Top Ten

1958 Music Hits: Rock and Roll, Doo-Wop, Novelty Songs, Instrumentals, Dance Records, and Pop Favorites 1958 music had one foot in clean-cut pop and the other tapping hard into rock and roll, doo-wop, novelty records, and instrumental hits. This was the year of Tequila, All I Have to Do Is Dream, Rumble, Fever, Get a […]

1969 Music Hits: Soul, Rock, Bubblegum Pop, Woodstock, Funk, Pop Ballads, and Late-1960s Classics 1969 music sounded like the end of one decade and the beginning of several new ones at the same time. AM radio still loved bright pop hooks and bubblegum singles, but FM radio was pushing album rock, blues-rock, psychedelic sounds, jazz-rock,

2011 Music Hits: Dance-Pop, Adele Ballads, EDM, Bubblegum Pop, Alternative Rock, and Big Radio Anthems 2011 music sounded like a dance floor, a breakup playlist, a YouTube rabbit hole, and a festival field all fighting for the aux cord. Pop radio was packed with club-ready hooks, Adele turned heartbreak into a global event, Rihanna and

1970 Music Hits: Soul, Bubblegum Pop, Early Hard Rock, Singer-Songwriters, AM Radio Favorites, and the Start of the 1970s Sound 1970 music sounded like a decade changing its clothes in public. The Beatles were ending, The Jackson 5 were exploding, The Carpenters were bringing soft-pop polish to radio, hard rock was getting louder, soul and

1981 Music Hits: Arena Rock, New Wave, Funk, Soft Rock, Country-Pop, Early MTV, and Radio Classics 1981 music sat right at the edge of the MTV era. Radio was still king, but music was about to become much more visual. Arena rock was huge, post-disco funk still had power, new wave was growing, country-pop crossed

1959 Music Hits: Doo-Wop, Rock and Roll, Teen Idols, R&B, Instrumentals, Pop Ballads, and the Day the Music Died1959 music stood at a turning point in early rock and roll. The first wave of rock stars had already changed pop radio, but the year also carried a sense of loss after the plane crash that

1971 Music Hits: Singer-Songwriters, Soul Classics, FM Rock, Bubblegum Pop, Protest Songs, and Early-1970s Radio Favorites 1971 music sounded like the 1970s had officially moved in, unpacked the record collection, and put the lava lamp near the stereo. Singer-songwriters were everywhere, soul music was becoming deeper and more cinematic, FM rock was growing in importance,

1997 Music Hits: Pop Rock, Hip-Hop, Dance Hits, Ska, Bubblegum Pop, Alternative Radio, and Late-1990s Favorites 1997 music sounded like the late ’90s had found its own strange, colorful rhythm. Pop radio had singer-songwriters, ska bands, dance-club crossovers, post-grunge rock, hip-hop blockbusters, teen-pop previews, and novelty hits that were almost impossible to escape. If a

1987 Music Hits: Big ’80s Pop, Dance Hits, Hair Metal, Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Alternative Rock, and MTV Favorites1987 music sounded like the 1980s had reached full neon brightness. Pop radio was huge, MTV still shaped what songs looked like, hair metal and arena rock were loud, freestyle dance records were filling clubs, hip-hop was pushing further

1960 Music Hits: The Twist, Doo-Wop, Teen Idols, Elvis, Instrumentals, Novelty Songs, and Early Soul 1960s music stood at a turning point between the first rock and roll explosion of the 1950s and the massive pop changes still to come in the early 1960s. The Beatles had not yet arrived in America, Motown was still

1989 Music Hits: Dance-Pop, New Jack Swing, Hip-Hop, Hair Metal, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Late-1980s Favorites 1989 music sounded like the 1980s were throwing one last oversized party before the 1990s walked in and changed the lighting. MTV still mattered, pop radio was glossy, hip-hop was getting louder and funnier, new jack swing was

1972 Music Hits: Soul, Soft Rock, Glam, FM Album Rock, Bubblegum Pop, Singer-Songwriters, and Early-1970s Radio Favorites 1972 music sounded like the early 1970s settling into its own identity. The singer-songwriter era was strong, soul music was rich and emotional, FM album rock was becoming more important, glam rock was getting louder and flashier, and

1988 Music Hits: Hair Metal, Dance-Pop, Hip-Hop, Freestyle, Alternative Rock, Adult Contemporary, and Late-1980s Favorites 1988 music sounded like the late 1980s operating at full brightness. Hair metal was huge, dance-pop was everywhere, hip-hop was pushing harder into the mainstream, freestyle and club records were crossing over to radio, and MTV still had enough power

1976 Music Hits: Disco, Funk, FM Rock, Soft Rock, Soul, Bubblegum Pop, and Mid-1970s Favorites 1976 music sounded like the middle of the 1970s had found several grooves at once. Disco was no longer sneaking in through the side door; it was on the dance floor, under the lights, and asking for better shoes. Funk

1973 Music Hits: Soul, FM Album Rock, Glam, Funk, Singer-Songwriters, AM Pop, and Early-1970s Favorites 1973 music was one of the early 1970s’ richest years, with soul, funk, FM album rock, singer-songwriters, glam, soft rock, and AM pop all pushing in different directions. The radio could move from Marvin Gaye to Pink Floyd, from Tony

1978 Music Hits: Disco, Funk, Album Rock, New Wave, Grease, Queen Anthems, and Late-1970s Favorites 1978 music sounded like the disco ball had taken over the ceiling, but the guitar amps were not giving up without a fight. Disco was at full strength, funk was deep and inventive, album rock was still huge, New Wave

1977 Music Hits: Disco, Funk, Album Rock, Star Wars, Soft Rock, Punk, Soul, and Late-1970s Favorites 1977 music landed right in the middle of a major pop culture shift. Disco was getting bigger, funk was strong, FM album rock had serious power, punk was making noise, soft rock was everywhere, and movie themes became part

1979 Music Hits: Disco, Funk, New Wave, Album Rock, Pop Rock, Dance Hits, and the End of the 1970s Sound 1979 music sounded like the 1970s throwing one last giant party while the 1980s waited outside in sunglasses. Disco was still huge, funk was powerful, album rock had plenty of muscle, New Wave was arriving

1962 Music Hits: Surf Guitar, Girl Groups, Doo-Wop, Dance Crazes, Motown, Teen Pop, and Pre-Beatles Favorites1962 music sat right before the British Invasion changed American pop. Girl groups were rising fast, Motown was gaining strength, surf guitar was roaring out of California, dance records were everywhere, and doo-wop still had plenty of radio life. The