Hello, fam! 2018 has come and gone! And with that comes the Year-End Countdown for the American Top 40. Every year, they count down the top 40 biggest songs of a given year. What I will do is basically share my thoughts on every song in detail. I want to point out that the number in parentheses is the song’s peak position. As I go along, each song will be given a ranking from 0 to 5 (and I’ll explain that in just a moment). Following that, I’ll be doing a breakdown of all 40 songs similar to my Top 20 Breakdown I do every week on an AT40 post. Now with that in mind, I now present to you the rankings and the color code that I’ll use:

• Red – Garbage (0 Points)
• Turquoise – Bad (1 Point)
• Yellow – Mediocre (2 Points)
• Pink – Decent (3 Points)
• Blue – Good (4 Points)
• Green – Great (5 Points)

40. All Time Low by Jon Bellion (#10)
39. Cheap Thrills by Sia featuring Sean Paul (#1, 5 Weeks in 2016)
38. Cold by Maroon 5 featuring Future (#8)
37. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee (#8)
36. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid (#1, 1 Week)
35. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#1, 1 Week)
34. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#1, 2 Weeks)
33. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (#3)
32. Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran (#7)
31. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (#6)
30. Starving by Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd (#5) 
29. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars (#5) 
28. Let Me Love You by DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber (#1, 3 Weeks in 2016)
27. Mercy by Shawn Mendes (#6)
26. I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne (#3)
25. Now Or Never by Halsey (#3)
24. Rockabye by Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul and Anne-Marie (#4)
23. Starboy by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#3)
22. Say You Won’t Let Go by James Arthur (#5)
21. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#1, 1 Week)
20. Believer by Imagine Dragons (#3)
19. Slow Hands by Niall Horan (#1, 2 Weeks)
18. Paris by The Chainsmokers (#3)
17. Issues by Julia Michaels (#4)
16. Love On The Brain by Rihanna (#3) 
15. Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (#1, 9 Weeks in 2016) 
14. Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camila Cabello (#1, 2 Weeks)
13. Don’t Wanna Know by Maroon 5 featuring Kendrick Lamar (#1, 1 Week)
12. Side To Side by Ariana Grande featuring Nicki Minaj (#1, 3 Weeks)
11. Despacito by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber (#1, 5 Weeks)
10. Attention by Charlie Puth (#1, 5 Weeks)
9. I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk (#3)
8. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes (#1, 1 Week) 
7. I Don’t Wanna Live Forever by ZAYN featuring Taylor Swift (#2)
6. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay (#1, 1 Week)
5. Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara (#1, 2 Weeks)
4. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez (#1, 1 Week) 
3. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara (#1, 5 Weeks)
2. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars (#1, 3 Weeks)
1. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran (#1, 10 Weeks)

Looking back at last year’s countdown, I thought it was an improvement over 2016. There were quite a lot of songs to my liking that ended up being successful last year. We’ll see how 2018 stacks up. With that, I now present to you the Top 40 songs of 2018 on the American Top 40. Are you ready? Let’s go!

40. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (#6) [3; Decent]
Three years have passed since Sam Smith made it big in the spotlight, with Stay With Me becoming one of his biggest hits of 2014. Unfortunately, neither of his successors caught on with the public after that, with the exception of I’m Not The Only One, which was a respectable hit chart-wise. Many were waiting to see what was to come next. At first, I didn’t really find it interesting, but I’ve warmed up to it in record time, and then it kinda died down a bit. Right off the bat, Sam has proven that he is one of the best songwriters around. I do like his voice in this one, and I love how he hits those high notes. So yeah, it’s was nice to see him make a comeback last year. I did listen to some of his latest album The Thrill Of It All, and it had some good single choices, such as Pray.

39. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (#3) [5; Great]
Here, we have the first of three songs from Maroon 5 on the countdown. To be honest, I’ve been pretty mixed with Maroon 5 in terms of their latest music. Don’t Wanna Know and Cold were both straight up garbage, the former which was one of my least favorite songs of last year. My expectations were pretty low coming into the song, and I must say that they seem to have their groove back. What Lovers Do isn’t really close to Maroon 5’s best work by any means. But here, they do sound more like a band here. I like SZA’s contribution. She has a good voice and she uses it well in the song. Adam Levine’s voice is decent as well. Personally, I think this is the best song off of Red Pill Blues, which wasn’t really good. The song was able to reach #3 on this countdown, so that’s nice.

38. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
This is probably one of the more controversial singles I’ve heard all year. But that doesn’t make me hate the song any less. In fact, I find it to be really good. Ariana has been the type of artist that usually doesn’t disappoint me with her music. God Is A Woman is no exception. Though I can’t say it’s a stand-out from Sweetener, it’s still a great song nonetheless. I love Ariana’s voice in this one and she excels at hitting those high notes. I don’t have too much else to say beyond that. Again, I don’t care what people think. It’s a good song overall. It spent some time at the top spot, which was very nice.

37. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha (#11) [5; Great]
I was a little surprised to see this one make the Year-End list for this countdown, but I’m glad it did. Everything about the song is just beautiful all around. I talked about this in my post regarding my Top 50 favorite songs of 2018. This came a little over three months after the release of Glorious, which was also a great song. But Good Old Days manages to be a step up from that. The lyrics are creative and well-written all around. A song that mentions the good old days and reminiscing about the past moves me. Kesha’s voice is just phenomenal. I love Macklemore’s verses as well. In short, I can safely say that it’s one of Macklemore’s best songs.

36. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#9) [5; Great]
Throughout 2018, Dua Lipa became a mainstay after New Rules became her biggest hit. So, I wasn’t surprised to see her continue her presence with her collaborations with artists such as Calvin Harris. It was this time last year that Calvin Harris gave us his groovy new sound when he released Slide and Feels. This year, he bought us One Kiss. Although it doesn’t live up to his best work, he still shows that he’s a good EDM artist. Dua has a unique voice and she uses it well. The production is solid all around. It has that tropical vibe to it. Overall, it’s still a solid song from Calvin Harris.

35. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo (#1, 1 Week in 2017) [1; Bad]
When One Direction took a hiatus, their members decided to go solo. Niall went for a more acoustic music, Harry went for rock, and Louis went for pop-rock. But when Liam released Strip That Down, he went for hip-hop and the result was a mediocre song that I did not like. I questioned its existence from the beginning and I still do. I talked about this last year in detail. But to recap, I’m not fond of Liam’s voice in the song. He doesn’t shine in any part of the song. The production is relatively weak and Quavo doesn’t really add anything. Liam’s debut single is the worst out of all the members of One Direction. It’s a good thing he has released better music since. For You and Familiar are really good songs, but none of them had the same success as Strip That Down, which annoys me. Oh well.

34. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017) [3; Decent]
One of the things I like about reviewing music is that it helps me discover new artists and bands, such as Portugal. The Man. I first came across Feel It Still and that was the first time I heard a song from Portugal. The Man. Believe it or not, these guys have actually been around since the early 2000’s. But they were virtually non-existent back then. 2017 was when they started to gain momentum with this sleeper hit, Feel It Still. It’s catchy in a way, which is why I liked it at first. But after hearing songs such as Live In The Moment, I kinda stopped caring about it. However, it was still nice to see Portugal. The Man get a hit with this song.

33. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#6) [4; Good]
My relationship with Shawn Mendes’s music had been relatively mixed in the past. But before that, he had songs such as Life Of The Party and Something Big which failed to graduated Hit-Bound and thus were not bigger hits. Along came Stitches, which was a successful hit back in 2015 and thus bought him into mainstream. Then the next year, he gave us Treat You Better, which after many listens I realized it was not a good lead single from the disappointment that was Illuminate. He also had songs such as Mercy and There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, both of which were to many people’s liking, especially the latter. But even then, not very many people were looking forward to hearing more from Shawn Mendes. When In My Blood first came around, he was hosting the countdown and thus the song would debut straight there instead of spending a week on Hit-Bound. As for my opinion on the song, I can say it’s a better lead single than Treat You Better. The song may not be all that amazing, but it’s worthwhile. Shawn does good with his vocals. As I mentioned when the song debuted, it has some Kings Of Leon vibes, which is what pulls me in. After listening to his self-titled album, I found some songs to be better than this. But In My Blood is a good song that I can listen to every once in a while. Another thing I can say is that Shawn Mendes has come a long way since he made a breakthrough with Stitches. We’ll see what else he can come up with.

32. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#3) [5; Great]
Last year, Imagine Dragons made a comeback with the release of Believer and their album Evolve. This year, their success continued with Whatever It Takes becoming another hit. I liked what the song has to offer. Here, it is super fast-paced and the production is top-notch across the board. Dan Reynolds shows that he has a solid voice. Looking at the lyrics, it talks about wanting to be successful and having to do what is necessary to achieve success. It’s nice to see them execute it so well. And believe it or not, this was the last single from Evolve as they just released their new album, Origins a month ago. I didn’t really enjoy Evolve as a whole, but there were quite a few good songs, Whatever It Takes being one of them. I’m glad it was able to get some success. I sure wish it did hit #1, though. But it was able to spend some time in the Top 5, and that’s good enough.

31. Wait by Maroon 5 (#5) [1; Bad]
Like I said before, I’ve been mixed with Maroon 5 when it comes to their latest music. But unfortunately, Wait is just another one of those songs that I’m not fond of. There’s nothing amazing about the song whatsoever. It’s really sad that they keep releasing songs like this. I want to hear something along the lines of their older singles and even some of V for the matter. This Summer’s Gonna Hurt… was shit, but I liked songs such as Maps, Animals, Sugar, and to an extent, Feelings. But in songs like Don’t Wanna Know and Cold, they showed that they’re not really a band anymore. It’s all about Adam Levine, and nothing more. Sure, Adam sounds okay with his voice. But the rest of the song is just underwhelming and frankly, not good. The lyrical content isn’t very well-written. I do not like the use of trap skitters. While I can say that Wait is better than their two recent singles, it’s still undesirable. Maroon 5 are capable of better.

30. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#3) [3; Decent]
So, I did not like Cardi B’s debut single, Bodak Yellow. It was one of the most obnoxious songs of last year. I wasn’t anticipating any release from Cardi B. Sure, she did have a feature in the remix for Finesse by Bruno Mars. But that’s about it. I Like It came around and I wasn’t a big fan. But in the later months, I actually started to kinda like it. Well, not to the point where I find it enjoyable by any means. Although I still question some of the lyrics, I do kinda like the Latin vibe here. The verses are okay for the most part. I do like the intro leading up to the song. So yeah, I find it to be decent. 

29. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#1, 1 Week in 2017) [4; Good]
The lead single from Tell Me You Love Me is one that sometimes comes to mind when I think of Demi Lovato. I didn’t exactly love the song in the long run, but it was something that I enjoyed at times. Demi has a nice voice and she proves it in songs such as Cool For The Summer, Heart Attack, and Give Your Heart A Break. She sounded pretty decent here, but I wasn’t exactly big on the chorus because I thought it was too overdone. Looking at the lyrical content, the song is basically a kiss-off to the haters, kinda similar to Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, which I enjoyed. Having listened to all the songs from Tell Me You Love Me, I can say that I thought it was pretty decent. The title track was a huge stand-out from that album. Demi showed what she was capable in that song. I did watch the documentary about her sobriety at one point in time and it gave me chills. This year, she did release Sober, which talks about her struggles of staying sober. After the health scare, I can’t help but think of Demi Lovato at this moment. I’m still praying hard that she’ll be able to overcome all of this. Demi is a very talented singer overall. Even though Sorry Not Sorry isn’t one of her best songs, it was still something I enjoyed.

