The bottom half of the Year-End Billboard Hot 100 for 2007 contained a number of songs and artists the likes of which may possibly never see in the charts again. That section of music saw Bone Thugs charting for the first time in years and their last time to date, rock hits from acts the mainstream passed by such as Hinder and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and Taylor Swift charting her first real country-pop crossover smash. Only one of those acts still charts today and even then, the music from that artist sounds drastically different now than at the time. Another of these acts surprisingly shows up again in the top half of the chart, mingling with mega-stars like Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Fergie. Also charting high are several American Idol alumni back when the show still had some star-making clout. Also, the flash-in-the-pan school assembly rappers haven’t disappeared as several more are on the way are we make our way through the top fifty biggest hit songs of 2007.
#50) “If Everyone Card” by Nickelback
I admire anytime Nickelback try to be socially conscious or politically inspired, like they would in the future with “When We Stand Together” and “Edge of a Revolution”. But in this instance, they might want to check their logic a little bit. In this song, they claim that a little bit of love will prevent people from dying. I think everyone at this point who hasn’t had their bubble burst yet knows that every single person on Earth will die someday; I get that they mean when saying that spreading more love will stop wars and killing and there’s a point to aspiring for that utopia, but they needed a different way to word that for real. Aside from that, the music itself is as inoffensive as the subject matter, yet is overall listenable. And I’ll also give credit that Nickelback legitimately wanted to bring about change with this record, donating proceeds to Amnesty International, and the International Children’s Awareness Canada. Along with that, the official music video features some historical trivia meant to shine a light on heroic individuals and events in history. This song may not be lyrically or musically strong enough to bring about the change Nickelback is hopeful for, but I appreciate the effort.
#49) “I’m A Flirt” by R. Kelly feat. T.I. & T-Pain
This song has such a weird little history. It was originally a song on Bow Wow’s The Price of Fame album and R. Kelly was just the featured artist. Then a remix of the song appeared on R. Kelly’s Double Up album and Bow Wow is nowhere to be found on it. Instead, R. Kelly is promoted to main artist, T.I. and T-Pain jumped on the track, and the Bow Wow-less remix was the version that became a hit, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating on pop radio. If I was Bow Wow, I’d feel a little ripped off by this. I listened to both versions and it’s no wonder the remix was more successful. The original is not that abysmal, but the remix has so much brashness that it wasn’t hard to imagine people would prefer this version instead. T-Pain and T.I. just bring more presence and swagger to their versions that Bow Wow did on his and R. Kelly’s second version on the remix is the “steal yo’ girl” verse to end all “steal yo’ girl” verses, including staking his claim to the King of R&B title. The last thing I want to do these days is complement R. Kelly on anything, but it’s understandable how this remix became one of his last actual hits.
#48) “Lost Without U” by Robin Thicke
Some people forget that Robin Thicke had a hit before “Blurred Lines” in 2013. Maybe because the controversial sleaze of “Blurred Lines’ took over the world not only by outraging feminists, but also by staying #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 13 straight weeks with it’s undeniable swing. In comparison, “Lost Without U” peaked at #14 with its only other impact outside the charts being earning Thicke a couple of BET Award nominations that Stacey Dash apparently isn’t aware of. And maybe this is the music Thicke should’ve stuck with making; even as a smooth R&B crooner, he probably wasn’t as charismatic as he probably assumed he was, but musically, he was good at the quiet-storm R&B thing, especially when inspired by his now-strained relationship with Paula Patton and not popstar aspirations. That acoustic guitar set a romantic ambiance and greatly complimented Thicke’s falsetto as he sang about how much he needed his then-wife in his life. This brand of R&B may not be popular in the mainstream now, but it’s a style Thicke should stick to.
#47) “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer
Words cannot explain how little I care about John Mayer. The last time I paid attention to anything John Mayer-related is when he commented on Taylor Swift’s infamous Speak Now album track “Dear John”, claiming she hurt his feelings by writing about him, and that wasn’t long after his controversial Playboy interview. For a while, I don’t think I heard anything about the guy. Apparently, he’s back, but it may be tough for him to earn hits like he used to. Case in point, “Waiting on the World To Change”, which dropped at the right time for at-the-time adult-contemporary-music-loving VH1 to give it a ton of attention. Truth be told, it might be my favorite John Mayer song. It’s not about getting laid; it’s about wanting the world to stop being a cruel and unfair craphole. Fast forward a decade later and his wish hasn’t exactly been granted, now has it? It’s kind of weird to hear the quintessential W.G.W.A.G. singing a not-so-pretentious, almost genuine-sounding uplifting song such as this one, including lyrics as potent as “one day our generation is gonna rule the population”, and it’s not really the best song of its kind (the social conscious type, I mean), but it’s good for what it is.
#46) “Lips of an Angel” by Hinder
There is really only one way to sing this song, and it is cartoonishly over-the-top. Austin Winkler probably didn’t intend for his voice to sound that way, but that’s really how it turned out. And despite a myriad of them being present, that’s actually the most obvious problem I can think of for “Lips of an Angel”, a song that already doesn’t have a good reputation from a band whose reputation is even worse. It’s a song about talking to – and thinking about getting back together with – an old flame (played by Emmanuelle Chriqui in the video) while your current woman is in the other room for one. Given how loud Austin is, I think she can hear him. For two, while the song does have something of an atmosphere musically, it’s so sludgy and again, you have to try to take Winkler’s vocals seriously, which is difficult when his voice literally sounds like a giant rock rolling down a hill. The thing is that despite how bad a reputation as Hinder may have in the rock community, I really want to like this song. The music may not be all that, but again, I kind of like the atmosphere. But the urge to not to laugh at Austin’s vocals and tell him to get a grip and focus on his current woman instead is too difficult of a struggle.
#45) “Ice Box” by Omarion feat. Timbaland
While Omarion was whining in 2015 about “Post To Be”, his big comeback collaboration with Chris Brown and Jhene Aiko, not being nominated for a Grammy, he should have been seeking justice for “Ice Box”, which was a way better song. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and might actually be the best single of his entire solo career, and easily better than most of what he put out as a part of B2K. It may not have become a part of a Katt Williams stand-up routine like “Touch”, but it contributed to the collection of good R&B jams that inhabited the Hot 100 around this time. The song sounds as icy and cold as Omarion claims his heart has become since that woman he’s with left him devastated. Timbaland once again came through alongside The Royal Court with the production. And while there’s only so far that I can buy Omarion trying to gain sympathy points given how braggadocios most of his other hits have been, I don’t really have a problem with his performance on this song. It might have been better and more believable if given to an Usher or even Trey Songz, but for Omarion, it was just the hit he needed to remain in the mainstream just a little longer.
