00:00Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best pop songs penned by those known for their contributions to rock.
00:1510.
00:22Halo-Beyonce It's hard to imagine anyone but Beyonce taking
00:34on this iconic track, given what she's done with it.
00:37While she's made it her own, she wasn't the one who came up with the concept.
00:41That honor goes to Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic.
00:44Primarily known for their smattering of hits throughout the 2000s, the song came to fruition
00:48shortly after he underwent surgery for a previous injury.
00:58Although he was supposed to be recovering from that, he threw his energy into penning
01:02Halo, a gorgeous and heartfelt ballad.
01:05After just a few hours, the Ray LaMontagne-inspired piece had been completed, and after a few
01:10tweaks done by the singer herself, it was transformed into the number we all know and
01:15love today.
01:209.
01:23Crazy-Patsy Cline
01:39Considering how much of an icon he is now, it's hard to believe Willie Nelson got his
01:43start behind the scenes.
01:45While working as a songwriter for a record label, Nelson penned Crazy, a classic country
01:50track inspired by his mental state at the time.
02:00It took less than an hour for him to write, and immediately stood out with its use of
02:04several different chords.
02:05Eventually, the song found its way to Patsy Cline, who infused it with her own vocal style.
02:21This led to a perfect storm of country and big band elements, creating a truly unique
02:26final product.
02:27The single quickly blew up and peaked at number two on the country charts, giving Nelson the
02:32push he needed into the mainstream.
02:398.
02:42Feel Good Time – Pink featuring William Orbit
02:51One last second act of generosity changed the trajectory of a song entirely.
02:56Grammy-winning rock musician Beck initially wrote Feel Good Time for himself.
03:00However, when Pink came into the picture and showed interest in recording a cover, he simply
03:05handed it over to her.
03:11After removing his original vocal track and guitars, and having the pop star sing over
03:16it instead, it was officially used as the main single for the Charlie's Angels full
03:20throttle soundtrack.
03:22The song was then included on Pink's subsequent album.
03:25Beck's association with the track helped it gain a wider audience and critical recognition.
03:30This led to soaring reviews and even a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
03:427.
03:43The Best Damn Thing – Avril Lavigne While rock stars are primarily known for their
03:48grittier sound, some have proven that they can excel at brighter, bubblier songs as well.
03:53This is evidenced by tracks like The Best Damn Thing by Avril Lavigne.
04:03Its sillier elements, such as the spelling of her name and the cheerleader-inspired vocals,
04:08were all thanks to Butch Walker of South Gang and Marvelous 3 fame.
04:12He had made his name through his contributions to various rock scenes throughout the 80s
04:16and 90s before lending his abilities to Lavigne's number.
04:24Walker's experience within the glam scene was instrumental, as elements of the genre
04:30come through in the final product.
04:32His involvement in both the lyrics and production were invaluable, helping it become a standout
04:37on Lavigne's third album.
04:446.
04:48Nothing Compares to You – Sinead O'Connor Although this song was recorded by the original
04:53artist who wrote it, it didn't see any recognition until it was picked up by someone new.
05:02Prince, a star who needs no introduction, crafted Nothing Compares to You for his band
05:09The Family in the 1980s.
05:11When it was first released, it largely went ignored compared to the others on the album.
05:22Less than a decade later, it was covered and transformed by Sinead O'Connor, who helped
05:26turn it into a global phenomenon.
05:28She updated the key, giving it an even more emotional tone in the process.
05:33The success inspired Prince to re-release the number, creating several rousing renditions
05:38that helped remind the world exactly who penned the masterful ballad.
05:455.
05:48Wake Me Up – Avicii This has to be one of the most unexpected
05:52collaborations in recent history.
05:54Avicii was already a household name, but his 2013 single Wake Me Up took his career
06:00to even higher heights.
06:08While the production stood out, that isn't the only element that added to its pop perfection.
06:12A litany of artists across various genres pitched in to help add to the piece.
06:17The acoustic guitar heard throughout was written and performed by Mike Einziger, the guitarist
06:22for Incubus.
06:31He had a hand in creating the progression and melody, two aspects that immediately stood
06:36out in the final product.
06:37The combination of different genres helped its success even more, cementing it as one
06:42of the most successful and interesting dance songs in recent history.
06:504.
06:55She-Wolf – Shakira Some songs are so far removed from one's
06:59original genre that it's hard to believe they had any involvement at all.
07:11Sam Endicott, primarily known for his work with post-punk group The Bravery, proves that
07:16he excelled at much more than just rock.
07:19He had a huge hand in composing the instrumental for She-Wolf, one of Shakira's most successful
07:24singles to date.
07:33Although Endicott didn't initially create it with Shakira in mind, as soon as she asked,
07:37he sent it over without any hesitation.
07:40The singer added her own lyrics to it, and the rest, as they say, is history.
07:44Endicott later gave his seal of approval, praising it for how far it went outside the
07:49box compared to other pop music.
07:563.
08:01Get the Party Started – Pink Some artists are still learning new talents
08:13well into adulthood.
08:14Linda Perry, known as the frontwoman of 4 Non Blondes, has found more recent success
08:19writing ditties for young stars.
08:21She's been successful with rock-adjacent hits with songs like What You Waiting For
08:25by Gwen Stefani, becoming insta-classics.
08:35Perry's first pop creation was 2001's Get the Party Started, which emerged after
08:39she began experimenting with production tools.
08:42She then did the same with the lyrics, peppering in several popular phrases at the time.
09:00After realizing she'd accidentally created the perfect dance track, Perry offered it
09:04to Madonna, who turned it down.
09:07The song eventually found its way to Pink, earning her another top 5 single on the Billboard
09:12Hot 100.
09:212.
09:22Manic Monday – The Bangles Sometimes a crush can lead to so much more
09:26than a potential relationship.
09:35Although it's now primarily associated with The Bangles, Manic Monday was actually written
09:40by Prince in 1984 for another group, Apollonia 6.
09:44While it ended up falling through for them, it still saw the light of day just a couple
09:49of years later.
09:57The star had been a fan of The Bangles up to that point, and a supposed crush on one
10:02of their members led to him offering them the track under a pen name.
10:05The group eagerly accepted, and after putting their own spin on it, it was finally released.
10:11It soon rocketed to the top of the charts, giving The Bangles their first hit single.
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10:381.
10:40Beautiful – Christina Aguilera Although Linda Perry's previously mentioned
10:52work with rock-adjacent stars helped her find her footing in pop, this track cemented her
10:57status with the broader genre.
10:59Her most notable contribution in that field was with Christina Aguilera's heartfelt
11:03ballad, Beautiful.
11:07While it was originally written with the intention of being a solo piece for Perry herself, all
11:15it took was hearing Aguilera sing it once to hand it over to her instead.
11:20She was impressed by the star's vulnerability and raw vocals, which are featured on the
11:24final version.
11:25It ended up becoming one of her signature hits, securing both her place as one of her
11:29generation's best rising stars and Perry's place as an invaluable contributor to the
11:34art form.
11:40Which pop song were you most surprised to learn was crafted by a rock star?
11:43Let us know in the comments below!
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