Monthly Archive

So I was wondering what some of the weirdest songs to chart in the U.S. and U.K. The U.K. tends to have more electic tastes, so that’s not really fair game. So, here are a handful of mostly U.S. notable releases to pique the public’s interest enough to at least dip a toe into chart glory. The compilation is by no means exhaustive, to say the least.

In chronological order …

Producer and comedian Allan Sherman’s third album, My Son, The Nut, topped the charts for eight weeks in 1963. “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh”, which Americans of all ages will no doubt recognize, is the soundtrack to this parody using clips from Lost.

Ray Stevens hit #1 in the U.S. and U.K. with “The Streak”. …

Rick Dees’ “Disco Duck” also reached #1 in 1976 and the song even made an appearance in Saturday Night Fever. Those of us who really came of age in the 1990s and beyond cannot judge. All I have to say is … Crazy Frog (which will not be making an appearance in this post).

The U.S. went bonkers over the touring exhibit of Tutankhamun’s artifacts between 1976-1979. I remember going as a kid in NYC. Steve Martin jumped on the bandwagon with “King Tut” (which I remember either from the time or from 1980s playback) and goof-balled his way to #17.

Is Frank Zappa’s 1982 #32 “Valley Girl” - off Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch and featuring his daughter Moon Unit - really what lead to so many in the U.S. speaking like this?

Weird Al Yankovic is who many of us probably think of first when it comes to novelty music. Weird Al was pervasive in the 1980s and in 1984 “Eat It” soared to #12 in the U.S. singles chart.

Fast forward to everyone’s favorite loser - William Hung of American Idol fame. His 2004 album Inspiration broke into the charts at, believe it or not, #34 and has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since. Listen to his signature song, Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”, and the awesome cover of the Eagles’ “Hotel California” and prepare to be won over.

All is right with the world.

The deliciously kooky Mystery Jets have a brand new song called “Flakes” up for free to promote their upcoming new release. It’s a delicate, beautiful song that has a christmassy feels thanks to the sound of a million teeny, tiny bells. You can pick it up at myfreedownload.co.uk, which also has free downloads by Foals, Wilco, Battles and many, many more.

We’ve decided that it’s time to let go of Soundtrack Day. It was a good little post and it served us well, but we’re ready to move on. We’re going to let in a little news in its place. So, from now on, we’ll be bringing you 100b’s News-ish Roundup every other week. Our Roundup may or may not always contain music news - heck, it may not even be considered real news! - but it will be here. So let’s get things started and have a look at what’s going on out in that great big world of ours …

In recording news, both the recently re-formed Jesus & Mary Chain and The Long Blondes have announced plans for new albums. This is what we like to hear.

Less so is news that Bonde Do Role are canceling shows due to “internal problems”. That sounds bad. I don’t even have anything smart-assy to say about this - Bonde Do Role are too great a band to fall apart. I hope they get it all sorted out.

The Jackson 5 are planning their comeback tour, which absolutely no one will go see. Meanwhile, Ian Brown has sworn never to be part of a Stone Roses reunion. I’m personally not sure why we need all these reunioned bands all over the place anyway - the music world is slowly becoming one of those historical living museums - but if it has to be, doesn’t it seem like those two stories should be switched around?

Nine Inch Nails have launched their Remix site. Only a week ago, Universal refused to be part of the plan, fearing (rightly so) they would be seen as big fat hypocrites for allowing illegal (ahem, unauthorized) samples while suing people for using illegal samples. It seems Trent Reznor has gone and and done it anyway, leaving himself legally responsible. I triple-dog dare anyone to fight Reznor on this - go on, I want to watch him rip you apart with his bare hands.

Interpol released their “Interpol Live” EP yesterday, the band’s first official live recording. It’s just a little ironic that they chose a show recorded at the London Astoria to be released exclusively in the States - thus forcing fans who actually attended that show to either pay outrageous shipping fees or illegally download something they themselves participated in.

And finally, today’s NME will re-ignite the old beef between the magazine and Morrissey. Although they’d managed to call a truce after over a decade, NME just couldn’t let this last interview slide, apparently. This ought to be amusing and pretty idiotic to follow. By my count, NME starts with -10 cleverness points for using the painfully obvious “Bigmouth Strikes Again” on the cover.

