Hey guys! This is my first year doing list season, so don’t judge me if I don’t do anything right. So, welcome to my top 45 songs of 2019. This being my first year, it has some perks, like being able to put songs like High Hopes and The Last Of The Real Ones on here, so yeah! Let’s just get this thing started with some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the list.
- boyfriend - Ariana Grande/Social House
- breathin - Ariana Grande
- Call You Mine - The Chainsmokers/Bebe Rexha
- Don’t Leave Me Alone - David Guetta/Anne-Marie
- Dumb Blonde - Avril Lavigne/Nicki Minaj
- Empty Space - James Arthur
- Hate Me - Ellie Goulding/Juice WRLD
- Here With Me - Marshmello/CHVRCHES
- How Do You Sleep? - Sam Smith
- Last Hurrah - Bebe Rexha
- Lights Up - Harry Styles
- Look What God Gave Her - Thomas Rhett
- Mother’s Daughter - Miley Cyrus
- Only Human - Jonas Brothers
- Out Of Love - Alessia Cara
- Señorita - Shawn Mendes/Camila Cabello
- Walk Me Home - P!nk
Also, I’m excluding any songs that debuted in December, since that’s more 2020. Here are the songs that I can’t put:
- Adore You - Harry Styles
- Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa
- I Hate LA - Hot Chelle Rae
- Into the Unknown - Panic! At The Disco
- Panini - Lil Nas X
- Purple Hat - Sofi Tukker
- ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas
- South of the Border - Ed Sheeran/Camila Cabello/Cardi B
- Wanted - OneRepublic
- Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles
#45: 11 Minutes - YUNGBLUD/Halsey/Travis Barker
Yeah, I kind of surprised myself with this one too. But if you listen to it now, it actually held up really well. I love Halsey’s voice in this kind of pop/rock song. YUNGBLUD could use some work on his vocals, but it’s still not bad. Probably my favourite part here is the bridge. Anyways, I find Halsey and YUNGBLUD have great chemistry here and the guitar rift works with their vocals really well. So, turns out Travis Barker is the drummer here. Yeah, I didn’t know that, but I guess he’s pretty good. My only problem with this that probably prevented it from going higher is the 30 second-long outro where Halsey sings really horribly and there’s just a basic piano line. But other than that, this is a pretty good song.
#44: Apologize - grandson
Okay, this one might be a bit of a stretch, but I mean, it’s #44. Nobody cares. My one problem with this one is that his voice here is… okay. It’s not great, but it’s not bad. Anyways, the thing that makes up for that and puts it on this list is the absolutely flawless instrumentation. I mean, come on. You can’t deny it. That guitar rift is legit the best thing ever. It works so well with the whole song. The first verse feels a bit bland, but it’s alright. Because once you get to the last chorus, it all makes up for it. I love the guitar there. This was definitely deserving of #44. (I mean, it took me a really long time to make this list, so there’s not really anything I’m unhappy with).
#43: You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift
Yeah, this is the one Taylor Swift song that nobody likes for no apparent reason. I mean, sure it’s not that great compared to some of her other music, but it’s still a really good song. (Not as good as another song that’s higher up here, [spoiler alert] but whatever) I think the songwriting here was pretty good. I like the general vibe this song gives off, with the rift-thing that starts the song (you know what I’m talking about) and I really like the layered voices in the chorus. I feel like Taylor really shines vocally here, and its week at #1 was well deserved.
#42: Shallow - Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper
So this was a re-entry this year, otherwise it wouldn’t have been on the countdown this year. I remember how hyped I felt when I heard this on the countdown the week it came back. (That was the week of my birthday too, so it was just a really good weekend). It’s kind of weird to think that this is Rocket Racoon from Guardians of the Galaxy singing, but he does a really nice job with the vocals. Lady Gaga sounds amazing as always, and their voices together with the harmonies sound really good. I like the nice touch of the audience cheering at some parts and this is honestly just a really great ballad. I do feel it got a little overplayed though, which is why it’s so far down on my list.
