The Super Short Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2023

Let's be honest, 2023 was a wasteland for popular music but oddly enough I found plenty of stuff I like that made the year end of 2024 including a couple of songs that I was surprised but delighted to see made the year end list. It was an off year for pop in so many ways with plenty of the pop starlets opting to sit this year out or if they did release, they didn't impress me at all.

Anyway seeing as I am going to keep this super short, lets quickly go through the rules in case you don't know, a song can make this list if it debuted on ARIA's year end list for 2023 or appear higher on the 2023 year end list than it did on the 2022 list, Also this list is just my opinion so please don't get upset if your fave's song doesn't wind up here.

Now let's get stuck into this list'

10. "Escapism" by RAYE (Yeah, this faded on me a bit thanks mostly due to hearing it on the radio a lot but this is still an excellent song about somehow finding an escape from a terrible situation. By the way, check out RAYE's new single "Genesis")

9. "Miracle" by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding (Oh goodness, I didn't expect to love a god damn Calvin Harris trance song with Ellie Goulding just climbing straight to her lane, she sounds ethereal here. Love this!)

8. "Strangers" by Kenya Grace (Somehow I feel like this is going to be a one hit wonder which is unfortunate given her album "The Aftertaste" is really damn good and "Strangers" is apart of why, a drum 'n' bass song that delves into why they turn into strangers after kissing or talking for hours on end. It just became one of those songs I needed in 2023)

7. 'Lavender Haze"  by Taylor Swift (Of course a song from "Midnights" would make this list and it's the one that grew on me a lot since originally listening to the album, helps that the hook is damn sticky and the song is overall just a really tight slick pop song)

6. "Cruel Summer" by Taylor Swift (A song that became a hit and thus corrected history where because of COVID in 2020, this was not released as a single back then, that said "Cruel Summer" was always built to be a hit given that chorus and lines that actually make the song defiantly memorable)

5. "People" by Libianca (I was absolutely delighted that this song made the year end for 2023. Mostly because it's a song that nails what it's aiming for, a gentle afrobeats song where Libianca just wants people to stop for a moment and make sure that she is okay. I felt this one)

4. "I Remember Everything" by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves (This song is the 2023 "Somebody That I Used to Know" with Kacey Musgraves the perfect choice to break through all of Zach Bryan's ego with some much needed context and spiked some of the ego aired by Bryan. This was also a much needed song given the rise of the utter garbage that was "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen and was all the antidote I needed)

3. "Fast Car" by Luke Combs (Yeah, this feels a little like cheating putting a cover of Tracy Chapman's 1988 classic "Fast Car" in this slot but honestly, I don't care, Luke Combs singing about this girl dreaming moving out of home to escape poverty and make something better of her life despite her mother up and leaving not coping with her husband's alcoholism, its a song that reminds everyione that if you want change in your life, sometimes you have to effect that change for yourself. What I also love is that Combs loved the song enough not make any weird changes to it and honestly...I think that was for the best).

2. "What Was I Made For" by Billie Eilish (For the longest time, this was going to be my number one, this piano ballad just hit a way too personal note that is really not one that I want to have to explain. Look, go listen to this song, its pretty self explanatory why it's so high on this list)

1. "Chemical" by Post Malone

2016 me would be horrified to see Post Malone at the top of a BEST hit songs list but in 2023, Post Malone's "Chemical" was the soing that I kept coming back to a little more so than "What Was I Mde For", it became the pop rock jam I needed even if it does feel like Post Malone cribbed a lot from his 2019 hit "Circles" but if that's the case, I can argue tbat "Chemical" is just a better version of "Circles" especially as "Chemical" is a song where Posty is admitting that he and this girl go round doing the same shit because yeah, its chemical and addictive, there's a high to be had in it, I honestly get it. 

It's also why it's the best hit song of 2023

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2022

 So this best list is one of the harder ones I have had to write more because unlike 1989 where there was too much material, it felt like there was a lack of good to excellent songs due to either the ridiculous amount of older songs clogging the year end and if they were from this year, I just didn't  care for them or they outright pissed me off, don't get me wrong, there were great songs this year...just not as many of them... I will also say my number one best hit of the year is possibly one of the best hits of the whole decade thus far.

So reminder of the rules, a song can make this list if it debuts on or appears higher on the 2022 ARIA year end chart than it did during its original chart run

Older songs, if eligible, can make honourable mentions but not the top ten proper.

All clear? Alright, let's get this show on the road with some honourable mentions. 

HM1: "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush

I can already hear the shocked indignation already but here's the thing, I've never really connected that well with Kate Bush's music (I cannot stand "Babooshka") however I can respect the hell out of this song from 1985 that given modern pop music's current fawning over the 80s, it sounds modern. We owe Stranger Things a thank you for giving this song it's justly deserved top ten chart run in Australia and the USA.

HM2: "Another Love" by Tom Odell

Look, if this song had of made the year end in 2013, this would have placed number two or three on the best list. I love the barely restrained sadness and fear of losing this girl because he worries he might stuff his chance with this girl up in taking the first step but eventually realizes that he needs to take chances in order to find happiness. Great song.

HM3: "Cuff It" by Beyonce

So I am going to be honest and say that I wasn't head over heels for Beyonce diving into house/EDM unlike all the critics who panicked to praise Renaissance after it was released and "Break My Soul" is going to be one of those songs that doesn't age well at all  however "Cuff It" is actually one of the better songs from the alum, Beyonce sounds fantastic over a nu disco groove and even if the lyrics are a little repetitive, it's a good song, I'll take it.

HM4: "As It Was" by Harry Styles

Yeah...this was going to make the top ten but hearing it a little too often and Harry's rather oddly lethargic performance of his at the Grammys made it sour on me, that said this is still a solidly good song, it's got this gentle chill vibe to it that works in its favour. Yeah it probably deserves to be the biggest song of the year, I just hope "Harry's House' as a whole is not a sign of things to come

HM5: "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift 

 Chillax Swifties, there's more Taylor a bit later on the list proper. The only reason this didn't make the list proper is because there were ten songs I liked more but really, while this to a degree cheating because it comes from the rerecording of Red and Taylor making a ten minute version to break records , this is a really well fleshed out story and Taylor is always at her best when there's a moral ambiguity to her writing, it makes the ten minute run time well  worth it.

Now onto the list proper...

Number Ten

Look, I have said in the past that my number ten slot generally goes to a guilty pleasure....looks like I got my head out the sunroof.. 

"Sunroof" by Nicky You're and Dazy

I know, I know. The song is aggressively chipper and beyond basic also you do have to be in the mood for it and I was waiting to sour on it but it never happened even with the ridiculous amounts of radio airplay it got, this song was a bright spark of pure unadulterated fun where Nicky You're has his head out the sunroof of his car, blasting music and he has one thing on his mind...a girl.

Yeah, his words of love for this girl come across as clumsy and really clunky, the girl likely wouldn't be, impressed but for me, that adds to the charm of the song, it's cute, sweet and just way too much fun. Happy it became a hit.

Number Nine

It was that sort of year...I guess Bieber deserves to be here

"Ghost" by Justin Bieber

Yeah this is a 2021 leftover that debuted on the year end for 2022 and yeah, this is a pretty sweet little pop song even if the percussion is a tad too heavy and lyrically it does feel like Bieber is reaching... (he misses her more than life is a big over reach) but I get the sentiment of this Jon Bellion co-write, it's about missing a loved one be it through walk out or death and Bieber will still cling to the ghost of that person and the memories...something I do get having spent years clinging to memories of my grandmother out of fear I will somehow forget her so yeah this song holds more goddamn weight than I thought.

Number Eight

Remember what I said that when country music does chart in Australia, it's rarely ever good? Well that changed in 2022...

"The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs

Seems Nashville finally came to grips with utilising streaming to its benefit this decade which has actually helped make this song Luke Combs longest running hit in Australia and while "The Kind of Love We Make" is not Luke Combs best song he released in 2022 but there's a charm to this song that makes me love this song. Yeah, it's Luke Combs singing about sexy time with his wife but it's not like the song goes into explicit detail about the bedroom antics and Combs vocal delivery is full of passion which you'd hope for.

Also this is just sticky and melodic enough to get stuck in my head, it's just got enough in the production to keep the song passionate yet playful. Compared to a lot of sex songs, this is really tasteful. Good job, Luke.

Number Seven

Okay, this song might be one of the best things that both these two acts have done to date...

"My Universe" by Coldplay feat. BTS

Yeah, it made the year end...it's actually one of two songs I am thrilled made Aria's year end list for 2022 mostly because it's the best thing Coldplay have made since the album Viva La Vida, for BTS probably "Boy Wit Luv" feat. Halsey. What I like about thid song is how big this sounds which makes sense for a love song where Coldplay and BTS claim this girl is their universe and they just want to put her first which is sweet and works vocally for both Chris Martin and BTS.

Does it seem like pandering to the fanbase? Maybe but this song was one of those that made me smile every time I heard this. Definitely an under rated gem from 2021/22.

Number Six

Speaking of under rated gems...this one was ignored by the US which is a shame because...yeah... Elley Duhe deserves better.

"Middle of the Night" by Elley Duhe

This is the second song I am thrilled made the year end mostly because its great to highlight songs that become hits despite slippimg under the radar to a large degree and oh god, "Middle of the Night" just sounds like the title ofnthe song with the plucky guitars that have something of a Middle Eastern vibe and that dark, creepy atmosphere that gives the song its middle of the night feel. It also sounds like nothing else in 2022.

Elley Duhe can also command this kind of atmosphere too, she's calling for her lover to come to her in the middle of the night and love her in the lyrics and yeah, she sells it well even if it she reminds me a lot of Ellie Goulding however that chorus goes off and when its this good...I'll take it.

Number Five

This next song took its time to grow on me, it was good the first time I heard it and time only helped to convince me that this was great.

