Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1
20. iSpy - KYLE feat. Lil Yachty
Peak: 4 (April 22); Weeks on chart: 30; December 30 position: NR
Newcomer KYLE (not an acronym, just his first name in all caps) came onto the scene this spring with a cute little tune about feeling immediate attraction to a pretty girl he just met. The song itself isn't terrible; its accompanying music video is a bit of a different story. Exceptionally suggestive, the video makes it clear that Kyle isn't concerned with getting to know his song's subject; instead, he just wants to get with her. I doubt this will be the last we hear from the up-and-coming 24-year-old.
19. It Ain't Me - Kygo feat. Selena Gomez
Peak: 10 (May 13-20, June 10); Weeks on chart: 29; December 30 position: NR
I've always held that Selena Gomez has a voice ready-made for electronic pop. She's not the best singer, but her vocal range fits perfectly in the genre of EDM. This year she teamed up with Spotify's favorite DJ to release her latest top 10 effort. Of the songs in its genre released this year, "It Ain't Me" isn't one of my favorites. However, its genre is one of my favorites so it's kind of like saying JC isn't my favorite member of *NSYNC or Sunny is my least favorite Obama dog.
18. Mask Off - Future
Peak: 5 (May 6-13); Weeks on chart: 31; December 30 position: NR
Future is one of the most notable current rappers. He's probably the textbook example of a current rapper, too. When you think "trap music" you're probably thinking of his music. His big song of 2017, "Mask Off" were two of the four words that he fully pronounces in this top-five hit. The other two, Molly and Percocet, are two highly addictive drugs that should never be messed with. It's a good thing children don't listen to pop music; oh wait, they do. Good on you, Future, for being a horrible role model.
17. Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) - Cardi B
Peak: 1 (October 7-21); Weeks on chart: 24; December 30 position: 11
Nothing in my music listening history should suggest I would like the first number one hit by a solo female rapper in almost 20 years, but I really don't mind the Cardi B chart-topper that was one of the biggest songs of the fall. Unlike many of her male contemporaries, Cardi knows how to enunciate and use more than five words. "Bodak" was actually one of the sole highlights for women in music this year; apart from Cardi (and for an incredibly brief stint by Taylor Swift and Beyonce's featured credit on "Perfect") the Hot 100's top spot was dominated by men in 2017.
16. There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back - Shawn Mendes
Peak: 6 (August 26); Weeks on chart: 34; December 30 position: 48
Let's see here, four more lines.....I feel like I've already said all that needs to be said about America's least talented favorite singer. It's an atrocity I had to speak about him four different times in this countdown, but for some reason the world can't leave well enough alone and let this kid's career die like it should. With guys like Mendes consistently on the Hot 100, it comes as even more of a surprise that Cardi B was one of the only women to gain traction this year. Come on, ladies, it's not hard to be better than this dude. Here's hoping Taylor Swift saves us in 2018.
15. Stay - Zedd feat. Alessia Cara*
Peak: 7 (May 6, June 10-17); Weeks on chart: 31; December 30 position: NR
Alessia is up for a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2018, despite her first single hitting the charts in late 2015. The already-established music star provided vocals for one of the best dance tracks of the year. Produced by the legendary German DJ Zedd, it's hard not to bob your head along to the infectious beat of "Stay." Cara's unique voice gives the exact right flavor to turn the song into a certified jam. "Stay" was without a doubt one of my favorite songs released in 2017, and looks to remain a staple in my music library for a long time to come.
14. Attention - Charlie Puth
Peak: 5 (August 26, September 9-16); Weeks on chart: 34; December 30 position: 42
I thought at one time that Charlie Puth was one of the more underrated talents in pop music. Indeed, when his first hit "See You Again" reached number four on the #Top100of2015, I said "Puth may very well be a significant player in the pop music world over the second half of the 2010's." Sure enough, this is the third straight year Charlie has had a top 10 single. However, he's no longer one of my favorite artist. "Attention" was a decent song that peaked within the top five, but it never gained my attention like "One Call Away" or "See You Again" did. Puth's sophomore studio album Voicenotes is set to release at the end of January; it's very possible I'll be a huge fan again depending on what I think about his newest music.
13. Closer - The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey*
Peak: 1 (12 weeks in 2016); Weeks on chart: 52; December 30 position: NR
Only three songs got timed out of the Hot 100 this year (Billboard changed its rules a couple years ago that once a song had spent a full year in the chart, it was no longer eligible. This was likely in response to the ridiculous 87 weeks that Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" was on it). The most notable was the incredibly successful "Closer." No doubt one of the decade's biggest songs, when Billboard retired the Halsey/Chainsmokers collab, the song was still on the top half of the chart. Intriguing about "Closer's" year-end rank is not only did it place in the top 20 of the lists from both this year and last, but it actually finished six spots higher in 2017 despite spending the entirety of its three-month run at number one in 2016.
12. Bad And Boujee - Migos feat. Lil Uzi Vert
Peak: 1 (January 21, February 4-11); Weeks on chart: 36; December 30 position: NR
I've spoken to great lengths about Migos, so it might not surprise you that I've decided to name them the CU:BS Artist of the Year for 2017. Even though none of their songs reached the final installment of the #Top100of2017 as my three previous honorees have, it's hard to ignore the trio's prevalence throughout the year. With four hits as primary artists and one as a featured, Migos is on this list as much as any other artist. Group member Quavo also had a featured role in a couple of other popular songs, meaning the reach of the trio went even more deep in 2017. Their biggest hit, "Bad and Boujee" was a sign for Migos' success throughout the year. In a year dominated by rap, no rap group was more prevalent than 2017's Artist of the Year.
11. Xo Tour Llif3 - Lil Uzi Vert
Peak: 7 (June 24); Weeks on chart: 34; December 30 position: NR
On principle, I was never going to be a fan of a song titled "XO Tour Llif3." In case you missed the second grade, the word "life" is spelled with just one L and an E where Lil Uzi places a 3. As a former journalism student, the egregious misspelling turned me off immediately. I got the chance to actually listen to the song when Lil Uzi performed it at the VMAs this fall; despite the fact he can't spell, it turns out the up-and-coming rapper can make tolerable music. I've not listened to "Tour Llif3" in its entirety since that performance, but I did become a little less annoyed with it. Maybe if Uzi puts out a properly-spelled track next year I'll give it more of a chance.
Tomorrow, Ed, Bruno, Justin, and The Chainsmokers, as well as the rest of the ten biggest songs in 2017.
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