The Top Pop Music Songs of 2016

A look at the top pop songs of 2016 according to Billboard’s year-end charts.

Introduction

It was a great year for pop music. We saw the rise of new artists and the return of some old favorites. Whether you were dancing in your living room or singing in the shower, there was a pop song that was perfect for you. Here are the top ten pop songs of 2016, according to Billboard magazine.

1) “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
2) “One Dance” by Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla
3) “Work” by Rihanna ft. Drake
4) “This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
5) “Cheap Thrills” by Sia ft. Sean Paul
6) “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
7) “Treat You Better” by Shawn Mendes
8) “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” by Adele
9) “Closer” by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey
10) “Into You” by Ariana Grande

The Top Pop Songs of 2016

The top pop songs of 2016 are a varied bunch. From upbeat anthems to soulful ballads, there’s something for everyone on this list. Whether you’re looking for a summer jam or a heartfelt ballad, these are the pop songs that dominated the charts this year.

“Hello” – Adele

Hello is a song by English singer-songwriter Adele, released on 23 October 2015 by XL Recordings as the lead single from her third studio album, 25 (2015). Adele co-wrote the song with her producer, Greg Kurstin. “Hello” is a piano ballad with soul influences, and lyrics that discuss themes of nostalgia and regret. Upon release, the song was well received by music critics, who compared it favorably to her previous work and praised the song’s lyrics. It was recorded in London’s Metropolis Studios. In September 2015, Adele performed “Hello” at the Radio City Music Hall as part of a televised concert special for NBC entitled Adele Live in New York City. The song topped both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, becoming the first single to do so in each country in over 20 years. Furthermore, by debuting at number one on the Hot 100, Adele became only the fourth artist in history to have led the Hot 100 before her 21st birthday; she joined Mariah Carey, Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera as 21-and-under soloists to achieve this feat.

“Formation” – Beyonce

“Formation” is a song recorded by American singer Beyoncé for her sixth studio album Lemonade (2016). The song was written by Beyoncé, Mike Will Made It, and Sean Daddy Lang, and produced by Mike Will Made It andBeyoncé. “Formation” was released on February 6, 2016 as the lead single from Lemonade to a positive critical reception. The song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

“Work” – Rihanna ft. Drake

“Work” is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her eighth studio album, Anti (2016). The song was released as the lead single from the album on January 27, 2016. “Work” is a dancehall and R&B track produced by Boi-1da and co-produced by Jamie xx, with additional writing from PartyNextDoor, Drake, Allen Ritter and Noah “40” Shebib. Musically, it draws influence from Caribbean music such as dancehall and soca. Lyrically the song is about having a good time at a club.

Critical reception of “Work” was positive, with many critics praising Rihanna’s vocal performance and the song’s Caribbean influences. The song debuted at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Rihanna’s fourteenth top 10 single in the United States and giving her the record for most top 10 hits in the country by a female artist. In Canada, “Work” also debuted at number nine on the Canadian Hot 100 chart — marking Rihanna’s seventeenth top 10 entry in the country — while peaking at number one on both the Rhythmic 40 and Hot Dance Club Songs charts. Elsewhere “Work” peaked within the top five of several national charts including Australia, France, New Zealand and Sweden.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for the soundtrack to the film Trolls (2016), his fifth studio album. The song was written and produced by Timberlake, Max Martin and Shellback. It features additional vocals provided by American rapper Gwen Stefani. “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the charts in seventeen other countries, becoming Timberlake’s fifth number one single and tenth top ten hit on the Hot 100.

“One Dance” – Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla

“One Dance” is a song recorded by Canadian rapper Drake for his fourth studio album, Views (2016). The song features guest vocals from Nigerian Afrobeats artist Wizkid and British singer Kyla. It was released to contemporary hit radio on April 5, 2016, as the lead single from the album. “One Dance” peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming both Drake’s and Wizkid’s first number one single on the chart, as well as Kyla’s first. The song also became a top 10 hit in a total of 15 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand.