"B.O.T.A (Baddest Of Them All)" by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminals

I am so glad this clicked for me in 2022 because daaaammmmnnnn, "B.O.T.A" is fresh, smooth and would likely go off in the club. Eliza Rose manages to split the line between badass and cool. Its also one of the more interesting dance/club hits in years, it's just kind of summer fun that knows its value.

Great song!

Number Four

So Lil Nas X had a quiet 2022 with one notable exception...

"That's What I Want" by Lil Nas X

No joke, this was my number one song of 2022 for quite awhile. Somehow the best pop/rock that hit hardest was this slice of wonderful from Lil Nas X where he just wants a man he can cuddle withand someone to love him for who he is...something that we all want out of life, someone who wants us for who we are and somewhere to belong...its a basic need for us all. 

Hell, Lil Nas X is so keen for that man to love, he even says they can argue and fight but its that hook thats the crowning glory of this song and that shout of "That's what I fucking want" that underlines how much he wants that love and sense of belonging tlhats probably only gotten bigger since he became famous in the wake of "Old Town Road" but yeah, its still a damn great song.

Number Three

My top three best hit songs of the year all feel complicated, songs where the writing shines laying forth some hard emotions that are confronting especially whrn faced with the end of a relationship hence...

"Glimpse of Us" by Joji

Of any song that was a hit this year, this song being number one hit felt...weird in more than one way given Joji's well publicised background and history and given the messy at best album it comes from, this dark piano heavy song might be a single entity in Joji's career where Joji is stuck in the past remembering everything that this ex girlfriend did for him but now they have split up and she's found love again with somebody new yet every time Joji sees his ex with her new man, he sees a glimpse of when he was with her and cannot move past it wondering how he could have fixed things so she would have stayed with him instead.

Its a dark, toxic and frankly emotiinally complicated song that stole my heart for much of this year mostly because there was not much like it on the charts in 2022.

Number Two

There are songs that aren't meant to be hits like bar fests in hip hop, a rock song or even alt country songs like this...

"Something In the Orange" by Zach Bryan 

I remember the shock I felt seeing this debut on the ARIA singles chart, it didn't sound like anything else on the charts, I was sure this was going only be on the charts for a week but nope, its now spent 24 weeks on the chart and no wonder, its a song that surrounds you with its intense, broody atmosphere as Zach Bryan sees the end of his relationship in his partner's eyes like she has already mentally ridden off into the sunset having ended the relationship leaving Zach angry, sad and wondering what he can do save the relationship which he knows there may well be nothing he can do given how convinced she is that its over.

The music with that guitar that sounds like its been through the desert and Zach Bryan's vocals that to a degree remind me of the 90s alternative rock scene.

Its a gut wrenching song that burns brighter with every listen and made a break out star of Zach Bryan and very well deserved however its not number one so what could the number one best hit song be?

Number One

You know, she nor this song doesn't need any introduction but...god dammit, 2022 was the year Taylor Swift broke me...

"Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift 

This might be one of the best pop songs Taylor Swift has ever written and recorded, I instantly fell in love with this song the first time I heard it...this resonated hard for me in ways that shattered me emotionally, I won't go into detail about the awful 2022 I had (safe to say I nearly closed both my Twitter accounts). Its a song where late at night, Taylor thinks about her own behaviour and sees how those around her might percieve and remember her as while she's alive and long after she's died and the lyrics are just brutal where she acknowledges that some percieve an act of altruism by her as covert narcissism, on the hook, she sings "I'll stare directly at the sun butl never in the mirror" or how she's terrified fans will walk out and not return.

There's just so much I love about this song including Jack Antonoff's production which is just gorgeous here, it sounds like a pop song at midnight, especially in the breakdown where Taylor repeats the opening lines of the hook sounding progressively world weary and ragged like she's about to break down.

"Anti Hero" by Taylor Swift is the best hit song of 2022.

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 1989

Ahh onto what I actually like talking about...the music I loved from 1989 and really, I honestly disagree with the critics assessment that it was a bad year for music, we had Madonna at her best, some pretty great pop and rock was being awesome so much so I had way too much material so because I can't make up my mind at all, there will be no less than fifteen Honourable mentions spread out through this list... yes, that's  how good 1989 was...at least to me.

A quick reminder of the rules that in order for a song to make this, it must have debuted on the ARIA year end chart for 1989 or appear higher on the chart in 1989 than it did in 1988.

Let's not waste anymore time and look at our first five honourable mentions...

HM1: "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers

I know this will piss people off that this isn't in the top ten proper but it just doesn't click for me as much as it does for everyone else. Still is a good song though, I'll take it.

HM2: "Stuck on You" by Paul Norton

Australia's answer to Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp that probably doesn't get the attention that other more easily recognisable Australian songs do but honestly in a year where The Boss was quiet, this kicked a lot of arse. Nice song

HM3: "Wait" by Gyan

Another song that doesn't get a whole lot of attention but this works for that sweeping piano and Gyan's vocals which blew me away. She apparently re recorded "Wait" for her 2015 album This Girl's in Love" replacing the vastness of the original with a smaller cozy version using an acoustic guitar...well worth checking out both versions though.

HM4: "She Makes My Day" by Robert Palmer

It's actually really nice to see a less bombastic Robert Palmer song become a hit because yeah this is just a really nice love song that just feels easy to listen to and go back to unlike "Simply Irresistible" which felt kind of over the top in 1986 but not this song which makes my day whenever I hear it.

HM5: "Poison" by Alice Cooper

I was going to leave this off the list but I can't, that hook just goes off and Alice Cooper's charisma does wonders. Also, why isn't this song played at Halloween more often? It's made for it!

Let's start the list proper now...

Number Ten

You know it's noticeable these days that acts from New Zealand don't break through in Australia like they used to...sure, there's Lorde but L.A.B and Six60 are yet to break into the Australian market despite notching considerable success in their homeland however in 1989, this female artist continued to notch success on the Australian charts and...yeah...no wonder...

"She Has To Be Loved" by Jenny Morris

This is definitely a song that the critics wouldn't pick for their best lists, the hook is nauseatingly repetitive so I can see how how some would hate it but here's the thing, I love it because Jenny Morris is making it believable that this guy will one day find his perfect girl who wants to be loved and appreciated because it makes her feel loved and wanted...she needs that!

I also love the production which gives the vocals room to breathe and the sinuous bass that's just enough to keep the song moving. Can also hear potential for a country cover from somebody like Kelsea Ballerini. Great song!

Number Nine

This next pick might piss my mum off, she cannot stand this song but hey I am not doing this list for my mum's happiness soooo...

"She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals

I know what you are all thinking but when you have a hook that's incredibly infectious and makes you want to sing along to the point where I can overlook the background noises on the chorus that sounds like people being repeatedly jump scared but I get it? The song is about him being head over heels in love with a woman but the fact she isn't reciprocating those same feelings for him is driving him crazy however he can't help being in love with her.

Throw in that spasmodic guitar riff that's some off kilter enough to stick in the mind for days on end and paired with that falsetto that might be a little creepy but still works in the context of the song. 

Number Eight

Alright, rugby league fans you all know this next one...

"The Best" by Tina Turner

So I had a rough time with placing it on the list mainly due to the fact I am a rugby league fan, this song basically being synonymous with that code and is pretty much still the best anthem rugby league has ever had. I love Tina's somewhat raw yet powerful vocal delivery and the production that allows her to belt on the chorus in what is actually a love song that isn't sappy or over the top unlike a lot of love songs in 1989 (looking at you, Richard Marx "Right Here Waiting") and yeah, it's sweet and really kind of understated...I get why it's easy to forget it's actually a cover of Bonnie Tyler's song because yeah, Tina made this her own.

In 1992, Tina Turner would turn this song into a duet with Jimmy Barnes (a perfect duo...lol) for the Winfield Cup rugby league competition which didn't make my best hits list for 1992 but was damn close. Awesome song.

Number Seven

Speaking of Jimmy Barnes, it's time to talk about his bandmate from Cold Chisel who was notching his own solo success in 1989...

"Telephone Booth" by Ian Moss

"Whaaaaat? Where's 'Tucker's Daughter"?" I hear you cry, well as much as I think that song is pretty great, "Telephone Booth" is just slightly better in that it's a song that gives off all kinds of imagery and the appeal of this song does not need explaining the song is instantly as catchy as "Tucker's Daughter" maybe even more so. 

The song finds the protagonist out on some lonely highway somewhere, none of the issues he would have to confront at home to confront but along that drive on this desolate highway are these telephone booths reminding him tat he will have to confront the issues eventually after his escape from the horrors is over. Fantastic songbthat gets nowhere close to the attention it deserves.

Number Six

This was the last slot to fill on this list and yeah, I considered several songs but the one that felt the most right was this one....

"Chained to the Wheel" by The Black Sorrows

For the past couple of years, I have been in love with this song and yet if you listened to Joe Camilleri talk about it on ABC radio in April 2020, the song very nearly didn't make the cut which blows my mind because "Chained to the Wheel" is incredible from start to finish from the very unmistakeable opening to the brilliant interplay between Camilleri and Vika and Linda Bull, they trade verses on the song and wow, it's impressive

The song really does pack a punch lyrically though with a family on the breadline and chained to the wheel purely just survive with all the mouthes to feed am stuff going.

Either way, it says a lot about this song that in 1991, John Denver chose to cover the song...it's a solid cover as you'd expect from someone the calibre of John Denver. Fantastic song.

So before we get to the top 5, let's have five more honourable mentions...starting with...

HM6: "If I Could" by 1927

1989 was a great year for 1927 and with a song that has this much of a propulsive hook, it's no wonder!

HM7: "Cherish" by Madonna

I've always felt like this was a guilty pleasure song for me but yeah, I just find this really sweet even though, it's a bit ironic coming from Madonna of all people.

HM8: "I Don't Want a Lover" by Texas

This song just bangs! Sharpen Spiteri sounds incredible as she vows she just needs friendship not a romantic partner. Yeah, it sounds a little choppy but it works for me

HM9: "Onionskin" by BOOM Crash Opera

These here are crazy times so try keeping in mind that this unconventional song from BOOM Crash Opera is ridiculously catchy and so much fun so keep it in but don't cut it up and kick it out, okay?

