Skytopia > Greatest Pop Music Of All Time    (article created 28/12/2006)

Greatest Pop Music Of All Time

Well, here it is - the all-time top pop songs as voted for by Skytopia.

Pop music is generally considered subjective and tastes differ greatly. This could be because listeners identify with a story or experience contained within a song's lyrics, or because the song reminds them of a happy occasion. Pop music is usually marketed to promote a solo artist or group (hence the boy band / girl band phenomenon) and this can also contribute towards someone's value of a particular track.

When compiling this list, we concentrated purely on the music's intrinsic quality. The content of the lyrics, branding and popularity of the artist did not factor. Songs were chosen according to key criteria such as melodic content, chord progression, rhythm and bassline implementation and the quality of the orchestration.

Pop often incorporates elements from other styles of music, such as R&B, rap, jazz, funk, reggae, rock and roll, dance and country. Because of this, it can be quite far-reaching and perhaps could more accurately described as chart music. We have limited the selection to music with pop at its core, concentrating mostly on the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

The list is divided in to four classes, with class 1 being the cream of popular music, down to class 4 containing tracks rated as good. The titles are sorted alphabetically by artist and then song, with mini-reviews for those in first class. Some of the tunes are well known hits, others are obscure or rare, but they are all worth a listen. Try the Best_Of_Pop MP3 below to get a taste. Where a title has been covered, we have featured what we believe to be the best version.

These days of course, most audiophiles will purchase and download mp3s from on-line stores such as I-Tunes, Napster or Rhapsody to be played on mp3 players such as the I-Pod. Still, there's nothing quite like owning the original album on CD, so we have included shop links to both Napster and Amazon, where you can sample and buy the tracks.

This list will continue to be updated as we hear more releases, so feel free to return later or bookmark this page (downloads will be added later). If you have any comments or know of any great music you think is missing from the list, we would like to hear from you. Please also explain why you think your favorite songs should be included and keep any criticisms as constructive as possible.

We hope to introduce you to some fantastic songs that you might otherwise have never come across.

Best Of Pop Songs MP3

We have compiled the juiciest bits from this list in to one mp3 track for you to download and listen to. We suggest using the Winamp player for Windows, which can be downloaded at www.winamp.com.

Please note this MP3 is intended for demonstration purposes only.
[Coming Soon!]



Class 1 (15 songs)
"That really hits the spot"

(......best!!!.....)
Class 2 (33 songs)
"OK, now we're talking"

(...excellent!!...)
ABBA
  • Dancing Queen - 1976
  • x
  • Thank You For The Music - 1983
  • x
    Ambrosia
  • How Can You Love Me - 1982
  • x
    Bee Gees
  • How Deep Is Your Love - 1977
  • x
  • More Than A Woman - 1977
  • x
    Brian May
  • Star Fleet - 1983
  • x
    DeBarge
  • Rhythm of the Night - 1985
  • ?x
    Communards
  • Hold on Tight - 1987
  • x
    David Grant & Jaki Graham
  • Could it be I'm Falling In Love - 1985
  • x
    Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
  • All Over The World - 1980
  • x
  • I'm Alive - 1980
  • x
  • Mr Blue Sky - 1978
  • x
    Michael Jackson
  • Thriller - 1982
  • x
    Rah Band
  • Clouds Across The Moon - 1985
  • x
    Swing Out Sister
  • Fooled By A Smile - 1987
  • x
    ABBA
  • Head Over Heels - 1982
  • x
  • One Of Us - 1981
  • x
    a-ha
  • Take on Me
  • x
    Bananarama
  • I Want You Back - 1987
  • axx
  • Love In The First Degree - 1987
  • axx
    Bee Gees
  • Love You Inside Out - 1979
  • x
  • Night Fever - 1978
  • x
  • Stayin' Alive - 1977
  • x
  • Too Much Heaven - 1978
  • x
  • Tragedy - 1979
  • x
    Communards
  • Never Can Say Goodbye - 1987
  • x
    Deacon Blue
  • I'll Never Fall In Love Again - 1990
  • axx
    Earth, Wind & Fire
  • Fantasy - 1977
  • axx
    Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
  • Secret Messages - 1983
  • x
  • Twilight - 1981
  • x
    Maureen McGovern
  • Different Worlds - 1979
  • x
    Giorgio Moroder
  • Baby Blue - 1983
  • x
    Joey Scarbury
  • Believe it or Not - 1981
  • x
    Kylie Minogue
  • I Should Be So Lucky - 1987
  • axx
  • Step Back in Time - 1990
  • axx
    Lighthouse Family
  • Goodbye Heartbreak - 1996
  • axx
    Murray Head
  • One Night in Bangkok - 1984
  • axx
    Ray Parker Jr
  • Ghostbusters - 1984
  • x
    S Club 7
  • Reach - 2000
  • x
  • Don't Stop Movin' - 2001
  • x
    S Club 8
  • Searching For Perfection - 2003
  • x
    Sheena Easton
  • Morning Train (9 to 5) - 1980
  • axx
    Steps
  • Heartbeat - 1998
  • x
  • Stomp - 2000
  • x
    Swing Out Sister
  • Breakout - 1987
  • axx
  • You On My Mind - 1987
  • axx
    The Firm
  • Star Trekkin' - 1987
  • x
    The Real Thing
  • You To Me Are Everything - 1976
  • x
    Class 3 (48 songs)
    "Pump up the volume"

