8 Awesome Pop Songs From 2008 You Completely Forgot About
Ah, 2008: the year of awe-inspiring political progress, crippling economic recession, apple-bottom jeans, and boots with the fur (with the fur).
It doesn’t seem so long ago, does it? But in the pop world it’s an eternity — so many hits are thrust into our brains that it becomes pretty impossible to remember all the bumping jams we used to spin, even 10 years ago.
Sure, you’ll remember Flo Rida’s “Low,” Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” as the monster smashes that defined ‘08, but what else? Let us help jog your memory: here are eight awesome tracks from 2008 you almost certainly forgot all about.
- 1
“Let It Rock,” Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne
Was there a more “2008, but only 2008” artist than that sunglasses-at-night guitar guy Kevin Rudolf? The New York producer/songwriter scored a Top 5 hit with the pumping party jam “Let It Rock” in ‘08 with a big boost from Lil Wayne, who was just about at the height of his pop influence. And lest we forget the scandal of being an otherwise law-abiding teenager yet still screaming the double-entendre hook “I’ll make you come … alive.” What rebels we were.
- 2
“American Boy,” Estelle feat. Kanye West
No song on this list feels fresher in 2018 than this charming, disco-funk duet between then-nascent U.K. R&B singer Estelle and some dude called Kanye West. The track had a ton of songwriting firepower behind it: West, John Legend and will.i.am all helped pen the breezy track detailing Estelle’s experiences meeting American men. The song hit No. 1 in the U.K., No. 10 in the U.S. and launched a successful career for the smooth songstress.
- 3
“Decode,” Paramore
You may also remember 2008 as The Year Of Our Lord Edward Cullen — the first Twilight movie premiered in the fall and the Hot Topic crowd basically worshipped “Decode,” the stormy ballad cut by pop-punkers Paramore for the film. The band would release its acclaimed LP “Brand New Eyes” the next year, shoving “Decode” into the background for a while, but it lives on a great, petulant throwback.
- 4
“Untouched,” The Veronicas
You’re sitting there, minding your own business — maybe texting your BFF on your LG Chocolate — and you hear that opening, deliciously synthy string melody. You quickly punch in “G2G, Veronicas Untouched jus came on!!!” and get down to this awesomely catchy little pop jam, from the identical-twin Aussie duo, forgetting just how ridiculous the breathy hook “you say ooh ooh / I say ahh ahh” makes you sound. Good times.
- 5
“Damaged,” Danity Kane
When people say “Fifth Harmony is the best girl group since Destiny’s Child,” I say “uh, what about Danity Kane?” The quintet formed by Diddy on Making The Band in 2005 scored its last Top 10 hit in ‘08 with “Damaged,” a bulletproof dance number that needs to return to rotation in 2018 — Aubrey, Aundrea, D. Woods, Dawn and Shannon deserve our respect!
- 6
“Come On Get Higher,” Matt Nathanson
In the world of pre-Ed Sheeran pop crooners, 2008 was Jason Mraz’s year — “I’m Yours” debuted in 2008, nuff said, right? But there were other guys with guitars making us feel feelings that year, too, namely Massachusetts songwriter Matt Nathanson and his silky breakthrough hit “Come On Get Higher,” which made us happy and sad all at once. Also, fun party game: Name another Matt Nathanson song.
- 7
“Dangerous,” Kardinal Offshall feat. Akon
Can we all agree, in the name of physics, that there had to be more than one Akon? The dude was everywhere around this time, delivering one smooth, tropical hook after another, and he really made this Kardinal Offishall (who?) jam sing — the synthy number climbed to No. 5 on the chart and now makes for a killer “oh my God, I forgot all about this song!” moment at your next house party.
- 8
“Jizz In My Pants,” The Lonely Island
Does anyone else still marvel at just how popular Andy Samberg’s rap-comedy trio The Lonely Island became? That’s not to say we weren’t all endlessly sharing and quoting lines from “I’m On A Boat,” “D*ck In A Box,” and this early techo-hop favorite “Jizz In My Pants,” which is infinitely better when accompanied by the hilarious video. Come for the jokes, stay for the Justin Timberlake cameo!