HM10: "One Summer" by Daryl Braithwaite

This is one of those songs that is justbperfect for marking the end of summer with, it just sounds like a breezy late summer anthem as Daryl Braithwaite reminisces about a summer fling. Just competition for spots squeezed this one out

Now back to the list proper...

Number Five

I've said before how some songs don't hit me properly until I am adult which is how the passage of time did this song a favour or two and thus...

"The Living Years" by Mike + the Mechanics

This song just didn't do much for me as a kid but holy shit...as an adult, it packs a freaking hard punch. A song that starts small in terms of the production but whenthat chorus hits and that backing choir start singing...yeah, it's genuinely beautiful. The song just progressively gets bigger as the song goes. 

However what hits the hardest is the content, a father-son relationship that's combustible and they have never seen eye to eye on much of anything, then one day, the father has died and the son is now realising that he has no chance to talk to his father again to sort things out, build a better relationship and introduce that granchild.

Yeah, it's powerful stuff and worthy of being here.

Number Four

This is one of my favourite songs this band ever recorded and I am so beyond thrilled it was a hit in 1989...yeah, I want it all and I want it now...

"I Want It All" by Queen

I can't be the only person who kind of hears this song and hears it as a theme for the state of our society, right? Anyway all that set aside, "I Want It All" is truly an under rated Queen gem, written by Brian May about a somebody who is determined to achieve everything they want and in a hurry, most often not caring who they hurt.

I also love that Freddie Mercury and Queen embody the I want it all attitude in the delivery of the lyrics, seriously, Freddie had enough charisma for three trap rappers and then some, dude just nails it. Oh and the guitar solo bangs too.  Just a shame, AIDS robbed us of hearing Freddie sing this live. 

Number Three

Super groups are often hit and miss with me, sometimes there's the talent there but the song doesn't  come to much or in this particular case you put former Beatle George Harrison, Roy Orbison, ELO's Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan in room together and they come up with magic like this...

"Handle With Care" by The Traveling Wilburys

I mean this is a case of a song where there's almost too much talent for it too fail, that guitar riff that permeates through the song so much so the song is really comforting until you realize the lyrics are actually about somebody who is struggling looking for somebody who cares enough about them to talk to about their problems that yes can even come with success and asking this person to be compassionate and handle them with care as they are feeling particularly fragile.

Yeah, this is a song I can relate to a little too closely which is why it's so high on this list.

Number Two

So I don't always agree with the year end number one (see 2021 as proof) but for 1989, I can't disagree, this song is extraordinary and 1989 would prove to be one of the last years this artist released anything of genuine great quality...but just like a prayer, let her take us there...

"Like A Prayer" by Madonna

Let's just forget about the controversy around the music video because all that forgets that "Like a Prayer" is fucking awesome right from the electric guitar riff that opens the song before it stops and the organ and choir start then Madonna takes all the attention, she's the star of this song and she sounds incredible alone or harmonising with the choir.

I guess it can be interpreted as a love song which actually makes the lyrical duality of the song damn clever because according to Madoonna, it's about this girl who feels religious figure so close to her, she believes that this figure is a father figure in her life. Now I am not religious but I do kind of it get it. Normally a track this awesome would top this list, so what beat it?

Well before we find out, let's get to our final batch of honourable mentions, shall we?

HM11: "You Got It" by Roy Orbison 

A song released after Roy Orbison died and its just a gorgeous love song. The music industry today could only dream of handling posthumous releases this well. Great song.

HM12: "I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty

Yeah, this song has more resonance now than when it was released in 1989. Holy hell, a song about not backing down hits hard for me.

HM13: "Cry in Shame" by Johnny Diesel and The Injectors 

Lots of love songs in 1989, yet this was as nasty a break up song as we got on the year end list, blame being apportioned for the bitter break up of a relationship and the realisation that there's truly no one else to blame but yourself for where it went wrong. Also that sax solo is awesome.

HM14: "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss

What? Did you think I'd leave this off the list entirely? I was never going to do that, this song is a bonifide 80s Australian classic! Duh!

HM15: "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry

The most excruciating cut I had to make, God damn it, consider this my unofficial number eleven.

So back to the list proper, what topped this list?

Number One

Ahh the Swedes, they've done it again!

"The Look" by Roxette

I am going to say it... Roxette are the most under rated pop act to come out of Sweden, "Listen to Your Heart" only barely missed the cut for this list and they would go on to release one of my all time favourite songs in 1991 but oh gosh, "The Look" is just 80s pop perfection from the actual music with synths, guitar and drum that sound fresh, also helps the opening line of the song is memorable "Walking like a man, hitting like a hammer" sure is one hell of a way to draw people into a pop song.

Then throw in that instantly sticky chorus that will not ever leave your head for days, it's incredibly  infectious and fun in ways I cannot possibly explain here. The song refers to a woman who has this particular confident look about her that makes her extremely attractive and sexy...hey, kind of a call back to "She Has To Be Loved"  by Jenny Morris! 

Now, I will say that this song was nearly ruined by an ad for blinds and awnings in the 90s especially during cricket season but thank goodness, time and returning to the song helped me to love this amazing slice of pop music.

"The Look" by Roxette the best hit song of 1989.

 

The Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2002

I thought it might be fun to go back twenty years and look back on the music of 2002, this was the year of the female pop rock boom, suddenly the charts were being flooded with young women picking up guitars or playing piano with a heap more angst and attitude than the popular music scene had been used to in some time meanwhile hip/hop and R'n'B were picking up noticeably more success while rock...ugh, this was a rough year for the genre but I did manage to find some quality there that will appear on this list. 

2002 was also the last year before Australian Idol burst onto the scene in 2003 and created it's own brand of messiness on the charts. but anyway let's get stuck into this however quick reminder of the rules, for a song to make this list, it must have made the year end for 2002 or be a 2001 year end song that peaked higher on the 2002 year end. No abuse as this is my list, I am picking the songs I like from the 100 that made the 2002 year end list...got that? Good...let's goooo....

Number Ten

So as I said R 'n' B had a pretty good year in 2002 with there being plenty to choose from on the year end for 2002 but I certainly won't be picking the sloppily produced "Dilemma" by Nelly and Kelly Rowland or the forgettable "Foolish" by Ashanti but you know the R'n'B love song that did it well in 2002? It was this...

"U Got It Bad" by Usher.

Usher in the early 2000s was one of those R'n'B acts who could pull off the smooth, suave love songs like this one in his sleep and while his 2001 hit "U Remind Me" was decent, "U Got It Bad" is on another level with Usher being o incredibly attracted to this girl that's in the studio where he and others are trying to record Usher's third album but after an argument she left causing those working with Usher at the time booting Usher from the studio due to Usher's apparent attraction to this girl and he does sound like a lovesick puppy on the song. Throw in some great production thanks to Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael Cox and we get something smooth and rather sophisticated for an r'n'b love song.

Number Nine

In 2002, the charts took on a latin tinge with Las Ketchup going on to have their big hit "The Ketchup Song (Asjere)" but that wouldn't be all as stars like Enrique Iglesias would impact the charts this year but there was one other Latin star who got her big break this year with this song being the opening salvo from a remarkably successful album...

"Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira.

It's taken me some time and space for me to get past the ridiculousness of the line "Lucky that my breasts are small and humble...so you don't confuse them with mountains" line which nearly tips the song into outright ridiculousness however with that time, I've come to appreciate that "Whenever, Wherever" is genuinely a fantastic pop song that allows Shakira's charisma and personality to shine through something that we didn't see that often in the carefully managed world of 2000s pop starlets like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera (both had songs on the year but won't making this list) as the production sounds big around her and that guitar intro that opens the song is genuinely one of the best moments in pop music of the year. Also check out "Laundry Service'...an under rated gem of an album.

Number Eight

Here's another such case of me needing time and space to grow up and in that time realize what a masterpiece this particular song is...although if you have heard what he has released in recent years then hearing when he was at his best in 2002 would be a thing to behold and hence...

"Lose Yourself" by Eminem

Eminem had multiple songs make the ARIA singles year end for 2002 but it was "Lose Yourself" the biggest hit of the year taken from the soundtrack of the movie "8 Mile" that was Eminem's best moment of the year, a song with a coursing rock edge thanks to the guitar and Eminem describing those moments just before going on stage where the chorus is this triumphant encouragement from Enimem to just forget the nerves, forget the want to vomit and just lose yourself in the music and the moment because this is the only opportunity you might ever have to nail it in your lifetime. It's Eminem's best single and a reminder of what Eminem is capable of.

Number Seven

The 2000s are full of actresses who would try their hand at making pop music...and I kind of feel like there's one actress who turned pop singer that doesn't get the attention her music probably deserved at the time, well that lack of attention changes today because yeah, it's time to pay attention to Jennifer Love Hewitt..

"Barenaked" by Jennifer Love Hewitt

I must stress that this is not Jennifer Love Hewitt's best song and when I get around to making a best hit songs list for 1999, you'll see why but "Barenaked" still does a lot right, that great piano that does enough to lend support to Jennifer Love Hewitt's voice and makes me believe that she's had that kind of dream where everyone is staring at her as she walks down the street naked with all her insecurities and worries on display for everyone including strangers to see, its an feeling that's she is too tired to hide from anymore.

This song and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a musician are extremely under rated. I might have more to say about Jennifer's music when I get around to covering 1999 but for now this song is a classic and well worth your time.

Number Six

Well she's coming up so let's get this party started, ehh?

"Get The Party Started" by Pink

This is the song that sparked my recent disappointment (see my "Worst Hit Songs of 2021" list) at Pink's ongoing drift into easy listening garbage that radio plays to death because it's ultimately safe but also isn't fun to listen to or suits Pink's personality. "Get the Party Started" was the opening salvo from Pink's second album "Missunderstood" which spawned two year end hits however "Get the Party Started" is just a banger from start to finish, the song was written by 4 Non Blondes frontwoman and well renowned songwriter Linda Perry but Pink owns the song where she's making it all about her arrival at this party and you'd better make sure you are up for the party because she sure as hell is. It's the sort of dance pop that 2002 really did need and Pink provided it. 

