11 Songs Associated with Number One, Vol. 2 | Playlist

11 Songs Associated with Number One, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of blink-182, Madison Beer, Mariah Carey, Troye Sivan, and Whitney Houston. 

Almost three years ago, in March 2021, The Musical Hype unveiled a playlist, focused on ‘one’ – 11 Songs Associated with Number One. Now, almost three years later, we return with the sequel, 11 Songs Associated with Number One, Vol. 2.  The parameters of the second playlist of 2024 aren’t deep – ONE must be featured in the song title.  In other words, no deep analysis or overthinking went into the development of this musical compendium. 11 Songs Associated with Number One, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of blink-182, Madison Beer, Mariah Carey, Troye Sivan, and Whitney Houston among others.  So, without further ado, embrace the power of ONE that is 11 Songs Associated with Number One, Vol. 2!

1. Troye Sivan, “One of Your Girls”  

Something To Give Each Other • Universal Music Australia Pty Ltd. • 2023 

“One Of Your Girls” caught everyone’s attention as the third single from Something To Give Each Other, coinciding with the album’s release.  The music video garnered plenty of attention, with its eye candy, namely a shirtless Ross Lynch with his jeans unbuttoned .  But there’s even more fierceness: Troye Sivan in drag. Oh, snap!  The visuals are stunning, but so is the song too. Sivan gives us cool, expressive vocals. Melodically, this Sivan, OZGO (Oscar Görres), and Leland composition is tuneful, particularly the chorus.  “Give me a call if you ever get lonely / I’ll be like one of your girls or your homies,” Sivan sings, continuing, “Say what you want, and I’ll keep a secret.” Ah, a discreet arrangement! Sexuality is complex, and “One Of Your Girls” does a masterful job of showing such a complex scenario. 

2. Whitney Houston, “One Moment in Time”   

I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston • RCA • 2021   

“Each day I live / I want to be / A day to give / The best of me / I’m only one / But not alone / My finest day / Is yet unknown.” What beautiful, beautiful lyrics.  With so many hits to her name, it seems sometimes that the Whitney Houston gem, “One Moment in Time” doesn’t get enough credit.  This ballad was penned by Albert Hammond and John Bettis. The perfect fit for a big-voiced diva like Houston, she performed it at the 1988 Summer Olympics.  Ultimately, “One Moment in Time” wouldn’t appear on a studio album. Whitney had been released in 1987, and her next album, I’m Your Baby Tonight didn’t arrive until November 1990. Eventually, this no. 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 appeared on greatest hits compilations, though sometimes, it also manages to be omitted.  That’s a travesty for a gold single.  Thankfully, I Will Always Love You: The Best of Whitney Houston includes this moving ballad. 

In the verses, Houston shows control.  She never over sings highlighting the tunefulness of the melody.  At the same time, she sings with incredible authenticity, expression, and nuance.  The sense is always that Whitney is leading up to something bigger – truly momentous.  That moment, of course, is the beloved chorus.  Here, she soars, showing off her powerhouse vocals, backed by an awesome musical arrangement and grand production by the legendary Narada Michael Walden. “Give me one moment in time / When I’m racing with destiny,” she sings radiantly, continuing, “Then in that one moment of time / I will feel / I will feel eternity.”  Besides the chorus, another epic moment is the bridge (“You’re a winner for a lifetime / If you seize that one moment in time / Make it shine”), which prepares for a truly gargantuan final chorus and the big finish, where Houston proclaims, “I will be free.” “One Moment in Time” marks another utterly sublime moment from the Whitney Houston catalog. #ICONIC.  

Appears in :     

• Whitney Houston, One Moment in Time: Throwback Vibez No. 135 (2023)    
• Moment: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 71 (2023)    
• 11 Songs Where the Moment is Key (2023)   
• 13 Songs Where U Know What TIME It Is (2023)  
• Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 4 (2023)  

3. blink-182, “ONE MORE TIME”  

