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Heroes
Recorded beside the Berlin Wall, Fripp's feedback howling while Bowie sings himself hoarse over a single defiant day.
Love Will Tear Us Apart
The title flips Captain and Tennille into its opposite, and the single arrived a month after Curtis's death.
Bad Romance
Written on a tour bus in Norway and premiered at Alexander McQueen's last show, all nonsense syllables and appetite.
With or Without You
The Edge was sent a prototype Infinite Guitar by Michael Brook, and U2 had their first American number one.
Heart-Shaped Box
Albini recorded it at Pachyderm in a Minnesota winter, and Scott Litt later remixed it to lift Cobain's vocal.
Piece of My Heart
Erma Franklin had it first in 1967, then Joplin tore the same Ragovoy and Berns song wide open.
I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)
Muscle Shoals, January 1967, Oldham on Wurlitzer, and a session that fell apart in an argument right after it.
Blank Space
Swift plays her own tabloid caricature, a clicking pen for percussion, and she replaced herself at number one.
Tainted Love
A Northern soul flop from 1964 rebuilt on synthesizers at Advision, Marc Almond's first vocal take kept intact.
(Don't Fear) the Reaper
An irregular heartbeat diagnosis sent Dharma writing about mortality and lasting love, and the cowbell did the rest.
November Rain
Slash's solo grew from an improvisation, Rose had chased the song since 1986, and nine minutes went top three.
Nowhere to Run
Snow chains rattling for percussion, Jamerson's bass shoving it along, and Reeves sounding genuinely cornered by the arrangement.
Seasons (Waiting on You)
One Letterman performance in March 2014, Herring's angular dancing, and Pitchfork, NME and Spin named it the year's best.
Porcelain
Moby nearly left it off Play; a reversed string sample from the Exodus score, cut in his Little Italy apartment.
Summertime Sadness
Two labels rejected Cedric Gervais's remix; Radio 1 played it anyway, and the remix took a Grammy and number six.
Love The Way You Lie
Alex da Kid's beat, Skylar Grey's demo hook, Rihanna's vocal cut in Dublin, seven weeks at No. 1.
Set Fire to the Rain
Rosie Danvers wrapped the strings around Adele's biggest crescendo, and 21 took its third straight American number one.
Blue Jeans
Del Rey wrote it with Emile Haynie and Dan Heath, then sings a doomed vow over surf guitar and strings.
April Skies
Gillespie had gone off to Primal Scream, so a drum machine drives the Reids' highest UK charting single.
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Never a single, still platinum: Mayer, Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino playing a relationship that both parties know is finished.
(I Just) Died In Your Arms
Van Eede scribbled the title down the night it occurred to him; Terry Brown drummed it on Neil Peart's snare.
One More Night (Maroon 5)
Nine weeks at number one, Maroon 5's longest Hot 100 reign, and a reggae lilt under the ache.