   The Smiths - That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

I recently posted about The Shaky Hands who have toured with Menoma along with Tu Fawning from Portland, Oregon. I don’t know what it is about Menomena, but some really amazing bands seem to follow them around. So now direct your attention to the amazing Tu Fawning! They sound unlike any new band I’ve heard lately. They play dark cabaret circa 1920, but with a strong beat, while a woman’s flowy, but almost sinister voice completes their hauntingly mesmerizing sound. When I first heard their song “I’m Gone” on theirspace I was absolutely blown away. As far as I know they only have a couple of demos out, but they’re supposedly looking for additional band members and planning on recording an EP soon. Have I mentioned that I play a mean kazoo?? Anwyay, I’m itching to get my hands on their work! In the meantime, here’s another wonderful song to hold us over:

   Tu Fawning - Out Like Bats

Remember when you were little and you only just heard tell of those dirty dirty words that had the power to shock adults more than eating bugs ever did? Now that profanity has lost much of its magic, there isn’t a lot people can say that’s truly shocking, but when I first heard “Hot Nuts Pt.1″, I felt just like when I first found out that the F-word was like a secret password to my mom’s nerves.

Doug Clark And The Hot Nuts were popular in the fifties for playing fraternity parties six years before their first record Nuts To You came out in 1961. They are known for their double entendres, their supposed lack of clothing at their legendary concerts, and risque lyrics. Their single “Hot Nuts” is actually pretty demure compared to some of their later songs, but it starts with the line ‘Now in the garden of Eden sat Eve and Adam, had his hands in the loins of his madam’. Which is around the time I hurt my jaw when it hit the floor. I had never heard about them or their reputation, so I did not expect that from a fifties band. When I heard the rest of the song I learned they were just getting started. In between the seemingly innocent chorus, they describe all kinds of stuff involving the twisted ways men have injured their nuts and a particularly silly but funny line about what girls are ready for straight out of high school.

Their naughty lyrics make sure you don’t confuse them with any of their fellow catchy Rhythm & Blues playing contemporaries. Though they’re mostly known as a novelty frat band, I think these pioneers of raunchy deserve to be lauded for the sheer balls (or nuts) they had to not give a hoot and sing like they only played in men’s locker rooms at a time when uptight was a way of life. However, in spite of the witty sex talk, the most Rock ‘n Roll thing about this band is that their albums were one of the first to have an adult content warning, and a special branch of the Jubilee label, the Gross Label, had to be set up especially for them, to cloak Jubilee’s associations with the band. This gave them the freedom to do and say whatever they wanted, and their album cover, on which Doug Clark flips the bird to the audience, is just a little intro to what’s to be expected of the inside. They’re un-PC, kooky, dirty, the PMRC’s worst nightmare, and totally amazing!

   Doug Clark & The Hot Nuts - Hot Nuts Pt.1

Come all ye gathered and lend an ear to The Shaky Hands from Portland, Oregon! I promise that ear will be rewarded with songs that are sweet, sweeping, gems of lovely. Their eponymous debut came out earlier this year and you can pick it up at HoloceneMusic.com.

   The Shaky Hands - The Sleepless

The Bean turned me on to the post-punky, garage sounds of Chicago’s The Ponys two years ago and I absolutely loved their second album Celebration Castle from 2005. Though I had their debut release as well I never listened to it, and I can’t for the life of me think of a reason why. Now I feel like I’ve cheated myself for not listening to it sooner, so before my self-resentment reaches unhealthy heights, I think I’m gonna have to pick up their third album Turn The Lights Out which came out earlier this year.

After listening to both albums I love them equally, but for different reasons. Laced With Romance has a rawer, messier feel, but that’s a good thing. It gives their music a sense of immediacy that the more polished Celebration Castle lacks. That’s not meant as criticism, I just found that most great first albums have that magical combination of ambition, enthusiasm, and a hint of desperation which can never exactly be recaptured in following works. Luckily, in the case of The Ponys they seemed to get more comfortable with their sound by their second album, which allowed a deeper exploration of what makes them unique. Laced With Romance opens up with “Let’s Kill Ourselves”, a song so exhillirating that I felt compelled to turn up the volume until there was a faint ringing in my ear by the end of it. You’re gonna want to risk your hearing for these guy, because from the first tunes you’ll find that this album is best enjoyed with the speakers turned to LOUD.

