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#1 REVEALED: MusicTalker's Top 100 Songs of 2016
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Member Since: 2/16/2010
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Will be starting shortly.
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Member Since: 10/5/2009
Posts: 137,162
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Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
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MusicTalker's Top 100 Favorite Songs of 2016
It's been quite a crazy year for me and a lot has happened. I did an internship that lead to a full time job offer post-graduation, took some of the hardest two semesters in college, met some amazing people and best friends I hold close to me now, continued loving my family through thick and thin, and worked my ass off. I was always running around. But that doesn't mean I ever stopped listening to and loving the music that came out. This is the music that I went to whether I was stressed, just wanted to have fun, or just liked what I heard come through the speakers. It defined my 2016, and I did the best I could to put that into a Top 100 favorite songs list. Let's get started with 100-91.
100 Bruno Mars - Versace On the Floor
I didn't really connect with Bruno's first two albums at all and knew they weren't much for me. Honestly, only two songs I still used from him prior to the new album were Locked Out of Heaven & When I Was Your Man. While I was, not surprisingly, not into 24K Magic the album, I did, for whatever reason, like Versace On the Floor. I actually normally hated 90's ballads that sound like this, but I think what I like about this is the vocals mostly. He sounds the best he's ever sounded and smooth. I find this song chill and it's probably one of the most enjoyable songs he's released in a while. I can see it becoming very annoying if it becomes overplayed but I will take it for what it is for now: a good modern throwback and easy-listen.
99 Kanye West - Famous (feat. Rihanna)
Where does one even start with Kanye anymore? He is personally a disaster at this point, and his music in general has suffered for it. I was disappointed with The Life of Pablo. However, I use the word BOP here because as much as I tried to hate this song, it really goes off after the choruses. While the lyrics are an absolute mess, it does get you pumped. I don't have a lot more to say on this choice besides that it is a major guilty pleasure bop. TBH it was one night after hearing this at the club I was like, "yeah this goes off" haha.
98 MØ - Final Song
This is a GOOD song. But I wouldn't use any word more than good and I feel this is just MØ trying to get a nice hit for herself following her recent burst in hype. It is definitely good for what it is, though. Spoiler alert: she has another entry as a lead artist later on for a better single from this year. The reason this is low is because I haven't played it much at all recently. My main criticism is it offers nothing new: its very run-of-the-mill.
97 Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha - In the Name of Love
I kind of just say what I said for Final Song: this is good but overall unremarkable. Once I burn out of this (which is already happening), I will probably barely play this in 2017 onwards. The intro with Bebe's first verse is definitely my favorite part, but the breakdown can be a little jarring in certain settings/states of mind if you're not prepared for it. I do enjoy it most of the time and am glad for its success.
96 Mike Perry - The Ocean (feat. Shy Martin)
This is very on-trend with 2016 and its not highly notable either. But it's a great song to play while, for example, you're in the shower or something and it comes on in the background. While pop music shouldn't settle for being background music, I don't think anyone is calling this song avant garde or anything. It's light and happy and feel good, which is all I could ask for.
95 Jon Bellion - Woke the **** Up
I love how straightforward this song's lyrics are. Jon's albums was one of my most surprising finds this year and it has several really good offerings. He shows a ton of promise in general. Sidenote: he is the guy who co-wrote Trumpets with Jason Derulo (the lyrics of that are a mess but it's well-produced, Trumpets is NOT a good indication of his lyrics lol). One of Jon's best attributes is being able to convey true emotion and being 100% honest even if that means being extremely vulnerable. Also, this lyric: "we live in an ae where everything is staged, where all we do is fake our feelings" I love. Check this one out!
94 Tory Lanez - LUV
I have funny stories about this song coming on while I was drunk, but I digress. I absolutely love the production and Tory Lanez did a nice job of owning the beat with a nice flow. This song is a nice fusion of pop, R&B & hip-hop and I really enjoy it. I don't think it's super original per-say, and it reminds me very much so of Drake, but I honestly don't care. Tory needs to keep working with Benny Blanco & Cashmere Cat and should keep doing more pop-leaning stuff. Its his most memorable music.