Number Five

Here's where the rock music starts showing up, the first of them from a band that were only just starting their run of success...

"In the End" by Linkin Park

While I didn't mind Linkin Park's lead single "One Step Closer", it was the fourth single from "Hybrid Theory" that hit me the hardest with it's lyrics connected to Chester Bennington growing up and how he was bullied as a youth and how in the end his bullies never really made much of an impact on him and now to him it doesn't even matter especially after he tried and could only get so far, What I love here is how Mike Shinoda's rapping on the verses counters nicely with the chorus sung by Chester Bennington because you can feel the frustration that Bennington is feeling.

For me though? This song connects in a lot of god damn ways, most of them too personal for me to want to go into or even reopen some pretty horrible memories that I've kind of kept tucked away and tried to forget even happened and in 2002, this song helped a lot....that's all I'll say.

Number Four

So in 2002, Silverchair released this song as a single and yeah, it was one of the best hit rock songs of the year...

"The Greatest View" by Silverchair

Silverchair, by this point, were becoming a staple on the Australian singles charts to the point that it was a surprise if a song of theirs wasn't on the charts however I will say that of any hit that Silverchair had, that "The Greatest View" is easily the most under rated mostly because that hook is a monster and Daniel Johns sound absolutely awesome here and it's a song that earns that massive hook. I also love how the intro makes it sound like the music is weaving through a maze while the lyrics about a groiup of people have different perceptions of the same problem as they made sure Johns didn't go back into the same mess as before but Johns is aware of what is going and is able to ensure he doesn't fall back himself knowing that people have got eyes on him.

Damn terrific song that when people are revisiting Silverchair's discography doesn't get enough attention and kudos.. Nice work.

Number Three

It honestly feels weird to be talking the start of this artist's career with her new album out right now however I couldn't ignore her debut single...a song I always have loved....

"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne

Yeah, it was this song and not "Sk8er Boi" that made the top ten, I'll get to why when I talk about "Sk8er Boi" a bit later but "Complicated" is the sort of pop rock jam that sold Avril Lavigne to me instantly especially with her attitude (I don't buy she was the anti Britney of the time, I tend to think Avril was filling a gap in the mainstream)" and that music video where Avril and her band are causing charos at a shopping mall but I just love how "Complicated" sounds like a sharper singer/songwriter cut with Avril expressing frustration with how this dude is acting and why he is making every damn thing seem bigger than it really is which I actually kind of get especially in 2002 with everything especially on the internet magnified to be ten times bigger than it really is.

Nine the less, "Complicated" is fantastic and worthy of a place on this list.

Number Two

So in 2002, there was a boom in singer songwriting women and while the world focussed on Avril Lavigne in 2002, there was another young woman making something of her own breakthrough and she is on this list...

"All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch

So while Avril Lavigne was taking up most of the attention, Michelle Branch was carving a name out for herself following the release of her other big 2002 hit "Everywhere" but it was the ballad "All You Wanted" that captivated me with lyrics dealing with somebody that Michelle has looked up to shutting her out despite him wanting somebody to look out and care for them in the same way they did for others and Michelle offering to help them if they want her to with the guitar and drums feeding into that feeling of isolation and yeah just lately this song hits pretty god damn effectively. Great song from "The Spirit Room", an album that really does stand up quite well.

So what beat it for the number one spot? Well before I reveal the number one, here's five honourable mentions...

"Escape" by Enrique Iglesias

Here's a song that plays toward latin that like other songs that actually made the top ten, I needed time to learn to appreciate but this is arguably one of Enrique Iglesias better singles. It's tight and catchy plus Enrique's personality shines. The thing is I like it rather than love it and liking it wasn't enough to get it into the top ten.

"Not Pretty Enough" by Kasey Chambers

Again another case of like rather than love but there's a warm country feel as Kasey Chambers questions whether's she pretty enough for this guy even though she is just as human as he is and has been waiting long enough for love to come her way. Good song.

"Sk8er Boi" by Avril Lavigne 

Yeah I like "Complicated" more than this song. "Sk8er Boi" is still a good song with Avril telling the story of how this girl rejected a skater boy who went on to become big with his rock band and winds up performing on MTV (which does date the song a bit considering MTV's turn toward absolute reality trash over music but that's another discussion point for another day) however the song is still all kinds of kick ass with the raging guitars and Avril slipping between story teller mode and potentially her being this girl that the guy is dating. It's good just not the best song on "Let Go"

"Love At First Sight" by Kylie Minogue

So the last two are the two where the cuts where a bit painful and this song's case was helped by me having a urge to go back and listen to some of Kylie's big hits lately thanks to my love of songs like "Shocked" and "Better The Devil You Know" but "Love at First Sight" might be up there as one of Kylie's defining songs of the 2000s, that hook is truly incredible and that opening line does hit hard, it's a terrific song from a singer that everyone apart from Australia and the UK severely under rated

"Don't Let Me Get Me" by Pink

This so nearly made the list instead of "Get the Party Started" mainly because "Don't Let Me Get Me" was a move toward a more forward thinking pop/rock sound that she would prove to something of a leader of later in the 2000s during the pop/rock boom. "Don't Let Me Get Me" is Pink's moment where she realizes that she herself doesn't want have her personality get swallowed up by her fame and success or be forced to change who she is. Just a damn shame that she's turned to easy listening nonsense when the time is right for her to return to the pop/rock she was so good at.

So with all that done, let's get to the number one...

Number One

So I am well aware that this artist is considered a one hit wonder but I've never really been against putting artists who are deemed one hit wonders high up on my best list when the songs have been deserving and in this case, this is a song that is deserving of the number one slot and given we're in the midst of a 2000s revival, I think it might be time to look at this particular artist again and sooo

"A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton

In 2002, this was the little piano love drenched song that could from at the time a relative American no name, Vanessa Carlton that comes across as sincere as it's basically pop's answer to The Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" where Carlton sings about missing a loved one so much so she'd walk a long distance just to be with that person, she is missing and it's a sentiment that I think is really sweet and sincere made all the more so by the strings kicking in on the back half of the song. Yes, I've made jokes abut the ridiculousness of the accompanying music video but I do genuinely love this song and it's only gotten better as time has gone on.

"A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton the best hit song of 2002.

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2021

Well now we get to the list that's always the hardest for me that being the top ten best hit songs of any given year...yeah I work from what makes the ARIA singles year end for the year but there's also combing through the list, finding the songs that ruled my year and than figuring out where each song fits on some subjective list for the sake of this blog and truth be told, I was sorely tempted to drop the whole idea of a top ten because really in 2021, there was A LOT of good music that made the ARIA year end for 2021..when I can pull a seolid 21 good to great songs out as contenders for this list and have headaches ordering then I guess even with how transitional popular music felt in terms of trends last year. 

Anyway let's get to the rules for this list.

1. A song can only make this list if it debuted on the year end for 2021 or is a 2020 year end song that's higher on the 2021 list

2. A new rule here due to the ARIA year end being constantly full of old songs so if a song is older than 2020 and debuting on the year end list for 2021 then it's eligible for honourable mention only as i don't think it's fair for older songs to make the top ten and I think the top ten should reflect the music released in 2021. 

3. This my list, my opinion so please don't abuse me in the comments.

So moving on to our six honourable mentions and right off the bat, it's time for controversy because...

"My Ex's Best Friend" by Machine Gun Kelly feat. Blackbear

Somewhere along the line it became cool to hate on Machine Gun Kelly and honestly...I've never ever felt that way toward him...yeah even for that awful collab with Camila Cabello back in 2017 and all the other douchebag things he has done, I've mostly been ambivalent toward him however this infectious slice of pop/rock wormed its way into my heart in 2020 thanks to MGK's album "Tickets to My Downfall" and I'm absolutely thrilled that this became a hit because this is a bewildered MGK trying to figure out his complicated feelings on relationships and rebound relationships...even Blackbear does better than usual here (he is the worst part of that new Avril Lavigne song) and the song is short enough so that the listener doesn't get sick of it. Love it!

"Leave Before You Love Me" by Marshmello feat. Jonas Brothers

Ohh, I know this one is also going to be controversial but this song kind of hits akin to "It Ain't Me" by Kygo and Selena Gomez in terms of artists I don't care for coming together to make a really good song and that's the case here with Marshmello finally producing a song where he gets out of his own way in the production booth and the Jonas Brothers do a really damn solid job of selling a song where they are warning this girl that she's going to fall in love and end up getting hurt if she doesn't leave the club now. Nice job by both acts.

"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

I think the controversy that surrounded this one with the music video and the shoes kind of made people forget that this song is actually pretty damn good, it's the moment that Lil Nas X completely shed his image as the guy who made that ubquitous 2019 meme song and told the public in no certain terms that he is more than taking that horse down Old Town Road injecting many LGBTIQIA+ themes into his debut full length album and this song is almost the centrepiece of that where Lil Nas X tells his lover that he doesn't want to be on the downlow with regard to his sexuality and also addresses the pressure he feels to represent the LGBTIQIA+ community in the music industry and that really takes a heck of a lot of guts to do and it's damn great song to boot. More Lil Nas X later on this list.

"Drivers License' by Olivia Rodrigo

Word of warning, you are going to be seeing plenty of Olivia Rodrigo on this list and that's mostly because I do think Sour is a really damn good album, yeah, its centred around her teenage heartbreak but it's not like its coming from a 25 year old woman who is five or six years past teenagerdom, Olivia is actually a teenagerr and this year put her emotions and energy into a song all about her excitement about finally getting her drivers license and being able to drive to see her boyfriend only he isn't there and is likely cheating on her which is something that angers and devastates Olivia because she's very clearly still in love with the asshole in question as evidenced by the line "I still fucking love you, babe", the only reason that it's not on the list proper is because there were a heap of really damn good songs that pushed above it.

