Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2016

This year has been a slightly discouraging one in comparison to 2015. The pop charts this year felt more repetitive than ever, with a lot of top hit songs feeling like slow, tedious tracks that were hard to get through. The upbeat ones often verged on annoying, and it felt like some artists (such as Drake) were getting way too much exposure to the point that it was easy to burn out on just one artist. But, as someone who is trying to be more open-minded in the music world, I have found some songs on the pop chart that are actually good. So, here are my top 10 best hit songs for this year!

10. "Don't Let Me Down"- The Chainsmokers ft. Daya

 One thing is for sure: The Chainsmokers had quite a year. Their single "Closer" has been on charts for 19 weeks straight. That is quite a feat. I honestly don't think the song deserved that much exposure though, as it didn't sound like anything unique and Halsey is not a vocalist I care much for. But "Don't Let Me Down" surprised me. It's actually a pretty refreshing EDM song with some positive lyricism as well. Daya's strong and smooth vocals work consistently well with the backing beat. The drop is also interesting and danceable.

9. "Million Reasons"- Lady Gaga

Finally, a song that I've found by this artist that I think was deserving of being in the Hot 100. I've never been the biggest fan of Gaga, as I know that she is a talented singer, but instead has wasted her talents on cliched pop trends for years. That was the case until her release this year "Joanne". This album was a pleasant surprise from Gaga, as it used guitar very frequently, and Gaga didn't let her voice be bogged down by electronic flares and obnoxious lyricism. Most of the songs on this album utilized raw instrumentation, and Gaga's vocals actually sounded incredibly realistic too; it didn't seem like the studio interfered with them much. That's especially apparent on the touching single "Million Reasons". The song finds her praying to God to help her through a tough relationship ("I bow down to pray/I try to make the worst seem better/Lord, show me the way/To cut through all his worn out leather"). I've never felt that Gaga has been more sincere than in this song, and the backing acoustic guitar as well as Gaga really showing her vocal talent off only help to serve the sincerity.

8. "Cheap Thrills"- Sia

I'm glad that Sia has continued to get exposure in popular music. I feel like she's one of those artists that could take the trend of music in a different direction given time. This is evident in the plain old fun song "Cheap Thrills". Now the lyrics aren't really anything to write home about, but they do at least abandon the sentiment that drinking and money are the only ways to have fun in life: "But I don't need no money/As long as I can feel the beat/I don't need no money/As long as I keep dancing". It's refreshing to see an artist giving plenty of reason as to why people don't need materialistic things in order to have fun. Just dancing can be good enough. Yeah, it's a bit cheesy, but it brings the feel of 80's songs back, and it's obvious that's the inspiration Sia got based on her music video. So many songs that were trying to be fun failed, but this song did it while having a good message that didn't beat you over the head.

7. "All Time Low"- Jon Bellion

A lot of songs this year have used the same  word over and over to justify a "chorus". Every time, it came off as annoying and anger inducing. I must have heard work well over one thousand times this year, to my absolute displeasure. Bellion's single follows this trend, but it does it in a pretty inventive way. First off, the song is an honest look at someone who has been put in a pathetic state after a break-up. Bellion doesn't try to sugarcoat his emotions either, using strong words and metaphors to show his brokenness ("I, was the knight in shining armor in your movie/Would put your lips on mine and love the aftertaste/Now I'm a ghost, I call your name, you look right through me"). The chorus is where this song really sold me, though. It does repeat one word (low) over and over, but it just works. Instead of repeating it in the same vocal styling, Bellion manipulates the way he says "low" at several moments in  the track. The repetition of the word doesn't feel throwaway or wasteful either, as every time Bellion says the word, he puts some real emotion into it. Bellion has the formula to making a catchy song, and I can see him having more success in the future.

6. "False Alarm"- The Weeknd

I am not a big fan of The Weeknd in general. I find him to be one of the most arrogant posers in the music industry. His voice is good, but he undermines it by talking constantly about his stardom as well as explicitly detailing all his sexual escapades. The guy just seems to be full of himself in both his music as well as in real life. But I can't help it, I really enjoy "False Alarm". It has some intriguing verses which give a lot of great imagery about this girl who seems enticing but is really dangerous: "All red dress with the devil eyes/So obsessed with the camera lights/You love her, but you can't deny". The chorus feels huge and thrilling, especially when Abel lets loose this wild howl-like noise. The music video serves to add to the thrilling feel of this song. In fact, I recommend you watch the video along with the song, as it adds to the experience, and is one of the most impressive music videos I've seen all year. I'm glad this song has gotten popular off "Starboy", as it feels like one of the more interesting songs this artist has done.

5. "24k Magic"- Bruno Mars

Ok, let's get one thing out of the way: yes, this song is clearly building off of the success of "Uptown Funk". It has a very similar feel, from Bruno shout/singing his vocals, to the usage of big band instrumentation and lots of gang vocals. But still, the song does something that a lot of pop songs couldn't do this year: it is pure FUN,  nothing more, nothing less. The lyrics certainly do have Bruno Mars bragging about his wealth and what not, but knowing the other music this guy has made, the song feels more like an act where Bruno may even be poking fun at himself. It's clear this song isn't meant to be taken seriously. And still, it's done well. The big band sound really piqued my attention, and Bruno's vocals sound as awesome as they always have. He doesn't even have to really try, it seems, and the raw talent he has will still shine through nearly any song. This track is just irresistible, and one that will get ingrained in your head for sure.

