# Best #1 single of the year retrospective: 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040 "2014-12-01T16:16:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/1 "2014-12-01T16:16:02Z")
We’re in the home stretch now, folks. Our survey takes us now to 2008. This year (the tail end of 2007 actually) gives us the last major change in the Hot 100 formula until 2013 - streaming and satellite radio are now included in the metrics along with terrestrial radio. There was no carryover this year, and we have 14 songs to choose from, including a few artists we haven’t heard from in several years, and some we’ll be seeing quite often in the last few polls. What’s your favorite? Previous polls: [1955-56](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731649) [1957](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=731871) [1958](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732021) [1959](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732199)[1960](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732526) [1961](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732691) [1962](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=732872) [1963](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733112) [1964](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733297) [1965](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733526) [1966](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733750) [1967](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=733958) [1968](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734168) [1969](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734331) [1970](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734535) [1971](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=734741) [1972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735107) [1973](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735304) [1974](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735502) [1975](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735659) [1976](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=735871) [1977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736076) [1978](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736316) [1979](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736501) [1980](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736705) [1981](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=736957) [1982](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737099) [1983](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737315) [1984](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737488) [1985](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737732) [1986](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737957) [1987](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738178) [1988](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738403) [1989](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738639) [1990](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=738829) [1991](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739067) [1992](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739360) [1993](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739525) [1994](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739880) [1995](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740122) [1996](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740302) [1997](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740497) [1998](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740709) [1999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=740859) [2000](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741047) [2001](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741267) [2002](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741450) [2003](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741604) [2004](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741730) [2005](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=741915) [2006](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742069) [2007](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=742147) [2012](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=675664) [2013](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710843) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/2 "2014-12-01T16:23:20Z")
“Single Ladies” by Beyonce. Although I like most of the songs on this list. A very good year for pop overall. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/3 "2014-12-01T16:50:46Z")
Busy day ahead so before my quick vote I will add I have a scary hatred for 2008, first time I considered abstaining ever. Thank God Leona Lewis vanished in the U.S and I wished Katy Perry would have met the same fate. I laugh when people claim somehow that Beyoncé’s single is a great classic or what not. Most her music sounds dated. No worth mentioning the pile of garbage found on this list. What a pathetic end to her #1 singles Mariah Carey had with this song. Only savior on this list if Coldplay, not their best single but their only pop #1 and they walk away with this. May Leona Lewis single burn in hell! ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/4 "2014-12-01T16:59:45Z")
Easy choice for Beyoncé. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/5 "2014-12-01T17:03:24Z")
Debated between Beyonce and Flo Rida. Flo Rida won. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/6 "2014-12-01T18:08:23Z")
_Very_ tough call between _Single Ladies, Disturbia_, and _I Kissed A Girl_, but Beyonce for the win. Pleasant surprise - I have heard of all the songs in the list for once! Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/7 "2014-12-01T18:41:21Z")
Coldplay it is. And good god, is “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” an annoying fucking song! ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/8 "2014-12-01T20:09:09Z")
Coldplay for want of a better song. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/9 "2014-12-01T20:39:03Z")
Beyonce by a mile. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/10 "2014-12-01T21:01:50Z")
I’m not a big fan of Coldplay, but Viva La Vida was a great song. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/11 "2014-12-01T22:49:48Z")
“Single Ladies” was an easy pick, with “Live Your Life” coming in second in the world-famous **Ponch8 Music Rating System**. Now for dead-ass last place. This year features the first Dr. Luke-produced #1 single. [Dr. Luke](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737413) has abused Kesha in all sorts of ways, including rape, druggings, and verbal abuse over the last decade. Every Dr. Luke-produced song that doesn’t feature Kesha will receive an AUTOMATIC ZERO score in the **Ponch8 Music Rating System** and will automatically finish dead-ass last. “I Kissed a Girl” gets an AUTOMATIC ZERO. (Note: Kesha appears in the video for this song, so obviously the video is much better than the song itself.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/12 "2014-12-01T23:37:33Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > I’m not a big fan of Coldplay, but Viva La Vida was a great song. This largely mirrors my own opinion. In general, I find Coldplay excessively mellow and same-y. Viva La Vida is easily their best song, and it’s a breath of fresh air in this list - in an age of party songs, club songs, and general bubblegum, along comes an orchestral rock anthem with explicitly religious lyrics and universal themes about the corrupting influence of power and what it feels like to lose it all. “I Kissed A Girl”, “Bleeding Love”, and “So What” are also enjoyable IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/13 "2014-12-02T00:02:44Z")
I have not heard even one of those songs. It is official. I am old. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/14 "2014-12-02T01:30:31Z")
Can we go back to 1964? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/15 "2014-12-02T01:48:23Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > Can we go back to 1964? No. Well, maybe - one of my ideas for a future poll is to use the Billboard year-end charts and do a “Best of the Top 40” retrospective for the sake of all those who were upset that some of the most iconic jams of their day never made it to #1. But mostly no. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/16 "2014-12-02T04:42:38Z")
Whatever You Like and Lollipop for brilliant production. The rest is recyclable pop cheese, Single Ladies standing paramount in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/17 "2014-12-02T12:55:33Z")
_So What_, only just ahead of the _Coldplay_. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/18 "2014-12-02T13:29:34Z")
Surprised at the lack of love for Leona Lewis, maybe it’s because her style is less exposed in Britain than the US. Personally I think she is possibly the best singer ever discovered by a TV talent show, in terms of sheer vocal ability. And I like Bleeding Love, even though I’m not a fan of the lyrics and it’s (still) somewhat over-played. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/19 "2014-12-02T14:45:00Z")
Poor Britney. No love for her “I still got it” #1 or whatever Womanizer was. ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-1-single-of-the-year-retrospective-2008/706040/20 "2014-12-03T04:18:04Z")
Usher’s is the only song I’m not ashamed to still like and it got me so much ass in college. I damn near grew up on Usher so I’m very fond of his music.