#44) “Make Me Better” Fabolous feat. Ne-Yo
At one point, Fabolous actually used to be one of the most consistent hitmakers in mainstream hip-hop, never really dumbing down his music but still being able to chart really well and regularly take up airplay on rap and pop stations. Was his just non-distinct enough to stand out and therefore fit in well with everything else or was he really that damn good? I never thought Fabolous was a terrible rapper; in fact, I have a soft spot for the socially conscious and punchy “Breathe” and the R&B balladry of the Tamia-sampled and featured “So Into You”. Yet I can’t really say that I loved “Make Me Better” all that much when it came out. Part of it could be the underwhelmingly lightweight beat, part of it could be the constant stuttering from Fab and Ne-Yo, part of it could be that Fabolous has a basic flow here and has put in work on more interesting love songs than this (again, “So Into You”). However, I can’t say “Make Me Better” is bad at all. The strongest part to me is natural hook-slayer Ne-Yo; at the time, he could sing the instruction manual for a big screen TV and make it sound good. Also, the concept is nice, taking lust out of the equation and being about how a woman’s inspiration improves how Fabolous carries himself. This song peaked at #8 and it is a good song for what it is, even if I don’t have it on repeat.
#43) “Make It Rain” by Fat Joe feat. Lil Wayne
I want to evaluate the remix version of this song so much. I actually prefer the remix over this, and I assume Fat Joe does too because the remix video is on his official VEVO and the original song isn’t. It features R. Kelly being outrageously douchey again, and the addition of T.I. shooting off rapid-fire bars, Lil Wayne actually getting a verse, and DJ Khaled constantly reminding you this is a remix, as well as contributions from Birdman and Rick Ross. All but one help make the song more enjoyable; guess who the weak link was. (Birdman; it’s always Birdman.) Over the years, I’ve listened to that version far more than I’ve listened to the original, which features Fat Joe brag-rapping about the usual rap subjects. Eventually he gets to the actual point of the song – tossing money up for attractive ladies – but you must first get through Fat Joe bragging about how awesome he is and how rich he is, as well as calling out people for hating on the South despite the fact that Joe himself reps New York. Truth be told, I don’t know if anyone ever listened to this for Fat Joe; the main draw and maybe the reason this song peaked at #13 is Lil Wayne’s unforgettable hook and the signature Scott Storch production. Again, I prefer the remix way more, but no matter what version you listen to, Lil Wayne’s hook is as infectious as ever.
#42) “Last Night” by Diddy feat. Keyshia Cole
Diddy released four singles from Press Play. The first two contained then-superstars Nicole Scherzinger (a.k.a. the one Pussycat Doll everyone remembers the name of) and Christina Aguilera; the Nicole collaboration peaked at #9 before disappearing quickly and the Christina collaboration didn’t even reach the Top 40. I’m fairly certain no one has ever heard the last one, which featured one-hit wonder Mario Winans. The third time was the charm for Puffy; a then-prime Keyshia Cole was the supporting artist on this track, which sampled the legendary Prince and peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s amazing to go back and realize how many hits Keyshia Cole actually had before falling off the map, and while “Heaven Sent” and “(When You Gonna) Give It Up to Me” run circles around “Last Night”, I do prefer this over Keyshia’s other hit from this year, “Let It Go”. While Diddy tries to sing, which I advise less than if he was trying to rap again, Keyshia’s noticeably limited vocal range actually works fine in her performance on this song about a fracturing relationship absolutely steals the show. The ultimate highlight, however, is that Prince sample. It loops throughout the song and paired with Diddy’s modernized productions make for one fun beat. Again, Diddy’s singing is the weak link, but it doesn’t ruin the overall solid song for me.
#41) “Wait For You” by Elliott Yamin
2007 was kind of a good year for white boys singing R&B music, wasn’t it? Justin Timberlake was drowning in hits and Robin Thicke scored his first Top 40. And somewhere in there emerged American Idol star Elliott Yamin, seen here looking like rapper Lil Dicky. You can’t tell me they’re not the same person. Yamin is remembered today as a one-hit wonder, with the #13-peaking “Wait For You” being the only successful song of his entire career. There’s are some things about it that work, to be fair, even though they really shouldn’t. Once again, Stargate comes through with a decent R&B-beat. Not even close to his best or most creative, but the piano against the clap beats are pretty solid while also sounding amateur enough to hand over to an American Idol star. But then you realize that Yamin’s vocals aren’t ready for the big time and that when you really look at the lyrics, Yamin seems strangely desperate for this girl to come back and we have no real indication she even wants to get back with him. Also, this song always reminded me of this other one hit wonder song, “Goin’ Crazy” by Natalie, for some reason. Still, I do like this song, although if my Elliott Yamin/Lil Dicky conspiracy theory isn’t true, I don’t really expect an Elliott Yamin comeback anytime soon.
#40) “You” by Lloyd feat. Lil Wayne
It must be repeated that of the two Lloyd songs on this list, this is the better one since it has way more elements going for it compared to “Get it Shawty” did. A collaboration with Lil Wayne that landed the former boy band member (yeah, I didn’t know either until researching for this, but it’s true) back in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 for the first time in two years at #9. This song’s legacy, however, seems to boil down to one lyric in the Spandau Blue-sampled hook: “She’s fine too, but I want you”. For some reason, most people have heard this lyric as “She’s 5’2”, but I want you”, as if Lloyd felt compelled to include that he might usually have a preference for short women in the song’s chorus, but is willing to break his usual attraction code for this one woman only. Lloyd’s voice gets to shine more on this song than on “Get It Shawty”; whether that’s good or bad depends on your opinion of his pitchy, almost feminine vocals. Lil Wayne then jumps on the track and delivers a verse that won’t be remembered as one of his best, but is OK for the song it’s tacked on to. In the end, it’s a solid R&B song that makes good work of the classic song “True” for a flipped narrative.
