19. SUGABABES "Freak Like Me"
One of two Richard-X produced gems in this "countdown". After the dirty Adina Howard decided she was not allowing the X-man to use her vocal for an official release, the song landed on the 'babes laps, and 'whalla', suck on that you dirty cow.

18. MEL & KIM "Respectable"
Stupid hats, ridiculous dancing and a novelty line that was only rivaled by Kylie's "La-La's" (see "tay-tay-tay-tay-t-t-t-t-t-tay-tay), it's quite upsetting poor Mel passed away too early into their short lived career. S.A.W's finest work.

17. GWEN STEFANI "What U Waiting 4"
No Doubt were amazing. This is only JUST better than anything they'd ever done. 'Tic-Toc-Tic-Toc-Tic-Toc' indeed, with a brilliant clip to boot. Was easily the best song of 2004 by a long shot really.

16. BONNIE TYLER "Total Eclipse Of The Heart"
Have you seen the video clip for this? If you haven't, we strongly suggest that you do. The dancing fuckwits, alongside the hollow-eyed morons who prance about in it are truly worth buying any crappy 80's music DVD just to see. Oh and the songs brill too.

15. WHAM! "Freedom"
George and "that other guy" made many-a-gem, but this one stands out as a large
cut above the rest, purely on the Motown feel alone. Wouldn't a Geri Halliwell cover of it be fantastic?!! No, no, you're right it wouldn't.

14. MICHAEL JACKSON "In The Closet"
We are all very well aware that Neil Tennant is the King of Pop, and not MJ. So with that aside, Naomi Campbell was in the clip for this 'tune'. But apparently, Madonna was the actual "Mystery Girl" on this track. Whoever lay the whisper down, this is by far MJ's best song, and is truly underrated.

13. KYLIE v NEW ORDER "Blue Monday Outta My Head"

So one of the greatest pop songs gets meshed with one of the greatest dance tracks of all time, as if the end result wasn't going to be as monstrously jaw-dropping as this. Makes the original Kylie track almost unlistenable.

12. MADONNA "Into The Groove"
Madonna and co. write a song for a new artist on Warner. 'Desperately Seeking Susan' director hears Madonna's demo and wants it for their movie. Unknown artist forever tearful, Madonna and movie big hit. Pussycat Dolls anyone?

11. THE CARPENTERS "Top Of The World"
What do you call a Quarter Pounder with Cheese? Karen Carpenter with a yeast infection. Jokes aside, (and incest stories aside too thank you), this was such a lovely pop song. And then she died a few years later. Oh well.

10. ABBA "Summer Night City"
You know, a lot of people don't even KNOW what this song is, and to those people, we say a big "Fuck You". Unquestionably the best Abba song created, we wonder why some fantastic electro making person hasn't covered/remixed it yet for the clubs?

9. SUGABABES "Overload"
Debut single from a pop band that would shape the sound of music in the 21st century. This is a landmark in Pop music folks. Let's not talk about the ugly third member that was replaced by the amazing Heidi by the second album though.

8. SPICE GIRLS "Spice Up Your Life"
Their solo careers may be as colorful as a shit farm in Werribee, but this song truly marked their 'Girl Power and all that other shite' on the world map. "Wannabe" may have been huge, but this was a MASSIVE pop song in all regards.

7. PET SHOP BOYS "Being Boring"
What a lovely song. The Pet Shop Boys are amongst the absolute pioneers of Pop music, and we probably should have had at least another six of their songs in this chart, but you know, we weren't really thinking at the time, were we?

6. GIRLS ALOUD "No Good Advice"
'Shut your mouth because your shit might show' is hands down the best of about 600 awesome lines in a Girls Aloud song. The "My Sharona/Hey Mickey!" attitude of this 'ditty' shines through, making it the Aloud's best (of many awesome) songs.

5. RACHEL STEVENS "Some Girls"
This was apparently written by Richard X for the mighty Aloud Girls. Rachel got it instead, made it a huge hit and copped a lot of flack for sounding like Goldfrapp. Criminally never released in Australia, like most good pop songs.

4. THE PRETENDERS "Don't Get Me Wrong"
Oh lord. Is this song just not mind blowing? Tender lyrics and a chorus that is always to be sung with gusto, Hynde and co really didn't get us wrong with this at all, did they. And let's not forget the songs cameo in Romy & Michelle...

3. BLONDIE "Atomic"
Disco-tastic Deborah Harry and Band really brought out the big guns for this number. Those chords! That chorus! Those yellow gloves in the clip! That tin foil! Some people argue they truly were the best pop band to make music. Those folk are probably right.

2. MADONNA "La Isla Bonita"
Well and truly before it was fashionable to make Latin-inspired music, Madonna recorded the most amazing song of her entire career. For a tear-jerkingly moving rendition of it, check out Madge's 'Drowned World Tour'. Absolutely inspiring.

1. PAT BENATAR "Love Is A Battlefield"
If you have ever been in a club when this song comes on, you'll understand the sensation of feeling goosebumps running up your spine as you dance the night away to it. Pat's best moment, and, in our eyes, Pop's most perfect time in the spotlight, timeless classic that we'll never be sick of. Also, if you can watch the video clip... comical genius - Benatar's first - AND ONLY - dance sequence in a clip. And you'll see why she never did them again once you've watched this pearler. Brilliance of extreme proportions.

So there you have it, the Top 20 Greatest Pop Songs of all time according to IAR (well, the songs we thought were the 20 best on Saturday anyways). We have already started thinking of one's we forgot to mention, so without further ado...

The "Honorable Mentions" are:
Bardot "I Need Somebody", "Empty Room" and "Poison", Cyndi Lauper "She Bopp" and "The Goonies", Betty Boo "Doin' The Do", S Club 7 "Don't Stop Movin" and "Natural", The entire STEPS back catalogue, S Club 8's "Sundown", Bananarama "Cruel Summer", "Robert De'Niro's Waiting", "Venus" and "Nathan Jones", Geri Halliwell "Calling", Real McCoy "Automatic Lover", No Doubt "Don't Speak", "Running" and "Simple Kind Of Life", Pet Shop Boys' entire back catalogue: especially "Go West", New Orders Love Triangle, also Madonna with "Gambler" and "Burning Up". And about 600 others we can't think of right now.

So that's that then.

• 3 comments

3 Comments:

• 10:01 AM |  Jess said...
  Bardot's "I Need Somebody" is indeed a brilliant pop song.
  
  The highlight of the video clip is when a member of the posse - Sophie Monk, I believe, but I could be wrong - mimes driving a car in an exaggerated manner whilst "carving it up" on the dance floor. Superb.

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• 12:50 PM |  im-always-right.com said...
  Hahahah indeed so close, she pretends to ride a motorbike. I spent many a night drunk on a stage at my local discotheque thinking I was Sophie, doing the motorbike action.
  
  And the entire dance choreographed for the chorus.
  
  Deary me.

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• 4:41 PM |  Neil said...
  On my lordy I forgot Love is a Battlefield, still, Im in themidst of my Top 100 so can always add it.
  
  On another note, please remove any references to "Gambler" by Madonna on your blog, you may scare the kiddies.
  
  Loving your work
  
  Neil : )

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