Saturday, September 17, 2005

Kanye West hits #1 for first of 10 weeks with “Gold Digger”

Gold Digger

Kanye West with Jamie Foxx

Writer(s): Kanye West, Ray Charles, Renald Richard (see lyrics here)


Released: July 5, 2005


First Charted: July 16, 2005


Peak: 110 US, 12 RR, 14 RB, 2 UK, 5 CN, 13 AU, 10 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): 8.0 US, 1.26 UK, 9.54 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.5 radio, 211.54 video, 919.99 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Kanye West first made a name for himself as a producer for artists like Jay-Z before stepping out “from behind the mixing board to establish himself as one of the finest and most successful hip-hop performers of the early 21st century.” TB “Gold Digger,” the second single from West’s Late Registration album, flips the script on the stereotypical hip-hop song where “wealth is coveted and women are mistreated” TM to spin a “tale of a man used by his woman for financial gain.” PD It’s “unusual for one of music’s kingpins to admit he’s been suckered by a woman – much less write an upbeat song about it.” TM

This is “lighthearted Kanye at his best: his lyrics are funny (‘She was supposed to buy your shorty Tyco with your money/ [Instead] she went to the doctor [and] got lipo with your money’)” TM and “when it comes to killer beats, Kanye West is every bit as good as he thinks he is.” MX He “never dropped a beat deadlier than the stuttering bass drum that propels his biggest hit.” MX “The song’s backbone is a mixture of scratches, loops and handclaps set to follow the lyrics’ cadence.” TM

“But just when you think ‘Gold Digger’ is nothing more than a danceable screed against money-grubbing women, Kanye throws in a story about a poor black woman who stands by her man only to see him get rich and dump her for a white girl. Everybody gets played” TM in “Kanye’s most instantly pleasurable single ever.” RS’09

In addition, Kanye didn’t just stick to “contemporary mode or aping a classic pop genre sound,” AB’00 but opted for “blending the past with the present.” AB’00 Even then he aschewed the typical route when he decided to integrate Ray Charles’ “I Gotta Woman,” but not by sampling it directly. He turned to Jamie Foxx, who won an Academy Award playing Charles in the previous year’s Ray, for a “pitch-perfect Ray Charles impersonation.” MX Two years earlier, the pair worked on the #1 “Slow Jamz” with Twista, but this proved even bigger, with 10 weeks atop the charts.


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Last updated 6/18/2023.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Blender: The 500 Greatest Songs (1980-2005)

Blender:

The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born (1980-2005)

Blender was an American music magazine published from 1994 to 2009. In 2005, it published its list of “The Top 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.” In a New York Times article, Craig Marks, editor-in-chief of Blender said the article was an answer to Rolling Stone magazine’s 2004 list “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” The Blender list focused exclusively on songs from 1980 on while Rolling Stone’s list was, as Marks said, “a baby boomer notion of how our cultural history should be written.”

Here is the full list with some links to more detailed pages about songs within the DMDB blog.

Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations.

1. Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” (1983)
2. OutKast “Bombs Over Baghdad” (2000)
3. Guns N’ Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (1988)
4. U2 “One” (1992)
5. Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (1991)
6. Madonna “Like a Prayer” (1989)
7. Joy Division “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (1980)
8. Run-D.M.C. “Sucker MC” (1983)
9. Britney Spears “Baby One More Time” (1998)
10. 50 Cent “In Da Club” (2002)

11. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five “The Message” (1982)
12. Beastie Boys “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party” (1986)
13. Eminem “My Name Is” (1998)
14. Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out” (1980)
15. AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long” (1980)
16. OutKast “Hey Ya!” (2003)
17. Backstreet Boys “I Want It That Way” (1999)
18. Rick James “Super Freak” (1981)
19. The Notorious B.I.G. “Hypnotize” (1997)
20. Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew “The Show” (1985)

21. Public Enemy “Fight the Power” (1989)
22. Prince “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” (1987)
23. Def Leppard “Pour Some Sugar on Me” (1987)
24. Run-D.M.C. “It’s Like That” (1983)
25. Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” (1992)
26. The Cure “Just Like Heaven” (1987)
27. Biz Markie “Just a Friend” (1989)
28. Gary Numan “Cars” (1979)
29. Missy Elliott “Get Ur Freak On” (2001)
30. Jay-Z “99 Problems” (2004)

