Hello, fam! Another year has gone by on Hits 1. Honestly, where has the time gone? It seemed like yesterday we were ringing in the new year. Now we’re just a few days away from the start of the new decade. Wow! Earlier this year, I did a rankdown based on Hits 1’s Top 45 Of 2018. It was a thrill. I don’t plan on doing one for this year’s list as I have other stuff that I want to work on. I might end up doing something different. We’ll see. Anyway, let’s get on with it!
Hits 1 counts down the Top 45 songs of any given year. It’s similar to what they do on the Weekend Countdown each and every week. How this’ll work is that I’ll be doing my take on every song that’s on the list in full detail and I’ll share my thoughts on them, similar to what I did last year. The number in parentheses is the song’s peak position during its tenure, and I’ll also include the number of weeks it spent at #1. So with that being said, here is the color code that I’ll be using and the number of points each song gets:
- Red – Crap (0 Points)
- Cyan – Bad (1 Point)
- Yellow – Mediocre (2 Points)
- Pink – Decent (3 Points)
- Blue – Good (4 Points)
- Green – Great (5 Points)
Those are the six ranks that I’ll be using. In addition, orange and purple will remain as my worst and best songs, respectively. The best song on the list will be given 6 points instead of the 5 points it would normally get. Following my take on all of the songs, I’ll be doing a Top 45 Breakdown similar to the Top 20 Breakdown that I do on a weekly basis, and I’ll give out my final score at the end. Just a fair warning before I get started: what you’re about to see is 100% based on my opinion. You may not agree with some of these, and that’s okay unless you start an argument with me. That should cover just about everything. It is now time for me to get on with the reviewing!
But before I do any of that, I’m going to use a time machine and go back to last year’s Top 45. The color code that I use for Year-End posts is on the sidebar if you want to check that out. With that, here is last year’s Top 45:
45. Demi Lovato – Tell Me You Love Me (#5)
44. Halsey featuring Big Sean and Stefflon Don – Alone (#11)
43. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#6)
42. Kelly Clarkson – Love So Soft (#5)
41. Dua Lipa – New Rules (#11)
40. The Chainsmokers featuring Emily Warren – Side Effects (#6)
39. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still (#5)
38. Bebe Rexha – I’m A Mess (#3)
37. Dua Lipa – IDGAF (#9)
36. Foster The People – Sit Next To Me (#6)
35. Charlie Puth featuring Kehlani – Done For Me (#7)
34. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#1, 2 Weeks)
33. G-Eazy featuring Halsey – Him & I (#3)
32. The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar – Pray For Me (#5)
31. Imagine Dragons – Natural (#1, 1 Week)
30. Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B – Girls Like You (#4)
29. Backstreet Boys – Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#3)
28. Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello – Wolves (#3)
27. Macklemore featuring Kesha – Good Old Days (#1, 1 Week)
26. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry (#4)
25. NOTD featuring Bea Miller – I Wanna Know (#6)
24. Khalid featuring Normani – Love Lies (#2)
23. Camila Cabello – Havana (#1, 1 Week)
22. Camila Cabello – Never Be The Same (#1, 1 Week)
21. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Want You Back (#1, 1 Week)
20. Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie – Friends (#5)
19. Charlie Puth – How Long (#1, 2 Weeks)
18. Niall Horan – On The Loose (#3)
17. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood (#1, 2 Weeks)
16. Lauv – I Like Me Better (#5)
15. Selena Gomez – Back To You (#2)
14. Fall Out Boy – The Last Of The Real Ones (#1, 2 Weeks)
13. Imagine Dragons – Thunder (#1, 5 Weeks Total; 2 in 2017, 3 in 2018)
12. Halsey – Bad At Love (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017)
11. Maroon 5 – Wait (#4)
10. Walk The Moon – One Foot (#2)
9. Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be (#1, 1 Week)
8. Taylor Swift – Delicate (#1, 3 Weeks)
7. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and watt – Let Me Go (#1, 1 Week)
6. Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé – Perfect (#1, 2 Weeks Total; 1 in 2017, 1 in 2018)
5. 5 Seconds of Summer – Youngblood (#1, 5 Weeks)
4. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#1, 8 Weeks)
3. Panic! At The Disco – Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#1. 4 Weeks)
2. Imagine Dragons – Whatever It Takes (#1, 1 Week)
1. Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey – The Middle (#1, 9 Weeks)
My grade for last year’s countdown came out as a 76.4%, which I thought was pretty good. 2018 wasn’t the best year overall, but there were still a lot of stand outs. We’ll see how we fared in 2019. I’ve covered the first part. Now, I’m ready to dive into this list. It is my honor to present to you Hits 1’s Top 45 Songs Of 2019! Let’s do this!
45. Lizzo – Good As Hell (#3) [5; Great]
Kicking things off is an artist who has become a big name throughout the second half of the year. I’m actually surprised this ended up making the Year-End countdown, mostly because it feels more like a 2020 hit than 2019. Good As Hell was actually released in 2016 and is currently another huge hit for Lizzo. I fell in love with the song ever since it started gaining momentum. I like her voice here and the backing chorus as well. She has the charisma to be able to shine throughout the song. The production is pretty divine as well with the nice piano work and some other good stuff. It’s basically another one of those self-empowerment anthems and I’m a sucker for those. It’s an divine song from Lizzo and it’s nice to see her gain recognition. I’m glad her momentum is carrying on into 2020.
44. Post Malone – Circles (#2) [4; Good]
I’m also quite surprised this made the Year-End list. This feels more like a 2020 hit to me than a 2019 hit. But its momentum was very strong throughout late 2019, so I guess it makes sense that it’s here. It’s a little more fast-paced than any of the songs I’ve heard from Post Malone. The guitar is pretty nice and I quite like the groove here. Post has a good voice and he uses it well, even though he doesn’t quite stand out in the chorus. I do like how he tells a story about his relationship struggles even when the season continues to change. I do quite like this song for the most part. But there are better songs from Hollywood’s Bleeding such as Take What You Want, Sunflower, and A Thousand Bad Times. Circles isn’t exactly memorable, but it’s solid overall.
