Hello, fam! We have reached the end of 2019. The time has come for me to review the American Top 40 of 2019. Every year, Ryan Seacrest counts down the Top 40 songs of any given year. What I’ll be doing here is reviewing every song that has made this list, similar to what I did last year. Each song will be given a ranking from 0 to 5 (and I’ll explain that in just a bit), and I’ll describe as to why said song was given a certain ranking. The number in parentheses denotes the song’s peak position during its countdown run. That covers the first part. Now, I’ll show you the color code that I’ll be using and the number of points for each ranking. Here they are:
- Red – Crap (0 Points)
- Turquoise – Bad (1 Point)
- Yellow – Mediocre (2 Points)
- Pink – Decent (3 Points)
- Blue – Good (4 Points)
- Green – Great (5 Points)
There you have it. In addition, Orange and Purple will remain as the worst and best songs, respectively. For the best song on the list, it’ll be given 6 points instead of 5. Once I’m finished, I’ll be doing a Top 40 Breakdown of all the songs similar to the Top 20 Breakdown that I do every week on the American Top 40, and then I’ll give out my final score in the end. Keep in mind that my reviews are 100% based on my opinions of the songs below. Everyone’s opinions are different, and that’s okay. I respect your opinions on the songs. Okay, I’ve covered everything. Let’s get started!
But first, I’m going to turn back the clock and take a look back at last year’s Top 40. The color code for the Year-End is on the sidebar. You can check it out if needed. Now, here is last year’s Top 40:
40. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith (#6)
39. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA (#3)
38. God Is A Woman by Ariana Grande (#1, 3 Weeks in 2018)
37. Good Old Days by Macklemore featuring Kesha (#11)
36. One Kiss by Calvin Harris featuring Dua Lipa (#9)
35. Strip That Down by Liam Payne (#1, 1 Week in 2017)
34. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017)
33. In My Blood by Shawn Mendes (#6)
32. Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons (#3)
31. Wait by Maroon 5 (#5)
30. I Like It by Cardi B featuring Bad Bunny and J. Balvin (#3)
29. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato (#1, 1 Week in 2017)
28. God’s Plan by Drake (#3)
27. Pray For Me by The Weeknd featuring Kendrick Lamar (#3)
26. Wolves by Selena Gomez featuring Marshmello (#5)
25. How Long by Charlie Puth (#3)
24. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#1, 3 Weeks in 2018)
23. Delicate by Taylor Swift (#1, 1 Week in 2018)
22. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (#1, 2 Weeks in 2017)
21. Finesse (Remix) by Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (#1, 2 Weeks in 2018)
20. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash (#7)
19. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (#5)
18. Back To You by Selena Gomez (#4)
17. No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande (#1, 1 Week in 2018)
16. I Like Me Better by Lauv (#7)
15. Him & I by G-Eazy featuring Halsey (#1, 1 Week in 2018)
14. Psycho by Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign (#1, 4 Weeks in 2018)
13. Better Now by Post Malone (#1, 2 Weeks in 2018)
12. Meant To Be by Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line (#2)
11. Friends by Marshmello featuring Anne-Marie (#2)
10. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#1, 3 Weeks in 2018)
9. Mine by Bazzi (#1, 1 Week in 2018)
8. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#1, 5 Weeks in 2018)
7. Let You Down by NF (#1, 2 Weeks in 2018)
6. Bad At Love by Halsey (#2)
5. Never Be The Same by Camila Cabello (#1, 5 Weeks in 2018)
4. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (#1, 7 Weeks Total; 3 in 2017, 4 in 2018)
3. The Middle by Zedd featuring Maren Morris and Grey (#1, 4 Weeks in 2018)
2. Perfect by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé (#1, 2 Weeks in 2018)
1. New Rules by Dua Lipa (#1, 4 Weeks in 2018)
I was pretty mixed with last year’s Top 40 for the most part. There were some great songs that I loved, but plenty of mediocrity mixed in as well. This wasn’t exactly the best Year-End countdown in terms of overall grade, which was a 68%. How did we fare in 2019? Well, you’ll have to read on and find out. Now, it is my honor to present to you all the Top 40 Songs of 2019 on the American Top 40. Let’s get on with it!
40. Cool by Jonas Brothers (#10) [0; Crap]
The Jonas Brothers have done a lot this past year following their reunion, what with Sucker becoming their biggest hit of their career. I like that song quite a bit and I considered it an honorable mention for 2019. Cool is a different story, however. This is probably my least favorite song they’ve put out this year. There’s nothing about the song that appeals to me at all. I kinda like the guitar here. But Nick Jonas didn’t put on a good performance from a vocal standpoint. I’m also not feeling the lyrics here. They’re basically bragging about being cool (hence the title). I don’t know about you, but this kind of personality drives me off the wall. Also, there are some lines that don’t make sense to me. Take the beginning for example, where Nick Jonas mentions James Dean and Jane Fonda. I’m sure there aren’t a lot of people in today’s youth have heard of these two (except for myself). Their attempt to look and sound cool ultimately did not work out here. Between the underwhelming vocal performance from Nick and the asinine lyrics, everything about the song is just a mess. I liked Happiness Begins for the most part and it has some good singles. But this was not a good follow-up to Sucker.