#41: The Hype - Twenty One Pilots
This is by far the best single from Trench. When I first heard this song, it made me forget why I liked Chlorine in the first place. This is a great change for Twenty One Pilots, with more of a- hm. I’m not sure if you’d call it “pop” or “pop-rock”. Or maybe “alternative”. Yeah, I don’t know. Whatever. I think Tyler does a great job on vocals here, because he has a pretty unique voice. I find the bridge is one of the best parts of the song. I literally fell in love with the ukulele that just randomly comes in before his yelling part. Now, this song is still on it’s run on the countdown and I hope it finishes off doing pretty well and maybe getting some points for a good placement on next year’s Ultimate Rank. (It’s already scored pretty well this year, but since it was split, not as much as it could have been)
#40: Undrunk - FLETCHER
My favourite part about this song (and probably the reason it’s here) is that FLETCHER’s voice is so good. The best part where her voice really shines is right before the chorus. I just love it. My problem with this song, is that it’s a bit short and there’s some things in the chorus like the “un-lose my temper” line that’s just a little too much of a stretch. But, yeah. The production here’s nice. There’s not much, but that’s why it’s so good. It lets her voice shine by backing off a bit. I’m really sad that this only lasted a few weeks on the countdown and that it’s so low in the 2019 Ultimate Rank.
#39: Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! At The Disco
Aw, man. I remember when this first came out and it was just the best song ever. Now, I’m a bit tired of it, since it’s been on the countdown for over 52 weeks. Although, in 2019 I did give it a week in purple, so I think it deserves this spot. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a great song. Brendon Urie sounds great and the production is amazing. The chorus is a bit repetitive, but it doesn’t really matter that much. My favourite part about this song… probably the last chorus where he starts saying “I’m the best, believe it” and stuff like that. Now, it is a bit egotistical, but whatever. This is still a good song. I don’t think deserving of higher, but definitely deserving of a spot.
#38: frick, i’m lonely - Lauv/Anne-Marie
Now, I was debating on whether I should put this next song on the list for this year or not, and I decided to because I’m not sure it’s gonna stay in 2020 for long. {Hey, future Beluga here, sorry to interrupt, but it actually left way before 2020 started. Just thought I should point that out. I definitely jumped the gun on writing this.} Anyways, I know a lot of people are gonna hate me for putting this on my “best” list, but I don’t get why people don’t like it. Lauv sounds fine guys. I feel the chemistry between Ari and Anne-Marie is really good. The chorus here is so catchy. The last chorus isn’t great, but I can overlook it. The bridge is really good too. I find when you don’t have earbuds in, it sounds a little compressed, but whatever. I don’t get what the trend is with making song’s names lowercase, but it doesn’t actually bother me that much. It’s just a little odd.
#37: So Close - NOTD/Felix Jaehn/Georgia Ku/Captain Cuts
Here’s another one that I surprised myself with, ‘cause I don’t think it was ever in my top 5. But looking back at it, it’s held up really well. This was my favourite part about doing this. Going back and listening to songs that weren’t huge hits. Anyways, the production here is really good (probably because there’s three people on it), and Georgia Ku’s vocals are really a highlight of the song. My favourite part is probably the hook. The vocals there are a bit weird, but honestly, the production makes up for it. The chorus for this is also really catchy and I’m proud to make it my #37 song of the year.
#36: SICKO MODE - Travis Scott/Drake
Yes, there’s a Drake song in my top 45 of the year. If I’m being honest though, it’s probably one of the only Drake songs that I actually like. Anyways, it starts off with a great intro from Drake which flows seamlessly into a verse by Travis Scott. The beat is amazing and Travis sounds really good. We then get some samples by Swae Lee and Big Hawk which fit really well with the song. Travis’ flow in this verse is so good. Then the verse starts to end, which then transitions really well into the third part of the song by Drake which is also really good. Seriously, no part of this song is bad. The “like a light” part is really good. Drake’s flow works well with this beat too. Then we get Travis on the same beat, which really just works really well. I wish this did better on Hits 1, but I get why it didn’t. Rap. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.
