RockOnTheNet.com
presents The Top Pop Songs
Of All Time !
We have ranked the top pop songs that have charted over the past
50+ years on The ARC Weekly Top 40 and Billboard Hot 100, and
come up with
a definitive list that will continue to expand as we add to it,
and continue to modify as new songs chart on The ARC Weekly Top
40.
Prince or or "The Artist" was born
Prince Roger Nelson on June 7, 1958 in
Minneapolis. Prince taught himself how to play
many instruments and self-produced his first LP, For
You,
by 1978. As his success grew, he eventually
founded his own label: Paisley Park. Prince's
musical styles have been compared to James
Brown, Jackie Wilson and
other r&b heavy weights, but as Prince's
career grew, Prince became a legend on his own
merit with a knack for delivering funk, rock and
soul with an occasional pop feel. Prince has
amassed 11 #1 hits and 22 Top 10 hits on the pop
charts. Prince released a string of LPs
throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s in
addition to touring, writing and producing for
other artists and staring in a few movies. His
first 4 LP releases were modest hits with R&B
audiences and are considered to be some of his
best work. Prince was allowed great independence
from his record label, Warner Brothers, to create
his own kind of music.
April 7: Prince released his debut
LP For
You
which contained the hit "Soft And Wet"
- the only track on the LP not written
exclusively by Prince. Prince also produced the
debut LP and played all the instruments.
October 19: Prince released his
second LP Prince which became his first
million seller and contained his first pop Top 10
hit, "I Wanna Be Your Lover."
October 9: Prince was booed off
stage and had beer cans thrown his way when
appearing in LA as an opening act for the Rolling
Stones.
October 14: Prince released Controversy with the hit title track
and "Let's Work." Prince's suggestive
lyrics continued with the tracks "Do Me,
Baby" and "Jack U Off."
November 14: Prince topped the
Billboard Dance/Disco chart for 6 weeks with
"Controversy/Let's Work."
October 27: Prince released the 2-LP
set, 1999 which introduced Prince
more to pop audiences the following year. The set
included the hits "1999," "Little Red Corvette,"
"Delirious," and "Let's Pretend
We're Married."
June 25: It might be said that
1984 was the year of Prince. He starred in the
movie Purple
Rainwhich found sound success with the critics,
but more importantly created a soundtrack to the
movie that exemplified the musical genius of
Prince. The LP sold over 13 million copies and
produced the #1 hits: "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," and "Purple Rain." The LP also contained the
hits "I Would Die 4 U" and "Take Me
With You," the controversial track,
"Darling Nikki" and the haunting
"The Beautiful Ones." Prince went on to
win an Academy Award for the film's music. When Rolling
Stone
ranked the "100 Best Albums of the
80s," Purple
Rain
came in at # 2.
June 30: Prince topped the
Billboard Black Singles chart for 8 weeks and
Dance/Disco chart for 6 weeks with "When Doves Cry."
October 6: Prince hit the ARC Weekly Top 40with
"Purple Rain." Prince explained
the meaning of the song: ""When there's
blood in the sky red and blue = purple...
purple rain pertains to the end of the world and
being with the one you love and letting your
faith/god guide you through the purple
rain."
October 6: Prince topped the
Billboard Black Singles chart for 1 week with
"Let's Go Crazy."
March 25: Prince won an Academy
Award for Best Original Score for Purple
Rain.
April 22: Prince's much anticipated
follow-up LP came in 1985 with Around
The World In A Day. The LP was described as a more
pop-friendly Prince with less sexual overtones in
his music. Prince topped the charts with "Raspberry Beret" and had success with
"Pop Life" and
"America."
March 25: Prince tried his hand at
the movie/soundtrack combination again with Parade, the soundtrack to the
film Under
The Cherry Moon. Critical praise was very hard to
find for the film, but Prince's music did
continue his success with the #1 track "Kiss" and hits
"Anotherloverholenyohead" and "Mountains."
April 5: Prince topped the
Billboard Black Singles chart for 4 weeks with
"Kiss."
