Best Hit Songs 2020

 I am not at all surprised to find myself, 361 days into the year, more than a little eager for everything to be over, the pseudo-fresh start of the 1st January never looking as attractive as it has in 2020, but that doesn't mean this year has had nothing to offer. Has 2020 been an exceptional year for pop music? No, that would be something of a stretch, but the music I loved has possessed a quality many other years don't - surprise.

With the Worst Hit Songs done and dusted, I'm excited to expose the songs I loved the most over the year, and once again a quick reminder of what qualifies an entrant on this list: Any song that spent over five weeks in the Top 40 and peaked within the Top 20 is eligible, and trust me there were some tough cuts I had to make due to this rule, as well as songs from last year that made me wish I had done this list for 2019. Anyway, it's time to dive into my second year end list of 2020, the Top 10...

10

"Roses (Imanbek Remix)"

SAINt JHN

Peak Position: #1

When I first discussed this song, I was far from sold on its bouncy, infectious groove, instead choosing to criticise the apparent lack of B-sections or variety. Whilst these issues still stand and it remains incredible simple and repetitive, I'm not convinced that differentiation would be an asset, particularly with how smooth the engine runs right now. It isn't broken, so why fix it? What does amaze me is how the then-18-year-old Kazakh producer Imanbek was able to flip this slow-burn trap ballad into the biggest deep house song of the year, and easily the catchiest, the lyrics translating fantastically to the faster, more fun atmosphere, pitched-up vocals for once sounding on point. It's only grown on me, and I couldn't be more pleased.

9

"Play Play"

J Hus ft. Burna Boy

Peak Position: #11

The song of the summer that should have been, this was far and away the best single to be spawned from J Hus's surprisingly provocative sophomore album, a record that's appeared on many critics' best lists, but won't be appearing on mine for the following reason. As much as I do enjoy Big Conspiracy, the instrumentals and production genuinely some of the best of the year, it is J Hus himself that lets it down, his vocal performances and flows failing to match the detail and care of the music, even whilst his lyrics have greatly improved.

Here on "Play Play", the instrumentals are as lush and Caribbean-influenced as ever, the many layers each given the space to shine on their own whilst all combining to achieve the laidback, tropical beach vibe expertly. In terms of the lyrical content, this is somewhat lacking in the social or internal commentary that makes the rest of the album great, but it makes up for that with J Hus providing easily his best vocal performance in the verses, and Burna Boy's parts sending the song above and beyond; I feel that the chorus has got to be one of the most underrated of the year, and this should surely have been a bigger hit than it was.

8

"What You Know Bout Love"

Pop Smoke

Peak Position: #4

When I first discovered Pop Smoke, it was due to his breakthrough single "Dior", a track that tragically paved the way for success he would never see after he was shot and killed during a home robbery. The song was certainly interesting, an American rapper borrowing heavily from the British drill sound, and although much of his posthumous debut deviated from this style in favour of more generic trap, it was an album with highlights from across the genres he had worked in, this song catching me off guard in becoming my favourite.

At a first listen, this would appear to be nothing more than your average sparse trap song, the bread-and-butter thin beat, resonant bass and repetitive melody present and ordinary, nothing special here. But then I listened to it again, and again, and again, and I realised that I had fallen in love. But what do I know about love? Well, I know that this song may be ordinary, but it's far from boring, the phasing synth keys providing a far more interesting backdrop than many of his peers, whilst the muffled R&B sample contributes to the lulling atmosphere beautifully, playful yet sincere. Pop Smoke is the star of the show however, his gorgeously husky voice acting as a charismatic guide that illustrates this small, self-contained story in charming but cheeky detail, making for a song I come back too more than most in this list.

7

"Secrets"

Regard ft. RAYE

Peak Position: #6

Although Regard seems to be a pretty formulaic, structurally basic producer, what he excels in is creating these watery deep house tracks that drip with a chilled, summery energy. As much as I enjoyed last year's "Ride It", it's here on "Secrets" that he's perfected the formula.