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

The suspicion I have about this song is that people backed away from it because it sounded a little weird and s little too experimental coming from a teenager who had just released the massive break up ballad yet here's "Deja Vu" a slice of pop rock that had all these little quirks in the instrumentation as Olivia asks if her ex is having moments of deja vu when he takes his new girl out to do all things he used to do with Olivia, it's not quite angry but more wistful as Olivia remembers all that stuff she and the guy did together and hopes he does too...either way this song grew on me A LOT in 2021. Good stuff.

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

The fact that this made the year end for the first time in 2021 is mindblowing to me however even if I didn't have my rule with regard to older songs on the year end in place, this still would have been only an honourable mention...yeah it's a damn great song and Stevie Nicks is an amazing performer however combine this song being on the singles chart all year along with the cover by Jolyon Petch and I got tired of the song pretty damn quick combine that with the fact that Fleetwood Mac have better songs than this in their cannon. I still love "Dreams" but boy, am I ready for a break from it.

Now to the list proper....

Number Ten

So before I saw the ARIA singles year end for 2021,  I was all set to put this guy's Billboard Hot 100 number one on this list, that was until the year end was released and I saw that this other song of his had made the year end and what a delight it is...

"Martin & Gina" by Polo G

I was shocked this made the ARIA year end so much so I screamed with shocked delight when I saw it as it didn't feel like that much of a hit but my god I am happy it's here. Polo G is one of the newer acts in hip hop along with Rod Wave that I really keep an eye on and let me tell you "Martin & Gina" is excellent mostly because it subverts the expectation that it's going to be another luxury brag rap where Polo G goes on about he can afford to spend thousands on buying his girlfriend jewellery and whatever the hell she wants but rather to rap about the ups and downs and give and take of their relationship over this really nicely textured guitar and while "Rapstar' was close to the list, I like to think "Martin & Gina" is the song that made Polo G one of the best up and coming rappers in hip hop.

Number Nine

2021 was the year I spent saying that SZA deserved so much better from her label and basically from everyone around her, when she releases songs like this one, can you blame me?

"Good Days" by SZA

2021 was the year that I got what makes SZA a compelling R'n'B artist, she's got such a wonderful command of her atmosphere to create a song that brings its own sonic world to life with it, it's a song that's just so gentle and relaxing that it makes you forget that world is in a pretty terrible state right now and then there's SZA who is seeking to have more good days and moving on from the bad things that happened in her past eg: bad relationship and letting go of the awful things that have happened to her in the past. It's just really vibey, inspiring song which is rare to find these days especially in the mainstream but I think this song got there for me. Can we get that new SZA album this year? It's about god damn freaking time and....SZA DESERVES BETTER!

Number Eight

So remember my worst list when I criticised Keith Urban's "One Too Many". Turns out he is appearing on the best list too...

"Love Songs Ain't for Us" by Amy Shark feat. Keith Urban

Okay, so this isn't fully on Keith Urban here, "Love Ain't For Us" is actually Amy Shark providing a really damn good vocal performance where the production on the vocals for once also works wonders plus it makes sense that this song is an Ed Sheeran co write given the lyrics of the song but the song does deserve it as the song is a bare bones ballad about how sometimes no love song describes feelings between two people even if the relationship sits at a crosspoint where they not friends or lovers but somewhere between. It's definitely one of those songs to be played toward the end of a school dance or party. Check this song out.

Number Seven

So I was all set to put Lil Nas X's most recent hit on this list but as that one missed the ARIA year end, I took a moment, relistened to this one and well...

"Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow

Let me say this, if Lil Nas X didn't have the bucket loads of charisma, a song like this doesn't work at all and that instrumentation is grand and actually fits in quite well with Lil Nas X clapping back at those who dare hate him especially after the controversy around the "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" video and the shoes.and he does so brilliantly using his charisma to chop his haters down to appropriate sizes...you'd kind of hope the haters now realize that Lil Nas X will leverage their hate and turn it into hilarious promo for his music but then Jack Harlow shows up to deliver one his best verses of his career...his whole verse is just absolute gold

" don't clear up rumors (ayy), where's y'all sense of humor? (Ayy)I'm done makin' jokes 'cause they got old like baby boomers
Turned my haters to consumers, I make vets feel like they juniors (juniors)
Say your time is comin' soon, but just like Oklahoma (mmm)
Mine is comin' sooner (mmm), I'm just a late bloomer (mmm)
I didn't peak in high school, I'm still out here gettin' cuter (woo)
All these social networks and computers
Got these pussies walkin' 'round like they ain't losers"

It's damn brilliant and a sure sign that Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow will be well worth keeping around for a long time 

Number Six

So this next song is a 2020 song that thanks to Triple J's Hottest 100 and it's second place ranking behind "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals, it charted on the singles chart high enough and long enough to make the year end and that song is on this list...

"Booster Seat" by Spacey Jane

This was a song that put a smile on my face every time I heard it during 2021, it's the sort of song that you play while on a long drive on a freeway during summer with the windows down and that guitar that starts the song bringing this chill vibe even during the heat of summer with Spacey Jane singing about being in the booster seat of a car. 

It also helps that that chorus is one of the best of the year with a song that actually builds up into the chorus rather than dropping down which is something I don't hear enough of in modern music these days...the chorus is supposed to be the central part of a song...build up to it rather than build down. This is just as anthemic as 'Booster Seat" was last year. Definitely check this out. 

Number Five

The best way to describe Ed Sheeran's year last year was mixed, sure, he has two hit songs with both making ARIA"s year end but specifically to find the Ed Sheeran song making this list, you need to go back to the end of 2020 to find it and thus...

"Afterglow" by Ed Sheeran

I never cared for "Bad Habits" and while "Shivers"  did grow on me, it just didn't do enough to make this list (tough competition this year and being merely decent was not enough) but it was the paired back and folky "Afterglow" that hit the Ed Sheeran sweet spot for me this year, its the sort of quietly great song that was needed coming out of an awful year that made me feel better about a lot of things and gave me hope for the next year (that really only kind of turned into an almost carbon copy of 2020 with lockdowns etc) and while Ed Sheeran hasn't definitively explained what the song is about, some have determined that the song maybe a love song to his wife but for me, "Afterglow' became the song for letting go of the bad shit and moving forward with the good. Great song, Ed.

Number  Four

Well what's a 2021 year end best list without this song on it?...

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

Some of you will be surprised at how low this is on my list but the truth is that I love other songs on "An Evening With Silk Sonic" just that little bit more however even with that this is still a damn fantastic song with Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars knowing what makes this sort of retro 70s soul go down smooth and easy with the audience and knowing the bounds of good taste with lyrics enticing this young woman into their home by leaving the door open for her should she decide to come over for a romantic evening...and yeah, given how good this song went down in 2021, I was up for it. 

Number Three 

So with the previous song and the next three songs, they were all automatic picks for this list for me and given I think this song will make the best hit songs lists for 2022 in the US, I'm glad I can add it to this list for 2021...

"Easy On Me" by Adele

So many people said upon hearing "Easy On Me" that it wasn't a lead single song and yet I'd argue that it's the perfect lead single especially given everything that has happened, this is Adele taking the decision to end her marriage and begging her ex and her son to go easy, she did what she had to do to find herself again as the love in her marriage had gone and she realized she and her ex were staying together for the sake of their son which didn't make Adele happy. What I love about this song is that it's just Adele's vocals, a piano and some strings...that's it...all ttat's left is Adele's incredible ability to knock a song like this out of the god damn park with her charisma. Fantastic song.

Number Two

So when I was formulating my plans for my 2020 year end best hit songs list this particular song was going to be my number one best hit for 2020 so colour me sad and disappointed when it didn't make the year end for that year but thankfully due to it's ridiculous longevity, it made the ARIA year end for 2021 and so...

"Levitating' by Dua Lipa

Yeah, the asshole that is Father Time kinf of did a bit of a number and the DaBaby feature and subsequent controversy over his big mouth kept this from the top spot with regard to me placing this  but if you strip away all that outside noise and focus on the original version of "Levitating" (which made the year end rather than the remix), it's still a damn GREAT pop song, it's got just enough of those 70s grooves but doesn't go the whole way to feel like a pastiche to the past and Dua Lipa has got that effortless charisma to make the song just sound like an absolute party. It's great fun and in a year like this one, this song was the relief I needed but there was one song that connected for me like nothing else in a year where things in the world stopped making sense so what could it be.

Number One

So let's talk about music made by teenage girls...more specifically pop/rock that dives more toward teenage angst something that Avril Lavigne and others cornered in the early part of this new mess of a millennium so bring on a year like 2021 where pop/rock and pop punk is making a return to the spotlight combine that with a teenage girl's messy relationship break up and you get this...

"Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo

I never could understand the criticism of Olivia Rodrigo's writing her debut album about her relationship break up, after all she is writing about something she has lived through, worked through feelings on and is now pulling from the break up for her music which is absolutely what Taylor Swift and so many other artists before Olivia Rodrigo have done and 'Good 4 U" is a highlight on "SOUR" where Olviia manages to sound righteously sarcastic and angry even though she's losing her dignity over this douche moving on with another girl without caring about Olivia and making sure that she is okay. 

And it's that lack of care from her ex that sparks the undignified rage from Olivia that works so well against the guitars that I have missed in popular music for years and the drums do a lot here to help keep the song in balance. 

Oh yeah, this song features the best two seconds in pop music where Olivia yells "LIKE A DAMN SOCIOPATH" and for all of that...it's the best hit song of 2021,

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 1992

It’s time to flip the script and talk about the songs that made 1992 somewhat tolerable to a large degree. I wasn’t lying when I said that 1992 was a rough year for the ARIA singles chart with rock having an incredible year with quality everywhere, pop also had its moments of quality as did hip hop and R’n’B but overall the year trended toward dull and sappy ballads especially in pop and the New Jack Swing sound is starting to sound really washed out however I did manage to piece together a top ten best hit songs along with five honourable mentions but before we get started, let’s go over the rules…

1.       For a song to make this list, it must have made the ARIA Year End top 100 for 1992… a song from 1991 is eligible if it peaked higher on the 1992 year end than it did in 1991.

