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Kind of sad, kind of hopeful, entirely a bop. The production on “Waterfalls” is incredible, the melody is perfection…but let’s all bow down to Left Eye’s rap verse on this one.

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When the sugar’s not sweet enough, just call up Wham! “Wake Me Up…” is a template of sorts for how to make a pop song poppier; whether or not the song is the butt of a joke, everyone knows the words.

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BLACKPINK is a machine of a girl group, and their alluring talent knows no bounds. This track was pivotal in helping introduce K-Pop to western audiences…it’s so attention grabbing, so intoxicating, and impossible to ignore.

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This track was kind of an afterthought for the Human League, but ended up being their biggest hit. One of those choruses everyone recognizes, but the brilliance is in the menacing chord progression brought to life through synthesizers.

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Kinky or commentary? Why not both! Aqua’s megahit is certainly one of the most recognizable melodies of the last fifty years, and line after line is quotable. Its manufactured, overly-perfect production has turned into a point of slander, but I guess higher-level thinking is lost on some (it’s a song about a plastic doll, people.)

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The offspring of two of the most seminal 60s bands got together and made something arguably as good as their parents’ did. “Hold On” is uplifting and inspiring, but also a sing-a-long with a brilliant arrangement.

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Paula Abdul was already responsible for some of the most iconic choreography of the 1980s by the time she launched her solo career. Then she made some of the most iconic pop hits. “Straight Up” is her biggest and most undeniable, all thanks to that slick and funky synth-driven beat.

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At first a hit for Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and later one for the Communards, this disco classic forever belongs to Thelma Houston. No one did this better than her, and this is undeniably the version by which all others are measured.

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There was something so monumental about “Blank Space.” We all knew she could be a full-fledged pop star – and the single’s predecessor proved she was willing to fully commit to the bit. However, this track was the perfect example of how she was going to do it on her terms, through her perspective. What else is there to say, the rest is history.

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Amy Winehouse’s career would have been vastly different without Mark Ronson. This Zutons cover, credited to them both to feature on Mark’s album, was the closest she ever got to being a pop star. And for good reason, this is a bop; the rest of their catalogs speaks for themselves.

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