The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020

In the following few paragraphs, I take a look at a promising start to the 2020s for the Hot 100 and look at the excellent hits that this year yielded.

Hey guys, welcome back to Fire's Flaming Hot Takes. Time for a top 10 list that I really look forward to making, the top 10 best hit songs of 2020.

So as I said in my worst list, the general consensus is that 2020 was actually a great year for the Hot 100. But I feel like the year is pretty overrated. The lows of this year were utterly atrocious, as we just examined. However, this was still a really good year for the Hot 100, because to balance out those atrocious hits, we got some great and amazing songs on this year-end, hell a lot of excellent songs too towards the upper echelons of this list. As for why, it’s a bit tricky. I could make the theory that since everyone was in lockdown, more people were listening to music, which allowed for some songs that the general consensus was “this is really good” to jump on the scene. It’s a hard year to think about as to why it was so good, and there isn’t really a specific sound I would give this year. But pop and country had strong showings this year and most of them were of quality. And there was a good balance here too, pop, country, trap, and R&B all had good showings, with none of them overshadowing each other. Hell, even rock was starting to make a comeback.

But I think what really made 2020 that good of a year for the Hot 100 was that the lows won’t seem to inflict any cultural damage. It seems like the gut instinct is that when living in such an anomaly as 2020 where so many real life stressors are present and active, the main thought is to leave the bad of 2020 behind. And while the lows of this year were really atrocious - as we talked about - at this point, halfway through 2021, there aren’t many trends from 2020 present this year from those bad songs. The good songs, however, I feel are having a lasting impact on the charts, especially the songs at the upper echelons.

In total, there were 56 songs on this year-end - including 2019 repeats - that fell into “decent tier” or higher for me, so it’s still a pretty good year but I wouldn’t call it fantastic. As a rule, the song must have had to debut on the 2020 Hot 100 year-end to qualify. Time to look at the fantastic highs that helped us through this mess of a year, starting in our honorable mentions.

HM #1: Lil Baby - The Bigger Picture (YE: #76, PEAK: #3)

I know some people are gonna be surprised that this song isn’t higher. And from an objective point of view, it honestly should be higher, there is so much to love about it. The dark piano keys that cascade across the trap beat is utterly haunting, and there is genuine panic in Lil Baby’s voice throughout the song. The lyrical content is so monumental, Lil Baby is stepping back and taking a look at the bigger picture of everything, and he talks about how this has affected his life. This is so mainstream friendly that it’s so clearly primed for the target audience - it’s able to communicate this message to the younger audience so well. So why is this not on the list proper? Well, same reasons that “When We Were Young” by Adele was only #10 on my best list for 2016 - it’s quite a heavy listen, I never want to actively listen to this song because of how dark it is. That said, this is great, and I have to salute Lil Baby for this. Powerful stuff.

HM #2: Maroon 5 - Memories (YE: #8, PEAK: #2)

What I do really love about this song is the sentiments behind it. Looking back on the good times you spent with someone who no longer is there. The light keys playing the Canon In D sequence are solemn, heartfelt, and really nostalgia inducing. But what I didn’t really like was Adam Levine’s pretty lifeless vocals. I do wish he delivered the same passion in this song that he did in some of Maroon 5’s early stuff. Still, great song.

HM #3: Harry Styles - Watermelon Sugar (YE: #20, PEAK: #1)

What can I say? This is absolutely the perfect summer song that lightened up my mood during such a slog of a summer during 2020. It’s so bright and warm and addicting and catchy, and Harry Styles has great charisma here. The guitar line, the horns that pick up in the second verse, it’s fantastic. And while I do wish the chorus were a bit less repetitive, this is still awesome, and the anthem to a very dreadful summer during 2020.

HM #4: Doja Cat - Say So (YE: #11, PEAK: #1)

And we’re keeping the summer hits coming! As I said in my worst list, I’m only considering the versions that were credited on the year-end list, so no, I’m not gonna consider that horrible Nicki remix - that would’ve contended for my worst list. “Say So” gives us Doja Cat’s intense energy, fun, and charisma working well across the strong bassline and groovy production that has the funky guitar riff that sounds great! It’s a playful, fun vibe of a song, and I’m intrigued to hear more from Doja given how much I like this and “Juicy” - which barely missed my honorable mentions.

HM #5: surf mesa f/Emilee - ily (i love you baby) (YE: #95, PEAK: #23)

More summer-esque songs! Seriously, the summer of 2020 delivered some really hot songs. Admittedly, 2020 was also the year that somehow got me extremely hooked on EDM - partially why I like “ily” a lot. It’s definitely nothing special, it’s just the hook of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” repeated on a loop over and over again. But it’s such a grower, with the dreamy synths and the beach vibes, it’s a very chill song that probably was the song that grew on me the most this year.