“This Is What You Came For” – Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna

“This Is What You Came For” is a song by Scottish DJ and record producer Calvin Harris, featuring vocals from Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on 29 April 2016, through Pretty Much Amazing and distributed byWestbury Road Entertainment. The song was written by Harris and Rihanna, with production handled by the former. T

he track samples the drums from “911”, a track from American rock band System of a Down’s self-titled album, released in 1998. It received positive reviews from music critics, who praised its concept and production, while some labelled it a “potential summer hit”. It was also a commercial success, reaching the top ten in multiple countries including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland and the United Kingdom—the latter two countries where it peaked at number three—and the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song became Rihanna’s 28th top 10 single in the UK and peak at number 2 in Ireland.

A music video for “This Is What You Came For” was directed by Emil Nava and released on 14 June 2016. The visual features Harris and Rihanna dancing in various locations around Los Angeles including an empty swimming pool inside of a mansion; it ends with both of them leaving separately in separate cars. The clip was generally well received by critics who praised its simplicity and complimented the chemistry between Harris and Rihanna. To further promote the single, Harris and Rihanna performed it live at the 2016 BRIT Awards held on 24 February 2016

“Cheap Thrills” – Sia ft. Sean Paul

“Cheap Thrills” is a song by Australian singer Sia from her seventh studio album, This Is Acting (2016). Written by Sia and Greg Kurstin and produced by Kurstin, the song was released on 11 February 2016 as the lead single from the album. It was a commercial success, peaking at number one in Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the United States, “Cheap Thrills” peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

“Needed Me” – Rihanna

Rihanna released “Needed Me” as the third single from her album “Anti” in 2016. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). “Needed Me” won the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.

“Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” – Adele

“Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” is a song recorded by British singer Adele for her third studio album, 25. It was written by Adele and Greg Kurstin, produced by the latter, and released as the album’s third single on 16 May 2016. The song is a mid-tempo pop and disco-pop track about moving on from a past relationship.

Adele wrote “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” with Greg Kurstin during the recording sessions for 25, after struggling to write songs for the album. The song was released as the album’s third single on 16 May 2016. “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” is a mid-tempo pop and disco-pop track with tropical house production. It features elements of contemporary R&B and an upbeat disco outro. The song’s lyrics are about moving on from an ex-partner; Adele has publicly said that it is not about her ex-boyfriend, Simon Konecki.

Upon release, “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised its production as well its message of self-empowerment. The song was commercially successful, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart and number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100; it also charted in several other countries including Australia, Canada and France. The song became Adele’s 15th top ten single in the UK and 20th in the US.

A music video for “Send My Love (To Your New Lover)” was released on 7 June 2016 through Adele’s Vevo channel. It was directed by Patrick Daughters and shot in Los Angeles during one day in April 2016; its concept is based around footage of Adele performing the song intercut with shots of her watching other people dancing to it around Los Angeles. Dancers were hired for their individual styles rather than their ability to dance together; among them were breakdancers, tango dancers and voguers. The video ends with Adele watching a couple embracing in Echo Park Lake as she sings the final lines of the song.”

“Don’t Let Me Down” – The Chainsmokers ft. Daya

“Don’t Let Me Down” is a song by American electronic duo The Chainsmokers, featuring vocals from American singer Daya. The song was released on February 5, 2016, as the third single from their debut studio album, Collage (2016). It peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and entered the top 10 in several other countries, including Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Conclusion

The year 2016 was filled with great pop songs. There were many new artists that emerged this year, and established artists continued to churn out great music. Here is a list of the top pop songs of 2016, in no particular order.

“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake
“One Dance” by Drake ft. Wizkid & Kyla
“Work” by Rihanna ft. Drake
“Cheap Thrills” by Sia ft. Sean Paul
“send my love (to your new lover)” by Adele
“This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
“formation” by Beyoncé
“I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix)” by Mike Posner