    (good - very good!)
    Class 4 (78 songs)
    "I'd buy that for a dollar"
    (some listenable stuff - good)
    ABBA
  • Does Your Mother Know - 1979
  • x
  • Honey, Honey - 1974
  • x
  • Mamma Mia - 1975
  • x
  • Money, Money, Money - 1976
  • x
  • Super Trouper - 1980
  • x
  • That's Me - 1977
  • x
  • Waterloo - 1974
  • x
  • Voulez-Vous - 1979
  • x
    Andy Gibb
  • An Everlasting Love - 1980
  • x
    Bee Gees
  • Children Of The World - 1976
  • x
  • You Should Be Dancing - 1976
  • x
  • You Win Again - 1987
  • x
    Bill Withers
  • Lovely Day - 1977
  • axx
    Billy Joel
  • Just The Way You Are - 1977
  • axx
  • Uptown Girl - 1983
  • axx
    Buggles
  • Video Killed The Radio Star - 1979
  • x
    Candi Staton
  • Young Hearts Run Free - 1976
  • x
    Culture Club
  • Karma Chameleon - 1983
  • axx
    Dayton
  • The Sound Of Music - 1983
  • x
    Del Amitri
  • Roll To Me - 1995
  • x
    Deniece Williams
  • Let's Hear It For The Boy - 1984
  • x
    Diana Ross
  • Touch Me In The Morning - 1973
  • x
    Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
  • Bluebird - 1983
  • x
  • Shine A Little Love - 1979
  • x
  • Yours Truly, 2095 - 1981
  • x
    Elton John
  • Your Song - 1970
  • axx
    Emma Bunton
  • Maybe - 2003
  • x
    Franki Valli
  • Grease - 1978
  • x
    Frantique
  • Strut Your Funky Stuff - 1979
  • x
    Harold Faltermeyer
  • Axel F - 1985
  • axx
    Irene Cara
  • Flashdance... What A Feeling - 1983
  • x
    Jackson 5
  • Blame It On The Boogie - 1978
  • x
    Jamiroquai
  • Time Won't Wait - 2005
  • x
    Kylie Minogue
  • Celebration - 1992
  • axx
  • Never Too Late - 1989
  • axx
  • Wouldn't Change A Thing - 1989
  • axx
    Madness
  • House Of Fun - 1982
  • x
    Matthew Wilder
  • Break My Stride - 1983
  • x
    Michael Jackson
  • Man In The Mirror - 1988
  • x
  • Stranger In Moscow - 1996
  • x
    Rah Band
  • Are You Satisfied - 1985
  • axx
    Rascal Flatts
  • Backwards - 2006
  • x
    S Club 7
  • Bring It All Back - 1999
  • x
    S Club 8
  • I Just Came To Dance - 2003
  • x
    Sharon Brown
  • I Specialize In Love - 1981
  • x
    Shakatak
  • City Rhythm - 1985
  • x
  • Living in the UK - 1981
  • x
    Stevie Wonder
  • Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - 1974
  • x
    Wax
  • Bridge To Your Heart - 1987
  • axx
    911
  • Party People ... Friday Night - 1997
  • x
    ABBA
  • Angeleyes - 1979
  • x
  • Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) - 1979
  • x
  • Lay All Your Love on Me - 1981
  • x
  • Take a Chance on Me - 1978
  • x
  • The Name Of The Game - 1977
  • x
  • Under Attack - 1983
  • x
  • When All Is Said and Done - 1982
  • x
  • Summer Night City - 1978
  • x
    Ace Of Base
  • Always Have Always Will - 1998
  • x
    Alison Moyet
  • All Cried Out - 1984
  • x
    Average White Band (AWB)
  • Let's Go Round Again - 1980
  • x
    Barry Manilow
  • Copacabana (At The Copa) (1993 version) - 1993
  • x
    Barry White and Lisa Stansfield
  • The Better Love Is (The Worse It Is When It`s Over) - 1998
  • axx
    Billy Idol
  • Hot In The City - 1982
  • x
    Billy Joel
  • Uptown Girl - 1983
