"Pieces of Me" is the debut single of American pop/rock singer Ashlee Simpson and the first single from her debut album, Autobiography (2004). The song, which was jointly written and composed by Simpson, Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks and produced by Shanks, is a blend of pop and rock with lyrics about finding comfort and happiness in a relationship with a new boyfriend.
Howard Kern Day is an American singer-songwriter. Beginning his career as a solo artist in the late 1990s, Day became known for his extensive touring and in-concert use of samplers and effects pedals to accompany himself. He self-financed and self-released his first album, Australia, in 2000.
"Breakaway" is a power ballad song recorded by American singer Kelly Clarkson. The song, written by Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate, and Avril Lavigne, was originally intended for Lavigne's debut studio album, Let Go (2002). After being deemed unsuitable for the album, it was passed to Clarkson to be recorded as a soundtrack for the film The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). Clarkson, who was finishing her second studio album at that time, recorded "Breakaway" to tide her fans over until the first single from her new album was released. However, the song's success prompted its inclusion on Clarkson's second album, while the record label decided to name the album after the song. "Breakaway" was first released as the first single from The Princess Diaries 2 soundtrack on July 19, 2004. In May 2006, "Breakaway" was reissued as the fifth and final single from the album of the same name.
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a song by American rock band Green Day. The power ballad is the fourth track from their seventh studio album American Idiot (2004). Reprise Records released "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" as the second single from American Idiot on November 29, 2004. The song's lyrics were written by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and the music was composed by the band. Production was handled by Rob Cavallo and Green Day.
"Incomplete" is a song by American vocal group Backstreet Boys from their fifth studio album, Never Gone (2005). The power ballad was released on April 11, 2005, as the group's first single since they decided to reunite after a two-year hiatus. It was written by Dan Muckala, Lindy Robbins, and Jess Cates, and it was produced by Muckala with Kevin Richardson on piano. According to Billboard magazine's Chuck Taylor, the song is an "emotion-packed, grown-up tome about relationship struggle and strife."
The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by Billboard magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to Billboard by stations that are members of the Adult Contemporary radio panel. The chart debuted in Billboard magazine on July 17, 1961. Over the years, the chart has undergone a series of name changes, being called Easy Listening(1961–1962; 1965–1979), Middle-Road Singles(1962–1964), Pop-Standard Singles(1964–1965), Hot Adult Contemporary(1984–1996) and Adult Contemporary(1979–1984, 1996–present). The current number-one song on the chart is "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims.
"Sugar, We're Goin Down" is a song by American rock band Fall Out Boy, released to US radio on April 4, 2005, as the lead single from their second album, From Under the Cork Tree. Two different CD singles were released with different B-sides, Part I with a green cover and Part II with a red cover. With music composed by vocalist Patrick Stump and lyrics penned by bassist Pete Wentz, the single reached No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Fall Out Boy's first top-10 hit and exploding the band into the mainstream, exposing them to a new audience. It spent five weeks in the top 10 and 20 weeks in the top 20 out of its 42 chart weeks.
"She Will Be Loved" is a song by American pop rock band Maroon 5. It was written by frontman Adam Levine and lead guitarist James Valentine. The song was released on July 27, 2004, as the third single from Maroon 5's 2002 debut studio album, Songs About Jane. The single peaked at No. 5 in the United States and by December 2012 had sold more than 2,722,000 digital downloads. It peaked at No. 4 in the United Kingdom. In Australia, it reached No. 1, a position it held for five non-consecutive weeks. The single is noted for its music video starring Kelly Preston in a mother-daughter love triangle with lead singer Adam Levine.
"Collide" is a song by American singer-songwriter Howie Day. The song was written by Day and Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin, and the London Session Orchestra provided backing instrumentation on the initial album version of the song. "Collide" was released in the United States on June 1, 2004, as the third and final single from Day's second full-length album, Stop All the World Now (2003). The track was featured on The WB TV series One Tree Hill.
"Unwritten" is a song by English singer Natasha Bedingfield for her debut studio album of the same name. It was released on 29 November 2004 as the third single from the album. The song was written by Bedingfield, Danielle Brisebois, and Wayne Rodrigues and produced by Rodrigues and Brisebois. The single was released as the album's third UK single and second US single. In 2006, "Unwritten" became the theme song for the MTV reality television series The Hills. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first top-10 hit in the United States.
"You and Me" is a song by American alternative rock band Lifehouse. It is the first single released from their third studio album, Lifehouse (2005). The track was written by lead singer Jason Wade and American record producer Jude Cole. It was recorded and produced by John Alagía at his home studio in Easton, Maryland. The song was first released via digital download on January 28, 2005. It was then solicited to mainstream radio on March 15, 2005. An extended wedding version of the song was then released on July 26, 2005.
"What's Left of Me" is a song co-written and recorded by American singer Nick Lachey. It was released on February 21, 2006, as the lead single from his second album, What's Left of Me. To date, it is Lachey's most successful single as a solo artist, reaching number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Bad Day" is a pop song by Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Powter from his self-titled second studio album (2005). It was written by Powter and produced by Jeff Dawson and Mitchell Froom. Powter and Dawson recorded the song in 2002, but were initially unable to find a record label to release it. The song was first used in a French Coca-Cola television advertisement in Christmas 2004 before its official release. Tom Whalley, Warner Bros. Records' chairman and CEO, offered Powter a contract after hearing a demo tape of it. This track ended up being released as the aforementioned album's lead single in Europe in early 2005.
"Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall from her 2004 debut album, Eye to the Telescope. The track was released on 21 February 2005 as the lead single from the album, charting at No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart the same month. The following year, the single became a hit outside Europe, reaching No. 7 in Canada and No. 20 in the United States and New Zealand.
"I'm Feeling You" is a song recorded by Santana with The Wreckers for Santana's 2005 album All That I Am. The song was written and produced by Kara DioGuardi and John Shanks, with Branch credited as a co-writer at the label's request. "I'm Feeling You" was Santana's second collaboration with Branch, the first being "The Game of Love" (2002).
Australia is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Howie Day. It was first released on November 1, 2000, independently via Daze Records. It would be re-issued in 2002 by Epic Records. It was produced by Day and Mike Denneen and was written entirely by Day. The album, when re-issued by Epic, spawned him his first hit in his debut single "Ghost", which became his first top ten on the US Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart at number nine. Australia peaked at number 18 on the Heatseekers Albums.
"Love Song" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, released in June 2007 via Epic Records from her major-label debut album, Little Voice (2007). It was nominated for 2009 Grammy Awards in the categories Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
"Home" is a song by Canadian singer Michael Bublé, and released on January 24, 2005, as the first single from his fourth studio album, It's Time. The song was written by Bublé, along with co-writers Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies. Bublé's version was a number-one single on the Adult Contemporary chart formats of both Canada and the United States, in addition to certifying platinum in both countries as well as finding chart success internationally. Following his original version in 2005, two cover versions were successful by other artists: one by Irish group Westlife in 2007, and one by American singer Blake Shelton in 2008.
"Heaven" is the debut single of American rock band Los Lonely Boys. The song was written by brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza, who comprise the foundation of the band, and it appears on their multi-platinum self-titled album.
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet storm and rock influence. Adult contemporary is generally a continuation of the easy listening and soft rock style that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s with some adjustments that reflect the evolution of pop/rock music.
