I don’t know what possessed me, in 2010, to look at the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 list and decide to select my top 20 favorites, rank them in order, and create this blog in order to share it with the world. I certainly couldn’t have predicted then that I would keep that tradition going throughout the entire decade, ending up with an incredible catalog of my 200 favorite hit songs from the 2010s. But what I do know is, at some point in the last year, I realized I had an amazing opportunity to create a best-of-decade list that would put everyone else’s to shame. So here’s what we’ve got.
I took the entire 200-song catalog of year-end favorites, and whittled it down to my top 50, and ranked them, because what good is a list if you don’t rank it? There are songs from every year 2010-2019 represented on this list, but there are more from some years than from others (2018 was awfully lean). As a reminder, every song on this list had to have qualified for the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 in the year of its release, AND had to have been picked by me as one of my top 20 favorites for that year as well. So I don’t want to hear any bellyaching if your favorite song doesn’t show up here- the rules are the rules. I will also say that my tastes are diverse, and you’ll see every type of (popular) music represented on here (except country), but the top of the list is fairly EDM-heavy, since that’s what I like the most. So yes, it’s biased. Duh. Why are you even reading if you expected an unbiased list? And what would an unbiased list even look like? OK, let’s get to the music!
*WARNING: This blog is a 5,000 word behemoth. An epic Spotify playlist is embedded at the bottom if you just want the music and don’t want to read a ton of words. The music video to each song is linked in its title as well.*
50. Kelly Rowland Featuring Lil Wayne – "Motivation" (2011): This was the best R&B babymaking jam of the decade, but it’s crazy to listen to it now and realize how old it is. Lil Wayne being braggadocious and not having gone through several near-death experiences, Kelly Rowland still being in the post-Destiny’s Child chart-topping phase of her career and not having been completely and totally eclipsed by Beyonce’s stardom...it’s a trip. But musically, I think it stands the test of time, which was an important criteria I tried to apply to all the songs on this list.
49. Cee-Lo- “F**k You” (2010): Man, remember what a shocking thrill it was to have a top-40 hit with a bona fide, A-list SWEAR WORD in the title? What’s funny is that the song was good enough that it didn’t need that kind of gimmick to be successful. The radio-friendly “Forget You” was still plenty popular enough. Cee-Lo’s charisma shines through no matter what the subject matter is, and the timeless sound of the song still makes it a jam almost 10 years later.
48. Chris Brown Featuring Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes - "Look At Me Now" (2011): I recognize this song was somewhat of a gimmick too- the premise being, check out how fast Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne can rap, and check out Chris Brown being capable of rapping at all, but hey, it worked. Everyone I know tried to learn at least one of the verses to this one (my specialty is Lil Wayne’s, but no, I will not be performing it for you thanks to the many, many instances of inflammatory language), and for that reason, it brought back enough fond memories to not only make the list, but also be the only true rap song to make it at all.
47. Hozier- “Take Me To Church” (2015): Big tone shift now. There were a surprising number of slow, moody ballads and downtempo songs that made the top 50. It turns out I don’t ONLY like party jams. Hozier burst onto the scene with an incredible debut album and has failed to replicate his success, but “Take Me To Church” definitely holds up as one of the decade’s best dramatic ballads.
46. Adele- “Hello” (2015): Man, when Adele dropped this song and video after a long hiatus, it felt like one of the biggest music moments of the decade. And when you think about it, she hasn’t had another lead single since then, so the next time she does drop one, it’ll probably feel just as momentous as “Hello” felt back in 2015. The song is pretty jaw-droppingly great, starting slow and building to an epic crescendo of reminiscing on a failed relationship. I think it’s actually in the top tier of epic failed-love ballads throughout history. Yep, I’m ready for more Adele in the 2020s now, please.
45. Khalid- “Talk” (2019): I just wrote about this song in this year’s blog, so there’s not a lot to add in terms of historical perspective. Khalid came on strong in the last few years of the decade, and this was his best work, helped by a simple but effective beat by Disclosure.
