Search the Community

In some ways, 2008 was pretty similiar to 2018. A shock candidate had just entered the White House, bypassing Hillary Clinton who people thought was a sure thing. The worldwide economy was still at breaking point, there were still tensions in the Middle East, and global warming was still hugely under-recognised. Betty White was still popular, and O.J. Simpson was still headed straight for priosn. But in other ways, 2008 was a completely different time from the one we're now living in. Politically, things were much more liberal - we had Barrack Obama in office instead of Donald Trump - and musically, we were still exploring the genres of folk and rock concurrent with the R&B revival taking place. Trap wasn't even a thing, and Cardi B was swinging on a pole somewhere without a dollar to her name. In this list, we'll be looking at fifteen of the biggest songs of ten years ago. Some of them are probably still played at whatever New Year's Eve countdown you listen to, but others will definitely be forgotten gems. Check them out below and let us know what you think in the comments! 15. Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine I'd always assumed that 'Pocketful of Sunshine' only became a hit in 2010 after it was memorably featured in Easy A; but it turns out the song actually first found it's success back in 2008, when it charted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. As Easy A's Olive remarks, 'Pocketful of Sunshine' really is the "worst song ever", but like most of the singer-songwriter style songs released in 2008 it's also incredibly catchy. Prepare for this to be stuck in your head for the next week. 14. Jazon Mraz - I'm Yours Speaking of annoying singer-songwriter songs, let's take a look back at the breakthrough single from one hit wonder Jason Mraz. Along with Colbie Caillat's 'Bubbly', 'I'm Yours' led the charge for summery, acoustic pop songs to offset the overproduced dance pop on the radio, and it found huge success among the "middle aged women who post Minion memes" crowd. Even though it only hit #6 on the Hot 100, it stayed on the charts for an insane 76 weeks, becoming the longest charting song at the time; and it now holds the honour of being the tenth best-selling digital song of all time in the US. It's easy to understand why, but that doesn't make the song any better. 13. Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown - No Air Remember when people still admitted to listening to Chris Brown songs instead of playing them in their wireless headphones in dark alleys and dead-end streets? 2008 was definitely Brown's year, and he found success not only as a solo artist with 'Kiss Kiss', 'With You' and 'Forever' (all of which have to be strong contenders for the most annoying song ever - this is becoming a trend, 2008), but also with his duet with American Idol alum Jordin Sparks. The song is bang on trend for the year, featuring the same R&B beat which had blown up in 2007 and the icy synths that Timbaland had been pushing for the past few seasons. 12. Mariah Carey - Touch My Body It might be unfair to refer to Mariah Carey as the female Chris Brown, but it's obvious her star has fallen quite a bit in the decade since she released 'Touch My Body'. Back then, MiMi was praised for her frank take on sexuality and her funny self-parodies - such as in the video above, where she seduces her Wi-Fi installation man - but now it seems that she's criticised for trying too hard to be sexy and taking herself way too seriously. Mariah could definitely learn something from the success she back in 2008. 11. T.I. - Whatever You Like 'Whatever You Like' is actually the name of two T.I. songs - one Nicole Scherzinger attempt he featured on which was a huge flop, and one solo effort which blew up internationally and effectively launched his career. 'Whatever You Like' was the song of the summer back in 2008, and went on to be the sixteenth most successful song of the decade. It's stood up relatively well over the years, although we have to say that our personal favourite version of the song is Anya Marina's chilled out cover. 10. P!nk - So What Although R&B and hip-hop was huge back in 2008, the power-pop vibe mastered by stars like Kelly Clarkson and Hilary Duff was still grasping on to it's last moments in the sun. Case in point: 'So What', which was the first single from P!nk's Funhouse album, and which marked a huge return to the US charts for the singer after she failed to sell in the country during her I'm Not Dead era. It's sad given that 'So What' is actually incredibly trashy and a shameless cash grab compared to that previous album, with some of the laziest songwriting including lines like, "So what/I'm still a rockstar/I've got my rock moves/And I don't need you tonight". That said, the song is still a P!nk and Max Martin collaboration, which means that it's as super catchy and feelgood as you'd expect from the team that brought you 'U + Ur Hand'. 9. Flo Rida - Low (Feat. T-Pain) There was a time back in 2008 when you couldn't turn on any radio station, visit any shopping mall, or tune into any episode of whatever trashy MTV reality show you were trying to watch without having to endure yet another spin of Flo Rida's 'Low'. Rida has vanished into obscurity in the last few years, but up until then he had a penchant for writing incredibly catchy songs, and 'Low' is no exception. Bolstered by a placement in Step Up 2: The Streets (yes, it was that long ago), 'Low' was such a huge hit when it was released that it went on to become the highest selling single of the 2000s decade. If only someone could explain what "apple bottom jeans" actually are. 8. Rihanna - Disturbia Rihanna was telling us she was a "good girl gone bad" from the time 'Umbrella' was first released, but it wasn't until 'Disturbia' dropped that we actually believed her. 