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When the first four singles off your debut album are are huge as Lady Gaga’s were, it wouldn’t seem like there’d be any space to up the ante. Instead, Mother Monster birthed “Bad Romance.” Sonically, this was a step forward from her The Fame hits, but it very much felt like her brand – which is insane considering the world had basically only known about her for a year. The song is bursting at the seams with the raw, theatrical bravado and nonsense hooks our minds conjure at the thought of Gaga, and this is the root. In so many ways, this track is inconceivably perfect…powerful, fun, emotional, uninhibited all at once…but now that we have seen countless examples of this artist’s talent, it all makes so much sense. “Bad Romance” was when we all heard the trajectory of popular music evolve yet again. And this time, in her beautifully chaotic image.

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Across the various eras of George Michael’s career, his interpretation of pop music is provably vast. But there was ever a song that got close to pulling it all together, it’s “Freedom! ’90.” The over-6 minute bop folds in soul, and funk, and rock – and despite how laid back the groove is – dance. But most importantly, this song showcases how he is a master of melody. George’s voice, both gritty and smooth, is dynamic enough to sing anything, but he outdid himself on this one. There are so many vocal lines at play here, but when they all converge it becomes something magical. And through all of them, it’s the one simple word that rings out like an alarm: “Freedom.” Delivered as a gospel refrain, it embodies a spectrum of desperation to emancipation in just two powerful syllables. There’s not a single song that has ever dared to – or accomplished – being this good since.

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The lore is that deep into production, they needed one more song for the Purple Rain film, so Prince went home and wrote and recorded “When Doves Cry.” Of all the songs of the soundtrack, it is the one that most directly ties to the film, and yet it remains the one least beholden to it. Structed around a hypnotic drum loop and little nuances of piano and guitar, it’s Prince’s mysterious layered vocals that do all of the heavy lifting. He’s known for being a singular artist who could do the work of an entire band and production team, and this is one of the greatest examples of his talent. Simply having the intuition to leave a bassline out entirely – especially for someone known for them – is daring, but it creates a texture devoid of depth but full of air. It’s just one of the most interesting and well-executed songs ever made, and it’s no surprise it’s Prince’s biggest hit.

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Nothing will ever prove my point on this song more than the way straight people love it. Robyn had already been a name for a decade and a half, but “Dancing On My Own” felt like a rebirth for the artist. One of pop’s greatest tricks has always been making songs with lyrics you should cry to atop beats that will make dance, and this song is absolutely devastating, as evidenced by ballad-centric covers. Yet, in order to dance on your own, you do in fact need to be dancing and Robyn never lost sight of that notion. The array of pulsing synths drops you into the setting, and if you’re paying attention the anthem turns into a desperate plea. There is not a single flaw or note you can give this song. In fact, in the fifteen years since its release, not a single track has come along to dethrone it.

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Whitney Houston has the voice. And not just having a great one, which she does (“great” being a gross understatement), but one she’s in complete control of. This was an artist who could sing absolutely any song of any genre she wanted, and completely make it her own. So when she allowed herself those moments to let go and dance, we all got the party invite. Undoubtedly, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is the crown jewel of all the pop music scattered through her repertoire. Let’s get real, this is one of the most endearing, buoyant, and exciting songs you’re ever going to hear…almost to the point where it feels too simple. How can a melody be this effortless? How can this bass and these hits of synthesizer make you want to dance like this? It all feels so approachable until you try to sing along and you fail. That’s because Whitney Houston and only Whitney Houston could have pulled this track off with such ease.