44. Paramore- “The Only Exception” (2010): I loved this song when it came out. It’s a timeless ballad that I think I would still love just as much if it came out today. Looking at the video, though, filled with hundreds of 2010 emo dudes, I wonder what they’re all doing today. What kind of hairstyles are they rocking? Are they hanging on to the swooped bangs? Or have they updated to something more current? Or have they (gulp) gone bald or gray by now? 10 years is a loooong time, anything is possible.
43. Calvin Harris- "Feel So Close" (2012): Calvin Harris strayed far from his native Scotland to film the video for this, his breakout US single, and some say he’s never left LA/Las Vegas/The Desert ever since. This is far from the last time we’ll hear Calvin on this list, and this song is a great starting point for the evolution of his sound over the decade.
42. Paramore- "Ain't It Fun" (2014): Well, I asked just two songs ago what happened to the guys with emo hairstyles from 2010. It looks like, as of 2014, they had shed the bangs for more traditional cuts, at least if we’re going by the example of the guys from Paramore. Hayley Williams has also updated to more of a pixie cut by this time, but kept her distinctive red dye. As for the song, I’m not sure any song spoke to me more as a 23-year old than this one in 2014. Keeping that in mind ensured that it made the list.
41. Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj- "Side to Side" (2016): Nobody, before or since, has A) done more for the spin-studio industry than Ariana Grande did with this song and video in 2016, and B) given a less accurate representation of what actually happens at a spin class than this one. Trust me, there’s no seduction or writhing happening, just muscle burns and sweat. Like, so much sweat. But hey, the song is a certified jam, working its Caribbean beats to perfection. And it’s not the last time we’ll hear Ariana on this list.
40. Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo- "Let's Go" (2012): If you like music with deep, substantive lyrics or heartfelt emotions, then this wasn’t the song for you. If you needed a quick pump-up, though, there were very few this decade that did the trick better than this one. That’s probably why it continues to be a mainstay at sporting events even seven years later.
39. Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MØ- "Cold Water" (2016): The middle of the decade saw a consortium of sorts involving Major Lazer, DJ Snake, Justin Bieber, M0, and others. This consortium was incredibly fruitful and will see a few more entries on this decade-end list. “Cold Water” is a perfect mid-tempo banger that works in almost any situation- versatility is key for heavy rotation, and that’s exactly what it had.
38. Maroon 5 Featuring Christina Aguilera - "Moves Like Jagger" (2011): Oh, Maroon 5. Definitely one of the most-hated bands of the 2010s, along with Imagine Dragons, 21 Pilots, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and any other group of white dudes that dominated the Rock and Hot AC charts. Of all their songs, “Moves Like Jagger” seems to inspire some of the most heated opinions. I never got the hate- I think it’s one of the catchiest songs of the decade. But it’s also been many years since it was on the radio three times an hour, plus I’ve always been a Maroon 5 fan, so maybe I just don’t Get It. Either way, it’s their only entry on this list, so get all your hateful thoughts out now and let’s continue in a better mood.
37. Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko- "Stay" (2013): This may not be a power ballad, per se, but it sure is a powerful ballad. Rihanna has never been shy about baring it all, emotionally and physically, so this song and video are no exception. The twist was making the song a duet with relative unknown Mikky Ekko, allowing the listener to hear two perspectives as the two lovers try to figure it out. It’s not the last we hear from Rihanna in this list, and I wonder how much more she could have dominated had she kept releasing music these last few years.
36. Lewis Capaldi- “Someone You Loved” (2019): I just wrote about this one for this year’s wrapup blog, so all I can add for now is that we were certainly blessed with some great brooding ballads in the 2010s, and I’m very glad that Lewis Capaldi was able to add his voice to the mix. I hope for big things from him in the years to come.
35. Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris - "We Found Love" (2011): This song absolutely exploded onto the scene back in 2011. It featured two artists at the height of their powers collaborating to create something that was really special. Rihanna, still in her post-Chris Brown phase, cavorts around with his lookalike in the video, and Calvin Harris delivers his signature sound, which was still brand-new to most of America at the time. The song dominated the charts and still brings back instant memories anytime you hear it. It was definitely one of the defining songs of the 2010s. I’m stopping now before I move it up the list!