2.       This isn’t a definitive list of the best songs of 1992; this list is my opinion only. Not that of any music historian or what any outlet would choose to canonise from a specific year (I am certain a few choices here would have me thrown out anyway).

Now that’s clear, let’s get the show on the road with a song that I’m certain will be one of the most contentious picks of this list but the more I heard this song the more it made me love it so thus…

 

10. “I Love Your Smile” by Shanice

I think I seem to spare my number ten pick on the best list for any given year for a guilty pleasure song, songs that I love but know they would never be canonised by the critical set and “I Love Your Smile” by Shanice is one of those kind of songs..hell, I’ve seen it on worst lists for 1992 however I could never bring myself to hate this song, it’s a pop/r’n’b song where she’s in love with this guy’s smile and wants to be a better person because of this guy, it’s kind of cute…even if I am not sure Shanice should be sitting in class daydreaming and staring out the window…

Also, Shanice’s inflection on the line “I love your smile” makes the song feel incredibly genuine and the production even with the whistling (doesn’t help the song at all and put a couple of slots lower than I would have placed it) gives the song an infectious spirit that makes me want to tap my toes, it’s that bright, warm sunny song that makes my day every time I hear it…makes me feel better on a bad day, it’s not perfect but yeah sometimes it’s that song I need to hear.

 

So we’re going straight from a bright sunny pop/r’n’b song where the song is just scratching the surface to a song that is dealing with a considerably darker subject matter…

 

9. “Tennessee” by Arrested Development

Yeah, this is a tough song to write about but it deserved it’s place here, it’s a song inspired by Arrested Development’s frontman Speech meeting up with his brother at their grandmother’s funeral only for his brother to die in the same week as their grandmother’s funeral due to a severe asthma attack and as a way of coping and sorting through the trauma, Speech wrote “Tennessee” and asking whoever is up there to look after him in life and guide him knowing the last place he saw the people he loves alive was in Tennessee.

It’s this slice of catchy hip hop riding a sample of Prince’s 1988 song “Alphabet Street” with the production being upbeat which makes sense given that Speech is healing and trying to find his way in the world and honestly, I think I love it for the reason that it’s a song about finding hope even when those you love pass on, it works for that reason. I’m only sad it took me until 2021 to find it, great song!

 

You might remember that I said 1992 was a great year for rock music, well here’s the first proof of that…

 

8. “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica

That haunting guitar in the beginning that introduces the song and gives the song the lonely vibe before the drums kick in precisely before James Hetfield starts singing about the constant touring the band was doing at the time and missing somebody who is at home but more importantly the song never actually defines who that person is that Hetfield is missing (he has said in interviews it was a song for his girlfriend at the time) which allows for that more personal connection for the listener and really just makes the song hit even harder and even more powerfully especially as the orchestra kicks in.

To those of you who have only heard the Miley Cyrus cover of the song, I really recommend going back and listening to the original because yeah while Miley’s cover is damn good, the gut punch in the original is even more powerful and stronger.

 

Well, this was a rough pick, two songs by the same artist fought over this spot hard but in the end I ended up going with…

 

7. “Not a Day Goes By” by Rick Price

I agonised over this slot so much because “Heaven Knows” is a beautiful piano ballad that I wish I could have found room for in the top ten on this list however I gave it to “Not a Day Goes By” because Rick Price sells the frustration with himself here damn well, he is wondering what he did to drive this girl away and wonders how he got to being this person that so badly needs somebody he can cuddle at night and feels lost without her and the hook sounds so genuinely sweet and sincere in telling her, he is constantly thinking of her. Throw in the keyboards and guitars supporting Price’s vocals and I was sold…this is a great Aussie pop/rock song.

 

Originally, I was planning to leave this song off the list altogether not even an honourable mention but when I relistened to it to be sure of my feelings about it…the more I realized the song deserved to be on the list and well…

 

6. “Djapana (Sunset Dreaming)” by Yothu Yindi

I was shocked this made the year end for 1992, sure, Yothu Yindi had a massive year in 1991 thanks to “Treaty” but “Djapana (Sunset Dreaming)” didn’t even feel like a hit and I am also surprised just how much of a forgotten gem of a song it is in Australian music especially when you consider just how well traditional Aboriginal instrumentation like the didgeridoo and clapsticks blend in with the more European style electronic elements with the lyrics taken directly from age old ceremonial repertoires  that belonged to Gumatj and Rirratjingu clans, musing on that red sun sinking in the sky taking the vocalist back in his mind to memories of home as he battles homesickness and worry, something that in the end even as a white person even with my worries being very different than those of those missing their mobs in Arnhem Land, this song resonated for me at the end of things and I am so glad it made my list.

 

Well, I don’t think I need to even introduce this song…

 

5. “Under the Bridge’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Let’s not mince words here, “Under the Bridge” is the sort of rock behemoth that is unmatched even by the Red Hot Chili Peppers themselves, it’s the sort of killer rock song that blows the listener away and remains a rock classic to this day. Lead vocalist Anthony Kiedis wrote the song to vent his feelings of despondency, loneliness and just how much narcotics had impacted his life to the point he was recording “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” with the rest of Red Hot Chili Peppers and right from the outside you can feel the loneliness in Kiedis vocal delivery. So glad that the Peppers producer Rick Rubin encouraged Kiedis to share the lyrics because otherwise we might not have gotten absolute rock classic.

 

I don’t know what it says about me that this next song flung itself so high up this list but yeah, this song got here by breaking my heart…

 

4. “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough” by Patty Smyth and Don Henley

I am going to keep this one brief because I’m not sure how I can explain how or why this song hits me the way it does, it’s the moment where a relationship is on the verge of breaking down because not working how they want it to and they realize they’ve been blind to it because they still love each other but love isn’t enough to justify staying in a crumbling relationship. It’s a song that just gets way too real and honest and sometimes a song like this is what is needed…I’ll leave it right there…

 

Well, that got dark and too real for moment there…so let’s brighten this list up for moment, shall we?

3. “Jump” by Kriss Kross

I don’t know how anyone can listen to “Jump!” and not at least nod their head with it, it’s this 3 minute 15 second lightning in a bottle of a debut single which samples artists ranging from Jackson 5 to Naughty by Nature, it should have been a mess of a song but no, thanks to the production team, it works better than it has any right to. The lyrics written by producer Jermaine Dupri after he observed people jumping at a concert and performed by two twelve year olds from Atlanta manage to have more charisma and energy than most of the trap scene in 2021. We don’t get these sort energetic rap songs with a damn good groove and magic choice of sampling in 2021 but we got it in 1992, I guess that’s something to be grateful to 1992 for? Right?

This song was all set to be my number one pick, hell, this is a song I’ve LOVED for years, it’s an instant thing for me to sing along to it on the radio but something has to finish second thus…

 

2. “Tip of My Tongue” by Diesel

Yeah, that guitar line gets me every god damn time and Diesel expressing that frustration of knowing what he wants to say to this girl to the point the words are right there and he is about to say but he gets nervous when she gets close, he forgets and she walks away with Diesel begging her not to walk away. It’s the sort of song that is just an easy sing along every time which is something Diesel is so good at especially on his “Hepfidelity” even with the hook being more repetitive than I would like, it’s still one of the best hit songs of 1992. Great song

 

So before we get to our number one, how about five honourable mentions

 

HM 1: “Take It From Me” by Girlfriend

Of all the songs from girl groups to hit the chart in 1992, Girlfriend’s ‘Take It From Me” was the best of them especially as Girlfriend and “Take It from Me” becoming a hit were probably responsible for the start of the girl power trend that would become big in music in the mid 90s however what I like about “Take It From Me” is that it’s just a simple pop song about this girl reassuring a boy that he doesn’t need to cry or carry on anymore as he can trust her and she’ll be good to him. I enjoyed Girlfriend way more than I probably should!

 

HM 2: “That Word (L.O.V.E)” by The Rockmelons feat. Cutty Ranks, Nardo Ranks and Deni Hines

Speaking of simple pop songs…this one hit the joy receptors like nothing else. Every time I heard this song it made me smile and that hook is an absolute monster. Damn good song

 

HM 3: “Remember the Time” by Michael Jackson

This is not the best Michael Jackson single in 1992 but of anything of Michael’s to make the year end for 1992, I’d take “Remember the Time” over anything else especially with that new jack swing style that was common this year and often misused. The song inspired by Michael describing how he fell in love; the song was dedicated to Jackson’s friend Diana Ross. Pop music misses you, Michael.

 

HM 4: “Justified & Ancient” by The KLF

Yeah, time didn’t do this song any favours unfortunately, the song is still good though and still worth being among the best of 1992 as it takes country singer Tammy Wynette’s vocals and actually references her signature hit “Stand by Your Man” thanks  to the ever so subtle steel guitar, it was the oddest pairing of 1992 but sometimes an odd pairing makes a good hit together and that was the case here!

 

HM 5: “Heaven Knows” by Rick Price

This was so close to making the top ten so much so I couldn’t justify not giving it an honourable mention, it’s a beautiful piano ballad where Rick Price is missing this girl since she left but knows he can’t chase her forever and leaves it all up to the heavens above hoping that heaven knows that he will see her again someday. It’s a song that just got to me the moment I heard so I guess consider this my official number 11.

 

Well now to our number one and yeah, this is a cover but my god, this is a cover that improves on the original and rips you apart at the same time….