31. Method Man & Mary J. Blige “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need” (1995)
32. Bon Jovi “Livin’ on a Prayer” (1986)
33. Blackstreet with Dr. Dre & Queen Pen “No Diggity” (1996)
34. B-Rock & the Bizz “My Baby Daddy” (1997)
35. Talking Heads “Cross-Eyed and Painless” (1980)
36. Rob Base “It Takes Two” (1988)
37. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock and Roll” (1981)
38. Destiny’s Child “Bootylicious” (2001)
39. Geto Boys “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” (1991)
40. Salt-N-Pepa “Push It” (1987)

41. Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” (1981)
42. Ol’ Dirty Bastard “Got Your Money” (1999)
43. Duran Duran “Hungry Like the Wolf” (1982)
44. Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel “White Lines (Don’t Do It)” (1983)
45. Johnny Cash “Hurt” (2002)
46. N.W.A. “Fuck tha Police” (1989)
47. Foreigner “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984)
48. Pixies “Monkey Gone to Heaven”
49. Eminem “Lose Yourself” (2002)
50. Marvin Gaye “Sexual Healing” (1982)

51. Usher with Lil’ Jon & Ludacris “Yeah!” (2004)
52. Oasis “Wonderwall” (1995)
53. Michael Jackson “Beat It” (1982)
54. The Pretenders “Middle of the Road” (1983)
55. Coldplay “The Scientist” (2002)
56. Bell Biv DeVoe “Poison” (1990)
57. Pet Shop Boys “West End Girls” (1985)
58. Radiohead “Karma Police” (1997)
59. Digital Underground “The Humpty Dance” (1990)
60. John Waite “Missing You” (1984)

61. R. Kelly “Ignition (remix)” (2002)
62. Depeche Mode “Just Can’t Get Enough” (1981)
63. U2 “Beautiful Day” (2000)
64. Destiny’s Child “Say My Name” (1999)
65. Metallica “Enter Sandman” (1991)
66. Lauryn Hill “Doo Wop (That Thing)” (1998)
67. Don Henley “The Boys of Summer” (1984)
68. Funky 4 + 1 “That’s the Joint” (1980)
69. Shania Twain “You’re Still the One” (1998)
70. Bryan Adams “Summer of ‘69” (1984)

71. Fiona Apple “Criminal” (1997)
72. The Smiths “How Soon Is Now?” (1984)
73. LCD Soundsystem “Losing My Edge” (2002)
74. Franz Ferdinand “Take Me Out” (2004)
75. Nine Inch Nails “Head Like a Hole” (1990)
76. The Gap Band “You Dropped a Bomb on Me” (1982)
77. Mötley Crüe “Girls, Girls, Girls” (1987)
78. Freelance Hellraiser “A Stroke of Genius” (2001)
79. R.E.M. “Losing My Religion” (1991)
80. Nelly “Hot in Herre” (2002)

81. M.I.A. “Galang” (2004)
82. Nirvana “Come As You Are” (1991)
83. Gang of Four “To Hell with Poverty” (1981)
84. Madonna “Borderline” (1984)
85. Snoop Dogg & Pharrell Williams “Drop It Like It’s Hot” (2004)
86. Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott “Work It” (2002)
87. The Jam “That’s Entertainment” (1981)
88. Grace Jones “Pull Up to the Bumper” (1981)
89. Neil Young “Rockin’ in the Free World” (1989)
90. Madonna “Into the Groove” (1985)

91. Queens of the Stone Age “Feel Good Hit of the Summer” (2000)
92. Taana Gardner “Heartbeat” (1981)
93. Pavement “Cut Your Hair” (1994)
94. P.M. Dawn “Set Adrift on Memory Bliss” (1991)
95. Replacements “Unsatisfied” (1984)
96. New Order “True Faith” (1987)
97. Kelly Clarkson “Since U Been Gone” (2004)
98. Prince “When You Were Mine” (1980)
99. Nirvana “All Apologies” (1993)
100. Public Enemy “Bring the Noise” (1988)