'Disturbia' follows in the footsteps of 'Thriller' in presenting an image of mental anguish, paranoia and anxiety which is nevertheless surprisingly fun to dance to - and in a weird coincidence, it was even penned by future ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who clearly had is own issues with mental anguish. With one of the catchiest executions of "bum bum be dum" ever created, 'Disturbia' also happens to have one of the best music videos Rih's ever released, featuring tarantulas, wolves and S&M eyepatches. It's a total classic that still makes our Halloween playlists to this day. 7. Madonna - 4 Minutes (Feat. Justin Timberlake) Madonna is one of the few artists who's probably had a hit no matter how many decades back you go, but back in 2008 it had been a while since she'd released a true chart topper. Everything changed with '4 Minutes', a Justin Timberlake and Timbaland collaboration which launched her back into the public's consciousness. Featuring a call and response chorus and some vague lyrics about the apocalypse perfect for the increased talk of global warming, the song was the perfect way to bring Madge into the future. We just wish she'd been able to be as successful with any of her singles since then. 6. Sara Bareilles - Love Song Following in the trend of Bedingfield and Mraz is Sara Bareilles's 'Love Song', a laidback folky bop which made the perfect easy listening for 2008. The story behind the song is that Bareilles was becoming frustrated with her label's refusal to release her music, so she wrote an archetypal "love song" dedicated to her executives in a passive aggressive attempt to impress them. Regardless of the feud, it seems that both parties won in the end because 'Love Song' ended up spending 19 weeks in the top ten and becoming one of the biggest hits of 2008. 5. Timbaland - Apologize (Feat. OneRepublic) 'Apologize' was actually first released as the first single from OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud, but when it failed to make waves the band hit up Timbaland for a remix (and an impressive name check) to blow up the radio. The only real thing Timbo added was a much-parodied line of "eh eh, eh eh" background vocals, but that didn't stop the public from eating the new version of the song up - it stayed in the top ten for twenty five weeks which made it the longest song to hang in there so long since 1999. 4. Alicia Keys - No One Alicia Keys' 'No One' is probably the quintessential song of 2008, combining the Timbaland style of R&B, the OneRepublic style of acoustic rock and the Jordin Sparks brand of irritation into one fusion of a track. The fact that everyone in the world thought they could hit the high notes that Alicia masters just made matters worse. Nevertheless, 'No One' became the most listened-to song on US radio in 2008 with over three billion listeners, while also becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time. 3. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl It's weird to think that just ten years ago nobody knew who Katy Perry was, and that the world's first introduction to the heretofore Christian pop star was a song all about flirting with bisexuality (something we're sure she'd be too "woke" to do now). 'I Kissed A Girl' has to be one of the most manipulative, disingenuous and trashy songs ever written, but thanks to the stylings of super producer Dr. Luke (there's another sentence that just wouldn't be written in 2018) it managed to become a hit anyway, topping the charts for seven weeks in a row. If nothing else, it launched the career of Perry (who, after all, brought us 'Teenage Dream') and it added to the conversation surrounding LGBTQ rights, so it can't be all bad. 2. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love If you've ever had a break up, you'll be all too intimately familiar with this song and the precise playthrough during which your tub of ice cream begins to run out. 'Bleeding Love' is the quintessential heartbreak song - heartfelt and wrenching, and with a climactic note which no one can actually hit during karaoke but which everyone tries to. There's clearly a lot of sad people in the world, too, because the song hit #1 in 35 countries. Sadly, it's a success Leona has never quite been able to match - while the follow up 'Better In Time' was moderately well received, every single since has been a flop, at least outside of her home country of the UK. 1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida Before Coldplay was being unnecessarily bashed for their Super Bowl Half Time Show performance in 2016, they actually enjoyed a successful career which largely climaxed with the release of 2007's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. The titular single from the album was 'Viva La Vida', a rousing, grandiose statement of glorious intent for the rest of the album which never fails to put a smile on people's faces or a tear in their eye. With references to love, death and war, 'Viva La Vida' really has it all, and it succeeded not just as a onetime popular single but as an enduring testament to the band's legacy. What was your favourite song of 2008? Let us know in the comments! And for a trip down memory lane, check out the ten biggest hits of 2007 here.