28. God’s Plan by Drake (#3) [2; Mediocre]
I’m going to be straight up and simply say that I don’t dislike Drake as an artist. He actually has had some good music in the past. But God’s Plan just wasn’t to my liking. I remember first listening to the song thinking it wasn’t good. I wasn’t big on the production as a whole and I don’t like Drake’s vocal work. It just really didn’t grab my attention from the beginning. This is, of course, the #1 song on Billboard for 2018. I’m not exactly thrilled about this. There could’ve been a worse #1 though. But I didn’t think God’s Plan was anything interesting for me. But I will admit, he does have some better songs off of Scorpion, such as Nice For What, which I think is better.

27. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#3) [5; Great]
From the day I heard The Weeknd in Love Me Harder with Ariana Grande, I knew he would turn out to be something special. Though I didn’t care for Earned It, he did follow-up with Can’t Feel My Face, The Hills, and In The Night. All of them were really good songs. After that, he had Starboy, which consisted of the title track and I Feel It Coming. This year, he and Kendrick Lamar bring us Pray For Me, taken from the Black Panther movie soundtrack. I talked about this one in great detail when I counted down My Top 50 Songs for 2018. Feel free to check it out if you guys haven’t already. But to sum it all up, it reminds me of Starboy in so many ways. The Weeknd does sound good in the chorus. I like Kendrick’s verse. He shows that he’s one of the best rappers in the genre. The lyrics are well-written and have a meaning to it. It was a definite stand-out from the movie soundtrack.

26. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#5) [5; Great]
Before this song came along, I had been questioning Selena Gomez’s direction in music for some time. Her singles such as Hands To Myself, Fetish, and Bad Liar were not to my liking at all, with the very latter being the worst of the three. However, I did love her feature in Kygo’s single, It Ain’t Me, which was my #4 song of last year. She followed a similar path by releasing this song, and the collaboration between her and Marshmello definitely worked out well. If you read my post about My Top 50 Songs of 2018, then you know that I ranked it #2 on my list, and for a very good reason. I love how Marshmello was able to work on the production in the song. The drop after the chorus is just awesome. Selena sounds great with her vocals, and this was something lacking in most of her singles from Revival, which wasn’t all that good, as well as Bad Liar and Fetish. I like the creativity when it comes to the lyrics. Simply put, everything about the song is just magical in every sense of the word. As much as I loved It Ain’t Me, I found this to be even better. 

25. How Long by Charlie Puth (#3) [4; Good]
A follow-up to Charlie Puth’s comeback single Attention, this song continued to show that Charlie has improved from the mediocre to bad Nine Track Mind and thus we were able to give a first glimpse of what was to come from his album, Voicenotes. Although not quite as great as its predecessor or Done For Me, Charlie still does a nice job with handling the production itself. I like how he tells a story about his relationship with a significant other. Charlie sounds pretty smooth with his vocals. Although this didn’t quite stuck with me in the long run, I still think it was solid all around. After listening to Voicenotes, he has indeed changed for the better. He does have a brother named Stephen, who’s trying to venture into the music scene as we head into 2019. Who knows? Maybe he’ll end up getting some big hits much like Charlie.

24. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
5 Seconds Of Summer made their comeback in 2018 when they released Want You Back. It was clear that the band was doing something different, though I didn’t realize it at the time. Then a little over two months later, they gave us Youngblood, and it was obvious by then that the title album would be a departure from its predecessors. I didn’t exactly cared for this at first, but I eventually came around to it. It just so happens to be the best song off of the album. They shine in the chorus, and I like some of the cool lines in the song. Youngblood is different, but cool at the same time. It was nice to see it gain worldwide recognition outside of Hits 1 after their previous singles were unable to do so. I believe this was their first #1 on the AT40, I think. But yeah, I’m just happy that it was successful.

23. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
Taylor Swift’s latest album, Reputation, had seen some mixed results in comparison to 1989, in part because her singles didn’t appeal to many people the same way her last album did. The very controversial lead single, Look What You Made Me Do was pretty much not to anyone’s liking at all. Also, her two singles following that (…Ready For It? and End Game) simply flopped. Hopes were starting to die out that Taylor could come up with a hit off of Reputation. But then, Delicate came along and it was a surprise summer hit. I can easily say that it’s a much more likable song in every way, and for a very good reason. I didn’t feel that way at first, mainly because it was a little boring. But it definitely grew on me with time. Taylor Swift has never really been the one to disappoint me. I love her voice all throughout the song and the production is very nice. It’s one of those songs with a chill vibe, as opposed to her other three singles off of her album. Looking back at this now, I can say this will be definitely remembered by me. It’s nice to see Taylor get a hit off of Reputation.

22. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017) [3; Decent]
The blogging community here has been pretty split on Thunder, and I can understand why. Some people like it, and some others just simply hated it. As for myself, I kinda land somewhere in the middle when it comes to my opinion on the song. My initial reaction to the song was that I found it okay. But with time it did grew on me to the point where I had placed it in My Top 50 Songs of 2017 over Believer. However, I then started to realize why I didn’t quite like the song at first. I do still like some things about the song, such as the lyrics which talk about dreaming of doing bigger things, and the catchy line “Lightning, then the thunder”. My main problem is that the song is repetitive, and at some point it started to get on my nerves a little bit. Look, I have nothing against Imagine Dragons. But let me be really honest here: while I can say it’s not a bad song, they have done better. Songs such as Believer and Whatever It Takes showed me that. But I feel like Thunder is one of those songs I can easily get sick of, mainly because it is repetitive. So yeah, I can enjoy it every once in a while, but it’s not something that stuck with me in the long run.

21. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
24K Magic is an impressive album from Bruno Mars in my eyes. There’s quite a lot of good singles that I loved, such as That’s What I Like, Versace On The Floor, Finesse, and of course the title track itself. When I heard about his upcoming new single at the time toward the end of last year, I had hopes that either this or Chunky would become the next single and he eventually decided on the former. But it just so happens that this would end up being the last single from his album. While I’m sad that Chunky wasn’t a single, he did leave us a nice parting gift when he chose Finesse. And he did so by remixing the song with Cardi B., who has made her presence known throughout 2018. When it comes to making songs with throwback vibes, Bruno does it best. He has the talent and charisma to pull it off. Cardi B adds a lot to the remix of Finesse. But even without her presence, the song on its own is a highlight from 24K Magic. It was awesome seeing the music video, which is basically a parody of the 1990’s television show, In Living Color. The song got a lot of love from pretty much every chart, hitting the Top 3 on Billboard and got two weeks at the top here on the American Top 40. This was definitely a nice way to end the 24K Magic era with a bang!

20. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#7) [1; Bad]
There are quite a few people here in particular who likes this song, which is fine. But for me, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It’s existence dates all the way back to the start of 2017, when I first heard the song on Hit-Bound. I did give it chance and as I wasn’t a big fan of it. I didn’t really like the premise the song has to it. I find it be very underwhelming. I’m not big on MAX’s voice and the contribution we get from Gnash. Some of the lyrics are very questionable, such as “I promise you that no one else will ever treat you better”. I don’t know about you, but that turns me off and it reminded me of Shawn Mendes – Treat You Better, which was universally hated by many. To put it short, it wasn’t really a good song overall. I can see why some like it, but it’s just not my personal taste. Sorry.

19. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#5) [0; Rubbish]
As I talked about many times before, I’m finally starting to come around to Post Malone’s music. But I never even liked Rockstar. Not even for a second. I first heard it the moment it was released and it was not good at all. But I got even more annoyed when it somehow made it to Hits 1 and from there, things would get worse. I still find the song absolutely annoying to this day. I’m going to echo my own sentiment: There is a lot wrong with Rockstar, and I mean a whole lot. It starts with the production and the beat. I find it to be grating and quite frankly, just awful. There’s no other way to put it. And don’t even get me started on the lyrics. I’m not a fan of people bragging about feeling like a rockstar and what not. It just drives me crazy. Post Malone’s voice is not good whatsoever. There’s no part in the song where he shines. 21 Savage hardly adds anything to it. His verse is just awful. It really makes me sad that this was a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks. At least during its tenure on the American Top 40, the same didn’t ring true here. But I was still annoyed seeing it peaked at #5. Seriously, this is just horrific all around.

18. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#4) [5; Great]
This song came around when the second season of 13 Reasons Why came around. Selena is actually the producer of the show. I didn’t exactly know about its existence until later on in 2017. I don’t really watch the show, though. I remember listening to Back To You for the first time and I thought it was good. It’s quite a departure from Revival, which I was mixed on for the most part. The reason being is because in songs such as Hands To Myself, she’s whispering and she doesn’t sound good in the chorus. Then the year after that came Bad Liar, which was like that song except worse. But in Back To You, we don’t get any of that. Selena has a good voice in the song, which is what most of her singles (outside of just a few) lacked from Revival. The production is on point overall. I do like the lyrics of expressing their love for one another. It’s a really good song for Selena Gomez. Hopefully, her new album will sound similar to this.

17. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
Ever since Ariana made herself known in 2014, she has become a huge favorite of mine. She has impressed me with pretty much every single she’s released, though there have been a couple of exceptions. Simply put, she just has an amazing voice. When I hear her singing, she reminds me of Mariah Carey. The song starts out slow, but then picks up as the first verse comes in. And from there, the rest is just history. I ranked it as my #4 song of 2018 in my Top 50 Songs of the year and I talked about it in great detail in my post. You can check it out if you haven’t already. But yeah, it was a great comeback for Ariana and it got to spend one week at #1 here. I’m very grateful for that.

16. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#7) [0; Rubbish]
I first heard the song on Hits 1 while it was trending on the YouTube 15. I questioned its existence from the beginning and things got worse from there. Lauv so far has either been a hit or miss when it comes to my opinion and he’s been mostly a miss. I talked about I Like Me Better when I did my Bottom 10 Songs of 2018. I do think he has a okay voice, but the production is weird and obnoxious. However, it wasn’t until I seriously paid close attention to the lyrical content and that’s when I started to realize just how horrific the song really is. I absolutely loathe the line, “I like me better when I’m with you”. This is the kind of stuff that drives me off the wall. But making things even more asinine is that it comes just before the obnoxious production kicks in. Simply put, this song is a mess. Hopefully if Lauv comes up with more music next year, it’ll be a lot better than this.

15. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#1, 1 Week) [3; Decent]
This song came around at the time G-Eazy and Halsey were still a couple. I remember when I first heard about a collaboration between the two, I was interested going in. Though it took me a few listens, I fell in love with it. Him & I was actually a huge favorite of mine in the first half of the year and I had thought about including it in My Top 50 Songs Of 2018. But after both G-Eazy and Halsey broke up, it kinda lost its meaning and thus I didn’t exactly care for it anymore. Don’t get me wrong. I still like the song, but not nearly as much as I used to when it was brand new. Halsey’s contribution is what I like most about the song. G-Eazy has proven to be a pretty good rapper in my opinion. I like his verses for the most part. I do think both G-Eazy and Halsey can make a good collaboration. However, Him & I just doesn’t have the stick factor for me anymore, but I still think it’s a nice song by any means.

14. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1, 4 Weeks) [0; Rubbish]
I talked about this one when I counted down My Bottom 10 Songs of 2018. But to recap, while it’s not nearly as bad as Rockstar, it was still undesirable. Again, I will admit that Post Malone does have a decent voice and he has quite a few songs I like. Unfortunately, Psycho is not one of those songs. He does not sound good here. Ty Dolla $ign’s verse didn’t do anything for it. But probably my biggest concern is the production itself. It may not be as annoying as its predecessor, it’s still virtually lifeless. The fact that this was a #1 song just irritates me. So yeah, this was just underwhelming and frankly, not good.

7. Let You Down by NF (#1, 2 Weeks) [1; Bad]
We have a number of songs from the hip-hop/rap genre today that just don’t have any meaning whatsoever. There are many examples that come to mind, but I won’t get into them right now. Let You Down is a different story, but it wasn’t to my liking. My problem is the chipmunk voice that comes in and I immediately get turned off. NF himself does talent when he’s rapping. But when he starts singing, his voice makes it sound like he’s a little bored. The only reason Let You Down isn’t bad is because that one at least has something going for it. I do like the lyrics, but I feel like he executed rather poorly. And like I said, the annoying chipmunk voice doesn’t help matters. I definitely see why people like it, but it’s just simply not my cup of tea.

6. Bad At Love by Halsey (#2) [5; Great]
The success of Closer is what brought Halsey into mainstream. As a result, she took advantage of her popularity and made some solo music. Last year, she had Now Or Never, which I thought was pretty decent, but didn’t really have much to offer. But in Bad At Love, she stepped up. I placed this as my #6 best song of the year. And it just so happens to be ranked #6 on the American Top 40 for 2018. Halsey pretty much shines throughout the entire song here as opposed to its predecessor, where she didn’t really show off her voice. The production here is also better in many ways. I can see why some don’t really like Halsey, but I’m not one them. I like her and the song itself. Personally, I think this, along with Strangers, are the two best songs off of Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. It unfortunately didn’t hit #1 on the American Top 40, but #2 is good enough.

5. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#1, 5 Weeks) [0; Rubbish]
Around the time Havana was Camila’s biggest song late last year, she would eventually follow-up with another single from her self-titled album. Much like I talked about with Havana when the song first made its debut, I had mixed feelings from the beginning. Unlike Havana however, whereas that one had got better, this one had only gotten worse. The production here is pretty good for the most part, which is why it’s not the worst song on the Year-End list. But where the song really kills me is Camila Cabello herself, especially when it comes to her vocals. She just simply doesn’t sound good at all. The way she hits those high notes in the pre-chorus is easily the worst part about it. It sounds like she’s trying so hard, and then failing miserably. Her vocals alone are the reason why I was mixed on Camila’s solo music. The only reason that the song did so well on most charts was because people were buying into her solo music after her predecessor became a massive success. I can’t really say too much about the other members of Fifth Harmony until we get more solo music from them. Look, I get that Camila doesn’t have the best vocals, but she has proven to be capable of more when we got Havana. I do hope that we don’t get anymore songs like Never Be The Same.

4. Havana (Ooh, Na-Na) by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#1, 7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2017, 4 in 2018) [5; Great]
Speaking of Havana, this is where it all began. Back in late 2016, Camila Cabello left Fifth Harmony to venture on her solo career. Most people were not looking forward to hearing what she has to offer. She did release Crying In The Club back in the summer. That one I did kinda like for a while, but in the end it wasn’t really interesting. I had mixed feelings on Havana at first listen. But after many listens, I’ve finally came around to it. I was able to figure out what this song was about. It talks about the city of Havana, where she grew up in. Surprisingly, she has improved on her vocals. I do like Young Thug’s verse as well. I was pleased to see this becoming her biggest hit thus far, spending weeks at #1 at the start of the year. I placed it as my #5 song in My Top 50 of 2018. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually looking forward to what Camila Cabello has to offer in the future.

3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#1, 4 Weeks) [6; Best Song Of The Year]
It was this time last year that Zedd was riding high with the success of Stay, which was also ranked #3 on last year’s American Top 40 Of 2017. At the start of 2018, he gives us The Middle. I know this is going to be a very unpopular opinion among many people here. But this is my #1 favorite song of the year. Zedd is the type of EDM artist that loves to take risks when it comes to making music. I did enjoy Starving at first, but I eventually realized that it was not good. The drop was annoying and the lyrics were clunky. Stay was actually one of my favorites and Get Low was disappointing. As for Maren Morris, I’ve been in love with her ever since I first listened to 80’s Mercedes. When I first got word that she was collaborating with Zedd, I was anticipating the song’s release. And soon enough, after listening to The Middle for the first time, I actually loved it. Of course, this was used in commercials for Target, which is why the song was a huge success. I get that some people legitimately dislike the song (along with his other singles such as Stay and Happy Now) because Zedd is selling out, but I’m not among that crowd. I think differently. This is my opinion and this is how I feel. It uses the ticking clock similar to the one in Stay, which I find to be interesting. I love Maren’s voice. She shines in pretty much every part of the song. She is very talented overall and she shows it in the song. This was my #1 favorite song of 2018 and I’m so happy that it got all of the success it deserved.

2. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
2017 was definitely the year for Ed Sheeran. His success continued when Perfect was released as a single. That on top of several different remixes which came out later on would help it gain even more momentum heading into 2018. As you can recall, I placed this song at #7 on My Top 50 Songs of 2018. The title just speaks for itself. Ed’s vocals are just perfect overall. He has the type of voice that meshes well with a love song like this. But it’s really the lyrical content that stands out. There’s no doubt that Ed is a very good songwriter and this song just shows how talented he is at that aspect. As I just mentioned, there were several remixes that came out during its popularity and I find the one with Beyoncé to be the best of them all. I love her voice and she and Ed have good chemistry together. I’m sure there are some people who will disagree with my opinion, and that’s okay. But this is just beautiful on many different levels. If I ever get married someday, I want this to be our song. It’s perfect (no pun intended) for any wedding.

1. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#1, 4 Weeks) [5; Great]
I first heard of the name Dua Lipa while I was surfing on the web two years ago and that’s when I discovered her new single at the time called Blow Your Mind (Mwah). From there, the whole world started to know more about her as she released more of her music. But it wasn’t until the arrival of New Rules that made her well-known. I ranked this as my #10 favorite song of 2018. It’s existence began during the summer when I first started blogging, and I thought to myself that it was just another song that didn’t stood out to me. But as 2017 came to a close and the world was ringing in 2018, I started to look into the song and realize that it was cool and different. I like the tropical house feel to it. But one of the things I also like about the song is Dua Lipa’s unique voice, and she proves it all throughout the song. The music video was a definite stand-out from all the rest. It shows her friends who were having a slumber party with her blocks her from getting back together with her ex-boyfriend, which is really what the song is truly about. Its success was slow, but unprecedented as it had a slow climb to #1, spent many weeks in the Top 10, and eventually lasted a year on the countdown. This song is just special. Congrats to Dua Lipa for achieving the #1 song of the year on the American Top 40. She deserves it. 

Alright, now I’m finally finished reviewing all the songs. However, there is one last thing that I will do. Here, I’m going to be doing a Top 40 Breakdown, similar to the Top 20 Breakdown that I do on a weekly basis. My rankings are based on my opinions of the songs. I am ready to give out my grade for the entire Top 40. Here it is:

Top 40 Breakdown:
0 – Rubbish:
40. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
39. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
38. I Like Me Better by Lauv
37. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign
36. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
35. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello

1 – Bad:
34. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo
33. Wait by Maroon 5
32. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash
31. Let You Down by NF

2 – Mediocre:
30. God’s Plan by Drake

3 – Decent:
29. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin
28. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
27. Thunder by Imagine Dragons
26. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith
25. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
24. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey

4 – Good:
23. Mine by Bazzi
22. How Long by Charlie Puth
21. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato
20. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes

5 – Great:
19. Better Now by Post Malone
18. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA
17. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
16. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
15. Back To You by Selena Gomez
14. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
13. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar
12. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa
11. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande
10. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha
9. New Rules by Dua Lipa
8. Delicate by Taylor Swift
7. Finesse by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B.
6. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
5. Bad At Love by Halsey
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug
3. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande
2. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello

BONUS: 6 – Best Song Of The Year: 
1. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey

Total Score: 136/200 = 68/100 = 68% (D+)

And with that, Year-End post #4 is complete! Let me know what you guys think in the comments down below. This will officially be my last post for 2018! I would like to thank you guys for reading this blog throughout the whole year. You are all awesome. I hope everyone here has had a good last weekend of 2018 as we ring in the new year! It’s been a honor sharing my blog with you guys for over a year now. I’m excited for what’s in store for 2019! Again, thank you guys for taking the time to read this! See you all next year!

Hello, fam! I welcome you to the final weekend of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown for 2018! We’re just about to turn the calendar This week, I created a page for the rankdown pertaining to the Hits 1 Year-End Countdown for 2018. The deadline as of right now to submit your rankings will be January 12. More details are on the rankdown page. There are no songs leaving the countdown this week, so let’s get right into it!

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#45) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
44. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#44) [=]
43. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood (#41) [–2]
42. Steve Aoki featuring BTS – Waste It On Me (#39) [–3]
41. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#40) [–1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]

Hello and Merry Christmas, fam! Guess what? I’ll be doing not one, but TWO rankdowns. That’s right! I’m going to be hosting the rankdown of Hits 1’s Year-End for 2018! Here is the link to submit your rankings. Submissions will be due next month. I’ve just posted My Top 50 Songs of 2018. Feel free to check it out if you haven’t already. Welcome to the Christmas weekend edition of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown! Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

• Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#31) [Spent 1 Week At #1]
• Shawn Mendes – Lost In Japan (#33)
• Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper – Shallow (#37)
• Taylor Swift – Delicate (#43) [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
• Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
45. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#44) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
44. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#38) [–6]
43. George Ezra – Shotgun (#41) [–2]
42. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (#42) [=]
41. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood (#21) [–20]

What’s up, guys? It’s that time of year again! So as I mentioned in one of my previous posts, we did have some mediocrity when I counted down my Bottom 10 Songs of 2018. I feel like the quality of music has been degrading for some time. But that does not mean that there weren’t any good songs at all. In fact, I found plenty of good songs that I enjoyed throughout the year, some of which were huge favorites of mine. So with that, I will be counting down My Top 50 Songs Of 2018! But first, I have some rules and eligibility requirements that I’ll be covering:

1) A song must spend at least one week on either countdown (Hits 1 Weekend Countdown, American Top 40, or both). This does not include the ones that made it exclusively to the Billboard Hot 100.

2) Any song from Hits 1 that was on Hit-Bound or YouTube 15, but never graduated to the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown is not eligible to be on the list. The only exception to the rule is if it had spent at least one week on the American Top 40, as I mentioned above.

3) Songs that debuted in late November or December on either countdown are not eligible to be on this list. The reason being is because I wanted to avoid ranking them prematurely as they may end up getting bigger in 2019. The only exceptions to the rule are if it had spent only one week on either countdown or if it had left before December. Otherwise, they will be saved for my 2019 rankings.