HM #6: Maddie & Tae - Die From A Broken Heart (YE: #65, PEAK: #22)

There’s a cuteness to this song that I really like. It’s a nice, chill acoustic song with some adolescent lyrics, but the song plays into its strengths so well that I don’t really have a problem with this. I do wish that Maddie and Tae had slightly stronger vocals on here - I don’t mean like belting or anything, but their vocals seem oddly small in comparison to the rest of the song. Nonetheless, I really like it, and in a chunk of pretty damn good country music this year, this is definitely one of the highs.

HM #7: Juice WRLD f/Marshmello - Come And Go (YE: #54, PEAK: #2)

Arguably one of the big pointers to pop punk starting its revival in 2021. The atmospheric guitar loop is really damn good, and the hip hop beats fit really well here too. But what elbowed this song from the list proper was Marshmello’s drop - I’m sorry it sounds fine on its own but it sounds so awkward and underweight in comparison to the rest of the song. Still, great song.

Alright, that’s a very great start, now onto the list proper!

10...If you told me back in, say, late 2017 or early 2018 that this artist would end up making one of my favorite hits this year, I would’ve probably laughed at you, because at the time I thought she was the most overrated artist in music and didn’t understand the appeal in her. Then she started to grow on me when she released her Calvin Harris collab in 2018, and this was the song that won me over...

10. Dua Lipa - Don’t Start Now (YE: #4, PEAK: #2)

As I said, most of the songs that finished towards the upper echelons of the Hot 100 Year-End were great highs - including some of the songs I had to cut from this list! And “Don’t Start Now” is very rightfully one of the defining songs of the year. The bassline is great, the percussion is sharp, and the disco influences work really damn well here. I do wish that the chorus did have a bit more going on with it, because the drop definitely falls flat compared to some of the rest of the song. That said, this year is chalk-full of songs that are almost destined to become future classics one day, and “Don’t Start Now” is definitely one of them.

9...I know I hold the unpopular opinion of really enjoying this song. And on some level, I get the hate. But at the same time I feel it gets way too much hate. I remember seeing this song chart in the lower areas of the Hot AC charts for a while in late 2019 thinking “there’s no way such a heavily acoustic song like this will become a hit”. It’s obviously not their fault that this song ended up becoming a hit mainly due to the pandemic, and watching this become a sleeper hit was quite an exciting thing to witness...

9. JP Saxe f/Julia Michaels - If The World Was Ending (YE: #56, PEAK: #27)

I think what soured people on this song, as well as a few of the songs that only became hits due to the pandemic, was that they didn’t want to listen to a song about the world ending while their world as they knew it was ending. And this probably soured on people even further after it got a Song of The Year nomination at the Grammy’s and not “Blinding Lights”, this isn’t a defining 2020 song at all...right? Well, I get the hate for this song, on some level, it’s a bit dull and never really takes off. But FINNEAS produced this, and he has a great ear for production, so this works well anyway. The piano keys are really nice, and yeah you could argue that this song doesn’t really give an atmosphere of the world ending, but I’ll counter argue that that’s not the point of this song. It’s about two ex-lovers that wonder if after all they’ve been through, if it was all over, would they have one final moment with each other. And it’s that sentiment that makes me really like it, and both JP Saxe and Julia Michaels sound competent here. And I’ll argue that this song isn’t slow enough to be boring, and it shares an experience that I imagine many other people had felt during lockdown. So yeah, “If The World Was Ending” is way better than it has any right to be. And unlike the other songs that’ll be permanent adult contemporary staples for the years to come, if this song sticks around, I won’t mind.

8...Come to think of it, 2020 really was the year where even artists I don’t like stepped up their game, because this next artist has a similar story to Dua Lipa for me. Back in 2019, I didn’t get the appeal of her at all, but this song really proved how talented she really is...

8. Billie Eilish - everything i wanted (YE: #18, PEAK: #8)

This song was a huge grower for me over the year, to the point that every time I listen to it now it utterly blows me away. It’s so delicate and so fractured, and Billie Eilish’s vocals are a fantastic fit for this. In it, Billie reflects on a depression state where she imagines she kills herself and no one cares. That sentiment alone is so haunting, so dark, so emotional that it still blows me away that this was such a big radio hit. The production matches that haunting vibe as well, the downtempo piano keys, the soft beat, the bass guitar instrumental, it’s just so depressing and dark and heartfelt and poignant. And I know that in a year like 2020, where in lockdown many people’s mental health suffered, I can imagine this song helped out. I still think “bad guy” is one of the most overrated songs of the 2010s...but if we end up getting a million “bad guy”’s to get another one of this, I’d be happy.