1. “The Day You Went Away” by Wendy Matthews

Until now, I had never come to terms with how I felt about “The Day You Went Away” since I first heard it some years ago, it was a fine song that didn’t resonate with me as per a lot of songs filled with more adult concepts did when I was a kid growing up in the 90s however having gone back to listen to it for covering 1992’s popular music, this song just became that proverbial gut punch ins the stomach over a spare piano and Wendy Matthews selling the anger and bitterness that comes sometimes with relationship break up for me and my god it did so much more effectively than that of the original by Soul Family Sensation. It’s a powerful song that just does everything well which for a ballad in 1992 is something worth recognising as most ballads in 1992 sunk into nonsense or were weepy and overwrought but “The Day You Went Away” isn’t overwrought or weepy, it got the mix right and for that, it’s the best hit song of 1992.

The Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 1980

So 1980, a tumultuous year in many respects not least of all for music where AC/DC's lead vocalist Bon Scott would be found having passed out in a car and later pronounced dead on arrival at hospital which later saw the band bring in Brian Johnston, John Lennon was shot dead by an obsessed fan outside his apartment building in New York but beyond the world of music...there was a federal election, whatever the hell happened to baby Azaria Chamberlain on that fateful night at Uluru and the controversial Olympics in Moscow. 

So anyway let's get back to the matter at hand because we're here to talk about the best of the popular music in 1980 and in 1980, pop music was in transition moving away from its obsession with disco and into the new wave sound that had planted it's seeds the year before and was beginning to become dominant, disco was still notching success but not quite to the same degree as it had in the years previous while soul and funk had a small amount of success but I still managed to find plenty of fantastic songs for this list (the top five of the year end is stunning)

Rules are this.

1. A song is eligible for this list if it appears on the Kent Music Report's year end list for 1980 or debuted on the 1979 year end list but is higher on the 1980 year end.

2. This list is my opinion so no abuse please!

So without further delays, lets get this top ten best hit songs of 1980 underway!

So there is not going to be too many Australian songs on this list...mostly because a lot of the music the Australian acts were releasing covers like John Farnham with "Help", cliched ballads like Colleen Hewitt's "Dreaming My Dreams With You" or the song is good but stiff competition ultimately meant they missed out but thankfully I did find an ballad from an Australian band I actually liked and it's this...

10. "Downhearted" by Australian Crawl

Full confession...I've never been 100% into Australian Crawl, "Boys Light Up" drives me up the wall and "Reckless" does nothing for me but "Downhearted" is the sort of song I can get behind, it's a song about heartbreak and everything that comes with it. James Reyne frets about the fact love is getting him down because there's no end to his own heartbreak in sight because this girl has stolen his heart...in a way it's a song that's got this kind of 'nice guys' vibe to it (if you've seen the nice guys sub reddit on Reddit, you'll know what I'm talking about) and while that kind of did mean I couldn't put the song any higher on the list, I definitely get what it's trying to do and respect it all the more for it. Good song.

I have a weird relationship with this artist, I don't really particularly care for his music for the most part but there's something about this song I find utterly charming...

9. "More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer

If there's anything that could make me lose all credibility...it's admitting that I find this cover of the original The Crickets 1959 version to be utterly charming, yeah it's a cloying and kind of obsessive pop song but there's a sincerity to Leo Sayer's vocals that sells the song for me, he doesn't quite have the words to explain just how much he loves and misses this girl when she's away and questions if she's feeling the same about him. Throw in that guitar and you have me hooked. While I've never really cared for Sayer's other songs, this one will always have a place in my heart, glad it was a number one hit in Australia more than I can say,

Meanwhile there was one band who were more upfront about it and had all the words for love...

8. "What I Like About You" by The Romantics

I got to be honest here, the reason why this song is in the top ten is because of that ridiculously catchy hook coupled with guitars and that handclap as the lyrics rattle off everything he likes about this girl including her dancing and keeping him warm at night. It's just this fun bouncy song that demands your attention and even if you don't mean to, you can find yourself singing along with it. Hey, The Romantics can keep on whispering the things I wanna hear in my ear because yeah ain't going to stop it. It's way too much fun and an easy contender to be on a list like this. Remember when rock music was fun? Can we get back to this because I miss songs like this.

Speaking of having fun, you thought there wouldn't be any disco on this list...wellll...

7. "Blame It On the Boogie" by Jackson 5

Look, this song has a lot in common with The Romantics "What I Like About You", it's catchy and Michael Jackson's energy in his vocal delivery here is as infectious as anything he released solo (I still hare "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough") and the song just has this easy get up and dance energy to it that make the lyrics "I just can't control my feet" ring true  given its a song with an infectious spirit that does make me want to dance also Michael taking lead vocals is inspired because his charisma sells this song so damn well and its part of the reason Michael had a pretty great 1980 within the Jackson 5 and solo.

So I wasn't about to leave Debbie Harry and her cohorts off this list now was I....

6. "Call Me" by Blondie

So this song is probably one of the catchiest pop/rock songs of the 80s, Debbie Harry is killing it at the front of Blondie acting as this prostitute calling on guys to call her any time for love...yes it might surprise you to know that "Call Me" is a song about a prostitute in 1980 film American Gigolo. "Call Me" much like "Blame It On the Boogie" doesn't give you much of a reason to not be on your feet dancing and jumping around to it, with "Call Me" having punchy grooves and that killer middle eight back into the final chorus. Debbie Harry is one hell of a front woman though.

So one of the biggest groups to emerge from the 1970s was UK act Queen following the massive success of "Bohemian Rhapsody", 1980 would turn out to be another fantastic year for them as "Another One Bites the Dust" was huge but there was another Queen song that was even bigger in 1980 and it's on this list...

5. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen

Look, it was a tough choice between this one and "Another One Bites the Dust" (that riff is fucking ICONIC!) but in the end "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" won out because...Freddie Mercury's charisma and personality just shines through so much more here and sure the guitar work here is sensational and of the standard you would expect from an act like Queen who by that point had almost perfected their sound, throw in the handclaps and you have the sort of perfect love song that isn't too saccharine and knows when to show off it's cool to the point its effortless especially as Freddie is describing what this crazy emotion called love is doing to him. Great song. 

However if you want the complete opposite of a love song, here's a surprisingly dark song from one of the world's most popular pop acts that in 1980 were falling apart in their private lives and boy, if ever there was a gut punch in 1980, it was this song.

4. "The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA

The first time I heard this piano ballad, I was shocked, people just don't write mature songs about divorce/break ups this way anymore, this is mature and a rather adult way of looking at things, it's a song written by Bjorn Ulvaeus about his break up fellow band member Agnetha but also included a mix of emotions from what Benny and Frida had gone through with their separation, the lyrics are brutally stoic and honest about the end of the relationship and when you realize that there's not really any winners in divorce (according to Bjorn, there were no winners in his divorce from Agnetha) and the fact that proceedings have come to an end and the moment of moving on faced without complaint and not wanting to go back over old ground other than to wish the ex well. Heartbreaking stuff but it's the best song ABBA ever wrote.

Earlier on I mentioned Freddie Mercury as being incredibly charismatic, in 1980, there was a woman in rock music who was more than capable of letting her charisma shine through her vocals and this song was the breakout hit for the band she was in so who needs a little brass and bottle in pocket, right now?

3. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders.

Yes, we can't go without talking about the sensational Chrissie Hynde here because my god she is selling this song with everything and it's kind of what a song like this needs (the irony being that Chrissie actually didn't like the song and hated that it was a number one hit in the UK) and why I cannot stand that Teddy Geiger cover that was done for Spotify, its a song about having the money and courage enough to go out and wanting to be accepted but it just being a front he/she is putting up. I just connect so much with this song and love just how the confidence radiates from Hynde's vocals, I know she doesn't like "Brass in Pocket" but it's a song I just can't get enough of. 

Well... it was the biggest hit song of 1980 and for damn good reason...

2. "I Got You" by Split Enz

Split Enz snuck onto the 1979 year end with "I See Red" but 1980 would see the Tim Finn led band have the biggest song in Australia for 1980 with Tim's brother Neil penning the new wave sounding "I Got You" in 1979, the song spent eight weeks at the top of the Kent Music Report charts in 1980 and what a delight this song is as the narrator ponders how having this significant other with him keeps anxiety and fear at bay but when she isn't around anymore, the anxiety and fear return causing the narrator to retreat back to his room...this song was the moment that new wave really showed that it was ready to dominate the early part of the 80s and this one is still a new wave classic to this day.

Before we get to our number one how about some honourable mentions?

HM1: "Rock With You" by Michael Jackson

For me, 1980 was an off year for Michael Jackson and of his solo songs that made the 1980 year end...this was the song from the lot that got to me the most and connected in a few ways for me (Not like I was ever going to pick "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough"...its the one MJ song I cannot stand). Like most songs on this list, it's a love song that yeah is a bit gooey but it still works 

HM2: "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen

Iconic guitar riff and Freddie Mercury throwing himself around vocally...what more could you want? There's a reason that this song is a god damn classic...just missed out because well...there was a better Queen song in 1980 that made the list.

HM3: "Working My Way Back to You" by The Spinners

So this one is a bit of a surprise...I wasn't expecting to like this, what would have sounded very much like a pastiche to the early 70s with it's Motown sounding grooves for what is a pretty simple love song and while I am nota fan of some of the spoken word parts, this still works for me. Good song.

HM4: "Romeo's Tune" by Steve Forbert

This song is one of those they play on the radio and they never tell you the name of it when the DJ is on the air but despite some production problems, this song is still pretty cute. Just couldn't justify putting this in the top ten because of the production problems

HM5: "The Wanderer" by Donna Summer

So this grew on me a far bit to the point I nearly replaced "Downhearted" with this song, it's was a sound shift for Donna Summer at the time as she transitioned from disco to a pretty neat pop/r'n'b act and this song does it pretty well...consider it my number eleven.

Back to the list proper, it's time to get to the number one and I will say, it was close between my number one pick, I Got You and Brass in Pocket...all three were number one at some point during the list drafting process but you know....it's all still rock and roll to me...