#35: The Git Up - Blanco Brown
Aw, man. From the first 2 seconds, you know this is a meme song. I’m not sure why I got so into this genre this year, but I really did and I found it a lot of fun. There’s like, a whole dance to this song apparently. I never learned it. Okay, maybe I did. Anyways, his voice here is actually surprisingly good and works really well with the song. This song is honestly just a bop and I can’t find anything wrong with it. I love how a bunch of songs from Tik Tok actually did well on the charts this year. It was kind of cool.
#34: Summer Days - Martin Garrix/Macklemore/Patrick Stump
The production in this song is legit the best production I’ve heard in a while. (Minus maybe Pray For Me, Lost in the Fire, Power is Power. Pretty much just The Weeknd.) The guitar here is pretty great. This was totally a summer song. Patrick Stump sounds really good. This song actually kind of gives off a bit of a Fall Out Boy vibe with him on it. Macklemore is one of the best rappers out there, so no doubt he sounds good here. His verses broken up by a hook by Patrick Stump is really what you want to hear. Don’t trust me? Listen to this song. Somehow, the Hits 1 edit made this better, adding some violins in the build-up to the last chorus. I’m sad this song didn’t get more success.
#33: I Don’t Care - Ed Sheeran/Justin Bieber
If you haven’t heard the acoustic version of this song, you haven’t lived. Anyways, for the original though, this was honestly just a great bop that was a huge summer hit. I remember first hearing this song and just completely falling in love. When I heard that Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber were doing a collaboration, I was like “this is not going to work.” Now, I had heard Love Yourself and it still remains one of my favourite songs of all time, but there Ed just does backups, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to work. Answer: very well. They never had them singing at the same time, which was probably for the best, but you hardly notice it. The beat in this song is just absolutely amazing. Both of them have amazing vocals and it works really well with this song. I’m still surprised to this day that it never got past #5 on the countdown. {Future Beluga again, but the acoustic version is better!}
#32: i’m so tired… - Lauv/Troye Sivan
Yes, I know this is my second Lauv song in this list. I still find that this song absolutely slaps though. Both Ari and Troye sound really good together. I love the chorus here. It’s very catchy. Lauv tends to make some very catchy songs. I really have nothing else to say. I really enjoyed this song while it was big, and I still enjoy it now.
#31: Eastside - benny blanco/Halsey/Khalid
I remember when this song was huge, and that was a much better time in music. Just kidding, but this song still is really good. I love the cool beat with Khalid’s voice in the beginning, and pretty much throughout the whole song. Heck, blanco even made Halsey sound good here somehow. Both singers actually mesh really well together in the end, and the “runaway” part is really good. This whole song is a treat and a gem and I love hearing it every time it comes on the radio now. (Which is a lot less often than it used to)
#30: Grip - Seeb/Bastille
This was the second Bastille/EDM song after Happier, and it definitely was a threat to that song. (Except not really because Happier is like 8 spots higher than this) Anyways, I really like Dan Smith’s voice with EDM production and I’m kind of sad this wasn’t a bigger hit, because everything about it is just seamless and perfect. Especially the echo part in the “Devil’s got my arms” part. (Pre-chorus) The bridge is amazing, as are most bridges, which then flows into a final chorus where things are changed a bit, with the kind of (pitched?) voice going a lot higher than it did before and doing some runs. Anyways, I’m sad this wasn’t a bigger hit, but I’m happy with the success it got. There’s also an Alternative Version, which is a bit slower, and more like a ballad, but it’s still really good.
#29: Natural - Imagine Dragons
I forgot how much I liked this song before it came on the countdown as the “Last Year’s #1” and then it came back to me. Imagine Dragons are definitely my favourite artist, and although they had some not-so-great singles this year (like Machine) this was definitely one of the best ones, and the Dragons still stuck with me this year. I could probably do without the yelling, but whatever. Although I do kind of wish they would just go back to Evolve and not follow this Origins path, there were still some gems that came out of that album.