Those are the rules that I just talked about. Now with that, I’d like to mention several songs that were unable to make its debut in time and will be under consideration for my 2019 rankings. Here are the list of songs below:

• Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
• Alessia Cara – Trust My Lonely
• Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
• Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
• Camila Cabello – Consequences
• David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don’t Leave Me Alone
• Dean Lewis – Be Alright
• DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B – Taki Taki
• Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee – Close To Me
• James Arthur – Empty Space
• Khalid – Better
• Lauren Jauregui – Expectations
• Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There’s No Way
• Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj – Woman Like Me
• Mark Ronson featuring Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
• Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
• Shawn Mendes – Nervous
• Steve Aoki featuring BTS – Waste It On Me
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine

Looking at the list, there were several songs that stood out to me. But I will tell you that not all of these will appear in my rankings, as 2019 will obviously have more music that’s yet to come. Finally, I would like to say that there were some songs that I fell in love with, but unfortunately didn’t make the final cut. Therefore, I decided to put together my list of honorable mentions. Here they are:

• Alan Walker featuring Noah Cyrus and Digital Farm Animals – All Falls Down
• Alex Aiono – Big Mistake
• Bazzi – Mine
• Brown & Gray – Top Down
• Charlie Puth – How Long
• Charlie Puth – The Way I Am
• Clean Bandit featuring Julia Michaels – I Miss You
• George Ezra – Shotgun
• Harry Styles – Kiwi
• Kendrick Lamar featuring Zacari – LOVE.
• Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies
• Liam Payne – Bedroom Floor
• Liam Payne featuring J. Balvin – Familiar
• Logic featuring Marshmello – Everyday
• Louis Tomlinson – Miss You
• MNEK featuring Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
• Niall Horan – On The Loose
• Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask
• Nick Jonas – Find You
• P!NK – Beautiful Trauma
• Portugal. The Man – Live In The Moment
• Sam Smith featuring Logic – Pray (Remix)
• Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
• The Shadowboxers – Hot Damn
• Sugarland featuring Taylor Swift – Babe
• TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood
• The Vamps – Just My Type
• U2 featuring Cheat Codes – Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
• Walk The Moon – Kamikaze
• WØLVES – Animal
• X Ambassadors – Ahead Of Myself

Don’t get me wrong. I fell in love with almost half of these on my list of honorable mentions. But I simply just didn’t have any room to place them in my Top 50. Oh well, I can’t really do anything about that. Now last but not least, I would like to go back in time and review My Top 10 Songs of last year.

10. The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk – I Feel It Coming
9. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
8. Kendrick Lamar – HUMBLE.
7. Harry Styles – Sign Of The Times
6. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
5. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
4. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me
3. Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley – Chained To The Rhythm
2. Lorde – Green Light
1. Kesha – Praying

So with that, I will now finally present to you My Top 50 Songs Of 2018! Just a fair warning before I get started: some of you may not agree with me on my picks, and that’s okay. All of us here are entitled to our own opinions. I will share many different reasons as to why those songs stood out to me the most this year. There were some that took some time to grow into, while there were others which I instantly liked from the start. And now, it’s time the moment you’ve all been waiting for: My Top 50 Of 2018! Let’s get into it!

50. Clean Bandit featuring Demi Lovato – Solo
To start this off, we get a collaboration between Clean Bandit and Demi Lovato with Solo. This song came just two months before Demi’s recent health issues. And I would like to say that I’ll be praying for Demi Lovato going forward as she continues to overcome this. Anyway, onto the song. Clean Bandit isn’t just your typical EDM group. They have a unique sound that makes their music different from all the rest. I love the idea of mixing classical elements into an EDM song. Solo is one of many examples of that. Demi’s voice is perfect for a song like this. She sounds good with the chopped-up vocals in the chorus. I love the production. Clean Bandit did well with their work on the song. While it may not be their best work, it’s still a keeper.

49. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks
I don’t know much about The Struts as a band. Heck, I didn’t even envision the idea of Kesha collaborating with this band. But I’m glad it turned out well to my liking. Body Talks has the type of instrumentation that pulls me in. It just rocks. I love how their vocals blend together in the chorus. That’s the best thing I can about it. I just recently watched at the music video, and I like the props they used, such as the red banana and the gold microphone. Yeah, everything about this is just divine.

48. Kim Petras – Heart To Break
While I was surfing the web, I came across a song from Kim Petras, who is actually transgender. To say the least, I was impressed with what she had to offer. Heart To Break is a fun, upbeat song that talks about being in a relationship with someone and experiencing it. That’s something most of us can relate to. I love the energy Kim brings us in the song. She has a solid voice and I like the way she can hit those high notes in the chorus. The production is divine all around. This was a good first impression for Kim Petras.

47. Lady Gaga – I’ll Never Love Again
Here, we have the first of two songs from A Star Is Born making my list. Lady Gaga has been relatively quiet throughout most of 2018 in terms of her music. A large part of that has something to do with the fact that she starred in A Star Is Born, which came out in the fall. Not surprisingly, she released the soundtrack. Lady Gaga is well-known for her distinct style of music. Some of my favorites songs from her include Born This Way, Telephone, etc. Here, she gives us a ballad in the form of I’ll Never Love Again, which is one of the highlights off of the album. Lady Gaga’s voice is perfection. I love the piano work, and the lyrical content is just awesome. And I love the ending where we hear Lady Gaga’s voice. It’s just beautiful. Overall, it’s one of the stand-outs from the album.

46. Imagine Dragons – Natural
This song kinda came out of nowhere and thus, it would start a whole new era for Imagine Dragons. Obviously, they’ve maintained their presence throughout 2018, what with Thunder carrying on from last year and Whatever It Takes becoming a success. Then they bring us Natural. It reminds me of Believer in a way. We get some good vocals from Dan Reynolds. He’s able to show how high he can hit those notes, especially at the end of the bridge. I like when he tests how far his voice can go. Though it didn’t quite have much success as their previous singles, at least they released it as a single. This and Bad Liar are probably their best singles off of Origins, which I find to be not as good of a album. Natural was something enjoyable overall.

45. Keala Settle featuring The Greatest Showman Esemble – This Is Me
Taken from The Greatest Showman movie soundtrack, we have a self-empowerment anthem. I have a thing for these types of songs and this one is not any different from the rest. Keala Settle has a great voice and she uses it very well. In love the way she can hit those high notes. This is what I call great singing talent. It’s very rare to hear songs like this nowadays. This Is Me is certainly one of the more enjoyable singles from the soundtrack. Keala was impressive.

44. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity
Silk City consists of two guys, Diplo and Mark Ronson, the latter who was behind easily my favorite song of the decade, Uptown Funk!. That song was when I first heard about Mark Ronson. It was a masterpiece and reminded me of the old-school 70’s-80’s funk music that I grew up with. He did went on to produce Perfect Illusion by Lady Gaga, which was a big flop. So, I heard he was doing a collaboration with Dua Lipa, who has become a presence in 2018. I came in very excited and as I expected, it turned out very well. Let me just start off by saying that the production is just divine all around. I love the piano work and the drop is solid. Dua has a unique voice and she shows it all throughout the song. She was also featured in Scared To Be Lonely, which I liked as well. If I had to choose between those two songs, I would choose Electricity because it has more going for it. I can’t wait to see what else Silk City can come up with.

43. Drake – Nice For What
There’s no question that Drake has dominated 2018. He has the #1 song of the year, God’s Plan. I wasn’t really much of a fan of that song. But Nice For What is a step up from that. Here, Drake brings energy to the song and he shows what he is truly capable of. It’s more upbeat and fast-paced than its predecessor. I do like the beat and the sample from a singer. The introduction pulls me in. It’s the best song off of Scorpion overall. Unsurprisingly, it was a #1 hit on Billboard because he’s been dominant for most of the year. I’m glad it got plenty of success.

42. Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper – Shallow
Ah yes, the second of two singles from A Star Is Born. Bradley Cooper is good as a actor, but he’s also great as a singer. He has a couple of songs from the soundtrack and this just so happens to be one of them. Lady Gaga vocals are perfect for the song. In fact, both of them sound great with their vocals. The final chorus after the bridge is just phenomenal in every sense of the word. It gives me the chills every time I hear it. The lyrical content is very well written. Hearing this again, I find it to be the best song off of A Star Is Born soundtrack.

41. Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA – All The Stars
Speaking of movie soundtracks, we have the first of two songs from the Black Panther movie on my Best of 2018 list, and also the first of two appearances from Kendrick Lamar. I first heard the song while watching Black Panther thinking it’s a great song. And for me, it still holds true today. Kendrick Lamar is one of the few artists from the rap genre that releases good music most of the time. I was a big fan of his last album DAMN. and HUMBLE. was a huge favorite of mine. All The Stars is just as good. I like his verses overall. He shines throughout the song. SZA adds life to it in a good way. She has a great voice and she uses it well. Both of these artists did well with this single. I think it was a great collaboration.

40. Dan + Shay – Tequila
I’m sure you guys remember Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt, which was easily my least favorite country song I’ve ever heard. But let’s not get into that. How about we talk about the song that to me was a huge stand-out this year in the country genre, shall we? Here, we have Dan + Shay, who have actually been around since the early portion of the decade. Tequila is divine in pretty much every sense of the word. I like the vocals we get from these guys. But the best thing about the song has to be the lyrical content. Dan + Shay proved that they’re good songwriters, which is something I can’t really say about Sam Hunt, who tries to mix country with pop and it doesn’t work out well for me. The chorus is just amazing. Dan and Shay both have really good vocals that mesh together well. Overall, it’s one of the premier country songs I’ve heard throughout 2018.

39. Bad Wolves – Zombie
The cover version of the song from The Cranberries was one that I fell in love with. I remember the first time it came around, I started to listen to it and I was impressed. I recently found out that the new band, Bad Wolves, wanted to do the cover of the song and Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries was going to be a part of it. But she passed away earlier this year and thus, Bad Wolves did the cover as a tribute. The cover version of Zombie was a solid one. I like how they were able to take something and make it something worthwhile. When hearing the song, these guys remind me of Three Days Grace. I grew up listening to their music and they had plenty of songs I like. Bad Wolves did a nice job with the cover, though I can see why some may dislike it.

38. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night)
Hits 1 has had a thing for Panic! At The Disco since they picked up Victorious back in late 2015. But this year, they’ve really been in love with whatever Brendon Urie and his guys had to offer. And because of that, their songs have been successful on Hits 1. Say Amen (Saturday Night) was a great song they picked up. Like with all of their other songs, Brendon Urie shows just how talented he is when it comes to singing the chorus. He’s the perfect fit for the song, and the album Pray For The Wicked as a whole. While the music video was a little too gruesome for me to watch, that doesn’t make me dislike the song any less. Of course, it was very successful on Hits 1 because hello, they love Panic! At The Disco. This was easily a jam during the summer.