  • axx
    Brand New Heavies
  • You Are The Universe - 1997
  • x
    Bucks Fizz
  • Making Your Mind Up - 1981
  • x
    Chaka Khan
  • And The Melody Still Lingers On (Night In Tunisia) - 1981
  • x
  • I Feel For You - 1984
  • x
  • Through The Fire - 1984
  • x
    Chicane
  • Saltwater - 1999
  • x
    Culture Club
  • It's A Miracle - 1984
  • axx
    Dana Dawson
  • 3 Is Family - 1995
  • x
    Dina Carroll
  • Escaping - 1996
  • x
    Dusty Springfield
  • I Only Want To Be With You - 1964
  • axx
    Earth, Wind & Fire
  • After The Love Has Gone - 1979
  • axx
    Eiffel 65
  • Blue (Da Ba Dee) - 1999
  • x
    Franki Valli
  • Can't Take My Eyes Off You - 1967
  • x
    Glen Campbell
  • Rhinestone Cowboy - 1975
  • axx
    Gloria Estefan
  • 1-2-3 - 1988
  • x
    Jamiroquai
  • Runaway - 2006
  • x
  • Virtual Insanity - 1996
  • x
    Johnny Hates Jazz
  • I Don't Want To Be Hero - 1987
  • axx
  • Turn Back The Clock - 1988
  • axx
    Kool & the Gang
  • Straight Ahead - 1983
  • x
    Kylie Minogue
  • Better The Devil You Know - 1990
  • axx
    Lighthouse Family
  • Question of Faith - 1998
  • axx
    Love Affair
  • Everlasting Love - 1968
  • axx
    Matt Bianco
  • Half A Minute - 1984
  • x
    Michael Jackson
  • Farewell My Summer Love - 1984
  • x
  • Human Nature - 1983
  • x
    Michael Jackson and Bryan Loren
  • Do The Bartman - 1990
  • x
    Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
  • The Girl Is Mine - 1992
  • x
    Michael Sembello
  • Maniac - 1983
  • x
    Miquel Brown
  • Close To Perfection - 1985
  • x
    MO.RO feat. Trix Ironic
  • I love your smile - 2006
  • axx
    M People
  • One Night In Heaven - 1993
  • x
    New Edition
  • Candy Girl - 1983
  • x
    Petula Clark
  • Downtown - 1964
  • x
    Paul Young
  • Come Back And Stay - 1983
  • x
    Prefab Sprout
  • A Prisoner of The Past 1997
  • x
  • If You Don't Love Me - 1992
  • x
    Queen
  • Don't Stop Me Now - 1979
  • x
    Quincy Jones
  • Razzamatazz - 1981
  • x
    Rah Band
  • Sam The Samba Man - 1983
  • x
    Right Said Fred
  • Wonderman - 1994
  • x
    Rod Stewart
  • Handbags And Gladrags - 1970
  • x
    Rockwell
  • Somebody's Watching Me - 1984
  • x
    Scissor Sisters
  • I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - 1996
  • x
    S Club 7
  • S Club Party - 1999
  • x
    Shalamar
  • Right Here - 1983
  • x
    Spice Girls
  • Say You'll Be There - 1996
  • x
  • Who Do You Think You Are - 1997
  • x
    Supertramp
  • Hide In Your Shell - 1974
  • x
    Take That
  • Pray - 1993
  • x
    The Bangles
  • Eternal Flame - 1989
  • x
  • Walk like an Egyptian - 1986
  • x
    The Emotions
  • Best Of My Love - 1977
  • x
    The Nolans (The Nolan Sisters)
  • I'm In The Mood For Dancing - 1979
  • x
    The Trammps
  • Disco Inferno - 1976
  • x
    Tina Charles
  • I Love to Love (But My Baby Loves to Dance) - 1976
  • x
    Tom Jones
  • What's New Pussycat - 1965
  • x
    Village People
  • In Hollywood (Everybody Is A Star) - 1977
  • x
  • In The Navy - 1979
  • x
    Wendy Moten
  • Come In Out Of The Rain - 1994
  • x
    Yvonne Elliman
  • If I Can't Have You - 1977
  • x