June 20: Prince performed music
for the Batman soundtrack and returned to
the spotlight for a bit after a poor response
for, Lovesexy. The
"all-Prince" soundtrack to the hit
movie gave Prince another #1 hit with "Batdance" and the additional hits
"Partyman," "The Arms Of Orion" (with Sheena Easton), and
"Scandalous."
August 20: Prince embarked on
another movie/soundtrack combination with Graffiti
Bridge
and found failure with both. Although the
soundtrack did contain the Top 10 "Thieves In The Temple," more attention was
paid to the soundtrack contributions of Tevin
Campbell and Mavis Staples.
September 28: Prince & The N.P.G.
topped the Billboard Dance Music Club Play chart
for 1 week with "Gett Off."
October 1: Prince re-emerged with
another commercial success: Diamonds
And Pearls. The LP found audiences in the
emerging hip-hop arena as well as the VH-1 crowd.
Songs on the LP ranged from the sexy funk of
"Gett Off" and to the more
vocal focused title track. Prince hit #1 with the
title track and "Cream" and found success with "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" and
"Insatiable."
September: Prince changed his name
to a combination of the male and female symbol: . His name pronunciation since then
has ranged from "The Artist Formerly Known
As Prince," "TAFKAP," The
Artist," and "Victor." Yet, most
people, Rock On The Net included, have their own
pronunciation of the symbol: "Prince."
Prince also implied that he might never release a
studio LP again.
May: The Purple
Rainsoundtrack was certified 13x platinum.
July 9: Prince released his final
offering from Warner Brothers, Chaos
And Disorder with the moderate hit, "Dinner
With Delores."
July: Prince's dissatisfaction
with fulfilling his record company's obligations
were evident when he appeared on the Today
Show performing tracks from the LP with the
word "slave" written on his face.
November 19: Prince released an
ambitious 3-CD set called Emancipation and hit the Top 40 with
the remake "Betcha By Golly Wow!." His marriage and
media support for Emancipation had appeared to reduce
Prince's aloof image and his music was once again
appreciated.
Prince released a 3-CD set of
unreleased material available by mail-order from
Prince's website. With Prince no longer
associated with EMI Records, the artist felt a
greater sense of musical freedom: "My
success is no longer defined by others..."
Internet sales ofCrystal
Ball
have shown to be brisk. Although total sales are
less than a typical release would initiate, the
direct profit for the musicians is more
substantial. Prince stated that "...charts,
awards and grades at school R sociopsychotic
illusion."
March 3: Crystal
Ball
was later sold exclusively at Best Buy stores
followed by Musicland and Blockbuster stores. The
CD set - a collection of older, unreleased Prince
material - included the acoustic tracks on The
Truth (a CD free when the Crystal
Ball
was also purchased).
June 30: Prince released Newpower
Soul
with the single "The One." The LP was
distributed through NPG Records.
July: Prince allowed fans to
download his 26-minute single, "The
War" for free off his website, love4oneanother, and talked with SonicNet
Music News: "It's our music... go tape
it and give it to friends... spread it
around." Prince is also encouraging fans who
download the song make a donation to a children's
charity.
September: Prince had to postpone
several dates of his current tour with Chaka
Khan after he sprained his ankle while
performing in Atlantic City. The accident was
believed to be due to a slick stage caused by a
fog machine.
December: Prince announced that he
have annulled his marriage to Mayte and the 2
will remain apart until next year's Valentine's
Day when they will be re-married.
August 24: Warner Bros. Records
released older, unreleased Prince music in the
form of The
Vault - Old Friends 4 Sale. The LP contains music
recorded between 1985 and 1994 and includes the
first single "Extraordinary."
December 31: Prince ended the year
with a pay-per-view concert on New Year's Eve and
officially retired his hit "1999" stating on The Early Show
"This is going to be the last time we play
it. We're going to retire it after this, and
there won't be no need to play it in the
00s."
March 4: Whitney was honored at
the Soul Train Music Awards as the Artist of the
Decade for Extraordinary Artistic Achievement -
Male.
March: The same month Prince
disputed with his new label Arista and refused to
release a remix of his latest LP stating that his
label did not promote his LP adequately enough
for a hit single.
