Top 10 Best Pop Albums (2000-2016)

Pop is a mysterious genre of music and gets a lot of flack from many music enthusiasts. But why? Most will say that it’s manufactured, formulated and down right generic. I care to disagree, however. As a lover of music, I see the pop genre as one of the most creative and influential in all of the genres of music. Yes, often it does get repetitive and reductive but when it is done right, like the following albums, they can be some of the most influential albums of all time.
~So here it is: The Top 10 Best Pop Albums (2000-2016).

• 10. Emotion [Carly Rae Jepsen]– Okay, okay, okay, I know… Carly Rae Jepsen. Some look at Jepsen as if she is the worst thing to ever happen to pop music. Man, do I disagree. This album is truly a joy to listen to. Whether it be the incredibly poppy opener “Run Away with me”, the slow “Gimmie Love”, or the 80’s retro pop banger “Boy Problems”, this album is a gem. It deserves a spot on this list because of it’s brilliant blend of 80’s and modern production. Every thing about the production of this track is something to praise. The opening horns of “Run away with me” scream classic 80’s pop and the modern bop of “Favourite Colour” makes this album very memorable and easy to return to. From beginning to end, this spectacular track is one of the most unforgettable pop albums in recent years. While this is probably one of the most underrated and unheard-of albums on this list, I urge you to give this a listen.
  Standout tracks: Run Away With Me, Emotion, Gimmie Love, Let’s Get Lost
  Release: June 24, 2015

 

• 9. Animal [Ke$ha]- Ke$ha’s debut album is one for the books. The pop girl branded on her sleazy antics and crazy lifestyle destroyed the radio in 2009, 2010, 2011 and gave a new meaning to the dollar sign. This album is iconic- plain and simple. “Tik Tok”, the first single off the album is what really put Ke$ha on the map. As much as we tell ourselves we hate the song, we know we love it and will jam out to it when we hear it on the radio. That’s how I would explain the whole album- unexplainably catchy and dirty which makes us come back for more and more. The singles to follow “Blah Blah Blah”, “Your Love is My Drug”, and “Take it off” were also all radio smash-hits and catchy ear worms. No doubt the singles were catchy but it’s the songs that were never singles that really make this album one of the best of our generation. Songs like “Party at a Rich Dude’s House” which make you feel the need to get up and dance, or the song “Dancing with Tears in my Eyes” the emotional dance track that deals with her recent relationship f*** up, or even the heartfelt title track “Animal” about being yourself and embracing your insecurities are all notable non-singles which really bring this album to a whole other pop-level. There is no reason to wonder why this track consumed the speakers of your radio for so many months on end, it is a fantastic pop album with a lot of memorable songs.
  Standout tracks: Take it off, Animal, Blind
  Release: January 1, 2010
• 8. Teenage Dream [Katy Perry]- One thing that makes this album so good is that every song seems to be made for the radio. Each song seems so polished that it is very easy to listen to the album from beginning to end. There are many singles from this track and most of them did very well on the charts. “California Girls”, “Firework”, “Last Friday Night”, and “E.T.” are some of the most notable. When I think of pop music gold, I think of this album. The production is done very well and  works really well with Perry’s voice and lyrics. One single that enjoy a lot on this album is the title track “Teenage Dream”. Nothing is like driving down the highway in in the summer with the windows rolled down jamming out to this song. It is a true summer jam that makes you get up off your butt and dance like no one is watching. Katy Perry has had many successful albums but none have the success this album holds and it’s easy to tell why- it’s a great album! Although not a single, another song that is well done is “Peacock”. While subtle (okay maybe not), this song is dirty. “I wanna see your peacock, cock, cock, your peacock, cock!” Dirty or not, this is a bop. Katy has never been known to use explicit language in her song, so this is a fresh sound that really throws this album over the top. Just like Peacock, this album is fun and is really well done for an artist like Katy Perry.

  Standout Tracks: Teenage Dream, Peacock, Who am I Living for?
  Release: August 24, 2010

