#Top100of2016: 80-71

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2016 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

80. Fake Love - Drake


Peak: 10 (November 19); Weeks on chart: 8; December 31 position: 12

I go back and forth on how I feel about Drake. I think my primary opinion this year has been that the Six God sounds far too whiny in most of the songs he's released this year. Give him credit, though, his most recent single is the latest-debuting song on this list. "Fake Love" finally provides a different vibe from the three other Views singles that reached the Top 100.

79. Antidote - Travis Scott

Peak: 16 (one week in 2015, January 2-9); Weeks on chart: 26; December 31 position: NR

"Antidote" was big at the start of the year; it just barely made the #Top100of2015 with the 91st position on that list. Later in 2016 Scott was featured in the Young Thug track "Pick Up the Phone" that spent a good part of the fall in the 41-50 range on the Hot 100, but failed to make the year-end list.

78. Caroline - Amine

Peak: 12 (December 3-10); Weeks on chart: 15; December 31 position: 16

The 22-year-old Oregonian rapper Amine (full name Adam Amine Daniel) burst onto the scene near the end of 2016 with this track. Its accompanying music video is full of youthful energy that suggests Amine will be a force to reckon with for years to come in the rap genre.

77. White Iverson - Post Malone

Peak: 14 (January 23); Weeks on chart: 30; December 31 position: NR

I was guilty of singing along to this song from time to time, especially the lines going "swaggin', swaggin'" and "ballin', ballin'." Fitting this song was popular in the year that its namesake, Allen Iverson, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

76. Die A Happy Man - Thomas Rhett

Peak: 21 (January 2); Weeks on chart: 30; December 31 position: NR

As this song was starting its descent on the Hot 100 after peaking at the beginning of the year, I realized something oddly familiar about this song. Then I did some research and came up with this article that put my confusion at ease. My opinions on Thomas Rhett, not strong one way or another at this time last year, then diminished.

75. Don't Wanna Know - Maroon 5 feat. Kendrick Lamar



Peak: 7 (December 24); Weeks on chart: 10; December 31 position: 10

As far as Maroon 5 songs go, I'm not a very big fan of this one. The beat is practically the same as a certain DJ Snake and Justin Bieber collaboration you'll be seeing on the list next week, and the lyrical theme is not too different from a Charlie Puth/Selena Gomez project that will also make an appearance later on. All that with a goofy, gimmicky music video makes a smash hit as far as the charts are concerned, but a resounding dud in my book.

74. Say It - Tory Lanez

Peak: 23 (February 6); Weeks on chart: 24; December 31 position: NR

Of the two Tory Lanez songs on the #Top100of2016, this one is probably my favorite. That's not saying much, because Lanez is less of a musician and more of an autotune-corrected wannabe. "Say It" was popular among hip-hop faithful in the early part of the year and relies heavily on its backup vocals to be a decent track at best.

73. Exchange - Bryson Tiller

Peak: 26 (March 26, April 9); Weeks on chart: 34; December 31 position: NR

Much like Lanez, Bryson Tiller is one of my least favorite artists to make this list. Of the two, I prefer Tiller, but neither of his two songs on this list were particularly enjoyable to me this year. Like "Say It," "Exchange" was a success in the first half of 2016.

72. Down In the DM - Yo Gotti

Peak: 13 (March 12); Weeks on chart: 21; December 31 position: NR

"Sliding into the DMs" is a social media trend I understand the definition of, but not its prevalence. This song celebrates the wannabe cheater with an admittedly entertaining music video, and it was a track I liked to imitate and make fun of from time to time earlier this year.

71. Never Be Like You - Flume feat. Kai



Peak: 20 (September 3); Weeks on chart: 26; December 31 position: NR

This song took quite some time to grow on me, and even after it did "Never Be Like You" was never among my favorite songs of the year. Listeners mostly didn't fall in love with the song either, resulting in just a modest finish on this year's Top 100.

Tomorrow, spend Christmas with Meghan Trainor, do some new dance moves and learn about my most-hated film of the year.

