The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2018

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2018

In the following few paragraphs, I take a look at one of the worst years of the 2010s for the Hot 100 and look at the gems that prevent it from being the absolute worst.

(this list was originally created on July 24, 2021)

Hey folks, welcome back to Fire's Flaming Hot Takes. Today, it’s another top 10 list, the top 10 best hit songs of 2018!

So yeah, if you saw my worst list, you know my general assertion that 2018 was definitely one of the worst years of the 2010s for the Hot 100, probably only better than 2014. However, unlike most other years, it’s not because of how many good songs there were this year, because honestly there were more this year than I had expected there to be, it was because the worst songs this year were egregiously low, as we had just talked about.

What really pulled down this year was the trap. Because even though there were a few gems, the trap this year was at worst outright offensive, and barring a few exceptions, at best just mediocre. And this was very disappointing because this was following up quite a great year for trap in 2017. If anything, it was pop and country pulling their weight this year. Country started to finally make a comeback in the mainstream after spending the last two years mostly absent from the year-end, and pop was, for the most part, pretty damn strong. The highs this year, while not as high as some of the other years for this decade, were still gems, and I have a pretty solid list up ahead

Overall there were 61 songs on this year-end list - including 2017 repeats, that fell into my “decent tier” or higher. That’s way more than I had expected there to be. But it’s time to start the list. As a rule, the songs had to debut on the year-end Hot 100 list in 2018 in order to qualify, so it’s time to look at the songs that stood out in a great way in this boring slog of a year, starting with our honorable mentions!

HM #1: Dan + Shay - Tequila (YE: #32, PEAK: #21)

Ah, I remember when Dan + Shay were actually good. “Speechless” aged pretty badly, “10,000 Hours” was so vanilla it hurt, and “I Should Probably Go To Bed” was basically just “Speechless” again. But “Tequila” was the song that has held up well compared to these songs. The piano and the acoustic guitar that open up sound great, and both Dan and Shay have great chemistry to make this melody work. And this song’s lyrics remind me a lot of the sentiments behind “Memories” by Maroon 5, where the tequila brings back all the memories you had with someone. I may not love a lot of Dan + Shay’s recent work, but “Tequila” is still something special.

HM #2: Selena Gomez & Marshmello - Wolves (YE: #60, PEAK: #20)

This admittedly hasn’t held up as well as I would’ve hoped it would, but that said “Wolves” is still great. It’s not Selena Gomez’s best EDM song at all, but I doubt she will ever top “It Ain’t Me”. And the primary reason for that is Marshmello’s drop, all that buildup in the chorus makes it fall very flat, with trap elements that don’t match the guitar work at all. But Selena’s backing vocals are good enough so that the drop doesn’t completely kill this song. And her vocals in the verses are very subtle, allowing her to build up solidly in the chorus. It may not be the best song from either of these two, but it’s still great, I’ll take it.

HM #3: Selena Gomez - Back To You (YE: #41, PEAK: #18)

And we’re not done with Selena Gomez yet, because she managed to have another EDM hit this year! And honestly, I think “Back To You” is better than “Wolves” solely because the drop doesn’t fall flat here, it’s not trying to add any trap elements, it instead has flourishing synths that match the overall quite carefree vibe of the song. Apart from that, I like this for most of the similar reasons I like “Wolves”. If there was one thing I would suggest to improve on this song, I think Selena’s subtle backing vocals would actually work against the drop really well, and that could probably have pushed this over the edge, but outside of that, great work Selena Gomez, you delivered two great songs this year.

HM #4: Lauv - I Like Me Better (YE: #35, PEAK: #27)

Okay let me get the problems with this song out of the way quickly, that scratchy synth is very jarring and doesn’t fit the acoustic production at all, and it somehow is even more out of place in the chorus. If it weren’t for that, “I Like Me Better” would’ve landed way higher on this list. I love the acoustic guitar melody, the snaps fit it pretty well, and Lauv sounds really damn great on this. It’s a shame this song is so sloppily produced, it would’ve likely landed on the list proper if it weren’t for that. But honestly, I love the good aspects of this song so much that it’s enough to muscle this song to being great.