Achieving its success through popularity on TikTok, to me this song differs from so many others on the platform due to one pretty major factor. Unlike the masses, this isn't 20 enticing seconds with nothing else of worth, it's a developed song with sections that each prove their own merit, whether that's the stutter of the verses, the sly growl of the bass in the pre-chorus or the straightforward hook. Moreover, I'd be a fool to miss commending the highlight of the song, the glitzy synths of the post-chorus that somehow straddle the line between liquid guitars, chirpy horns and a blissful keys solo.

6

"West Ten"
AJ Tracey, Mabel

Peak Position: #5

After releasing a forgettable, mediocre album last year, AJ Tracey has done nothing but impress me with his output this year, becoming a stable force I could return to on a multitude of singles that showcased his light-hearted rap persona surfing through various genres, the fun he was having contagious as I consistently found a smile plastered across my face as a result of his music. 

This song stands out particularly due to its production courtesy of the Take A Daytrip duo also responsible for hits like "Panini" and "The Scotts" (the former of which would have made my list if I'd done one last year, the latter of which sadly didn't qualify for this list), and the style explored here is UK garage, a genre undergoing a resurgence that I'm surprised to find myself enjoying considering my indifference to much of the garage I've heard from its peak at the turn of the century. Nevertheless, I couldn't deny the power of a song with such a catchy beat, AJ's typically entertaining bars and Mabel performing at her very best and this earns its place on the list for bringing the most joy of any song here.

5

"Break My Heart"

Dua Lipa

Peak Position: #6

When comparing the pop music at the start of the 2010s with that of the 2020s, one of the most underappreciated features has got to be how the music begins, with so many songs now opting for a more atmospheric, slow build as opposed to the instant blast of sound common in the previous decade. It's a move that's less immediately captivating for sure, but also one that's more intriguing, and also more relevant in a time where the vibe of a piece of music often transcends the music itself, particularly in situations where nostalgia is the driving force behind a song's appeal.

Meet "Break My Heart", the third single from Dua Lipa's smash sophomore album, and a track that features a gripping intro and fantastic build into the pre-chorus that subsequently showcases this song's absolute mastery of space and silence, the tantalising pauses only increasing the song's intrigue, whilst the wide, sweeping strings that precede each chorus add yet more suspense before the chorus springs to life, fulfilling my anticipation and providing some of the funkiest, most danceable guitar riffs of the year, a throwback not dissimilar from Janelle Monáe's homage to Prince's "Kiss" with her song "Make Me Feel" two years ago. If there's one thing this song could do better then I'd point to the bridge, a section of the song that I personally needed to differentiate more from the pre-chorus.

4

"Ain't It Different"

Headie One, AJ Tracey, Stormzy

Peak Position: #2

Three titans of UK rap meeting on a thrilling, slow burning drill song. What's not to love? As much as I've loved various collaborations that each of these artists have worked on over the course of the year, this so clearly transcends anything else they've released that's touched the charts, and for good reason. As much as this could be perceived as your average rags-to-riches premise, the three rappers deliver some of their most memorable lines with complex flows and an engaging chorus sampled from the M-Dubs' "Bump 'n' Grind", as well as a Red Hot Chili Peppers guitar melody that contributes to the brooding atmosphere throughout.

The production is where this song really shines, differentiating itself from the rest of Headie One's disappointing debut that this is taken from due to its harsher yet more hazy feel. The beat skitters and skips in typical drill fashion, the warping bass coming in and out of the song without suffering from being too overbearing, or too indistinct, to grab onto. As I said in my initial review, this song's most impressive feat is its ability to bring so many differing songs and instruments into a cohesive, captivating tune, and whilst it may not be the most unique use of sampling it's certainly the most accomplished on this list. The song is a banger, and I hope to hear more in this vein from Headie One in particular.

3

"Blinding Lights"
The Weeknd

Peak Position: #1

Is this the most overrated song on this list? Yes. Does that mean it doesn't blow almost every other hit song of the year out of the water? No.

Over the years, The Weeknd has proven time and time again that he's capable of reviving retro sounds and delivering them with a devastating passion that's simultaneously thrilling and unjustifiably catchy, from the agonised wailing of "The Hills" to the calculated introspection of "Starboy", with many of his other hits scoring big with audiences of a wide demographic, the soundscapes of his music appealing to the masses whilst his edgier lyrics guaranteed him the attention of the youth.