93 TWENTY ØNE PILØTS - Heathens
I really didn't expect the Suicide Squad soundtrack to have a lot of really good songs, but it did. There are several more coming up on the countdown actually. Heathens is a little slow for me, and I'm honestly sick of it, but it makes a very worthy addition to the 21P discography and its a nice darker sibling to Stressed Out. Its crazy catchy and the lyrics fit the movie absolutely perfect. I'm excited for their next album.
92 CL - Lifted
Scooter is really trying with this girl, but unfortunately she just doesn't seem to be taking off in the US. Nonetheless, I'll enjoy her music for myself. This is such a good debut single in my opinion and really shows off her unique style. She pulls off something that would seem farfetched (an asian girl rapping and singing) PERFECTLY and it would so refreshing to have someone like her smash. Her and Diplo are a match made in heaven.
91 PARTYNEXTDOOR - Come & See Me (feat. Drake)
Another slower, more chill entry, and this song reminds me of the old Drake which is probably why I find myself enjoying it a lot. PND holds his own on the song though, and I can tell him and Drake really feed off of each other positively. Not a lot happens in this song, but I do get lost in its lyrics and the sparse, regretful beat about a broken relationship. It's simple and evokes emotion out of me, so I had to include it.
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Member Since: 2/4/2014
Posts: 14,672
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I like them all lol. I wanted The Ocean to be higher tho, I love that track so much.
The nostalgic summery vibe it has is just everything
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Heathens is so good. I love the kick drums.
LUV is great, even if his vocals are pitched up too much.
Come And See Me is nice as well. The latter part of Famous is obnoxiously catchy, yeah.
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Member Since: 1/4/2014
Posts: 22,877
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"Final Song" was a fun little song - but it does make her seem generic and run-of-the-mill. A fun little bop, but certainly will be forgotten and never thought of again in a year's time.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 7/23/2007
Posts: 35,994
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2/10
Heathens + Versace On The Floor <33
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/11/2007
Posts: 63,796
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Heathens & Final Song nice start sis
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Member Since: 10/13/2003
Posts: 48,022
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Heathens is my favorite song here
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Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 5,091
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Famous, Final Song, In The Name Of Love and Heathens
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Member Since: 10/5/2009
Posts: 137,162
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Heathens, Famous, LIFTED Versace On the Floor yessssss
Woke the **** Up Just recently listened to Jon's album around 3 weeks ago, it's so excellent. WTFU isn't in my top 5 but the lyrics and production are amazing, just like all of the other tracks.
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Member Since: 5/27/2016
Posts: 3,111
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Final Song & Lifted that bops
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Member Since: 2/17/2012
Posts: 33,611
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Versace on the Floor reminds me of a Klymaxx ballad.
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Heathens is nice! In the Name of Love and The Ocean are incredible songs! I'm so glad you like them!
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Member Since: 5/3/2010
Posts: 26,013
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In the Name of Love, Lifted, Come and See Me
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Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
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MusicTalker's Top 100 Favorite Songs of 2016
100-91
100 Bruno Mars - Versace On the Floor
I didn't really connect with Bruno's first two albums at all and knew they weren't much for me. Honestly, only two songs I still used from him prior to the new album were Locked Out of Heaven & When I Was Your Man. While I was, not surprisingly, not into 24K Magic the album, I did, for whatever reason, like Versace On the Floor. I actually normally hated 90's ballads that sound like this, but I think what I like about this is the vocals mostly. He sounds the best he's ever sounded and smooth. I find this song chill and it's probably one of the most enjoyable songs he's released in a while. I can see it becoming very annoying if it becomes overplayed but I will take it for what it is for now: a good modern throwback and easy-listen.
99 Kanye West - Famous (feat. Rihanna)
Where does one even start with Kanye anymore? He is personally a disaster at this point, and his music in general has suffered for it. I was disappointed with The Life of Pablo. However, I use the word BOP here because as much as I tried to hate this song, it really goes off after the choruses. While the lyrics are an absolute mess, it does get you pumped. I don't have a lot more to say on this choice besides that it is a major guilty pleasure bop. TBH it was one night after hearing this at the club I was like, "yeah this goes off" haha.
98 MØ - Final Song
This is a GOOD song. But I wouldn't use any word more than good and I feel this is just MØ trying to get a nice hit for herself following her recent burst in hype. It is definitely good for what it is, though. Spoiler alert: she has another entry as a lead artist later on for a better single from this year. The reason this is low is because I haven't played it much at all recently. My main criticism is it offers nothing new: its very run-of-the-mill.
