By: Alison Chodak
Top two songs of the 1960s: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye
Let’s start with the first song, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was written and sung by the Beatles in 1964. They changed music history forever because they were the first British band that became huge due to the way they sang and looked while performing- especially to young girls. They really introduced Rock N’ Roll to the world and produced more incredible hits in the 1960s.
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” was written by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The reason this song is on the list is because this song became such a huge hit. Marvin Gaye was very popular and sang a lot of classic R&B and soul music. This was a huge move in the 1960s. The 60s was full of soul and early Rock N’ Roll for music.
Top two song of the 1970s: “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees and “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
The Bee Gees define the 1970s. When people hear the 1970s, they probably think of the Bee Gees iconic song, “Stayin’ Alive.” Why? Because it was in a popular movie, “Saturday Night Fever” and many people loved the beat of the songs. Of course, everyone loves it because of their high voices. “Stayin’ Alive” really describes the disco era to a “T.”
Rock N’ Roll was really starting to change during the 1970s. There were more guitar solos and more screaming involved. What song perfectly describes this? “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin. That iconic guitar solo in the beginning is what changed the genre of Rock forever. When you want to go back to the 1970s, listen to this song.
Top two songs of the 1980s: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! And “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley sang the iconic song, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” during the heart of the 80s. It has trumpets, keyboards, drums, guitars, the bass and the tambourine. Take a look at the music video and people can see the bright colors and big hair. Don’t forget George Michael’s earrings shining through. This song takes people back to the classic 80s pop and realize how much of a bop it was.
Did you know that the classic song, “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” wasn’t going to be in the “Breakfast Club?” Well, people are happy it was because viewers can’t imagine the movie without it. Again, this song was created in 1985 and many people fell in love with it because of the movie it’s in. This can happen to a song getting popular and that is why when most people think of the 1980s, they think of this anthem.
Top two songs of the 1990s: “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana and “No Scrubs” by TLC.
Kurt Cobain really changed the 1990s. This is where the idea of grunge was born due to its unique style of Rock. It wasn’t like the normal big hair, post punk and up beat music. It was more down to earth, with screaming and a different tone of voice while singing. Nirvana is the 90s and nobody will ever forget them.
Girl groups! Girl groups became the next big thing on the map. TLC, no not The Learning Channel, the girl group wrote a song called “No Scrubs” and many ladies loved it. Not just because they could relate to it but because it had a strong beat and they felt on top of the world listening to it. TLC was a popular group of the 1990s and will remain an inspiration to girl groups for generations to come.
Top two songs of the 2000s: “Gold Digger” by Kanye West and “Single Ladies” by Beyoncè
“Gold Digger” was one of the songs that put rap on the map. Rap did start in the 1990s but it became more popular with Kanye West and other rappers. Rap is such a huge inspiration today that many people don’t think about where it came from or why it got popular.
Beyoncè is loved still today. Why is this? Because she’s a powerful woman who sings, dances and acts. “Single Ladies” became important for many different people because it shows how strong women can be. There were also many parodies to the music video which also made this song so loveable. Thank you, Joe Jonas.
All of the songs mentioned can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.
Niagara Wire 