101. Positive K “I Got a Man” (1992)
102. The Rapture “House of Jealous Lovers” (2002)
103. Beastie Boys “Sabotage” (1994)
104. Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” (1987)
105. Company B “Fascinated” (1986)
106. Prince “Little Red Corvette” (1983)
107. The White Stripes “Fell in Love with a Girl” (2001)
108. Big Punisher with Joe “Still Not a Player” (1998)
109. Radiohead “Creep” (1992)
110. Britney Spears “Toxic” (2004)

111. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force “Planet Rock” (1982)
112. Ratt “Round and Round” (1984)
113. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U” (1990)
114. Beyoncé with Jay-Z “Crazy in Love” (2003)
115. Snoop Dogg “Gin & Juice” (1994)
116. Hole “Violet” (1994)
117. Eric B. and Rakim “Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness)” (1987)
118. L’Trimm “Cars with the Boom” (1988)
119. Cypress Hill “How I Could Just Kill a Man” (1992)
120. Lil’ Jon & the East Side Boyz with the Ying Yang Twins “Get Low” (2003)

121. Linkin Park “In the End” (2001)
122. Kanye West “Through the Wire” (2003)
123. Art Brut “Formed a Band” (2004)
124. Elton John “Sad Songs Say So Much” (1984)
125. Herbie Hancock “Rock-It” (1983)
126. Ice Cube “It Was a Good Day” (1993)
127. Rage Against the Machine “Bulls on Parade” (1996)
128. Kelis “Milkshake” (2003)
129. A Flock of Seagulls “I Ran (So Far Away)” (1982)
130. LL Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out” (1991)

131. Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Maps” (2003)
132. Elliott Smith “Waltz #2 (XO)” (1998)
133. Billy Squier “Everybody Wants You” (1982)
134. Cher “Believe” (1998)
135. Pearl Jam “Daughter” (1993)
136. Cameo “Word Up” (1986)
137. Cornershop “Brimful of Asha” (1997)
138. The Libertines “Up the Bracket” (2002)
139. Sheryl Crow “All I Wanna Do” (1993)
140. Mobb Deep “Shook Ones (Part 2)” (1995)

141. George Michael “Freedom ‘90” (1990)
142. Kurtis Blow “The Breaks” (1980)
143. Treacherous Three “The Body Rock” (1980)
144. Buckcherry “Lit Up” (1999)
145. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories “Stay (I Missed You)” (1994)
146. Ciara “Goodies” (2004)
147. Leonard Cohen “Everybody Knows” (1988)
148. En Vogue “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” (1992)
149. Alanis Morissette “You Oughta Know” (1995)
150. Ghostface “Run” (2004)

151. The Human League “Don’t You Want Me?” (1981)
152. Chaka Khan “I Feel for You” (1984)
153. Duran Duran “Ordinary World” (1992)
154. Christina Aguilera “Beautiful” (2002)
155. Bob Dylan “Not Dark Yet” (1997)
156. Frankie Smith “Double Dutch Bus” (1981)
157. Blur “Girls & Boys” (1994)
158. Jay-Z “Hard Knock Life” (1998)
159. The Godfathers “Birth School Work Death” (1988)
160. New Order “Temptation” (1982)

161. Electric Six “Danger! High Voltage” (2003)
162. Night Ranger “Sister Christian” (1984)
163. OutKast “Ms. Jackson” (2000)
164. ABC “The Look of Love” (1982)
165. N Sync “Bye Bye Bye” (2000)
166. The Rolling Stones “Start Me Up” (1981)
167. Faith Hill “Breathe” (1999)
168. The Notorious B.I.G. “Juicy” (1994)
169. Prince “When Doves Cry” (1984)
170. Van Halen “Jump” (1984)

171. Craig Mack “Flava in Ya Ear” (1994)
172. Daft Punk “Around the World” (1997)
173. Fugees “Ready or Not” (1996)
174. Liz Phair “Fuck and Run” (1993)
175. Nas “Made You Look” (2002)
176. The Old 97’s “Murder (or a Heart Attack)” (1999)
177. Phantom Planet “California” (2002)
178. Newcleus “Jam on It” (1984)
179. Death Cab for Cutie “The Sound of Settling” (2003)
180. Audio Two “Top Billin’” (1988)