7...Including honorable mentions, there are 17 songs I end up talking about when going through the best and worst hits of each year. Including this, 6 out of the 11 songs we’ve talked about so far have placed in the year-end top 20. That’s how top heavy this year-end is...

7. Harry Styles - Adore You (YE: #6, PEAK: #6)

You know, I wouldn’t even call this song the best song of Harry’s solo career - “Sign Of The Times” sets the bar very high - and it’s not even my favorite song on Fine Line - “Falling” would’ve challenged for my top spot had it made the year-end list - but “Adore You” is amazing regardless. If it weren’t for the fact that the chorus line was repeated twice, this would’ve been a lot higher for me. Regardless, I still love this. It’s super funky, the bassline is smooth, and the guitars work so damn well. It’s pure love and fun all wrapped up in one song, and it's such a jam.

6...I told you the country was strong this year!

6. Miranda Lambert - Bluebird (YE: #91, PEAK: #26)

I did make the argument that the songs near the upper echelons of the year-end were very strong, but that doesn’t mean the songs towards the lower end weren’t good. “Bluebird” lands up here almost entirely thanks to its gorgeous production. The percussion and the guitar are mixed in so well, and Miranda’s vocals are fantastic here. And I like the lyrics too - about trying to turn bad luck into good luck. It’s about looking for the bright side for everything, which is matched by the bright, light, and breezy production - and is definitely something that’s appreciated in a year like 2020.

5...You know I was quite petrified that this song would end up being split between chart years - and I’m so glad it didn’t, because this might be the best song Luke Combs has ever done...

5. Luke Combs - Even Though I’m Leaving (YE: #85, PEAK: #11)

Yes, this is just a cliché father-son-esque song, but honestly for some reason they always hit me. The production is amazing - with its superb acoustics and a nice bit of piano to add to the swell - but obviously what makes this song is its lyrical content. It’s a three-part story, all of them revolving around the idea where even though the dad is not with his son, he will never not be there for him. In the first verse, the son is scared of the monsters under his bed. In the second verse, the son is grown up and heading off to serve in the military. And in the final verse, the son is forced to deal with his father approaching the end of his life. It’s fascinating storytelling across an amazing melody and some great buildup, and overall an utter tearjerker. It’s so fantastic, and I’m so glad this was a proper hit.

4...I’m not so certain whether to call this country or pop. If it’s the former, then this is the best country hit of the year. If it’s the latter, then “Even Though I’m Leaving” is the best country hit of the year, but regardless, I absolutely adore this song...

4. Maren Morris - The Bones (YE: #9, PEAK: #12)

And here we got a song that, just like “If The World Was Ending”, I saw getting a tiny bit of traction on Hot AC radio back in mid-2019, but I wasn’t convinced this was actually gonna be a hit, only for it to become a sleeper hit in 2020 and become the first song to finish in the year-end top 10 without peaking inside the top 10 since Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want To Wait” in 1998. And I won’t lie, I played this a lot towards the end of 2020 due to the “we’re in the home stretch of the hard times” line at the very beginning. But honestly, even without all that, ‘The Bones” is an amazing song, with a nice piano line and very calming and love-filled acoustics overall. The song is about how solid love is - the attraction between one another is too strong to be overcome by simple fights. If the foundation of a relationship is strong enough, that relationship is so strong. I just love the songwriting here, it’s clearly from a very raw, emotional place. Love this a lot, and if you haven’t heard this song yet, give it a spin. It’s worth it.

3...I’ve grown to accept that I simply like Lewis Capaldi way more than pretty much everyone else does at this point...

3. Lewis Capaldi - Before You Go (YE: #21, PEAK: #9)

I actually am one of the few that loves “Someone You Loved”, but I’ve always found this song to be even better than that purely because of the sentiments behind it. It also helps that Lewis’s vocals are a lot better on this than they were on that bridge in “Someone You Loved”. The acoustics actually have some tension building up throughout the song, especially when the percussion starts to kick in during the second verse. And this song is extremely raw, it’s about Lewis’s aunt who committed suicide when he was a child, and he wonders if there was something else that he could’ve done to help. And that emotional rawness is what raises this song above “Someone You Loved” for me. It’s emotional, it’s beautiful, it’s fantastic, and while I’m certain Lewis won’t have another hit after this, I’m glad we got this one.

2...This was in contention for the top spot of this list for a very long time now, and back when I drafted this list in December, it ended up becoming my #1. And even though it was overtaken in the end, I still have to highlight the song that ended up making me a fan of Halsey’s music...

