So because I'm bored atm I'll take a look at every single one of those and rate them from 1 to 5, but not based on my opinion, but on how often I've heard the song or I've seen other people listening to it. Furthermore I'm gonna compare this list to the official
german charts and also rate them.
At the end I'll add my personal hit of the year, based on popularity
AND my opinion.
1998
List : Celine Dion - My heart will go on 5/5
German Charts : My heart will go on 5/5
"My" Hit : I was born in 2001, so I can't really say much about this till ~2005 maybe, I'll just skip this part for now
Comment : This is a song actually everyone knows. I also kinda like it, even if I would not consider myself old-fashioned
1999
List : Cher - Believe 2,5/5
German Charts : Lou Bega -Mamboo Nr. 5 5/5
"My" Hit : Skip
Comment : I've heard about the Song in the list before, but hell, it took me 2 times to recognize I've ever heard about it. Plus " #1 Hits" are most likely to be popular even a "few" years after, and this song just reached a bit more over 8mill views on YT. I don't only want to argue with the YT views, but I hope you got my point.
Mamboo Nr 5 is a song I would recognize instantly if someone would give me the instrumentals, nothing more to add, I don't think I know a person who doesn't know the song
2000
List : Madonna - Music 5/5
German Charts : Anton ft. DJ Ötzi - Anton aus Tirol 5/5
"My" Hit : Skip
Comment : I can't really compare this since german music was still popular back then, but I can just say that there is probably no person i know ( around my age or older ofc ) who doesn't know those songs
2001
List : Shaggy - It wasn't me 4.5/5
German Charts : No Angels - Daylight in your Eyes 2/5
"My" Hit : Skip
Comment : Shaggy's song is still popular up to today. Compared to "It wasn't me", "Daylight in your Eyes" is just another song I've got to know years ago through the radio. I couldn't have told you who the artist is if you would've asked me, so I'll give this one 2 points since I atleast knew the song I guess.
Funfact : "It wasn't me" is placed #20 in the Official German Charts at the end of the year lol
2002
List : Shakira - Whenever, Wherever 5/5
German Charts : Las Ketchup - The Ketchup Song 5/5
"My" Hit : Skip
Comment : Close one on this, Shakira was #2 in the German Charts. Back when i was in primary school the ketchup song was still a huge meme ( I would just somehow consider this as a troll song ), while Shakira is a superstar with a good hit. Both of them made great hits here
2003
List : Evanescence - Bring me to Life 5/5
German Charts : DSDS ( equal to "America's Got Talent" ) - We Have A Dream 0/5
"My" Hit : Skip
Comment : Not much to say, Bring me to Life is a great song which still has a lot of people listening to it, including myself. Till now, I would consider this as the "most accurate Hit", dunno how to express my thoughts.
Meanwhile I've never heard about the German thingy, seems to be a compilation of the top 10 from that show. I think it was a hit back then because it was the first season of the show that aired in my country. I even asked some friends if they know this song and nope, they don't
2004
List : Maroon 5 - This love 2/5
German Charts : O-Zone Dragostea Din Tei 5/5
"My" Hit :
Cool song from Maroon 5, but never expected it to be a great hit, ofc I can't remember much of chart hypes when I was around 3 back then, but I guess this is the first one I really have to disagree with completely. I could name u way more songs from 2004 that probably were more popular in my country, which is why I can't agree with this one. I don't want to hate the song or anything, this is just my POV
O-Zone's Dragostea Din Tei is somehow similar to the Ketchup Song, if u want to know more about my experience, just scroll up again.
2005
List : Green Day - Boulevard of broken dreams 5/5
German Charts : Schnappi - Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil -5/5
"My" Hit : Tokio Hotel - Durch den Monsun 5/5
Green day is still so popular and it is a song I can remember very well, because my mom listened to it so often back then. It was played almost everywhere and I would consider it as a good hit.
Schnappi das kleine Krokodil : I'm not going to say anything about it, just look at it if you want to know what it is about
But personally I would consider Tokio Hotel as the winner in my country, since it placed #2 in the german charts and some "Radio Boxes" were available at McDonalds with some popular songs, including Green Day's BOBD and Durch den Monsun. They were a teenager dream back then
2006
List : Shakira - Hips don't lie 4.5/5
German Charts : Bob Sinclar - Love Generation 5/5
"My" Hit : Bob Sinclar - Love Generation 5/5
Everything I mentioned above about Shakira's previous hit applies here, too.
But I don't think I have to mention that the FIFA Football cup was hosted in germany in 2006, which is why this song is also on top of this list.
2007
List : Rihanna - Umbrella 5/5
German Charts : DJ Ötzi - Ein Stern 5/5
"My" Hit : Rihanna - Umbrella 5/5
Rihannas breakthrough era,
- popular back then
- everyone knows the chorus
- popular till now
DJ Ötzi just with another german song that is well known here, but since "My" Hit is about my personal preference, I won't go with the german song for sure :D
2008
List : Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 4/5
German Charts : Timbaland - Apologize 5/5
"My" Hit : Katy Perry - I kissed a girl 5/5
I could just start with a "bla bla this song is well known..." but ofc it is, its still a worldwide hit, why should it not deserve this win tho? But theres nothing more I could add, so I can not fully agree here.