37. Kygo featuring Miguel – Remind Me To Forget
Kygo has landed a spot in my best list for the second consecutive year. Last year, he bought us It Ain’t Me, which was my #4 favorite song of 2017. Sitting here at #37 is another song that I like, Remind Me To Forget. It’s basically It Ain’t Me 2.0, except not quite as good. But it shows just how talented Kygo is. The song opens with Miguel’s vocals, and from there things would get better. The chopped-up chorus actually sounds good for an EDM song. Overall, Kygo has impressed me yet again with this single. I do wish it had more success, but I guess it wasn’t ultimately meant to be. Still, it’s a nice song and I’d like to hear more from Kygo.

36. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
Around the time Say Amen (Saturday Night) started to gain momentum on Hits 1 came this successor. His first two singles from Pray For The Wicked were a harbinger for what was to come. I had high hopes (no pun intended) that Brendon Urie would deliver when he released High Hopes and sure enough, he rose above my expectations. Brendon has an awesome voice, as evidenced in the chorus. I love the use of the horns. The song talks about not giving up on your dreams and having a vision for success. I like how Brendon can hit those high notes. He’s really good at it. Obviously, the song has been successful because of Hits 1. But now, it’s gaining momentum and it’s success will carry on into 2019. Honestly, I may never get sick of the song despite it being around for a while now.

35. Shawn Mendes – Lost In Japan
This came around the same time as In My Blood. While I can say that In My My Blood was a nice song to an extent, I found this to be even better. Shawn’s voice sounds so smooth here. It fits him well for a song like this. It has a groove to it. The music video for the song is basically a carbon copy of the movie, Lost In Translation. I thought it was a cool idea. Lost In Japan is my favorite song from Shawn since There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, which was a huge hit and a big favorite of mine. It’s too bad Lost In Japan wasn’t as successful as I hoped it would be. But I’m glad he chose it as a single anyway, though he did have to release the remix with Zedd in order to make it happen. This, along with Youth, are my two favorite songs from his self-titled album.

34. Troye Sivan – My My My!
I first heard of Troye Sivan when he made his first appearance on Hits 1 back in 2016 with Youth. It did relatively well on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown peaking in the Top 5 at #4, I believe. I did like the song when it was new, but it was a little repetitive and didn’t quite stick with me. My My My! on the other hand, is just fantastic. The song has a little bit of groove to it. I do like his unique voice and it shows when he sings the chorus, which I find to be enjoyable and pleasant to my ears. The lyrics talk about freedom and what not. I like how Troye digs deeper into the meaning. That’s how good he is as a songwriter. I enjoyed My My My! when it was first released. Troye Sivan made a nice comeback this year.

33. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
5 Seconds Of Summer are known for their pop-punk style of music. But they decided to go in a different direction when they made their comeback. Youngblood is a departure from their predecessor, as they went for a more pop-oriented style of music. After hearing Want You Back and the title track of the album, it was clear to me that they were going for something different. Sure enough, I ended up liking both of those songs. Early on, however, I enjoyed Want You Back and I didn’t exactly cared for Youngblood. But when Youngblood started to gain momentum later on, I started to like that one more. It’s definitely a different sound for these guys. I like the chorus, and the production is pretty neat. I actually like the line, “I’m just a dead man walking tonight”. It pulls me in. So yeah, Youngblood is a highlight off of the title album.

32. Alessia Cara – Growing Pains
Here, we have Alessia Cara making my best list again. She has a unique style of music that I like to listen to. Growing Pains comes close to living up to my expectations when it first came around. The production is good in a way, and I like Alessia’s voice in the song. I also like the melody and the build-up to the chorus. She did recently released her latest album, The Pains Of Growing. And believe it or not, it just so happens to be the best song off of her new album. Growing Pains is something enjoyable, which is what I can’t say about Trust My Lonely. The lead single deserved much better than what it ultimately had.

31. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones
I’ve been pretty mixed on MANIA as a whole. Their first single, Young And Menace, was just a mess. It just didn’t sound like them at all. But then they released Champion after that, which was a huge step up and it reminded me of the Fall Out Boy that I knew and love. Hold Me Tight Or Don’t was different, but cool at the same time. But the song released before that, The Last Of The Real Ones is the best song off of the album. Yeah, everything about the song is spot on. It starts with the piano, which is a great build-up to the chorus. From there, things get better. I love the rock instrumentation in the song. Patrick’s voice is good overall. I watched the music video of the song about two llamas kidnapping the guy and just attacking him. Who would’ve thought of that idea? It was picked up by Hits 1 (surprise, nobody) because they still love Fall Out Boy. It did end up hitting #1 on the Weekend Countdown, which was nice.

30. Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton – Say Something
At the beginning of the year, we saw Justin Timberlake make his comeback with his Super Bowl performance, and with the first single from Man Of The Woods, Filthy. It was a weird song overall, but ultimately I didn’t hated it in the end. Then came Say Something, which was something different for him. It just so happens to be the best song off of Man Of The Woods, which wasn’t a good album for me. I was impressed with their collaboration. Both Justin and Chris have great chemistry throughout the song. The guitars sound very nice, as well as the rest of the instruments used. I never thought of Justin making a song like this, but I’m glad it worked out well to my liking.

29. All Time Low – Last Young Renegade
Much like with AJR, Hits 1 has picked up music from All Time Low. Over the years, these guys had quite a few decent songs at their disposal. But none can really compare to Last Young Renegade. When I first listened to the song, I thought it was just decent. But after a while, I started to enjoyed it more. I like the rock vibe in this one. It reminded me of the pop-rock music I enjoyed back in the day. I love the vocals we get from these guys, and the lyrical content is well written. Of course, it was disappointing to see it only last four weeks on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. But at the same time, it wasn’t surprising given that these guys don’t have too much success elsewhere. However, I do kinda like their music overall. I can safely say that Last Young Renegade is their best song they’ve released thus far.

28. Meghan Trainor – Let You Be Right
I know this one is going to be a very unpopular opinion among many, MANY people here (and I emphasize the word, “many”). But believe it or not, I actually like Meghan Trainor. I find songs such as All About That Bass and Lips Are Movin’ to be fun and simply enjoyable. But I wasn’t very fond of Dear Future Husband and Marvin Gaye, both of which were my least favorite songs of 2015. I was a little mixed on her comeback single, No Excuses. Two months after its release, she gave us Let You Be Right, which was a step up from its predecessor. It was a mix between the singles from Title and Thank You. I personally like her voice overall and the production is good.

27. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me
Following the release of Attention and How Long, I knew Charlie Puth had improved from Nine Track Mind, which was panned by YouTube critics. Done For Me is a highlight off of Voicenotes. To me, this is his best song since his feature in See You Again. Charlie does well with the production work in the song, and that’s what he been doing when making the whole album. I love Kehlani’s verse as well. Both she and Charlie have good chemistry, and it shows when I hear the chorus. It’s unfortunate that the song didn’t have the same success as its two predecessors. But at least they chose it as a single off of Voicenotes.

26. Selena Gomez – Back To You
This song is part of a soundtrack for the 13 Reasons Why TV series. Selena Gomez is the producer of that show, which I’ve heard about but I don’t really watch the show in general. When the second season started, this song came around. As far as her solo music goes, I was pretty mixed on Revival. I thought songs like Good For You and Same Old Love were good. But then she had Hands To Myself, which was not to my liking, Kill ‘Em With Kindness was okay and Bad Liar was just awful. My expectations were pretty low coming in. After listening to the song in full, I can say that she’s gotten her groove back. First, I love the use of guitars at the beginning of the song. That’s the best thing about it. Selena does extremely well with her singing as opposed to her whispering and mumbling in songs like Bad Liar and Hands To Myself, both of which I do not like. The production is on point as well. I do like the drop after the chorus. It’s one of the best solo songs Selena has released in a while. I’m glad it was successful.

25. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me
The title track for her album, Tell Me You Love Me was released about two months after her first single, Sorry Not Sorry. I did like that song to an extent. But Tell Me You Love Me is superior in every way possible. After the first listen, I knew that the song would stick with me in the long run and sure enough, it has. Basically, what the song talks about is needing love when someone has a bad day. It’s something I’m sure people can relate to. Anyway, Demi sounds really amazing with her vocals throughout the song. I love the chorus and the bridge. Her voice fits well with the gospel-like production, which I found to be really cool. It’s easily the best single off of her album. I’ve listened to her music more often, especially after what happened during the summer. Like I just said, she has an amazing voice. I’ll still be praying for Demi and I do hope that she can recover and continue to make more new music.

24. Dua Lipa – IDGAF
We have more of Dua Lipa on my best list, and this time it’s the follow-up to its predecessor from her self-titled album. I pretty much enjoyed it from start to finish. Almost everything about the song works for me. There may not be much to the production, but there were some other things I love about it. First off, Dua Lipa has a unique voice. In IDGAF, she proves how talented she really is, even if there isn’t too much I can say about the production. Another thing I like about it is the lyrical content itself. Basically, what she is telling us is that a person tries to get back into her life, but cuts them off saying it’s too late and she doesn’t care anymore. It’s definitely something we can relate to. Vocally, this is probably one of her best songs. Although it didn’t really have much success elsewhere, it was able to do well on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown peaking inside the Top 10.

23. Alice Merton – No Roots
Nowadays, we don’t see many alternative songs blow up on Billboard. Probably the only ones that I would consider alternative are the songs from Imagine Dragons. They’ve been around and have produced a fair share of hits. Although I do enjoy their music, I’m always looking for someone different to listen to. And the artist that I’m talking about here Alice Merton. Believe it or not, this song was actually released two years ago. But it wasn’t until the early part of 2018 when the song was finally began to chart and was known by many people, though it didn’t become a big cross-over hit that I was hoping for. No Roots was definitely a unique song in pretty much every way. First of, Alice makes great use of her vocals. She has quite an interesting voice and that pulls me in. It also has the killer groove and many rock elements that are used throughout the song. Looking at the lyrics, it tells a story about how she doesn’t have any place to live and thus would have to start from scratch. This is the kind of stuff that interest me. Yeah, this was definitely something that grabbed my attention. It would’ve been nice to see it have more success.

22. Kesha featuring The Dap-Kings Horns – Woman
Since the start of this decade, Kesha has been one of my favorite artists. Time after time, she has impressed me with her music. Last year, she made her comeback single with Praying and I immediately fell in love with it. I placed it as my #1 song of 2017. Here she is again with my #22 favorite song of 2018, Woman. It’s a female-empowerment anthem, and I do love it. It’s upbeat and we get to hear what Kesha is capable of. I like the instrumentation here. It has that Western feel to it. Along with Praying, I think it’s one of the few standouts from her album Rainbow. I do hope Kesha can create more music like this.

21. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes
The third and final single from Evolve is a nice way to go out with a bang. I did listen to most of the album and there were quite a few good songs, such as Believer and Walking The Wire, the latter being the best song off of Evolve. Thunder was catchy in a way, but it I didn’t find it special anymore. Whatever It Takes has a lot more going on. It is more fast paced than its two singles preceding it. It starts with Dan Reynolds’s super fast vocals and from there, the rest is history. I like the lyrics about doing whatever it takes (hence the title) to try and accomplish certain goals in our lives. Although the song didn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessors in terms of success, it was still a big hit nonetheless. This was probably one of the best songs I’ve heard from Imagine Dragons. I may end up doing a Top 10 series from them someday.

20. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Whenever I think of the Backstreet Boys, I always think about songs such as I Want It That Way, Larger Than Life, and Everybody (Backstreet’s Back). I grew up listening to those songs back in the day. So I was excited about their return when this song came around, after not hearing much from them over the past few years or so. And boy, did they impress me big time! The song reminds me of their music from the old days when I was a kid. The lyrical content is just amazing. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart shows just how good these guys are as songwriters. I love the production, especially the piano work at the beginning of the song. Every time I hear the piano, it gives me chills. Their voice is really good. Despite it not being successful elsewhere other than Hits 1, it was nice to see that these guys are still making music.

19. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me
Starboy for me can be best described as simply a great album all around for The Weeknd, much like with its predecessor. But since I Feel It Coming, he didn’t give us anymore hits for the rest of the year. So, it was going to be a while before he gave us something new. And lo and behold, he deliver with this song taken from the Black Panther movie soundtrack. Black Panther is considered to be one of the best movies of 2018, and I would like to credit the late Stan Lee for making this possible. He was a legendary comic book creator who is well-known for making iconic superheroes such as Spider-Man, The Hulk, and Iron Man, among others. He will be truly missed. Anyway, how about Pray For Me that makes it #19 on my list? Well, I like Kendrick Lamar. His last album, DAMN. was just awesome on pretty much every level. So, when I heard that he was collaborating with The Weeknd, I was interested going in. And the song lived up to almost every single one of my expectations. The lyrics basically talk about being a hero and sacrificing for the world. Production-wise, It reminds me of the title track from Starboy, which to this day is still one of my favorites from The Weeknd. He has a good voice overall, and he shines in the chorus. I like the verse we get from Kendrick. He shows that he is one of the best rappers in the music industry. It was a good song overall for these guys. If they end up collaborating again in another single, I’ll be looking forward to it.

18. Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa – One Kiss
Last year, after This Is What You Came For was not to my liking, Calvin Harris stepped up big time with his new sound when he made songs like Slide and Feels. This year, he gave us One Kiss, which features one of the biggest new artists of the year Dua Lipa. I first heard it on the YouTube 15 and I was thinking it’s a solid song. As soon as it started to gain traction, I started to like it more. I can say that it doesn’t quite live up to Calvin Harris’s best work. Heck, it’s not quite as good as his previous singles, Slide or Feels. But Calvin Harris was able to put forth the effort on the production, unlike in This Is What You Came For where the drop was too generic. Dua’s vocals are good as well. It’s a fun listen and one of my favorites throughout the summer. He did bring me Promises, which I thought was pretty good. But it’s nothing compared to this.

17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Jumpsuit
I was on cloud nine when I heard that the duo was making a comeback. My love for them started back in 2015 when I first heard Tear In My Heart on Hits 1. It was a great song. But then came Stressed Out and that’s when my love for them really came of age. It had a deep meaning and it capture my heart in every way possible. I can say the same for Jumpsuit as well. I fell in love with it immediately upon the first listen. The rock vibe definitely fits them well. Tyler’s voice is nice. But the way he yells in the last chorus near the end is just mesmerizing. They just recently released Trench, and I did hear some of that album. So far it’s been a mixed bag, but Jumpsuit is easily the best song from that album. I’m glad TWENTY ØNE PILØTS came back!

16. Walk The Moon – One Foot
I remember first listening to Shut Up And Dance when it was a huge hit back in 2015. That song was amazing and I still enjoy it to this day. One Foot is just as awesome as its predecessor. Although it’s a bit slower-paced than Shut Up And Dance, it upbeat and just fun. The production is just top notch across the board and I love the vocals we get from Nicholas Petricca. Hearing the chorus, it sounds like they’ve been having fun recording the song. I can say the same for Kamikaze, which was also a fun song. I enjoyed their album What If Nothing. If you haven’t already, I recommend you check it out.

15. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects
The Chainsmokers have been a mixed bag for me this year in terms of their latest music. I did liked Sick Boy at first, but I realized it just wasn’t a good song. From that point, they released more songs such as Everybody Hates Me, which is the worst of the bunch, and Somebody was just not all that special. But Side Effects is a whole different story. Everything about the song works for me. These guys put forth the effort in working on the production of the song, like they did in the songs I fell in love with (such as Roses, Closer, and Something Just Like This). I love the groove to it. Also, we got to hear from Emily Warren, who’s been writing songs for these guys. I think she has a good voice and she shines in the chorus. This was a great step back in the right direction for The Chainsmokers. Hopefully, I get to hear more songs like this.

14. Zedd featuring Elley Duhé – Happy Now
Here, we have another song that I know is very unpopular among the blogging community. I have been fond of Zedd for much of the decade. Songs such as Stay The Night and Clarity are one of his best. After the release of The Middle, he gives us Happy Now. This is the first song I’ve heard from Elley Duhé, whom he is collaborating with. I came into the song with an open mind and I thought it turned out to be great. Zedd is one of those EDM artists that likes to take risks and make things work. But what I love most about Happy Now is Elley Duhé. Her voice is unique and frankly, just amazing. I do like the instrumentation after the chorus. It’s cool and different. It may not have had the same success as The Middle, but it was definitely something I fell in love with.

13. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman
The title of the song obviously is going to spark controversy. But I don’t really care because I do like God Is A Woman. And I don’t just say it because I love Ariana Grande. Actually, yes I did. I’ll just leave it at that. But the point I’m trying to get across is that it’s one of the highlights off of Sweetener. Although the production is pretty decent, it’s really Ariana’s amazing vocals that get me there. Especially near the end, she sounds really good at hitting those high notes. I don’t really have too much else to say about other than the fact that it’s a song that I enjoyed for the most part.

12. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
Not long after the release of Side Effects, The Chainsmokers gave us something even better. And they chose Kelsea Ballerini for this single. I talked about Side Effects and how it was an improvement from the other singles in Sick Boy. But after listening to This Feeling, I found that they managed to get their groove back. This is their best single since Closer. Now, I’ll simply say that I barely listen to Kelsea Ballerini. I did hear one of her songs before and I found her to have a good voice. She adds a whole lot to This Feeling. Her voice is just magical! The drop, while a little weird, is really good. And I do love the lyrical content. It’s nice to see it have success on Hits 1 in a short period of time, reaching #1. The Chainsmokers have impressed me once more.

11. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days
It was around this time last year that Macklemore was no longer collaborating with Ryan Lewis, as the duo decided to part ways which thus allowed Macklemore to work on his own. First, he bought us Glorious with Skylar Grey, which was one of my favorites from 2017. But the next single, Good Old Days, is one that I enjoyed the most. I’m going to make it simple: the song is just beautiful in every way. The introduction is just mesmerizing. Whenever I hear the piano, it gives me the chills. I know I’ve said it many times, but Kesha is an amazing singer. Her vocals in the song are just perfect. Looking at the lyrics, the song reminds me of the things I used to do back in the day. This is something everyone here can relate to. Good Old Days is easily the best thing Macklemore has bought us since going solo. It was mildly successful on Hits 1, and I’m pleased with that.

Get ready, everyone. We’ve have finally reached the Top 10! These songs were stand-outs to me throughout all of 2018. It took me a while, but I was able to put it together. So, enough talk. I now present to you my Top 10! Let’s do this!

10. Dua Lipa – New Rules
It was 2016, and an unknown artist at the time whose name is Dua Lipa was just starting to venture into the world of music. I remember first hearing about her when Blow Your Mind (Mwah) came around. It was a little cheesy, but I still kinda liked it. After that, she was featured in Scared To Be Lonely with Martin Garrix, which was pretty good as well. Then came New Rules, which at first was just another song to me. But repeated listens made me think otherwise. And to be honest, I never envisioned placing it in my Top 10 when I first listened to it. But here were are. From the day it started gaining momentum and eventually becoming successful, I’ve been enjoying the song. Everything about it is special in many ways than I can imagine. Dua showcases her unique voice and pretty much shines throughout the song. I like the way she counts and tells people the rules, which is what builds up the chorus. It does have a tropical feel to it. After a while, I’ve finally come to terms that this is Dua Lipa’s best song. And it deserved the success it ultimately had.

9. Taylor Swift – Delicate
This song came around early in the year and many weren’t really all that interested in what she had to offer, especially after her controversial lead single for that album, Look What You Made Me Do and her following singles prior to this ended up just simply flopping. Then, she released Delicate. And from the beginning, I wasn’t so sure about whether it would have success or not. But it eventually ended up being her successful single. Now, I would like to say that Reputation as a whole was a decent album for me. There were some good songs, and Delicate is one of them. It may not be an over-the-top banger, but it was something worthwhile. Taylor does well with her singing, and I do love the lyrics. I didn’t necessarily enjoyed the song at first, but it grew on me. I can safely say that this was one of my songs for the summer.

8. Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B – Finesse (Remix)
From the day he bought us 24K Magic and started a new era of bringing us more funky music, I knew he had something special in his hands. And sure enough, that’s what ended up happening. I remember first hearing Finesse and I was thinking, “Wow, this is awesome. He should release it as a single.” That’s exactly what he did to start the year. Well, he did collaborate with Cardi B for the remix. From the very first listen, I was wowed. I’m a big fan of the new jack swing, and Bruno has the type of vocal talent that’s good for a song like this. It’s a match made in heaven. The original version of the song is great on its own. But Cardi B adds a lot to the remix, and in a good way. I love the verses we get from her. Not surprisingly, this had plenty of success, which I was thrileld about. And it would’ve spent at least one week at #1 on Billboard had God’s Plan not came long. It was awesome to see the 24K Magic era go out with a bang.

7. Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé – Perfect
The title of the song does speak for itself. That’s all I can say about the song. Actually, no it’s not. Because then, I wouldn’t be giving you guys my legitimate reason as to why it is indeed perfect. It’s basically Thinking Out Loud, except better. First off, I love the lyrics. Second, Ed Sheeran’s vocals fit very well. He just sounds beautiful throughout the entire song. Some of the lines are just mesmerizing. There are a lot of different remixes to the song, such as the one from Beyoncé, which I think is the best of them all. Someday, when I get married, I want to play this song. It’s the perfect song for a wedding. It was a great ending to the Divide era, which I enjoyed overall.

6. Halsey – Bad At Love
Often times, I always associate Halsey with her feature in Closer with The Chainsmokers. It still remains as a huge favorite of mine to this day. Of course, with her huge success she would go on to release more solo music in an effort to increase her presence in music. Now Or Never was pretty mediocre, in part because Halsey didn’t shine much in the song and the production wasn’t up to par. But when she released Bad At Love, her follow-up single from Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, my reaction was positive. It’s an improvement from her predecessor in pretty much every aspect. One of the things that I like the most in the song is Halsey. She shines a little more with her vocals. When I listen to the song, I can feel her emotions in the chorus, especially after what she’s been through. The production is just catchy. The lyrics are nicely well-written, and it shows about her history with her past lovers. She recently had been in a relationship with G-Eazy until they broke-up sometime in the summer. I’m sure she’ll be able to find someone new. Who knows? Maybe it’ll end up being her dream guy or someone like that. Anyway, I don’t really see anything to hate about this song at all, and it’s one of the best Halsey has to offer in Hopeless Fountain Kingdom. I think it’s safe to say that Halsey will be here to stay and be able to make music, despite the fact that she’s been involved in her roles in movies such as A Star Is Born.