97 Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha - In the Name of Love
I kind of just say what I said for Final Song: this is good but overall unremarkable. Once I burn out of this (which is already happening), I will probably barely play this in 2017 onwards. The intro with Bebe's first verse is definitely my favorite part, but the breakdown can be a little jarring in certain settings/states of mind if you're not prepared for it. I do enjoy it most of the time and am glad for its success.
96 Mike Perry - The Ocean (feat. Shy Martin)
This is very on-trend with 2016 and its not highly notable either. But it's a great song to play while, for example, you're in the shower or something and it comes on in the background. While pop music shouldn't settle for being background music, I don't think anyone is calling this song avant garde or anything. It's light and happy and feel good, which is all I could ask for.
95 Jon Bellion - Woke the **** Up
I love how straightforward this song's lyrics are. Jon's albums was one of my most surprising finds this year and it has several really good offerings. He shows a ton of promise in general. Sidenote: he is the guy who co-wrote Trumpets with Jason Derulo (the lyrics of that are a mess but it's well-produced, Trumpets is NOT a good indication of his lyrics lol). One of Jon's best attributes is being able to convey true emotion and being 100% honest even if that means being extremely vulnerable. Also, this lyric: "we live in an ae where everything is staged, where all we do is fake our feelings" I love. Check this one out!
94 Tory Lanez - LUV
I have funny stories about this song coming on while I was drunk, but I digress. I absolutely love the production and Tory Lanez did a nice job of owning the beat with a nice flow. This song is a nice fusion of pop, R&B & hip-hop and I really enjoy it. I don't think it's super original per-say, and it reminds me very much so of Drake, but I honestly don't care. Tory needs to keep working with Benny Blanco & Cashmere Cat and should keep doing more pop-leaning stuff. Its his most memorable music.
93 TWENTY ØNE PILØTS - Heathens
I really didn't expect the Suicide Squad soundtrack to have a lot of really good songs, but it did. There are several more coming up on the countdown actually. Heathens is a little slow for me, and I'm honestly sick of it, but it makes a very worthy addition to the 21P discography and its a nice darker sibling to Stressed Out. Its crazy catchy and the lyrics fit the movie absolutely perfect. I'm excited for their next album.
92 CL - Lifted
Scooter is really trying with this girl, but unfortunately she just doesn't seem to be taking off in the US. Nonetheless, I'll enjoy her music for myself. This is such a good debut single in my opinion and really shows off her unique style. She pulls off something that would seem farfetched (an asian girl rapping and singing) PERFECTLY and it would so refreshing to have someone like her smash. Her and Diplo are a match made in heaven.
91 PARTYNEXTDOOR - Come & See Me (feat. Drake)
Another slower, more chill entry, and this song reminds me of the old Drake which is probably why I find myself enjoying it a lot. PND holds his own on the song though, and I can tell him and Drake really feed off of each other positively. Not a lot happens in this song, but I do get lost in its lyrics and the sparse, regretful beat about a broken relationship. It's simple and evokes emotion out of me, so I had to include it.
90 James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go
So not gonna lie, my first reaction to this song was "oh great, another douche making a sweet lil acoustic vanilla hit". However, I couldn't help but warm up to this as I heard it more and I actually think it's a sweet, well-made song. It's a sound we've heard so much before, but he follows the formula well and comes out with a nice addition to the bunch. I'd be perfectly fine hearing this a lot in 2017, which I kinda expect to happen in early 2017. The emotion is what gets to me here and makes up for lack of originality. He sounds sincere.
89 FRENSHIP & Emily Warren - Capsize
I don't play this one much now, which is one of the reasons it's so low, but I did play it fairly frequently over the summer. Like The Ocean, it's uber-trendy and I'm not surprised it didn't take off in the US - it doesn't particularly have a lot of character to it. What it does have is a catchy hook (oh my god and the chorus) and a beat that makes me want to drink a margarita on the beach. My description to The Ocean pretty much applies here as well, but I like Capsize a little better.
88 Calvin Harris - My Way
This definitely is far from my favorite Calvin single (he made up for it this year in other ways *hint hint*), and my initial reaction was pretty terrible, but I can't lie I loved hearing this while out and it's very easy to put on repeat without even realizing it. So it grew on me. It's very basic in the sense that he has done much better solo tracks and this feels a bit watered down, but I found myself enjoying this more once I got comparisons out of my mind and started just blindly listening to it on its own merit. If there were a little more to the lyrics and not so much repetition, this probably would've ended up in/near my Top 50. I do like the breakdown a lot and like Capsize, it makes want to go to the beach.