34. Calvin Harris & Disciples- “How Deep Is Your Love” (2015): Mid-decade Calvin now. This video featured what, at the time, felt like the debut of model Gigi Hadid, and the song helped cement the deep house sound as one of the defining ones of the mid-2010s. It’s worth noting that Calvin was helped out by fellow British producers Disciples, and the sound is pretty unmistakably theirs. I like that the video gives you an extra 20 seconds at the end with Gigi Hadid writhing over the beat. Clearly someone assumed that to get to 1.3 billion views, you gotta give the people what they want.
33. Jessie J- "Domino" (2012): Time for some pure pop, wouldn’t you say? Jessie J is probably slightly more well-known for “Price Tag” but for my money (get it?), her greatest contribution to music this decade was this one. Despite being very of-the-moment sonically, I think it stands the test of time more than, I’d guess, a lot of other hits from 2012 do. Certainly nothing aged faster than dubstep, did it? But that’s a topic for another time. “Domino” is an unqualified pop success, and it won’t be the last of those we see here.
32. Lady Gaga- “Alejandro” (2010): I think this may be the oldest song on this list, having been first released with The Fame Monster alllll the way back in July 2009, and again as a single in 2010. It definitely qualifies as a perfect pop song, although it’s also uniquely Gaga, right down to the 9-minute concept video that almost crosses the line for the level of nudity Youtube will tolerate. I’ve always wondered if there was a real Alejandro who inspired the track, but I doubt we’ll ever know.
31. Adele- "Set Fire to the Rain" (2012): To me, this is the single most anthemic Adele song. It’s also got the most complex, lush composition of any song of hers that I’m familiar with. It also never got an official music video, so you’ll have to make do with an amazing live performance from the Royal Albert Hall. Poor you, you get to feel like you’re at an Adele concert for four minutes. I’m sure you’ll recover. I think this is the last song in the slow-and-powerful category we have on the list, so get those feelings out and get ready to party!
30. Ariana Grande- “Breathin” (2019): Since this is a 2019 song, I just wrote about it, so not much else to say except that it’s a perfect midtempo dancepop song (which I think I already said in my first writeup- just makes it doubly true). It has kind of a blissed-out vibe, which maybe wasn’t such a bad thing this year with all the bad news that seemingly rains down on us every day now. It may have been something Ariana herself needed, too.
29. B.o.B.- “Nothin’ On You” (2010): Hard to believe, but this was the first career breakthrough for Bruno Mars, before he ever had a major single as a solo artist. Considering “Uptown Funk” was the #1 song of the decade on the Billboard chart, I’d say it was pretty momentous that B.o.B. chose him to be the guest vocalist on this song. Looking back, the lyrics are certainly a little corny, and it’s weird to remember that B.o.B. is a flat-earther now, but the sound certainly stands the test of time, even after Earth has orbited the sun 10 times since its release...
28. Coldplay- "Adventure of a Lifetime" (2016): Most people probably think Coldplay peaked in the 2000s with “Yellow,” “Clocks,” “Speed of Sound,” “Viva La Vida,” and many others. I love those songs, but I think Coldplay had almost as many great singles this decade, even if perhaps their albums didn’t have the depth of quality that their earlier ones did. “Adventure of a Lifetime” is a great example, although I’ll admit the dancing musical apes in the video are more unnerving than cute.
27. Ariana Grande & The Weeknd- “Love Me Harder” (2015): This is the highest listing for Ariana Grande on this list, and since her career has only existed in this decade, I guess you could say I think it’s her best song. I’d say that opinion is warranted. This is a truly great song, and even though it’s only 4 years old, I think it will definitely stand the test of time. It may not break much new ground, but it does what it does very well, which is all we’re supposed to ask of pop music, right?
26. Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug- "Havana" (2017): Now here is a pop single that does, to some extent, break new ground. It definitely didn’t sound much like anything that came before it, although it managed to incorporate elements of several preexisting genres. I guess that’s how it became one of the biggest and best hits of 2017, and in the process allowed itself to be perfectly mimicked by a rubber squeaky chicken.