I can't speak for everyone, but for me personally 2007 has always gone down in history as one of my favourite years ever in pop music. It may have something to do with the fact that I was verging on teenagehood at the time and just beginning to understand the significance of music in my life, but I'd argue that the year was also a good one overall, evidenced by the ongoing popularity of artists debuting or reinventing in 2007 like Rihanna, Justin Timberlake and Kanye West. One of the most interesting things about music in 2007 looking back is just how varied it was. On the one hand, there was tail end of the power pop trend of the early 2000s which allowed artists like Avril Lavigne, P!nk and Kelly Clarkson to dominate the charts; but on the other, Timbaland was revolutionising the game with his unique brand of R&B, bringing companions Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado along for the ride. The year also includes some of the catchiest (and oftentimes most annoying) songs in living memory, including Sean Kingston's 'Beautiful Girls', MIMS' 'This Is Why I'm Hot' and Soulja Boy Tell'em's 'Crank That (Soulja Boy)' all sticking in our heads long after they left the charts. Take a trip down memory lane by checking out the songs and their peak positions below, and don't forget to let us know your favourite track from 2007 in the comments section! The Fray - How to Save a Life Released: 26 March, 2006 Peak: #3 Hinder - Lips of an Angel Released: 24 July, 2006 Peak: #3 Akon - Smack That (Feat. Eminem) Released: 26 September, 2006 Peak: #2 Amy Winehouse - Rehab Released: 23 October, 2006 Peak: #9 Beyoncé - Irreplaceable Released: 23 October, 2006 Peak: #1 Nelly Furtado - Say It Right Released: 31 October, 2006 Peak: #1 Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (Feat. Akon) Released: 19 December, 2006 Peak: #2 Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around... Comes Around Released: 19 December, 2006 Peak: #1 Fergie - Glamorous (Feat. Ludacris) Released: 23 January, 2007 Peak: #1 Mims - This Is Why I'm Hot Released: 23 January, 2007 Peak: #1 Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend Released: 27 February, 2007 Peak: #1 Rihanna - Umbrella (Feat. Jay-Z) Released: 29 March, 2007 Peak: #1 Linkin Park - What I've Done Released: 2 April, 2007 Peak: #7 Kelly Clarkson - Never Again Released: 24 April, 2007 Peak: #8 Soulja Boy Tell'em - Crank That (Soulja Boy) Released: 2 May, 2007 Peak: #1 Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah Released: 9 May, 2006 Peak: #1 P!nk - Who Knew Released: 18 May, 2006 Peak: #9 Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls Released: 26 May, 2007 Peak: #1 Lil Mama - Lip Gloss Released: 19 June, 2007 Peak: #10 Timbaland - The Way I Are (Feat. D.O.E. & Keri Hilson) Released: 9 July, 2007 Peak: #3 High School Musical Cast - What Time Is It? Released: 17 July, 2007 Peak: #6 Kanye West - Stronger Released: 31 July, 2007 Peak: #1 Jordin Sparks - Tattoo Released: 27 August, 2007 Peak: #8 Alicia Keys - No One Released: 11 September, 2007 Peak: #1 Timbaland - Apologize (Feat. OneRepublic) Released: 17 September, 2007 Peak: #2 Britney Spears - Gimme More Released: 20 September, 2007 Peak: #3 Flo Rida - Low (Feat. T-Pain) Released: 9 October, 2007 Peak: #1 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love Released: 19 October, 2007 Peak: #1

After months of speculation, and dozens of names being tossed into the ring (including Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna and Taylor Swift), Justin Timberlake has been officially announced as the performer at next year's highly anticipated Super Bowl Half Time Show. Super Bowl LII (or 52, for those who are Roman numerals illiterate like I am) will be aired on February 14th, and judging by the announcement it's already set to be an event. The announcement further alludes to the fact that Timberlake will be releasing new music soon, as it's the NFL's desire that any artist to perform at the Super Bowl in coming years will be in the middle of an album cycle. Of course, this isn't Timberlake's first time on the Super Bowl stage. Back in 2004 he caused controversy during a joint headlining performance with Janet Jackson, P. Diddy, Nelly and Kid Rock. During the infamous performance, Timberlake dueted with Jackson on a version of his single 'Rock Your Body', during which there were provocative dance moves on display. At the end of the performance, Timberlake ripped off Jackson's shirt to reveal her breast, covered only by a pastie. This kind of a display would probably barely cause a batted eyelid in 2017, but at the time it was huge news and CBS was fined a record $550 000. Fans are already expecting Timberlake to return the favour by inviting Jackson to his half-time show; but whether she appears or doesn't, it's almost certain that Jackson will ask his former N*Sync band members to help him out on a few songs. Justin's performance will follow hot on the heels of Lady Gaga's performance at this year's Super Bowl, which ended up being the most watched halftime show in the history of the game. Compared to Gaga, Justin definitely has more hits to break out, although he has less of an interesting performance style. We're hoping this show won't just be him running around in a suit for ten minutes straight. Your thoughts?

