The 10 Best Pop Singles Of 2010

It seems like only yesterday when trusty sidekicks in all things pop Moogaboo and D'luv sat down to sift through 10 years of jams to come up with the Chart Rigger list of the Top 40 Singles Of The '00s—yet here we are already doing our first Best list of the new decade.

Sure, radio let itself get clogged with chum on occasion throughout the past 12 months (see our 10 Worst Singles Of 2010 roundup). But here we're highlighting the songs that didn't make you want to go shoot up a strip mall every time you heard them. As usual, the singles listed need only have reached their peak chart position within 2010, even if they were technically released the year prior.

10. Usher, "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love"

Moogaboo says: "Remember that time Usher went on E! and talked about getting a colonic? Well this year he gave his career a colonic, flushing out the r&b sound people stopped liking and infusing his colon—I mean songbook—with more current, classy dance beats. I loved it, and isn't that all that matters?"
D'luv says: "Thank Christ I have no recollection of that. Poor Usher can't sing this song live to save his life, but hey–welcome to the world of having a Max Martin-produced hit. This driving, out-of-nowhere surprise was a radio life jacket amidst a sea of 'Airplanes' and 'Billionaire' this past summer."
Charts: AUS #3, US #4, UK #7

9. Goldfrapp, "Rocket"

D'luv says: "I'm still stunned that the UK treated the Atari-on-the-dancefloor greatness of Head First with all the warmth of Madonna's frozen-over Arctic snatch. Oh, well. The duo got the last laugh by scoring two Grammy nominations."
Moogaboo says: "Goldfrapp were totally having a Flashbeagle moment and I love that it might win a Grammy. 'But I still wanna know/ how she got in the door' is also an adorably bitchy pop lyric."
Charts: US DANCE #1, GER #32, UK #47

8. Adam Lambert, "Whataya Want From Me"

D'luv says: "Glambox could probably sing pages of the phone book and make it sound interesting. But this jam proved that with the right songwriters and right material, he could suddenly go from being good to iconic. Too bad there weren't more tracks like this on his debut album."
Moogaboo says: "Note to Lambo: be P!nk more often."
Charts: AUS #4, SWE #8, US #10

7. Rihanna, "Only Girl (In The World)"

Moogaboo says: "As far as the current wave of nu-dance goes, only RiRi's really gotten the essence of house music's pulsating, hedonistic abandon. No jerky stops and starts for her, which is what makes 'Only Girl' so irresistible: it's almost menacing in its insistence that you dance."
D'luv says: "God bless RiRi and her tireless work ethic. This jam had its haters from the get-go, but I loved the throbbing hotness from the first listen. Seriously, slap on some good headphones, crank it up and try to tell me that bass at 1:16 doesn't make your soul shake."
Charts: US #1, UK #1, AUS #1, CAN #1

6. Kylie Minogue, "Get Outta My Way"

D'luv says: "There seemed to be such a rush of love for Kylie's Aphrodite right out of the gate that it appeared to have dried up by the time second single 'Get Outta My Way' arrived (except on the U.S. dance charts, where dreams—no matter how irrelevant—still come true, kidz). Still, there's no denying this was the giddy standout on an already A+ album."
Moogaboo says: "Kylie's career is getting to the point where there aren't many options left between 'completely spent' and 'desperate', so I love that she managed to do something that sounded somewhat effortless and fun. This was the most-played song of 2010 at chez Moogaboo, so of course that means it had to flop."
Charts: US Dance #1, BEL #5, UK #12

5. Hurts, "Wonderful Life"

D'luv says: "If the New Millennium conjured up Lady Gaga as its answer to Madonna, then surely Synth-Pop Land needed a modern-day Pet Shop Boys, too. The drama-soaked beats of 'Wonderful Life' deservedly made Hurts a buzz-y act in 2010, while the Arthur Baker mix only added extra sparkle to the duo's cool factor."
Moogaboo says: "These babes won me over with their stylish sense of drama. If they don't make out with each other next year, I'll be totally over it! But yes, it was all about that Arthur Baker mix with it's rattling polyrhythms and Shannon-derived whipcrack."
Charts: POL #1, GER #2, SWI #4, UK #21