25. Katy Perry- “Teenage Dream” (2010): This was the title track to the album that tied the record for the most #1 singles in Billboard chart history, joining Michael Jackson’s Thriller in the top spot. I’m not sure you need more than that to show how influential “Teenage Dream” was, but if you do, just start singing it to any girl who was a teenager, or even slightly older, when it came out, and watch them sing it back to you even louder. You could also sing it to me and I would do the same thing, which is why it fully deserves to be considered a top-25 song of the entire decade, even though I didn’t realize how great it was at the time.
24. Bruno Mars- "24K Magic" (2017): This was maybe the best instant party-starter of any song that came out in the 2010s. Bruno Mars, the hardest-working man in Hollywood (apologies to Ryan Seacrest), goes all-out Vegas Disco Funk for this one. Put your pinky rings up, people. It’s a logical successor to "Uptown Funk" and it’s by far the best song Bruno Mars has in his impressive catalogue of hits. And yes, it comes it at #24 cause you have to have some fun, don’t you?
23. Coldplay- "Paradise" (2012): Now here’s a wildlife-themed Coldplay video that works like an absolute charm. I never thought I would nearly break down sobbing at a stupid video of an elephant mascot escaping the London Zoo and joining his mascot friends in the savannah, but when it’s set to a song as brilliant and emotional as this one, I guess that’s what happens. We all have our own version of paradise, and for this elephant mascot, it’s joining Elephant Mascot Coldplay.
22. Taylor Swift- "22” (2013): What, you thought there wouldn’t be ANY Taylor Swift on this list? Come on. When she releases a song called “22,” about being 22, in the year that I myself was also 22, you’re damn right I’m gonna put it right at #22 for the decade. I still think it’s her best song, possibly rivaled by 2008’s “You Belong With Me.” And it fit so perfectly when it came out, obviously. Here’s to forever feeling 22.
21. Drake- "Passionfruit" (2017): Likewise, you didn’t think this list would have NO Drake on it, did you? “Passionfruit” featured my preferred version of Drake, Singing Drake, over a sultry smooth beat. It’s chilled-out, but it’s a great toe-tapper, and easily clears the Versatility bar that I’m often looking for. Of course it’s about a failing relationship, but what great Drake song isn’t? It’s likely his best work apart from, of course, his debut 2009 single “Best I Ever Had.” His career and Taylor Swift’s overlap in a lot of weird ways, I guess.
20. Kendrick Lamar and SZA- "All the Stars" (2018): And again, you...actually, if you know me, you probably DID expect this list to pass without a mention of the decade’s greatest new rapper (who I’ve never particularly loved), Kendrick Lamar. But, as the default winner from the decade’s weakest music year, 2018, “All The Stars” does indeed deserve a fairly high spot on the list. SZA is the song’s highlight, but overall the thing just works. Must be the well-hidden Flume sample...
19. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey- "Closer" (2016): I don’t care what the charts said, this was the biggest hit of 2016 (the end-of-decade chart backs me up, though, for the record). It was also the most ubiquitous, talked about song of that year or of many others, it felt to me. I think the key, as I said at the time, was the specificity in the lyrics, particularly in the chorus. Even though that specific situation has never happened to any of us, we could all plug in our own specifics and make it feel like it applied to us too, in a way that we can’t when the lyrics are just something like “I miss you, baby.” And of course, we all like to believe we ain’t never gettin’ older, either.
18. Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna- "This Is What You Came For" (2016): I never thought the sequel to “We Found Love” would wind up so much higher on my chart than the original, but as I went back and listened, this is just a much better song from where I sit today. Maybe I’ll feel different 10 years from now, but in the moment, this feels like it deserves its high placement. It’s ice-cold in sound, but obviously red-hot in, you know, being a hot track.
17. Coldplay- "A Sky Full of Stars" (2014): Yes, Avicii helped produce this track, and yes, I think that’s a large part of what makes it so great. It may not be the showiest song, but it’s a song that never, ever gets old, and it crescendos into something truly beautiful by the end. And yes, the video is, like all great Coldplay videos, adorable and utterly bizarre at the same time. If you’ve ever seen one of those wearable music contraptions in real life, you know they don’t make a sound nearly as beautiful as the video makes it seem.
16. DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber- "Let Me Love You" (2016): Here’s another one from that “consortium” I mentioned earlier. This one, for whatever reason, wound up growing on me more and more over the years than “Cold Water” ever did. And man, the real-life-video-game music video must have been fun to shoot. I can’t say the sound is as timeless, though, so it’s possible my enjoyment of this one will fade over time, but I can’t be worrying about that right now.
15. Sam Smith & Normani- “Dancing With A Stranger” (2019): This was my most recent top-ranked song, topping the list in 2019 by a fairly wide margin. It’s also definitely the best song by Sam Smith, although he has some pretty decent ballads in his catalog as well. It was produced by Stargate, who I’m guessing has quite a presence on this list. Maybe I’ll do a research project at some point to see who has the most credits in this top 50. My top guesses would be him, Dr. Luke, or Calvin Harris...
14. Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch- "Sweet Nothing" (2013): And here it is, the highest heights Calvin Harris was able to ascend to in the 2010s. He’s on six tracks here, but none of them were better than this one (that qualified for the list, anyway). Florence Welch definitely helps take this one over the top, but Calvin’s production is on absolutely top form here. The chorus takes me away every single time, even now six or seven years after its release. It’s a great one, all right.
13. Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams- "Get Lucky" (2013): OK, I know this joke is getting old, but still: What, you thought I would forget to put a song called “Get Lucky” at #13? Get outta here. Also, it’s worth such a high ranking in my opinion. Daft Punk, along with Avicii (who we’ll hear from in a bit), helped EDM discover, or rediscover, its analog roots in 2013 to great success. You could argue the rise of tropical house, deep house, and genre-bending music that have come since all owe a bit of a debt to their ability to break out of the progressive-house and dubstep boom of the early 2010s. Or maybe I’m overthinking it, but still, it’s a great disco song, so enjoy and reminisce.
12. Zara Larsson and MNEK- "Never Forget You" (2016): This is a fantastic song, the breakout single for Swedish pop sensation Zara Larsson, but it’s also an even better video. I mean, come on- a little girl’s relationship with a mythical beast and her stuffed teddy bear that evolves over the years? Backed by this song as a soundtrack? How can anyone not love that? That, plus how much I wore out this song over the last few years, made it an easy choice for such a high ranking.
11. Imagine Dragons- "Radioactive" (2013): I know I said earlier that Imagine Dragons were undoubtedly one of the most-hated bands of the 2010s, so I imagine that this inclusion will anger many who reach this far in the list. And to that I say, obviously, I don’t care, this is an incredible song, and it allows for a back-to-back combo of videos featuring stuffed animals. These ones get to be heroes, though, so I have to give them the nod and land them all the way up at #11.
10. Rihanna- “Rude Boy” (2010): Time for the first of three huge throwbacks as we enter the top 10. My thoughts when I hear this one are that I can’t believe it’s been TEN years since this came out. It feels like yesterday. I think the sound still plays today, so in that sense it was ahead of its time. My other thought is that I really wish Rihanna could make some more music like this in 2020 so that I can have something to look forward to. But I’m not holding my breath.
9. Lady Gaga - "You And I" (2011): Most of you have probably forgotten Lady Gaga’s brief, one-song foray into blues/country/roots/rock music, or whatever you want to call it. I didn’t. I still think this one stands the test of time as one of the best standalone epics of the entire decade, or any decade really. I recognize that Gaga is just doing her vamping/playacting thing, and that none of this is even remotely authentic. To me, it doesn’t matter- musically, it shines, and if anything, the fact that she’s merely putting on a costume gives it a tongue-in-cheek aspect that propels it far past anything that was “authentic” in any of those genres in the 2010s. So there, long live Gaga, long live “You And I,” long live...Nebraska, I guess.
8. Owl City- “Fireflies” (2010): Bwahaha, I hope the haters are FURIOUS right now that I put Owl City ahead of all kinds of gritty, anguished, relevant hit songs from the 2010s. Well, let me tell you about a little thing called guilty pleasures. Every year, I try and include a few, and I often stick them at number 8, which happens to be my personal favorite number. So, what was my guiltiest pleasure of the entire decade? All things considered, it has to be “Fireflies.” So naturally, I’m gonna drop it in at number 8 for the decade. Like I’ve said before, if you’re mad, go make your own list, and I probably won’t read it. Cheers! Now onto the top 7, all party music ahead, and all #1’s from their respective years.