Don your double denim, hatch some Digimon and cornrow your hair - because if new reports are anything to go by, the 90s are officially back. That's right: just weeks after the release of Beauty and the Beast, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears might be collaborating on a brand new song, which means that all your childhood dreams are coming true. To be fair, the only evidence we have of the track are some well-timed social media interactions, but we all know how important those can be in the digital age. Exhibit A: Timbaland likes Justin and Britney couple pics on Instagram Frequent J.T. producer Timbaland, who's worked on songs such as 'SexyBack' and 'Suit & Tie', went on an Instagram liking spree the other day, double tapping more than 100 photos of Justin and Britney together. Most of these were on pages with names such as 'lovejustney' and 'britneyjustinn', which, as well as letting us know just how many people still stan the couple, are interesting because it's clear Timbo was deliberately trolling through tags. Exhibit B: Timbaland was in the studio with Justin at the time The liking spree happened on the same night as Timbo was in the studio with Justin, Pharrell, Danja and Chad Hugo. While Britney has yet to work with Timbaland (despite many rumours to the contrary), she has worked with Pharrell on songs like 'Boys' and Danja on tracks like 'Gimme More'. Exhibit C: Justin's mum is in on it too Justin's mum, Lynn Harless, also got in on the action, liking couple photos and following Britney, her sister Jamie Lynn, her mum Lynne, her ex-husband Kevin Federline and Brit's assistant Felicia on Instagram. Exhibit D: Justin is acting shady on Twitter The weirdest part of all of this is what Justin himself has been doing. He took to Twitter to repost a sub-tweet he made four years ago about Britney, and then minutes later deleted the retweet. The first tweet was originally made in 2013 after reports swirled saying that Justin had called Britney a bitch. Allegedly, he said, "Sometimes in life, you think you found the one. But then one day you find out, that she is just some bitch!" He later took to Twitter to affirm, "Ok. I see you. Wouldn't disrespect ANYONE personally. Ever. #Relax #ItsBritneyBitch I do love that saying though*with accent* #Respect". Justin today RTed this second message, before reversing it just moments later. If true, the track wouldn't be the first the duo have worked on together. Justin wrote on Britney's 2001 song 'What It's Like To Be Me' and her unreleased gem 'She'll Never Be Me', and there's rumours the two worked with Michael Jackson and Madonna on a song called 'We Are Kings'. Following their breakup, the two also shared subliminal diss tracks towards each other, including the famous 'Cry Me A River' and 'Everytime'. In 2007, Timbaland confirmed that he had also discussed working on a Britney song with Justin, but that while he was up for it she had turned the opportunity down. Then, last year Britney casually slipped into an interview that out of all the collaborators she could choose in the world, she would choose Justin. In a red carpet interview, Timberlake responded that he would "absolutely" be down to work with her as well. Timberlake and Spears dated from 1999 - 2002. He's now married to actress Jessica Biel, while Britney has shacked up with 23 year old Sam Asghari, who also appeared in her 'Slumber Party' music video. What are your thoughts? Would a Justin and Britney collab make your childhood fantasies reignite, or would it reek of desperation to see the old flames working together so long after they broke up? Let us know down below!