Selected from the Billboard year-end top 100 lists.
80. Style – Taylor Swift
Billboard Year-End: #29 of 2015
Okay, if anyone thinks there will be any other Tay-Tay songs in this countdown, they’ll be disappointed–this is the only one. I do like this one though, even though it was not one of her bigger hits. Max Martin crafted a song with limited vocal range that requires good timing and some staccato. Style was the third single from the 1989 album and peaked at #6 in March 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CmadmM5cOk
79: Slow Hands – Niall Horan
Billboard Year-End: #32 of 2017
This solo hit by the former member of One Direction peaked at #11 for two weeks in the fall of 2017. It was Horan’s second hit and has a funk edge it. A lot to like for me, the bass, the tune and Horan’s vocals. Supposedly, Horan was going for an ’80s Don Henley-type sound, so it’s little wonder this song contains the lyric, “Like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBmNcLBaPUE
78. Without You – David Guetta featuring Usher
Billboard Year-End: #73 of 2011
French producer/DJ David Guetta came up with this song, in collaboration with Taio Cruz, Usher and others. He chose Usher to sing the vocals.The result was a worldwide hit that peaked at #4 in the United States. While the vocalist usually gets lead artist credit, this is a fine production and Guetta earned his billing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUe8uoKdHao
77. New Rules – Dua Lipa
Billboard Year-End: #16 of 2018
In North America, New Rules was Dua Lipa’s breakout hit, and it led to a Best New Artist Grammy a year ago. It peaked at #6 in February 2018. Caroline Ailin, one of the songwriters, wrote it about the temptation of getting back with an old boyfriend. It has one of my all-time favorite lyrics: “If you’re under him, you ain’t getting over him.” The video has over 2 billion views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2qgadSvNyU
76. Shallow – Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
Billboard Year-End: #19 of 2019
I’ve gone through phases of liking this more and liking it less. “Shallow” was released and charted in 2018, falling out of the top 20 by mid-November. It shot back up to #1 in March 2019, following an Best Song Oscar win. Good song, overplayed more than a little. Cooper holds his own, but this song is a vehicle for Lady Gaga in both the movie and in the real world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A
75. Daylight – Maroon 5
Billboard Year-End: #35 of 2013
Maroon 5 had a string of big hits from their Overexposed album. “Daylight” was my favorite, although not the most successful commercially. “Daylight” appeared to peak at #14 on the Billboard chart, but a Grammy performance (in a medley with Alicia Keys) boosted it to a week in the top 10, at #7. I’m not posting the official video, as it includes the voices of fans singing along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpkUhIg4OBU
74. I Feel It Coming – The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
Billboard Year-End: #34 of 2017
“I Feel It Coming” was the second single from The Weeknd’s Starboy album after the highly successful title track. Both singles featured electronica giants Daft Punk. “I Feel It Coming” peaked at #4 in April 2017. It went to #1 in Daft Punk’s home country, France. While it lacked the power of “Starboy,” this song is a bit more smooth. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFLhGq0060w
73. Sugar – Maroon 5
Billboard Year-End: #5 of 2015
The third single from the V album was one of few songs to spend 20 or more weeks in the Billboard Top 10. It spent four weeks at #2 behind “Uptown Funk,” good enough to be the fifth most popular song of 2015. It has elements of dance pop and guitar funk and a very popular video with over 3 billion views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg
72. Girl Crush – Little Big Town
Billboard Year-End: #63 of 2015
Fake controversy aside, this is a good song. Karen Fairchild’s lead vocals are particularly strong, backed by minimal instrumentation. Girl Crush peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 2015. On the country chart, it spent 13 straight weeks at #1 and was the #2 hit of 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZMT8otKdI
71. Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Billboard Year-End: #27 of 2019
Lewis Capaldi was that guy in the Grammy audience Sunday who looked more like a troll than a pop singer. He gave his approval as host Alicia Keys re-wrote the lyrics to “Someone You Loved” to fit the occasion. “Someone You Loved” topped the British charts for seven weeks in Spring 2019. In the United States, it took a while longer–three weeks at #1 in November and its still in the top 10 headed into February 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zABLecsR5UE
70. The Middle – Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey
Billboard Year-End: #8 of 2018