   The Ponys - Let’s Kill Ourselves
   The Ponys - Fall In
   The Ponys - I Love You ‘Cause (You Look Like Me)

Auxiliary House is a band that popped into the 100b inbox long enough ago to be embarrassing. I promptly flagged them for future posting and then forgot to actually post about them. Auxiliary House is a band made up of any members of Trekky Records bands that take an interest - apparently there are a few core members but, for the most part, each time Auxiliary House gets together, there may be a totally different line-up.

Although they’ve been experimenting together since 2004, they don’t seem to have any physical releases or full albums. However, they have recorded a bunch of stuff, available to download via their official site. Trekky and Auxiliary House encourage the sharing of their music, so go get yourself some and pass it around. Here’s “Animal Song”, the first song of theirs I heard - I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first, but it grew on me quickly. But don’t expect any of their other songs to sound like it. Which is the beauty of a band with constantly shifting ‘members’, all with different musical backgrounds - anything and everything might go into the mix, making each song something unique.

   Auxiliary House - Animal Song

Normally, for Poptastic Day we post something closer to the cheezy side of the musical spectrum or something so popular it’s buried itself in our musical memory. However, today, I have someone many of you may not have heard before or realized who you were listening to.

Better known as Dr. John, The Night Tripper or just Dr. John, Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr. has released more than 25 albums since the late-60s, sung commercial jingles and the theme to the television show Blossom, and worked tirelessly as an ambassador of New Orleans’ rich musical heritage.

Rebennack is, at least for me, most poptastic when exuding the the quasi-voodoo persona that more or less made his name in the pyscho-funka-delic late-60s and early-70s. His work is simply superb and, at his best, is mesmerizing.

If you don’t believe me, have a listen to the Poptastic Day sampling - in chronological order no less!

   Dr. John - Iko Iko off Gumbo (1972)
   Dr. John - Right Place, Wrong Time off In The Right Place (1973)
   Dr. John - Litanie Des Saints off Goin’ Back To New Orleans (1992)

Listen to “Iko Iko” and tell me you don’t want to get up and dance, that “Right Place, Wrong Time” isn’t funky as hell, and “Litanie Des Saints” doesn’t haunt you already.

Go on, do it!

Some songs are so popular that it takes ages for them to get beaten off the number one spot. These singles inevitably become synonymous with the year they came out; there was no 1998 without Cher asking us over and over and over again whether we believed there’s life after love. Most of these songs are most likely on your list of songs you love to hate, but you have to admire the fact that they clung on to the number one position for as long as they did, when it’s hard enough to get a single in the top ten in the first place. Now here’s the world’s chart of songs that spent the longest time on that most coveted position in music.

12 weeks at number one:

   Donna Summer - I Feel Love (1977)
Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112 - I’ll Be Missing You (1997)
Madonna - Music (2000)
   Shakira - Whenever, Wherever (2002)
   Beyonce - Irreplaceable (2006-2007)

I LOVE “I Feel Love”! It’s psychedelic disco at it’s absolute best. The rest of the songs - and I guess the rest of the list is no different - are all songs you probably know the lyrics to without even trying. “I’ll Be Missing You” the tribute to Biggie Smalls by Diddy, four name changes ago, and his performance with Sting at the MTV Video Music Awards that year caused a renewed interest in The Police who reunited earlier this year. The other three songs are by strong female artists who consistently make great pop music. The only song that I don’t really get is “Whenever, Wherever”, the lyrics are a bit confusing, but also contain some of my favorite lines like: ‘Lucky that my breasts are small and humble, so you don’t confuse them with mountains’. Hee. My breasts are more standoffish than humble.

14 Weeks:

Toni Braxton - Un-Break My Heart (1996-1997)

Oh god. This and “My Heart Will Go On” further down in the list, will go down as songs that went from ‘eh, not horrible’ to ’sweet lord, please make it stop’ the fastest in my book. I thought this song, fueled by a tear jerker of a video, could not get more dramatic, until I heard Il Divo’s version.