HM #5: Migos - Stir Fry (YE: #48, PEAK: #8)

I think I’m more forgiving to Migos than others are. What can I say, their flows always click for me, they’re so full of personality and their productions are great. And with all that, I do love “Stir Fry”. The production, courtesy of Pharrell Williams, is super bouncy and fun. The whistle sound is actually quiet enough so it doesn’t get on your nerves. The trap percussion is ridiculously fun. Takeoff’s verse, I’ll admit, is a bit weaker compared to both Quavo and Offset’s verses, but that said, “Stir Fry” is super catchy, and a highlight in this dull and awful year for trap.

HM #6: Drake - In My Feelings (YE: #9, PEAK: #1)

Yeah, Drake had a huge year in 2018, and while half of his songs ended up on my worst list, it doesn’t mean he didn’t have quality on this list at all. And seriously, I love “In My Feelings”. It’s a super fun song that does what the pretty overrated “Nice For What” does so much better. Yes, it’s a bit jarring, but it’s not so jarring that I wanna discount it, and it keeps the listener engaged. The chorus is insanely melodic and catchy, not to mention that the production sounds really damn good. See, this is how you make a proper dance challenge song, not “Toosie Slide”. I’d love to see more songs like this.

HM #7: Travis Scott f/Drake - SICKO MODE (YE: #42, PEAK: #1)

This is arguably one of the most iconic songs of the trap boom, and for a reason, because I absolutely love “SICKO MODE”. The song is split into 3 parts. The first part, okay, it definitely drags on for a bit long, but it’s not bad. But the second part is definitely the best. Travis Scott raps his bars on the incredibly bouncy trap beat, and his flow absolutely slaps. Not to mention, there are so many quotable lines - “who put this shit together I’m the glue” being one of my favorites. Then we got the third part, where the trap beat goes for a more downtempo vibe, and Drake sounds more competent on this song than he did on most of his hits this year. Yeah, this is a highlight for Travis Scott, possibly the best hit song of his career, and one that still goes off to this very day.

Now for the list proper!

10...As I said, country was finally starting to get more hits this year after pretty much disappearing from the year-end in 2016 and 2017. And the genre managed to get a lot of genuine quality on the year-end. And, spoiler alert, this isn’t even the best country hit this year, but I have to acknowledge that this may be the best song that Brett Young has ever made...

10. Brett Young - Mercy (YE: #95, PEAK: #29)

I probably defend the more stripped back, acoustic songs a lot more than pretty much everyone else does. What can I say, if either the instrumental or the vocals are interesting, then I like the song. And “Mercy” manages to nail both of those. The piano and acoustic guitar complement each other really well and bring out quite an amazing melody. And then we got Brett Young, at his most vulnerable, just requesting his lover to just get the break-up over with, because it just hurts him the longer it drags out. I do wish there was more of a climax in the final chorus, it feels like it’s trying to build up into something, and neither the instrumental nor Brett Young end up giving it the final punch it needs. That said, I love “Mercy”, it’s a gut punch of a song, definitely recommended if you’re still curious.

9...I feel that there are two types of people in the world. The people who love this song, and the people who hate it. And I’m the former...

9. Ed Sheeran - Perfect (YE: #2, PEAK: #1)

I know, Ed Sheeran just created another “Thinking Out Loud” with this song, but honestly, I think “Perfect” is a lot better than “Thinking Out Loud” because it’s just so much more developed and better sung. Ed Sheeran has the raw charisma to sell this song, he sounds amazing on this song. Then the production. I love the acoustic guitar melody, then we got the gentle percussion, a few backing vocals, and the string production to add on top of it. This instrumental is just super romantic and beautiful. It’s an amazing song that yeah, could’ve had a better final chorus, but still it’s not enough for me to fully discount this song.

8...This may have ended up making the list proper because of the unfortunate passing of this artist back in December of 2019. On one hand, that definitely could be a possibility. On the other hand, I still feel that critics were way too harsh on this song back in 2018, and I do still love this song quite a lot...

8. Juice WRLD - Lucid Dreams (YE: #12, PEAK: #2)

I mean, there’s not much to say about “Lucid Dreams” to be honest. It was clear that this song was made as a therapy session for Juice because the lyrics honestly seem quite sloppy for me. But that said, it’s Juice WRLD and the production that really make this song work. Juice WRLD is singing in a very comfortable lower register, which, for this type of emo rap song, works. It’s certainly better than when Juice WRLD tried to sing in his higher register in “Robbery”. And I do love the production on this song as well. The Shape Of My Heart interpolation doesn’t overshadow the song and the trap beat is solid enough but also gentle enough so it’s not flimsy. “Lucid Dreams” is quite amazing, and Juice WRLD, when you said “I won’t let you forget me”, we won’t, rest in peace.