Producer Zedd auditioned a long list of female lead singers for this song, including Demi Lovato, Camila Cabello, Carly Rae Jepsen, Bebe Rexha and Elle King. They chose Maren Morris, who had had a few country hits that hit the lower half of the Hot 100. “The Middle” was the first major pop hit for Morris. The song was featured in the long-form Target ad the debuted during the Grammys in 2018. It reached the top 10 in March, and stayed there for 16 weeks. It peaked three times at #5, for a week in April, another in May and two more weeks in June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3mJkSqZbX4
69. Rude – Magic
Billboard Year-End: #7 of 2014
This song was polarizing. Time magazine called “Rude” the worst song of 2014. It was certainly popular. “Rude” spent six weeks at #1 at the end of the summer in 2014. Magic is a Canadian reggae fusion band that has no other hits in the U.S. The band has a few minor hits in Canada, but “Rude” is be far their biggest, winning the Juno for Single of the Year in Canada for 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIh2xe4jnpk
68. Dancing With A Stranger – Sam Smith and Normani
Billboard Year-End: #14 of 2019
Forbes claims that “Dancing With A Stranger” received more airplay than any other song in 2019–another source states that if got the fourth-most play in the United States. This duet was a global hit that is nominated for Song of the Year at the Brit awards. It peaked at #3 in the U.K. and at #7 in the United States (May 2019). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av5JD1dfj_c
67. Love Yourself – Justin Bieber
Billboard Year-End: #1 of 2016
“Love Yourself” was the third single from his Purpose album, the album that converted more than a few skeptics into acknowledging his talent. “Love Yourself” spent two nonconsecutive weeks at #1 in February 2016, and replaced his previous single, “Sorry” at the top position. For the year, Billboard listed “Love Yourself” and “Sorry” as the top two hits of 2016. “Love Yourself” is an in your face breakup song, and “Love” is essentially a substitute for another word with four letters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyEuk8j8imI
66. Say Something – A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera
Billboard Year-End: #17 of 2014
This is not the same “Say Something” that was at #86 (Timberlake/Stapleton). This was originally a piano ballad sung by Ian Axel, half of the duo A Great Big World. Christina Aguilera heard it and asked to get involved. The re-recorded duet quickly made the top five and spent six weeks at #4. The collaborators won the Grammy for Pop Duo/Group Performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds
65. Story Of My Life – One Direction
Billboard Year-End: #24 of 2014
I didn’t really take One Direction too seriously until I heard this song. The second single from Midnight Memories debuted at its peak position (#6) in November 2013 and spent the next several months going in and out of the top 10. It was a worldwide hit that was bigger on adult contemporary radio in the United States. At the time, not what I had expected from this particular boy band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-TE_Ys4iwM
64. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
Billboard Year-End: #26 of 2012
From the soundtrack of The Twilight Saga Part 1 – Breaking Dawn, “It Will Rain” is a dramatic ballad from Bruno Mars. Released in October 2011, it entered the top 10 at the end of November, stayed in the top 10 for 13 weeks including five weeks at its peak position (#3). A bit similar in theme to “Grenade,” a megahit from Mars that was released a year prior. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-w3WfgpcGg
63. Pray For Me – The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar
Billboard Year-End: #40 of 2018
From the Black Panther soundtrack, “Pray For Me” is a rap/song collaboration between Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. The Weeknd had been nominated for an Oscar for a previous movie song (“Earned It”) from Fifty Shades of Grey. “Pray For Me” debuted at #7, its peak position in mid-February 2018 and hung around the chart for a few months. Lamar’s rap fits the movie well and The Weeknd’s voice goes well with the somewhat haunting sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR7Ev14vUh8
62. You And I – Lady Gaga
Billboard Year-End: #71 of 2011
“You And I” was the fourth single from Born This Way, released in 2011. It peaked in mid-September at #6 and bounced in and out of the top 10 for several more weeks. It includes a percussion sample from Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” and the track features Brian May on guitar. Lady Gaga wrote it solo on the piano, intending for it to be a rock track that would by unlikely to be released as a single. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9YMU0WeBwU
61. Boo’d Up – Ella Mai
Billboard Year-End: #61 of 2018
“Boo’d Up” was somewhat of a sleeper hit for British R&B singer Ella Mai. It was written by an American singer-songwriter named Joelle James, of whom I’m pretty unfamiliar. James thought Mai was the right singer–she was right. Its popularity was driven by social media and dance clubs. “Boo’d Up” peaked at #6 in June 2018 and was popular enough for Ella Mai to go on tour in the states and to get two Grammy nominations for songwriter James. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YNZlXfW6Ho