87 Charlie Puth - We Don't Talk Anymore (feat. Selena Gomez)
If I'd made this list like 5-6 months ago, this would also probably be much higher, but honestly I have gotten pretty tired of it. This is easily the best song Charlie's ever done, nonetheless, and it is (imo) the only good thing his debut album had to offer. This is more of the direction he should look onto in the future. Selena was a perfect choice to add onto the track and she adds her now-signature whispery vocals onto the second verse to respond to Charlie's first over their relationship woes. It was a very nice surprise coming from him and I am glad this turned out to be the biggest hit of the era. Very much overplayed, though. And in certain moods, it can be a bit boring - for example it played at a party once and the vibe just kinda lowered.
86 D.R.A.M- Broccoli (feat. Lil Yachty)
This song is really funny. Another one I totally hated for months until it just kinda clicked one day randomly. I can still see why it annoys the heck out of some people, but it just sounds so joyous and celebratory I couldn't resist haha. The real win here is the sense of humor that comes through the entire song from start to finish, and even further made weirder with the random ass video. This is probably one of the oddest songs on my entire list but I guess that's what made it a Top 5 smash. I def have some drunk memories with this one in particular because where I live lives for songs like this.
85 Travi$ Scott - Goosebumps (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
I did not expect to like this at all, but unlike some others on this list, this one was pretty instant. There's just something about the chorus and beat that instantly hooked me way more than any other Travi$ Scott song ever has. Kendrick's verse is okay but I actually prefer Travi$' parts. His autotune droning actually sounds... nice here? I just like the whole vibe and think if i recommended anyone try out one Travi$ song, it would be this one. This is the most accessible song to pop fans he's done to date.
84 Alan Walker - Sing Me to Sleep (feat. Iselin Solheim)
This is a blatant Faded Pt II, but in a lot of ways I actually like this one a little better. It has a bit more of an emotional punch for me personally, and IsELLIEn voice conveys more sorrow/longing than I think she did on the first one. I'm not sure how this did worldwide, but not even Faded took off in the US: which, while not surprising, is disappointing nonetheless. Sleep is one I would definitely recommend for people who like the current trendy sound of pop music, as I feel like this one might be a little more overlooked than others on my list.
83 Jon Bellion - Guillotine (feat. Travis Mendes)
Second Jon entry on the list. Despite what I initially thought, no the featured artist is not Travi$ Scott. I'm not quite sure who Travis is, but I think he did the background vocals in the bridge and other parts of the song. This is the song that got me to start taking Jon a little more seriously than when I overlooked him prior. The pre-chorus is kinda spectacular, and the bum-be-bin-bum reminds me fondly of something I've heard in the past (but not quite sure what it is). He has one of the better voices in male pop music currently and this song showcases it well.
82 Bruno Mars - 24K Magic
Last entry from Bruno this year. My other friend who follows music will hate me for including this in my YE Hot 100 haha. But not gonna lie - I do kind of enjoy this song. It's not super original, and Bruno does come off looking like a douche (it worked in Uptown Funk but it's too much here), but I do love the production and I like the explosion of energy it has. It's literally Uptown Funk with a 90's twist, but the production is the best thing this track has going for it. It's very rough around the edges for a Bruno lead, but it was my favorite from his new album anyway.
81 Zara Larsson - I Would Like
I wish the chorus was more than just a breakdown, but she sounds pretty nice here and I think we need more uptempo club songs with a faster pace to smash right now. But apparently this is not even a US single, so. Zara's singles have been pretty on point this year but I'm getting nervous they're still not releasing her album. This song does well to tide me over, though. It sounds very European so not surprised it is slaying there.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 7/23/2007
Posts: 35,994
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2/10
24K Magic + Say You Won't Let Go <3
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 46,848
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Lifted, WDTA and I Would Like all slay
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Member Since: 2/17/2012
Posts: 33,611
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I always think I'm gonna enjoy Zara's music but then I hear it and its annoying. I don't like her voice
24k Magic is good!
Goosebumps was my fave on that album but I only gave it one full listen
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