#28: You Say - Lauren Daigle
This was definitely one of the best ballads from this year, and it stuck with me since it left the countdown. I haven’t really stopped listening to this song, and I still really like it. Lauren Daigle kind of sounds like Adele here a bit, and honestly, there’s not much else to say here. It’s just a really solid song and I highly suggest you check it out if you haven’t yet.
#27: Genius - LSD/Lil Wayne
This next song comes from three artists that made one of my favourite songs last year, Thunderclouds. And this time LSD brings Lil Wayne along. I feel like the song would be a lot better without Lil Wayne, and in fact, there is a version without him which is better. But anyways, this is exactly what I like about LSD. It’s weird. But both artists sound pretty good. I’m not sure what I like in this, but I just find it really good. My only problem with it is that it’s a bit short. But anyways, this is a really solid song and I wish it was a better song.
#26: Memories - Maroon 5
Now here’s a song that’ll probably be a bigger hit in 2020, but I’m jumping the gun anyways! Anyways, I think this is a really solid song. I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t like this, since it’s “boring” and “slow” and “not really a band”. Well, okay. I can see that there isn’t really a band, which is why I kind of trashed Easier earlier on, but I think that Adam Levine still did a really good job. As for the boring and slow part, it’s a slower song. Get used to it. Now, I only have one slight problem with this, and that’s that this is a rip-off of canon, but if we just kind of forget about that, like we did with Play That Song by Train, it’s a really good song. The vibe is really good, and the best part is that it looks like it’s destined for #1 on the Hot 100!
#25: 100 Bad Days - AJR
Now, I know a lot of people don’t like AJR, and I feel like I’m one of the only people that actually like them. But I don’t care! I’m gonna keep on stanning them! (Except for Dear Winter. Dear Winter sucked.) I just love how AJR has those huge blown-out choruses for no reason whatsoever, and it actually gives their music some charm and something to really like about it. Also, the songwriting is pretty good too! It’s all about loving life no matter what happens, and I feel like that’s a really good message. Is this my favourite AJR song? No, that would go to Sober Up, but I still really like this. The best part is probably the last chorus, where everything is just going full-swing. I really love these energetic vibes we keep getting from these guys, and honestly all their music is just really good.
#24: Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi
Now, there are a lot of people out there who don’t like this song. I am clearly not one of those people. Now yes, his voice is a little scratchy when he tries to sing high, but that’s what I like about him so much. I don’t find it grating, I actually quite enjoy listening to it. This was one of the best ballads this year, and North America seemed to agree with me, making this hit #1 on both the countdown and the Hot 100. Of course, it’s not as good as Before You Go, which is a little newer, but this is still a really solid song. I love the emotion he puts into his voice in the chorus, and overall, this is a great song that I’m happy charted outside the UK.
#23: 365 - Zedd/Katy Perry
Now, Zedd didn’t have a great year, and neither did Katy Perry. But this song was definitely a highlight. I’m not quite sure how to describe it, except that the production is really great, and Katy does really well on vocals. There’s something I really like about the song though that I can’t quite pinpoint though… THE TICKING CLOCK!!! IT’S NOT THERE!!! Oh, wait. Never mind. It’s in the bridge. Dang it. Anyways, I hope Good Thing gets way more success than this did, because this flopped pretty hard.
#22: Happier - Marshmello/Bastille
Now, this song was big in late 2018, but it stuck around enough at the beginning of the year for it to qualify for this list. Now, Marshmello has had some pretty dang mediocre songs recently, and I’d regard this as his best song ever. Dan Smith does really well on the vocals, and I mentioned this before with Grip, but there’s just something about Dan Smith and EDM that just works really well. And I feel like they realized that. One of the best parts about this though, is the bridge where it’s stripped down to just violins, then comes back out with just the guitar, slowly adding more instruments each eight measures, before flowing into that amazing drop one last time, and having that last little bit of the bridge at the end was a really nice touch.
