Top 10 Best Hit Songs 2018
10
"No Tears Left To Cry"
Ariana Grande
The lead single from her smash album "Sweetener" and probably the best song on there, this might not compare to "Into You" or even "Love Me Harder" but it still puts Ariana into a position of pop power with some memorable hooks and danceable, 90s R&B production. It's a shame the synth swells are so underwhelming or this could have been one of her best songs but what can I say, I still enjoy it.
Weeks on Chart: 29
Peak Position: #2
My Rating: 7.5/10
9
"Sicko Mode"
Travis Scott
Feauting Drake, Juicy J and Swae Lee on a five and a half minute song does not sound appealing to me at all but somehow Travis has managed to pull off one of the best hits of the year, certainly one of the best trap hits. Drake delivers some mean verses, Swae Lee's hook is utterly substanceless but catchy and fun regardless and the beats are fantastic! The thing is, this just doesn't sound like hit song material, with three very different parts to the song and some psychedelic elements, this does not fit the mould for modern rap music and yet here it is, one of the biggest hits of the year.
Weeks on Chart: 29
Peak Position: #9
My Rating: 7.5/10
8
"When The Party's Over"
Billie Eilish
Only just eligible as its release was so late in the year, this has become her biggest hit and makes it seem all the more likely that Billie Eilish will rule pop music in the next few years. The fact that this is what's become her first Top 40 single is a sort of ballad with production more sparse than pretty much any of the already incredibly sparse rap hits this year is surprising, especially for a solo artist without a feature, to achieve. Everything about this is so aesthetically and musically pleasing, especially that bass half way through - her debut album is something I am eagerly anticipating.
Weeks on Chart: 9
Peak Position: #21
My Rating: 8/10
7
"Lemon"
N.E.R.D. featuring Rihanna
What a return to form from such a great, fun group! I had to stretch the rules to include this as it has spend more than 5 weeks on the chart but only 3 in 2018 but who can deny Pharrell's production on here, the beats are just classic N.E.R.D. but with the freshest mixing and mastering helping them sound modern and sleek, a sound that's carried onto the group's most recent album. Rihanna's presence on the song is surprisingly good, in fact she only adds to the fun and plays really well off Pharrell.
Weeks on Chart: 10 (in 2017 + 18)
Peak Position: #31 (in 2017)
My Rating: 8/10
6
"Shotgun"
George Ezra
Officially crowned the song of the summer, George Ezra somehow claimed his biggest hit on the official chart 5 years after "Budapest"! I never expected George to blow up like this, his music is objectively uncool in pop and alternative scenes, and yet due to the massive heatwave such a vibrant and summery, seaside song was bound to gain traction and boy did it gain traction. This became his first no. 1 single and stayed there for four strong weeks, albeit non-consecutive. I mean, it's not exactly groundbreaking and it fits the current mainstream demographic of being far too midtempo for such a big hit and yet it has this certain charm to it and I expect "Shotgun" to linger in the public's minds for a long, long time.
Weeks on Chart: 40
Peak Position: #1
My Rating: 8/10
5
"My My My!"
Troye Sivan
Troye bagged the 'most improved' badge for 2018 after his incredibly stale and excruciatingly boring 2015 debut "Blue Neighbourhood" was blown (even further) into the dust by his electric sophomore "Bloom" where he quite literally grew up to flower. Whilst it was by no means a perfect album it spawned several fantastic pop tunes including his only solo top 40 hit "My My My!", a sparkling and moody electropop jam that helped kick off 2018 on a very positive note. Even if the rest of the year didn't quite match this high and Troye failed to achieve any other real hits from his album, "My My My!" became a staple of pop music and a constant reminder that there was still synthpop reaching the charts, even if it should've been from Chvrches.
Weeks on Chart: 8
Peak Position: #38
My Rating: 8.5/10
4
"All The Stars"
Kendrick Lamar & SZA
Can everyone just take a moment to remember how bland, mediocre and outright forgettable the Black Panther soundtrack was? It was by no means a worthwhile project and definitely a low point in Kendrick's career but at least we can appreciate "All The Stars" as a pretty good hit that may not happened without it. The crazy thing is, Kendrick's verses are pretty average for him, sounding like the weaker material on "DAMN." and lacking his usual spice and vigor. No, the artist that steals the spotlight here is SZA with that energy-brimmed hook and gorgeous vocals in the verses, this was easily her best work in 2018 and, dare I say it, maybe her best work ever. Not only that but the production, although unfortunately repetitive, contains a Flume sample! I did not expect that but it fits so well into the main beat that I have to praise this song.
Weeks on Chart: 22
Peak Position: #5
My Rating: 8.5/10
3
"Nice For What"
Drake
If you'd have told me about this song even just a second before I heard it I would not have believed you. After "Views", "More Life" and then the single "God's Plan" I was done with Drake, I just couldn't be bothered to even try anymore. How (mostly) wrong I was. I mean this was easily the best song on the plain dreary "Scorpion" and, better still, it was just about the only upbeat, fun rap song on the charts for the whole of 2018. Sample-heavy, bouncy production; fast-paced, fun beats and exciting, undeniably fun bars and flows all combine to make what has to be Drake's best song in years. I might not have been on Drake's side for any of the beef he had with various other celebrities, but I could at least enjoy "Nice For What". It's just so fun and legitimately dancy in a year where all the rap hits were about as downbeat as, well about as downbeat as Drake usually is actually.
Weeks on Chart: 17
Peak Position: #1
My Rating: 8.5/10
2
"Say Something"
Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton
Saying that "Man Of The Woods", Justin Timberlake's instantly infamous comeback album, was a trainwreck even before its release is probably fair. Timberlake going part country was a mistake and the atrocious but admirably ambitious single "Filthy" helped people instantly gage the carcrash they would be signing up for by giving it a listen. It was a blend of arena rock, electropop, funk and R&B that just completely failed and yet was followed by "Say Something", a shining example of funk and country blended just right with a truly spectacular gurgling electrofunk bassline with Chris Stapleton's gentle, melodic guitar tones and somehow making it work and have some genuinely thought-provoking lyrics and a five minute runtime... It's just a work of art that works so surprisingly well and was forgotten all too soon. Britain may not be ready to embrace country music past the frankly disgusting "Meant To Be" (eurgh Florida Georgia Line makes me flinch), but I am!
Weeks on Chart: 19
Peak Position: #9
My Rating: 9/10
1
"Hunger"
Florence + The Machine
This song just hit so much harder than literally anything else on the charts. Florence Welsh gets maybe her most personal and most real right from the opening lines "When I was seventeen I started to starve myself", it's not exactly radio friendly but it still got a surprisingly decent amount of airplay. The song goes on to explore themes of loneliness and emptiness, all concluding in a poweful but controlled fire that is the final chorus. Unlike previous Florence + The Machine songs, "Hunger" and the rest of the songs on "High As Hope" were all more instrumentally restrained and subdued, not nearly as bombastic as usual for the band. Whilst "Hunger" is clearly the most upbeat on the album the instrumentation never truly explodes and that's no criticism, I think the band made exactly the right choices with this single, both musical and production-wise. Overall the most emotional, honest, personal and best hit song of 2018.
Weeks on Chart: 12
Peak Position: #41
My Rating: 9/10
If you enjoyed this, make sure to check out my Top 50 Favourite Songs of 2018: https://withmusicinmindellipsis.blogspot.com/2018/12/top-50-best-songs-of-2018.html?m=1
And listen to my picks (+ honourable mentions) for the Best Hit Songs on Deezer:
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