We weren’t gonna say anything, but we totally saw this coming: In the first Song of the Summer Power Ranking in August, Black Eyed Peas have recaptured the No. 1 spot. Why? Because it was there. And: Jeremih fell off, hard. We haven’t switched our ringtone yet, but at this point, we’re keeping it purely to entertain Chris Rovzar whenever our dad calls. Meanwhile, Mariah’s finally feeling the back draft from her Eminem dis (Nick Cannon, we love you, but you’re embarrassing yourself, son!), and we welcome our second country Song of the Summer entrant, this week’s Biggest Gainer: Tim McGraw, the country superstar channeling an R&B superstar with “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You.” And with you, sir!
1. Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling,”: We can no longer deny it: This is the most popular song in the country. The only question: Is it better or worse than “Boom Boom Pow”?
2. Drake, “Best I Ever Had”: Drake’s knee had a big moment in the media, and yes, we’re including the Twitter account. This song has spawned a world unto itself.
3. Pearl Jam, “The Fixer”: Judging by the chatter in rock circles (they still exist!), this is, if nothing else, the trad song of the summer.
4. Jeremih, “Birthday Sex”: And just like that … Can a song jump the shark? We’re suddenly hearing “Birthday Sex” as a punch line more than coming out of car stereos.
5. Tim McGraw, “It’s a Business Doing Pleasure With You”: The album won’t be out until fall, but what’s more Song of the Summer than talking about buying spinners for your woman’s Escalade? (Summer of 2003, granted, but still.) Country radio’s one of the few places to get a properly laid-back summer tune, and this, for now, is the winner. Hey, it sure beats Toby Keith’s “American Ride.”
6. Demi Lovato, “Here We Go Again”: Our imaginary little sister keeps coming in and putting this on in our room. And we like it.
7. Young Money feat. Lil Wayne, “Every Girl”: What more is there to say (that’s printable on a family website)? This song seems to keep, appropriately enough, respawning.
8. Shakira, "She Wolf": Club tracks are summer tunes, too, and if you visit the right dance floor, this one’s the hottest.
9. Mariah Carey, “Obsessed”: Our love for Mariah is undying, but can we expect the world to keep loving this song when Nick Cannon won’t stop yapping — he now says this song is about him! — and Eminem’s firing back startlingly brilliant dis tracks? Let it fade out …
10. T.I. feat. Mary J Blige, “Remember Me”: Assuming it takes off — which, with tight performances from Mary and T.I., we don’t see why it wouldn’t — this song promises to last into fall on the strength of its autumnal vibe. For now, though, it’s making its first appearance on the charts. Sing on, Mary!
Previously on Vulture...