#21: Nothing Breaks Like a Heart - Mark Ronson/Miley Cyrus
Yeah, this deserved more success. This was the first song of Miley Cyrus’ after that awkward phase that we all want to forget, and it was a really good move to make it a country/EDM song. It works surprisingly well with her voice. It took me a few listens to really appreciate it, but clearly, that time came. I feel like the song starts off a little weak though, but it’s fine because by the end it’s picked up. This song really deserved more success, and my favourite part about it is the guitar line going throughout the song.
#20: High Hopes - Panic! At The Disco
This was another song like Happier, where it was really big late 2018, but stayed around long enough. This is one of my favourite Panic! At The Disco songs, and this was the song that made everybody kind of like solo Brendon Urie. For good reason too. This song was really well made, and really just makes you feel good, which is what you want in a song. It’s a great pump-up song and I can really see myself remembering this one for a while. I love how much success it got, and I was really hyped when it started to go mainstream.
#19: Beautiful People - Ed Sheeran/Khalid
When I first saw that Ed Sheeran did a collaboration with Khalid, I never in a million years thought it would work. Obviously, I was wrong. This song feels warm. I’m not sure how much sense that makes, but you’re just gonna have to roll with me on this one. You know that feeling when you’re just sitting by a fire, in a blanket, and all of your fears just start to melt away, at least for a moment? That’s the feeling I get listening to this song. And when Khalid says “LA”, I still get chills. I’m really glad this song hit #1, even if it was only for a week.
#18: Goodbyes - Post Malone
Now, I never really liked Post Malone before I heard any songs from Hollywood’s Bleeding, but now, yeah. You can call me a huge Post Malone fan. When I heard Sunflower, I thought, “Oh, yeah, this guy can make a good song.” Then he came out with Wow., which was for sure not as good. Then this came out, and I was just stunned at how good it was. Like, he even managed to make Young Thug work with this song. Even though Hits 1 edited him out, which was probably for the best. I kind of low-key love the weird vibrato thing he’s got going through this song, and honestly, this song just really set the tone for me with what was to come with his music…
#17: Circles - Post Malone
And that was this song. When I first heard this, I thought that his voice didn’t work very well with the guitar riff, but man! was I wrong. This song is really catchy and has become (I believe) Post Malone’s biggest hit. (I’m considering it that, at least, because there were those three weeks where All I Want For Christmas Is You was #1), and this song is honestly just perfection. There’s only one more Post Malone song that can top it…
… and it will appear later.
#16: Old Town Road (Remix) - Lil Nas X/Billy Ray Cyrus
Did I think when I first heard this that it would end up at #16 on my year-end list? No, absolutely not. But somehow, it did. I feel like everything in this song shouldn’t work. But it does. So much. The trap beat with the guitar in the background works super well together, X’s low voice in the verses, which then switches to a high voice works really well too. Then, you get to a verse with Billy Ray Cyrus of all people, and it works! I don’t know how, but it works! Then, at the end, you have a chorus where X’s voice and Cyrus’ voices are layered on top of each other, and that really shouldn’t work! But it does! What’s even better, is that in the original, it’s way too short, but with the remix, it adds like a minute on to the song. Did I think this would beat the record for most weeks at #1 on the Hot 100? No. Do I think it deserved it? Not really. And did I think that a country/trap meme would hit #7 on the countdown? Absolutely not. But somehow, it did.
#15: This Feeling - The Chainsmokers/Kelsea Ballerini
Now this was actually a really good single that came out of Sick Boy, which wasn’t great. But somehow, this was actually really good. This album had a lot more of Alex singing, which was okay, but kind of stopped them from doing more collaborations. However, they still did do some collaborations, and then we got this. Now, Kelsea is actually a country artist. Although, you can hear that, unlike The Middle. But the guitar and the EDM actually works really well, and the end of the song is definitely the best. Both Drew and Kelsea sound pretty good, and this was a great collaboration that definitely deserved seven weeks at #1.
#14: The Last Of The Real Ones - Fall Out Boy
Um. So this is a 2018 song. But I don’t care, because I haven’t done this yet! This song is really well-produced. The keys at the beginning compliment Patrick Stump’s vocals really well. Then at the chorus, where the entire band really starts to shine, and that guitar in the chorus adds so much to the song. Yeah, there’s not much else I can say here.