15 Weeks:

Elton John - Candle in the Wind (1997-199
   Cher - Believe (1998-1999)
   Madonna - Hung Up (2005-2006)

Three artists whose careers span many many decades. The new version of “Candle In The Wind”, originally written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, was altered to fit Princess Diana. It became the ultimate expression of the public’s massive outpoor of grief that followed her death. The other two songs are the exact opposite of the Elton John single, they were meant to be celebrated to. Man, you could not escape “Believe” that year! It was on the TV, the radio, in shops, on the street, even on the bus and inevitably in your head, in your head, in your head. It took me the following year to shake off the song, but it cemented Cher’s amazing ability to dish out hits every decade since she first started making beautiful music with Sonny in 1965.

16 Weeks:

Céline Dion - My Heart Will Go On (199
Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean - Hips Don’t Lie (2006)

Aha, that big sappy song from that big sappy boat movie. There were times that I wished Céline would hit her own giant iceberg, but 1998 would just not have been the same without the world sniffling over Jack and Rose to the tunes of this number. I love Wyclef Jean when it’s just him, but the collaborations are mostly not for me. Sadly the singles of him doing his thing all on his own are few and far between. This song is no exception, I don’t really get the whole “Hips Don’t Lie” phenom, but Shakira will always be known as ShakiraShakira to me now. While we’re at it, whatever happened to the Fugees reunion that was announced two years ago?!?

And now with 17 weeks, the longest reigning single ever … drum roll please:

   Los Del Río - Macarena (1995-1996)

“Macarena” came out during an unusually hot summer in 1995 and became that and the following year’s summer anthem. After over four months of Macarena-ing, I thought there would never be a world without the Macarena ever again. I remember seeing footage of politicians and royalty doing the Macarena at one point in 1996, that’s when I knew that the song stopped being cute and might just be the worst thing in music history. In spite of this massive achievement, I don’t know anybody who lists this as their favorite song, or dance. However, all new dance crazes will forever be measured against the Macarena’s immense success. The other day I read somewhere that the Soulja Boy Dance has become the “new Macarena”. I’ll believe it when I see Kofi Annan Crank That with Prince Charles.

Marvel is putting out old issues of their comics online, so for a few dollars a month everyone - not just the fanatic Comic-Con attending collecters - can enjoy the early original Steve Ditko made versions of Spider-man, Jack Kirby made versions of X-Men and many many more! How exciting is that?? I almost peed myself a little when I read that, I wonder how dorky that makes me … If you want to see what the comics look like online you can check out the 250 comics they have up for free for your viewing pleasure.

“Jack & Diane” is a relatively simple song - the lyrics are straightforward and not especially poetic, the music itself is almost stereotypically 80s and doesn’t have any special bells and whistles (except for those awesome handclaps). But it had to be that way.

The everyman story of Jack and his girl Diane, and the everyman way it’s told, is what makes this song a classic. They’re the most relatable teenage couple ever put to music. I’d be really surprised if there’s anyone who doesn’t hear at least a little bit of their teenage self in “Jack & Diane”. You may not have had a Tasty Freeze in your town, but I’m sure you had a similar hangout. You had all your hopes and dreams paving the roads ahead and I bet you had someone you shared them with, someone you thought would travel those roads with you. No matter where in the world you were, you probably wished you were somewhere else - somewhere bigger and better - and you were all set to go out and discover it.

I read that John Cougar (now Mellencamp) brought back Jack and Diane in his 1998 song “Eden Is Burning”, singing “How could I have been so wrong about you?” From just reading the lyrics, it’s hard to say if that line refers to them - he does mention them in the first line, but then switches to first person narration. I hope it’s not, I don’t want to think Jack and Diane ended up that way. I don’t think they stayed together forever, that wouldn’t fit the realism of the song. In my version of their ending, they eventually broke up but not for any dramatic reason. Perhaps Diane went to the city, like she wanted, and she and Jack tried to make it work for a while. But he never did want to leave their hometown and they just drifted too far apart. The song says it all: “Life goes on long after the thrill of living is gone”. Back in 1982, Jack and Diane still felt that thrill. Now, even though life goes on, they can still think back on each other and remember how it felt to have everything ahead of them, together.

   John Cougar - Jack & Diane

London based The Metros are a happy bunch who mention ultra cool bands of yore like Squeeze and The Blockheads as their influences, but throw in some drum ‘n bass for good measure. To me they just sound like a bunch of kids who have a riot making music together. They combine that good old Rock ‘n Roll with a little bit of punk, ska and rockabilly and the end product sounds rowdy and sweet and utterly contagious. If you like bands like The Cribs and The View, you’ll definitely love The Metros.

