What fun music should I download?
December 21, 2010 9:20 AM Subscribe
Help me expand my library of cheesy pop nonsense music.
I like to listen to substanceless, upbeat pop music at the gym. Think Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Lily Allen. I also like rap if there's a catchy hook (i.e. Gold Digger, In da Club, etc.).
However, I'm not a big radio listener, so I miss a lot of those songs-of-the-minute that are played to death on pop radio. I only recently heard Rihanna's Umbrella song for the first time, for example. So, what I need is to expand my playlist to include things I might have missed (or forgotten about) since I quit being a devoted Top 40 listener in 1993ish. What are, in your opinion, the not to be missed catchy pop, rap, and R&B hits of the past 15 to 20 years?
I like to listen to substanceless, upbeat pop music at the gym. Think Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Lily Allen. I also like rap if there's a catchy hook (i.e. Gold Digger, In da Club, etc.).
However, I'm not a big radio listener, so I miss a lot of those songs-of-the-minute that are played to death on pop radio. I only recently heard Rihanna's Umbrella song for the first time, for example. So, what I need is to expand my playlist to include things I might have missed (or forgotten about) since I quit being a devoted Top 40 listener in 1993ish. What are, in your opinion, the not to be missed catchy pop, rap, and R&B hits of the past 15 to 20 years?
I love dumb, mindless pop for my workouts, too!
Lady Gaga (most of her songs), Taio Cruz (Dynamite, Break Your Heart), Pitbull (I Know You Want Me), FloRida (Low), Ludacris (Stand Up), Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, Katy Perry. Those are just a few that come to mind.
posted by MorningPerson at 9:30 AM on December 21, 2010
Lady Gaga (most of her songs), Taio Cruz (Dynamite, Break Your Heart), Pitbull (I Know You Want Me), FloRida (Low), Ludacris (Stand Up), Black Eyed Peas, Ke$ha, Katy Perry. Those are just a few that come to mind.
posted by MorningPerson at 9:30 AM on December 21, 2010
Best answer: Ke$ha! Oh my word, I'm addicted to Ke$ha. True nonsense it is. Buy both "Animal" and "Cannibal".
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:31 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:31 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Check out what the top 10 iTunes songs are any given week to get idea of what's "hot".
Also, if you want cheesy, there's always Glee.
posted by maryr at 9:31 AM on December 21, 2010
Also, if you want cheesy, there's always Glee.
posted by maryr at 9:31 AM on December 21, 2010
Best answer: I'm like you - I live in the mountains and rarely get any radio stations, so I'm stuck in a black hole for music. Watching Glee a few episodes back, I was introduced to Cee-Lo's Forget You (or Fuck You, depending on which version you want). It's incredibly catchy and has been stuck in my head for weeks.
posted by HeyAllie at 9:33 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by HeyAllie at 9:33 AM on December 21, 2010
Huh, well, you seem to have missed Lady Gaga, Ke$ha and Katy Perry for sure. Black Eyed Peas have been the breakout pop rap group of the past few years. Going back a couple of years, Justin Timberlake had some hits too.
posted by General Malaise at 9:46 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by General Malaise at 9:46 AM on December 21, 2010
Fuck you, yup, that's what I prefer too, but was trying to give her options.
posted by HeyAllie at 10:20 AM on December 21, 2010
posted by HeyAllie at 10:20 AM on December 21, 2010
I'd recommend looking through the A.V. Club's ongoing "THEN That's What They Called Music!" feature, which reviews each edition of the long-running Now That's What I Call Music! pop compilation series in chronological order starting in 1999. Here's the description:
posted by Rhaomi at 10:21 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
In early 2010, A.V. Club writer Nathan Rabin decided to listen to and write about the bestselling, zeitgeist-friendly CD series NOW That’s What I Call Music! in chronological order. Each one of the 33 American NOW! collections compiles a cross-section of recent hits from across the musical spectrum. Beginning with the first entry from 1998, this column will examine what the series says about the evolution and de-evolution of pop music.Each article includes discussion of the merits and context of each album along with a complete tracklist with embedded YouTube videos for every song, making it easy to browse as you read. Here's the introductory post, and here's the index of all the articles published so far (they're currently up to November 2006).
posted by Rhaomi at 10:21 AM on December 21, 2010 [1 favorite]
Duck Sauce - "Barbra Streisand" (based on Boney M "Gotta Go Home", that was based on Nighttrain "Hallo Bimmelbahn").
Mark Ronson - "Bang Bang Bang".
posted by iviken at 10:37 AM on December 21, 2010
Mark Ronson - "Bang Bang Bang".
posted by iviken at 10:37 AM on December 21, 2010
Best answer: Here's a few off the top of my head you might like...