Alright, fam. It’s finally come to this. What you’re about to see are my Top 5 favorite songs of the year. These five songs were chosen by me to be placed in that region because those were the songs that stood out to me the most throughout the year. After thinking long and hard, I’ve finally made my decision. I am ready to show you all my Top 5 favorite songs of the year. Are you ready? Let’s go!

5. Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug – Havana (Ooh, Na-Na)
From the beginning, I was not fond of what Camila Cabello had to offer at that time the song came around. Part of that was because her vocals were pretty weak and sometimes annoying during her time with Fifth Harmony, especially whenever I hear songs such as Work From Home and Bad Things, the former which was on many worst lists for 2016. I had pretty much shied away from her and I simply didn’t care for the song at all, until it became a bigger hit late in the year. Thus, I started listening to the song more often and it finally dawned on me that this was Camila’s best song. Make no mistake: I’m still mixed on Camila in general, but this is a fantastic song. It tells a story about her hometown and all the things she did growing up. The Latin vibe here is just divine. I do like the verse we get from Young Thug. I’m glad to see it as Camila’s biggest hit to date. Havana is a definite stand-out from her self-titled album.

4. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
I’ve made it no secret that I absolutely adore Ariana Grande with a fiery passion. She has been in the world of music since 2013, I think. Almost every single release has either impressed me or at the very least is just good at worst. No Tears Left To Cry is nothing different. The lead single off of Sweetener, I very much enjoyed it from start to finish. Primarily, the reason why I ranked this song very high on my list is because of Ariana Grande alone. Her voice is just incredible. I can pretty much say that for all her songs in general. My expectations were high coming into this and sure enough, she never fails to disappoint me. I get that the line “I’m lovin’, I’m livin’, I’m picking it up” may seem awkward, especially when she raps there. But for me, that doesn’t really make me dislike the song any less. I remember the music video coming out around the same time the song was released and to put it short, I fell immediately in love. It wasn’t until recently that I learned that the bee which was part of the music video is actually a tribute to the victims of the Manchester bombing. I was heartbroken by that tragedy which took place last year. I’m glad Ariana was simply able to put together this song. Much like with her previous singles, No Tears Left To Cry will be something that I’ll remember years from now.

3. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt – Let Me Go
I may have included this in last year’s list of my favorite songs, but I’ve decided to throw it in there again. Honestly, I should’ve ranked it very high in last year’s rankings. The only reason I didn’t was because the song itself came late last year and at the time it’s popularity (on Hits 1) was starting to get off the ground. After hearing this again, it’s even better than when it first came out. I’m going to be straight up and say that this is Hailee Steinfeld’s best song. I remember first listening to her debut single Love Myself back in 2015 and though the song itself was good, I thought to myself that she had a fantastic voice. Sure enough, she proves it in this song. Although I did like Starving, the lyrical content and the scratchy guitar bothered me. Let Me Go, on the other hand, is a different story. Here, the drop sounds much better and the lyrics are as well. Hailee can really show what her voice can do, especially in the chorus where she shines the most. She does wonders for this song overall. In addition, I love the second verse we get from the country duo Florida Georgia Line. Although it wasn’t as successful as its predecessor elsewhere, it did manage to hit #1 on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. It definitely deserved it in my book. I’m sure we’ll be getting more from her soon. Let Me Go holds a special place in my heart and I’ll always remember it as Hailee Steinfeld’s best song.

2. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves
For the second year in a row, Selena Gomez has landed a spot in My Top 5 songs of the year. This time, she had a little help with Marshmello, who himself has made a presence throughout all of 2018. Outside of her solo singles, Selena had already impressed me with her collaborations with EDM artists such as Kygo. As you can recall, I ranked It Ain’t Me as my #4 song of last year. Sitting at #2 this year on my best list is Wolves, which has been a huge favorite of mine in the first half of 2018. I remember first hearing the song thinking it was good after her last two solo singles were not to mine or anyone else’s liking. Selena does have a good voice. In fact, she absolutely shines all throughout the song. Her contribution is easily one of the best things I can say about the song. Actually, everything about the song is divine in every sense of the word. The lyrics are well-written and very creative. It tells a story about her journey to love and trying to get to that said person. But it’s really the production that gets me there. Marshmello himself does an excellent job with his work as a EDM artist. He put forth the effort with the production of the song. It opens up with the acoustic-like guitar that pulls me in. For me, it set a positive tone for how the rest of the song would go. The beat drop, coupled with her vocals in the background, is just mesmerizing. I simply have no other words to describe how amazing the drop is. It basically shows what Marshmello is truly capable of, as opposed to his other singles (such as Friends) which sounded too generic and in some cases underwhelming. So yeah, both Selena and Marshmello put together a near-masterpiece of a song in the EDM genre. And after much thought, I’d say this is better than her part in It Ain’t Me. I can also say that this is probably one of my favorite singles from Selena Gomez. She definitely won me over with this awesome song.

1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle
My #1 of the year is one which is going to be a very unpopular opinion among many bloggers and YouTube critics alike. So last year, Zedd had probably one of his biggest hits when he collaborated with Alessia Cara in Stay. I pretty much enjoyed that one overall and I should’ve put it on my Top 50 best list for 2017. But I just didn’t think too much about it and I do have my regrets. This year, he has my #1 song of 2018. When I first heard of a possible collaboration with country singer Maren Morris, I was interested coming in. Let me just start off by saying that I absolutely love Maren Morris. When I think of Maren Morris, I always think of songs such as My Church, I Could Use A Love Song, and 80’s Mercedes, the latter which is easily her best song. I first listened to The Middle in its entirety and then I fell immediately in love it. I get that people don’t see the appeal to the song and they much prefer his older singles. But this is my opinion. I think differently.  I like how Zedd and Grey were both able to take the risk of putting together the sound and it worked out to my liking.  I can definitely see why people here are not very fond of it, primarily because they see this as Zedd selling out to the EDM genre by going mainstream with songs such as this and Stay. But I’m not among that crowd. It was a huge success almost everywhere, reaching #1 on both Hits 1 and the American Top 40, and even managed to make the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’ve enjoyed the song all year long and I’m very thankful for the success it got.

Alright! My Top 50 Songs of 2018 is finally complete! It took me a long time to work on this. I just want to say that you guys are awesome. Feel free to share your thought in the comments below. 2018 has been a roller-coaster ride! I hope you guys have a great weekend! I can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store! Thank you all for reading! Have a good day! 🙂

Hello, fam! Now that 2018 is about to be officially in the books, I was able to put together the final stats for the whole year. It’s been quite a ride, as we had plenty of things happened throughout the year. Here is the color code that I’ll be using:

• Purple – Best Song
• Green – Great
• Blue – Good
• Pink – Decent
• Yellow – Mediocre
• Turquoise – Bad
• Red – Garbage
• Orange – Worst Song

Let’s begin with the list of #1 songs for both charts that I review weekly: The American Top 40 and the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown.

Hits 1 Weekend Countdown:

Hello, fam! We have reached the end of 2018. And boy, it’s been quite a ride. This is my second straight year of doing these Year-End posts. Now as far as this year in music went, I can say that 2018 as a whole was okay. We did get plenty of good music in my opinion. There were quite a few songs that were huge favorites of mine throughout the year. However, it’s not all roses: we also had plenty of bad music mixed in as well. Of course, there were some songs that I legitimately disliked from the beginning, and there were some which I did like but eventually realized how mediocre they truly are for different reasons stated below. So, what I will do here is countdown my Bottom 10 songs for the year. This list pertains to the songs that made it to either the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown or the American Top 40, which I review on a weekly basis. It does not include songs on the Billboard Hot 100. As I go through them, I will describe why I consider those songs to be garbage.

With that, I’m ready to get right into things. But first, let’s go through some of my dishonorable mentions. These were some of the songs that, despite me not liking them, couldn’t quite make the cut to my list.  Here they are:

• AJR – Burn The House Down
• Big Boi – All Night
• Bryce Vine – Drew Barrymore
• Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same
• The Chainsmokers – Everybody Hates Me
• The Chainsmokers – Sick Boy
• Drake – In My Feelings
• Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. – Dinero
• Maren Morris – Rich
• Maroon 5 – Wait
• MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low
• NF – Let You Down
• PNAU – Go Bang
• Post Malone – I Fall Apart
• Travis Scott featuring Drake – Sicko Mode
• Tyga featuring Offset – Taste
• Weezer – Africa
• Why Don’t We – Trust Fund Baby

Hello, fam! Starting next week, I’ll begin posting my Year-End lists. I have two of them that are ready, so it’s likely you’ll see them this week. Also, I would like to remind everyone once again that I’ll be doing a rankdown. You can still submit your rankings right here. The deadline to send me your submissions will be January 5, 2019 at 11:00pm. I may end up extending it if I have to. We’re getting ever closer to Christmas, which is 10 days away. So hopefully, you all have bought gifts for your family. You can share your thoughts in the comments about what do you want for Christmas. Alright, I’ve said enough for my introduction. Let’s begin reviewing! Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

• Loud Luxury featuring Brando – Body (#34)
• Alex Aiono – Big Mistake (#36)
• Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (#45)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
45. Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises (#43) [–2]
44. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#44) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
43. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#42) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
42. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (Remix) (#41) [–1]
41. George Ezra – Shotgun (#37) [–4]

Hello, fam! Welcome to the last AT40 countdown of 2018! This was another week in which we don’t have a lot going on in terms of activity. We did have some big moves here and there, but nothing else. I’m sure that by the start next year, we can expect to see more activity. Let’s get right into things. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, we say good-bye to the songs leaving us this week:

• Natural by Imagine Dragons (#39)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille
40. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#40) [=]
39. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#38) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
38. Tequila by Dan + Shay (DEBUT)
37. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#36) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
36. Body by Loud Luxury featuring Brando (#33) [–3]
35. Mine by Bazzi (#34) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
34. Trust My Lonely by Alessia Cara (#35) [+1]
33. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#32) [–1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
32. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#37) [+5]
31. Don’t Matter To Me by Drake featuring Michael Jackson (#27) [–4]
30. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#28) [–2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
29. Taki Taki by DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B (#
28. I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#17) [–11]
27. Better by Khalid (#29) [+2]
26. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#31) [+5]
25. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#24) [–1]
24. Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper (#25) [+1]
23. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#26) [+3]
22. Thunderclouds by LSD (#23) [+2]
21. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#22) [+1]
20. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#20) [=]
19. Consequences by Camila Cabello (#19) [=]
18. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa (#18) [=]
17. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#21) [+4]
16. Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes (#15) [–1]
15. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#16) [+1]
14. Broken by lovelytheband (#14) [=]
13. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#13) [=]
12. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#12) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
11. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#6) [–5] 
10. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#9) [–1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
9. Better Now by Post Malone (#8) [–1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
8. Without Me by Halsey (#10) [+2]
7. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#11) [+4]
6. Lie by NF (#7) [+1]
5. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#5) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
4. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#4) [=] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
3. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#2) [–1]
2. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco [+1]
1. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (#1) [=] [3^rd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (1^st of 7 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha (–11)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Be Alright by Dean Lewis and Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (+5)

New Entrants
– For the second week in a row (and for the final entrant of the year), we have country duo Dan + Shay with a song that been around for a while, titled Tequila. The American Top 40 was a little late to the party when it comes to picking up the song, but I’m glad it’s here anyway. It’s probably one of the more premier country songs of the year. I love the vocals we get from these guys. They both sound good together, especially in the chorus. The lyrical content is well written. I feel like they put forth the effort in writing the song. I’ve been enjoying this with each listen and I can safely say that it’s probably one of the best country songs I’ve heard in a long time. I hope it ends up doing well here.