May 20: Prince asked that he be
called 'Prince' again instead of - a symbol he used as his
name "to free myself from all undesirable
relationships" - Prince also broke with
Arista Records.
June: Prince celebrated the
reinstitution of his name with a 6-day open-house
and tour of his Paisley Park studios ending with
a 3+ hour concert.
June: Prince
kicked off a 7-week North America tour - but the
tour was cancelled for unknown reasons in July.
March 15: Prince was inducted into
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and said at the
ceremony "When I first started out in this
music industry, I was most concerned with
freedom. I wish you all the best on this
fascinating journey. It ain't over."
April 20: Prince released his next
LP Musicology - released by Columbia
Records instead of the Internet.
March: Prince topped the
Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart with
"Black Sweat."
April 8: Prince topped the
Billboard 200 LP chart for 1 week for the first
time in 17 years and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart for 1 week with 3121- the LP sold
over 183,000 copies in the US its first week of
release.
August 11: Prince topped the
Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for 1
week with Planet
Earth.
October: Purple
Rain
was named the greatest film soundtrack by Vanity
Fair.
February 10: Prince won a Grammy Awardfor Best R&B Vocal Performance -
Male
("Future Baby Mama") and was nomianted for Best
Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or
Visual Media (awarded to the songwriter)
("The Song Of The Heart").
April 21: Prince died at the age of
57. His death was later determined to be caused
by a self-administered deadly dose of fentanyl by
accident. Fentanyl is an opiate frequently used
to treat severe pain. The final investigation
into any wrong-doing in his death determined that
Prince had died after accidentally overdosing on
counterfeit painkillers that contained the
fentanyl.
May 7: Prince topped the
Billboard Digital Songs chart for 2 weeks,
R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs chart for 2 weeks,
and Rock Digital Songs chart with "Purple Rain."
May 7: Prince topped the
Billboard 200 LP chart for 1 week and Digital
Albums chart for 1 week with The
Very Best Of Prince.
May 14: Prince topped the
Billboard Rock Songs chart for 1 week with "Purple Rain."
Released: April 7, 1978 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 138 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "For You" -
"In Love" - "Soft And
Wet" - "Crazy You" -
"Just As Long As We're Together" -
"Baby" - "My Love Is
Forever" - "So Blue" -
"I'm Yours"
Released: October 19, 1979 US: Platinum Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 22 Tracks: "I Wanna Be Your Lover" - "Why You
Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" - "Sexy
Dancer" - "When We're Dancing Close
And Slow" - "With You" -
"Bambi" - "Still Waiting"
- "I Feel For You" - "It's
Gonna Be Lovely"
Released: April 22, 1985 US: 2x Platinum Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 1 (for 3
weeks) Rolling Stone: Tracks: "Around The
World In A Day" - "Paisley
Park" - "Condition Of The
Heart" - "Raspberry Beret" -
"Tambourine" - "America"
- "Pop Life" - "The
Ladder" - "Temptation"
Released: March 25, 1986 US: Platinum Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 3 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "Christopher
Tracy's Parade" - "New
Position" - "I Wonder U" -
"Under The Cherry Moon" -
"Girls & Boys" - "Life Can
Be So Nice" - "Venus De Milo"
- "Mountains" - "Do U
Lie?" - "Kiss" -
"Anotherloverholenyohead" -