181. The Go-Go’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” (1981)
182. Aerosmith “Janie’s Got a Gun” (1989)
183. Lucinda Williams “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” (1998)
184. Mazzy Star “Fade Into You” (1993)
185. Grandmaster Flash “Adventures of Grandmaster Flash” (1981)
186. Dawn Penn “You Don’t Love Me” (1982)
187. Clint Black “Killin’ Time” (1989)
188. Beastie Boys “Shake Your Rump” (1989)
189. Jennifer Paige “Crush” (1998)
190. Replacements “Bastards of Young” (1985)

191. Amerie “One Thing” (2005)
192. Run-D.M.C. with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler & Joe Perry “Walk This Way” (1986)
193. Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark “If You Leave” (1986)
194. The Cult “Love Removal Machine” (1987)
195. Roxy Music “More Than This” (1982)
196. M.C. Hammer “U Can’t Touch This” (1990)
197. Avril Lavigne “Complicated” (2002)
198. Los Del Rio “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” (1995)
199. Pixies “Debaser” (1989)
200. The Roots with Cody Chesnutt “The Seed (2.0)” (2003)


201. Sarah McLachlan “Building A Mystery” (1997)
202. Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg “Deep Cover” (1992)
203. Robbie Fulks “Let’s Kill Saturday Night” (1998)
204. Scissor Sisters “Take Your Mama” (2004)
205. PJ Harvey “Rid of Me” (1993)
206. Garth Brooks “Friends in Low Places” (1990)
207. Maroon 5 “This Love” (2004)
208. Ministry “Work for Love” (1982)
209. Shaggy with Ricardo “Rik Rok” Ducent “It Wasn’t Me” (2000)
210. Steve Perry “Oh Sherrie” (1984)

211. Beenie Man & Ms. Thing “Dude” (2003)
212. The Strokes “Last Nite” (2001)
213. Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (1981)
214. U2 “I Will Follow” (1980)
215. Tom Cochrane “Life Is a Highway” (1992)
216. A Tribe Called Quest with Busta Rhymes “Scenario” (1992)
217. Junior Senior “Move Your Feet” (2003)
218. The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” (2003)
219. Sean Paul “Get Busy” (2003)
220. Third Eye Blind “Semi-Charmed Life” (1997)

221. Mission of Burma “Academy Fight Song” (1981)
222. Panjabi MC with Jay-Z “Beware of the Girls (Mundian to Bach Ke)” (2003)
223. Stacey Q “Two of Hearts” (1986)
224. Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime” (1980)
225. Tracy Chapman “Fast Car” (1988)
226. Supergrass “Alright” (1995)
227. Basement Jaxx “Where’s Your Head At” (2001)
228. The Hives “Hate to Say I Told You So” (2001)
229. Stevie Nicks “Edge of Seventeen” (1981)
230. Tone Loc “Wild Thing” (1988)

231. Portishead “Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me)” (1994)
232. Das EFX “They Want EFX” EFX (1992)
233. The dB’s “Black and White” (1981)
234. Whitesnake “Here I Go Again” (1987)
235. Jermaine Stewart “We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off” (1986)
236. Pixies “Where Is My Mind” (1988)
237. Strafe “Set It Off” (1984)
238. R.E.M. “Everybody Hurts” (1993)
239. Jocelyn Enriquez “Do You Miss Me” (1994)
240. Blink-182 “All the Small Things” (1999)

241. The Verve “Bitter Sweet Symphony” (1997)
242. LL Cool J “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” (1985)
243. Pet Shop Boys “Being Boring” (1990)
244. Suicidal Tendencies “Institutionalized” (1983)
245. My Chemical Romance “I’m Not OK (I Promise)” (2004)
246. Wreckx N Effect “Rump Shaker” (1992)
247. Tom Waits “Downtown Train” (1985)
248. George Michael “Careless Whisper” (1984)
249. Wolfman with Pete Doherty “For Lovers” (2004)
250. Nina Sky with Jabba “Move Your Body” (2004)