7...This song was a career peak for all three of these artists. And in a year with a bunch of mediocre trap songs, this one stands out, and is quite easily the best trap hit of 2018...

7. G-Eazy f/A$AP Rocky & Cardi B - No Limit (YE: #30, PEAK: #4)

Seriously, “No Limit” is still an incredible banger to this very day, I absolutely love it. Yeah, maybe G-Eazy’s part could’ve been better, because he’s easily the weakest of the three acts on this song, but I really can’t point out any other flaws in “No Limit”. A$AP Rocky delivers a hook that is a total earworm. But really, Cardi B is the star of this song. She is so full of personality on this song, her bars match this bouncy beat really well and she has so many clever punchlines here. Then the production, and oh my god I love this production so much. It’s so energetic and bouncy and the trap groove is so catchy. I’ll certainly take this over “Him & I”, that’s for sure, would love to hear more songs like this one, because G-Eazy really struck gold with “No Limit”.

6...What genuinely frustrates me about this next artist is that his best songs are the ones that don’t become hits - “Here With Me”, “Be Kind”, and “Silence” are all amazing songs that deserved far better than they ended up receiving. That’s not to say that none of his hits are good, because that’s just an absurd assumption, and while it’s not his best song, hell, I’ll take what I can get...

6. Marshmello f/Bastille - Happier (YE: #80, PEAK: #2)

I’m still quite shocked that Bastille actually managed to get a hit bigger than “Pompeii” due to a Fortnite concert - yeah remember when Fortnite was still a thing? The reason this isn’t higher on this list is Marshmello’s drop, it’s really basic and kills the buildup the song is trying to make. But that said, I love the rest of the aspects of this song so much. Bastille’s pop rock sound is present, and I love some of the subtle details in the production, like the guitar present throughout, most prominently in the final prechorus. Dan Smith of Bastille sounds really damn good here, and he sells the message of the song amazingly. It’s about a failing relationship, and about wanting that person to be happier even if you can’t be with them. Yeah, “Happier” is amazing, and a great swan song to EDM’s success in the 2010s.

5...It took a while for this song to grow on me in the way it did. Because I’ve always liked this song, even back in 2018, but I never really loved it. That said, it’s honestly aged really damn well to the point where I honestly think this song is quite flawless, and a highlight in both Halsey and Khalid’s careers...

5. benny blanco, Halsey, & Khalid - Eastside (YE: #77, PEAK: #9)

Would you look at that, another song on this list with a Shape Of My Heart interpolation. But honestly, what puts “Eastside” over “Lucid Dreams” is that the problems with “Lucid Dreams” are either fixed or removed entirely. Khalid and Halsey have great chemistry, the song is immensely catchy, and it’s just that carefree, fun vibe of the song that matches the lyrics. The hazy guitar riff sounds really great, the percussion is in that perfect balance between being heavy and flimsy, and the melody overall just sounds amazing. It’s super carefree and bouncy, which honestly matches the song’s lyrics, it’s about running away with your partner, and I can’t help but insert this in similar territory of teenage nostalgia, probably why this connects. “Eastside” is a total vibe, and I have a feeling it’s only gonna get better over time.

4...Alright, now to talk about Taylor Swift. Quite arguably her messiest album era was Reputation, and believe me, most of that album has aged way worse than you’d have expected. In fact, I revisited the album recently and I literally only counted 4 songs that I can safely say that I liked. This is still the best song on the album, and quite possibly one of the best songs she ever made...

4. Taylor Swift - Delicate (YE: #24, PEAK: #12)

“Delicate” is one of the only songs on Reputation that has held up well. I still think “Look What You Made Me Do” slaps, “Getaway Car” has shrunk on me but I do still like it, and “Call It What You Want” is really damn great as well, but “Delicate” is a flawless song that hasn’t aged a day. It’s very lowkey and generally extremely pretty, which is quite a jarring pivot from the first three singles which had more of an aggressive and powerful vibe to them, but it works. Taylor’s more restrained vocals fit this song really damn well, there’s a more quiet groove, and the dense synths and more house-influenced beats fit each other really damn well. “Delicate” doesn’t give me much to talk about, and I may just love it so much because it’s miles above the rest of Reputation, but really there’s nothing in this song I’d change either, and this was the fitting saving grace of that era.