39. Easier by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#11) [1; Bad]
I remember liking this when it debuted because I thought it was kinda catchy. That got old real fast. I’m not sure what I was thinking back then, because with each listen I realized this isn’t any good. 5 Seconds Of Summer has made some good music over the years. I adore Jet Black Heart with a fiery passion. That was the song that really got me into their music. But Easier shows the band going full-on pop in the song and it did not work out very well to my liking. There’s no band here. I’m not fond of their vocals and the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. None of the guys put forth the effort here. I know they’re capable of better. It is not worthy of being on the Year-End list and it should never have been a #1 hit on Hits 1. But of course, it ended up happening that way because Hits 1 loves those guys. And I don’t blame them. But this is not the direction they should be taking.
38. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini (#8) [5; Great]
In 2018, The Chainsmokers released Sick Boy, which saw them attempt to go in a different direction with their music. I used to like how Andrew Taggart sounded like Tyler Joseph of TWENTY ØNE PILØTS in the title track. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that it was not the way to go. Their latest releases after that were just underwhelming all around and thus, would end up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Then came Side Effects, which was a step back in the right direction. But not long after that, we get This Feeling, and I fell in love with it immediately upon the first listen. Right off the bat, this is just amazing. I adore Kelsea Ballerini overall. She is incredibly talented. I think she’s one of the best country acts in the genre along with Dan + Shay, Maren Morris, and Kacey Musgraves. I absolutely LOVE her voice throughout the song and the chorus is just phenomenal. Drew also does well with his vocals and I love how they blend together for the rest of the song. They have very good chemistry together. And then we get to the drop, which is just awesome. Combine that with the final chorus and that’s when the song easily becomes more enjoyable. This is the best thing Kelsea Ballerini has been a part of and the best thing these guys have done since Closer.
37. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer (#9) [1; Bad]
I was hoping this would miss out on making the AT40 Year-End. But here it is for whatever reason unbeknownst to me. I actually fell in love with this right from the start. But after a long while, it started to get annoying. I do like the intro and the vocals we get from those guys. I thought they had a nice performance vocals-wise. But then after the chorus, we get to the drop, which got irritating after hearing it a lot (especially on Hits 1) and thus it killed the song’s potential. Don’t get me wrong, I like The Chainsmokers and I’ve enjoyed a lot of their music. But their work here is no good compared to what these guys have done in the past. This was Hits 1’s #1 song of the year, but not successful everywhere else. I think the only reason for that is because Hits 1 loves all things 5 Seconds Of Summer, which I don’t mind for the most part. But Who Do You Love is not something that held up well on my end and I’m not too thrilled that it’s ranked higher than This Feeling.
36. You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift (#8) [1; Bad]
This came a little over a month following the release of ME!. I liked the song overall even though it can be cheesy at times. I think that one is catchy and I thought Taylor put on a solid performance vocally. But You Need To Calm Down doesn’t have any of that. It’s not even catchy in the slightest. Sure, it’s basically a empowerment anthem and I can appreciate what it’s trying to do. But it not executed in the best way. I don’t like her vocals in this one and the chorus is annoying. The production isn’t that great outside of the okay beat. There’s no melody and I feel like it’s lacking something. Don’t get me wrong. I adore Taylor Swift and I enjoyed a lot of what Lover has had to offer. But You Need To Calm Down was simply not a good choice for a single. She can do better.
35. Trampoline by SHAED (#4) [5; Great]
This was featured on a TV commercial last year, which I believe was to promote the Macbook Air (I think). There are different types of songs that I like to enjoy. The majority of them are mostly upbeat and fun to dance to. But sometimes, I like it when a song is more calm. Trampoline fits into that category. It’s no secret that I really adore this song. The mysterious vibe is really cool and I like the creativity the band put together. Chelsea has a very unique voice and it fits very well with the atmosphere. The chorus is just divine and I like the whistling that comes in the bridge. This made an appearance on My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, where I ranked it at #24. I’m very happy to see SHAED have a sleeper hit. I’m glad Trampoline was the song that did it for them. I did recently listened to their other single, Thunder, and I genuinely love that song as well. Trampoline is a highlight of their discography and probably one the best alternative music has had to offer this year.
34. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake (#10) [0; Crap]
I’m sure nobody envisioned me putting this song in my dishonorable mentions when I counted down My Bottom 10 Songs Of 2019. Truth is, there were even worse songs that came along during the year and thus, it barely missed out on making my Bottom 10. But it still doesn’t change my opinion on the song whatsoever because everything about it is a mess from top to bottom. The introduction sucks. The way it opens up a song makes me cringe because it is one of the most obnoxious things I’ve ever heard. Combine that with the brittle trap beat and it makes that section not a fun listen at all. Of course, there’s the beat switch that comes after that and it basically just ruins the flow of the song. Travis’s verse is okay, but I hate the vocal effects that come in during the chorus. And then we get to another beat switch and the brittle trap beat, where Drake hardly makes any sort of contribution, if at all. Simply put, this is a terribly constructed track with virtually no cohesion. It did not deserve to be a #1 hit on Billboard at all. But of course it ended up happening anyway, which makes me further question America’s taste in music. And the same can be said for a certain song as well, which I’m fixing to get to eventually. I’ll never see the appeal to the song whatsoever because this blows on so many levels.