ONE MORE TIME • Viking Wizard Eyes, LLC / Columbia • 2023 

“From brothers into strangers once again.” Oh my! “I wish they told us, it shouldn’t take a sickness / Or airplanes falling out the sky.” Read into both lyrics excerpted from “ONE MORE TIME”, and it is clear that Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, and Travis Barker have been through a lot. The good news is that blink-182 are reunited in their original lineup for their 2023 album, ONE MORE TIME.  Question: “Do I have to die to hear you miss me?” “ONE MORE TIME” commences with rich rhythm guitar accompaniment which signals a more serious, somber sound.  The first voice heard is the comeback kid, DeLonge.  He shines with his expressive instrument.  There is a fine addition of strings following the first verse prior to the second, performed by Hoppus. DeLonge takes on vocal duties once more in the pre-chorus and chorus.  Both sections are gritter, featuring a more dynamic backdrop. The chorus is simple lyrically, but tuneful: “One more time / One more / One more time / One more time.” DeLonge and Hoppus duet in the third verse, which adds drumming by Barker, finally. Interestingly, or perhaps, shockingly, all three members sing on the final chorus. While “ONE MORE TIME” is light years away from the band’s more immature works of the 90s/00s, there’s lots to appreciate and like about it.  The slow, steady evolution is awesome – incredible musical.  Most importantly, the brotherhood is alive and well on this personal, meaningful, and reflective song.     

Appears in :   

• Awesome Songs: October 2023  
• 13 Songs Where U Know What TIME It Is (2023)  

4. Madison Beer, “Home to Another One”  

Silence Between Songs • Epic / Sing It Loud • 2023 

“I know what I should say / ‘I don’t think of you,’ but I do.” Pop singer Madison Beer sings these relatable lyrics in the first verse of “Home To Another One” (Silence Between Songs). Beer has had her fair share of noise that takes away from her music.  That said, she delivers a short but sweet bop with “Home to Another One.” Here, the relationship has ended, and Madison is NOT over it.  Even though she’s still in mourning, her ex has moved on. “Now you hold her gently,” she sings in the second verse, adding, “Don’t you wish you saw us through? / ‘Cause I do, I do.” Of course, the centerpiece of this slickly produced dance-pop cut (Beer, Leroy Clampitt, and One Love) is the chorus:       

“Call me, ‘baby’   

I know you go home to another one   

Say you hate me   

It’s okay, boy, you’re not the only one   

Another year, we’re still here…”      

Does any resolution come out of “Home To Another One” for Madison Beer? Meh, not really. The good news is that she shines, giving listeners the perfect tune for summer and beyond. 

Appears in :  

• Awesome Songs: June 2023  

5. Larry Graham, “One in a Million You” 

One in a Million You • Warner • 1980   

“But one day, the sun came a-shinin’ through / The rain had stopped and the skies were blue.”  Larry Graham is renowned for playing bass in Sly & The Family Stone as well as fronting Graham Central Station.  The baritone is also renowned for one big, beloved solo hit, “One in a Million You”.  “One in a Million You” is the opening track and crème de la crème of his 1980 album, One in a Million You. This R&B gem experienced pop success, reaching no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.  On the R&B songs chart, it peaked at no. 1. Graham received his sole Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards (he ultimately lost to George Benson).       

“One in a Million You” is all about that extra special person.  Written by Sam Dees, the lyrics are utterly sublime, beginning with epic opening lines, “Love had played its games on me so long / I started to believe I’d never find anyone.” That sentiment is so relatable.  Likewise, in the second verse, Graham admits, “I was a lonely man with empty arms to fill.” What happened, though? “Then, I found a piece of happiness to call my own / And life is worth livin’ again / For to love you, is to live.” Yes, yes, yes! The chorus is where the singer’s bread is truly buttered.  The expressiveness with which he sings amplifies the level of authenticity, particularly as the record progresses.         

“A one in a million chance of a lifetime    

And life showed compassion    

And sent to me a stroke of love called ‘You’    

A one in a million you.”    

Well-performed, well-written, and well-produced, “One in a Million You” is an R&B classic for the ages.  Yes, it was the only pop hit for Graham as a solo artist, but it cemented his legacy, PERIOD.    