#39) “Summer Love” by Justin Timberlake
The success of this song baffles me. Not because of any qualities on the track; the trademark Justin Timberlake charm is there and so are the flirty lyrics he often puts on wax. The hook is nothing special at all, with Timberlake hoping the mutual admiration he has with a woman lasts longer than a seasonal fling. But the futuristic, Timbaland-produced beat is catchy and perfect for driving around to in the summertime, more than making up for that flaw. It’s nowhere near the best beat on the album, but Timbaland beats were bulletproof at the time. It makes perfect sense that Justin Timberlake released this song as a single, even if it was late in the FutureSex/LoveSounds album cycle and “SexyBack”, “My Love”, and “What Goes Around…Come Around” already did all the heavy lifting for it. The reason why I’m confused at the fact that this song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 is because there is no official music video for it. Music videos were still kind of a thing back then and hadn’t yet been killed completely by digital streaming; TRL (for another year, anyway), 106 & Park, and the VH1 Top 20 were all still on the air and all played JT’s videos, so I figured with that means of promotion gone, it wouldn’t do as well. Boy, was I wrong.
#38) “What I’ve Done’ by Linkin Park
Probably the jumping off point of Linkin Park from the nu-metal roots and into a different wave of alternative rock was this song, which peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ushered in the Minutes to Midnight Era. It’s also the song that kind of earned them a reputation as the Transformers band. Never forget that “Iridescent” and “New Divide” were both Transformers anthems too. “What I’ve Done” isn’t my favorite Linkin Park Transformers song, as I actually prefer “New Divide”, even though these songs are structurally the same when you really break them both down. But regarding “What I’ve Done”, I love that mechanical clinking sound playing through the track as it sounds like the audio equivalent of the passage of time and change, which is apparently what they were aiming for if late vocalist Chester Bennington is to be believed. “In a way, it’s us saying goodbye to how we used to be…The lyrics in the first verse are ‘In this farewell, there’s no blood, there’s no alibi,’ and right away, you’ll notice that the band sounds different,” he explained to MTV News. And it worked; despite loud-yet-unspectacular guitar licks outside of the bridge and not being the most progressive and visceral song in their catalog, this song is still pretty awesome.
#37) “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” by Fall Out Boy
First of all, how little game must Pete Wentz have that he could lose his girl (played in the video by a not-yet-overexposed Kim Kardashian) to a monkey? Not even a monkey with Mojo Jojo’s intelligence; just a random, scheming monkey who apparently keeps bananas on the table through music video directing? I guess it’s just another example of Fall Out Boy having a sense of humor about themselves; they must have to take all the vowels out of the song title for no reason other than text message familiarity. Honestly, though, this song still rocks, which is strange given that it’s produced by a legend in R&B. Yes, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, famous for his work with the likes of TLC, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Tevin Campbell, Ariana Grande, and his own material produced this and it’s actually the song that made me start to like them, part of the reason is because I could at least get the gist of what they were singing about this time. Fall Out Boy’s appealingly cryptic lyrics were more coherently about a romance here and the music was well-produced. Certainly my favorite thing Kim Kardashian has ever been involved in aside from WrestleMania 24.
#36) “Rockstar” by Nickelback
The first time I heard this song was paired with the music video, where normal folks along with celebrities like Kid Rock, Eliza Dushku, Paul Wall, Nelly Furtado, Twista, the Girls Next Door, Billy Gibbons, and even Lupe Fiasco lip-synced to the song in random locations and played up the lyrics idea of everyone wanting to be rockstars. Even if they’re already famous enough to battle Buffy, already have a spot in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, and have the third biggest hit of 2006. And it was so entertaining that I got into the song pretty easily. I still think it’s fun as a sing-a-long kind of song. Is it perfect? Not exactly. Like most Nickelback singles at the time, the music is unbelievably simplistic, especially on the verses. The guitars get a little louder on the hook, and when it does, it’s almost impossible not to sing along with. The lyrics themselves seem to lampoon elements of rockstar culture, and given their success over the last decade plus if anyone knows about the rockstar lifestyle, it’s Chad Kroeger. Hence why he can sing this song in a way that doesn’t sound so much like a satire as much as it does Chad being genuine. Whether you see it that way or not, it’s kind of hard to not like this song. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s one of those so-lame-it’s-good songs that can easily be embraced, as it was when America decided to let it rise to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
#35) “Runaway Love” by Ludacris feat. Mary J. Blige
I think that at some point, almost every rapper drops their lavish braggadocio at least once to attempt to pull off an emotional, socially conscious track. Jadakiss tried it, The Game tried it, and Ludacris tried it in 2006 when he released “Runaway Love” alongside Mary J. Blige. And it worked. The song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is personally one of my favorite Ludacris singles because Ludacris was totally committed to setting his usual “money, cash, hoes” M.O. to the side to whip up a song with a sentimental, positive message for once, on a slightly smaller scale than Nickelback aspired to with “If Everyone Cared”. Mary J. Blige singing the hook makes all the sense in the world since Mary has made a career out of channeling personal struggle and bearing it all on record. Of course, outside of ad-libbed wailing, all she says is “runaway love” over and over. And yet it’s still a striking accompaniment to Ludacris telling the tale of three youths, all female, who run away from home for reasons ranging from alcoholic or drug-addicted parents, losing a best friend and feeling alone in the world, and feeling like life is ending due to the issues of teen pregnancy. It’s done in a storytelling format that could bring a tear to the listener’s eye by the time Ludacris suggests an inclusive antidote at the end.
#34) “Pop. Lock, and Drop It” by Huey
First of all, massage your neck after the whiplash that just occurred due to going from a socially conscious rap song to another one-hit wonder dance-rap song. At a time when D4L and Dem Franchize Boyz wanted us to lean with it and rock with it, Young Dro had our shoulder leaning, Yung Joc had us revving up imaginary motorcycles, and Soulja Boy requested we crank and supersoak various people, Huey gave us a dance that would technically last the longest considering “dropping it” is a dance that women have already done for a long time. This just gave it an official soundtrack. Analyzing the lyrics is essentially a pointless exercise. They’re basically about hitting on a girl, in case you’re wondering. The beat is somewhat unsettling and noisy; if you listen in the background, there’s a swooshing sound and it’s hard not to imagine it’s an animated boomerang making it. The beat sounds louder than Huey’s vocals at times, but again, not much of a complaint when what this low-rent Chingy is saying is kind of pointless aside from “pop, lock, and, drop it”. Peaking at #6, Huey disappeared immediately afterward and though the song isn’t great, it’s not the worst rap song on this. Take that for what it’s worth.