4. Alphabeat, "DJ"

D'luv says: "A Danish pop act making an album of songs inspired by late '80s/early '90s Italo house act Black Box (a staple on the stereo D'luv during the teen years)—why, how could it fail? Don't answer that. I effing love this album, and 'DJ' never ceases to make me grin from ear to ear."
Moogaboo says: "Martha Wash is waggin' a sassy finger at Alphabeat from her perch up in heaven! (I know she's still alive, but I bet she has an all-access pass to universes both real and mythological.)"
Charts: DEN #6, UK #116

3. Cee Lo Green, "Fuck You!"

D'luv says: "I liked this song. Then I loved this song. Then I was over this song. Now I kinda love it again. It could have been higher here on our Best list were it not for the sheer novelty factor. Like, can you picture Cee Lo having another solo hit this big (without an expletive in the title) ever again?"
Moogaboo says: "Well, no, I can't. But who can say for sure? Maybe he's the next Kylie! And even though he seems to have scammed this idea from the inimitable Lily Allen, I'll give him points for upping the bile and attaching it to an even funkier faux-Motown beat."
Charts: UK #1, AUS #5, SWE #6, US #9

2. Katy Perry, "Teenage Dream"

D'luv says: "And now we get to the song that both perplexes me and fills me with whimsical butterflies to no end. I absolutely, hands-down love 'Teenage Dream' and think it's one of the best pop songs in recent memory. That said, when I think of Katy Perry and her Jesus tits, I wanna wrap both hands around her neck and spare the universe from ever having to hear her low-rent, bottom-of-the-barrel live vocals again. But look—I'm just chalking the quality of this jam up to maestros Dr. Luke and Max Martin. If a real singer (say, Kelly Clarkson) had belted this out, it would have been #1 here."
Moogaboo says: "I agree, Kelly could more convincingly portray the protagonist of 'Teenage Dream'—a forty-something, out-of-shape suburbanite yearning to recreate the exploits of youth with the lanky new paperboy. What a missed opportunity. However, Katy's bubbly personality and bouncy boobsiness still manage to put this one over the top. Pop heaven."
Charts: US #1, POL #1, UK #2, GER #6

*POP SINGLE OF THE YEAR*

1. Robyn, "Dancing On My Own"
D'luv says: "No one does stunning, addictive dancefloor heartbreak as deftly as Robyn. And while the broad made us wait nearly half a decade for new material, 'Dancing On My Own' made me realize that patience is indeed a virtue, and that crying under a strobe light is the most bittersweet kind of joy."
Moogaboo says: "Oh, Robyn—you glittering disco sad-sack. I love your highly effective heartbreak tunes. Truth be told, I never thought you'd top 'With Every Heartbeat', 'Be Mine!' or 'Show Me Love'. Then you go and do it again with this, the perfect soundtrack for shedding tears beneath said strobe light while that hunk you just met in the men's room makes out with some ho across the dancefloor. Go on breaking my heart."
Charts: SWE #1, US Dance #3, UK #8



ALSO SEE:
* The 10 Worst Singles Of 2010
* The Top 40 Pop Singles Of The '00s
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2009
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2008
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2007
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2006
* The Best Pop Singles Of 2005

Who Sounded Worse At The American Music Awards: Katy Perry Or Usher?

Katy Perry assaulted the ears of the nation by performing her single "Firework" live tonight at the American Music Awards. The dumb broad gets consistently worse with each TV gig, and it's hard to believe she's had so many hits at this point.



The only singer who sounded just as bad as Perry was Usher. But at least he can dance. Jesus—don't ever attempt the chorus to "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" live again, Ush. Like, ever.

