What's the Best Pop Song of the Past Five Years?

Pop music can have a big influence on our memory. Music already has a lot of power to convey emotion and a good pop song can bring us right back to the time when it dominated radio playlists. We've been discussing pop music in the AE break room this week, and the hot topic of discussion has been: What is the best pop song from the past 5 years?

While one song kept appearing in the AE writers' responses over and over, a number of factors were a part of their decision, including catchiness, the emotions the song can invoke as well as the influence the song had on the zeitgeist.

But we want to hear from our readers. Let us know in the comments what you think was the best pop song from the past 5 years.

From the staff...

Brent Hartinger

Probably "Bad Romance." It sounds more dangerous than it is, and it is incredibly catchy. How catchy exactly? Lady Gaga's already rewritten it and released it as a different song at least three times!

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Michael Jensen

While I was briefly tempted by by a few incredibly catchy pop songs — "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Teenage Dream" (Glee's version), a whole slew of Lady Gaga songs — ultimately I have to go with Adele. Yes, she's incredibly hot right now, but she is the real deal.

But which Adele song? There is the wonderful "Chasing Pavements," and everyone loves "Rolling in the Deep." But the song I simply can't get out of my head and can't stop listening to is "Rumour Has It." That relentless snare drum keeping beat, that voice... sorry, have to stop and dance!

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BriOut

For me, the most enchanting, beguiling pop ballad from the past five years is "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglova. It is an absolutely beautiful song both musically and lyrically. When they sing the words, "Take this sinking boat and point it home. We still have time," I melt. I just melt. That is what a pop song is supposed to do.