NFL PICKS! Week 16

Here are my way-too-late week 16 picks:

Giants over Philadelphia
Carolina over Atlanta
Miami over Buffalo
Washington over Chicago
New England over Jets
San Diego over Cleveland
Tennessee over Jacksonville
Green Bay over Minnesota
Oakland over Indianapolis
Tampa Bay over New Orleans
Los Angeles over San Francisco
Seattle over Arizona
Houston over Cincinnati
Baltimore over Pittsburgh
Kansas City over Denver
Dallas over Detroit

Davante Adams and the surging Packers will try to avenge a week two loss against the Vikings. (Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports)

#To100of2016: 90-81

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2016 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

90. Pop Style - Drake feat. Kanye West and Jay-Z

Peak: 16 (April 23); Weeks on chart: 20; December 31 position: NR

Like the previous Drake track on this list, "Pop Style" peaked on its very first chart appearance. This song features two more of hip-hop's biggest names, so it is mildly surprising it didn't have at least decent staying power on the Hot 100. The only reason I can think of "Pop Style" not having a Year-End top-50 type performance is that it was released in concurrence with Drake's biggest track of the year (for more on that, check back here on New Year's Eve).

89. When We Were Young - Adele

Peak: 14 (March 5); Weeks on chart: 20; December 31 position: NR

The least successful of Adele's three singles on this list, "When We Were Young" was the filling between megahit "Hello" and seven-time top-10 member "Send My Love." The sophomore single from 25 helped keep Adele's voice on our radio throughout most of the year, which really is not a bad thing at all.

88. Lost Boy - Ruth B

Peak: 24 (July 2-9); Weeks on chart: 22; December 31 position: NR

The debut single from Canadian newcomer Ruth B is one of the more unique songs to have spent time in the Hot 100 this year. Featuring mostly a piano and Ruth's voice, the slow ballad captivated the nation in the late spring and early summer months. I personally found the song too lethargic to really enjoy, but I am interested to see where Ruth B's career takes her in the future.

87. Middle - DJ Snake feat. Bipolar Sunshine

Peak: 20 (April 9); Weeks on chart: 21; December 31 position: NR

Since 2014's "Turn Down For What," DJ Snake has been a constant force in the electronic dance scene. Most of his tracks have also found pop success. "Middle" is no exception. Featuring one of the best band names I've heard in a while in solo act Bipolar Sunshine, this track was popular throughout the first half of 2016.

86.  Hide Away - Daya

 

Peak: 23 (March 12); Weeks on chart: 27; December 31 position: NR

Yesterday, I talked about Daya's most recent single. "Hide Away" was the debut track from the Pittsburgh native who only recently celebrated her 18th birthday. Of the three songs she was a part of on this list, "Hide Away" is probably my least favorite, but that has to do with how much I love the other two songs more than anything else.

85. Scars To Your Beautiful - Alessia Cara*

 

Peak: 13 (December 24); Weeks on chart: 15; December 31 position: 18

Though released in July, "Scars" didn't enter the Hot 100 until mid-September. The song has been slowly climbing the chart ever since. I must admit that even though I am a fan of Alessia Cara, "Scars" took some time to grow on me as well. It still ended up appearing on my Spotify most-played list, however.

84. Hymn For The Weekend - Coldplay

Peak: 25 (October 8-15); Weeks on chart: 23; December 31 position: NR

Considering Coldplay rocked the Super Bowl halftime stage in February with Bruno Mars and Beyonce, the latter of whom is uncredited but provided vocals for this track, it's surprising to me that "Hymn" never got higher than 25th on the Hot 100. This is another solid Coldplay song, although the argument can be made that nothing makes this more unique than any other single Coldplay has ever released. But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

83. Ooouuu - Young M.A.
Peak: 19 (November 19); Weeks on chart: 16; December 31 position: 47

I'm not even going to legitimize this by writing about it, calling it a song, or including a picture.

