The Top 30 Songs of 2006*: #10-1

In 2006, the population of the United States went over 300 million while the Pittsburgh Steelers toppled the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 to win the Super Bowl.  In college football, Boise State capped its rise to elite status by defeating Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime to win the Fiesta Bowl in what many fans and experts called the greatest college football game ever played.

In music, these 10 songs led the way:

#10:

Check On It

Beyonce

At #10*, a song that prevailed at #1 for 5 weeks in the U.S and reached #1 in New Zealand, #2 in Norway, #3 in the U.K., the Netherlands and Scotland, #5 in Canada and France, #6 in Finland, #7 in Switzerland, #8 in Denmark and #10 in Austria.  It won Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.  The song has allowed others to pass it in the last 10 years because of the fact that it ranks only #46 from 2006 for like-to-dislike ratio on YouTube.

#9:

Because Of You

Kelly Clarkson

This artist originally wrote this song at age 16 about the emotional distress she felt after her parents divorced.  Included on Kelly Clarkson's second album Breakaway, the song has sold over two million copies.  It reached #1 in Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Brazil, #2 in Canada, #3 in Austria, #4 in Germany and Australia, #5 in Ireland, Norway and Belgium, #6 in Scotland, #7 overall and #1 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and #3 Adult Contemporary in the U.S. and #7 in the U.K.  Clarkson won Best Female Video at the MTV Video Music Awards and the video was nominated for Viewer's Choice Award.

#8:

Chasing Cars

Snow Patrol

This song by northern Irish rock band Snow Patrol peaked at #5 overall but was a #1 Adult Contemporary smash in the United States.  It also reached #2 in Austria, #3 in New Zealand, #4 in Switzerland, #6 in the U.K. and Ireland, #8 in Germany and #10 in Norway.  Snow Patrol was nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards.  With over six million in sales, "Chasing Cars" continues to be strong, ranking #7 for the year for views and #11 in like-to-dislike ratio on YouTube.

#7:

Crazy

Gnarls Barkley

Up next, a huge international hit.  It spent seven straight weeks at #2 in the U.S. behind Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" but has since passed it. The song rose to #1 in the U.K., Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Hungary and Switzerland, #2 in Australia, Italy and Norway, #3 in Germany, France, the Netherland and Belgium, and #4 in Sweden.  Gnarls Barkley won the Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and was nominated for Record of the Year.  The group was also nominated for Best Group Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.  "Crazy" is now credited with over five million copies sold worldwide.

#6:

You're Beautiful

James Blunt

This British artist made quite a splash with this single from his debut album, which hit #1 in nine countries.  In the United States, James Blunt held on to #1 for four weeks overall and also #1 Adult Contemporary and the song also rose to #1 in the U.K., Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Belgium, #2 in Germany, Australia and Switzerland, #4 in New Zealand and Denmark, #5 in France and #6 in Austria.  "You're Beautiful" was nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year as well as Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  To date, it has sold over three million copies in the U.S. alone.  

#5:

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Green Day

Green Day made a huge comeback in 2006 when all four singles from their album American Idiot were certified Platinum.  This one at #5 is the biggest.  It was written by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong for his father, who died in September of 1982 from cancer.  It reached #6 overall in the U.S. but went to #1 on the Mainstream Top 40 chart and #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart.  The song also peaked at #8 in the U.K. and #10 in New Zealand.  While its chart performance doesn't match others in this range for the year, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" is one of the most acclaimed of the year.  Green Day won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and were nominated for Album of the Year, won the American Music Award for Favorite Alternate Artist and was nominated for Artist of the Year and Favorite Pop/Rod Duo or Band, they won Pop Group of the Year, Hot 100 Group of the Year, Album Group of the Year, Rock Artist of the Year and Modern Rock Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards and they were nominated for Artist of the Year and they won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Musical Group or Band. 

#4:

Photograph

Nickelback

At #4 for 2006, another huge international hit.  "Photograph" reached #1 in Canada, #2 in the United States overall and #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #2 in Austria and Belgium, #3 in Australia and #4 in New Zealand and the Netherlands.  The song not only had good chart success but the accolades came in from throughout the world.  Nickelback's album All the Right Reasons won the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album and the group was nominated for Favorite Pop/Rock Band, Duo or Group and Favorite Alternative Artist.  Nickelback also won Billboard Music Awards for Duo or Group of the Year at Hot 100 Artist Duo or Group of the Year and were nominated for Artist of the Year and Rock Album of the Year.

#3:

Gold Digger

Kanye West and Jamie Foxx

This song became popular in late 2005 and continued well into 2006.  All told, it spent 10 weeks at #1 in the U.S and peaked at #1 in Australia and New Zealand, #2 in the U.K., #3 in Ireland and Scotland and #5 in Canada.  Song #3* was nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards and won for Best Rap Solo Performance.  The song has now sold over five million units.  "Gold Digger" ranks ninth among 2006 songs for YouTube views, continuing to prove itself strong 10 years later.

#2:

Bad Day
Daniel Powter

This next smash went to #1 on the Adult Top 40 chart for 12 weeks and presided at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for an incredible 19 weeks and also topped the Popular chart in the United States.  Daniel Powter also scored a #1 song in Ireland and Scotland and reached #2 in the U.K., #3 in Australia, France and Italy, #5 in Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium, #6 in the Netherlands, #7 in Canada and Norway and #8 in Sweden.  At the end of the year, it was the seventh-most-played song and was Billboard's #1 song for 2006.  The song has sold over 4.5 million copies and was nominated for Hot 100 Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  "Bad Day" continues to be solid 10 years later, ranking #1 on YouTube for its like-to-dislike ratio.

#1:

Unwritten

Natasha Bedingfield

The #1 Song of 2006* was near the top that year and it continues to get stronger over the years.  Natasha Bedingfield remained at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for 10 weeks and peaked at #5 overall in the United States and reached #4 in Canada, #5 in the Netherlands, #6 in the U.K. and #9 in Ireland.  "Unwritten" was the most-played song of the year and was nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards.