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The “Macarena” ran so TikTok dances could fly. The popular remix of the track itself is underappreciated, though… remember, people wanted to dance to it for a reason. An anthem for sluts? Another conversation. But a true, singular moment in pop music history nonetheless.

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Thriller gets all the historical footnotes, but Bad was just as big of a juggernaut for the King of Pop; maybe even more so. The album’s third single remains one of the most infectious, uplifting, craveable moments in his unparalleled catalog.

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Mid-00s Nelly Furtado ate. Her collabs with Timbaland remain definitive to that time, and “Maneater” was their best. It’s so slick and commanding, but also deliriously catchy.

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A dance pop gem so beaming with energy and emotion it can literally make you cry.

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Sia has left her mark in various facets of pop music, but as a solo artist her greatest contribution came in the form of “Chandelier.” What an incredibly powerful, thundering ballad – and her voice sails right through it.

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A falsetto-screeching classic you can’t help but join in with every time. Synthpop can be simultaneously powerful and blissful; the anthemic “A Little Respect” nails it on all fronts.

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Woah sample inception! Ashanti’s debut solo single was a total grand slam, and holds up as one of the decade’s best R&B jams and pop hits.

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The first time Coldplay realized they could make pop music, the last time they used that power for good.

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Goth rock my ass! This is a brilliant, buoyant pop tune. No other song has ever sounded less dumb going through the days of the week than this.

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This is a hell of a song. The drum and bassy “Sound of the Underground” is like a solid decade ahead of its time, and honestly would make sense for any modern pop group to put out today.

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