82. Sorry - Beyonce

Peak: 11 (May 14-21); Weeks on chart: 20; December 31 position: NR

By far the most successful single of her sixth studio album Lemonade, Beyonce doesn't hold back in telling off her allegedly cheating husband. Phrases from "Sorry" like "Boy, bye" and "Becky with the good hair" became pop culture mainstays overnight. Queen Bey may not be my favorite artist on this list, but there's no denying her music is always a force in the world of pop music.

81. Ex's & Oh's - Elle King

Peak: 10 (one week in 2015); Weeks on chart: 38; December 31 position: NR

Rob Schneider's daughter is responsible for another 2015 holdover on this list. Elle King didn't chart with any solo efforts this year, but was a featured artist in the Dierks Bentley single "Different For Girls" that spent 20 weeks mostly in the bottom half of the Hot 100.

Tomorrow, the annual "I didn't really like any of these songs" segment of the list.

#Top100of2016: 100-91

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2016 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

100. Blue Ain't Your Color - Keith Urban

Peak: 24 (December 3); Weeks on chart: 13; December 31 position: 38

One of the top country songs in America right now is this ballad from one of the last three American Idol judges ever. Urban shows us a softer side as he looks to cheer someone up using a clever - if not incredibly obvious - pun in the tune's title.

99. Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) - Silento

 

Peak: 3 (six weeks in 2015); Weeks on chart: 51; December 31 position: NR

The number six song on #Top100of2015, "Watch Me" had just enough staying power on the Hot 100 this year (its 51 weeks on the chart are good for third-most of any song that appeared in the top 50 at any time in 2016) to garner a spot in the 2016 countdown. Young phenom Silento has ensured his spot at high school dances across the nation for the next decade, at least.

98. All In My Head (Flex) - Fifth Harmony feat. Fetty Wap

Peak: 24 (August 20); Weeks on chart: 18; December 31 position: NR

Last year's top new talent, Fetty Wap teamed up with America's Only Girl Band At The Moment, Sorry World to produce a summer jam that didn't stick with listeners long. I will say "All In My Head" certainly wasn't the most annoying song to hit the airwaves in 2016. It will almost definitely be the song you hear five years from now and think, "Oh, wow. I forgot about that one!"

97. Summer Sixteen - Drake 

Peak: 6 (February 20); Weeks on chart: 14; December 31 position: NR

Drake's 2016 began with this one-off single, used to promote his album Views. The song peaked when it debuted; its Hot 100 run concluded shortly after the mega-successful album came out at the end of April (and therefore well before the season "Summer Sixteen" was in session).

96. Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift

Peak: 5 (one week in 2015); Weeks on chart: 27; December 31 position: NR

Queen of Pop Taylor Swift had a relatively quiet 2016; officially "Wildest" is her only song to make this year's list after peaking near the end of 2015. All signs point to 2017 being another year of musical prominence for Taylor, but for now all we can do is continue listening to this song and the rest of the masterpiece that is 1989 on repeat.

95. I Know What You Did Last Summer - Shawn Mendes feat. Camila Cabello

Peak: 20 (January 30); Weeks on chart: 20; December 31 position: NR

I make no secret of my disdain for Shawn Mendes; without question he is my least favorite male pop star and I don't think anyone else even comes close. Late last year he teamed up with another abrasive vocalist to put out a single that got about as close to being a good song as two people walking toward each other on treadmills ever get to each other. Did that analogy seem like a stretch? Go watch the music video for "Last Summer" (on mute - I'm not trying to torture you) and get back to me on that.

94. Tiimmy Turner - Desiigner

Peak: 34 (September 10, September 24-October 8); Weeks on chart: 34; December 31 position: NR

After the major success of this summer's "Panda," Desiigner was back on the scene in the fall with his follow-up single. "Turner" had a little bit more musicality than the first song from the 19-year-old Brooklynite, but never had anywhere near "Panda's" success. This is by far the lowest-peaking song on this list and the only track out of 102 not to reach Billboard's top 30.