Usher Gives Max Martin Props (As He Should) On 'Chelsea Lately'

Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" is the first Usher song I've ever purchased. And it's a damn fine jam. Even Chelsea Handler said she loves the song on Chelsea Lately when she had Ush on Wednesday night.

In between his failed attempts at getting in Chelsea's pants, the singer gave a "shout out to Max Martin." He went on to say, "Incredible producer, incredible record. I really wanted to do different things on this album [Versus]...I really enjoy working with Max Martin. Great record."

Let's just overlook the fact that the song is so over-produced, he can only sing half of it live.



Now if Ursh is smart, he'll get his fine ass in the studio for a full album of Max jams. "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" is currently #6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Katy Perry Teenage Dreams Her Way Into The Top 10 Again While Kylie Tops The Dance Chart

I probably should have saved the Max Martin lovefest for this week's chart post, as he (and, of course, Dr. Luke) now have four songs in the Top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100. Jason Derulo's "Ridin' Solo" and Drake's "Find Your Love" drop out, making room for Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" (#9) and Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (#7).

Other big movers include New Queen Of Soul Ke$ha, whose latest, "Take It Off," flies up 40 positions to #52. You can watch the video for that trash jam here. Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" also begins to make some headway, as it moves up 13 positions to #56.

And way down at the lower end of the chart, Rihanna debuts at #99 with "Rockstar 101." Oh, Ri Ri—you can just stay right there with that slice of ear death.

Over on the Dance/Club Play Songs roundup, Kylie Minogue's "All The Lovers" hops up from #3 to #1.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna *3 weeks*
2. "California Gurls" - Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
3. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz
4. "Airplanes" - B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams
5. "I Like It" - Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull
6. "Cooler Than Me" - Mike Posner
7. "Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry
8. "Billionaire" - Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars
9. "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" - Usher feat. Pitbull
10. "OMG" - Usher feat. will.i.am

Max Martin Makes Me Feel Like I'm Living A Teenage Dream

This literally has to be be Max Martin's most prolific time period, hit-wise, since 1999/2000, no? In glancing over the current Billboard Hot 100 chart, the Swedish songwriter-producer has zillion-dollar hands all over the following:

* Katy Perry's "California Gurls" (#2, co-wrote/co-produced)
* Taio Cruz's "Dynamite" (#3, co-wrote)
* Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" (#12, co-wrote/produced)
* Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (debuts at #20, co-wrote)
* Adam Lambert's "If I Had You" (#69, co-wrote/co-produced)

I totally forgot to mention that "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" entered the Hot 100 at #19 last week—forgive me, I was still blinded by thoughts of Enrique Iglesias losing his pants. (And congrats to him for "I Like It" moving up to #6, thereby breaking the rut of the dreaded #8 that so often plagues pop stars.)

I have to say, hearing "Dynamite," "Teenage Dream" and "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" on the radio on a daily basis just makes me smile. And P.S., Max—I know you're notoriously press-shy, but get some new headshots already! We've all been using the same ones (plus the above frowny pic of you) for half a decade now.

Alright, onward to Kylie Minogue Aphrodite watch, now in week three—and it's looking pretty dire.  The album's path on the chart to date is now #19-89-190. Girl, get your Aussie butt over here and do some promotion, already. This ain't Body Language!

Over on the Dance/Club Play Songs chart, Kylie's "All The Lovers" moves up one position to #3.

The U.S. Top 10:

1. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna *2 weeks*
2. "California Gurls" - Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
3. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz
4. "Airplanes" - B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams
5. "Billionaire" - Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars
6. "I Like It" - Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull
7. "Cooler Than Me" - Mike Posner
8. "OMG" - Usher feat. will.i.am
9. "Find Your Love" - Drake
10. "Ridin' Solo" - Jason Derulo

Usher

Singer has the word "USHER" with a sword through it on tattooed his left arm, "JAMES" on his upper left calf (his brother's name), small letter on left hand?