"Sometimes It Snows In April"
Released: August 20, 1990 US: Gold Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 6 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: A+ Tracks: "Can't Stop This
Feeling I Got" - "New Power
Generation" - "Release It" -
"The Question Of U" -
"Elephants & Flowers" -
"Round & Round" (Tevin
Campbell) - "We Can Funk" -
"Joy In Repetition" - "Love
Machine" - "Tick, Tick, Bang"
- "Shake!" (The Time) - "Thieves
In The Temple" - "The Latest
Fashion" - "Melody Cool" -
"Still Would Stand All Time" -
"Graffiti Bridge" - "New Power
Generation (Pt II)"
Released: October 13, 1992 US: Platinum Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 5 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "My Name Is Prince" - "Sexy
MF" - "Love 2 The 9's" -
"The Morning Papers" - "The
Max" - "Blue Light" - "I
Wanna Melt With U" - "Sweet
Baby" - "The Continental" -
"Damn U" - "Arrogance" -
"The Flow" - "7" - "And God
Created Woman" - "3 Chains O'
Gold" - "The Sacrifice Of
Victor"
Released: November 22, 1994 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 47 Entertainment
Weekly: B Tracks: "Le Grind"
- "Cindy C." - "Dead On
It" - "When 2 R In Love" -
"Bob George" -
"Superfunkycalifragisexy" - "2
Nigs United 4 West Compton" - "Rock
Hard In A Funky Place"
Released: July 9, 1996 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 26 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: C+ Tracks: "Chaos And
Disorder" - "I Like It There"
- "Dinner With Delores" - "The
Same December" - "Right And
Wrong" - "Zannalee" - "I
Rock Therefore I Am" - "Into The
Light" - "I Will" - "Dig
U Better Dead" - "Had U"
Released: November 19, 1996 US: 2x Platinum Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 11 Entertainment
Weekly: B Tracks: "Jam Of The
Year" - "Right Back Here In My
Arms" - "Somebody's Somebody"
- "Get Yo Groove On" -
"Courtin' Time" - "Betcha By Golly Wow!" - "We Gets
Up" - "White Mansion" -
"Damned If I Do" - "I Can't
Make U Love Me" - "Mr. Happy"
- "In This Bed I Scream" -
"Sex In The Summer" - "One
Kiss At A Time" - "Soul
Sanctuary" - "Emale" -
"Curious Child" - "Dreamin'
About U" - "Joint 2 Joint" -
"The Holy River" - "Let's
Have A Baby" - "Saviour" -
"The Plan" - "Friend Lover
Sister Mother/Wife"
Released: March 3, 1998 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 62 Rolling Stone: Tracks: "Crystal
Ball" - "Dream Factory" -
"Acknowledge Me" -
"Ripopgodazippa" - "Love
Sign" (Shock G's Silky Remix) -
"Hide The Bone" -
"2morrow" - "So Dark" -
"Movie Star" - "Tell Me How U
Want 2 B Done" - "Interactive"
- "Da Bang" - "Calhoun
Square" - "What's My Name" -
"Crucial" - "An Honest
Man" - "Sexual Suicide" -
"Cloreen Bacon Skin" - "Good
Live" - "Strays Of The World"
- "(These Are The) Days Of Wild" -
"Last Heart" - "Poom
Poom" - "She Gave Her Angels"
- "18 & Over" - "The
Ride" - "Get Loose" -
"Make Your Mama Happy" -
"Goodbye" - "The Truth" -
"Don't Play Me" - "Circle Of
Amour" - "3rd Eye" -
"Dionne" - "Man In A
Uniform" - "Animal Kingdom" -
"The Other Side Of The Pillow" -
"Fascination" - "One Of Your
Tears" - "Comeback" -
"Welcome 2 The Dawn" (Acoustic
Version)
Released: June 30, 1998 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 22 Tracks: "Newpower
Soul" - "Mad Sex" -
"Until U're In My Arms Again" -
"When U Love Somebody" -
"Shoo-Bee-Ooh" - "Push It
Up" - "Freaks On This Side" -
"Come On" - "The One" -
"(I Like) Funky Music" -
"Wasted Kisses"
Released: February 2, 1999 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 150 Tracks: "1999" (The New Master)
- "1999" (Rosario) -
"1999" (The Inevitable
Mix) - "1999" (Keepbustin) -
"1999" (Rosie, Doug E.