43. OneRepublic – Rescue Me (#12) [4; Good]
The comeback single from OneRepublic was something that I quite enjoyed. I think it’s pretty catchy and I like Ryan Tedder’s smooth voice here. But it pales in comparison to what these guys have done in the past. I’ve been a fan of OneRepublic for quite some time. Their earlier albums had plenty of singles that I enjoyed. I adore Apologize with a burning passion and it’s easily one of my favorite songs from them. Rescue Me doesn’t quite live up to that, but I still think it’s pretty solid. I don’t have much else I can say beyond that.
42. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – The Hype (#9) [5; Great]
This is one of two songs from TWENTY ØNE PILØTS that ended up making the Hits 1 Year-End Countdown. I’ve been a fan of what these guys had to offer for a while. I enjoyed Blurryface as a whole and I fell in love with Trench as well. Jumpsuit was a awesome comeback for them and is easily my favorite song off the album. The Hype is pretty divine as well. Yeah, it may not hit as hard as far as the production goes. But it is solid overall. It has good instrumentation and I like the beat. Tyler sounds pretty good with his voice. I like the lyrics about how a person going through a difficult time and being able to get through those tough times. I think it’s something most of us can relate to. Overall, it’s another highlight off the great album that is of Trench.
41. Halsey – Graveyard (#3) [5; Great]
I’ve definitely been mixed on Halsey’s latest music. I enjoyed some of what Hopeless Fountain Kingdom has had to offer. But her singles after that were not necessarily to my liking. Without Me was just okay, while Nightmare was a mess all around and would end up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. But she did redeem herself with Graveyard. I like the intro with the guitar and from there we get to hear her voice, which actually sounds pretty good. The rest of the production is pretty solid and it blends very nicely with her voice. I think the lyrics are nicely written. It doesn’t quite live up to the greatness she had before, but it’s a hell of a lot better than that of Nightmare. Her new album does come out next year and I’m hoping her latest singles will follow the path of this song. But we’ll see what ultimately ends up happening.
40. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired (#12) [0; Crap]
I honestly don’t know why we let this make the Year-End list. Lauv has been in music since he gave us the monstrosity that is of I Like Me Better back in 2017. That one had asinine lyrics and weird production that made this an unpleasant listen. Every other single he has released since then has been crap. I’m So Tired is no different. Lauv’s voice is severely DRENCHED in auto-tune. He doesn’t sound good in any other part of the song. Troye did absolutely NOTHING to contribute. He was not a good fit. There’s no chemistry at all and it’s very repetitive. I did my take on this in my post regarding My Bottom 10 Songs Of 2019, in which I placed it at #7. Whatever he tried to do here did not work out to my or anyone else’s liking. Everything about this song is a mess from top to bottom. It has no business being here.
39. Katy Perry – Never Really Over (#10) [5; Great]
I’m so glad this song was able to make the Year-End list. I absolutely LOVE Katy Perry because she’s an amazing singer. I enjoyed the majority of her first two albums and a good amount of Prism. But Witness wasn’t really to my liking outside of Chained To The Rhythm and a few other singles. This year, she gave us Never Really Over. It became an instant favorite of mine from the day it was released. I love her voice as always and she shines in the chorus. The production is solid and I like the use of the ticking clock, which explains why Zedd helped produced this track. I also like the lyrics about her relationship towards Orlando Bloom. She recently got engaged to him, so congrats to her! This made an appearance in my Top 10 when I counted down my Best Songs Of 2019, where I ranked it at #7. It’s an awesome comeback for her and I’m interested to see what else she brings in 2020.
38. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita (#3) [5; Great]
This song made an appearance in My Top 10 for my Top 50 Best Songs Of 2019, also. In fact, I ranked it as my #2 favorite song of the year. It was released a little over a month after If I Can’t Have You. When I first heard about the collaboration between Shawn and Camila, I was interested coming in. After the first listen, it worked out very well to my liking. They did have another collaboration in the form of I Know What You Did Last Summer a few years back. But that one didn’t quite held up well on my end. Señorita, on the other hand, is superior compared to its predecessor. I really dig the Latin vibe here and Camila sounds pretty good with her voice. Shawn has a smooth voice and it meshes well with the Latin instrumentation. They blend together very well in the chorus and they have good chemistry. Although there’s not a lot in terms of the lyrics, everything else about the song is divine. This became Shawn’s first #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and I’m very pleased about it because the song rocks. I don’t know if their relationship will last a long time. But it’s definitely a song that I’ll look back on.
37. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower (#11) [5; Great]
Next, we have another song that made an appearance in my Top 10 when I counted down My Top 50 Best Songs Of 2019. This time, it comes from both Post Malone and Swae Lee with a song taken from the movie soundtrack of Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. Believe it or not, I actually did not like this at first. I remember putting this in red when it was new. But things have changed over time. I like the contribution we get from Swae Lee. His flow is pretty good and I like how he can hit those high notes. Post sounds pretty good with his voice as well. The beat is pretty solid and I like the rest of the production. This became a #1 on Billboard and it’s a song that I genuinely love unlike his other singles that hit #1 before it. It’s one of the best Post has had to offer this year.
36. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine (#5) [5; Great]
This wasn’t a huge hit anywhere else, but I’m glad it was successful on Hits 1. I wasn’t too fond of this from the start. I thought the production was underwhelming and it reminded me too much of Closer. That has changed with each and every additional listen. This song really grew on me a lot. I talked about this in detail in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, where it landed at #12. But to recap, I really like Bebe Rexha overall and I think she has a good voice. She sounds amazing throughout the song and I really enjoy the chorus. I initially didn’t like the drop, but now I think it’s divine. Production-wise, it’s similar to both Closer and This Feeling, which I loved overall. The last drop that comes at the final chorus is just phenomenal. Yeah, this song rocks. It’s a shame that it was not as successful elsewhere. But at least it did well on Hits 1, and I’m happy about that.
35. Jonas Brothers – Cool (#1, 1 Week) [0; Crap]
The Jonas Brothers had a big year in 2019 following their reunion. I enjoyed quite a bit of what Happiness Begins had to offer and some of their older singles. But Cool was not a good follow-up to its predecessor. There’s not a single good thing I can say about this song. Nick Jonas does not sound good here. The lyrics are poorly written as well. They’re essentially bragging about being cool and what not. Seriously, that kind of personality turns me off. And there are some lines that I won’t mention don’t make sense at all. They tried to be cool and edgy with this song and it ended up being a disaster. Bad vocals, terrible production, and even worse lyrics just make this song an unpleasant listen. So, I’m not too thrilled that this became a #1 hit on Hits 1. I’m sure there are better singles that they could’ve chosen off the album.
34. P!NK – Walk Me Home (#3) [5; Great]
I’ve had different opinions when it comes to this song, and I can definitely see why. It’s different compared to what P!NK has done in the past. I’ve been a fan of her ever since the start of the millennium. I did enjoy Walk Me Home overall, though there was a moment in time when I had the song in blue. But I’ve fully came back around to it. I like the way it opens up with the beat and P!NK herself sounds good with her voice. I think her verses flow smoothly and the chorus is nice. Do I think it’s her best single? Absolutely not. There are better songs from Hurts 2B Human such as the title track and 90 Days. But I think Walk Me Home was a solid lead single for the album.
33. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger (#7) [6; Best Song Of The Year]
I’ve been fond of Sam Smith for quite some time. His breakout hit in the form of Stay With Me back in 2014 was pretty solid and I liked his other singles from The Lonely Hour. Then in 2017, he made his comeback with Too Good At Goodbyes and I quite liked it as well. But two years later, we got Dancing With A Stranger, which would go on to be my #1 favorite song of 2019. I truly think that song is special overall when it comes to Sam Smith. Everything about the song is just pop perfection. I remember when this first came out and I saw it was a collaboration with former Fifth Harmony member Normani. After the very first listen, I was wowed by how it turned out. I call this Love Lies, part 2. While I do like that song, I personally think Dancing With A Stranger is a much superior song in every aspect. First off, I love the way it opens up and I knew from there it would turn out to be a fun listen. The melody is just awesome and I absolutely love the beat here. Sam sounds amazing in the first verse. Then we get a verse from Normani and that’s really when the song becomes even more enjoyable. Her verse shows that she is the best singer out of all the members of Fifth Harmony. I love how their vocals blend in the second and final chorus. They have good chemistry together. This is Sam’s best single and the best Normani has been a part of so far. I’m glad this became a massive success worldwide. These guys did great at impressing me with this song.
32. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime (#10) [3; Decent]
Here, we have the first of three songs from Panic! At The Disco to appear on the Year-End countdown. Hits 1 loves Panic! At The Disco, so it comes as no surprise that they picked up on this song. I liked this initially mostly because of Brendon Urie alone. He has an excellent voice and I love the way he can hit the high notes. I quite like the production here. But the backing vocals got on my nerves after a while and it kinda had an affect on my thoughts. I’ve been fond of Panic! At The Disco and there are some good songs from Pray For The Wicked. But this song didn’t quite held up well. It’s definitely not a bad song by any means. However, I much prefer their other singles off the album.
31. Khalid – Talk (#6) [1; Bad]
This song was not a good follow-up to Love Lies and Better, both of which were some of Khalid’s best singles. I had high hopes coming into the song. But he did not deliver on those expectations, unfortunately. I think the lyrics are pretty decent here even though it leaves quite a bit to be desired. I think he’s a good songwriter. But everything else didn’t click with me. The electronic production is not good and it doesn’t fit well with Khalid’s voice. He doesn’t put on a good performance vocally. I don’t think he stands out. Yeah, I was let down by his single and I’m not thrilled that this was his highest-peaking single on Billboard. Khalid is capable of better as he showed in his previous singles.
30. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings (#4) [0; Crap]
It’s really sad to see just how much Ariana has evolved for the worse. I really like her and I think she has an amazing voice. I fell in love with her first two albums and it had some of my favorite songs from her such as Break Free, Love Me Harder, Problem, and others. I adore Into You and I can safely say that it’s easily my favorite single from her. Then came Sweetener and it did have songs that I liked such as No Tears Left To Cry and Breathin’. But unfortunately, 7 Rings is a different story. I still remember listening to this for the first time. Simply put, I was not impressed with how it turned out. The production is just awful here. I hate the trap beat and Ariana’s rapping sucks. The way she interpolates The Sound Of Music is just terrible. Combined that with the shitty lyrics that talk about her bragging about being rich and it only makes matters even more asinine. This is Ariana at her low and it’s the worst single she’s ever released. This did not deserve to be a fucking #1 hit on Billboard. This thankfully did miss out on the Top 3 during its run. But 7 Rings is nothing more than garbage. Fortunately, not all of her songs are like this…
29. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next (#5) [4; Good]
The lead single off of Thank U, Next. I did not enjoy the album overall and I’m very disappointed to have to say that about Ariana Grande. Despite this, I actually quite like the song and I appreciate what it’s going for. It’s not her best song overall and I much prefer her older singles where she was actually a great singer. But everything about the song works well for me in most ways. The melody is pretty nice and I like her voice throughout the song. Looking deeper into the lyrics, it’s basically her thanking her ex-boyfriends for everything they’ve done for her. I like her songwriting here and she was able to put forth the effort here unlike in 7 Rings. It’s a nice song and I’m kinda glad this was her first ever #1 hit on Billboard. I’m also thrilled to see this being ranked higher than 7 Rings.
28. Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid – Beautiful People (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
I didn’t fall in love with No. 6 Collaborations Project for the most part. I thought it was a step down compared to Ed Sheeran’s predecessor. Despite this, I did find a few gems off the album and Beautiful People is one of those gems. The songwriting is pretty amazing. It tells a story about not caring about getting material things and what not. I think it sends a good message overall and it’s nice of them to try and be themselves. I love Ed’s vocals throughout the song and the way he can hit the high notes in the chorus. I can easily feel his emotion here. Khalid’s verse is pretty solid. I was pretty disappointed that they didn’t blend together in the chorus and they didn’t really have any chemistry. But I don’t really care because everything else about the song is divine. This is one of the highlights off the album. Although BLOW is much better, I can easily picture myself coming back to this song.
27. Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other (#3) [2; Mediocre]
Alec isn’t exactly the best singer overall. I remember finding this song to be pretty decent at first. But now I don’t quite feel that way anymore. Whereas Let Me Down Slowly was more interesting musically and lyrically (and we’ll get to that later on), this one doesn’t do anything for me. The instrumentation is okay, but the rest the production isn’t strong here. It’s basically just the guitar and the beat with no melody. That’s about it. I think the lyrics are okay, but there’s not a whole lot in terms of depth. Alec didn’t fully master his songwriting skills here. I’ll give it to him that he sounds slightly better vocally. But good vocals alone won’t exactly cut it. So yeah, it’s not too interesting and I don’t think I’ll remember this years from now.
26. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy (#10) [5; Great]
Much like with Lizzo, Billie Eilish became a big name throughout the course of the year. She had three songs that appeared in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, with Bad Guy being one of them. I think this is the best that she’s had to offer although When The Party’s Over comes pretty close. I’m very fond of the beat here. It’s got a nice bass to it and I like the groove. Billie showcases her unique voice and she reminds me of Lorde. I like how it transitions to the trap beat. I think it’s pretty cool. She did have a remix with Justin Bieber. It’s pretty good, but I think it defeats the purpose of the song, which is meant to be dark. I’m cool with this song being her biggest hit and it’s nice to see Billie get some recognition. She deserves it.
25. Lizzo – Truth Hurts (#2) [5; Great]
Despite this song being released in 2017, Truth Hurts became Lizzo’s biggest hit throughout the course of the year. I’m perfectly fine with that since it’s a solid song overall. I much prefer her other single Juice from earlier this year, in large part because the production is better. But Truth Hurts is enjoyable. I like her voice here and it has trap elements. Some of the lines here are pretty funny and I like how she references the Minnesota Vikings. After all, she is from Minnesota and I didn’t know about this until a few weeks ago. I’ll bet she’s glad that her team is in the playoffs this year. I’ll bet she’ll be even happier when these guys win the Super Bowl. Anyway, I like the song overall and I’m fine with this being her biggest hit. With Good As Hell still going strong, her momentum is likely going to carry on heading into next year, and I’m cool with that.
24. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix) (#7) [0; Crap]
I’ll go ahead and admit that the song isn’t as bad now as it was when it was new, although that’s largely because worse songs came along during the year and it makes the song look better in comparison. I still dislike it with great intensity because everything about it is not good. I’m not fond of Lil Nas X’s voice here. I just think it’s underwhelming overall. Billy sounds okay, but he didn’t do a lot to contribute to the remix. The production is not good. I don’t like the trap beat and the guitar is grating. It still bugs me that this was the one to break the record for most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The only reason it was popular was because of the controversy when they decided to put the solo version off the Country Music charts. I can see why people like this. But I just can’t get into it. Sorry.
23. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME! (#2) [5; Great]
Hits 1 loves all things Panic! At The Disco, and Taylor Swift is one of the biggest start in the world of music. Putting these two together was a match made in heaven and by no surprise, this became a massive hit. Granted, this got snubbed from hitting #1 because of the Jonas Brothers’s comeback with Sucker, which had a monster run at the top and would break the Hits 1 record for most weeks at #1. But regardless, I do think ME! was a good lead single for Taylor’s album. Sure, some of the lines may be cheesy and all. But everything else works quite well here. I like the production overall. It has a good beat and it’s pretty catchy. The vocals we get from these guys were divine. I like how they blend together in the chorus. They have very good chemistry here. Overall, it’s a fun, upbeat song that puts a smile on my face. I enjoyed Lover as a whole and there are some other songs that I love as well. ME! is certainly something that I’ll revisit from time to time.
22. Dan + Shay – Speechless (#9) [5; Great]
The rise of country duo Dan + Shay in the country genre was one of the highlights throughout 2018 and 2019. Two of their singles made an appearance in My Top 10 favorite songs of the year. Tequila came in at #5. That one was a instant favorite of mine because it had good harmonies, divine vocals, well-written lyrics, and just divine everything. Here, we have Speechless, which landed at #10. First off, I love the intro to the song. The piano sounds amazing and the vocals are pretty divine as well. Then we get to the chorus and the way they can hit the high notes in the chorus was just beautiful. While the instrumentation isn’t quite as good as its predecessor, it was still put to good use. I absolutely adore the lyrics as well. This turned out to be another good song from the duo. It shows just how talented these guys are vocally, musically, and lyrically. This is the perfect song that I highly recommend for a wedding. I honestly have no other words to describe how amazing the song actually is.
21. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less (#10) [0; Crap]
I talked about this in My Bottom 10 Songs Of 2019 where I ranked it as my #3 least favorite song of the year. But in hindsight, I probably should’ve placed this at #1 just because of how fucking abysmal the song actually is. And yet Hits 1 held on to it for way too damn long for some reason unbeknownst to me. Why in the hell did we let this become a hit??? I first heard this song when it debuted and I remember not caring for it very much. But it got worse with each and every additional listen. First off, Quinn XCII’s verse is god awful in every sense of the word. I hate how high pitched he sounds and his flow is no good at all. That alone is the biggest reason why I dislike the song with a fiery passion. But even beyond that, the production is absolutely horrific and is all over the place. MAX sounds pretty bad and the lyrics are badly written. As much as I dislike Lights Down Low, at least that one I can see the appeal of. Love Me Less is just a mess all around and I’m pretty damn pissed that Hits 1 held on to it for too long.
20. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine (#11) [4; Good]
My relationship with TWENTY ØNE PILØTS in terms of their music has been pretty good over the years. 2015 and 2016 were the years that I really got into their music, what with Stressed Out becoming a massive hit and their other singles from Blurryface would follow suit. Then in 2018, they released Trench, which I thought was a solid album overall. I wasn’t very fond of Chlorine and I remember having it red for most of its tenure. But that definitely changed over time. Now, I find it to be pretty interesting. It’s not the best the album has to offer. I still prefer songs such as Jumpsuit, The Hype, and My Blood. But I fully appreciate what the song is trying to do. I think the production is fine and I quite like Tyler’s voice here. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to look up the lyrics for the song. Basically, it tells a story about a chemical. I don’t exactly get the concept to the song here. But I do think it’s pretty well-written. Overall, I can safely say that I came around to the song. Who knows what else they have in store in the future?
19. Anne-Marie – 2002 (#3) [1; Bad]
I first heard this song around the time Friends became a success last year. That one was just a mess all around with asinine lyrics, terrible vocals from Anne-Marie, and weak production. 2002 isn’t any better. I actually liked this at first and now I’m not so sure what I was thinking. Anne-Marie sounds pretty bad with her scratchy vocals. I liked her performance in Rockabye and Don’t Leave Me Alone. But here, she doesn’t do well vocally. The instrumentation is weak overall. The guitar is just thin and there’s not a whole lot in terms of the production. I find the lyrics to be uninteresting. She didn’t put forth the effort in her songwriting. Sure, it may have references to some of my favorite songs back in the day (Bye Bye Bye by NSYNC, etc.). But they were not well-executed. Simply put, this is just bland and not my cup of tea. If I want something that’s remotely interesting, I’d listen to 1999 by Charli XCX featuring Troye Sivan. That one does everything it needs to do. 2002 fails in most ways with weak instrumentation, a lack of lyrical depth, and Anne-Marie’s mediocre vocal performance. Not a recipe for a good song in my book.
18. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care (#5) [2; Mediocre]
Personally, I think this was not a good choice for a lead single off of No. 6 Collaborations Project. I did like this song at first, but it soured on me relatively quickly. It’s pretty underwhelming compared to what Ed Sheeran has had before. I think it’s kinda catchy in some ways. But for the most part, it’s pretty bland. The premise to the song is dull and quite uninteresting. The tropical vibe is okay, but it’s not special. Neither of the two artist have any sort of chemistry together. Their verses are okay. But they don’t really stand out in any part of the song. So yeah, they didn’t impress me here with this collaboration. It’s not the worst song as there are some other singles off the album that are worse than this. But I Don’t Care is just not memorable for me.
17. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar (#6) [5; Great]
Origins was just not a good album for Imagine Dragons overall. It showed just how much they’ve evolved for the worse. You’ve seen me placed Machine at #4 in My Bottom 10 Songs Of 2019 post. But they did redeem themselves with the release of Bad Liar, which I ranked as my #21 favorite song of the year. It reminds me a lot of Demons. Dan really showcases his vocal capabilities throughout the song. I can easily feel the emotion when he sings the chorus. I like the production overall and while it is minimalistic, it’s not as messy as it was in Machine. I love the lyrics about Dan going through a divorce, which happened last year. He is a talented songwriter and it’s further proven when looking at the lyrical content. This is easily the best the album has to offer and one of the best I’ve heard from these guys in quite some time.
16. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me (#5) [5; Great]
At the time this song was released, Happier was beginning to die down. I was not a fan of that one initially. But I’ve come around to it now. You’ll see why later on. Unlike that song, I enjoyed Here With Me right from the start. I think it’s one of Marshmello’s better songs. I don’t necessarily care for CHVRCHES’s music. But I do like Lauren Mayberry’s vocals in this song. She shows how talented she is as a singer and I like Marshmello’s production work. It reminds me of Happier in a way. The lyrics are well-written. I talked about this one in detail in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, where it landed at #25. It’s a solid song overall and one of the best Marshmello has had to offer since Wolves.
15. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee – Close To Me (#7) [5; Great]
This song barely missed out on making my My Top 10 for the year as I ranked it at #11. I tried to find room for it in that region and I even considered putting it at #1. But better songs came along during the year. Like Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding has been a favorite of mine for much of the decade. When I first heard Lights back in 2011, I knew she would turn out to be special and sure enough, I was proven right. Almost every single she has released has impressed me. Close To Me is no exception even though she has done much better. I immediately fell in love with the song right from the start. Ellie sounds amazing as usual and I love the way she can hit those high notes. That’s one of her strengths when it comes to her vocals. Diplo’s work was pretty solid here and I like the drop. We did get a verse from Swae Lee and although Hits 1 edited him out, I think he was a good fit as his flow was smooth. Simply put, it’s a great comeback single for Ellie and it was nice to see it become another hit for her. I look forward to her new album coming out next year.
14. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down (#1, 3 Weeks) [1; Bad]
Honestly, I was expecting more out of Taylor Swift when she released the follow-up to ME!. I enjoyed Lover as a whole and there are plenty of songs that I genuinely love from the album, including the title track. But You Need To Calm Down was not one of them and it’s one of the few songs from her that I legitimately disliked. Basically, it’s an empowerment anthem and I get what it’s going for. But it not executed very well. Don’t get me wrong, I love Taylor Swift. She is a good singer and an even better songwriter overall. But her vocal performance in the song was not good. The chorus is annoying, especially when she goes “oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-ohhhhh”. I don’t really like the beat here. There is not melody to speak of and the rest of the production is just underwhelming as a whole. Yeah, I’m not fond of the song overall and I’m not too thrilled that it hit #1 during its tenure. Taylor is capable of much better.
13. Halsey – Nightmare (#2) [0; Crap]
It’s crazy how much my opinion has changed on the song since it debuted. I liked this initially in part because I thought it was a step up from Without Me. Now, I can’t stand it anymore. I really like Halsey and I think she’s talented. She has made some good songs and I even ranked Bad At Love as my #6 favorite song of 2018. But unfortunately, Nightmare is a much different story. First off, her voice is just abysmal here. I loathe the way she yells in the chorus. It is very loud and way too in your face. Definitely not ideal. I’m not fond of the lyrics and some of the lines kinda put me off. I know she is a good songwriter. But she doesn’t show it here at all. Halsey tried to go for something different with this song. But it did not work out very well to my or anyone else’s liking and the results were a disaster. This is just a mess overall and it’s her worst single she’s released since New Americana. It’s really sad that I have to say this about Halsey. This became a success on Hits 1 for some reason, while it flopped elsewhere. I’m glad this didn’t hit #1 during its tenure. But this is not the direction she should be taking. Hopefully, we don’t get anymore songs like this.
12. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier (#1, 3 Weeks) [1; Bad]
This one I actually kinda liked from the start. Initially, I thought it was catchy in a way and I liked the vocals we got from them. But that kinda got old very quickly and now, I just don’t like it at all. 5 Seconds Of Summer has made quite a few songs I liked over the years. They did make their comeback last year with Want You Back and Youngblood, both of which were pretty good. I absolutely loved Jet Black Heart. It’s one of my favorite songs from the band. But Easier does not live up to that and it doesn’t come close. There’s not a lot to like about the song. There is no band here. Their vocals aren’t any good and the lyrical content lacks depth in many areas. The band didn’t put forth a good effort in producing the song. I know they are capable of better. This is not the type of song I want to hear from them and it bugs me that it was a #1 hit on the countdown.
11. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly (#4) [3; Decent]
This song and I didn’t have a good relationship when it debuted on the countdown. I wasn’t a huge fan of Alec’s voice and I found it to be uninteresting at the time. I still kinda dislike his voice somewhat. But my opinion has kinda changed since it left. I think the instrumentation is pretty nice and I fully appreciate what the song is going for lyrically. I think Alec has potential as a songwriter and a musician. But he didn’t quite put on a strong performance vocally and that kinda affected my thoughts on the song overall. Despite this, I’ve slowly came around to the song overall, while I find If We Have Each Other to be pretty mediocre. I’m surprised by the song’s success on Hits 1. I may not have enjoyed it when it was new. But now, I think the song is worthwhile.
10. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes (#1, 8 Weeks in 2018) [5; Great]
This song became a massive hit on Hits 1 in late 2018 and it’s momentum carried on into 2019, in large part because it started to gain popularity elsewhere during that time. I enjoyed this song from the beginning and it still holds up well today. Brendon Urie has a good voice and he uses it very well here. I love the way he can hit those high notes. The instrumentation sounds really good. The trumpets were put to good use and everything else production-wise is solid all around. I love how he tells a story about having goals and being able to reach for the stars. He is a good songwriter and it shows throughout the song. I’m very happy that Panic! At The Disco managed to get a hit with this song and I’m glad it was able to reach the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 during its tenure. Even after spending a long time on the countdown, it’s still a fun and upbeat song with great vocals and great production all throughout. It was nice to see Brendon Urie and company get some recognition because they’re talented overall.
9. Shawn Mendes – If I Can’t Have You (#1, 9 Weeks) [5; Great]
I’ve been a fan of Shawn Mendes in recent years. A couple years back, he did give us There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, which was (and still is) a huge favorite of mine. The next year, he gave us his self-titled album. I enjoyed quite a lot of what it had to offer. I think Youth and Lost In Japan are two of the best songs off the album and I enjoyed them both. If I Can’t Have You is another song I love from Shawn overall. It bears a striking resemblance of There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back in many ways. The Latin vibe is really cool and I adore Shawn’s smooth voice. They both mesh very well together. In addition, I love the lyrical content. I think it shows how much better Shawn is getting and how much he has evolved as an artist. This appeared in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019 where it landed at #16. I enjoy the song overall and I’m glad Shawn was able to get another hit out of it.
8. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved (#1, 3 Weeks) [0; Crap]
I didn’t envision myself loathing this song and I certainly didn’t see myself placing this at #2 in My Bottom 10 Songs Of 2019. But that’s exactly what happened. I’m usually a sucker for piano ballads and I’m not so sure why some people dislike them because I think they sound good most of the time. But hearing this song actually puts me in the shoes of those who legitimately dislike it just because of how bad it truly is. I don’t get the appeal to the song at all. Lewis sounds absolutely terrible vocally and the way he hits those high notes just makes me cringe. I honestly can’t with his voice. But aside from that, the piano is way too basic and the lyrics have virtually no depth. Simply put, Someone You Loved has proven to not be a good piano ballad. It did not deserve to be a sleeper hit and it certainly did not deserve to be #1. Seriously, this is just terrible and I don’t know what in the hell I was thinking when I said I kinda liked it before.
7. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier (#1, 2 Weeks in 2018) [4; Good]
I’m sure many here are surprised by the fact that I’ve actually like this song now. I didn’t have a good relationship towards the song when it was brand new. I thought it was underwhelming when compared to what he had before. He’s done better with songs such as Ritual and his collaboration with Selena Gomez in Wolves and I’m willing to fight anyone who argues otherwise. However, following the release of One Thing Right which saw him hit another new low, I started to come around to Happier and now I fully appreciate what it’s going for. I want to go back to where the story begins. In 2018, he had a collaboration with Anne-Marie in Friends. That one was just god awful and it was one of my least favorite songs of that year. That alone was part of the reason why my initial impression soured on Happier and I could never fully get into the song during its tenure. Since it left, my opinion has drastically changed. Sure, Marshmello’s work here production-wise isn’t the best outside of the piano. But I quite like the vocals from Dan Smith. He’s a good singer overall and I can feel the emotion when he sings in the bridge. He showed me how talented he is vocally in the band’s singles such as Pompeii. It remains as a favorite of mine today. I like the lyrics about being selfless and leaving a relationship that is failing. In a way, hearing it makes me feel more emotional than anything else. Like I said, I didn’t have the best relationship with the song during its popularity. But I like it now and I’m okay with this being Marshmello’s biggest hit even though he has done better.
6. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho (#2) [5; Great]
This is the only song in the Top 10 to not hit #1 during its run on the countdown. I first heard the song back in the Fall of last year and I thought to myself, “Wow, this is fun and catchy!” Ava Max made a good first impression with this song overall. This made an appearance in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019 where it was ranked as my #4 favorite song of the year. If I’m being honest, I even thought about putting this at #1 because it is divine in every sense of the word. Ava has an amazing voice and I love her performance here. The production is awesome and I love the catchy beat. I do quite like the lyrics about a girl who is sweet but deranged at the same time. I find it quite interesting. Yeah, between Ava’s divine voice and the awesome production, everything about the song is amazing. She did have So Am I which sounds eerily similar to that song except it has different lyrics. But I like that song as well and I can consider that an honorable mention. I’m very happy that Ava was able to get a hit out of the song. I’m interested in hearing what else she has in store.
5. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling (#1, 7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2018, 4 in 2019) [5; Great]
After their first few singles from Sick Boy were not to my liking, The Chainsmokers redeem themselves with the release of Side Effects. I enjoyed that song overall and thus, it was a step back in the right direction for them. Then a little over a month later, we get This Feeling. I’m not too familiar with Kelsea Ballerini’s music. But I did enjoy her solo singles such as Miss Me More and Homecoming Queen. She showed me how talented she is as a singer. Along with Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, and Dan + Shay, she is one of the best acts in the country genre. I had high hopes coming into the song and they exceeded every single one of my expectations. It became an instant favorite of mine right from the jump. First off, I LOVE Keslea’s voice throughout the song. She absolutely shines in the chorus. I also liked Andrew Taggart’s voice as well. I like how they blend together vocally and they have good chemistry. Then, we get to the drop that comes after the chorus and I found it to be enjoyable. Andrew and Alex excelled in producing this amazing song. It’s the best these guys have done since Closer and I’m glad this was a success on Hits 1.
4. Jonas Brothers – Sucker (#1, 13 Weeks) [4; Good]
I’m actually surprised this was not ranked very high, let alone become the #1 song of the year on Hits 1. It was the Jonas Brothers’s big return to music following their reunion. It holds the record for the highest debut in the history of the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown (previously held by Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe). It would eventually go on to break the record for most weeks at #1 with 13. I quite like this song overall. I think it’s catchy in a way and Nick Jonas sounds pretty good. But it’s not much compared to what these guys have done before. Plus, after hearing the other songs off the album Happiness Begins, it made the song seem a little inferior, at least to me. It also became a huge favorite worldwide. I think the only reason the song became a massive success was because “OMG, Jonas Brothers!” But is the song really that amazing as people make it out to be? Not really. But it’s still a nice comeback from these guys after being on hiatus for so long.
3. Halsey – Without Me (#1, 5 Weeks) [3; Decent]
Unlike most music critics and most in the blogging community, I have an unpopular opinion towards this song. Now, I didn’t have the best relationship at first because I thought it was pretty bad compared to her previous singles. Things have changed at the beginning of the year as I’ve kinda got into it. While the lyrics aren’t really the best, I do think everything else about the song is fine. I like the production in a way and Halsey sounds okay. But I can do without the auto-tune in the chorus. It kinda brings the song down a little bit for me. Despite this, I personally think it’s a fine song and it’s way too over-hated in my opinion. It’s really songs like Nightmare that I find annoying. But Halsey has done better in the past with songs such as Bad At Love, Strangers, and her collaboration with The Chainsmokers in Closer. We’ll see what her new album, Manic has to offer next year.
2. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It (#1, 3 Weeks) [4; Good]
I’m not surprised at all by this song being ranked very high on the Year-End list. Hits 1 picked up on this single around the time High Hopes was popular. I figured Hey Look Ma, I Made It would become another hit for Brendon Urie and company, and I was proven to be right. Clearly, this song is divided among music critics. I do still hold an unpopular opinion on liking the song. Brendon shows that he has a good voice overall and I quite like the production here. The lyrics are nicely written as well. It reflects on his journey and his struggles he faced to be successful. I think it’s something we all can relate to. I’m kinda glad this was another hit for Panic! At The Disco even though there are songs off the album that are better than this. It’s not that amazing by any means, but it’s something worthwhile and I can picture myself coming back to the song.
1. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love (#1, 2 Weeks) [1; Bad]
I have to say. I’m not thrilled by our #1 song of the year on Hits 1. As someone who’s been quite fond of these guys, it just does not appeal to me. I liked a good amount of what The Chainsmokers have had to offer over the years. When I heard that they were collaborating with Hits 1’s favorite band, 5 Seconds Of Summer, I had hopes for the song. Sure enough, I did end up liking it. But it didn’t take long for me to realize how flawed the song is. I like the vocals we get from them. But I’m not fond of the drop that comes after the chorus. It is too loud for my tastes. It gets annoying especially after hearing it a lot. The Chainsmokers are a good EDM duo overall. Back in 2016, they made their breakthrough with songs such as Roses, Don’t Let Me Down, and Closer. I loved those singles. Who Do You Love is nowhere near their best. I think the only reason this became #1 is because Hits 1 loves 5 Seconds Of Summer. But this isn’t worthy of #1 of the year and unlike last year when I fell in love with The Middle, Who Do You Love just didn’t hold up well. We have much better songs on the Year-End list that should be #1. I guess it could be worse. But I’m not pleased with this overall. Let’s hope for a better #1 next year.
Whew! That was a lot of work! I’ve finished reviewing all the songs on the Year-End countdown. Now, it is time for me to do a Top 45 Breakdown and grade all the songs. It’s similar to the Top 20 Review that I do on a weekly basis when reviewing the countdown. Let’s see how well we did this year:
Top 45 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
45. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings
44. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved
43. MAX featuring Quinn XCII – Love Me Less
42. Lauv featuring Troye Sivan – I’m So Tired
41. Jonas Brothers – Cool
40. Halsey – Nightmare
39. Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road (Remix)
1 – Bad:
38. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier
37. The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer – Who Do You Love
36. Anne-Marie – 2002
35. Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down
34. Khalid – Talk
2 – Mediocre:
33. Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care
32. Alec Benjamin – If We Have Each Other
3 – Decent:
31. Panic! At The Disco – Dancing’s Not A Crime
30. Halsey – Without Me
29. Alec Benjamin – Let Me Down Slowly
4 – Good:
28. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Chlorine
27. OneRepublic – Rescue Me
26. Panic! At The Disco – Hey Look Ma, I Made It
25. Post Malone – Circles
24. Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next
23. Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE – Happier
22. Jonas Brothers – Sucker
5 – Great:
21. Halsey – Graveyard
20. P!NK – Walk Me Home
19. Lizzo – Truth Hurts
18. Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie – ME!
17. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – The Hype
16. Lizzo – Good As Hell
15. Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid – Beautiful People
14. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy
13. Panic! At The Disco – High Hopes
12. Marshmello featuring CHVRCHES – Here With Me
11. Imagine Dragons – Bad Liar
10. Shawn Mendes – If I Can’t Have You
9. The Chainsmokers featuring Bebe Rexha – Call You Mine
8. Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo – Close To Me
7. Dan + Shay – Speechless
6. Post Malone featuring Swae Lee – Sunflower
5. Katy Perry – Never Really Over
4. The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini – This Feeling
3. Ava Max – Sweet But Psycho
2. Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello – Señorita
BONUS: 6 – Best Song Of The Year:
1. Sam Smith featuring Normani – Dancing With A Stranger
Total Score: 152/225 = 67.5% (C)
I was able to get this done much faster than expected. This year, the countdown gets a grade of 67.5%, which is a decline from the 76.4% it had from a year ago. Despite this, I think 2019 was okay overall. Sure, it did have some lows. But there were also some highs as well. Hopefully, things will be better as we begin the new year (as well as the new decade).
Alright, so my work here is officially complete. As always, let me know what you guys think in the comments below. I put a lot of time and effort in writing this. I just want to say thank you for taking the time to read this. I’m just about done with my Year-End posts. Up next, I’ll be tallying up the statistics for the year, and then it’s on to the big one: my review for the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. Hopefully, it won’t take too long. I do plan on having it out within the next month. Again, thank you very much for reading. I hope everyone here has a good week and I wish you all a Happy New Year! See y’all in 2020! 🙂
Hello, fam! Welcome to the last countdown of the year and the last one of the decade! The new decade is just about upon us. I do have a few more Year-End posts that I’m working on at the moment. As for Decade-End posts, I’m going to hold off on those until I’m finished with my Year-End posts. There are no songs leaving the countdown this week, so let’s get right to it!
Hello, fam! Christmas is right around the corner! Hopefully, everyone here has found some gifts for your family or friends. As far as the countdown went, I thought it was pretty good despite not having much activity. We do have the same #1, and we replace some mediocrity with some really good stuff. Also, Hits 1 will be airing their Year-End Countdown on Monday. I plan on doing a review, though it’ll likely take a while as I have some other stuff I’m working on. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:
Hello, fam! First off, I want to talk about the game between the Falcons and the 49ers. It was a thrill watching them pull off the upset on the road against one of the best teams in the NFC. That’s some good stuff! Anyway, I know this countdown post is a little late. But that’s only because I’m still hard at work on my Year-End posts. So, I’ll try to make this as quick as possible. Let’s get right into it. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:
Hello, fam! Welcome to the last AT40 countdown of the year and the last one of the decade! And boy, what a way to go out. I’m still hard at work on Year-End post #2. Hopefully, it’ll be ready by next week. In addition, I have some other Year-End posts coming up. Once I get all of those done, my focus will shift towards the Decade-End posts, though they probably won’t come until next month. But we’ll see what happens from here on out. Before we get to this week’s fresh 40, here are the songs we’re saying goodbye to this week:
Hello, fam! We’ve now entered December, and Christmas is almost upon us! This week, I posted a review on My Worst Songs Of 2019. You can check it out in case you missed it. More Year-End posts are on the way. As a matter of fact, I have one that is almost ready. I’ll have it posted by next week. Also, there’s one last thing I want to say before I get started. Fellow blogger Adrian has 
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