251. Public Enemy “Don’t Believe the Hype” (1988)
252. Bruce Springsteen “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)
253. Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick “La Di Da Di” (1985)
254. Jay-Z & UGK “Big Pimpin’” (2000)
255. Magnetic Fields “A Pretty Girl Is Like” (1999)
256. PJ Harvey “Down by the Water” (1995)
257. Quad City DJ’s “C’mon ‘N Ride It (The Train)” (1996)
258. Tom Tom Club “Genius Of Love” (1982)
259. Prince “Kiss” (1986)
260. LL Cool J “Goin’ Back to Cali” (1988)

261. Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton “Islands in the Stream” (1983)
262. Motörhead “Ace of Spades” (1980)
263. Eminem with Dido “Stan” (2000)
264. Hole “Malibu” (1998)
265. Blondie “Call Me” (1980)
266. Sinéad O’Connor “I Want Your Hands on Me” (1987)
267. Tom Petty “Free Fallin’” (1989)
268. U2 “With or Without You” (1987)
269. The S.O.S. Band “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” (1980)
270. Mad Cobra “Flex” (1992)

271. Journey “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)
272. The Clash “Rock the Casbah” (1982)
273. Warren Zevon “Keep Me in Your Heart” (2004)
274. Bruce Springsteen “Brilliant Disguise” (1987)
275. Whitney Houston “I Wanna Dance with Somebody Who Loves Me” (1987)
276. Mary J. Blige & Notorious B.I.G. “Real Love” (1992)
277. .38 Special “Hold on Loosely” (1981)
278. Elvis Costello “I Want You” (1986)
279. Ramones “Rock and Roll High School” (1979)
280. Pink “Just Like a Pill” (2002)

281. Air “Sexy Boy” (1998)
282. Cam’ron with Juelz Santana “Oh Boy” (2002)
283. Echo & The Bunnymen “Lips Like Sugar” (1987)
284. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force “Looking for the Perfect Beat” (1982)
285. Madonna “Don’t Tell Me” (2000)
286. Matthew Sweet “I’ve Been Waiting” (1991)
287. Tears for Fears “Head Over Heels” (1985)
288. At the Drive-In “One-Armed Scissor” (2000)
289. Dead Or Alive “You Spin Me ’Round Like a Record” (1984)
290. My Bloody Valentine “Only Swallow” (1991)

291. The Jim Carroll Band “People Who Died” (1980)
292. Backstreet Boys “Larger Than Life” (1999)
293. Elastica “Connection” (1994)
294. Pearl Jam “Black” (1992)
295. Yes “Owner of a Lonely Heart” (1983)
296. Aimee Mann “Save Me” (1999)
297. Guns N’ Roses “November Rain” (1991)
298. Marc Anthony “I Need to Know” (1999)
299. Michael Jackson “Smooth Criminal” (1988)
300. Bush “Everything Zen” (1994)


301. The Cure “In Between Days (Without You)” (1985)
302. Beck “Loser” (1993)
303. The Shins “Kissing the Lipless” (2003)
304. Van Halen “Hot for Teacher” (1984)
305. Psychedelic Furs “Pretty in Pink” (1981)
306. Elliott Smith “Say Yes” (1997)
307. Tupac (2pac) Shakur “I Get Around” (1993)
308. Thompson Twins “Hold Me Now” (1983)
309. Lauryn Hill “Ex-Factor” (1999)
310. The Prodigy “Firestarter” (1996)

311. Ryan Adams “Come Pick Me Up” (2000)
312. Sade “Smooth Operator” (1984)
313. Kid Rock “Bawitdaba” (1999)
314. New Order “Love Vigilantes” (1985)
315. The Police “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
316. Björk “Army of Me” (1995)
317. Dido “White Flag” (2003)
318. Juvenile “Ha” (1998)
319. Christina Aguilera “Genie in a Bottle” (1999)
320. Erykah Badu “Tyrone” (1997)