Girly goodness:
Ke$ha - Kiss N Tell and We R Who We R and pretty much all her other songs
Katy Perry - Hot N Cold and Teenage Dream
September - Cry for You
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Of the catchy r&b variety:
Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me
Rihanna - Disturbia
Nelly - Just a Dream
B.o.B - Magic
Shakira - Hips Don't Lie and Whenever Wherever
Also, go download the new Girl Talk Album, All Day. It has a bazillion popular songs mashed up together and you might find you actually recognize a few. Here's one track but you should really listen to the whole thing.
Finally, go to Grooveshark and look at what's on the popular list every month or so. That should take care of the super poppy pop and plenty of catchy club hits.
posted by mokudekiru at 11:02 AM on December 21, 2010
Girly goodness:
Ke$ha - Kiss N Tell and We R Who We R and pretty much all her other songs
Katy Perry - Hot N Cold and Teenage Dream
September - Cry for You
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Of the catchy r&b variety:
Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me
Rihanna - Disturbia
Nelly - Just a Dream
B.o.B - Magic
Shakira - Hips Don't Lie and Whenever Wherever
Also, go download the new Girl Talk Album, All Day. It has a bazillion popular songs mashed up together and you might find you actually recognize a few. Here's one track but you should really listen to the whole thing.
Finally, go to Grooveshark and look at what's on the popular list every month or so. That should take care of the super poppy pop and plenty of catchy club hits.
posted by mokudekiru at 11:02 AM on December 21, 2010
Oh gods, yes, how could I not think of that? Tings Tings would be prefect AND won't get you laughed at.
posted by maryr at 1:14 PM on December 21, 2010
posted by maryr at 1:14 PM on December 21, 2010
If you don't mind a frenetic beat, and you don't need the lyrics to make any sense at all, you might enjoy Korean "para para" music - Para Para Queen is a personal favorite of mine
posted by Mchelly at 2:37 PM on December 21, 2010
posted by Mchelly at 2:37 PM on December 21, 2010
According to wikipedia Girls Aloud didn't have much of an impact in the US, which is a shame because they have about a dozen singles that sound like what's requested: 1, 2, 3, etc). And no one has mentioned the Spice Girls yet?
Ricky Martin
"Jai Ho"
"Silence" by Delerium
Spiller's "Groovejet"
"Nothing in This World"
Is "That Great Love Sound" too fuzzy-indie? (The sound quality there on YT is pretty meh.)
See also 101 Running Songs, Running Trax, 101 80's Dance hits and 101 90's Pop Hits.
From this previous question.
posted by K.P. at 2:58 PM on December 21, 2010
Ricky Martin
"Jai Ho"
"Silence" by Delerium
Spiller's "Groovejet"
"Nothing in This World"
Is "That Great Love Sound" too fuzzy-indie? (The sound quality there on YT is pretty meh.)
See also 101 Running Songs, Running Trax, 101 80's Dance hits and 101 90's Pop Hits.
From this previous question.
posted by K.P. at 2:58 PM on December 21, 2010
The new Kanye album is supposed to be a classic in the making.
posted by Sara C. at 7:22 PM on December 21, 2010
posted by Sara C. at 7:22 PM on December 21, 2010
Best answer: "Bye Bye Bye" - N'Sync
"It's Gonna Be Me" - N'Sync
"Larger Than Life" - Backstreet Boys
"Come On Over" - Christina Aguilera
"Sweet Dreams" - Beyonce
"Down" - Jay Sean
posted by SisterHavana at 10:24 PM on December 21, 2010
"It's Gonna Be Me" - N'Sync
"Larger Than Life" - Backstreet Boys
"Come On Over" - Christina Aguilera
"Sweet Dreams" - Beyonce
"Down" - Jay Sean
posted by SisterHavana at 10:24 PM on December 21, 2010
Robyn's newish Body Talk album is great: try Dancing on My Own and With Every Hearbeat
La Roux : Bullterproof and In For The Kill
posted by clearly at 12:01 AM on December 22, 2010
La Roux : Bullterproof and In For The Kill
posted by clearly at 12:01 AM on December 22, 2010
I like Pink for fun music to workout to
posted by whatideserve at 5:01 AM on December 22, 2010
posted by whatideserve at 5:01 AM on December 22, 2010
Response by poster: These are all awesome, thank you!
posted by something something at 6:22 AM on December 22, 2010
posted by something something at 6:22 AM on December 22, 2010
I know I'm a little late to the game, but I couldn't help myself - I have to recommend someone. I can't listen to DJ Earworm enough (I guess he's aptly named). He does epic mashups of the most popular music each year which he, I believe, calls "The United States of Pop"
posted by xax at 8:47 AM on December 22, 2010
posted by xax at 8:47 AM on December 22, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by empath at 9:23 AM on December 21, 2010