7. David Guetta feat. Sia- "Titanium" (2012): I could be wrong, but I believe this was the song that introduced us to Sia. Glad that pairing worked out! This one, much like any good EDM track, helped me power through so many big moments throughout the decade, whether it was schoolwork, real work, working out, or trying to turn up at the club, it was always there for me. To me, that’s what a truly great song does.
6. Major Lazer & DJ Snake Featuring M0- ”Lean On” (2015): This was one of the first big songs that helped/was helped by the rise of Spotify. Like any song to go into such massively heavy rotation, in order to not grate the earbuds, it needs to be just right- not too fast or too slow, and super pleasant sounding. In my opinion, it does all of those things. It may not be a party-starter, but it should stand as one of the all-time great party-continuers, if that makes sense.
5. Mike Posner- "I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix)" (2016): Mike Posner has had a bizarre decade, and the rise of this song back in 2016 was perhaps the most bizarre chapter. It started as a slow, acoustic lamentation, and then was remixed into a JAM that still preserved its soul (in my opinion) and became his second worldwide #1, thus disproving its own subject matter. It’s made even more poignant by the death of Avicii, the person Posner claims he was trying to impress when he took the aforementioned pill. The whole thing is bizarrely meta, yet the byproduct is a one-off collaboration that works absolutely perfectly, and deserves a top-5 billing.
4. Rihanna- “Only Girl (In The World)” (2010): Now onto the last of our true throwbacks. There’s no real reason that this one has stood the test of time. I get the sense that Rihanna would disavow it now, and if she ever toured again, I highly doubt it would make the set list. But damn, is it an all-time party jam. It’s the kind of song you play at the absolute peak of the night. It’s not a song for every occasion, but on the right occasion, it works better than almost any other. And it also caps an impressive amount of entries from Rihanna on this list, especially since she took the last 3 years of the decade off.
3. Avicii- "Wake Me Up" (2013): Let me get something out of the way here- “Levels,” the breakout 2011 track from Avicii, did not qualify for this list because it somehow, despite its ubiquity, never made a year-end Billboard Hot 100. An injustice, to be sure. That said, his followup effort, the boundary-breaking “Wake Me Up,” left no doubts about his staying power on the charts. We all mourn his loss, and his tragically short career, but we should take a moment to appreciate just how great his one transcendent single was- one of the few this decade to go #1 in nearly every country on Earth, while also being a top-quality jam that stood the test of time. RIP, Avicii. You will be missed.
2. Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne- "Rather Be" (2014): Clean Bandit had possibly my favorite album of the decade, 2014’s New Eyes, and they came oh-so-close to having my favorite single as well with this one. It’s one of the rare songs that I loved with all my heart the very first time I heard it, and never stopped loving. The combination of the piano, house beats, violin, and powerhouse vocals from Jess Glynne are a combination that really just can’t be topped. It put them on the map, but they’ve never been able to top the feeling they captured with this one, although admittedly that would be hard to do. Only one song wound up topping them in the 2010s...
1. The Chainsmokers and Coldplay- "Something Just Like This" (2017): Wow. We’ve made it to the end. Like, the actual end. The #1 best song from the entire decade. After this, it’s over- time to turn the page to the 2020s. Let’s go out with a bang. This song’s journey started unassumingly. I liked it, didn’t love it. But over time, it just kept growing and growing on me. It’s such a positive song, and it builds throughout the track to an incredible crescendo at the end. It has no harsh sounds, it’s all good vibes. And in the end, it was the song I kept coming back to, more than any other. So even though I expected the top spot to go to Avicii or Clean Bandit, I was left with no choice to award it Coldplay & The Chainsmokers. Their excellence in pop song composition is truly unrivaled. Let’s end the decade on a high note and hope for the best from the 2020s.
I still think Taylor should have appeared more.
ReplyDelete