321. Jane’s Addiction “Jane Says” (1988)
322. k.d. lang “Constant Craving” (1992)
323. Tricky “Black Steel” (1995)
324. Superchunk “Slack Motherfucker” (1990)
325. House of Pain “Jump Around” (1992)
326. Metallica “Battery” (1986)
327. Twista with Kanye West & Jamie Foxx “Slow Jamz” (2003)
328. Geto Boys “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta” (1992)
329. De La Soul “Potholes in My Lawn” (1989)
330. Fabolous with Nate Dogg “Can’t Deny It” (2001)

331. The Jayhawks “Waiting for the Sun” (1992)
332. Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam “I Wonder If I Take You Home” (1985)
333. The Breeders “Cannonball” (1993)
334. Sonic Youth “Teen Age Riot” (1988)
335. Black Box “Everybody Everybody” (1990)
336. Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time” (1983)
337. Fugees “Killing Me Softly” (1996)
338. Drive-By Truckers “Outfit” (2003)
339. Gwen Guthrie “Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ on But the Rent” (1986)
340. Blur “Song 2” (1997)

341. Janet Jackson “What Have You Done for Me Lately” (1986)
342. Veruca Salt “Seether” (1994)
343. Lucinda Williams “Passionate Kisses” (1988)
344. Whodini “Freaks Come Out at Night” (1985)
345. Mike Jones “Still Tippin’” (2005)
346. Chemical Brothers “Block Rockin’ Beats” (1997)
347. Beastie Boys “Girls” (1987)
348. Destiny’s Child “Independent Women” (2000)
349. U.T.F.O. “Roxanne Roxanne” (1985)
350. Fountains of Wayne “Stacy’s Mom” (2003)

351. Malcolm McLaren “Buffalo Gals” (1982)
352. Nirvana “Heart-Shaped Box” (1993)
353. Peter Gabriel “Games Without Frontiers” (1980)
354. Billy Bragg and Wilco “California Stars” (1998)
355. The English Beat “Save It for Later” (1983)
356. George Clinton “Atomic Dog” (1983)
357. Luther Vandross “Never Too Much” (1981)
358. Richard and Linda Thompson “Wall of Death” (1982)
359. Skee-Lo “I Wish” (1995)
360. The Lyres “Help You Ann” (1983)

361. Robyn “Show Me Love” (1993)
362. Dizzee Rascal “Fix Up Look Sharp” (2003)
363. Soft Cell “Tainted Love” (1981)
364. Weezer “Buddy Holly” (1994)
365. Run-D.M.C. “Rock Box” (1984)
366. The Divinyls “I Touch Myself” (1990)
367. Radiohead “Paranoid Android” (1997)
368. Roseanne Cash “Seven Year Ache” (1981)
369. Wheatus “Teenage Dirtbag” (2000)
370. ’Til Tuesday “Voices Carry” (1985)

371. The B-52’s “Roam” (1990)
372. DMX “Party Up (Up in Here)” (2000)
373. Kris Kross “Jump” (1992)
374. OutKast “Rosa Parks” (1998)
375. Prince & the Revolution “Purple Rain” (1984)
376. Rilo Kiley “Portions for Foxes” (2004)
377. Soundgarden “Black Hole Sun” (1994)
378. Steve Earle “Devil’s Right Hand” (1987)
379. The Bangles “Hero Takes a Fall” (1984)
380. Arcade Fire “Rebellion (Lies)” (2005)

381. Loretta Lynn “Portland Oregon” (2004)
382. Jermaine Jackson “Let’s Get Serious” (1980)
383. Natalie Imbruglia “Torn” (1997)
384. N.W.A. “Straight Outta Compton” (1989)
385. Pretenders “Message of Love” (1981)
386. Bonnie Tyler “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1983)
387. Aaliyah “Are You That Somebody” (1998)
388. Green Day “When I Come Around” (1994)
389. Mystikal “Shake Ya Ass” (2000)
390. Romeo Void “Never Say Never” (1982)