2. Halsey - You should be sad (YE: #82, PEAK: #26)

This song made me reconsider my opinion on Halsey entirely, and the shortest way I can put this song is “Without Me” done right. While I did really love “Graveyard” - which would’ve made this list if it had not been caught between years - “You should be sad” was better for me because of the sheer anger built up throughout this song. The song is acoustic driven and has a bit of a country tinge that sounds amazing. And while Halsey’s voice isn’t as fit for this as it is for pop punk - as she showcased when she released “forget me too” with Machine Gun Kelly - she sounds great on here. She references her miscarriage, adding that emotional rawness to the song, and she builds up her anger even more and more throughout the song, especially when she starts to belt in the bridge as the guitars start to pick up some more power. It’s an excellent song, and I’m ready for that next album Halsey, I hope you deliver.

But before we get to my #1 pick, I’m gonna look at some songs that became hits in the UK, Canada, and Australia, but not in the US that would’ve made this list. I don’t plan on doing this for my retro lists, but it’s something I wanna do for the 2020s. So let’s take a look, and man there were a lot - 19, to be exact.

• Jason Derulo - Take You Dancing (#92 UK, #89 Australia) (would be: HM)

• Conan Gray - Maniac (#65 Australia) (would be: HM)

• Mabel - Boyfriend (#73 UK) (would be: HM)

• Regard & RAYE - Secrets (#41 UK, #87 Australia) (would be: HM)

• Freya Ridings - Castles (#80 Australia) (would be: HM)

• Jax Jones & Ella Henderson - This Is Real (#82 UK) (would be: HM)

• Aitch x AJ Tracey f/Tay Keith - Rain (#32 UK) (would be: #9)

• Little Mix - Break Up Song (#84 UK) (would be: #9)

• PARTYNEXTDOOR f/Drake - Loyal (#90 Canada) (would be: #9)

• Kygo & OneRepublic - Lose Somebody (#98 Australia) (would be: #9)

• Nathan Dawe x KSI - Lighter (#40 UK) (would be: #9)

• Nathan Dawe f/Jaykae - Flowers (#33 UK) (would be: #9)

• Joel Corry & MNEK - Head & Heart (#5 UK, #23 Australia) (would be: #3)

• Dua Lipa - Physical (#19 UK, #51 Australia) (would be: #3)

• The Weeknd - In Your Eyes (#40 Canada, #91 Australia) (would be: #3)

• Doja Cat - Boss Bitch (#71 Australia) (would be: #3)

• Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky (#94 Canada, #69 UK, #92 Australia) (would be: #3)

• Harry Styles - Falling (#34 UK, #78 Australia) (would be: #3)

• Marshmello & Halsey - Be Kind (#61 Canada, #64 Australia) (would be: #1)

So now we’ve taken a look at some hits outside the US that would’ve been on this list had they made the 2020 Hot 100 Year-End - the songs that become hits elsewhere versus the hits in the US have always fascinated me - but now let’s move on to...

1...To quote Spectrum Pulse, “I mean, duh”...

1. The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (YE: #1, PEAK: #1)

I remember being very worried that this would end up being overshadowed by “Heartless” toward the end of 2019. Only for it to then hit #1, then break records left and right for how long it’s spent in the top 5 and top 10, and now on track to become the longest running Hot 100 hit of all time, and now projected to be the biggest Hot 100 hit of all time. That alone speaks to the greatness of this song, and the fact that it was the #1 song of 2020 by the general public and critics says a lot of how great this song truly is. It’s such a modern classic and utterly timeless. The synths are majestic, enticing, and timeless and Abel’s voice on this song is insane. The “Take On Me” sample doesn’t overshadow the song, because “Blinding Lights” is able to create its own unique and fantastic atmosphere. It’s infectious, it’s addicting, it’s huge, it’s sweeping, it’s such a towering song. It’s so infectious that I know even when I inevitably hear it over and over and over and over again for the years to come, I won’t mind. This song has absolutely no burn rate no matter how much I listen to it, and I’ve listened to this song so many times at this point. It’s absolutely flawless, and almost guaranteed to be a timeless classic in the next 10-20 years...just watch. And that said, it’s no surprise, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd is the best hit song of 2020, and in my opinion a great omen to kick off the 2020s.

So we’ve untangled the excellent highs from this year and the atrocious lows. Overall, 2020 was a pretty good year that was very top heavy even if there were quite a few bad songs scattered amongst the lot. The next year I want to look at is 2015, a year commonly regarded as the best year of the 2010s for the Hot 100. We’ll just have to see if it lives up to its title.