Mix Tape of the Day: February 26, 2015 - It's Britney, B**ch

Today is Max Martin's birthday.  He has penned countless hit singles, many of them favorites of mine.  And while he got his start before Britney Spears, it was when she came into the picture that he really took off as a pop artists.  Now, not all of the best Britney songs are Martin originals, but most of them are, so I felt it was time we delve into the oeuvre of Ms. Spears.

1. ...Baby One More Time - Britney Spears (1998) Martin got Britney racing right out of the gate with this one.  He held nothing back and Britney was an instant star.  And your feelings on this song, but I feel like it holds up all these years later.

2. (You Drive Me) Crazy - Britney Spears (1999) For the next few years, Britney Spears could do no wrong, what with Martin at the helm.  I for one didn't get sick of her.  It probably helped that Britney Spears was my first celebrity crush...

3. Oops...I Did It Again - Britney Spears (2000) We enter the "Britney is literally out of this world," phase of Britney's career.  Hit after hit after hit.  Martin was a master.

4. Lucky - Britney Spears (2000) I didn't realize this was a Britney song back when it premiered.  I knew I liked it a lot, but I was just a dumb kid.  Now, it stands as one of my favorite Britney/Martin collaborations.

5. Stronger - Britney Spears (2000) Wow, Britney grew up fast.  "Lucky" and "Stronger" were on the same album.  Both great, yet vastly different songs.  This is like the mature sequel to "...Baby One More Time."

6. Overprotected - Britney Spears (2001) There are still a lot of great Martin/Spears tracks.  But we're stopping here for this mix.  After 2001, Spears would take a break from him and create some amazing hits on her own.  But she'd reconnect with him in 2009 with great success, once more.

7. The Joy of Pepsi - Britney Spears (2001) I had to cut so many songs from this mix to ensure this Pepsi commercial got a spot.  It is probably the only commercial song I'll ever feature on this blog.  It's fantastic!

8. Everytime - Britney Spears (2003) We now enter the Martin-less part of today's mix.  Britney did pretty well for herself without him for a year, then we enter her...um...dark period.  But for now, let's listen to this great sorrowful track.

9. Break the Ice - Britney Spears (2007) In 2007, Britney got her mojo back.  Maybe not in the public's eyes, but just listen to the next three tracks.  You can tell that Britney still had it.

10. Piece of Me - Britney Spears (2007) This was Britney's response to her...dark period...and it is impressive.  Not many "fighting against critics" songs work out very well, but soon we all learned that we should leave Britney alone.

11. Radar - Britney Spears (2007) I don't quite understand why this became a hit single on the album that came out after the album it was initially released on but, whatever, it found an audience and that's great.

12. Circus - Britney Spears (2008) Circus was officially Spears's comeback album and it impressed everybody.  With "Womanizer," "If U Seek Amy" and "Circus" on it, there was no escaping Britney's return.  And aren't we all the better for it?

13. Toxic - Britney Spears (2003) You don't think I'd forget the BEST Britney Spears song ever, would you?  Scholars agree.  Martin and Spears may have been a great mix, but nothing they made even comes close to the majesty that is "Toxic."