What's The Ultimate TRL Song?
This morning I decided to wake up with a video I found that had a short clip of the most popular TRL songs in show history.
Shockingly TRL went to 2008 but let's be honest, this shit stopped in like 2003. At its peak there was nothing like TRL though. It gave us the Britney vs Christina rivalry. It gave us Backstreet Boys vs NSync. It gave us something to watch the moment we got home from school and then get pissed about where a song was ranked. It was wonderful.
But I posed the question for that reason. What's the ultimate TRL song. Actually, it's not even the song, it's the music video that goes along with it. Last night during The Challenge (which started this all) they played Korn and that really got the wheels spinning. Korn randomly upsetting one of the boy bands or Britney/Christina was always a massive story the next day at the lunch table.
Now this is obviously strictly an opinion based answer, but you can be wrong. Let's get into some honorable mentions first thanks to answers from Twitter:
True Contenders
Christina Aguilera
Don't get me wrong, a phenomenal answer. Genie in a Bottle put Christina on the map. But it's not a top-2 TRL song for her. They say men lie, women lie but numbers never lie and it didn't do the numbers as Dirrty or Lady Marmalade. Both of those fall in honorable mention too (seriously enjoy the Dirrty video. That might deserve its own blog)
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Eminem - Real Slim Shady
On the short list for correct answers and a for sure honorable mention. It was one of the iconic music videos of that era and I still remember the first time you saw it immediately hopping on AIM to discuss it with friends.
Britney Spears - Baby One More Time
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Just an iconic music video - especially as someone who went to Catholic school during this. This was her TRL song though. I know Toxic and I'm A Slave 4 U are up there, but this is the TRL song for Britney.
Korn - Freak on A Leash
Still can't believe the run this had. Felt like for sure the people just anti-boy bands trying to overthrow the legends at the top of the TRL game.
Blink 182 - What's My Age Again
Talk about an iconic music video. This is one of those that didn't have the run up top that it should have. It's like guys like Ewing that had to go up against Jordan every year. When Jordan was gone, he had Hakeem. Just a brutal draw. But when I think TRL, this song is one of the 4-5 I immediately think of.
Tom Green - Bum Bum Song
Strictly for this story
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Runner-Up
Nsync - Bye, Bye, Bye
Tough to really lock in an NSYNC song, but it's gotta be this one. Between the jam and the music video and the run it had up top, I'm giving this one the edge. Hell, you could probably do a list of the 10 best TRL songs just by using NSYNC. However it's not the ultimate TRL song.
The Real Winner
Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way
The plane in the music video. The jam. I leaned more towards the Backstreet Boys than NSYNC although JT is the best of them all. But this song is TRL. The fact that you can just walk into any bar and say 'You Are' and there will be multiple people that immediately respond with 'MY FIIIIRE' says all you need to know about this song.
So I ask you again - what's the ultimate TRL song?