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Post by JessieLou on Mar 19, 2022 12:09:12 GMT -5
Inspired by Stereogum and MIKEB’s Instagram, and to celebrate my 300th #1 coming later tonight, I am going to share write ups of every single #1 on my chart from it’s 2003 online debut all the way up to now. I’m not going to do write ups on anything that was a #1 for me before my chart went online, so no write ups on “Beautiful” or “Bring Me To Life” unfortunately. The first write up will be posted tonight when I come home from my hair appointment!
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Post by FreakyFlyBry on Mar 19, 2022 12:11:21 GMT -5
Can't wait for this Should be a good look back!
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 19, 2022 14:56:11 GMT -5
1. Madonna - Hollywood #1 for 11 weeks: June 29 - August 31, 2003 My very first online #1! I remember doing charts occasionally between 1998-2001 (I even came across a June 2001 chart a few years ago that had U2’s “Elevation” at #1), but I didn’t start doing them weekly until maybe like fall 2002. I kept it a secret because I thought it was a “weird” hobby that nobody else did; in fact, when Unkie found out I was doing this, he suggested I post them online and I refused to for that reason. Off the top of my head I recall the following songs being #1 during the “offline” era: Aaliyah - Miss You Avril Lavigne - Complicated Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi Avril Lavigne - I’m With You Christina Aguilera - Beautiful Christina Aguilera - Fighter Evanescence - Bring Me To Life Kelly Clarkson - Miss Independent Madonna - American Life Madonna - Die Another Day Michelle Branch - Are You Happy Now? I’m sure there’s more, but these are the ones I remember for sure. But my “secret” charts stopped being a secret one day in June 2003 when Unkie came across a website called Top Hits Online. I don’t think they exist anymore but people who have been on here for awhile probably remember it and even had their charts on there like I did. It was pretty much another version of the Globalchart. He showed it to me and showed me all the different charts and the THO weekly top 100, basically saying, “See? Other people do it too!” I thought it was so freaking cool and awesome, so I agreed to start up a website, and with his help we made a website 50megs, and on my very first online chart, dated June 29, 2003, this was my #1. I was obsessed with Madonna’s “American Life” album and this song was immediately a favorite of mine, and I was so excited to find out it would be released as a single. I also remember really loving the video with her and all the different hair styles (the blonde one was my favorite). It’s still one of my chart’s biggest hits, spending 11 weeks on top. It would’ve been longer, but Unkie had an evil plan that worked perfectly, which I will tell you guys all about when we talk about my second #1. As for what I think of “Hollywood” today, I still like it and it sparks a lot of nostalgia for me, but I definitely don’t like it to the degree I did back then and I don’t think it deserved 11 weeks at #1. Three maybe, but not 11.
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 19, 2022 19:14:11 GMT -5
2. Madonna, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, & Missy Elliott - Like A Virgin & Hollywood Medley#1 for 2 weeks: September 7 - September 11, 2003 Yes, “The kiss” went to #1 on my chart. I loved the performance from the get go (mainly because of Madonna, of course), but I never thought about putting it at #1 on my chart because it was a performance at an award show. Meanwhile, Unkie was trying to get me to put something else at #1 other than “Hollywood” because it flopped and MTV wasn’t playing it anymore, but I refused. These days if anyone were to say that to me they’d be a dead m*th*rf**k*r. But anyway, one night he was scrolling on the THO website and came across a personal chart from someone named Blackbeard, and he had this performance at #1 on his chart. Unkie showed it to me and I was like OMGZ YES THAT IS A GENIUS IDEA and low and behold, that week it debuted at #1 on my chart. It only spent like two weeks there and dropped off pretty quickly, so it’s definitely one of it not my least successful #1, but it was still a memorable one, especially after what I found out a few years later - Blackbeard was Unkie, and the chart was made in an attempt for me to drop “Hollywood” out of #1. Which also explains why the Blackbeard website looked unusually similar to the JT25 website. When he told me the truth I thought it was hilarious, but I also think he did the right thing waiting a few years to tell me because if I found out in 2003 I would have been PISSED. I’m just surprised nobody has tried anything similar with Jerry considering that nobody else has been #1 on my chart since July. Spoiler alert: that will change next week.
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 20, 2022 9:15:17 GMT -5
3. Evanescence - Going Under#1 for 1 week: September 21, 2003 My love of Evanescence at this time I believe was a very early hint of how my music tastes were going to be shaped as I grew up and got older (remember: I was only 10 when my first chart went online). I loved this and “Bring Me To Life”, and to this day I am so annoyed this wasn’t a bigger hit. I always thought Amy Lee was one of the best singers I ever heard and I still feel that way. I also really liked her style because it was so different from everyone else I was into at that time. I actually think “Fallen” may have even been my first rock CD. I remember my parents had to go to Best Buy one day to get something and I asked my Dad to instead of giving me my weekly allowance that week, I printed out a photo of the album cover and asked him to please pick up that CD while he’s at the store - and he did! The entire album has held up exceptionally well, including this song, which is honestly my favorite #1 of mine from 2003. Excellent, criminally underrated song.
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 20, 2022 19:19:49 GMT -5
4. Kelly Clarkson - Low#1 for 2 weeks: September 28 - October 5, 2003 Like “Going Under”, I saw the video for this all the time when it was out and I am completely dumbfounded it flopped. I still think this is a very underrated song of hers that should’ve done better. I was a huge Kelly fan from day one and rooted for her to win the first season of “American Idol” ever since I saw her perform Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”. Although I prefer to four albums that came after it, I still think “Thankful” was a solid debut and I still enjoy this song a lot. Definitely a deserving #1 in my book.
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 22, 2022 20:33:55 GMT -5
5. Hilary Duff - So Yesterday#1 for 2 weeks: October 12 - October 19, 2003 When I was a kid living in Long Island, I mainly watched Nickelodeon. I wanted to watch Disney Channel and Cartoon Network more often, but in order to watch them we had to use our cable box which was always a pain in the ass to figure out. Years before “This app sucks *delete*” became a thing, it was, “This cable box sucks *delete*” I did watch Powerpuff Girls quite often though but overall the first 9 years of my life were all about Nickelodeon. Fast forward to spring 2002 when my family and I make the move to Florida, we get both channels WITHOUT a cable box, so I’m finally able to check out a show I kept hearing about on Disney Channel that I really wanted to check out called “Lizzie McGuire”. I was a fan instantly. I loved Hilary on that show and I quickly became a huge fan of hers. I had her song “I Can’t Wait” on a HitClip, had a Hilary Barbie doll, Stuff by Duff backpack (who else remembers that brand?!), and had a huge poster of her in my room. Even though I was a Lizzie stan though, I will say I never liked her Christmas album. But when I found out she was going to be releasing her first non-holiday album, I was super excited. I remember seeing the video premiere of this on MTV and I loved it immediately. I will say some songs on “Metamorphosis” have aged better than others (“The Math” is a cheesefest and while I personally still don’t mind it, I understand why Hilary herself hates that song), but I still love this song and it brings back a lot of memories for me. Definitely one of my best fetus #1’s.
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 22, 2022 20:37:54 GMT -5
6. Liz Phair - Why Can’t I?#1 for 1 week: October 26, 2003 Honestly, when this song first came out I thought she was a new artist!! 😂 I will be honest and say it took me a few listens to really get into this song, but once it hit my chart it instantly became huge for me. I’m glad this went to #1 as this is still one of my favorites from her, even after discovering her more alternative stuff. I get why her longtime fans were upset with her for doing this, but it could’ve been worse… she could’ve done an album with Timbaland. Love ya Chris 😍❤️
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 26, 2022 21:55:27 GMT -5
7. Beyonce feat. Sean Paul - Baby Boy#1 for 1 week: November 2, 2003 This may seem like a random #1, but I was really into Beyoncé at this time. I loved “Crazy In Love”, but it peaked at #2 as it didn’t stand a chance against Madonna. I liked this one a lot when it was out, but to be honest I don’t really like this as much. I still like it, but I don’t think it deserved #1. If this came out today I’d probably put it in the top 20, maybe top 10. So yeah, not the best #1 but definitely not the worst either.
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Post by JessieLou on Mar 26, 2022 22:05:53 GMT -5
8. Britney Spears feat. Madonna - Me Against The Music#1 for 5 weeks: November 9 - December 7, 2003 I was a HUGE Britney fan when she first came out, but my interest in her was fizzling out by the end of the “Oops!… I Did It Again” era, and I started moving on to other artists like… Madonna. And later on Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, etc. So while I was very excited for the release of this single… it was solely because of Madonna. I didn’t really care that much about Britney anymore at this point. I actually had a hard time getting into this at first, but then the video came out and I was OBSESSED after that. I thought Madonna looked super cool in the video! Looking back, it was a very well done video but I definitely didn't give Britney enough credit. Her outfit and dancing in that video were FIRE. But anyway, since Madonna always had to be at #1, this was a huge five-week chart topper for me. Any guesses on who ended up going to #1 after this? I still like this song today and it definitely brings back memories, but both artists have had better. "Toxic" and "Everytime" were definitely more deserving of #1, but those peaked at #2 and #13 respectively. Meh.