#33) “Bartender” by T-Pain feat. Akon
This was bound to happen. After appearing on virtually everyone else’s songs in 2007, it was only a matter of time before T-Pain and Akon got a hit together. They’d always been associated if you recall Akon’s cameo at the end of T-Pain’s “I’m Sprung” video, but this was the first time an actual song containing both artists charted. And it’s likely exactly what you’d expect from these two. This song takes place in the club and features both T-Pain and Akon getting their mack on, this time with the woman at the bar just trying to do her job. Musically, this is one of those songs where T-Pain and Akon can settle back into their R&B environment; for two guys often considered R&B singers, they’ve both been on several hip-hop songs and could easily be considered rappers just as much. This song does bring up usual tropes in hip-hop songs, but it comes off less like T-Pain bragging and more setting the mood and environment of the club and story. Akon doesn’t sound as natural or fun on this song as T-Pain does, but his contribution doesn’t put a downer on things at all. The combined star power of this song sent it to #5 on the Hot 100 and it’s an example of T-Pain at his best.
#32) “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” by Fall Out Boy
Going into Infinity on High, Fall Out Boy were the mainstream faces of pop-punk music, the Vans Warped Tour representation of the Top 40 radio crowd, having already won a couple of VMAs and become one of the most requested acts on TRL and even on the radio. To keep the fire burning, the lead-off single from this album would have to be explosive and catchy enough to keep fans on-board and not cause their mainstream relevance to wane. “This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race” got the job done success-wise, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and even landing an unexpected remix featuring thudding, poppier production and a guest verse from Kanye West in which he basically takes amusing shots at the band on their own track for being so damn white in both their fashion and spending habits. Patrick Stump, meanwhile, steps to the mic singing about the band’s growing popularity and stereotypes of the emo music scene. Despite being a song with an apparent message and thought clearly being put into the “arms race” metaphor, it’s so fun, bouncy, and anthemic that it would be no surprise if the message was lost on someone. If not, it could be enjoyed on both levels.
#31) “Beautiful Girls” by Sean Kingston
Hard to believe that at one time, Sean Kingston had one of the most controversial songs on pop radio. Sure, these days, he wants us to believe that he’s a hard-edged gangster so badly and people can change overtime, but that’s kind of hard to buy into when you remember he once sang on the S.S. Tipton and got famous off of a summery pop song that sampled an iconic song that was once covered by Timon & Pumbaa. But his breakout hit was in-fact controversial, all due to the hook. He expressed his disappointment at being dumped by a beautiful girl by stating that she left him feeling suicidal over it. Granted if one were to inject the realism of human emotion and young love, it is possible a person can feel that way over losing someone they care very deeply about, but it’s probably not the best idea to flat-out state it in what’s meant to be a fun, catchy summer track. The contrast was so jarring that most stations either changed the lyric to “in denial” or bleeped it entirely. I really like this song because of its whole feel, and America clearly did as well since it won him a Teen Choice Award and stayed at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 four weeks in a row, but that lyric is an undeniable black mark.
#30) “Walk It Out” by Unk
Reviewing “Walk it Out” feels like a waste of time given that technically, I’m just reviewing “2 Step” all over again. As previously mentioned, these two songs are basically twins, with one being less functional than the other. I could easily just copy and paste the “2 Step” review from Part One right here. They both have repetitive hooks requesting the listener to do a specific dance, the bass stabs and keyboard runs are suspiciously similar, and the verses for both songs are borderline unneeded. “Walk it Out” is probably the better song or at least the one I find a little more listenable because Unk is slightly more tolerable on it and the beat sounds a little better produced and has way more control. America seemed to agree because “Walk it Out” was a Top 10 hit while “2 Step” didn’t make it past #20. But at the end of the day, there songs are exactly identical; there is no real difference between them. These were the only charting songs for the guy, so obviously he had a short shelf life and “Walk It Out” remains his magnum opus so to speak. Not really one worth bragging about, though.
#29) “U + Ur Hand” by P!NK
“You want me to rewrite my song for you. For American f*cking Idol? What does that even mean, how do you have sex with your heart?” This was reportedly P!NK’s response when asked to change the lyrics of this song to make it more suitable for a televised performance. Just the kind of boldness that we all love P!NK for. The title does elude to the act of masturbation that will be going on with the man in the song once P!NK turns down his flirting advances at the club, and that’s the right mix of edginess and subtlety that landed this song at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it P!NK’s first Top 10 hit in 5 years. Some listeners might look back on this and cringe, though; not because of the sexual nature of it, but because one of the producers on it alongside fellow hit-maker Max Martin was the controversial Dr. Luke. If a listener can put aside his ugly real-life transgressions, though, they’re in for an electric, rockin’ beat that P!NK does a good job bringing her signature energy to. And even though most of it has jack all to do with the song, the music video colorful trip into P!NK’s own fantasy land. All-in-all, one of P!NK’s best singles to date overall.
#28) “We Fly High” by Jim Jones
Just like “Make It Rain”, I prefer the remix to “We Fly High” a lot more than the original. Included on the Dipset Christmas album, which raises such questions as “Why did Dipset release a Christmas album?” and “Why is ‘We Fly High’ on a Christmas album?”, the remix contains added verses from T.I. (real easy to get Tip on a remix back then), Diddy, Juelz Santana, Birdman, and Young Dro. And they all manage to be more interesting that Jim Jones. Yes, even Birdman, Young Dro, and Diddy. It’s not at all surprising that T.I. and Juelz Santana are the most entertaining parts of the entire song though; they’ve always been interesting rappers. There are voices and lyricists on the chart worse (and even in this song given that Birdman has always been a dismal presence outside of hypeman duties), but Jim Jones doesn’t really do much for me on either version of the song. He must’ve did the trick for most, though; it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave pro wrestler MVP yet another catchphrase and taunt. Man, what would he do as a sports entertainer without the rap songs of this year?
#27) “Stronger” by Kanye West feat. Daft Punk
Old school Kanye West; in my opinion, the best kind of Kanye West. These days when Kanye West seeks to experiment and try new stuff, it seems more like he’s just trying to ruffle features and to feed into his own ego. That was probably true back then too, but I feel like there was more of a desire to blow everyone’s minds rather than just to stay in the back of them. And that’s where ambitious tracks like “Stronger” came about. Who in 2007 was sampling Daft Punk, especially in rap? Kanye did and he made one of the most epically huge and influential songs of the year regardless of genre. Nothing in 2007 sounded like this. Trying to pin down what it’s actually about is hard because one minute, Kanye is lusting after a woman and the next he’s bragging about his standing as music royalty. Yet this is one song that gets a pass there because of how truly brilliant the production is. It was a shift in sound for Kanye and maybe even music in general; the product of over 50 revisions to get correct and perfectly deserving of its #1 Billboard Hot 100 peak.
#26) “My Love” by Justin Timberlake feat. T.I.