1. "It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me" by Billy Joel

It might surprise you but I dig Billy Joel's music...he'd probably have at least one song on a couple of year end lists for certain years if I really wanted to get down to making those lists for those years (granted I am not a fan of "Uptown Girl"..not a fan of the cover Westlife did either) but "It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me" is a damn great song, for one thing Joel is making comment that at the time the new wave sound was arriving thanks to The Police and The Cars however to Joel, it sounded like power pop which to him was nothing new as power pop had been around since the 60s, he didn't like the way the sound had been categorised hence it's all still rock and roll to him and yeah, this song is kind of forward in it's discussion of genre and the blurring of the lines when it comes to genre and look, I just love how catchy and honestly how challenging the song is, does it really matter what genre the song is, as long as you enjoy, the genre shouldn't matter.

"It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me" by Billy Joel is the best hit song of 1980. 

The Top Twenty Best Hit Songs of 2020 Part 2 (10 to 1)

Before reading on, please check out part one: Click here for 20 to 11

AND NOW FOR THE THRILLING CONCLUSION….


 You might be surprised to know that Billie Eilish was reasonably quiet in 2020 apart from the release of some scattered singles including a James Bond Theme but it was the first of the scattered singles post the album that got my attention.

10. “Everything I Wanted” by Billie Eilish

My god, this song breaks my heart, Billie sings about this nightmare she had where she commits suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge yet none of her friends or fans watching cared or even tried to stop her committing suicide, the nightmare sees Billie seek comfort from her brother Finneas reassures her that he’ll always be there to support her and deal with the feelings associated with the nightmare, the pair of them will okay as they have each other. It’s a gorgeous song that I am not sure got all the attention it deserved.

 

This next song is the only Australian entry on this list although there were one or two songs from Aussies that were close to making the list (“Bad Child” by Tones and I and “This City” by Sam Fischer) and it’s by a band that I have had quite a weird relationship with but yet…

 

9. “Live In Life” by The Rubens

There’s an inherent sleek pop sensibility to this song that ruminates over the breakdown of a relationship and all the second guessing that happens as the individual at first feels fine with it and then realizes “Well no…this is not okay, I need to do something to stop this break up from happening” but by the time that realization has dawned and goes about trying to fix things, the partner or person involved has upped and gone, it’s a devastating moment, it’s a rather dark and almost bitter song that wonders what could have been.

It’s not quite The Rubens best but my god, it’s a catchy song that I am glad I grew to like a lot, this is good stuff, am looking forward to that new Rubens album in February 2021.

We finally got the world’s busiest boyband on the ARIA singles chart…thank goodness…they have got a hit…

8. “Sugar” by Brockhampton

I was never going to leave this song off the best list, hell, this might just be the only time Brockhampton have chart success (thanks Tik Tok) in Australia and while I’ve not had time to fully dive into Brockhampton’s discography (still trying to figure out a starting point and I am also fully aware how my previous statements show a lack of faith in the Australian public) but “Sugar” is a concentrated piece of wonderful, I love the intricate melodies and how the lyrics talk about a relationship facing uncertainty and wanting to figure out why so the couple can move forward and move ahead together and the production plays up to the questions being asked about the relationship.

Hope to see a lot more of Brockhampton on the ARIA singles chart especially if it is more songs like this.



This song took a while to grow on me, I wasn’t even sure I liked it all that much when I first heard it however, I eventually realized the critics weren’t joking, this is Lady Gaga’s best pop song in years…

7. “Rain On Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande

Let’s not mince words with this one, this is Lady Gaga’s best pop song since “Alejandro’ in 2010 with it’s splashy keys and production that supports both Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande perfectly, “Rain On Me” is almost the sort of pop song I would have expected to hear during the club boom in the early 2010s but unlike a lot of music from the club boom, it doesn’t feel like it’s going to get annoying and or old quick, the only reason I wasn’t the biggest fan of it was Lady Gaga say “Rain…On….Me” however I can see that it does work within in the song.

The lyrics play to pent up frustration about their lives and tears shed over situations they might be in and boy that sounds familiar in 2020 in a lot of ways with regard everything that has happened in this shitty year. ‘Rain On Me” is one of the best pop songs of the year”. I highly recommend you check it out.



For all the garbage that Tik Tok has enabled to chart this year, 2020 showed that there was openings for older songs that didn’t make their year end in their respective year and by openings I mean becoming a meme on Tik Tok thanks to a guy riding a skateboard and drinking cranberry juice while this next song was playing in the background…

…



6. “Midnight Sky” by Miley Cyrus

This year was the year Miley Cyrus finally found the lane that her voice is suited too: pop/rock and boy it paid dividends to the point where “Plastic Hearts” is the best album of her career to date. “Midnight Sky” was the lead single from the album and was the song on this list that grew on me the fastest (the songs above it I liked from the jump), I thought this was merely good without really being great but subsequent listens to the song since it’s release earlier in the year have me convinced that this is Miley’s best song since “Nothing Breaks Like A Heart” with Mark Ronson, its not better than that song but it’s damn close.

The interpolation of “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks just works so god damn well so much so they basically mashed up Miley’s “Midnight Sky” with Nick “Edge of Seventeen” for one of the best remixes/mash ups of 2020 and seriously, Miley sounds stunning here.

Miley just needs to keep making pop/rock because while it’s not the best song on the album, its still AWESOME.



The UK is still the home of producing EDM/house bangers like this one…



5. “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry and MNEK

This song was one that I was reluctant to like at first, it felt like another EDM/house song but the more I heard it the more I liked it. Sound wise it reminded me of the early nineties dance music that dominated the charts with MNEK providing the vocals about how he has met this attractive girl who has his head saying “Uh oh, she’s trouble, it’s just a crush…stay away from her” but his heart wants something more than it just being a crush, it wants him to hook up with her, it’s actually framed a lot better than other songs in a similar lane like Taylor Swift’s “I knew You were trouble” in that Joel Corry and MNEK don’t frame themselves or this girl as caricatures in cartoons like Taylor did but as humans with very real feelings which is what I appreciate about “Head & Heart”. Good job!







Imagine if all music that came from the trap sound was like this:

4. “Mood” by 24kGoldn feat. Iann Dior

I was stunned when I heard this song for the first time, a trap song that was tight, catchy and had a rock leaning with guitars that were bright, colourful and had a tonne of flavour…I thought this couldn’t be a real song coming from a sound that had been done to death to the point of being boring, derivative and generic but no, “Mood” was a real song and my god, its now one of my most played songs of the year because of its production and the fact both 24kGoldn and Iann Dior sound enthusiastic and deliver that ridiculously catchy hook with so much energy and passion that I get caught up in it.

Imagine if trap music leaned more into the rock/emo sound in 2017/18 rather than the ultimately way too dark to make their songs fun…trap music could have been awesome and honestly when rock music does finally find its way back on the charts in full, it might just have this unexpected gem among others to thank for it.

I also suspect that 24KGoldn might not be able to recreate this lightning in a bottle on his next release but hey at least I’m always in the mood for this song.

I really advise you all not to take my top three ranking all that seriously, at some point all three have been number one and I have had a nightmare of a time trying to figure out which song I loved the most but anyway here is the final Dua Lipa song to have made the list…



3. “Physical” by Dua Lipaspec

So I thought “Levitating” was going to be the Dua Lipa song that wound up fighting for the top spot on my best hit songs list when I set out to make it but I just couldn’t deny “Physical” after three or four more listens and it only got better every single time I heard it and yeah it is just so much better than Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” (I have NEVER liked that song, the beat and instrumentation doesn’t match the lyrics/sentiment of that song) that it interpolates on the hook in nearly every single possible way, it’s the sort of synth pop/power pop song that gets everyone on their bedroom dancefloors almost immediately that gorgeous persian flute sample that opens the song plays.

Unlike the lead single “Don’t Start Now”, “Physical” celebrates meeting somebody special and getting ‘physical’ with that person, it’s a song that is just out to have a good time and drag you along for the ride which happened every time I heard this song on the radio.

Also, this wasn’t a massive hit in the USA for some ungodly reason so yeah, I am delighted I can name it one of the best hit songs of the year in Australia.



There are four guarantees in our existence on earth: Life, death, taxes, and this song making a year end best hit songs list for 2020.



2. “Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd

It kind of goes without saying or even needing to be said: “Blinding Lights” will go down as a classic song of the decade and maybe for years beyond this current decade and while it’s a brave prediction to make now, I can see it ending up getting the same classic treatment as the song “Blinding Lights” interpolates and deservedly so because it’s one of the best synthpop verging on new wave and dark wave songs I have heard in some time.

Every single element of this song works perfectly with The Weeknd delivering one of his best vocal performances since…I don’t know…possibly “Starboy” or “I Feel It Coming”, ‘Blinding Lights” just feels like an event in itself with just how huge and immense the production is unlike other songs where the release of the song is the event, “Blinding Lights” is a massive event of a song itself which of course helped to make the song absolutely huge around the world this year unlike a few songs last year which got labelled events more for the hype surrounding the release however “Blinding Lights” is still a damn great song and if it does become a classic…it will be richly deserved.



So even with all that “Blinding Lights” is not my best hit song of 2020 because given how terrible and miserable this year has been, there was one song that got me through the horror and sadness of the year and made me smile so if a song can do that in a year like this, it deserves top spot (Granted most of my top ten make me smile) so what song could it be…



1. “Adore You” by Harry Styles

Yeah, Harry finally did it and with a song that has its own share of flaws in that the multi tracked vocals sound a little wonky but honestly, I think that kind of adds to the charm of the song? Seriously, that “Ahhh” sounds exactly like what a person would do when adoring another and Harry’s vocal delivery just makes the song even better, he sounds like he is happy and also helps that his delivery reminds me a lot of Neil Finn’s vocal delivery of the verses on the Crowded House song “World Where You Live” which probably forms part of the reason that I think “Adore You” is a damn great song.

Hell, “Adore You” is just three and almost a half minutes of pure escapism and in a year like 2020 escaping on that fluffy white cloud with Harry Styles crooning about adoring somebody was enough to make me smile this year in amidst lockdowns, politics and a pandemic that refuses to just go away.

I adore this song and it’s the best hit song of 2020.