#13: Sucker - Jonas Brothers
I remember when this song came out, and everyone was excited for the return of the Jonas Brothers. And it was one of those returns that really delivered when it came out. It shot to #1 on the Hot 100 on its first week. And not even because of all the hype. Because it was just that good. Has it held up well? No, not really, but it’s still really good. Nick and Joe do really well with the vocals, and it’s still catchy as hell. The guitar throughout the entire song slaps, and even though it’s not as good as when it first came out, it’s still good enough to just miss the top 10 on this list.
#12: ME! - Taylor Swift/Brendon Urie
When I first saw that Taylor Swift did a collaboration with Brendon Urie, I was shocked. Well, okay, first I thought “this is gonna do really well on Hits 1!” (I was kind of right), but after that, I was shocked. I knew it would work though. And it did. Taylor and Brendon actually have really great chemistry, and this whole song is a bop. I’m really sad that it flopped though. I mean, come on! That’s like the first time in history that a Taylor Swift song flopped! It was mainly because of one line though: “Hey kids, spelling is fun!” It was hated to the point that for the version that came out on the album, she edited it out. But yeah, still a great song, and I really wish it hit #1 and didn’t get blocked out by Sucker.
#11: What Am I - Why Don’t We
I did not expect this to just miss my top 10 on this when I first heard it. Although, after I heard it for the first time, it was stuck in my head for the rest of the week. This song is so sweet. The harmonies work really well in the chorus, and the writing is spectacular. It’s also really catchy. I’m super glad that this was Why Don’t We’s countdown debut, and even spent a few weeks in the top 20! Great song. Definitely deserving of top 10. (Although there were better songs, that we’ll get to in a moment.
#10: Time - NF
I love NF. I stan any song that he releases. This song is really good and deserved to be a bigger hit than it was. I love the violins here. The use of them was really good in this song. He sounds pretty great in the chorus, and in the rapping sections he has really good flow, and does super well. The beat is also really good. The final chorus brings everything together, and the synth really brings a lot to the table, even if you don’t realize it that much.
#9: Sunflower - Post Malone/Swae Lee
...And here’s that other Post Malone song I was talking about. In fact, the only Hollywood’s Bleeding single that didn’t make it was Wow. Because that one wasn’t that good. Anyways, I think Post always does really well on collaborations, and Swae sounds really good here. This song is super catchy, and the only problem with it is that it’s short. Which is a really good problem to have, by the way. This song actually tied the record for the most weeks in the top 10 on the Hot 100, and it was super well-deserved. I remember when I first heard this, I actually didn’t like it. Yeah, times have obviously changed.
#8: Power is Power - The Weeknd/Travis Scott/SZA
Songs that only last a week on the countdown are eligible too! Fun fact: this is the only song to have its full run in purple on my blog! This song is so epic, and it really sounds like it deserves to be in Game of Thrones, which it was inspired by. (Since GoT doesn’t have songs in it.) SZA and The Weeknd rule this song, with Travis absolutely owning his verse. The chorus with both The Weeknd and SZA singing sounds really good. Also, the “DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO” part in Travis’ verse is really weird, but works surprisingly well. I love this song, and it definitely deserved more than one week on the countdown. (Maybe if I had my Hunger Games Countdown back then, it would’ve done decent there… but you never know. That thing is pretty random.)
#7: Don’t Give Up On Me - Andy Grammer
I miss this song. It’s legit the best writing in a song that I’ve ever heard. Andy sounds really good in this more stripped-back song, compared to songs like Hallelujah and Honey, I’m Good. Even with the minimal production that there is, it just makes the chorus sound that much better. I know some particular person whose name rhymes with “falafel” doesn’t like this song, and I seriously don’t get how anyone could not like this, this is nothing short of a masterpiece, and is only bested by six other masterpieces.