3...And going back to artists I probably stand up for a lot more than pretty much everybody else, look he probably has bigger issues right now, especially considering his most recent album era really just tanked, but man, in 2018, he really delivered the best song of his career...

3. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (YE: #46, PEAK: #11)

I probably like Shawn Mendes more than I should, hey I still like “Treat You Better” despite all the panning it got. But “In My Blood” stands head and shoulders above the rest of Shawn’s discography because this song comes from a more raw and emotional place. It’s a pretty standard pop rock song that honestly suits Shawn really damn well. The acoustic guitar and percussion build up into that chorus, where the electric guitar lets loose and Shawn starts to belt out some of his most powerful and vulnerable vocals to date. And this song is about anxiety, and the feeling of giving up, even though you just don’t have it in you to give up to the devastation of your loved ones. And it’s always these messages that hit all my weak spots, but still, I genuinely would love to see Shawn make more songs like “In My Blood”, because this is fantastic.

2...Time for probably the biggest hot take on this entire list. I’m very shocked that this song managed to land this high on the list for me, but you know what, I still love this song. And given how badly they fell off after releasing a song as atrocious as “Cutthroat”, this stands out...

2. Imagine Dragons - Natural (YE: #69, PEAK: #13)

If you’re gonna scream in your song, you need a fantastic production to back you up, and I absolutely love the production on “Natural”. The production has so much energy and bombast that they’re able to actually support Dan Reynolds’s screaming in the chorus, and not let it become grating. The percussion is damn heavy, I absolutely love those guitars, the backing vocals are a nice touch, the entire song just gives off an eerie yet quite awesome atmosphere. And yeah, I get the comparisons of this to “Believer”, but “Natural” is so much better because the production is so much well developed compared to the really messy production on “Believer”. The song is an energizer, an adrenaline rush, the lyrics definitely also help with that. It’s about having the confidence to survive in this world, where you are the only person that matters to you. This song just hits you with that confidence, and your body just goes wild with adrenaline. That said, what could be better?

1...This song is undeniably the best song of this artist’s career, it’s utterly fantastic, so much so that even people who hate this artist enjoy this song. While I don’t even hate him at all, he definitely has had a bit of a hit-or-miss record for me. That said, this song was a hit, and convinced me and many other critics to change our entire view of him. Yeah, you know what, no way Thomas Rhett wasn’t gonna take this top spot, because this year, he earned it!

1. Thomas Rhett - Marry Me (YE: #76, PEAK: #30)

“Marry Me” defied three different expectations. First let me talk about the production, it’s a very mellow ballad which has such a fantastic melody. The piano sounds fantastic, the percussion fits it really damn well, and the guitar tones present throughout the song are quite warm. But the lyrical content is what propelled “Marry Me” to my #1. Like I just said, Thomas Rhett defies three different expectations in this song. The first being that he was able to make a song this fantastic despite having one of the most panned albums of 2015. The other two are plot switches in the song’s lyrics. Thomas Rhett sets this song up like he’s at a traditional wedding, only he isn’t the person getting married. He blew his chance to ask this girl to marry him. And then the third one, as the music starts to build up dramatically, you think you’re gonna get that awkward confrontation where Thomas Rhett is gonna ask the bride to marry him and confess his true feelings towards her. Only...he doesn’t do it. No, he just accepts it, drinks that strong shot of whiskey at the back of the church while letting this girl enjoy her special day. And that’s maturity, it takes serious guts to do that. It doesn’t even kill the momentum, because Thomas Rhett is able to vocally sell that pain that he won’t be marrying this girl, but simultaneously the satisfaction and knowledge that he did the right thing. In the end, this song is just so damn excellent, and I’m waiting for the day he tops this song. “Marry Me” by Thomas Rhett is the best hit song of 2018, and a song so deservedly praised by many critics I’ve seen. The country music this year was of good quality, and this is the best one of them all.

So yeah, 2018 was still a terrible year for the Hot 100 because of those awful lows, but it does have a lot more gems than you’d expect. So we’ve gone through 6 out of the 10 years of the 2010s and highlighted the best and worst songs of those years. I’ll be going on vacation for the next two weeks as of writing though, so unfortunately I won’t be able to pump out a list for a bit. That said, when I get back, I plan on getting to 2013, although these lists will definitely slow down as school starts for me soon. See you then!