Song Writing

10. The Only Exception by Paramore
This soulful love song was released as a single in February 2010 and became Paramore's biggest hit to date, peaking at #24 on the Hot 100. In doing so they bucked one of 2010's trends, which saw guitar-based bands increasingly failing to breach the charts.
You were fascinated by the song's music video and especially curious who played singer Hayley Williams' dad in the clip. The actor was a certain Joey Williams… yep, Hayley's father.




9. California Gurls by Katy Perry
The saucy pop singer in the kooky outfits proved a big hit in 2010. And you especially fell in love with the recently wed Mrs. Brand's song about gurls from California. The beach-friendly tune was the song of the summer, peaking at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six consecutive weeks in June and July. It also topped the charts in over ten other countries, including UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand.




8. Not Afraid by Eminem
This was the first single released from Eminem's Recovery album and it found Slim Shady in a more positive mood than he had been in a long time, having buried many of his demons. We're not saying the Michigan rapper had laid off his dissing and cussing, but on "Not Afraid," Marshall Mathers' anger was directed more at his own past mistakes, including his previous album, Relapse. "In fact, let's be honest/ That last Relapse CD was 'ehh'/ Perhaps I ran them accents into the ground/ Relax, I ain't going back to that now," he spat. We guess Em won't be so critical of Recovery, which ended up being the best-selling album released in 2010.





7. Telephone by Lady Gaga
Here is the first entry from the Haus of Gaga. "Telephone" found Ms. Germanotta drafting in her fellow A-lister friend Beyoncé as a guest vocalist and many of you came to Songfacts to find out what the song actually meant. We told you via a Gaga quote that it was about the singer feeling suffocated as she fears not being able to enjoy herself because of her dedication to her career. You also discovered that the telephone is not an actual physical phone, but a voice in Gaga's head telling her to continue working harder.




6. Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
This was the country hit of 2010, even crossing over into the UK, where country hits are as rare as an Eminem tune child-friendly enough to be sung on Sesame Street. We shared that there were initially some concerns about "Need You Now's" lyrical content from executives at Lady A's record label regarding the song's "I'm a little drunk and I need you now' line." We suspect that the Lady Antebellum trio are unlikely to be popping up anytime soon to sing "Need You Now" with Elmo, Big Bird et al.




5. Love The Way You Lie by Eminem featuring Rihanna
You Loved "Love the Way You Lie," Marshall Mathers' examination of a rapidly deteriorating abusive relationship between two lovers. Despite its dark theme, this was Eminem's most unabashed crossover hit to date. Interesting that the song featured the vocals of Rihanna, whose own domestic violence troubles with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown made headlines around the world in 2009. You also wanted to know how the lyrical content reflected Eminem's former marriage to Kim.




4. Hey Soul Sister by Train
Initially released as a single back in August 2009, "Hey, Soul Sister," refused to be derailed and kept chugging up the charts. Then when it began to run out of steam (that's enough of the train puns! - editor), it was revived by the Glee Cast. The tune ended up as iTunes best-selling single of 2010 and the #1 Most Downloaded Song in Columbia Records history. This was another track where many of you came to Songfacts to find out the song's meaning, and we explained that it was inspired by the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert where a huge wooden man is burnt and where lead singer Pat Monahan visualized beautiful women dancing around the fire.




3. Tik Tok by Ke$ha
Kesha Rose Sebert clocked up plenty of $s with "Tik Tok," her breakthrough hit. The Nashville native's unapologetic ode won the hearts of a nation, spending nine weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. You were intrigued by the lyrics: the self-proclaimed "sick and sexified" singer's Jack Daniels-doused oral hygiene and why she woke up in the morning "feeling like P Diddy." We explained that the 'Diddy' line was inspired by her waking up the morning after a party surrounded by "the most beautiful women you've ever seen." This made Ke$ha feel like the Bad Boy boss, whose female companions have included some of the most stunning ladies in the world.




2. Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
We return now to her ladyship Gaga, who was without doubt the music celebrity of 2010. Taylor Swift may have had a bigger slice of the pop star pie, but worldwide, folks couldn't get enough of Ms. Germanotta. Whether Gaga was cooking up fresh publicity by wearing a meat dress or creating controversial videos, the singer became the most popular pop star on the planet. It is not surprising therefore that you flocked from all over the world to find out about this song. Interestingly, the country with the third most visitors to "Bad Romance's" Songfacts page after the Americans and the Brits were the residents of the Philippines. Sounds like there are plenty of adoring Gaga 'monsters' in those tropical isles.




1. Alejandro by Lady Gaga
Back in December 2009 we were freaking out about swine flu, few had heard of WikiLeaks, and there was still five months to go before "Alejandro" would be released as a single. By the end of 2010 you had viewed the "Alejandro" page more than any other song. There appeared to be three main reasons why you were going gaga for this Europop tune on Songfacts. First, you wanted to know what this song means (Gaga said it was influenced by her "fear of sex" monster). Second, you wanted to know about the influence of ABBA on "Alejandro," and indeed the New York singer has cited in interviews ABBA's 1976 song "Fernando" as an inspiration for her hit. Third, you wanted to find out about the weeping violin piece, which opens the song. We told you it incorporates the melody from "Csárdás" by Italian composer Vittorio Monti.




It remains to be seen what songs will attract your curiosity in 2011, but with the headline-grabbing New-Yorker releasing another album, it's a fair bet that several Lady Gaga tunes will make an appearance on our list in twelve months time.

Ed Pearce, who wrote this piece, is an author and film extra (credits include The Dark Knight, Garfield 2, Sherlock Holmes and Nowhere Boy). Ed has always been interested in collecting trivia and has been contributing to Songfacts for several years. In 2004 he had his first book published, a lighthearted blend of cookery, history, trivia and humor, Food for Thought: Extraordinary Little Chronicles of the World.