Apologize is probably the song almost everyone I know would point out here, some would also mention "Ich + Ich" aswell, but hell I know both of them almost by heart and I will agree with both of them. But for me personally, I kissed a girl was way better and had its own spring/summer era imo.
2009
List : Lady Gaga - Poker Face 5/5
German Charts : Lady Gaga - Poker Face 5/5
"My" Hit : Lady Gaga - Poker Face 5/5
Ok next one
2010
List : Katy Perry - California Gurls 5/5
German Charts : Isreal IZ - Over the Rainbow 5/5
"My" Hit : Lena Meyer-Landrut Satellite 5/5
I don't think I have to argue about Katy Perry, cause I would also mention this song if Lena wasn't there. Over the Rainbow was somehow popular and I still don't get why ( too lazy to research, I've already been writing and researching for around 50mins atm ).
Because of the Eurovision Song Contest and the fact that Lena won the ESC bringing a huge hype into our country including a famous FIFA Soccer cup parody to this song just made this one unforgettable
2011
List : Adele - Rolling in the Deep 5/5
German Charts : Jennifer Lopez - On the Floor 4/5
"My" Hit : Adele - Rolling in the Deep 5/5
Adele was so outstanding this year and even tho I really did not like the song back then and I would consider myself being neutral to it atm, I have to admit that my POV on the songs in 2011 won't change a thing and this is indeed the hit of the year.
2012
List : GOTYE - Somebody that I used to know 4.75/5
German Charts : Michel Telo - Ai se eu te pego! 4.5/5
"My" Hit : Gangnam Style 6/5
I don't think I have to argue why gangnam style is superior here. I don't get how other songs are listed above a song everyone was hyped to.
Gangnam Style is ranked #8 and there is a song above that I don't know at all. 2012 was probably my fav year with Rihanna "Diamonds", The "I follow you aka I follow rivers" thingy and call me maybe.
2013
List : Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines 3/5
German Charts : Avicii - Wake me up 5/5
"My" Hit : Skip, too many i love and this year was also one of the best.
Honorable Mentions : Radioactive, Let her go, Safe and sound, Get lucky, Hall of fame, ...
Blurred Lines ranked #2 in the german charts, but was morely unpopular like either u really liked it or u hated it. Just another Justin Bieber thingy and after about half a month I already forgot this song, like many other people I know
Wake me up had its own hype here and I would fully agree with a person mentioning any of the honorable mentions or Avicii.
2014
List : Pharrell Williams - Happy 5/5
German Charts : Helene Fischer - Atemlos durch die Nacht 5/5
"My" Hit : Pharrell Williams - Happy 5/5
Atemlos durch die Nacht is another song morely 30+ and especially 50+ yo people seemed to like, among other people this was still a meme.
I would consider Happy and Atemlos durch die Nacht as legit POVs, everything else is prob not #1 worthy
2015
List : Mark Ronson - Uptown funk 3/5
German Charts : Omi - Cheerleader 5/5
"My" Hit : Namika - Lieblingsmensch 5/5
Uptown funk placed #22 in germany, guess that argument is good enough.
Omi had his own style and brought a cool song with own vibes, which is why it prob was so popular. But around everyone I know, people would prob mention Namika or Felix Jaehn. I would go with the german song, cause it kinda had its own era here imo and the fact everyone knew the lyrics is also a huge +++
2016
List : Justin Timberlake - Cant stop the feeling 4/5
German Charts : Alan Walker - Faded 5/5
"My" Hit : Faded 5/5
Justin Timberlake had a huge hype, but was only able to place #10 in germany. Other artists were probably too strong and that cool song just kinda was unable to fight itself on top. I personally would give it a 5/5 too, but literally noone would consider this one as #1 here.
I'll go with Faded.
2017
List : Ed Sheeran - Shape of you 5/5
German Charts : Ed Sheeran - Shape of you 5/5
"My" Hit : Ed Sheeran - Shape of you 5/5
Ok cool
2018
List : Ed Sheeran - Perfect 5/5
German Charts : Dynoro - In my mind 4/5
"My" Hit : Dynoro - In my mind 5/5
Ed Sheeran placed 2nd, but was unable to fight itself up against a song almost noone I know knows, thats weird. I personally know that song and I really love it, which is why i give a +1 point there in my personal POV. Since it placed #1 in the charts too I would just consider this song as the winner here, but 2018 was indeed a weird year for the charts. But I would not disagree with Ed Sheeran's Perfect either.
Sorry for all the Grammar and Spelling mistakes, this took me legit over one hour even tho I planned to do this in 10min