Top Ten

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

2001 Music Hits: TRL Pop, Dance Songs, Pop-Punk, Nu Metal, Post-Grunge, R&B, and Early-2000s Radio Favorites 2001 music sounded like MTV’s Total Request Live, pop-punk guitars, shiny dance-pop, R&B hooks, nu-metal angst, post-grunge radio, and the last stretch of the CD era, all sharing one oversized entertainment center. The year had bright party records, heavy

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

2005 Music Hits: Pop-Punk, R&B Club Songs, Viral Hits, Dance-Pop, Emo Rock, Country Crossover, and Mid-2000s Favorites2005 music sounded like the middle of the decade had found its full personality: ringtone-ready hooks, iTunes downloads, TRL leftovers, pop-punk choruses, emo eyeliner, crunk club records, country crossover, adult-pop ballads, and early viral internet songs all competing for

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

1980 Music Hits: New Wave, Rock, Dance-Pop, Early Rap, R&B, Disco Leftovers, and the Start of the 1980s Sound1980 music sounded like one decade was closing the door while the next one was already messing with the synthesizer. Disco was fading but not gone, New Wave was gaining ground, album rock stayed loud, pop radio

1982 Music Hits: New Wave, Dance, Early Hip-Hop, Pop Rock, MTV Favorites, Album Rock, and Early-1980s Hits 1982 music sounded like the 1980s had fully arrived and brought synthesizers, sharp guitars, dance beats, movie themes, early hip-hop, and an MTV-ready attitude with it. New Wave was everywhere, pop rock was bright and punchy, R&B and

1998 Music Hits: Pop Rock, Teen Pop, Hip-Hop, Swing Revival, Dance Hits, Alternative Rock, Soundtrack Ballads, and Late-1990s Favorites 1998 music had one foot in alternative rock and the other already stepping into the teen-pop explosion. Pop rock was everywhere, hip-hop crossover was huge, swing revival briefly made horn sections cool again, and movie soundtrack

1983 Music Hits: Michael Jackson, New Wave, MTV Pop, Dance Hits, Album Rock, Synth-Pop, and Early-1980s Favorites 1983 music sounded like the 1980s had found its full video-era identity. MTV was no longer a novelty; it was becoming a major force in pop culture. Michael Jackson dominated, New Wave went mainstream, synth-pop was everywhere, rock

1968 Music Hits: Soul, Psychedelic Rock, Motown, Bubblegum Pop, Hard Rock, Pop Dance, and Late-1960s Favorites 1968 music sounded like the late 1960s at full pressure. Soul was powerful, Motown was polished, psychedelic rock was stretching out, bubblegum pop was suddenly everywhere, and harder rock was starting to form the shape of the 1970s. AM

1984 Music Hits: MTV Pop, Dance Hits, Rock Anthems, Synth-Pop, Movie Songs, New Wave, and 1980s Favorites 1984 music was one of the defining years of the MTV era. Pop stars became video stars, movie soundtracks dominated radio, dance music got brighter, rock bands got bigger, and the line between music, fashion, video, and attitude

2009’s Biggest Artists and SongsAdele (Best New Artist Grammy Winner) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (Grammy for Album of the Year)Please Read The Letter – Alison Krauss and Robert Plant (Grammy for Record of the Year)2009’s Retro Top 10 Hits1. Fire Burning – Sean Kingston2. Fireflies – Owl City3. Whatcha Say – Jason Derulo4. Don’t

1986 Music Hits: Pop Rock, Dance Hits, Movie Songs, New Wave, R&B, Album Rock, and Mid-1980s Favorites 1986 music was polished, colorful, and fully locked into the MTV decade. Pop rock was huge, dance music was bright, R&B was sleek, movie soundtracks kept producing hits, and rock bands were learning how to sound big enough

1963 Music Hits: Girl Groups, Motown, Surf Rock, Doo-Wop, Dance Crazes, Novelty Songs, and Pre-Beatles Pop Favorites1963 music was the last full year of American pop before the Beatles and the British Invasion changed everything. Girl groups were booming, Motown was getting stronger, surf rock was all over the radio, doo-wop was still active, and