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What made ABBA so important was the way they funneled their unique suite of influences and inspirations into palatable pop music the entire world still exalts decades later. We always talk about the give-and-take of US vs. UK during rock & roll’s hey day, but there’s a whole world spinning around the sun. All of that, paired with the music coming out of Sweden informed what this fearsome foursome was able to craft, and ended up setting the standard for the rest of the world. So when disco was reaching a worldwide fever pitch, ABBA gave us their interpretation and ended up giving us something better than anyone. “Dancing Queen” is one of the most recognizable pop songs in history, and for good reason. It’s not conventional in any way, but it’s accessible and easy to grasp. The way Agnetha and Frida sing the melody in unison, only to break for the most incredible harmonies you can imagine, is breathtaking. Not many songs, pop or otherwise, have gotten it this correct.

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Breaking from a successful group – in this case the reigning biggest selling girl group of all time – is not easy to pull off. There are usually a lot of dynamics and expectations at play, but the right artists know how to work it to their advantage. Although not the first time we saw the name “Beyoncé” billed on a track, this will always be considered the song that made her a solo star. But beyond the gates it opened for her as an artist, “Crazy In Love” is without a doubt one of the greatest pop songs to ever be released, period. Built around a blaring horn sample of the Chi-Lite’s “Are You My Woman,” the track is a powerful unleashing of funk and soul through a modern lens. And Bey seizes every single opportunity to work it to its full potential. Hook after hook after hook. You can feel gravity shit when this comes on. Oh, and the future Mr. Beyoncé does the damn thing on his verse, too. Forget about what this song allowed the defining artist of the last almost-thirty years to become – if you can – “Crazy In Love” is a tour de force all on its own, and pop music has absolutely never been the same since.

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This is about songs, that’s been made perfectly clear. If this was about the entire package of a pop song, “Billie Jean” would have been number one. The hat, the glove, the loafers and white socks, the sparkly jacket, and I don’t know, the motherf*cking moonwalk…all stemmed from this song. When we think of why Michael Jackson is the King of Pop, the answer lies entirely in this track and the moment it created. But the song itself is truly his magnum opus. It’s nearly thirty seconds into the song before we get a hiccup from MJ, the first audible sign of his presence…he knew we needed to warm up with that beat first. His masterful vocal, brilliantly paranoid lyrics, and incredible ad-libs guide the melody through its many phases – when the bridge kicks in, so do the chills. And when it explodes into the chorus, you’re transported. “Billie Jean” is the gold standard, and no one has ever even tried to replicate what Michael Jackson accomplished on it.

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Madonna is not just the Queen of Pop, she’s the Greatest Pop Star Ever. She’s the blueprint. You wanna talk about reinvention? You wanna talk about eras? You wanna talk about hits? Madonna set the standard – and I promise you that all of your favs will attest to it. Her catalog has so many hits in it, real actual bona fide hits, you could make a list just about her, and there would be so many moments to highlight her artistic achievements. Her contrast of religion and sex broke boundaries and ceilings, but there was always a point, and always a great song to go with the moment. And “Like a Prayer” is the greatest song she ever made. It’s fearless and unbridled, dancy and spiritual. Prince plays some guitar, the Andraé Crouch Gospel Choir carries the climax, there’s just a lot going on in the best way. This track exemplifies why pop music is an art. There’s no limits, there’s no mold, there’s hardly even a definition. Madonna’s astute awareness of that fact makes her GOAT.

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Yep. This is it. And you know I’m right.

Britney Spears’ debut single, “…Baby One More Time” was instantly cemented into history. Not just pop, not just music. History. No song has every gotten everything so right in every way. No matter how you feel about pop music, as incorrect and disturbed as you may be, you cannot argue that this song is objectively perfect. Three notes. Like a gong calling you into battle. I mean, you could write an essay on the effectiveness of just those three notes in the intro, but they explode into something almost unreal. The melody of the verses is astounding, the chorus is maybe the greatest ever written, and don’t get me started on the countermelody disguised as a bridge. And then there’s Britney’s perfect delivery. Half-sweet, half-attitude…100% in control.

There’s not a single flaw you’re ever going to find in this track, and with all the confidence in my heart, “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears is the Best Pop Song of the Last 50 Years.

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