Appears in :    

• 12 Songs Focused on a Million (2021)   
• Larry Graham, One in a Million You: 1 Hit WONDERful No. 12 (2023)  
• Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 4 (2023)  

6. Post Malone & The Weeknd, “One Right Now”  

Twelve Carat Toothache • Mercury / Republic • 2022  

“You think it’s so easy fuckin’ with my feelings / I got one comin’ over and one right now.” Damn, that’s quite an assertion there The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye).  Of course, the “ones” that Tesfaye is referencing are girls – shocker! The Grammy-winning Canadian R&B superstar collaborates with the one and only Post Malone on “One Right Now” (Twelve Carat Toothache), capturing those pesky matters of the heart, specifically, being D-O-N-E with an ex. Early on, “One Right Now” establishes a unique sound, thanks to lit production by Louis Bell, Brian Lee, and Andrew Bolooki.  It plays right into the hands of The Weeknd with its 80s vibes. Those vibes also work well for Post.  Tesfaye takes first blood, throwing some f-bombs in the mix on the chorus. Following his first verse (“I fucked you so good, you should pay me”), Post sings the chorus originally performed by Tesfaye, joining forces on the final iteration.  That final iteration arrives after the second verse, performed by Tesfaye. Here, he scathingly tells his ex, “You’re a stain on my legacy /… Oh, you belong to the world now.” Ultimately, Post Malone and The Weeknd make a formidable team.  “One Right Now” is well-produced, well-performed, and relatable.  The anger and pain exhibited by both artists is our listening pleasure. Oh, the schadenfreude!  

Appears in :  

• Awesome Songs: November 2021 

7. Tove Lo, “No One Dies From Love”   

Dirt Femme • Pretty Swede / mtheory • 2022 

“I know that they say that / No one dies from love / Guess I’ll be the first.” Sigh, those matters of the heart, Tove Lo (Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson), they’ll mess you up every time! On “No One Dies From Love” (Dirt Femme, 2022) the Swedish musician is experiencing the blues.  At one time, her relationship was flourishing but things happened. As she sings honestly in the pre-chorus, “It escalated so fast / We yelled things we can’t take back.” Indeed, indeed.  The good news is her pain is our listening pleasure on this enjoyable and highly relatable single. Nilsson penned “No One Dies From Love” alongside producer A Strut, who puts in work behind the boards.  Those synths and pads sound amazing as does the beat. Nilsson has a tremendous backdrop supporting her.  Of course, she sings lovely, delivering honest lyrics about what happened to what was once a good thing. “We were so magical, why end this way?” she sings in the first verse, adding in the second, “Somehow, we’re strangers, but share this pain.” Love’s got her and her ex- down, but again, their pain is our listening pleasure.  The chorus is the crowning achievement: “No one dies from love / Guess I’ll be the first / Will you remember us? / Or are the memories too stained with blood now?” Great vocals, relatable lyrics, and top-notch production make this a surefire bop!    

Appears in :   

• Awesome Songs: May 2022  
• 13 Notable Nobody, No One Songs (2022) 
• 15 Epic Songs Worth Dying For (2023)  

8. Arctic Monkeys, “One Point Perspective”  

Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino • Domino • 2018

A piano ostinato is among the first things that stands out on “One Point Perspective.” That’s expected of course, given the emphasis placed on piano on the Arctic Monkeys’ Grammy-nominated, 2018 album, Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino. “One Point Perspective” appears as the second track from the LP, which I’m still bummed didn’t win a Grammy (it was one of my personal favorites from 2018).  Anyways, this isn’t about taking an “L,” but rather, about the #winning exhibited by “One Point Perspective.” The opening lyric from front man Alex Turner – “Dancing in my underpants / I’m gonna run for government” – certainly packs a punch.  Much like the opener (“Star Treatment”) and ultimately, the entire LP, the lyrics and concept are odd but interesting.  This three-and-a-half-minute number encompasses politics, covering songs, obscure documentaries, and generally disjointed thoughts (“Bear with me, man, I lost my train of thought”).  “One Point Perspective” = intriguing to the nth degree.   

Appears in :  

• 13 Songs That Get Straight to the Point (2022)  

9. Orleans, “Still The One”    

Waking and Dreaming • Elektra • 1976  

“You’re still the one who can scratch my itch / (You’re) Still the one that I wouldn’t switch / We’re still having fun and you’re still the one.”  Ooh, wee, John Hall!  When it comes to Waking and Dreaming, the 1976 album by pop/rock collective Orleans, the first thing that’s eye-catching is the band’s weird shirtless album cover (see Who Signed Off on This Album Artwork?).  Regardless, the reason why we should really be talking about Waking and Dreaming is that it features the beloved, top-ten hit, “Still the One”. “You’re still the one I want to talk to in bed / Still the one that turns my head / We’re still having fun and you’re still the one.” Sing it, Mr. Hall! The chorus is timeless – the primary reason why “Still the One” is the classic that it is. Furthermore, it’s a bright, utterly energetic cut – infectious.  An exuberant pop/rock groove goes far, and that’s how “Still the One” commences.  Listening to the brilliance of this fun, love-driven gem, forget about that sus album cover artwork. “But I want you to know, after all these years / You’re still the one I want whispering in my ear,” Hall asserts in the first verse, while the second is more poetic (“When winter came, I just wanted to go /… Deep in the desert, I longed for the snow”). All told, “Still the One” is a surefire 70s classic that is beloved to this day.     

Appears in :   

• Orleans, Still the One: Throwback Vibez No. 109 (2022)    
• 12 Utterly Stupendous STILL Songs (2022)   
• 15 Must-Hear, Throwback Vibez, Vol. 7 (2023)   
• Incredible Songs: 1970s, Vol. 3 (2023)  

10. Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, “One Sweet Day  

Daydream • Sony BMG • 1995 

“Sorry I’ve never told you / All I wanted to say / And now it’s too late to hold you / ‘Cause you’ve flown away, so far away.” “One Sweet Day” was not only the best R&B song from 1995, but arguably, it was the best song of the year regardless of genre. Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men on the same song? Yes, please! That’s legendary star power to the nth degree – a formidable team to say the least given the musicianship and sheer number of hits. “One Sweet Day” spent 16 weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995-96.  Despite being a catalyst for shedding tears, “One Sweet Day” is uplifting thanks to the celestial, unforgettable chorus:     

“And I know you’re shining down on me from heaven  

Like so many friends we’ve lost along the way  

And I know eventually we’ll be together  

One sweet day.”       

Shockingly, “One Sweet Day” won no Grammys but was nominated for Record Of The Year.  Ultimately, it lost to another classic: “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal.

Appears in :   

• Incredible Songs: 1990s, Vol. 1 (2023) 

11. Ray Charles, “There’ll Be No Peace Without All Men as One”  

A Message From The People • Tangerine • 1972   

“What good is the sun if there is no sky above?” That is a legitimate question that Ray Charles asks on “There’ll Be No Peace Without All Men as One”.  The legendary, Grammy-winning musician continues to inquire in the first verse of this gem from A Message From The People (1972), “Why should the rivers flow? / Why should a candle glow?” So, what is Charles’ point on this Sadye Shepard-penned classic? Unity and the dysfunction caused by the lack of it.  As the chorus and titular lyric, performed by a gorgeous, lush choir, “Ah, ah, ah, there’ll be no peace without all men as one.” Throughout the rest of the verses, Charles continues with hypothetical questions, all of which feel authentic and legitimate.  In the second verse, he’s concerned with the state of nature – leaves, trees, and flowers – all referring back to the idea of humankind not getting right and being on one accord.  Similarly, in the third verse, he’s worried about a lack of songs, bells ringing, and even day.  Worth noting, he delivers a ripe falsetto by the end of this verse, driving his transcendent point home.  Essentially, with Shepard’s poetic pen, and a marvelous arrangement courtesy of Sid Fuller, Quincy Jones, and Mike Post, Charles implores us to be better people who work together.  Sadly, Charles’ call to action still falls far too often on deaf ears.  The world is an incredibly polarized place and yet if we’d only entertain Charles’ petition for peace and unity, wouldn’t we be in a better place? If nothing else, “There’ll Be No Peace Without All Men as One” offers up prudent food for thought.  Furthermore, it’s a radiant, radiant classic from a truly iconic, one-in-a-lifetime musician. 

Appears in :   

• Ray Charles, There’ll Be No Peace Without All Men as One: Music Lifts No. 35 (2022)  
• Ray Charles vs. The Band of Heathens: Head 2 Head ️ No. 44 (2022) 
• 13 Captivating Songs About Peace or Piece(s) (2022)  
• 20 Great Songs All About Men! (2022)

11 Songs Associated with Number One, Vol. 2 (2024) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Columbia, Domino, Elektra, Sony BMG, Mercury, mtheory, Pretty Swede, RCA, Republic, Tangerine, Viking Wizard Eyes LLC, Warner; Arek Socha, Christopher Strolia-Davis, Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Malkhai Cora from Pixabay]