Timbaland's Ten Best Productions Have Spanned The Decades - DC Clubbing

Timbaland’s Ten Best Productions Have Spanned The Decades

In arguably Decades’ favorite era between 1994-2013, Timbaland produced 36 singles that hit #1 on ten different American pop charts, as well as having a hand in production on 50 different releases that hit the top of five different American album charts, too. From Jay Z and Missy Elliott, to Madonna and Aaliyah, to Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake, he’s made hits with seemingly just about everyone. Here, we take a look at, statistically, the ten best #1 singles he ever produced.


10. Big Pimpin (2000)

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Summer 2000’s biggest rap single could easily also be known as one of rap and pop music’s most culturally impacting hits of all time. Jay Z pairs with legendary Port Arthur, Texas born “southern rap impresario” duo UGK on the track, which for the tandem was also their most significant reach onto the Billboard rap charts. Timbaland’s notable sample here is from “Khosara Khosara,” an Abdel Halim Hafez song, performed by Hossam Ramzy, from a CD compilation entitled The Best of Bellydance from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey.


9. Hot Boyz (1999)

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Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, Lil’ Mo, Nas, Eve, and Q-Tip’s collaboration for 1999 single “Hot Boyz” is one of those rap moments when, even before there’s a voice on the track, hands are in the air and screams are audible from the crowd. In fact, the song was such a club crusher that it spent roughly one-third of 1999/2000 as the number one rap single on Billboard’s “Hot Rap Singles” chart. The synth pulses that open the production? Instantaneously iconic hip-hop sonic blasts.


8. The Way I Are (2007)

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Timbaland’s work as a solo artist isn’t exactly on the same level as his work as a producer, except for the case of his Shock Value album lead single “The Way I Are.” The dance-ready club heater features additional vocals from Keri Hilson, and has a sound that’s very similar to a song we’ll see later in this countdown from Justin Timberlake. A wonderful mix of Motown-style songwriting, disco-esque soul and then-modern electro pop, it’s a futuristic hit that’s still relevant in the modern age.


7. 4 Minutes (2008)

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As if to prove that there’s nothing that Justin Timberlake and Timbaland couldn’t do as a collaborative unit, with 2008’s “4 Minutes,” they provided Madonna her first American top ten hit since 2002’s James Bond soundtrack single “Die Another Day,” and her first top five hit since 2000’s “Don’t Tell Me.” The dance single is described by Madonna as being about “saving the environment and hav[ing] a good time while we are doing it,” it’s certainly one of the most notable superstar moments in Timbaland’s career.


6. Drunk In Love (2013)

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Timbaland’s produced his fair share of “suggestive” tracks, but none are quite Beyonce’s 2013 ode to her love of all things related to her husband Jay Z. The song is unique in that it’s one of Timbaland’s few forays into producing trap-style beats, which he accomplishes with his usual flair for both the unique and dramatic. Gypsy folk-meets-urban soul here in the most amazing of ways and hits home with a monster hit that likely impacted pop culture more than the music industry.


5. Try Again (2000)

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In the fun piece of trivia attached to this song, it was included on the soundtrack of 2000 film Romeo Must Die, which also featured Aaliyah starring alongside kung fu master Jet Li. The synth heavy R & B that Timbaland became synonymous with later in his career is somewhat on display here as this is a happy point in-between a song like Ginuwine’s 1997 smash “Pony,” and his work on Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds album.


4. Promiscuous (2006)

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When Timbaland was finished weaving his magical sounds around the talent of Canadian folk-soul vocalist Nelly Furtado, what emerged was sexed-up electro pop anthems like her 2006 Timbaland collaboration “Promiscuous.” Somehow Furtado rap-singing the verses while Timbaland performs the hook works here. There’s something completely catchy about absolutely everything in this song, from the melody that merry-go-rounds in your head and more. Timbaland definitely “[had] what [we needed]” on this one.


3. Stronger (2007)

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Timbaland’s been quoted in interviews as saying that his sounds are responsible for dubstep’s innovation. While that may not be true, when Kanye West needed to find someone to re-track the drums on his Daft Punk-inspired Graduation lead single, he called electro-soul pioneer Timbaland, and he weaved his magic into the track’s bottom end. There’s a richness in the quality of the sound on this one that arguably influenced everyone from Steve Aoki to David Guetta and more.


2. Give It To Me (2007)

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Timbaland’s first solo-billed single #1 Billboard single is this boast-filled electro-meets-club jam that features the voices of both Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. As with many Timbaland productions from this era, there’s an almost disco-like desire to get people on the floor here, as the stomping drums are aided by keyboard-led melodies that just insist that dancing to them is both the only and best answer.


1. SexyBack (2006)

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When Justin Timberlake paired with Timbaland, pop music moments that were on a level that had not been heard since Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones collaborated together in a studio occurred. The best of these iconic times was FutureSex/LoveSounds’ lead single “SexyBack.” Intriguingly, pop music one year prior was actually hurting for alpha male pop sex appeal. 50 Cent and Kanye West were rappers, and Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was an epic moment for pop-aimed rock and roll. Enter JT and Timbo to change the pace and tenor of the times.

Timberlake himself refers to the song as “David Bowie-meets-James Brown,” which is amazing in and of itself. However, throw in Timbaland listening to The Rapture’s indie rock breakthrough “House of Jealous Lovers” and Prince hits from the era of “Controversy” into the mix, and what results is something exactly in the middle of all four of those influences that still slays dance floors like Decades’ to the modern day.