391. Shakira “Underneath Your Clothes” (2002)
392. Stone Temple Pilots “Interstate Love Song” (1994)
393. Devo “Whip It” (1980)
394. Hüsker Dü “Celebrated Summer” (1985)
395. LL Cool J “Doin’ It” (1995)
396. Mudhoney “Touch Me I’m Sick” (1988)
397. Pavement “Summer Babe (Winter Version)” (1992)
398. Neil Young “Harvest Moon” (1993)
399. Von Bondies “C’mon C’mon” (2004)
400. Eddie Money “I Wanna Go Back” (1986)


401. Madonna “Ray of Light” (1998)
402. Boogie Down Productions “South Bronx” (1986)
403. AC/DC “Back in Black” (1980)
404. Inner Circle “Bad Boys” (1993)
405. Garbage “Stupid Girl” (1996)
406. InDeep “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life” (1983)
407. Dinosaur Jr. “Freak Scene” (1988)
408. Rush “Tom Sawyer” (1981)
409. Public Enemy “Rebel Without a Pause” (1987)
410. Pete Townshend “Rough Boys” (1980)

411. The Vines “Ride” (2004)
412. Prince “If I Was Your Girlfriend” (1987)
413. Alicia Keys “Fallin’” (2001)
414. Harvey Danger “Flagpole Sitta” (1998)
415. Ludacris “Southern Hospitality” (2000)
416. TLC “Waterfalls” (1994)
417. System of a Down “Chop Suey” (2001)
418. Yazoo “Situation” (1982)
419. Timex Social Club “Rumors” (1986)
420. Bruce Springsteen “I’m on Fire” (1985)

421. Heaven 17 “Let Me Go” (1982)
422. Kool Keith “Sex Style” (1997)
423. Jeff Buckley “Last Goodbye” (1994)
424. X “We’re Desperate” (1981)
425. Jay-Z “I Just Wanna Love U (Give It to Me)” (2000)
426. Beck “Where It’s At” (1996)
427. Janet Jackson “That’s the Way Love Goes” (1993)
428. Freedy Johnston “Bad Reputation” (1994)
429. Justin Timberlake “Cry Me a River” (2002)
430. Semisonic “Closing Time” (1998)

431. The Smiths “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” (1986)
432. The La’s “There She Goes” (1988)
433. Tori Amos “Cornflake Girl” (1994)
434. Yoko Ono “Walking on Thin Ice” (1981)
435. Chaka Demus & Pliers “Murder She Wrote” (1992)
436. Clipse “Grindin’” (2002)
437. Kate Bush “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God” (1985)
438. L7 “Pretend We’re Dead” (1992)
439. Mase “Feel So Good” (1997)
440. New Radicals “You Get What You Give” (1998)

441. Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget about Me” (1985)
442. Teena Marie “Square Biz” (1981)
443. U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987)
444. Wynonna Judd “Tell Me Why” (1993)
445. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” (1993)
446. Imagination “Just an Illusion” (1982)
447. Flaming Lips “Do You Realize?” (2002)
448. Junior M.A.F.I.A. “Player’s Anthem”. (1995)
449. LaTour “People Are Still Having Sex” (1991)
450. Santana with Rob Thomas “Smooth” (1999)

451. Nelly “Country Grammar (Hot Shit)” (2000)
452. t.A.T.u. “All the Things She Said” (2003)
453. Whiskeytown “Don’t Wanna Know Why” (2001)
454. D’Angelo “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” (2000)
455. Bright Eyes “Lover I Don’t Have to Love” (2002)
456. Dead Kennedys “Too Drunk to Fuck” (1980)
457. Go-Betweens “Right Here” (1987)
458. The Offspring “Come Out and Play” (1994)
459. Norah Jones “Don’t Know Why” (2002)
460. Schooly D. “P.S.K. What Does It Mean?” (1985)

461. Tupac (2pac) Shakur as Makaveli “Hail Mary” (1997)
462. Belle & Sebastian “Judy and the Dream of Horses” (1996)
463. The Game with 50 Cent “Hate It Or Love It” (2005)
464. R. Kelly “Trapped in the Closet” (2005)
465. Shannon “Let the Music Play” (1983)
466. Sir Mix-A-Lot “Baby Got Back” (1992)
467. Ben Folds Five “Brick” (1997)
468. Madonna “Papa Don’t Preach” (1986)
469. Fountains of Wayne “Radiation Vibe” (1996)
470. Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” (1992)