What chutzpah from Justin Timberlake to roll out FutureSex/LoveSounds the opposite way he did Justified. On his solo debut, his lead-off single contained a rap feature, specifically Pusha T’s old group Clipse. For his second album, he didn’t include a rap feature until the second single. It’s not like he needed an assist to give him credibility this time around. The album and video version both kick off with the “Let Me Talk To You” interlude, one of the many catchy interludes on the album. This interlude is short, jangly, and repetitive, so it’s a good thing it didn’t get a full version because I don’t think it would be as well recieved. Basically, it was the warm-up for an even better, synth-driven, futuristic love song. Timberlake gets on the track and expresses in falsetto his love for a woman by way of hypotheticals, visualizing what they could do as a couple and hitting the girl with “What Ifs” to find out how she feels. In his final verse of this chart, T.I. is the special guest and he raps the opposite of what JT sings with a “steal your girl” verse that ends with T.I. finding out they’re not compatible after all. Luckily T.I. still has swagger, so he’s slightly forgivable here. Overall, this song being as massive as it was is no surprise.
#25) “Home” by Daughtry
If you look up this song on Genius.com, you’ll notice that pretty much every annotation that’s been posted for the lyrics on this song seem to indicate that this is supposed to be a Christian song. Apparently, lead singer and namesake for the band Chris Daughtry is a real-life devout Christian and the lyrics equate the idea of ‘home’ with the idea of heaven, and this assumption is supported by the fact that the song has received a steady amount of Christian radio airplay over the years. There’s no telling if those stations helped this song reach a very high #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it certainly is the reason it charted at #12 on the Billboard Christian charts. However, I never knew about any of this until just recently; any hint of Christianity went completely over my head, maybe because Daughtry wasn’t so direct about it lyrically. He found a double meaning that actually works as a double meaning. I always enjoyed this song just as a sentimental ode to returning home to those you care about after spending time on the road. In that case, though not the rock song with the most edge on the list, this song can function in more ways than one.
#24) “How to Save A Life” by The Fray
In the mid-to-late-2000s, adult contemporary radio could have gotten by on the power of Shonda Rhimes’ neverending series Grey’s Anatomy alone. The show’s use of soft rock songs propelled quite a number of bands to brief stardom, including the aforementioned Snow Patrol. The most infamous of those bands was easily The Fray, a particularly edgeless group whose entire appeal seemed to be seeped in how emotional they could make you feel. Perhaps no hit they ever had could drown a person in their feelings more than “How To Save A Life”. Inspired by a real life experience of lead singer Isaac Slade, the song is about wanting to save the life of someone you care about, but not really knowing how to. The title is pretty self-explanatory in that sense, and made the lyrics and sentimental feel of the music perfect for use in Grey’s Anatomy, where the cast sang a pretty terrible rendition of it while attempting to literally save a life. If I’m sticking with any version of this song, it’s the real deal; Slade’s voice may not be anything special, but there’s enough feeling in his voice to pair with the music and create a relatable feeling of sadness.
#23) “Cupid’s Chokehold” by Gym Class Heroes feat. Patrick Stump
Gym Class Heroes are one of my favorite bands of all-time. They’re not often in the discussion for the greatest bands or groups, but at the time, they filled a unique niche in popular music in that they mashed up elements of rock and hip-hop into one very enjoyable fusion. They were basically an alternative hip-hop band who fit right in on the Vans Warped Tour, and since they were signed to the same label as Paramore and Fall Out Boy, they eventually got a hit song of their own with “Cupid’s Chokehold” featuring the latter band’s lead vocalist. My only real complaint about this song is the line “Not much of a girlfriend, I never seem to get a lot”. I never understood what that meant. But aside from that, I have to admit this is one of my favorite hits of the decade and still holds up for me today. Travie’s ode to what he loves about his girlfriend is complimented by its music video where the first two verses take him through two failed relationships before the third verse finds him settling with a then-unknown Katy Perry, who Travie was dating at the time. And also then-unknown Princeton (from Mindless Behavior) also plays a dancing Cupid. There are a couple versions of the song with the only differences being the sound of the music; this more bare-bones one is paired with a video about an evil android girlfriend. I prefer the As Cruel As School Children version that peaked at #4 and won the band a VMA.
#22) “What Goes Around…Come Around” by Justin Timberlake
The one major track on FutureSex/LoveSounds that has no illusions to sex and certainly carries no hints of a love sound. And even with Timbaland’s production touch, it doesn’t sound all that futuristic either considering it sounds almost like a “Cry Me A River” carbon copy. Only instead of duck-sounding beat-boxing and a deep-sounding vocal sample weaving through the song, this one features guitar, some violin-sounding synth, and a typical drum-beat. The subject matter is pretty much the same, though: an angry Timberlake feels scorned by an ex who wronged him. Before, he wanted the mystery girl to know he won’t fall for her tricks; here, he’s simply telling her that karma will come back to bite her soon. And in the music video, featuring Scarlett Johansson, who he dated before getting with his current wife and the former Mrs. Peanutbutter Jessica Biel, he makes it clear in 10 minutes why doing Justin Timberlake wrong is a terrible idea. I do prefer “Cry Me A River”, but this bitter, vengeful, Grammy-nominated #1 song is great and replayable in its own right.
#21) “Give It To Me’ by Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, & Justin Timberlake
2007 was a banner year in the career of Timbaland. His album Shock Value was filled to the brim with catchy collaborations with everyone from 50 Cent and Missy Elliott to She Wants Revenge and The Hives, the latter of who worked with him on “Throw It On Me”, most notable for the Sin City-inspired, WWE Divas-starring music video. So it was no surprise that two other artists who jumped in the studio with Timbaland were the two white artists he’s most commonly associated with: Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. After producing much of their latest albums FutureSex/LoveSounds and Loose, they return the favor by joining him for a near-four minutes diss-fest of their rivals at the time: Scott Storch for Timbaland, Fergie for Nelly Furtado, and Prince for Justin Timberlake. That last one is a tall order since Prince is untouchable and JT was only two albums deep as a solo artist, but the song itself gave way to a solid (hopefully not stolen) beat, charismatic flows, and some enjoyable, savage lines to rap along to. Not to say Justin or Nelly should ever rap again, but they were fine here and Nelly kills on the hook.