They’re signed to 1965 Records and you can check out four of their songs on the myspace for a little taste of big things to come. I took a shine to “Live A Little” especially; it’s a bit tragic, a bit sleazy, and all kinds of danceable fun. But I think that the teenage anguish laden “Education Pt.2″ is the song that has all the kids jumping for joy.

Has Homer Simpson started working for Willy Wonka?? That’s what this news article seems to suggest. There’s a fizzy drinks company that’s planning on putting out ham flavored sodas among other flavors for the Holidays. Who eats ham and thinks, man I wish I could suck this baby out of a can? If that doesn’t sound like Homer … and you know who would be kooky enough to oompadeedoo it? Thaaaaat’s right.

   Primus - Pork Soda

The Go! Team unleashed their sophomore release - Proof of Youth - in September and I’ve had it in the CD changer on and off for a few months now. However, I never took the opportunity to shout out about how thoroughly enjoyable the follow up to their 2004 debut (Thunder, Lightning, Strike) is.

Well, damn it, it is enjoyable! If you’re one of the cadre that have their first release, then you’ll definitely need to buy yourself a copy of this new album. If you haven’t yet partaken of their bountiful and deliciously upbeat musical fruits I highly recommend you treat yourself to both. Though there isn’t an incredible amount of difference between both albums you can easily chalk it up in the ‘never too much of a good thing’ category!

For more about the band and upcoming gigs head over to the official site of The Go! Team.

If you are unconvinced by the 100b recommendation, further proof can be obtained at The Go! Team presence on MySpace.

   The Go! Team - Titanic Vandalism

Did anybody else feel like this week went by painfully slowly? Well, now that it’s finally almost over with, let’s celebrate it with some quality monkeying around music. I would like to dedicate this post to the oldest living chimpanzee Cheeta, who also happens to have been a major character in the old Tarzan movies. He turned 75 earlier this year and outlived both Tarzan and Jane. He’s an actor turned lucrative painter, which makes this chimp officially more succesful and productive than I could ever hope to be. Yeah-yeah, I know he’s a chimpanzee and that’s apparently super different from a monkey, but there aren’t that many songs about chimps and I’m sure Cheeta won’t mind representing his fellow primatey cousins.

So here are my picks for Top 6 songs featuring the word Monkey:

   1. The Beatles - Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
Oh yes, we’re kicking off with a doozy, but if your monkey’s been keeping secrets from you, this song might be a bit painful. I’ve heard it a thousand times and I’m still not sure what the song is about, but if this doesn’t make you want to swing from a tire, not much else will.

   2. New York Dolls - Dance Like A Monkey)
Just do everything the Dolls tell you to do in this song and you’re guaranteed to start the weekend with a bang.

   3. The Monkees - The Monkees Theme
Not your conventional monkeys, but I’d love to watch them all day and finally answer that age old question, who is your favorite Monkee?

   4. Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey
If you were wondering how to do the New York Dolls’ monkey dance, the Beastie Boys give us a nice description: ‘Put your left leg down, your right leg up, tilt your head back’. And don’t forget the most essential element in any Monkey Dance: lots and lots of alcohol.

   5. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
The darkest Monkey song here, but it features perhaps their most famous lyrics. The way to test that is to stand in the middle of a crowded street and yell out ‘Then God is seven!!’ and see how many people shout back ‘this monkey’s gone to heaven’. Of course, it’s more likely that you’ll be mistaken for a schizophrenic, scary, religious person.

   6. The Kills - Monkey 23
We end the list with a mellow, but beautiful song by the wonderful Kills. Have a relaxing Friday and a nice weekend, people. I hope it’s filled with all kinds of crazy monkey lovin’.

But wait! We’re not done just yet, here’s the bizarre video that accompanies Devo’s tribute to the Powerpuff Girls’ nemesis, the evil monkey genius, Mojo Jojo. No seriously, it really is by Devo. I couldn’t believe it at first, but now that I had some time to get used to the idea … it’s still weird. The song is from the Powerpuff Girls Heroes and Villains CD, which also features Frank Black, Shonen Knife and The Apples In Stereo. I never thought I’d say this, but I think I’m gonna have to buy myself that Powerpuff Girls CD.

