10. Owl City - "Fireflies"
From the first synthesizer blips that kick off "Fireflies," you feel yourself being taken off to a playful and fanciful musical world. It's no surprise then that the song's lyrics unveil thoughts about such unlikely top 40 songs topics as lightning bugs, dancing, and insomnia. Adam Young, who records as Owl City, turned his homemade sound into one of the biggest left-field hits of the decade.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
9. Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne - "Down"
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.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
8. Beyonce - "Sweet Dreams"
"Sweet Dreams" is one of the most adventurous tracks from Beyonce's stellar album I Am...Sasha Fierce. She heads into heavy electronic pop territory delivering a memorable, slightly creepy, chorus.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
7. Taylor Swift - "You Belong With Me"
Somehow teenager Taylor Swift made teen love, angst, and romance sound incredibly fresh again with this song. It became the first country song to top Billboard Hot 100 radio airplay chart. The song itself is like a mini movie which is played out even more explicitly in the video.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
6. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
This is the "New York New York" of hip hop made even more explicit by the live performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. "Empire State of Mind" became Jay-Z's very first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
5. Miley Cyrus - "Party in the USA"
"Party In the USA" is a midtempo reflective song on the experiences of an out of town success arriving in the seat of her new stardom. Miley Cyrus proved she was a mainstream pop star to be reckoned with on her best single so far in her career.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
4. Jason DeRulo - "Whatcha Say"
Jason DeRulo croons here like a confident, established R&B pop singer. In the more emotional sections of this musical plea for reconciliation, DeRulo spits out the words with a spirit appropriate for the moment. He pledges paradise when he becomes a star. This debut single went all the way to #1 for Jason Derulo.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
3. Keri Hilson featuring Kanye West and Ne-Yo - "Knock You Down"
Songwriter Keri Hilson continued her emergence as a solo singing star with this top 3 pop single. The record was a true group effort with contributions from Ne-Yo, Kanye West, and Danja among others.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
2. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"
Perhaps the perfect song for going out on a weekend night, "I Gotta Feeling" spent fourteen weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 helping to give the Black Eyed Peas a stunning combined 26 consecutive weeks at the top. The song has an indescribable sense of joy that is ultimately powerfully infectious.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
1. Lady Gaga - "Bad Romance"
Lady Gaga capped a stunning debut year by letting the love monsters out of the closet. The song is an intense litany of nearly pathological romantic entanglements all set to beats designed to crowd the dance floor. Lady Gaga's singing moves from snarling threats to floating sweetness and back again.
Watch VideoBuy from Amazon »
SHARE