33. Be Alright by Dean Lewis (#11) [3; Decent]
Here, we have an acoustic song from a newcomer who makes the Year-End list. I did grow to enjoy what Dean Lewis had to offer in the song. But after it’s popularity died out, I’ve kinda stopped caring for it. Those who dislike the song overall, I can understand why. Me personally, I think differently. Dean is a pretty good singer and I quite like his vocal performance here. But I feel like something is missing here to make the song memorable for me. There’s really not much in terms of the lyrical depth and I feel like more could’ve been done here. It’s about a relationship not working out very well and we’ve seen a lot of those. I’m glad he was able to put forth the effort in his songwriting as opposed to some other artists nowadays. I think Be Alright is a pretty nice song and I can appreciate what it’s going for.
32. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello (#7) [5; Great]
This song wasn’t successful anywhere else. But it did well on the American Top 40, largely because it had radio traction through most of winter. I did enjoy Mine for the most part and I’m glad that it was a sleeper hit last year. I was interested to see what else he had to offer when he released Cosmic back in 2018. The album turned out to be pretty good and a solid first impression for him. There were some songs that I liked from that album. Beautiful was one of them. But it wasn’t until he released the remix with Camila Cabello and that’s when I started to enjoy it more. Bazzi does have a good voice and he uses it to his potential, and for once Camila doesn’t sound so high pitched when she sings her verse. I like the vocal chemistry between the two. The instrumentation and the harmonies are solid. I think this song is a nice work of art.
31. Only Human by Jonas Brothers (#3) [5; Great]
The story throughout 2019 was the Jonas Brothers reuniting in a big way. Sucker became the biggest hit and thus its other singles from Happiness Begins would follow suit. Cool was just a mess with asinine lyrics and bad vocals. Only Human, on the other hand, is pretty solid. I like the cool tropical vibe and the instrumentation is good. Although the lyrics do leave quite a bit to be desired, it’s better written than its predecessor. Joe and Nick both handled the verses nicely and they put together a solid performance. I still like the song overall even though it has slightly faded on me just a bit. There are better singles off of the album for sure, but Only Human is something I enjoyed and I’m fine with this being another hit for these guys.
30. Beautiful People by Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid (#5) [5; Great]
No. 6 Collaborations Project was not that good of an album in my eyes. It was a step down compared to Ed Sheeran’s predecessor. But Beautiful People was one of the gems included in the album. I enjoyed the song from the moment it was released. I like the lyrics about not being obsessed with material things. It sends a good message and I really appreciate these guys just being themselves and not caring about what others think. The production on this track is pretty divine. I like Ed’s voice here and he shines in the chorus. We then get a verse from Khalid and does well here. I also enjoy when Ed sings “That’s not who we are” after the chorus. I can easily feel his emotion. It’s a divine song and one of the best his album has to offer, along with BLOW, which is better.
29. Goodbyes by Post Malone featuring Young Thug (#4) [3; Decent]
Following the success of Sunflower and Wow., Post Malone continued to gain steam throughout 2019 as he released his new album in the form of Hollywood’s Bleeding. Initially, I liked this quite a lot in part because it was a step up from Wow.. It still kinda is when comparing the two. But ultimately, it did not stick with me in the big picture. Post sounds pretty good here and I like the chorus. We also get a verse from Young Thug and I thought his contribution was necessary. But he tries way too hard to hit those high notes and thus, it kinda had an affect on my thoughts of the song. Looking back at it, it’s not that special by any means. It’s worthwhile, but not something I’ll actively seek out.
28. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus (#4) [0; Crap]
It’s one thing to having a putrid song hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. There have been many occasions in which the songs I loathed have hit #1. One perfect example of that is Panda by Desiigner. Blech. That one just blows big time on all levels. Old Town Road is another good example. In fact, this became a #1 hit. But that was only after the controversy created by Billboard when they decided to put the solo version off the Country Songs chart. Then, he decides to release the remix with Billy Ray Cyrus and everything would change. I remember listening to this for the first time and I was not impressed in the slightest. But of course, this started to get big and it really tested my patience. It broke the record for longest running #1 song in Billboard history, which gives me another reason to seriously question America’s taste in music. Right off the bat, the production is shit. It lacks substance and I don’t like the fake guitar nor the trap beat. Lil Nas X’s voice is not good. Billy did nothing to contribute to the remix. We’ve had better #1 songs this year and of course, this is the one that broke the record for most weeks at #1. I’m sure some will say the same about Despacito back in 2017. But that one I liked overall as opposed to this. It has no business being #1 of the year on Billboard.
27. Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi (#1, 3 Weeks) [0; Crap]
Why in the hell did we let this become a hit??? I honestly did not envision myself loathing this song, even moreso than Old Town Road. I actually tried my very best not to hate it because I actually kinda liked it at first. But it got worse with each and every additional listen and the fact that it was overrated just made it harder and harder and harder until I offically couldn’t stand it anymore. There’s no doubt that Lewis Capaldi is a terrible singer. Don’t even bother trying to start an argument with me because it is pretty fucking obvious if you actually listen to the chorus. I hate the way he hit those high notes. It makes it sound like he is screaming. And the bridge before the final chorus is just unbearable. But even beyond that, the piano is basic as shit and the lyrical depth is shallow as fuck. I may be a sucker for some piano ballads, but hearing this put me in the shoes of those who were not fond of it all because of how bad this actually really is. Nothing about this song is any good because Lewis is a awful singer and everything else is basic as shit. This was way too damn overrated and the fact that it became a #1 hit is just not fucking right.
26. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco (#6) [4; Good]
Brendon Urie has made himself relevant this year following the success of High Hopes. I enjoyed a lot of what Pray For The Wicked had to offer. I still hold the rather unpopular opinion of liking this song, although I don’t love it as much as I did initially when it was brand new. When High Hopes had its time of success, I was waiting on this song to jump right in. Sure enough, it kinda did just that, reaching a peak at #6 here and thus would barely miss out on making the Top 5. Brendon has a good voice, as he showed me in his earlier singles such as I Write Sins, Not Tragedies and the majority of the band’s earlier albums. I like the use of the horns, and the trap hi-hat doesn’t sound too bad either. Looking at the lyrics, it reflects on Brendon’s journey to become a successful artist and the struggles he faced to get there. I don’t necessarily feel the emotion when I hear him sing. But he did a fine job with his vocal performance. I think Hey Look Ma, I Made It is still solid, although I’m starting to see why others think a little differently. I’m kinda glad this became another hit for Brendon Urie and company.
25. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B (#1, 5 Weeks in 2018) [2; Mediocre]
I’ve had an interesting relationship towards the song. I initially didn’t like because it was nothing compared to what these guys had before. Then, I kinda came around to it with time. Now, I just don’t really care for it anymore. Probably the most interesting thing I can say about the song is the music video itself, where it shows many different celebrities. But other than that, there’s really not much to the song. Sure, it doesn’t have the strange electronic production like in the majority of their recent singles. It’s got an okay guitar, and nothing else. Adam doesn’t put on a strong performance vocally. Cardi B makes a decent contribution. But it wasn’t enough for me to make this a fun listen. I was disappointed by the band’s performance in the Super Bowl this year. I find it to be underwhelming overall. But that’s for another topic. As far as the song itself goes, I can say it’s not worth caring about anymore. I’m hard-pressed to call it bad. But Maroon 5 has had better. With the release of Memories, I don’t have much hope for their new album in 2020.
24. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande (#2) [5; Great]
Ariana Grande was a part of my Worst Songs Of 2019 where I ranked 7 Rings as my #1 least favorite song of the year. But at the same time, she did make an appearance on My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, where Breathin’ was ranked at #9. Let’s go back to where the story begins. Her comeback single in the form of No Tears Left To Cry was one of the highlights in 2018. Although I was pretty mixed on Sweetener as a whole, there were quite a few songs that I genuinely loved, with Breathin’ being one of them. I love the well-written lyrics about breathing in order to overcome anxiety. Ariana is very talented as a songwriter and here, she actually puts it to good use. Her voice is amazing from the very first line and I knew that it would be a fun listen. I can easily feel the emotion and the way she breathes is just phenomenal to me. I absolutely adore the production with dreamy synths and a cool beat. If I were to rank all of the singles from Sweetener, I’d place this at #1 because everything about it is just special. I’m glad this was another hit for Ariana even though it’s momentum stalled out following the release of Thank U, Next.
23. Better Now by Post Malone (#1, 2 Weeks in 2018) [5; Great]
This came around following the success of Psycho, which to this day I still dislike with high intensity. My initial impression for this song was not good because at that time, I was never able to get into Post Malone’s music. That began to change with each and every additional listen. My biggest criticism when I heard his earlier singles was that it had virtually no substance and the lyrics were no good. But in this song, we get to hear what Post is actually capable of. I quite like his voice and the production is pretty solid. Hearing this again, I found that the chorus was even better than what I remembered. He really shines there. Despite me not being very fond of his singles prior to Better Now, his last album had some good stuff. I think I can consider Better Now to be one of Post’s best songs, along with Sunflower, which I’ll get to later on.
22. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande (#3) [0; Crap]
I went off on this song in My Bottom 10 Songs Of 2019 where this was ranked as my #10 worst song of the year. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored was a terrible choice for a single off of the mediocre album that is of Thank U, Next and I’m extremely disappointed to have to say this about Ariana Grande. I really like her because she has an amazing voice. I’m in love with her first two albums, My Everything and Dangerous Woman. But then we got to Sweetener and it did have good songs such as No Tears Left To Cry (which was my #4 favorite song of 2018) and Breathin’, which I just did my take on. But Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored is basically Ariana hitting a new low. While it has a good hook, the trap percussion sounds like shit. It so annoying and the lyrics are no good. It just sends bad messages. Ariana’s voice is okay, but even she can’t save this song from being shit. She attempted to impress me with her single and it did not work out at all to my or anyone else’s liking. I know Ariana is capable of better. This is just a mess. She seriously needs to step up her game.
21. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani (#1, 3 Weeks in 2018) [5; Great]
Taken from the Love, Simon movie soundtrack, this song became Khalid’s biggest hit during the course of 2018. I remember the first time hearing the song in its entirety and I was genuinely impressed. If you’ve been following my blog, then you probably know that I disliked his debut single Location in 2017. But I was just a rookie music reviewer back then. I wasn’t thinking at the time. I’ve come around to that song now, and Young, Dumb & Broke is decent as well. It’s really his successor, Talk, that was a disappointment compared to this and Better. This song showed what Khalid is truly capable of. He is a good singer overall. Normani sounds amazing in the song, also. I personally think she’s the best singer out of all the members of Fifth Harmony (with Lauren Jauregui coming in a very close second). I love the chemistry between the two. I’m glad this was a hit. I’m hoping for something more along the lines of this song.
20. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes (#3) [5; Great]
I think I’m ready to consider Shawn Mendes as my new favorite artist at the moment. He has definitely been getting better following the release of Mercy and There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back, the latter still being a huge favorite of mine to this day. If I Can’t Have You is really no different. As a matter of fact, it’s basically a rehash of There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back. It incorporates many of the Latin elements used in that song. I love the instrumentation here and he uses it well. Shawn has a smooth, solid voice throughout the song. It meshes very well with the Latin vibe. I did talk about this more in depth in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, where it landed at #16. Feel free to check it out in case you haven’t already. But yeah, this was another high for Shawn. It definitely had a shot at becoming his first ever #1 (which he eventually did with Señorita) if it weren’t for Old Town Road. #2 is still good enough.
19. Better by Khalid (#4) [5; Great]
After the success of Love Lies, it was an no brainier that Khalid would continue his momentum heading into 2019. I didn’t quite enjoy Better at the first listen. But I came around to it eventually. I like the R&B vibe. Khalid’s voice meshes well with the atmosphere it brings. He has vocal talent and he uses it well here. I think he has come a long way ever since his debut with Location back in 2017. Better is definitely something I’ll revisit from time to time.
18. Señorita by Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello (#1, 4 Weeks) [5; Great]
My #2 favorite song of 2019. I remember when this song first came around and it was around the time that rumors began to spread when Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were dating. It was proven to be true for most of the summer when I read the news about it. When I heard this for the first time, I was genuinely impressed with how it turned out for the most part. They did give us I Know What You Did Last Summer a few years ago and I kinda liked that song. But it didn’t really stick with me in the long run. As for Señorita, I think it has held up well for me because I find it much more interesting than their previous collaboration. It shows how much Shawn Mendes has been improving with time. I did enjoy his self-titled album for the most part unlike Illuminate, which was loathed by many to this day thanks in large part to him coming off as whiny guy. But following the release of Mercy, he has been getting better with each release. The Latin vibe is really cool and definitely suits Shawn well, as evidenced in songs such as There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back which still remains as my favorite single from him. Camila isn’t exactly my favorite singer, but I loved what she bought to the table the chorus and they proved that they have good chemistry together. Looking into the song, it basically tells a story about getting deeper into a relationship. My point is further proven when I read some of the lines in the lyrics. Sure, it’s meaningless and all. But everything else here works well to perfection. I’m very pleased with how successful this song was and I’m glad this helped Shawn get his first ever #1 hit.
17. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer (#1, 3 Weeks in 2018) [5; Great]
The band getting their biggest hit in the form of Youngblood was not something I envisioned in 2018. They were coming off of their comeback single in the form of Want You Back and I was waiting to see what else they had in store at the time. Then came Youngblood, and it became a hit not only on Hits 1. But it had success elsewhere, too. Youngblood grew on me with more listens and now I can safely say it’s one of their best singles. Sure, it may not hit as hard as Jet Black Heart, which remains as my favorite song from these guys. But Youngblood is cool and something different. I like the thumping beat and they guys sound good in the chorus. And the line “I’m just a dead man walking tonight” pulls me in. Looking back on this song, even after it got a little stale, I’m happy that this was the song that helped them get the recognition these guys deserve.
16. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee (#2) [5; Great]
Ellie Goulding’s comeback single was more successful than I thought it was going to be. She has always been a huge favorite of mine. From the day she bought me Lights and it became a sleeper hit back in 2012, I knew that she would turn out to be something special. And sure enough, I was proven right. She has never disappointed me with her music. Almost every single release has been a pop masterpiece. Songs such as Lights, Burn, Love Me Like You Do, and Something In The Way You Move are easily my favorites from her. Even though Close To Me does not top all of those, it is still a really good song in my book. Ellie sounds amazing with her voice as usual. I like the verse we get from Swae Lee as well. Diplo excels with the production work. I gave praise to this song in My Top 50 Songs of 2019, where I ranked it at #11. This definitely had a shot at making My Top 10 and I even considered putting it at #1 as it was a huge favorite of mine for much of the year. But competition was stiff this year and thus, it would barely miss out on making the Top 10. In spite of this, Close To Me was a good comeback for Ellie Goulding. I honestly look forward to her new album in 2020.
15. Truth Hurts by Lizzo (#1, 4 Weeks) [5; Great]
On the note of other artists having sleeper hits, we have Lizzo with Truth Hurts. If you had told me a song released in 2017 would get big two years later, people would look at me and think I’m crazy. At the beginning of the year, she gave us Juice, which I fell in love with and I ranked it in My Top 50 Songs Of 2019. I did love Truth Hurts initially, but not as much as her predecessor. I much prefer Juice from a production standpoint, but this is still pretty solid. Lizzo sounds pretty good here. But unlike Juice where it has a throwback vibe to it, Truth Hurts has trap elements. I do kinda like some of the lines that I won’t mention right now. I’m kinda happy that this was a success and helped put Lizzo on the map even though I prefer her other singles, such as Juice and Good As Hell.
14. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
I know quite a few people here who dislike the majority of Billie Eilish’s music, in large part because of her voice alone. And that’s okay. But I’m not among that crowd who thinks that way. I hold an 100% unpopular opinion in the blogging community when it comes to her music. She had three songs which made My Top 50 Best Songs Of 2019, Bad Guy being one of them. I did like Bury A Friend and When The Party’s Over. But I think Bad Guy tops all of them. I definitely like the beat here and Billie shows her dark and unique voice. She kinda reminds me of Lorde in a way. I love the ending to the song as well. She did release a remix with Justin Bieber, which I’ll admit was good. But I didn’t think his contribution was necessary as it defeats the purpose of the song, which is meant to be dark and edgy. This is Billie’s best song. I’m interested to see what she has in store.
13. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande (#1, 5 Weeks) [0; Crap]
I could go on all day about just how much Ariana has systemically changed for the worse. The more I hear this mess of a song, the more I ask myself, “What happened?” I did a epic rant on this one when I counted down My Bottom 10 Songs of 2019 and this was my #1 least favorite song of the year. I reallylike her ever since she’s been relevant back in 2014. She made a good first impression with the singles from My Everything and almost every single she has released since has impressed me. I did a Top 10 post regarding her favorite songs during the summer and Into You will always be my #1 favorite song from her. I fell in love with it. But 7 Rings is a much different story. I’ll never get the critical acclaim nor do I understand the appeal. She’s had so many better songs. This is shit. She’s basically bragging about having material things and what not. There is not a single good thing I can say about the lyrics. It sends bad messages and every aspect of the songwriting is just a mess. Whoever thought it was a good idea to brag about wanting stuff? Certainly, not me. And we haven’t even gotten to the other aspects of this messy song. Nowhere does Ariana sound good. She has a good voice, but here she does not use it at all. Her attempt at rapping sucks and how she interpolates The Sound Of Music really only makes matters more asinine. Couple with the shitty trap beat and it easily makes this an unpleasant listen for me. This is the bottom falling out in Ariana’s music and one of the worst I’ve heard this decade. I’ll stick to her first two albums and some of Sweetener, where she was actually a good singer.
12. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande (#1, 1 Week) [4; Good]
Thank U, Next was simply not a good album in my eyes. In fact, I just finished talking about 7 Rings. It basically showed just how much Ariana has evolved for the worse, which is sad for me to say considering she is talented, probably one of my favorite singers throughout the whole decade. Despite this, the lead single off the album, Thank U, Next, was actually pretty good. I liked it when it was new. But it’s nothing compared to the greatness Ariana has had in the past. It’s catchy in a way, the melody is nice, Ariana sounds fine, and I appreciate what the song is going for. It tells a story about her thanking her ex-boyfriends and being grateful for all they’ve done for her. Her songwriting got me here and I can feel it. This was her first ever #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, which I’m fine with even though she’s had better. Even though I didn’t enjoy the album overall, it had some good songs like Bloodline, Bad Idea, and Ghostin. Thank U, Next is a nice song and a hell of a lot better than 7 Rings.
11. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max (#3) [5; Great]
Oh, lookie here! We have another new artist making a good first impression. This time, it’s from Ava Max herself with this catchy song. From the day I first took a listen to this song, I remember thinking, “This is amazing. I hope it does become a hit”. Sure enough, it ended up doing just that, peaking at #3 on the American Top 40 and barely made it to the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 at #10. It made an appearance on My Top 50 Songs Of 2019, where I ranked it at #4. However, I strongly considered putting this at #1 at one point in time while working on my Best Of The Year list. But it ended up not happening that way as tougher decisions had to be made and thus, it would barely miss out on making my Top 3 for the year. In spite of this, everything about the song is pretty divine. It has a good beat and Ava sounds great. For a long time, I had to figure out what the song is about. Basically, it tells a story about a girl who has a sweet personality, but at the same time is deranged. She also followed up with So Am I, which was similar to this song except it had different lyrics. But I consider that as an honorable mention because I love that song as well. Yeah, this was definitely a win for Ava in my book. I’m interested to see what else she has to offer in the future. I’m glad this is ranked higher than 7 Rings on this Year-End countdown and it deserved to hit #1. But #3 is still really good and I’m proud of her.
10. Talk by Khalid (#1, 3 Weeks) [1; Bad]
Coming off his two best singles in Love Lies and Better, I was expecting more out of Khalid with the release of Talk. But I was disappointed with what the song had to offer. I remember finding this one to be a little underwhelming and now I’m just not fond of it. The lyrics aren’t too bad necessarily. But everything else just didn’t work out well. I don’t like the strange electronic production. It doesn’t fit Khalid very well as he is more suited to R&B, which is his strength. Khalid is talented and I like his voice. But he doesn’t put on a good performance vocally. I didn’t hear any part of the song where he stands out. This was not a good single overall and I’m not very thrilled that this was hig biggest hit, especially since he has had better (no pun intended).
9. I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber (#1, 2 Weeks) [2; Mediocre]
The big comeback from Ed Sheeran this year was not exactly what I was hoping for. I liked his music for the most part and he showed me how incredibly talented he is in songs like Castle On The Hill, The A Team, Perfect, and a few others I won’t mention. But I Don’t Care doesn’t come close to those. It’s more of what I would say, a song that’s more bland than bad. Sure, it may be catchy. But I don’t really see anything that makes it memorable in the long run. There’s not a whole lot of chemistry between the two artists. Bieber’s presence is okay, but I’m not sold on his vocal performance. This song, while be catchy, lacks substance in some areas and both artists didn’t do much here. The only reason it got big was because of star power. After all, Ed and Justin are two of the biggest names in music. But this collaboration didn’t wow me there.
8. Wow. by Post Malone (#1, 1 Week) [1; Bad]
I’ve finally come around to Post Malone as an artist. But that doesn’t mean he has stopped releasing mediocre songs. Wow. serves as another reminder of how I’m still pretty mixed on his music as a whole. For starters, the production here is lifeless. There’s really nothing about it that makes it stand out. And some of the lyrics leave quite a bit to be desired. Post sounds decent here, but that’s really the only saving grace of a not very good song. I’ll give it to him that it’s better than his previous singles prior to Better Now. Yeah, I just couldn’t get into this for some reason and I’m not thrilled that it was a #1 hit on the American Top 40 over Sunflower, which is his best song. I think Post Malone still has potential, but the song doesn’t exactly do it for me.
7. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee (#4) [5; Great]
Speaking of Sunflower, this was the only song in the Top 10 to not hit #1 during its tenure on the AT40. I didn’t envision myself putting this song on my Best Of The Year list, especially after not being fond of Post Malone’s earlier singles. That began to change at the beginning of the year when I started to grow into that song and it would eventually land a spot on My Top 50 Songs Of 2019 at #8. Feel free to check out my review in case you haven’t already. I think Post is quite talented. He didn’t really show me in his previous singles. But here, he uses it to his full potential. I also like how Swae Lee opens up the song. His verse is solid and he’s good at hitting those high notes. The production and the beat both sound good as well. I haven’t watch Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse as of yet, but I’m glad these guys picked a good song to put on their soundtrack.
6. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE (#1, 5 Weeks) [4; Good]
I know this may seem like I grew to like this song all of a sudden. I was not a big fan of this at first and I much preferred his older singles such as Wolves and Ritual. As I’ve referenced many times, Marshmello has done better with these songs in the past and I still stand by that. However, after he hit another new low this year with the release of One Thing Right, I’ve finally started to come around to this song and I fully appreciate what it’s going for. Let’s go back to where it all began. His biggest hit of 2018, Friends was just a mess and was one of my least favorite songs of last year. Thus, it soured my initial impression on this song and during its tenure, I was never able to get into it. But after it had left, I started to listen to the song more often and it made me realize that the song is better than what I remembered. Sure, the drop is underwhelming at times, but I like the piano work. Dan Smith put on a good vocal performance here and I can feel the emotion. He proves that he is a good singer overall. I like BΔSTILLE as a whole when it comes to their music. They did have Pompeii, which was a favorite of mine back in 2014 and it holds up well even today. Dan is the big reason why I enjoyed that song, as well as most of their music. When looking at the lyrics to the song, it basically talks about one being in a relationship that is failing and to be happy, the said lover must leave them. Hearing this again makes me feel emotional more than anything else, hence why I was finally able to get into this song. Like I just referenced, this isn’t Marshmello’s best and I prefer his two singles. I may not have the best relationship with this song when it was new. But I’m kinda glad this was his biggest hit of his career so far.
5. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani (#1, 1 Week) [6; Best Song Of The Year]
For the second year in a row, my #1 favorite song of the year lands a spot in the Top 5. This time it comes from the collaboration between Sam Smith and Normani. I remember when I first heard of Sam Smith back when he made a breakthrough with Stay With Me in 2014, along with some other singles from The Lonely Hour and I enjoyed them quite a bit. A couple years ago, he did make his comeback with Too Good At Goodbyes and Pray, both of which I liked as well. But I had no idea what was coming until we got Dancing With A Stranger at the beginning of the year. After the very first listen, I found that song to be something special. Dancing With A Stranger is just pop perfection in every sense of the word. In his first two albums, he was mostly doing piano ballads and what not. That was his strength and he put his talent to good use. But never in my wildest dreams did I envision him making a special song like this. Of course, he needed just a little bit of help doing so by teaming up with former Fifth Harmony member Normani. First off, the song has a awesome melody and a good beat. I love the intro to the song and things would only get better from there. Sam has a good voice and he really showcases his vocal talent. It pulls me in every time I listen to it. But then, we get the verse from Normani and wow, did she deliver big time. Her voice is honestly just amazing. In fact, I can safely say that Normani is the best singer out of all the members of Fifth Harmony. I love how they blend together in the chorus. I can easily feel the chemistry between those two. This is Sam at his best and it’s easily the best thing Normani has been a part of. I am very happy that the song was successful everywhere. It hit #1 on the American Top 40 and made the Top 5 on the Year-End countdown. Well done Sam Smith and Normani. You guys really gave me something memorable that I’ll look back on for a long time.
4. Sucker by Jonas Brothers (#1, 8 Weeks) [4; Good]
Ah yes, the big return of the Jonas Brothers. It was a decade ago that these guys were relevant during their time on Disney. They made some good music back then and fell in love with Burnin’ Up, which was one of their biggest hits at the time. Fast-forward to 2019 and these guys decided to finally reunite in order to make new music. Sucker made history on Hits 1 as it made its highest debut ever (at #7) and would eventually go on to break the record for most weeks at #1 (with 13). The same didn’t exactly ring true on the American Top 40. But it did quickly rose to #1 within a month and would spend 8 weeks at the top. Coming into the song, I wasn’t really expecting much given that it’s been a while since I’ve heard from them. But I was genuinely impressed with the way it turned out. I definitely like the song. But it’s really not much compared to what they’ve done in the past. I kinda like the introduction and the song gets better from here. It’s pretty catchy and I like their vocal performance. These guys haven’t really lost a step vocally. I did listen to Happiness Begins and there were some other good songs, such as Only Human which I just talked about earlier. Do I think Sucker is amazing? Not quite. But it’s a good comeback for them. I’m okay with this being their biggest hit.
3. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco (#1, 4 Weeks) [5; Great]
From the day Hits 1 picked up on the song, I never envisioned High Hopes would later become a major hit for Brendon Urie and company. I assumed this would only get big on Hits 1 because they love all things Panic! At The Disco. After all, they did hit #1 with Victorious and Say Amen (Saturday Night) in 2016 and 2018, respectively, despite those songs not being popular elsewhere. But in a shocking turn of events, it gain more traction elsewhere late in the year and thus, it would end up surpassing the peak I Write Sins, Not Tragedies on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s a fun, upbeat song that puts me in a good mood. I love Brendon’s voice and how he can hit those high notes. The trumpets sound really good. It’s loud and was put to good use here. I really like the lyrics about have high hopes (hence the title) and becoming successful. I still enjoy the song overall despite Hits 1 picking up too early and gaining steam after a while. Brendon Urie has really come a long way and I’m proud of him having a massive hit. Him and the band deserve it.
2. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
Benny Blanco has actually been in the music industry for a while. He’s the guy who had a hand in producing some of my favorite songs of the decade, which I’m not going to mention right now. So him collaborating with two good artists (Halsey and Khalid) is a match made in heaven. The two acts each have had different paths of success. Halsey has established herself as an artist following the success of Closer and Bad At Love, while Khalid was just a rising star at the time. Putting those two together was a recipe for making a song that I enjoyed for much of the year. The verses we get from them are solid and they have good chemistry together. Benny did pretty well with his work production-wise. He was able to put forth the effort here. I like what the song brings to the table lyrically. It’s another that talks about being in a relationship. I can feel the emotion when I hear Khalid sing. It pulls me in. I’m glad this was a success and I’m fine with it being #2 of the year.
1. Without Me by Halsey (#1, 4 Weeks) [3; Decent]
Personally, I think this song is way too over-hated. Granted, I didn’t have a good relationship towards the song either when it was new, in part because I thought it was pretty bad compared to what Halsey had in the past. Then I kinda came around to it somehow. This came around following the breakup between G-Eazy and Halsey. I’ll admit, the lyrics aren’t the best here. The production gets me there and that’s part of the reason why I feel this way. Halsey sounds fine, even though she didn’t put on the best performance vocally in part because her voice is auto-tuned in the chorus. Even though I hold the unpopular opinion on Without Me being a fine song, I don’t think it’s that worthy of being #1 of the year. There are better #1 songs that are worthy of the top spot. I think the only reason this became #1 of the year because, “OMG, Halsey!” But the song really isn’t that amazing nor is it anything special. I feel like it’s just another song to me. I’ll give it to her that it’s a hell of a lot better than Nightmare. That one is actually annoying and I’m glad it flopped. But Halsey has done better and none of her other singles ever got this much success like Without Me did. I guess people see things differently, which is fine. I just wish this song wasn’t that big of a success because I’ll likely won’t remember this in the long run.
Whew, that was a lot of work! Those were my reviews of all the songs on the American Top 40 Of 2019. But wait! I’m not finished yet. I’m going to be doing a Top 40 Breakdown, very similar to the Top 20 Breakdown that I do each and every week I review the AT40. With that, here are my rankings for all of the songs based on my opinion.
Top 40 Breakdown:
0 – Crap:
40. 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
39. Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi
38. Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored by Ariana Grande
37. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott featuring Drake
36. Cool by Jonas Brothers
35. Old Town Road (Remix) by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
1 – Bad:
34. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Easier
33. Wow. by Post Malone
32. You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift
31. Who Do You Love by The Chainsmokers featuring 5 Seconds Of Summer
30. Talk by Khalid
2 – Mediocre:
29. Girls Like You by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B
28. I Don’t Care by Ed Sheeran featuring Justin Bieber
3 – Decent:
27. Goodbyes by Post Malone featuring Young Thug
26. Without Me by Halsey
25. Be Alright by Dean Lewis
4 – Good:
24. Hey Look Ma, I Made It by Panic! At The Disco
23. Happier by Marshmello featuring BΔSTILLE
22. Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande
21. Sucker by Jonas Brothers
5 – Great:
20. Youngblood by 5 Seconds Of Summer
19. Only Human by Jonas Brothers
18. Beautiful (Remix) by Bazzi featuring Camila Cabello
17. Truth Hurts by Lizzo
16. Better by Khalid
15. Better Now by Post Malone
14. Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
13. Love Lies by Khalid featuring Normani
12. Beautiful People by Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid
11. Trampoline by SHAED
10. Eastside by Benny Blanco featuring Halsey and Khalid
9. High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
8. If I Can’t Have You by Shawn Mendes
7. Close To Me by Ellie Goulding featuring Diplo and Swae Lee
6. Sunflower by Post Malone featuring Swae Lee
5. Breathin’ by Ariana Grande
4. This Feeling by The Chainsmokers featuring Kelsea Ballerini
3. Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
2. Señorita by Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello
BONUS: 6 – Best Song Of The Year:
1. Dancing With A Stranger by Sam Smith featuring Normani
Total Score: 129/200 = 64.5/100 = 64.5% (C)
And now, my work here is officially complete. Last year, my grade was a 68% when I did my take on the Year-End for 2018. This year, it gets a grade of 64.5%, which is a slight decline from last year. But it wasn’t too bad overall. As always, let me know what you guys think. I’ve put a lot of heart into writing this. I hope to do it again next year as we start the new decade. Who knows? Maybe things will be better in 2020. Up next, I’ll be compiling stats and some other stuff, and then my focus will shift to the Hits 1 Year-End Countdown. I hope to get those out soon. Thank you all for reading! I hope everyone here has a good day! 🙂
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