51. Still D.R.E. (Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg)
“Still D.R.E.” is a rap song co-written and recorded in 1999 by American rap artist, Dr. Dre. Released on October 13,1999 as the lead single from his second multi-platinum studio album, 2001, it features vocals from Snoop Dogg in its intro, chorus and outro. “Still D.R.E.” basically announced Dre’s triumphant return to the forefront of the hip-hop scene. “Still D.R.E.” debuted at No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 and fell off the charts soon after. It was more successful, however, in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 6.
Meaning of the Song: “Still D.R.E.” was Dr. Dre’s message that he had returned to prominence in the Rap/Hip-Hop world, with a beat that’s often been credited as being Dre’s best produced, as well as one of his most memorable. It also helped the artist reestablish himself as a top-shelf rapper and world-class producer.
Accolades: U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles, No. 11; U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks, peaking at No. 32; U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40, peaking at No. 29; certified 4x platinum for four-million copies.
52. Rehab (Amy Winehouse) (130)
“Rehab”, released in October of 2006, was the first single from Winehouse’s second studio album, Back to Black. Written by Winehouse herself, the lyrics are autobiographical and refer to the late singer’s refusal to enter a rehab clinic. The triple-Grammy award-winning Rehab peaked at number 7 in the United Kingdom on the UK Singles Chart and number 9 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and is widely considered her signature song.
Meaning of the Song: “Rehab” is about Winehouse’s own refusal to seek help for her alcohol addiction after her associates encouraged her to go. Winehouse is quoted as saying: “I asked my dad if he thought I needed to go. He said no, but I should give it a try. So I did, for just 15 minutes. I went in said ‘hello’ and explained that I drink because I am in love and have screwed up the relationship. Then I walked out.”
Accolades: Says Rolling Stone, a “must hear song”; “instantly memorable”, proclaimed People magazine; “Shirley Bassey-meets-Ella Fitzgerald”, said Billboard magazine; Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007, No. 7; RS/500, No. 194; No. 92 on MTV Asia‘s Top 100 Hits of 2007; TIME magazine named “Rehab” No. 1 of the The 10 Best Songs of 2007; three Grammy Awards–Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
53. True (George Strait)
Debuting in June of 1998 by American country music artist George Strait (for his album One Step at a Time), Billboard magazine best characterized ‘True” as having an “open, airy feel that underscores the honest emotion in the lyric,” and that it “adds appeal and turns a sweet, ordinary song into something special.” It debuted at No. 69 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1998 and topped out at No. 2 on the chart by late-1998.
Meaning of the Song: “True” is an up-tempo tune, where the narrator insists that the love for his significant other is “true”.
Accolades: No. 2 on U.S. Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks (presently Hot Country Songs); peaked at No. 1 on Canada’s RPM Country Tracks chart; marked Strait’s first single to top Canadian charts.
54. You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban)
In 2003, David Foster decided to produce the song after being introduced to it by Frank Petrone of Peer Music, the song’s publisher. He chose the up-and-coming Josh Groban to record “You Raise Me Up”, which was accompanied by the famed tenor Craig Von Vennik of the Establishment. Groban also performed the song at Super Bowl XXXVIII and at a special NASA commemoration for the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. When performed as a surprise for Oprah Winfrey’s 50th birthday, “You Raise Me Up” garnered even greater international prominence.
Meaning of the Song: “You Raise Me Up” was originally written by Rolf Løvland and Brendan Graham as an instrumental piece (titled “Silent Story”) for Secret Garden’s album, Once in a Red Mood (2002). Parts of the melody are based on a traditional Irish tune (especially the opening chorus phrase) known as the Londonderry Air, itself best known as the tune to the 1910 song, “Danny Boy”.
Accolades: Peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 (marking Groban’s first single to make the chart), Grammy-nominated (2005); peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks (2004) and remained there for six weeks.
55. We Belong Together (Mariah Carey)
“We Belong Together” is the second single from Carey’s tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi (2005). Following her decline in popularity in the early 2000s, critics claimed that the song was her ticket back into music, when many had given up any hope for her career. “We Belong Together” thereafter became a song that critics considered Carey’s “return to form” and “the return of The Voice”, even after the naysayers dismissed “Charmbracelet” as career-ending. “We Belong Together”, against the odds, proceeded to break several records in the U.S. and became Carey’s sixteenth chart topper on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Meaning of the Song: As it samples lyrics from Bobby Womack’s “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” (1981) and The Deele’s “Two Occasions” (1987), “We Belong Together” narrates a woman’s desperation for her ex lover to come back to her following their separation and her subsequent depression.
Accolades: Peaked (and remained at) No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for fourteen non-consecutive weeks, becoming the second longest running number one song in US chart history, only behind Carey’s “One Sweet Day” (1995); two Grammy Awards; two Radio Music Awards; two Soul Train Music Awards; one Vibe Award; proclaimed “song of the decade” by Billboard and the ninth most popular song of all time.