In some regards it feels pointless to try and describe "Blinding Lights" - not futile, but unnecessary. Not only is it a song that everyone knows, it's also incredibly basic both structurally and instrumentally, the brute force of its synth riffs and the lavish, spacious production enabling it to become instantly memorable and undeniably catchy. Now, I'm pretty confident that a song like this would be ensured to succeed whenever it was released, but I do think that the year 2020 had a particular influence on the song's longevity.

Nobody could party in 2020. The pandemic stripped our lives of clubs and dancefloors, of discos and parties, and as fate had it "Blinding Lights", for as massive and inevitable as it is, lacks a standard danceable groove. Now, common as this may be for a song by The Weeknd, I do think this song was incredibly well suited to thriving in a world WITHOUT group dancing, and the personal lyrics are yet another element that suited being at home more than being at a party, as irrelevant as it would be in any other year. Regardless, you all know how huge this song is, and hearing this song is all you need to understand it. It might not be my favourite hit song of the year, but I have no doubt in my mind that this was THE song of the year.

2

"Levitating"

Dua Lipa

Peak Position: #5

Other than Justin Bieber, it was Dua Lipa who had the most songs applicable for either this or the worst list, and it was Dua Lipa who I knew from the start was sure to bag a song within my top three. I didn't expect it to be this song though. Missing out on a place in any of my seasonal chart rankings, this is the most recent hit song on this list, and one that I was shocked to find had become my favourite from the album given my persisting favouritism of "Future Nostalgia" and the aforementioned "Break My Heart". Surprising as it may have been, my change of heart has strong foundations, just like the song that caused it.

Compositionally, "Levitating" is the album's masterpiece, from the heavily modulated synth that plays throughout the track to the vocoded backing vocals to the overlooked but essential bass groove, culminating in a trap-adjacent middle 8 section of the kind that was sorely missed on the album's other tracks, a structural variation that I'm perhaps most impressed by. As excellent as all these elements are individually, it's the danceable thrill of the contemporary synth funk and stylish disco that this song lives and breathes that makes it so compelling, standing out in a year full of nostalgic pastiches by borrowing from the past but looking firmly to the future.

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Now, for as much as I love "Levitating", it's a song that I enjoy listening to for its euphoric atmospheric, phenomenal production quality and detailed composition. It's a song that I can love and f e e l, but it isn't a song I have any emotional connection to. As is often the case, my #1 is a different beast entirely, a song that has connected with me over the year, a song that I can relate to for its conscious, witty lyrics as much as its depressive, tragic undertones, a song that eschews melodrama in favour of a bleak, open truth, a criticism that applies as much to the singer as it does to a generation. My favourite hit song of 2020... 

1

"Don't Need Love"

220 Kid ft. GRACEY

Peak Position: #9

Here we go. The conscious hit that has the makings of an anthem for a generation, but one I fear will be forgotten as nothing more than another link in the long chain of hits that found success through TikTok. It will be branded forever by the brief seconds of its runtime that actually did capture a generation on the platform, but will likely never be appreciated for the bigger picture it presented. I have resigned myself to celebrating this song as an anthem for me, and one I will continue to love even without the acclaim I feel it should deserve.

Why is it so special to me though? Well, this is a song about modern relationships, about the failure to truly connect with people, of the crutches we become dependent upon to keep them alive, and the pursuit of "empty pleasure" that leads to nothing. These aren't topics typical to pop music, but they're topics that so often form the backdrop for pop music, often unknowingly, as the rise of "sad rap" has lead to an increase in the morbid undertones that took over circa 2016, the start of a new era of pop music that many accredit to Lorde's rejection of pop norms even earlier in 2013, her song "Royals" marking a turning point from indulgence and hedonism to introspection and self awareness.

Now, I'm not for a second going to make the argument that all pop music is like this, in fact I'd say it remains a minority even in 2020, but what I will say is that without this change, without the precedence for more undesirable emotions, without TikTok, this would never have been a hit. To me, this is the very best representation of what pop music can be moving forward, not instrumentally but conceptually challenging, breaking the mould by exposing the bitter truth and opening up without cringe or melodrama or self-indulgence. My favourite hit song of 2020.

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Once again, thank you so much for reading this list, and I promise there are more lists incoming very soon.

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