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Post by JessieLou on Apr 15, 2022 7:16:10 GMT -5
9. Madonna - Nothing Fails
#1 for 1 week: December 14, 2003 When I bought the American Life album, this was instantly a highlight for me and I was so excited to see this get the single treatment near the end of 2003. I actually used to own that CD single I posted above (which Kanye West would rip off the artwork from on his The Life Of Pablo cover 13 years later). I absolutely loved this at the time, and while I still like it today... I don't really have much to say about it. The song was a huge flop everywhere else and has become very obscure. I don't listen to it that much anymore and I don't know if I'd put this at #1 again.
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Post by JessieLou on Apr 15, 2022 9:35:07 GMT -5
10. Madonna - Love Profusion#1 for 2 weeks: December 21, 2003 & March 28, 2004 This is another song from American Life that I absolutely loved at the time and I also remember loving the video and buying the CD single which came with an Estee Lauder perfume sample! That was actually my introduction to Estee Lauder, years before I tried their makeup lol but anyway this is like "Nothing Fails" in that while I still think this is a good song, if I were to do it over I would not put this at #1. This is time that could've been spent having "Show Me How To Live" by Audioslave or "Numb" by Linkin Park at #1, but nooooo, I had to suck Madonna's dick instead. I would've much rather sucked Chr--- okay I'm gonna end it right there before I get banned.
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Post by JessieLou on Apr 16, 2022 8:05:56 GMT -5
11. No Doubt - It’s My Life#1 for 6 weeks: December 28, 2003 - February 1, 2004 I should be sick of this song from the 826 times I've heard this at the grocery store, and then the extra 826 times I've heard this from my retail-working days. But honestly this is still a banger and Gwen looked cool as f*ck in the video. I'm not sure if it deserved to be as big as it was on my chart, but I will say this was #1 during a time where I became very depressed and primarily started listening to Madonna (especially a certain flop of hers from 1993), and focused less on new music. As a result, you will see a lot of songs spend a long time at #1 and you will also see a lot of songs go to #1 that I have since regret. But this ain't one of them.
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Post by JessieLou on Apr 16, 2022 12:07:10 GMT -5
As we wrap up the 2003 #1's and move on to 2004, I am going to give an honorable mention to a song from 2003 that I didn't give enough love at the time that has since become a huge favorite, and I wish I had it at #1. And for 2003 I chose... Audioslave - Like A Stone Okay, so I actually did like this when it was out, and have no idea why I didn't chart it even if it peaked at like #20 or something. I just remember in the summer of 2003 always watching VH1 and MTV for Madonna, and one day on MTV this video came on and I was about to change the channel, but I was curious and I thought the guy in the gray tank top was cute. I remember thinking the song was pretty good but then I just... forgot about it. I heard it like once or twice after that and thought the same thing but then again just... forgot about it. I was too deep in Madonna mode I guess. Since 2003, this song has grown to become a huge favorite of mine that has become even huger in the last few years when I became obsessed with "the cute guy in the gray tank top." Discovering more of Chris' music with Soundgarden, Audioslave, and solo has made me appreciate this one more than ever. I keep switching between this, "Cochise", and "I Am The Highway" as my favorite Audioslave song. In fact, those deserved #1 too let's be real.
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Post by JessieLou on Apr 16, 2022 21:13:15 GMT -5
12. Evanescence - My Immortal#1 for 7 weeks: February 8, 2004 - March 21, 2004 I may have made a lot of questionable choices in 2004, but this sure as hell was not one of them. Absolutely phenomenal song that has aged like wine. This deserved all the success it got both on my chart and all the other charts. It's still a huge favorite of mine today and one of my favorite ladies I ever worked with back when I worked retail once told me this was one of her favorite songs of all-time, which just made me love this song even more because I freaking loved working with that lady and I miss her. But yeah, 10/10, would put at #1 again, highly recommended.
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