#20) “Crank That” by Soulja Boy Tellem
Time to tackle the big one. The one song on this list that most people unanimously agree is terrible. And they’re right. Even though this song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, a songwriters award (which is a mystery even Scooby and the Gang couldn’t solve), this song is incredibly low quality. The beat is just finger snaps, a broken-sounding keyboard, and an ominous drop thing. Soulja Boy’s performance is loud and obnoxious, with no real flow to speak of. But the morbidly stupid lyrics are the thing that really lands this song in hot water with most people, except Grammy votes apparently. Instead of telling you how to do the entire dance sequence, he gives you a very brief instruction before shouting “YOU” over and over, telling you to crank a ton of stuff (Soulja Boy, Robocop), and supersoak, whatever that is. He even tells you that you can’t do it like him and that your attempt to do it was ugly, because that’ll convinced people they should join in this dance craze. Look, I was there, though, so I understand how this was such a big hit; it actually was fun for a few weeks and the leading song of the “school assembly rap” subgenre. But like all jokes, eventually it wore out its welcome and Soulja is now remembered as being the man who single-handedly killed hip-hop in Ice-T‘s eyes. I don’t agree with that necessarily and this was obviously meant for kids, but it’s still pretty bad.
#19) “Fergalicious” by Fergie feat. will.i.am
A lot of people look back on Fergie’s solo career fondly. I can’t say that I am one of them. More often than not, I find myself pressing “skip” when Fergie’s solo songs come on these days, even on the hits. Needless to say I’m not all that interested in her recently released second studio album. “London Bridge” hasn’t aged well to me at all, but “Fergalicious” probably has aged slightly better, and that’s in lieu of having some out-of-left-field ideas at play. For one, this is the track where Fergie decided to rap in the vein of J.J. Fad; I’d prefer to just listen to “Supersonic” instead, but it’s not the worst idea in the world. A better idea than having will.i.am jump on the track and go from spelling “delicious” to misspelling “tasty”. Yes, he spelled the big word right and the small word wrong. Also, the fact that she actually made up the world “Fergalicious” to justify calling herself a new dimension of desirable is as nuts and vain as it is innovative or witty. I can give some props to the beat; despite mostly lame lyrics and hook that’s mostly nothing, the din of noise that is the beat is the reason why I can still enjoy this song somewhat. It’s pretty dancey and catchy, certainly a big reason this overall very tacky song went up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 aside from the appeal of Fergie’s cool factor. Overall, however, this song is a mess.
#18) “The Way I Are” by Timbaland, Keri Hilson, D.O.E., & Sebastian
Timbaland could get away with doing anything in 2007. As previously mentioned, he made a video where Torrie Wilson, Maryse soon-to-be Mizanin, Ashley Massaro, and Extreme Expose got in a huge black-and-white battle and was even accused of jacking beats at one point. Something else he had enough clout to do: putting bad grammar in his song titles. How did we let him get away with having a song titled “The Way I Are”? They weren’t even trying to force a rhyme for it in the song; they just called it “The Way I Are” just because. That’s just stupid, and someone probably should’ve stopped BeBe Rexha from releasing a different song with the same title earlier this year for that exact reason. This makes it all the more baffling that this song itself isn’t terrible. The beat is amazing, actually, with strong, swagged-out synth work and catchy percussion work. Keri Hilson sounds fine on it; not a star-making performance, but serviceable. Timbaland is his likable charismatic self. The two featured rappers aren’t much to write home about; some radio stations actually cut Sebastian out entirely. But I’ll be damned if the song as a whole doesn’t still hold up today.
#17) “It’s Not Over” by Daughtry
Earlier, I talked about how Chris Daughtry‘s hit song “Home” may have been an allegory for getting into heaven. Daughtry must have had God on his side to achieve the immediate success they got following Chris’ fourth place finish on the American Idol season eventually won by Taylor Hicks. Not even runner-up Katherine McPhee, who has carved out a sustainable career for herself in entertainment since to be fair, garnered the amount of success that Daughtry did. When was the last time you heard McPhee’s “Over It” or Hicks’s “Do i Make You Proud?” on the radio? “It’s Not Over” rode it’s rough pop-rock sound and Daughtry’s then rather deep vocal range to fast radio and even video success. It debuted on the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown at #1 and peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sounding like something the band Fuel would release, the band was well on their way to becoming one of the most successful rock bands in the mainstream in the late 2000s, and all off the initial strength of this one explosive, ear-catching pop-rock single.
#16) “This Is Why I’m Hot” by MIMS
“I’m hot cause I’m fly, you ain’t cause you not” is one of the worst explanations I’ve ever heard uttered for anything ever. He explained nothing. Why is he hot? Because he’s fly. Why am I not hot? Because I’m not. I don’t appreciate your lack-of-effort, sir, as you have completely failed to explain why your hotness far surpasses mine. He was so unconvincing that the general public agreed to sentence him to technical one-hit wonder status; sure, “Like This” made a bit of a dent, but nowhere near as massive as the song that MIMS is most famous for now. This song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it is largely helped by just how much confidence MIMS has in his own hype. The song has more of an air of arrogance than coolness. I question why the tail end of the first verse features samples from far superior songs “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” and “Jesus Walks” aside from calling back to M.C.’s who rep L.A. and Chicago when he mentions those cities. In the end, this song is incredibly dumb and beyond lame, but still not the worst on the chart.
#15) “Smack That” by Akon feat. Eminem
What would this song even be without the Eminem verse? In essence a love song presumably to a stripper – an assumption furthered by the music video where Eric Roberts grants Akon a 24 hour release from prison looking for some kind of witness and he spends it in a dimly-lit strip club – this song allowed Akon to escape the sophomore slump, send his album Konvicted to #2 on the Billboard 200, and earn yet another Top 10 hit. And while Akon’s performance is brash and the dark, snappy beat makes it a great song to throw on at the club, it’s Eminem who jumps on the track and kills it with a verse that I’m proud to say I know word for word. Is it his best verse? Of course not; in fact, this was released at the time when Eminem was on-break following the regrettable Encore Era, so he wasn’t exactly in the best stage of his life. But it was great enough to remind us that Eminem can jump on a track and completely upstage the main attraction. And to be honest, this is probably my favorite song on this chart where Akon is the main artist. Just wait until we get to the other two.
#14) “Party Like A Rockstar” by Shop Boyz
The 80’s had “She Blinded Me With Science”. The 90’s had “Cotton Eye Joe”. The flag-bearer for novelty one-hit wonder songs in the in the 2000’s, however, has to go to this amalgamation of rock aesthetic and hip-hop performance. Shop Boyz named their album Rockstar Mentality, and I hope they genuinely believe that because I don’t. I listened to the album and it’s not even remotely rock. Sure, they’re a rap group, but to imply that they have any rock cred at all is an affront to the horns; they must’ve assumed people would fall for this because they named dropped Travis Barker, the Osbornes, and Marilyn Manson in the lyrics, but that kind of made them seem more like posers. It’s like when Florida Georgia Line reference Drake or Tupac in a song. This peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and I assume it was because of the fun rowdiness in their delivery and the guitar lick. From a nostalgic standpoint, I can enjoy this song mainly because I enjoy hearing an electric guitar in the Top 40, especially if it’s on a hip-hop song. But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m calling it a good song.