Nothing, I got nothing on this female trio. I really love their sound and I’d love to know more about this band, but apparently Songs For Moms, are a non-entity that make dirty, folksy, rockabilly with a grungey twist. After scouring the net and visiting both their sites, I’m left as puzzled as I started out. Well, I did learn they’re from Oakland, California and their debut album The Worse It Gets The Better just came out on Starcleaner.com, but that’s it. They’ve toured with Blitzen Trapper and Two Gallants and there are echoes of the latter band in the way Songs For Moms fire off at breakneck speed and manage to sound fresh and weathered at the same time.

   Songs For Moms - Don’t Live With Your Lover Or Love With Your Liver
   Songs For Moms - Underground
   Songs For Moms - My Darling Faye

“Hey Mickey”, a pillar of Poptastic society. There’s nothing quite like this song - its wonderful combination of pure pop genius and absurd silliness is breathtaking. Definitely a classic.

But other than that, what can we say about “Hey Mickey”, Toni Basil’s much loved one-hit-wonder? Well, rumor has it that it was the inspiration for Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback” video. But we already knew that Gwen has awesome taste. According to the Wikipedia, “Hey Mickey” has been used in Disney ads, with the song referring to Mickey Mouse, of course. I can’t be the only one that finds that vaguely disturbing. “You’re so fine you blow my mind” should not be used to describe a character loved by children worldwide and that’s all there is to it.

That’s not the only factoid the Wikipedia has to share. Like a lot of things in my life, it all comes down to The Monkees in the end. Apparently, “Hey Mickey” was originally written in 1979 as “Kitty”. When Toni Basil recorded it in 1982, she changed it to “Mickey” to celebrate the crush she had on The Monkees’ Mickey Dolenz while working on their movie Head in 1968. Ah, a gal after my own heart.

   Toni Basil - Hey Mickey

I started out rambling around the Intertubes looking for information about the biggest record sales week in history. Within a few minutes I happened upon a Wikipedia page I thought I’d rather share instead. What are the most frequently mentioned brands in Top 20 songs? Unfortunately, the years covered by brand management consultant Lucian James were only 2003-2005. Still, it was interesting to note the brands mentioned and how many times, assuming the numbers are correct.

Mercedes dominated all brands over these three years (275 mentions) and hip hop ruled the genres in terms of conspicuous brand shout-outs. Here is a direct rundown of the Wikipedia article with some additional details and sample songs the article cites added for illustration.

According to the Wikipedia article, in 2003, nearly 39% of the 111 songs charting in the Billboard Top 20 mentioned one or more brands in their lyrics. Good Charlotte’s “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” off The Young and The Hopeless is the only non-hip hop song to flash a brand (McDonald’s). Here is the Top 3 for 2003:

#1 Mercedes (112)
#2 Lexus (4
#3 Gucci (47)

   Good Charlotte - Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

Kanye broke out solo strong in 2004 with The College Dropout. When he wasn’t ensuring Jacob the Jeweller had plenty of business, Mr. West made sure to reference 19 different brands in his triple platinum solo debut. GEICO car insurance, Pepsi, and Toys R Us are all mentioned in “Through The Wire”.

   Kanye West - Through The Wire

The 2004 Top 3:

#1 Cadillac (70)
#2 Hennessy (69)
#3 Mercedes (63)

The only non-hip hop charter to slip a mention in?

   Jessica Simpson - With You

Her brand? Levis, in the first 10 seconds of the song. How mundane. Maybe they were bedazzled, which is, of course, southern fried suburban bling.

In what must be an early manifestation of what we now know is his obsession with one-upping Kanye, 50 Cent made sure to mention 20 different brands in 2005. And, while the article calls her pop and considers brand mentions to have branched out more from hip hop, Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl” can’t really be called pop given her beat-heavy connections.

   Gwen Stefani - Rich Girl (ft Eve)

Finally, the Top 3 in 2005:

#1 Mercedes (100)
#2 Nike (63)
#3 Cadillac (62)

So, between 35-40% of all the Billboard chart songs you heard in those three years - and probably hear now - contained mentions of one brand or more. How’s that for Those Zany Charts …?