Max Martin has provided the soundtrack of middle school dances for nearly 20 years now. His run of pop success is remarkable in both its quantity and quality; he’s one of those music industry figures that you couldn’t pick out of a police lineup, but you know AT LEAST a dozen of his songs. They’re unavoidable, larger than life, and oh yeah, he wrote “Larger Than Life” for Backstreet Boys, as well as basically every other hit BSB had.
Recently, Martin, who knows more about teenagers than any 42-year-old Swedish man should (but not in a creepy way), has helped transform gospel-pop singer Katy Hudson into sex idol KATY PERRY, whose new album, Prism, came out earlier this week. Martin co-wrote and co-produced nine of the album’s twelve tracks, including hit single “Roar,” often working with fellow pop genius, Dr. Luke. Like any heavily-manufactured album, Prism is both very good (the singles) and very bad (the filler), but it effectively combines both of Martin’s “sounds”: his mid-1990s Europop/R&B and his 2000s pop-rock. Let’s listen to some of his most shamelessly enjoyable work.
1. “Show Me Love” by Robyn
Two out of every three anecdotes about Max Martin songs begin with, “The first time I heard this song was on the bus to school…” The first time I heard “Show Me Love” was on the bus to school. I told a friend about it when I arrived, and he called me “lame” for liking it. True story.
2. “Tearin’ Up My Heart” by *NSYNC
Martin also co-wrote “I Want You Back” and “It’s Gonna Be Me,” which is just rubbing it in.
3. “That’s the Way It Is” by Celine Dion
Portrait of Josh as a 12-year-old boy: I used to get, how to put this delicately, “turned on” by this music video because Celine showed that slight amount of belly with her too-small shirt. Look, I’m not proud of myself, but without HBO, the Internet, or magazines, a horny teen’s gotta do what a horny teen’s gotta do.
4. “Shape of My Heart” by Backstreet Boys
Confession time. “Shape of My Heart” is my favorite BSB song, because I’m a monster.
5. “I Need You” by Westlife
Or as Westlife is known here in America, the boy band that isn’t any of the boy bands everyone knows.
6. “Lucky” by Britney Spears
Still Britney’s best. In 2000 alone, when “Lucky” came out, Martin worked with BSB, Bon Jovi, N*SYNC, and something called a Jessica Folker. He was very popular.
7. “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
The only choice for the Greatest Pop Song from a Solo Female Artist Over the Last 20 Years. (It’s a very specific, very important award.) The aforementioned Dr. Luke helped out, too.
8. “4ever” by the Veronicas
In the mid-2000s, Martin hit a bit of a lull. He was still working, but with the disappointing likes of Twill, Darin, Bo Bice, Ashley Parker Angel, and other names that have been lost to history. Every so often, he could still crank out an embarrassing gem, though, like “4ever,” which is terrible but so catchy.
9. “22” by Taylor Swift
Hate it or love it, you know it, and that’s all Martin cares about.
10. “Walking on Air” by Katy Perry
It sounds like 1994 all over again! FULL CIRCLE.
(via Getty Image)