#13) “Makes Me Wonder” by Maroon 5
Once upon a time, Maroon 5 wasn’t just directionless, pandering radio filler that didn’t even sound like a band. This time was the 2000’s and they seem like such a long time now in Maroon 5 years. Currently working as a glorified Adam Levine solo project in disguise, they still notch plenty of radio hits, but none as great as their previous work, with “Makes Me Wonder” being one of their truly great moments in pop music. Any claims of Maroon 5 being a funk band could be justified with this track as the bass and guitar work on this song do have swing and color to them, giving the song credibility in that field. And Adam Levine doesn’t appear to have sex on the brain in this one; he’s more focused on moving on, learning, and thinking that there’s no reason to dwell on this past relationship. The hook was one of the catchiest of the year and thank God for that; it’s #1 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 meant that people heard it a lot a the time. No complaining about that; Maroon 5 will probably never release another song with the merit that this does.
#12) “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne
Sometimes selling out pays off. Take Avril Lavigne, for example. She was originally the angsty, mall-rock version of a popstar who worked as an alternative to Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera. She wasn’t as deep as a Shirley Manson or as biting as an Alanis Morrisette, but she had her own deep style and while divisive, her music could still strike a chord. Then “Girlfriend” happened. This song is often mentioned in comparison to “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift for its levels of sonic shift for the artist, right down to the similar, symplistic drum patterns and the rap breakdown. Understandable since both are seen as a sellout song for both artists. Selling out isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, if the song is good. And though not necessarily that, “Girlfriend” certainly was catchy and could get in your head with its possibly-plagiarized hook, driving guitar work, and the aforementioned drum-machine beat. But lyrically, since when was Avril this vapid in her cattiness? The lyrics are the weakest part of this song and her album The Best Damn Thing has better lyrical tracks on it, but it’s undeniable catchiness made it Avril Lavigne’s only #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, so I don’t think she regrets this song one bit. Also, never forget that we let a remix with Lil Mama happen.
#11) “Don’t Matter” by Akon
The first two singles from Konvicted made it no secret that Akon loves strip clubs and even seems to believe they’re an acceptable place to look for love. For the third single, he decided to switch it up a hit by ditching the strip club setting and attempting a legitimate love song. With “Don’t Matter”, Akon wishes to convey that he and his lover should be able to endure as a pairing despite the fact that everyone else doubts their compatibility and wishes to see the two apart. This song complete with a mid-tempo island-sounding beat and interpolation of lyrics and melody from Bob Marley‘s “Zimbabwe” would be effectively romantic if not for the fact that in the verses, Akon admits he hasn’t been the most faithful or easiest-to-deal-with boyfriend and that the woman has every justifiable right to break things off. I guess admitting your mistakes and being honest is admirable, but is it realistic to expect them to stay with you afterward? Whatever the deal is with their relationship, it helped Akon get a #1 song and it isn’t a bad song for what it is.
#10) “Glamorous” by Fergie feat. Ludacris
Behold, Fergie’s “Jenny From The Block”. And with more spelling, because apparently we didn’t get enough of that in “Fergalicious”. At least this time, she didn’t have another made-up word climbing up to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Lyrically, though, she kind of confused me with this one. In verse number one, Fergie wanted to let us know that she’s still down to Earth, the same lovable and humble Fergie that she was when she was little, driving through the Taco Bell drive through and hanging out with her day ones. But she doesn’t totally have me sold, though, as she’s still reminding us of the riches she has now and Ludacris’ verse only serves to further the bragging effort, as does the “if you ain’t got no money, take your broke ass home” line. Maybe that line is meant to pump up the idea of why she works so hard for what she has, but it’s not really an inclusive line. The beat to this song has so much potential, but nothing else about this song really works for me besides that.
#9) “Say it Right” by Nelly Furtado
“Yoga Pop” is not a subgenre of music that has been officially recognized by anyone. But if it was, this would easily qualify as the originator for that particular term. Right from the first three seconds, where it sounds like Timbaland produced the beat primarily by inserting a sample of a water droplet, this song has such a serene, calming feeling throughout underneath Timbaland’s random adlibs. But even he’s only playing second banana to the main attraction, Nelly Furtado, deep into her bangs phase when she shot the video. Supposedly inspired by the works of the Eurythmics, even though Furtado would have to work hard to get her vocals to sound anywhere near as smokey as Annie Lennox’s, she turns in a controlled performance that is sonically different from “Promiscuous” and actually reminds me of her earlier songs like “Turn Out The Lights” and “I’m Like A Bird”. Combining old Nelly with new Nelly into one very solid song. Of all the singles from Loose, I would put this even above “Promiscuous”.
#8) “I Wanna Love You” by Akon feat. Snoop Dogg
Akon has never been accused of being an artist of subtlety, and for good reason. All anyone would have to do is pull up this song to slaughter the argument dead in its tracks. This is not the highest song featuring Akon to make this list, but it is his highest as a lead artist, bringing Snoop Dogg along for the ride through a strip club where he wants to let a woman know straight-up after ogling her for several minutes that he wants to get her in bed. I’ve never listened to Konvicted in its entirety, but I’m starting to assume it’s a concept album framed as a love letter to a stripper. And the real tragic thing about it is that even though he has Snoop in tow with him, the Doggfather’s charisma did not rub off on him at all because Akon does not sound cool when he says this. Even Snoop isn’t on his game in this track; his contribution to “Wiggle” by Jason DeRulo is actually better than this. This is another song that could have been saved with a little bit of humor like when T-Pain made “I’m in Love With A Stripper” or a decent beat. This song has the latter; the beat to this song is nice and lush for the most part; it’s just that the colorless lyrical content drag it down a fair bit. It certainly deserved better than what Akon did with it. Akon was on some really good songs in 2007, but the fact that this one went to #1 is actually kind of baffling.
