Saturday 1 September 2012

Top 10 Songs Written or Produced by Max Martin: Numbers 10-6

Max Martin.
 
Now its likely that you may not have heard of him but I guarantee that even if you hate pop music, you will have heard a bucket-load of his songs. Max Martin is the mastermind writer and producer behind some of the biggest careers in music, including Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys. 




With the current success of Taylor Swift's new song, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and the anticipation for Christina Aguilera's upcoming single Your Body, I thought it would be a good time to celebrate the best work of the Swedish pop genius behind these hits. Let's get started.



Number 10:

First on the list is one of Pink's biggest hits to date and was written in the wake of her break-up with ex-husband Carey Hart...who she is now back together with again. Despite this confusion, the video for So What is charmingly obnoxious and the chorus is classic Max Martin, all fists pumping and catchy chanting. 


Number 9:

Next in the top ten is a recent hit from Katy Perry's monster album, Teenage Dream. Interesting fact time - Max Martin co-wrote and co-produced every single off this album except Firework. I know California Girls was the lead single but in the end, I chose the title track Teenage Dream to be included in the list because it just has this pure pop appeal that is once again typically Max Martin.  


Number 8:

Now we're going to go back somewhat to the the beginning of the millennium when bubblegum pop was the driving force in music and acts like Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys literally ruled the planet by singing Max Martins choruses. But for this next Martin cut, I've chosen one of the few songs he wrote for the Backstreet Boys rival boyband, Nsync. It's Gonna Be Me was the second single from their album No Strings Attached, which is still the fastest selling album off all time for its first week of release. The video features the boys acting as freaky dolls in a supermarket; I wonder if Justin cringes when this one comes on?  

 
Number 7: 

Another Pink song now and the last one to feature in this list, Who Knew is about losing a friend to drugs. It's an anthemic hit but the raw emotive lyrics and Pink's pain also make it a sad song in many ways, despite its poppy edge. Critics at the time noted that it was similar to some of Kelly Clarkson's recent hits but for me, Who Knew has its own identity, and any similarities are just due to Max Martin's writing style.  

 
Number 6:

The final song in this half of the list is the oldest one, dating back to 1997 but its still enjoyable today. Even without its incredible horror themed video, Everybody (Backstreet's Back) is a pop classic that cemented the Backstreet Boys place in music history. It's also great at Halloween. Good job Max! 

  
 So far, we've counted down the best songs written or produced by Max Martin from 10 to 6. Click here to find out if your favourites made it to the top 5. You might not have guessed yet but I LOVE top 10 lists ha! If you enjoy them too, tell me what you think and even contribute some ideas of your own! Follow, like, etc etc. Thanks!

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