#6: Higher Love - Kygo/Whitney Houston
So this year saw the post-hummus return of Whitney Houston, doing a cover of the classic by Steve Winwood, brought all together by Kygo, of all people. This song came at such a good time, and just kind of reminded everyone of why they loved Whitney Houston in the first place, because of her amazing voice. She destroys this song, and it’s all brought together seamlessly by Kygo. Even the chopped-up bits in the chorus sound really good. I absolutely love what Kygo did with this recording, and I wish it was a bigger hit than it was. This song is an absolute bop. Too bad it was bested by five other songs this year…
#5: Body Talks - The Struts/Kesha
This definitely would’ve been my #1 in 2018. However, it was bested by a few songs this year. (Also, I didn’t feel it fair to give a 2018 song my #1 in 2019 just because I missed a year.) This song is nothing short of perfect. Kesha and Luke are switching lines in the verses, and it works really well. This song is super unique, (which is a common trend among these top songs) and I’ve seriously never heard anything like it. Also, for some reason, Kesha works really well with this. I should’ve seen that coming, but this was after Rainbow. Anyways, this was a really good song, great instrumentation, and it for sure deserved more success.
#4: Trampoline - SHAED
This was what I was talking about with the unique theme popping up again. It’ll come up once more, I promise. Now, this song just kind of blew me away when I first heard it. About how much it sounded like an ad for Apple. Okay, but in all seriousness, this is a great song. I already loved this song when I heard it, and I kind of love the chill, weird vibe that this gives off. I remember seeing it debuted the Hot 100, and I was super pumped. It stayed in the 80s and 90s for a while, before starting to slowly climb. And it didn’t stop. It became a top 20 hit on the Hot 100, probably one that no one expected, but it was for sure there. This had a really weird run on Hits 1 though. It debuted decently high, started jumping a bit, then, when it started getting big, it dropped to the bottom 10. And it just kind of stayed there until it started to get really big, then it finally started jumping, hitting the top 20 kind of late. So yeah, I’m kind of satisfied, but not really.
#3: Be Alright - Dean Lewis
If I’m being brutally honest, I kind of forgot about this song. I almost didn’t include it for consideration. Then, I remembered that I had in purple for a few weeks, so I might as well. Then I relistened to it. And I fell in love again. I love the rapping/fast singing he does in the verses, and then flowing into a beautiful chorus. And boy, do I mean beautiful. There’s just something about it that I can’t quite put my finger on that makes it so much better. There’s just something that makes it feel full. And now the writing. Man, this makes you feel feelings. Which I guess is the point of every song.
#2: I’ve Been Waiting - Lil Peep/Fall Out Boy/ILOVEMAKONNEN
When I started considering songs for this list, I knew I wanted this to be my #2. However, I didn’t always feel that way. When it first debuted Hit-Bound, I actually hated it. I despised Peep and Makonnen’s voices. I found them so annoying. The only redeemable thing about it was Patrick Stump. But one time, I was listening to it, and something just clicked. And I got it. Then, I started listening to it a lot. My absolute favourite part about this was Patrick Stump. He sounds the best he’s ever sounded, in my opinion. The production here is on point. The song doesn’t feel like it’s missing anything, and the only reason it didn’t have many weeks in purple, was because this next song was on the countdown…
Keep scrolling, you'll get there eventually...
Just keep going.
You're almost there...
PSYCH! You're nowhere close.
Just kidding!
#1: Bad Liar - Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons didn’t have the greatest year, but this was definitely a highlight of… the decade, really. I mean, if Imagine Dragons release a song, it’s probably gonna end up on this list, (except maybe Machine), this song is just so amazing. I legit get chills everytime I listen to it. Still. I’ve heard it a million times already. And it still gives me them. AHHH I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!!! Dan kills it in this song, and I’m honestly not sure how this came out of an album like Origins. Yeah, I guess there’s really nothing else to say. Wow. It’s been a journey, you guys. I started this list in November (which, in retrospect was probably a bit too early.) So, this year wasn’t perfect in music, but it definitely came with its share of great hits. I loved some of them. See you all next year!
More reveals for the 2020 Ultimate Rank coming soon!
Kwaheri, everybody. See you all very soon.