#7) “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s
Sappy white-guy-with-acoustic-guitar songs probably don’t get as syrupy and sticky sweet as this. Before this song, pop-punk band Plain White T’s had only one charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, and it was the complete opposite of this. It was bitter, savage, and direct with the title “Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)” making the point clear on the offset. So who expected the song for them to go #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with to be a soft acoustic love song to a woman that lead singer Tom Higgenson apparently had a crush on and eventually brought to the Grammy Awards with him? This song divides opinion, driving some people nuts while evoking an emotion in the vein of “Aw, that’s so sweet!” in others. I’ve personally always liked this song, partly because it’s fun to sing along with and the lyrics are simple, easy to learn from how often it gets stuck in your head, and clearly from-the-heart. This song is admittedly quite cheesy and maybe it would actually give the song a stronger connection if he and this girl were actually an item, but I’ll probably never stop enjoying it.
#6) “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood
Country music must have had a terrible year on the charts in 2007. Only Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift made the year-end Hot 100, and they were 83 numbers apart from each other. Not helping is the fact that “Before He Cheats” was already a hit on the country charts in 2006, so the pop world was late getting to this one. When it did finally crossover, it reached a #8 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, won a couple of Grammys, and even landed her a VMA nomination, which is rare for a country act. I don’t know if this could be considered Carrie Underwood’s best song, but with a fun sing-along hook and lyrics that show off a darker, more savage side of the wholesome Oklahoma blonde who came from a reality singing show singing about Jesus taking the wheel in her first big hit, it’s no surprise that both the “girl power” crowd and the eccentric pop audience of the time would eat this up. She’d go back to more wholesome fare after this and leave the female country hellraiser title to Miranda Lambert (and Gretchen Wilson to a lesser extent), but for one song, she was one of the most badass women on the radio.
#5) “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” by T-Pain feat. Yung Joc
In the underrated 2016 comedy film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Andy Samberg’s Connor4Real persona’s solo career following the disbanding of the Style Boyz takes off after he delivers a verse on Claudia Cantrell’s (Emma Stone) pop song “Turn Up the Beef” that is remembered as the “catchphrase verse”. I mention this hilarious satire on modern popular music because looking back, I feel like “Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” was ahead of its time in how it rode up to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by just being one really long catchphrase verse. Almost all, most of T-Pain’s lines are either catchphrase fodder or callbacks to other songs like Lil Scrappy’s “Money In The Bank”, Lil Jon’s “Snap Yo’ Fingers”, UNK’s “Walk it Out”, and guest star Yung Joc’s “It’s Goin’ Down” over a catchy, minimal, synth-driven trap beat. Speaking of Yung Joc, he fits the mood of the track, but could easily be mistaken for Young Jeezy or even Gucci Mane here. Maybe reminding listeners of those other songs play into T-Pain’s reputation as a parody of pop music, and I’d argue this song is actually way better than every song it referenced, but it’s hard to deny one huge catch-phrase/reference fest is primarily what this song is.
#4) “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie
How strange that the hit song I prefer the most from an artist who’s generally in your face and brash is the song where she enlists the help of an acoustic guitar and some subtle, quiet drums to help show her vulnerable side? To my surprise, will.i.am produced this beat, and though that’s typically the case for music related to Black Eyed Peas members, it’s very different from anything else I’ve heard from will.i.am’s production. Even will.i.am realizes that when the lyrical content talks of the end of a relationship and the need for the performer in question to grow and further find themselves, throwing in a dance beat with a ton of random sound effects with destroy the mood. And kudos to Fergie as well; her vocals on this song are actually really good. VH1 named this song the #1 music video of 2007. I wouldn’t go that far, but it was an OK-if-vague accompaniment to Fergie’s biggest solo hit and probably best, most mature, and most tolerable song.
#3) “The Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani feat. Akon
The better of the two big hits from Gwen’s sophomore solo album ruled the airwaves enough to rank as the third biggest song of the year, having peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the biggest hit of the year for both the No Doubt frontwoman and the then-inescapable Akon, who was on the track so little that it’s kind of a headscratcher that he got a featuring credit to begin with. He did produce the track, giving the song it’s enjoyably bouncy, playful production, but his “woo hoos” and “I wanna get away to our sweet escape” adlib is hardly enough of a contribution to throw his name in a feature. That would be like Diddy getting a featuring credit for his ramblings at the tail end of “Damaged” by Danity Kane the following year. But hey, if Janelle Monae can get a featuring credit on fun.’s “We Are Young”, this could slide. That nitpick aside, this song is addictively enjoyable, probably my favorite hit of Gwen Stefani’s solo career. It certainly holds up far better than “Hollaback Girl” and especially better than “Wind It Up”.
#2) “Umbrella” by Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
This song is like a science experiment in how to craft the perfect pop song. First, you write a set of lyrics about a relatable-yet-vague topic with a hook powerful enough to catch on with millions. Then you put it through some of the most earwormy and mesmerizing synth and beatwork imaginable. Then you hand it off to an up-and-comer with enough presence and potential as a superstar to knock it out the park with. Finally, throw on a serviceable guest rap verse from someone with credibility, but won’t distract from the main attraction. Finally, film an iconic music video for it that will send that up-and-comer into the Grammy and VMA award-winning music elite and watch as the song’s legacy takes on a life of its own, peaking at #1 for weeks on end and sitting at #2 on the year-end list and #57 on the decade-end list. “Umbrella” is the finished product; it was unstoppable then and still a deservingly iconic piece of Rihanna’s discography now. But despite how unstoppable the song was, even being named Billboard’s song of the summer, it was held off by one other R&B/pop diva on this chart.
#1) “Irreplaceable” by Beyoncé
Despite the impact of “Umbrella”, 2007’s #1 song was actually a holdover from 2006 and is performed by the wife of the featured artist on the #2 song. Jayoncé really has been building up a dynasty over the past decade, however, their collaboration from B’Day, “Deja Vu”, was not the one that became a mega-smash. Written by Ne-Yo and originally intended to be a country song – could you anyone imagine Carrie Underwood, Jo Dee Messina, or Miranda Lambert singing this – it was reworked into the R&B ballad that America fell so in love with they let it stay #1 for 10 straight weeks. Songs letting men know that she’ll do well without them have been a trademark for Beyoncé even in the Destiny’s Child days. This song worked for her for the same reason it may not work for anyone else; she’s powerful, influential, and believable enough for it. Pair it with an acoustic guitar-driven R&B/pop beat and we have one of Beyoncé’s biggest hits to date and a song that pushed her further toward icon status. Not Beyoncé‘s most sonically innovative song, but it’s status as a hit was no surprise. It is a bit of a surprise it edged out “Umbrella” for this spot, though.
What was your favorite song from the 2007 year-end chart? Would you be open to reading a similar feature for the 2008 year-end chart? Leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter @FearlessRiOT with your opinion, and stay tuned for more future installments of the Retro Review series.
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