In A Deep House) - "1999" (The New Master
- Single Edit) - "1999" (Acapella)
Released: August 24, 1999 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 85 Entertainment
Weekly: B+ Tracks: "The Rest Of My
Life" - "It's About That Walk"
- "She Spoke 2 Me" - "5 Women
+" - "When The Lights Go Down"
- "My Little Pill" - "There Is
Lonely" - "Old Friends 4 Sale"
- "Sarah" -
"Extraordinary"
Released: November 9, 1999 US: Gold Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 18 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: B- Tracks: "Rave Un2 The
Joy Fantastic" - "Undisputed"
- "The
Greatest Romance Ever Sold" - "Hot Wit
U" - "Tangerine" - "So
Far, So Pleased" - "The Sun, The
Moon And Stars" - "Everyday Is A
Winding Road" - "ManOwar" -
"Baby Knows" - "I Love U, But
I Don't Trust U Anymore" - "Silly
Game" - "Strange But True" -
"Wherever U Go, Whatever U Do" -
"Prettyman"
Released: November 20, 2001 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 109 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: C+ Tracks: "Rainbow
Children" - "Muse 2 The
Pharaoh" - "Digital Garden" -
"The Work Pt. 1" -
"Everywhere" - "The Sensual
Everafter" - "Mellow" -
"1+1+1 Is 3" -
"Deconstruction" - "Wedding
Feast" - "She Loves Me 4 Me" -
"Family Name" - "The
Everlasting Now" - "Last
December"
Released: April 20, 2004 US: 2x Platinum Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 3 Grammy Nominee: Best R&B Album Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: B- Tracks:
"Musicology" - "Illusion,
Coma, Pimp & Circumstance" - "A
Million Days" - "Life 'O' The
Party" - "Call My Name" -
"Cinnamon Girl" - "What Do U
Want Me 2 Do?" - "The Marrying
Kind" - "If Eye Was The Man In Ur
Life" - "On The Couch" -
"Dear Mr. Man" -
"Reflection"
Released: March 21, 2006 US: Gold Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 1 Grammy Nominee: Best R&B Album Rolling Stone: Tracks: "3121" -
"Lolita" - "Te Amo
Corazon" - "Black Sweat" -
"Incense And Candles" -
"Love" - "Satisfied" -
"Fury" - "The Word" -
"Beautiful, Loved & Blessed" -
"The Dance" - "Get On The
Boat"
Released: July 24, 2007 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 3 Billboard # 1: R&B/Hip-Hop
Albums Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: B+ Tracks: "Planet
Earth" - "Guitar" -
"Somewhere Here On Earth" -
"The One U Wanna C" - "Future
Baby Mama" - "Mr. Goodnight" -
"All The Midnights In The World" -
"Chelsea Rodgers" - "Lion Of
Judah" - "Resolution"
Released: March 29, 2009 Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: C- Tracks: "There'll Never
B (Another Like Me)" - "Chocolate
Box" - "Dance 4 Me" -
"U're Gonna C Me" -
"Here" - "Valentina" -
"Better With Time" - "Ol'
Skool Company" - "No More Candy 4
U"
Released: September 30, 2014 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 5 Billboard # 1: R&B/Hip-Hop
Albums, R&B Albums Tracks: "Art Official
Cage" - "Clouds" -
"Breakdown" - "The Gold
Standard" - "U Know" -
"Breakfast Can Wait" - "This
Could Be Us" - "What It Feels
Like" - "Affirmation I &
II" - "Way Back Home" -
"Funknroll" - "Time" -
"Affirmation III"
Released: September 21, 2018 Billboard Top
200 LPs
peak: # 11 Tracks: "17 Days" -
"Purple Rain" - "A Case Of
You" - "Mary Don't You Weep" -
"Strange Relationship" -
"International Lover" -
"Wednesday" - "Cold Coffee
& Cocaine" - "Why The
Butterflies"
Released: July 30, 2021 Tracks: "Welcome 2
America" - "Running Game (Son Of A
Slave Master)" - "Born 2 Die"
- "1000 Light Years From Here" -
"Hot Summer" - "Check The
Record" - "Same Page, Different
Book" - "When She Comes" -
"1010 (Rin Tin Tin)" -
"Yes" - "One Day We Will All B
Free"
Note: Song title and position
links lead you to the song's ARC Weekly Top 40 chart run, LP links take
you to Amazon.com for that LP's info (often
including track listings and track samples), and
single cover art takes you to Amazon.com for that CD single (if
available). Songs charting prior to 1980 have
information from Billboard magazine.