4. "Cold Water"- Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MO

I never thought I could find myself enjoying anything that Justin Bieber has been involved with. But he mildly sparked my interest with a few tracks from "Purpose" where he abandoned his formula of trying to appeal to just young teenage girls. This was the album where he was finally beginning to show some musical talent as well as some decent lyrics. But it was this song where I feel as though Justin Bieber has sounded at his best. He is really helped by the talented electronic group Major Lazer. Their talent shines through consistently on this song, and their presence never becomes overbearing in any way. The way they use electronics contribute rather than taking away from the emotion of the song. Bieber's voice effectively compliments the electronics, and he sounds truly sincere singing some admittedly good lyrics like "And if you feel you're sinking, I will jump right over/Into cold, cold water for you/And although time may take us into different places/I will still be patient with you". MO, a singer I've never heard from before, also has a nice contribution in the bridge of this song. I'd love to hear more from her for sure. This song has stayed on the pop chart for a really long time, but I never got tired of it if I heard it. In fact, I liked it more every time I listened to it.

3. "Adventure of a Lifetime"- Coldplay

Overall, I wasn't too big on Coldplay's newest album. Now, it wasn't in any way awful, but it couldn't compare to all the emotional highlights of "Ghost Stories". However, "Adventure of a Lifetime" is an absolutely irresistible song. Coldplay really uses the upbeat pop/rock tendencies of this track to their advantage, as the little guitar riff that is done several times in this song gets stuck in your head. That's a good thing, thankfully, as the riff sounds really good, and it put a smile on my face every time I heard it. The song feels legitimate in its expressions of simply living life to the fullest. It did feel like a breath of fresh air after lead singer Chris Martin had been drowned in so much sadness in "Ghost Stories". Out of all the songs on the album, this is the one I can recommend the most. It has a real sense of fun to it, and it doesn't take away from the band's talent.

2. "I Took a Pill in Ibiza"- Mike Posner (Seeb Remix)

From the first time I heard this song, I knew I was going to like it. After listening to it more and really dissecting how the lyrics worked with the remix, I came to love it. I know a lot of people have this argument that the remix version of the song really took away from the emotion of the old version. Let's first discuss what the song is talking about. Now, it is for sure that some people will see this as a fun, catchy, danceable song. And it certainly can be that if you're not paying attention. Look a little deeper, and this song is actually a very sad reflection on what fame has done to Posner. He says repeatedly "All I know are sad songs" because fame has made him lose family, his ability to be in a good relationship, or even really finding happiness in writing songs. All of this because of the empty highs he found in drinking, sex, and drug addiction. Posner is really warning people in this song that they "don't wanna get high" like him, because "you don't wanna ever step off that roller coaster/And be all alone". This is some of the most compelling lyricism of the year. You don't usually see songs like this getting attention. And that brings us back to the real question: is the reason why the remix is popular is because it is faster and more catchy? Partly, yes. But, I also think this song accentuates Posner's emotions better than the original. The original song feels very generic and boring, just a sad guy with processed vocals playing an acoustic guitar. The remix honestly feels more emotional, with the drop expressing feelings that Posner's vocals simply couldn't. I don't feel as though it's justifiable to say the sped up beat cheapens the song.  It makes it better, and if the song really is being danced to, that makes the tragedy of the song more apparent.

1. "Heathens" by twenty one pilots

Not only is this undoubtedly my favorite hit single of the year, it also happens to be one of my favorite songs of the year. Everything about this song works extremely well. The darkly cinematic feel of the song is seriously awesome and pretty chilling. Also, Tyler's vocals clash perfectly, especially as he makes his vocals sound creepy and mysterious in many parts. Where the song really excels is in its clever lyrics. Most people are only gonna see the lyrics at surface level, and that is fine when the song is used with "Suicide Squad". However, if you look deeper, you'll find the song is actually twenty one pilots discussing their own friends. With the band having gained so much popularity within just a year, it's clear that not only them but their fan base would have exposure. And, as one of those people who discovered the band a year ago, I can agree with many that the fan base of the band is not very attractive. They don't welcome people in, and are often very critical of them. They call new fans "fake", and it comes across as extremely hateful and pretentious. TOP have bravely addressed this topic, even putting themselves as partly to blame for their fans treatment of others: "We don't deal with outsiders very well/They say newcomers have a certain smell/Yeah, we have trust issues, not to mention/They say they can smell your intentions". The dark feel of the backing music in addition to Tyler's menacing vocal performance really accentuates the hateful things the Clique has said to other fans. It's really clever, and I think that a lot of people haven't noticed that. My favorite moment of the song is when there is a huge guitar riff along with a vocal distortion that says "watch it". It sounds so cool and is chilling. The song really explodes there, with the continuing use of the guitar riff as well as some awesome electronic effects. This is definitely one of the band's best songs they've ever done. I hope that TOP uses this sound more in the future!