• 7. Pink Friday [Nicki Minaj]- Call her what you want but Nicki Minaj is POP. Pink Friday is something made of rap meshed with pop meshed with psycho dance music. That being said, I’m in love with this album. While Nicki Minaj’s albums that followed this were stellar, this one tops them all. Nothing can beat classic Nicki. While she was featured in many songs before she dropped this track, Pink Friday was Nicki’s debut album. This album wasn’t a huge success at first until songs like “Moment 4 life” and “Super Bass” were released as singles. As those songs emerged, so did her Massive success. With “Super Bass” being 2011’s summer smash, Nicki Minaj flew into the pop scene almost over night and theres a reason for that. “Super Bass” was something fresh for the pop scene, it totally changed the game. While her singles on this track were awesome, it’s what wasn’t popular that really made this album one of the best our generation. “Romans Revenge”, the best song on the album and probably one of the best in her career is truly remarkable. The song embodies Nicki’s persona and really gives her the Bad Girl image that she has been riding for sometime now. With the song being over 5 minutes long, it is a rap/pop masterpiece. With “Romans Revenge” being a true work of art, the album is very similar. Nicki killed it on this track and there is a reason she is still popular.
  Standout Tracks: Did it on em’, Romans Revenge, Fly
  Release: November 19, 2010
• 6. Love, Angel, Music, Baby [Gwen Stefani]- If you were alive in 2004, you know this album and the iconic singles that reside in it. Lets start off by saying that “Hollaback Girl” somehow shaped all of childhoods by teaching us how to spell “Banana”… “This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S”. Heck yeah, Gwen was the first pop girl to really get me interested in pop music. While “Hollaback Girl” is the most iconic single of our generation, the album also had some other major hits that had us strutting around our imaginary runways. “Rich Girl” and “Bubble Pop Electric” to name a few. This album is what pop dreams are made of and is truly worthy of the massive success it received. The No Doubt front-woman really put her best work into this album and you can see with the production and the quality of the songs. Gwen Stefani not only changed the pop game with this album but she made the game her bitch. Do yourself a favor right now and turn this album on because you are truly in need of some hardcore nostalgia. Thanks Gwen for this piece of ART.
  Standout Tracks: Hollaback Girl, Rich Girl, Serious
  Release: November 12, 2004
• 5. Good Girl Gone Bad [Rihanna]- Bad Girl Ri Ri gave herself a name with this record and I’m glad she did because the music industry would be forever different without her. From her previous two albums, Rihanna gave herself a completely different image. Sure this record seems like a long time ago, some songs like “Disturbia”, “Shut up and Drive”, “Don’t stop the music”, and “Umbrella” make this track timeless. This is by far Rihanna’s best album and I don’t think many people would disagree with me. Some of her best work is unravelled through her tracks from beginning to end. A true pop fan like myself has to have a lot of respect for this album because it has some major songs that will forever be some of the best pop bops ever. Let’s chat about “Disturbia”… Being one of the best songs off the album it really gives that dark and twisted attitudes that Rihanna has used on albums to follow this one. From the beginning of the song to the end, it is an honest dance track that will undeniably make you twist and turn in ways you never thought you could. “Umbrella” was another single off this record that made big waves on the radio and the charts. “You can stand under my umbrella (Ella ella eh eh eh)” is probably the most catchy tune that she has ever used and once it enters your ears, there is little chance it is leaving your head anytime soon- that’s something Ri Ri does very well in this album. Bravo girl, this record is something to be remembered.
  Standout Tracks: Disturbia, Umbrella, Take a Bow, Rehab
  Release: May 31, 2007
• 4. The Fame Monster [Lady Gaga]- You can’t think of pop music without thinking of Mother monster: Lady Gaga. This EP introduces the top 4 albums that are so iconic that they should really have their own list. I mean it, this album is what made the 2009-2010 music era SO. DAMN. GOOD. Every song on the track list out does the other. The opening song “Bad Romance” is one Gaga’s biggest hits and it honestly deserves all of the success it got. The lengthy 5 minute song is something to be remembered… “Bad Romance” isn’t the only standout though, songs like “Alejandro”, “Monster”, “Teeth” and “So Happy I could Die” are so sexy and dark that it made Gaga show how are different she was from other pop stars. Stefani Germanotta made Gaga a household name and somewhat forced other artists in the pop genre to change their style to keep up with her antics and music style. This album is a short 8 tracks and it doesn’t disappoint in any way. From the opening note to the final note, this record is one of the most superior albums ever made. The main producers on this album are RedOne and Gaga and they really put out one of the best pop productions I have ever heard on a mainstream record. With this being her second album, Lady Gaga showed people that she is definitely not a force to be reckoned with.
  Standout Tracks: Bad Romance, Speechless, Telephone, Dance in the Dark
  Release: November 18, 2009
• 3. Blackout (Britney Spears)- It’s Britney Bitch. The first words to roll out of Britney’s mouth on this album are some of the most iconic words ever said on a mainstream pop record. The first song being “Gimmie More” really sets the tone for this album. Her life is being controlled by everyone but her- the song symbolizing how everyone is using her without ever stopping to wonder how she’s feeling. This album was shortly released after Britney’s head shaving adventure and multiple public break downs. With that being said, the following song, “Piece of Me” really embodies the idea that she just wants to live her life without the Paparazzi intervening. Probably one of my favorite pop songs… EVER, “Piece of Me” is some of the best material she has ever released. It gave Britney a new image (that she probably didn’t want) of her being a good girl gone bad. With the drama going on in her life going public, it just made the album that much more real. This album wasn’t about being fake or materialistic, it was Britney going through a horrible part of her life- and you can see that in her music. Fortunately, however, this part of her life made her music raw and realistic- people believed what she was saying in her lyrics. Other songs that were big on the radio were “Radar” and “Break the Ice”, both were big for her and really made the album what it is today. This record is awesome and is some of her most creative work she has ever done. Just like Britney, when this album was released, it snatched my weave and made me go bald.
  

