Billboard Hot 100 Top 10: Week of July 30, 2011

I have this kind of terrible commute to an internship I'm doing this summer (contributing to one of the lamest and grayest summers of my life). That means I have about 45 minutes to an hour each way to flip stations in my car a few days a week and listen to terrible pop music. Except I stop forgetting it's terrible and just embrace its catchy melodies and sing along loudly in my car. To celebrate my love/hate relationship with pop music, I'm going to write about it here--or rather the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. I somehow miss out on a lot of the more "rock" pop songs on the radio, so there is bound to be some surprise awfulness.

#10 - "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato

Fact: Right now is the first time I've heard this song. It is truly awful. Anything this dependent on similes is ultimately saying nothing because I have no idea what she's comparing. Not to mention that the ~emotions~ so prevalent in her scratchy voice is the stuff overwrought lyrical/modern dances on So You Think You Can Dance are made of. I am never listening to this song again.

#9 - "Tonight Tonight" by Hot Chelle Rae

First of all, this is a band name that exists. Second of all, doesn't this song sound like it's been out for 5 years? I do have to admit that I find it charming they slid in the name "Zach Galifianakis" into a song. But then again, that would have been way cooler 5 years ago.

#8 - "Good Life" by OneRepublic

Sounds like every other OneRepublic song: bland with a good beat. But they will never be forgiven for "Apologize." Please don't make me make an intentional pun out of that last sentence. Let's leave it with irony.

#7 - "The Edge of Glory" by Lady Gaga

I can't tell the difference between this song and Katy Perry's own scream-out-of-her-range-song, "Firework," until the saxophone solo comes in (except even Ms. Perry has a song with a saxophone in it--see #3--my point being that Lady Gaga tries just as too hard as Katy Perry). Anyway, catchy.

#6 - "How to Love" by Lil Wayne

I keep wishing the tinny acoustic guitar in the background would start playing "Hole Hearted*," but it doesn't. Instead I'm stuck with a song fit for middle school, straight-arm slow dancing.

#5 - "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj

I keep thinking the chorus of this song is that part in Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" where she sings about her skin tight jeans, which is too bad because I really want to like Nicki Minaj for some reason.

#4 - "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele

How 'bout I never hear this song again? It's a good song, great vocal performance, sassy, retro back up singers, etc. But literally every radio station plays this song. I'm done.

#3 - "Last Friday Night (TGIF)" by Katy Perry

Have you noticed I've become a connoisseur of Katy Perry's music? I'm kind of ashamed (almost as much as I'm ashamed of this music video that features a cast of 80s has-beens, Rebecca Black, and the cast of Glee, and then tries to play off a romper circa 1990 as nerdy when everyone knows that nerdy of yesteryear = hipster). But I have to give her props for beating Lady Gaga, Fleet Foxes, and Bon Iver on the Saxophone Renaissance of 2011 (her Teenage Dream album was released last year). Damn.

#2 - "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, and Nayer

I love Ne-Yo so much he made me hate Pitbull less. Great chorus, pretty good bridge. Approved.

#1 - "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock

I've been having dance parties to this song for months, and I don't hate it yet. Longevity, my friend. Also, I'm kind of charmed by the music video for this song.

*These two songs do not sound very much alike at all, except maybe at the bridge of "Hole Hearted" and the intro of "How to Love." Basically, any excuse to mention Extreme.