471. Temple of the Dog “Hunger Strike” (1990)
472. Spoon “Small Stakes” (2002)
473. Yo La Tengo “Autumn Sweater” (1997)
474. Pixies “Gigantic” (1988)
475. Live “I Alone” (1994)
476. E.P.M.D. “Strictly Business” (1988)
477. Wu-Tang Clan “C.R.E.A.M.” (1994)
478. Busta Rhymes “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See”
479. Everclear “Santa Monica (Watch the World Die)” (1995)
480. Eminem & Dr. Dre “Guilty Conscience” (1999)

481. Meat Puppets “Lake of Fire” (1984)
482. R.E.M. “Man on the Moon” (1992)
483. The Pharcyde “Passing Me By” (1992)
484. The Stone Roses “I Wanna Be Adored” (1989)
485. Weezer “We Are All on Drugs” (2005)
486. Wilco “Can’t Stand It” (1999)
487. Warren G & Nate Dogg “Regulate” (1994)
488. Buju Banton “Murderer” (1995)
489. E.U. “Da Butt” (1988)
490. The Minutemen “History Lesson Part 2” (1984)

491. Pulp “Common People” (1995)
492. Ini Kamoze “Here Comes the Hotstepper” (1994)
493. Underworld “Born Slippy” (1995)
494. The Replacements “I’ll Be You” (1989)
495. No Doubt “Don’t Speak” (1995)
496. Smashing Pumpkins “1979” (1995)
497. The Darkness “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” (2002)
498. Jackson Browne “Somebody’s Baby” (1982)
499. Aerosmith “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998)
500. Coldplay “Yellow” (2000) (2000)


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First posted 9/12/2005; last updated 8/5/2023.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Mariah Carey spent 14th week at #1 with “We Belong Together”

We Belong Together

Mariah Carey

Writer(s): Mariah Carey/Jermaine Dupri/Manuel Seal/Johntá Austin/Kenneth Edmonds/Darnell Bristol/Bobby Womack/Patrick Moten/Sandra Sully (see lyrics here)


Released: March 29, 2005


First Charted: April 2, 2005


Peak: 114 US, 116 BA, 111 RR, 3 AC, 16 A40, 114 RB, 2 UK, 2 CN, 12 AU, 24 DF (Click for codes to charts.)


Sales (in millions): 6.0 US, 0.6 UK, 6.67 world (includes US + UK)


Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 0.83 radio, 665.55 video, 554.37 streaming

Awards:

Click on award for more details.

About the Song:

Mariah Carey was the singer of the ‘90s with her pop/R&B/AC blend of music, but was quickly derailing in the first half of the next decade. After signing an $80 million contract with Virgin Records, she had an infamous appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live, a huge commercial failure with her semi-autobiographical film and album project Glitter, and reportedly had a physical and emotional breakdown. It didn’t help that she largely “abandoned her girl-next-door tunefulness in favor of hip-hop whoredom.” PD

Virgin dumped her, but Def Jam gambled that the fifteen-time-chart-topper might have something left. With collaborator Jermaine Dupri, Carey found the right mix of contemporary and old-school R&B on “Together.” While “uncharacteristically restrained” AB’00 for Carey, it still had a “rapid-fire, Beyoncé-esque staccato vocal” PD that just might make it “the finest single of her career.” PD

Not only did it put Carey back on top after a five year absence, but Billboard magazine named it the most successful song in history by a female artist WK and the best-selling song of the decade. SF Its 14 weeks atop the pop chart tied it with the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” as the biggest #1 of the decade and in the rock era only “One Sweet Day,” which Carey recorded with Boyz II Men, has spent more weeks (16) atop the Hot 100. Two more trips to the top before decade’s end put Carey second only to the Beatles.

The laundry list of writers (ten credits in all) suggest a written-by-committee approach, but some of the credits are due to references to other R&B heartbreak songs. In a radio-flipping session, Carey cleverly weaves lyrics from Bobby Womack’s “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” and The Deele’s “Two Occasions” into her own reflections of love lost.


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Last updated 1/18/2024.