  Standout Tracks: Gimmie More, Piece of Me, Everybody, Freakshow
  Release: October 25, 2007

 

• 2. I AM… SASHA FIERCE (Beyonce)- This album birthed some of the best singles to ever be played on the radio. Queen Bey showed us all how much of an amazing artist and diva she is on this track. The album is the greatest dance track in quite some time which makes this album rank so high on this list. Whether you know the songs on this album or not, you can still dance to almost every song because it is done THAT WELL. Okay, let’s get back to the stellar singles. The first four singles she dropped are some of her best pieces of work she has ever released. The first being “If I were a boy” a slow melody with some of her greatest lyrics: “If I were a boy// I think I could understand// How it feels to love a girl// I swear I’d be a better man”. This song is so easy to sway to and really enjoy. Also, it is way to effortless to just get lost in her heavenly voice. The next single: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”… Need I say more? If you don’t know this song, I’ll just assume you have lived under a rock your whole life. For real though, the iconic dance and music video that went along with this track really put it over the top as being one of her best songs ever. Everyone and their mothers knew the dance and would work it whenever this smash came on the radio. The third single, “Diva”, is what really ties this album together. Being such a good bop and dance track, this song is more than fun to listen to, it is a spectacle. “Diva” is probably one of the most underrated tracks on this entire album which is a shame because it really is Beyonce in her most fierce and stunning form- it’s amazing. The fourth and I final single I will reflect on is “Halo”. This song, like “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)”, was a huge hit on the radio and the charts. Unlike the previous tracks on the album, this song meshes a ballad-like melody with a strong and soulful power pop song. When listening to this song it’s almost irresistible to not belt your lungs out and sing at the top of your lungs. Beyonce killed it on this album and there is no denying that… So go on, turn on this record and throw it back because we all know that late 2000’s Beyonce is the best Beyonce.

  Standout Tracks: Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), Diva, Sweet Dreams, Hello
  Release: November 15, 2008

  1. The Fame (Lady Gaga)- Don’t confuse this with number four, this album is much different and slays even more. This album represents the beginning of Gaga’s successful career as a risqué pop artist and it truly changed the pop game forever. This album had so many chart toppers that it’s almost impossible to mention them all in this review, not to mention the songs that were never made singles. Let’s start off by talking about the song that blasted her to fame: “Just Dance”. This single is really what pop hits are made of. Catchy chorus, fun production, and an all around amazing dance track. Gaga selecting this track as one of her first singles is really what made her so famous: “Just Dance” is the perfect, radio friendly song. The song that followed, “Poker Face”, was an even bigger success. Radio stations played this song so much that it was almost engrained into everyone’s head for good. It was just THAT GOOD. The production was bomb, the chorus was killer, and the lyrics were mysterious. It seemed as if no one actually caught what the song was really about, so I will fill you in. The song represents her bi-sexuality and her attraction to women. While somewhat of a norm now, in 2008, this was a risky move. All in all, however, it paid off very well for her causing this track to be one of the biggest songs in the summer of 2008. The next smash single was “Love Game”. This not-so-radio-friendly song was a huge on the radio and had kids getting their mouth washed out with soap for months on end… But man was it worth it. This song is dirty, sexy and all around a blast to sing along to. The lyrics like: “Let’s have some fun// this beat is sick// I wanna take a ride on your disco stick” were so sleek and dirty that it was impossible to not sing them over and over and over again. Good times. The final single off this track “Paparazzi” is one of the best songs Lady Gaga has ever released. Whether you are talking about the lyrics and subject matter of the song, the awesome production, or even her vocals, it is all good. This song didn’t chart as high as the others (although, still a big song), this song was really a change for pop music. This wasn’t about getting drunk with friends, dancing in the club, or some new sex position… This song was dark, it followed her fear of the world forgetting her, the media portraying her in poor light, and the dark side of fame that everyone fails to mention. The music video and her live performances of this song are some of her best pieces of art she has ever done- it’s really what made me the fan of hers I am today. This song changed the way I looked at her. This album proved that she wasn’t some average pop star with mediocre lyrics and vocals, no… This album showed the world that she was indeed a threat to every other pop star and artist out there. She was Lady Gaga and she was ready to become the biggest artist of our generation. Yaaaassss Gaga, Slay Mama.

  Standout Tracks: Paper Gangsta, The Fame, Paparazzi, Poker Face
  Release: August 19, 2008