    Pop Song Reviews

    ABBA
  • Dancing Queen - 1976
    Not surprisingly known as Abba's signature song, Dancing Queen became the only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, reached number one in Europe and went on to be their biggest hit. The tune features a lovely blend of instrumentation and sparkling vocals. A very clever bassline runs throughout the orchestration, which is both warm and upbeat, and the melody is spot on. Although not containing the most adventurous harmony, this is still possibly our favorite pop song of all time!

  • Thank You For The Music - 1983
    Abba's last single was a fitting finale. Although not harmonically outstanding, the song is very well crafted, of particular note the captivating verse sung by Agnetha Fältskog.

    Ambrosia
  • How Can You Love Me - 1982
    This is a piece of progressive rock out of the top drawer. The chordal riff which kicks off the tune (and remains the underlying theme throughout) is impressive and is augmented by soulful chords and a short but exceptional synthesizer interlude. The arrangement has a very retro 80s feel to it, which adds to the appeal.

    Bee Gees
  • How Deep Is Your Love - 1977
    Featured in the soundtrack of the film Saturday Night Fever (starring John Travolta), How Deep Is Your Love is one of those laid-back uplifting love songs that became the trademark of the Bee Gees. Perfect to listen to when the world is getting you down. For 17 weeks it stayed in the US Top 10, which was a record at that time.

  • More Than A Woman - 1977
    Also part of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, this sentimental number was very popular at the time and it's easy to see why. A steady tempo belies the song's depth and although the chorus is repeated too much in the latter half, More Than A Woman will always remain a firm favourite. A recent remix cover version by 911 isn't bad either.

    Brian May
  • Star Fleet - 1983
    The theme tune for the TV sci-fi series of the same name is an absolute gem. Although not a pop tune in the traditional sense, it was released as an LP under then name "Star Fleet Project," hence its inclusion in this list. Futuristic, yet retro at the same time, the echoing vocals and synth backing elevate this to almost cult status. As a side note, try and seek out the instrumental intro tune, which is also great.

    DeBarge
  • Rhythm of the Night - 1985
    DeBarge's biggest hit, this was the main single from both the Rhythm of the Night album (which went gold) and the motion picture The Last Dragon. With its carnival atmosphere and catchy melody, this will indeed have you dancing until the morning light!

    Communards
  • Hold on Tight - 1987
    Hold on Tight is one of Communards' lesser known songs, perhaps because it was not released as a single (it was included on their album Red). Intelligently structured, the way the song develops is remarkable. The icing on the cake is the use of the whole note scale which first appears just after the 1:50 mark. One of the top picks.

  • David Grant & Jaki Graham
  • Could it be I'm Falling In Love - 1985
    First released by The Spinners in 1974, this cover version enriches an already fine melody and updates the orchestration with some lovely synthesized instrumentation. The song works very well as a duet with good vocal alternation and frequent key changes. One of the all time greats.

    Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)
  • All Over The World - 1980
    ELO specialises in high energy feel-good rock tunes and this is no exception. This track epitomises the optimistic feel of the era and features a melody you'll find yourself singing along to. All Over The World was featured in the film Xanadu (the third top 20 tune from the soundtrack in fact) and was also used as the name for ELO's compilation album in 2005.

  • I'm Alive - 1980
    A song celebrating the fact that erm, I'm alive. Well, not me specifically but anyway. The main chord sequence of C, A, F, G is quite common, but it's the style in which this song is delivered which really impresses. The tune culminates spectacularly just before the 3-minute mark with some phasing followed by an evocative instrumental section and ending fittingly on a mysterious chord (flattened submediant's major 7th for all you music theory buffs!). I'm Alive was also featured in the film Xanadu.

  • Mr Blue Sky - 1978
    This cheerful bouncy tune only reached number 35 in the USA charts. Despite this, it remains one of ELO's most loved songs and the unofficial anthem of Birmingham City Football Club! Highlights include the occasional computerised vocals and an interesting excursion starting around the 3:45 mark where the song develops classically in to an almost dream-like state.

    Michael Jackson
  • Thriller - 1982
    Perhaps Jackson's most famous song and certainly his most entertaining, Thriller will always be remembered for the thematic video that accompanied it and for Vincent Price's creepy laughter at the end. However the actual tune itself is remarkably well constructed, with crispy synthpad and lush backing vocals throughout. The lead up to the glorious bridge just before the 2.00 minute mark is stunning, as is the reprise at 3.06. A monster hit and no mistake.

    Rah Band
  • Clouds Across The Moon - 1985
    I found this bit of treasure on a Best of 80s cassette I had lying around somewhere. After listening to some pretty generic rock and pop tracks, it was a breath of fresh air. Smooth, sweet and sparkly, Clouds Across The Moon is unique in terms of its composition and also the novel monologue approach in the singing. Featuring outstanding harmony, timely key changes and a stylish orchestration, the song is embroidered with popping, whizzing and whooshing effects, and uses good ol' cheesy synth toms and bell sounds to good effect. Highly recommended.

    Swing Out Sister
  • Fooled By A Smile - 1987
    Well, this just has to be one of the most amazing introductions ever, with a sequence of jaw-dropping chords. The main tune that follows is a slight anti-climax, but the gorgeous synth-jazz orchestration mix and chord twists cover up this shortcoming. The only other criticism is that the song is played a bit too slow. I found a utility called Pacemaker for WinAMP from the Plugins page at www.winamp.com. This lets you alter the speed of mp3s and when this song is played faster, it really does improve it.
  • We create our own music too... take a listen! (Free MP3s for download)

  • You'll Take A Lot Of Getting Over (Composer: Anne White, Lyrics: Martin Lord)
  • I'll Be Round (Composers: Daniel White, Anne White - Lyrics: Anne & Peter White)
  • Trail Of Broken Hearts (Composer: Anne White - Lyrics: Martin Lord)
  • Close To Me (Composer: Daniel White, Lyrics: Anne White)
  • Just Like Sister And Brother (Composer and lyrics: Anne White)



    Links:

  • Greatest Classical Music - A sub-page dedicated to rating and reviewing classical music.
  • Eclipse of Mars CD - My own instrumental/synthesizer orchestrated music with free mp3 downloads and CD album.
  • UK Mix Personal charts - See what other people's favourite music is.
  • DMOZ Music Charts - Lots of music charts at DMOZ
  • Time pieces - A brilliant resource listing the top 100 albums from different countries and throughout the decades: the burgeoning forties and fifties, swinging sixties, electric seventies and of course the disco eighties (my favorite era) and nineties. It even includes AMG ratings and annual lists. It was interesting to compare and view ratings from the recent album charts of 2000 (only Outcast's Stankonia got 5 stars), 2001 (Jay-Z with The Blueprint and Muddy Waters with The Anthology: 1947 - 1972) - interestingly no 5 star albums for 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 or 2006!
  • 100 Greatest Pop Songs Since 1963 (WMA Download) - An alternative list of the 100 greatest pop songs since 1963, determined by experts at MTV and Rolling Stone magazine
  • Wikipedia's entry on pop music - some trivia on this page courtesy of Wikipedia
  • Amazon.com
  • Napster.com




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