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I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this is the greatest ballad in all of pop music. At least from the last half-century. This Titanic-of-a-hit (see what I did there?) is just so unbelievably stunning. And yes, “My Heart Will Go On” is an incredible composition, produced for maximum effect. But Queen Céline makes it what it is. No-one else could deliver this vocal like her, even the greatest of the greats. Her attention to detail with every word, every phrase, knowing exactly when to unleash and when to pull back, is a astounding. There’s no amount of instrumental build up that could match the crescendo of her vocal performance, but both happening in tandem is chilling. This is unrivaled.

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Boy bands have been a thing for decades, long before the craze on the late 1990s into the new millennium. But forever and always, the Backstreet Boys are going to looked at as the one that nailed the landing. Obviously, their sales and plethora of chart hits speak for themselves, but it’s “I Want It That Way” and “I Want It That Way” alone that have carried them all this time. Without a doubt one of the most incredible pop songs ever written, it almost feels designed to be sung by five individuals as one hivemind – unlike most groups of their nature. Crafting something this melodic could only be done by a mastermind like Max Martin, but to deliver it with such sincerity…it’s just a juggernaut. This was a special song at the time, and it’s only aged further into a state of perfection over the years.

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Taylor Swift’s career will be looked at as a benchmark for basically ever. The level of success she’s been able to achieve while simultaneously being one of the most prolific acts of the last twenty years will be studied, believe me. But it can be hard to forget that it all started with a young kid who really really knew how to write a song. “You Belong With Me” has that special kind of universality only the most instinctual of lyricists know how to craft, and the way her words come pouring out through explosive and anthemic country pop is magnificent. I’m not sure there’s been many more technically perfect executions of melody. It goes without saying that she’s long since evolved past this song and era of her career, but this is the best pop moment she ever made. This track is a showcase of her intuition and prowess, and it lives on a moment in history that we’re going to continuously refer to as pivotal.

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Blondie were pioneers of new wave, trailblazing a new and exciting era of rock & roll. Everything from punk to electronic music to ska found their way into their works, but gussied up with attitude and memorable hooks. Yet it was when they took their shot at disco that their biggest impact was felt. “Heart of Glass” is a delirious synth-ridden gallop – indisputably a rhythmic feat – that completely sparkles with Debbie Harry’s luscious upper register riding atop. There’s a mysterious glow about this song; it doesn’t sound like tend-chasing in hindsight, it sounds trend-setting. Pop music owes it a debt of gratitude.

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There are so few songs that work across this many formats. “Royals” was a hit in alternative spaces, in rock spaces, in dance spaces, and especially in pop. Lorde came out of f*cking nowhere with this track that felt extracted from an alien lifeform; and everything stood still. Never has so much come out of so little. It’s one thing to build a song around a drum loop, but one this simple and understated? The musical aptitude you have to have to pull that off. When the backing vocals come in they feel like they’re being screamed from the heavens because of how little is going on. It’s just one of the most astounding things to ever happen to popular music. And no one has ever become a legend this quickly.

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There are not many titans of pop mightier than Cher. I think it’s safe to say that everyone under the sun would consider “Believe” to be her signature song, but you have to remember it was released almost 35 years into her career. And not just a career she was coasting through, one where she was already the aforementioned titan. Originally panned for introducing autotune into the mainstream, looking back she pioneered an entire performance style that’s been replicated across everything from hip hop to house. It’s not that she needed it, it just sounded good! And the song is that much better for it. It’s one of the catchiest, most empowering pop tracks ever made.

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Right around this time, the boy band craze was heating up. Young pre- and teenage girls were being marketed bundle packs of hunks who could harmonize and move in lock step, with perfectly formed pop songs to soundtrack the experience. But it turns out what everyone actually wanted – what they really, really wanted – was a girl group. There are so many throughout pop history that have made an indelible mark, but none of them did what the Spice Girls did. Five wildly different women, having fun, supporting each other, making music. Zig-a-zig-ah! Their debut single, “Wannabe” would have been a one hit wonder for anyone else, but it would have been a hit. The song is truly that good. Masterfully catchy, perpetually exciting, uninhibited fun! But it wouldn’t have ever felt this authentic, this endearing. Their time together was short in the grand scheme of things, but the Spice Girls are insanely far from one hit wonder-dom, but “Wannabe” still lives on as a pinnacle.

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The B-52’s will forever be the greatest party band ever. Their eccentric and unapologetic zeal for fun has soundtracked parties, dances, weddings, and probably some choice funerals over the years, but none of their works ever came together in the same way “Love Shack” did. It’s an invitation to the kind of party no one would decline. Through all of its quirkiness and incredible one-liners, there’s a genius-level arrangement and legendary melody that holds up as one of the all-time greats. It just sounds timeless – it made sense then, it makes sense now, it will make sense in a hundred years.

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She yelled, “Gimme a beat!” and that beat changed everything. The second single released after Janet, the baby of the Jackson dynasty, took Control of her career is one of the most unbelievable productions in all of pop history. Her partnership with production and songwriting team Jam & Lewis was historic, and while they made a ridiculous amount of hits together, “Nasty” is something special. The whole structure is so intricate, woven with staccato synths and a thundering drum loop. New Jack Swing was just an infant, and this track alone informed so much of its direction. But it’s Janet that makes this a brilliant pop song. Her iconic soft-spoken-scream of a voice dazzles across that backing track and kinda make it her bitch. Her spoken ad-libs along the way are masterfully inserted, reminding us of who’s in the driver’s seat here. After all (and you know we gotta do it), “[her] first name ain’t baby, it’s Janet. Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.”

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No one has ever had a comeback like Tina Turner. By the mid-80s, she had already done enough to walk off into the sunset and collect her flowers, but she had something to prove on her own. And damn, Tina came back guns-a-blazin’. “What’s Love Got To Do With It” remains one of pop music’s most legendary hits and mandatory sing-a-longs. Her velvety voice spills its guts all over this airy and poised backing track, like a scorned woman risen from the ashes. It’s just a masterpiece that captures a revolutionary artist invigorated yet again.

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