56. Rock and Roll All Nite (Kiss)
After their Hotter Than Hell (1974) album had begun to lose steam, Kiss debuted “Rock and Roll All Nite” on their 1975 album Dressed to Kill—practically just in time to remain relevant in the music industry. It was released as the A-side of their fifth single, with the album track “Getaway”. And it wasn’t until Kiss recorded a live version, “Alive!”, in October 1975 that the song really blasted off, peaking at No. 12 in the U.S. and marking the first of six top 20 songs for Kiss in the 1970s. “Rock and Roll All Nite” became Kiss’s most identifiable song and has served as its closer for almost every concert since 1976.
Meaning of the Song: The song itself was inspired by the Slade song “Cum on Feel the Noize”, and is often known as the “Rock And Roll National Anthem” (for instance, Stanley states during Kiss’ performance at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards that “there’s only one nation, that’s Kiss Nation, there’s only one Rock & Roll national anthem: “Rock and Roll All Nite, party everyday!”). Stanley wrote the chorus, and Simmons wrote the verses, borrowing parts of a song he had previously written called “Drive Me Wild.”
Accolades: “The studio version of the song peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard singles chart, besting the band’s previous charting single, “Kissin’ Time” (No. 79); the “Alive!” live version in 1975 peaked at No. 12 in the U.S.; named the 16th greatest hard rock song of all time by VH1.
57. Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
“Sweet Home Alabama” is a hard song by Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd that debuted on their second album in 1974 entitled Second Helping; it was also their second hit single. Several themes emerged from “Sweet Home” (itself inspired from works of Neil Young); among them include Watergate, racism and north-south tensions. Interesting fact: None of the three writers of the song were originally from Alabama. Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington were both born in Jacksonville, Florida. Ed King was from Glendale, California.
Meaning of the Song: “Sweet Home Alabama” was drafted in response to the songs “Southern Man” and “Alabama”, both by Neil Young, which dealt with overtones of racism (particularly that of then-Alabama governor and segregation-supporter George Wallace) as well as Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. Alternatively, the lyrics pitted the racially-sensitive south and its racists with the north, the latter of which had supported the leadership surrounding the Nixon Administration.
Accolades: Peaked at No. 8 in the U.S. in 1974; made No. 35 on the USA’s Hot 100 pop singles chart (1980), No. 1 on VH1’s Top Ten AC/DC Songs; Guitar World ranked “You Shook Me All Night Long” No. 80 on its 100 Greatest Guitar Solos chart.
58. You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC)
“Shook Me” debuted in 1980 with Brian Johnson, who took the deceased Bon Scott’s place, as its lead vocalist. Having sold over 40 million records since its debut, it also marked AC/DC’s first entry into the Top 40 in the U.S. And as one of AC/DC’s signature, most instantly-recognizable songs from their epically successful Back in Black album, “You Shook Me All Night Long” later appeared on the international album Who Made Who. It would eventually become an unmistakable staple of AC/DC concerts, nearly always being on their setlists.
Meaning of the Song: Singer Brian Johnson described the song as ‘the story of a late-night rendezvous with a beautiful woman’.
Accolades: No. 10 on VH1‘s The 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s chart; No. 1 on VH1‘s Top Ten AC/DC Songs; No. 80 on Guitar World magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitar Solos roundup; one of AC/DC’s top 40 singles in the United States.
59. For What It’s Worth (Buffalo Springfield)
Written by Stephen Stills, recorded by Buffalo Springfield in 1966 and released in January 1967, “For What It’s Worth” eventually made the bands first album, Buffalo Springfield. The song is particularly well-known as a protest/anti-war song, especially considering the vehement anti-war sentiment surrounding the Vietnam War and other global conflicts of that era. Stills, however, emphasized that it was about the clashing of cops and clubbers during the 1966 ‘Sunset Strip curfew riots.” And contrary to a common misconception, it wasn’t about the Kent State Shootings, which happened in 1970, years after the song debuted.
Meaning of the Song: “For What It’s Worth” was apparently a product of the psychedelic era. In late 1966, Springfield started playing at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. Per the Los Angeles Times, annoyed locals grew wary of the traffic and such from hoards of patrons descending on the club. So, the townspeople attempted to curb the clubgoers’ activities by introducing a law to make a 10p.m. curfew; fans were less than thrilled, feeling that their civil rights were being trampled on. This led to the Sunset Strip riots (a.k.a. ‘the Sunset Strip curfew riots’), subsequently inspiring band member Stephen Stills to write “For What It’s Worth.”
Accolades: RS/500, No. 63; Acclaim Music’s No. 8 song of 1966; peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
60. L-O-V-E (Nat King Cole)
Originally an instrumental track on Gabler and Kaempfert’s 1964 Blue Midnight album, the American singer and pianist Nat King Cole recorded “L-O-V-E” as a jazz rendition for his 1965 album of the same name; it became his last song before he died, as well as one of his most cherished. Since covered by myriad artists, notable ones include Natalie Cole (Cole’s daughter–for her 1991 album), Michael Buble, and Jools Holland (The Informer, 2008). Little-known fact: Nat Cole also recorded “L-O-V-E” in four other languages–Japanese, French, Italian and German.
Meaning of the Song:
Ostensibly a plain old love tune, “L-O-V-E” is somewhat unique in the way the lyrics are formed, i.e.:
“L” is for the way you look at me
“O” is for the only one I see
“V” is very very extra-ordinary
“E” is even more than anyone that you adore can.
