The Hardest Thing
1999
David Frank and Steve Kipner handed a boy band a breakup song about ending an affair; it reached number five.
★ 1.6
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Whatcha Say
2009
J.R. Rotem looped Imogen Heap's Hide and Seek under a debut single, and Derulo had a number one within months.
★ 2.7
Loyal
Chris Brown and Lil Wayne
2013
Nic Nac's beat borrows from "Money Ain't a Thang," and three regional versions carried it thirty-six weeks on the chart.
★ 2.9
Every Morning
1998
Drummer Stan Frazier sang the hook on his way out of the studio, and the chorus borrows Malo's Suavecito.
★ 3.1
What You Want
1999 · From The Roots Come Alive
Jaguar Wright's hook over Philadelphia's finest, and lyrics so tied to The Best Man the film edited out a spoiler.
★ 3.6
Take it on the Run
1981
Epic wanted a different follow-up single; the band held out for Richrath's chain of hearsay and reached number five.
★ 3.6
Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)
2001
Dallas Austin wrote it, produced it, played bass and keys, and slipped a Sinatra snippet under Cantrell's revenge.
★ 3.9
It Wasn't Me
2000
A Hawaiian DJ pulled it off an MP3 site and put it on air; Britain's biggest seller of 2001 followed.
★ 4.3
Take a Bow
2008
StarGate and Ne-Yo tracked the ballad in three studios on two continents, and it vaulted from fifty-three to number one.
★ 4.3
I'm Not the Only One
2014
Smith and Jimmy Napes wrote it about someone else's marriage, and Simon Hale's strings carry the slow march.
★ 4.6
Human
1986 · From Crash
Jam and Lewis wrote it in Minneapolis, and Oakey called that vocal the best he ever gave.
★ 4.8
Your Love (The Outfield)
1986
Guitarist John Spinks wrote it, Tony Lewis sang it, and producer William Wittman pushed the band past their softer demo.
★ 4.8
Run to You
1984
Blue Oyster Cult passed, .38 Special passed, and Adams kept the riff; the first full take made the record.
★ 4.8
Keep On Loving You
1980
Cronin wrote it after his wife confessed an affair; Richrath's Les Paul turned a piano ballad into a number one.
★ 5.1
Saving All My Love For You
1985 · From Whitney Houston
Goffin and Masser's song, first recorded by Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.; Tom Scott's saxophone, Houston's first number one.
★ 5.1
What Goes Around...Comes Around
2006 · From FutureSex / LoveSounds
Danja's guitar riff started it in the studio; Timberlake's third straight number one turns betrayal into slow burn.
★ 5.3
I Write Sins Not Tragedies
2006
Pizzicato cello, a title lifted from Douglas Coupland, and a circus wedding video that won Video of the Year.
★ 5.6
Upside Down
1980
Rodgers and Edwards wrote the groove, Ross remixed the album to lift her vocal, and it topped the Hot 100.
★ 5.7
The Seed 2.0
2002 · From Phrenology
Cody ChesnuTT's four-track bedroom original rebuilt by a live band, his guitar hook intact, Questlove pushing the tempo up.
★ 6.1
Before He Cheats
2006
Tompkins and Kear wrote it hoping Gretchen Wilson would cut it; Underwood's version stayed sixty-four weeks on the Hot 100.
★ 6.1
You Know I'm No Good
2006 · From Back to Black
Ronson cut it at Daptone in Brooklyn with the Dap-Kings, Winehouse writing about infidelity and offering no apology.
★ 6.5
Back Door ManHowlin' Wolf
Back Door Man
1961 · From Howlin' Wolf
Dixon's title was blues code for adultery, cut by Wolf at Chess and reopened by the Doors in 1967.
★ 6.6
I Can See for MilesThe Who
I Can See for Miles
1967 · From The Who Sell Out
Townshend called it his ace in the hole and never forgave Britain for stopping it at number ten.
★ 6.6
Ooo Baby Baby
1965
Robinson's falsetto over a slow Funk Brothers groove, with Pete Moore co-writing and stacking the harmonies behind him.
★ 6.7
Creep (TLC)
1994 · From CrazySexyCool
A trumpet loop, T-Boz half-whispering, and Left Eye objecting so strongly she threatened to tape her mouth shut.
★ 6.7
OPPNaughty by Nature
OPP
1991
A loop of the Jackson 5's "ABC," Melvin Bliss drums, and an acronym that carried the group to number six.
★ 6.9
Careless Whisper
George Michael and Wham!
1984
Written at seventeen on a bus, scrapped at Muscle Shoals, saved by Steve Gregory's saxophone in one breath.
★ 7.5
Chain of Fools
1967 · From Lady Soul
Joe South's tremolo guitar opens it, Don Covay wrote it young while singing gospel, and Franklin turns it merciless.
★ 7.5
Stop! In the Name of Love
1965
By Dozier's account the title came from a motel argument; Paul Williams supplied the hand at a rehearsal.
★ 7.6
Say My Name
1999
Rodney Jerkins chopped the beat into stop-start halves, and a phone call full of suspicion became two Grammys.
★ 7.7
Long Tall Sally
1956 · From Here's Little Richard
Blackwell built the lyric to run too fast for Pat Boone, and Richard shouted it out at Cosimo Matassa's J&M.
★ 7.8
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
1965 · From Rubber Soul
Harrison's sitar, widely reckoned the first on a rock record, and Lennon smuggling an affair past everyone.
★ 7.9
Your Cheatin' Heart
1953 · From 40 Greatest Hits
A lyric dictated from a car seat, one last Nashville session, and six weeks at country number one.
★ 8.0
Maybellene
1955 · From Chuck Berry Is on Top
Ida Red, a 1938 Bob Wills fiddle tune, turned into a car chase, with Johnnie Johnson's piano running underneath.
★ 8.4
I Heard it Through the Grapevine
1968 · From In the Groove
Motown shelved Gaye's version for over a year; it came out sounding like paranoia set to a Funk Brothers groove.
★ 9.3