Time Out Ranks the 40 Best Pop Songs of All Time, Led by Chappell Roan's 'Good Luck Babe'
Time Out has compiled a list of the 40 greatest pop songs ever, placing Chappell Roan's "Good Luck Babe" at the top. Following closely, Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn," which was initially performed by Ednaswap, comes in second. In third position is Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life," which addresses crystal meth addiction. Charli XCX's "Apple," recognized for sparking a viral dance craze, is fourth. Kylie Minogue's "Padam Padam," a summer hit of 2023, takes fifth. Rihanna's "Umbrella," featuring Jay-Z, is sixth, while Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" holds the seventh spot. André 3000's "Hey Ya!" is eighth, and Britney Spears's "Toxic," linked to the #FreeBritney movement, is ninth. Rounding out the top 10 is Taylor Swift's "Hits Different," released in 2022.
Key facts
- Time Out published a ranking of the 40 best pop songs of all time, with the top 10 covered in the article.
- Chappell Roan's "Good Luck Babe" holds the number one spot.
- Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" ranks second; it was originally recorded by American band Ednaswap, with earlier Danish-language versions.
- Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life" is third, with lyrics about crystal meth addiction written from Stephan Jenkins's firsthand experience of San Francisco drug culture.
- Charli XCX's "Apple," from her sixth studio album, is fourth and sparked a viral dance trend.
- Kylie Minogue's "Padam Padam," ubiquitous in London in summer 2023, is fifth; Minogue was 55 at the time.
- Rihanna's "Umbrella," featuring Jay-Z, is sixth and launched her into global stardom.
- Taylor Swift's "Hits Different," released in 2022 on the Midnights (Til Dawn Edition) bonus tracks, ranks tenth.
Entities
Artists
- Chappell Roan
- Natalie Imbruglia
- Stephan Jenkins
- Charli XCX
- Kylie Minogue
- Rihanna
- Jay-Z
- Gwen Stefani
- André 3000
- Britney Spears
- Cathy Dennis
- Taylor Swift
- Courtney Love
- Dolly Parton
- Miley Cyrus
- Kate Bush
- Cyndi Lauper
Institutions
- Time Out
- OutKast
- Third Eye Blind
- Ednaswap
- the Neptunes
- Neighbours
Locations
- London
- San Francisco
- Australia
- Denmark
Sources
- Quartz —