Silver Blurbs
– So, we say good-bye to Natural. And its departure brings an end to Imagine Dragons’ countdown run. Feels like it’s been a long time since we last had a countdown without a song from Imagine Dragons. Talk about a good run.

– It’s nice to see I’m A Mess not only dropping out of Top 20, but also having the biggest fall off the week! I’m very pleased with this! I’m glad it won’t be much longer until it leaves.

– Before introducing Beautiful, Ryan Seacrest mentioned that Bazzi had never performed live before. I guess he may have a little bit of a stage fright. Maybe he should take some advice from Shawn Mendes, who has a song that talks about being nervous. Heh.

– Although I do not like the presence of Without Me in the Top 10, I love the new entrant we get from Eastside. It’s a great song overall and Halsey sounds much better in the song than Without Me. Again, I’m hoping it ends up having the same success.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson
• 8 Letters by Why Don’t We
• Waste It On Me by Steve Aoki featuring BTS

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Promises by Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith
• Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran
• One More Night by Maroon 5
• Cold by Maroon 5 featuring Future
• Same Old Love by Selena Gomez
• Ride by TWENTY ØNE PILØTS
• Hey Mama by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, and Afrojack
• See You Again by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth
• What About Us by P!NK
• Mirrors by Justin Timberlake
• Chandelier by Sia

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD

1 – Bad:
19. Without Me by Halsey

2 – Mediocre:
18. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

3 – Decent:
17. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
16. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
15. Broken by lovelytheband

4 – Good:
14. Lie by NF

5 – Great:
13. Beautiful by Bazzi featuirng Camila Cabello 
12. Back To You by Selena Gomez 
11. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande
10. Consequences by Camila Cabello
9. Better Now by Post Malone
8. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
7. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
6. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
5. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande
4. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
3. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa
2. Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande  

Total Score: 82/100 = 82% (B–)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Silver Bells by Bing Crosby (1950)

Most Missed Song: The A Team by Ed Sheeran

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Speechless by Dan + Shay

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Praying by Kesha (#11)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande
2. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
4. Tequila by Dan + Shay
5. Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. Thunderclouds by LSD
4. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
5. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line: I’d say this is probably one of the most disappointing singles Bebe Rexha has released thus far. I’ll have more to say about this one soon, but Bebe is capable of better.
Best Friend by Sofi Tukker featuring NERVO, Alisa Ueno, and The Knocks: I remember first hearing this when watching the commercial for the iPhone X and thinking, “this is something different”. I don’t quite like it as much as others do, but I still think it’s a pretty cool song.

Hello, fam! So, before we get to this week’s countdown, I would like to say congratulations to Atlanta United (the MLS soccer team) for giving the city its first world championship since the Braves did so in 1995! It’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad they were able to get it done. So, thank you Atlanta United for all the hard work! Now with that, I have the countdown post for you all. There are no songs leaving the countdown this week, so let’s get right to it!

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
45. Ariana Grande – God Is A Woman (#44) [–1]
44. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#45) [+1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
43. Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith – Promises (#41) [–2]
42. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#40) [–2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
41. Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello – Beautiful (#43) [+2]
40. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#39) [–1]
39. Charlie Puth – The Way I Am (#38) [–1]
38. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#37) [–1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
37. George Ezra – Shotgun (#42) [+5]
36. Alex Aiono – Big Mistake (#26) [–10]
35. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#36) [+1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
34. Loud Luxury featuring Brando – Body (#35) [+1]
33. Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper – Shallow (#30) [–3]
32. Shawn Mendes – Lost In Japan (#31) [–1]
31. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#32) [+1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
30. Silk City featuring Dua Lipa – Electricity (#22) [–8]
29. Lauv featuring Julia Michaels – There’s No Way (#34) [+5]
28. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#24) [–4]
27. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#28) [+1]
26. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#14) [–12]
25. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#20) [–5]
24. Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid – Eastside (#18) [–6]
23. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#25) [+2]
22. David Guetta featuring Anne-Marie – Don’t Leave Me Alone (#29) [+7]
21. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#27) [+6]
20. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#17) [–3]
19. Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj – Woman Like Me (#33) [+14]
18. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – My Blood (#23) [+5]
17. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#16) [–1]
16. Camila Cabello – Consequences (#21) [+5]
15. The Struts featuring Kesha – Body Talks (#15) [=]
14. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (#8) [–6]
13. Shawn Mendes – Nervous (#19) [+3]
12. Ariana Grande – Breathin’ (#12) [=]
11. lovelytheband – Broken (#13) [+2]
10. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#10) [=]
9. Dan + Shay – Tequila (#11) [+2]
8. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#3) [–5]
7. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#9) [+2] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
6. Halsey – Without Me (#5) [–1]
5. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#6) [+1] [1 Week At #1]
4. Marshmello featuring Bastille – Happier (#4) [=] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
3. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#1) [–2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1]
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#7) [+5]
1. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood (#2) [+1] [5^th Week At #1]

Hello, guys! It’s been another busy weekend for me, but at least I was able to get this post out a little earlier. As far as this week went, we didn’t have too much going on in terms of activity other than a huge drop and a huge jump. We’re basically coming down to the wire as 2018 is nearing its end. Let’s just get into things. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:

• Promises by Calvin Harris featuring Sam Smith (#24)

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille
40. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#39) [–1]
39. Natural by Imagine Dragons (#14) [–25]
38. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#37) [–1]
37. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#36) [–1]
36. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#35) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
35. Trust My Lonely by Alessia Cara (#38) [+3]
34. Mine by Bazzi (#33) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
33. Body by Loud Luxury featuring Brando (#34) [+1]
32. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#30) [–2] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
31. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (DEBUT)
30. Taki Taki by DJ Snake featuring Selena Gomez, Ozuna, and Cardi B (#32) [+2] 
29. Better by Khalid (#31) [+2]
28. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#27) [–1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
27. Don’t Matter To Me by Drake featuring Michael Jackson (#28) [+1]
26. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#29) [+3]
25. Shallow by Lady Gaga featuring Bradley Cooper (#26) [+1]
24. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#22) [–2]
23. Thunderclouds by LSD (#23) [=]
22. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#25) [+3]
21. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#40) [+19]
20. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#18) [–2]
19. Consequences by Camila Cabello (#21) [+2]
18. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa (#20) [+2]
17. I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha (#13) [–4]
16. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#19) [+3]
15. Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes (#17) [+2]
14. Broken by lovelytheband (#16) [+2]
13. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#15) [+2]
12. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#3) [–9] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
11. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#11) [=]
10. Without Me by Halsey (#12) [+2]
9. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#5) [–4] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
8. Better Now by Post Malone (#6) [–2]
7. Lie by NF (#10) [+3]
6. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD (#8) [+2]
5. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#4) [–1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
4. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#2) [–2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
3. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#9) [+6]
2. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#7) [+5]
1. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille (#1) [=] [2nd Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Thunder by Imagine Dragons (2nd And Final Week At #1) 

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Natural by Imagine Dragons (–25)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (+19)

New Entrants:
– Our only new song entering the countdown this week comes from the long-awaited return of Ellie Goulding! She has a new single titled Close To Me, which features Diplo and Swae Lee. I can say that when I first heard the new single being announced, I was intrigued by the prospect of Ellie collaborating with Swae Lee. And after hearing the song in its entirety, I can safely say that I was not disappointed with how it turned out. Now, do I think it’s amazing? Not really. Nothing can top her previous singles (Love Me Like You Do, Burn, and especially Lights). But Close To Me still shows just how talented Ellie Goulding is as a singer. She has a good voice and uses it well. Swae Lee does a nice job with his verse, also. The lyrical content is pretty good, and while it’s not quite as special it just shows that Ellie Goulding knows how to write a good song. The verdict: it’s a great song and once again, Ellie does not disappoint.

Close To Blurbs
– We say goodbye to Promises this week. I thought it was another solid track for Calvin Harris, even though it’s didn’t quite live up to One Kiss. And the addition of Sam Smith was welcoming. I’m rather disappointed it didn’t go as far in terms of success. It feels like he hasn’t had many hits since This Is What You Came For two years ago.

– Natural by Imagine Dragons made a massive drop this week from the Top 15 all the way down to the Bottom 5. Yikes! The same thing happened with No Brainer just recently as a month ago. With that, both songs now have the biggest drop in the Ryan Seacrest era.

– On the flip side, we have Thank U, Next with a massive jump up to near the Top 20. I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up in the Top 10 in record time.

– Without Me by Halsey entering the Top 10 is not very pleasing for me to see. It’s a shame to see this song become more successful when she has done better. I would much prefer if Eastside would take its place, but it’s very unlikely.

– As far as the Top 5 goes, we have Breathin’ hitting a new peak at #2, which isn’t surprising. But then, we have High Hopes now in the Top 5 as well. This would seem unimaginable about a few months ago. My, how things have changed since then. It’s unfortunate that neither of them will make the Year-End list for this year, but they’ll be there next year I’m sure.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Tequila by Dan + Shay
• 8 Letters by Why Don’t We
• Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson

Extras/Optional Extras:

• Now Or Never by Halsey
• Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé
• Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift
• I Feel It Coming by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
• Bad Things by Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camila Cabello
• Thunder by Imagine Dragons
• Drew Barrymore by Bryce Vine
• Cake By The Ocean by DNCE
• Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
• I Like Me Better by Lauv
• Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

Top 20 Breakdown:
0 – Garbage:
20. I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha
19. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD

1 – Bad:
18. Without Me by Halsey

2 – Mediocre:
17. Happier by Marshmello featuring Bastille

3 – Decent:
16. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B.
15. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee

4 – Good:
14. Broken by lovelytheband

5 – Great:
13. Lie by NF
12. Back To You by Selena Gomez 
11. Beautiful by Bazzi featuirng Camila Cabello
10. Consequences by Camila Cabello
9. Better Now by Post Malone
8. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
7. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
6. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
5. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande
4. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
3. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa
2. Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes

BONUS: 6 – Best Song On The Countdown:
1. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande  

Total Score: 79/100 = 79% (C+)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Since U Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson (2004)

Most Missed Song: Lights by Ellie Goulding

#1 Recommendation For The American Top 40: Bad Liar by Imagine Dragons

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Praying by Kesha (#9)

My Top 5 Picks
1. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande
2. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey
4. Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes
5. Electricity by Silk City featuring Dua Lipa

My Bottom 5 Picks
1. I’m A Mess by Bebe Rexha
2. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie
3. Thunderclouds by LSD
4. Lucid Dreams by Juice WRLD
5. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Dusk Till Dawn by ZAYN featuring Sia: To this day, I still think it’s ZAYN’s best song. The vocal chemistry between him and Sia is just phenomenal. Honestly, I wish the song was bigger than what it deserved.
End Game by Taylor Swift featuring Ed Sheeran and Future: I would never thought of the idea that Taylor and Ed would collaborate with Future, but I’m kinda glad it turned out pretty well. Too bad it ended up not being a huge success.