93. Sit Still, Look Pretty - Daya

Peak: 28 (September 17-24); Weeks on chart: 24; December 31 position: NR

One of the more underrated singers of the year, Daya was either the primary or featured artist on three songs that made the year-end list. "Sit Still" was the final single of Daya's breakthrough 2016 and one of my favorite tracks released this year. Unfortunately it never gained the popularity I think it should have had and couldn't crack the top 90 songs of the year.

92. On My Mind - Ellie Goulding*

Peak: 13 (two weeks in 2015); Weeks on chart: 22; December 31 position: NR

Another holdover from last year, "On My Mind" has remained one of my most-played songs on Spotify in 2016. It is one of four Goulding songs to make my Spotify "Top Songs of 2016" list but the only representative Ellie has on the #Top100of2016 list. Her follow-up single, "Something In The Way You Move," only spent 10 weeks on the Hot 100 at the start of this year.

91. Can't Feel My Face - The Weeknd

(George Pimentel/Getty)

Peak: 1 (three weeks in 2015); Weeks on chart: 41; December 31 position: NR

Before shearing off his locks, teaming up with Daft Punk and releasing a new album, The Weeknd's second-highest song on #Top100of2015 remained on the Hot 100 through the first week of April in 2016. "Face" is still by far my favorite Weeknd song from 2015, but I'm currently really enjoying Abel's first single of this year so I'm not sure which one I like more.

Check back tomorrow for DJ Snake, double Drake and love that's fake. For goodness' sake!

#Top100of2016: An Introduction

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2016 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

Another year is coming to a close, which means it's time once again to publish a list of the top 100 songs of the past 365 days. As a refresher, last year saw three top 10 songs from The Weeknd; the top five songs were - from number one to number five - Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' megahit "Uptown Funk," "Trap Queen" by breakout star Fetty Wap, "Thinking Out Loud" by crooner Ed Sheeran, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's soundtrack hit "See You Again," and "Sugar" from Maroon 5. The complete list of all 100 songs from 2015 can be found here.

This year in music saw dominance from should-be couple Drake and Rihanna - whose names are included on 12 tracks on this list, including two collaborations between the two - and the emergence of alt-rock giants twenty one pilots.

I have compiled my list based on the top 50 songs in each Billboard Hot 100 weekly chart dated 2015 (The January 2 and 9, 2016 charts counted even though they were released in 2015; similarly the chart from January 7, 2017 will not be considered despite being published in 2016).

Starting with songs 100-91 on Thursday, December 22, I will reveal my year-end list 10 songs at a time for 10 days, including personal notes about each hit. This will conclude with the biggest 10 songs of the year - and a Spotify playlist of all 100 songs - on New Year's Eve. Check back each day for a new post.

New this year, I will also include, by denotation of an asterisk, the songs that were among my 100 most listened-to songs according to Spotify. Look at the long-form URL of each day's post to see some of my other most-enjoyed songs of the year that aren't included in the #Top100of2016 countdown.

Have a blessed and meaningful holiday season, and enjoy the hits!

As a bonus, here are two songs that just missed the list.

102. Chill Bill - Rob $tone feat. J. Davis & Spooks

Peak: 29 (November 26-December 3); Weeks on chart: 19; December 31 position: 49

My lasting memory of this song was hearing the first two seconds of it at a bar, and recognizing it as "Chill Bill" because the first two seconds sounded exactly like the two seconds I heard each week while compiling this list. In other words, this is an annoyingly repetitive song. Debuting in August, "Chill Bill" saw its peak popularity around Thanksgiving and has slowly dipped down the chart throughout December.

101. In The Name Of Love - Martin Garrix feat. Bebe Rexha


Peak: 24 (December 10); Weeks on chart: 17; December 31 position: 35

When last we heard from Martin Garrix, the Dutch DJ was responsible for the early-2014 EDM hit "Animals." His newest track, one of two songs on this list featuring vocalist Bebe Rexha, came onto the scene too late on the list to score a great position on the year-end list. It is not the best track released this year by far, but I enjoyed it enough to briefly include it in my rotation of frequently-played songs.