "We're going to dance and have some fun." Dance group Deee-Lite brought this oddball classic into the top 5 on both sides of the Atlantic. Get up and dance and sing along. You'll find most of your concerns and cares have magically floated away. Parliament bassist Bootsy Collins is featured on the original recording, as well as Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest rapping.
