Happy New Year! 2016 could not end soon enough. However, I’m going to end the year on a positive note, and talk about some of my favorite songs of this year. I have lamented along with other music critics that this was a pretty weak year for pop music. But I can make the case for this year that some of the low points at least weren’t as low as previous years. Similarly, though the highlights also weren’t quite as high. However, I don’t deny that some very good music has been released this year. And certainly I’ve had fun listening to music this year as with any year. This will be a list of songs that I just had the most fun listening to, and listened to the most throughout the year. Like with the last list all the songs included are either from Billboard’s Year End Top 100 Songs List, or anything that charted in the Top 40 all year. So let’s end the year with a bang and countdown my Top Ten Favorite Songs of 2016.

Before we get started I would like to shout out one song, and make an honorable mention if you will. “Night’s On Fire” by David Nail, would make the list if it qualified. It did not make the Year End Charts and didn’t even come close to the Top 40. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s easily my favorite country song of the year. It’s got very nice attention to detail in the lyrics that set a scene and project a lovely mood especially in the chorus which brings everything together. It’s also got a level of sincerity that I respect and admire in this song. It also doesn’t hurt that the chorus is pretty catchy as well. It’s not reinventing the wheel or anything like that but it’s a pretty good country song that I like even more the more I listen to it. As I said it doesn’t qualify for the list, but I thought it was still good enough for me to give it some recognition. But let’s get on with the real list now shall we?

10. Chill Bill: Rob Stone

This is a really good ear worm hip hop track. The whistle melody which is the driving motive of the instrumental gives this song an essence of whimsy that I think works well with the heavy, and bouncing 808 kick drums. The flow of each rapper over the instrumental I find to be very entertaining as well. The way Rob Stone delivers his verse makes me smile. He has some funny lines that make me chuckle. This isn’t one of those songs that is meant to be taken seriously, and as such you can’t hold these guys to any kind of lyrical standard. But you can have fun listening to this song. It’s slightly whimsical nature makes it fun at parties, and some of the lines are good for a few laughs. Fun for the whole family! I’m kidding no it’s not, don’t show this song to your kid. Unless you’re a weed dealer trying to get him into the family business. In which case I still don’t condone it, but you do you.

9. Roses: Chainsmoker featuring ROZES

Hey remember the guys who made #Selfie? Well they’re back to show you that they can make real music. This was a huge year for the Chainsmokers. Racking up five charting songs, all of which I liked, three of which breaking the Top Ten. To be honest this spot was going to go to “Don’t Let Me Down” but then I heard “Roses” and it is far superior to “Don’t Let Me Down” in every conceivable way. The lyrics are amazing; the instrumental is gorgeous. I do believe they could have gotten a better singer to perform it, but this instrumental is tailored to make ROZES sound as good as she possibly can. The Chainsmokers did their job exceptionally well. This is a truly excellent track.

8. Starboy: Weeknd featuring Daft Punk

I’ve always liked the Weeknd but I feel like he’s been missing that one song to really win me over. I liked “The Hills” and “Can’t Feel My Face” but I still never really fell in love with his work. I don’t know if I can say “Starboy” is that song either, but it definitely is a good start. Weeknd sounds great on this track. Thanks to amazing production from Daft Punk. Weeknd has never sounded better on a song in my opinion. The instrumental alone would have been enough to carry the song, but the lyrics take it up to a new level. It’s Weeknd shamelessly bragging to his audience about how he made it into the spotlight. Acknowledging that he does not belong in the spotlight, and taunting you the listener for putting him there. There’s something so awesome about that bravado that makes me respect this song. He’s blatantly talking down to his audience. But he does so with a high enough level of charisma to validate it. This is in my opinion Weeknd’s best song yet.

7. Bad Things: Machine Gun Kelly featuring Camilla Cabello

I’m not sorry. I am a little ashamed of this one because some of the lyrics sound rather questionable. But I can’t deny that I love this song. Whenever it comes on the radio I turn it up. One thing I like about this song is how deceptive it is. At first glance it seems like a harmless, sappy little love song. But it’s actually a song about that first stage of a relationship where you just can’t keep your hands off of each other. And while at some points it may get a little carried away with the details, for the most part it does a nice job of holding back enough where it isn’t off putting, but still gets the point across. It’s tastefully written for the most part. It’s a lovely melody too. Of all the songs on this list this may be one of the more difficult ones for me to justify, but I still love this song, and I’ll take any opportunity to listen to it.

6. Stressed Out: 21 Pilots

I cannot deny that this is a pretty great song. A beautifully told story about going back to your fond childhood memories when your adult life gets too stressful. It has an innocent charm to it. It has delicate and innocent lyrics that contrast the very dark and bleak sounding instrumentation. Some very witty punchlines too. For example, “Out of student loans, and treehouse homes we all would take the latter.” Basically this is a song about nostalgia. Nostalgia for the days where we were young and didn’t have to worry about making money to pay off student loans or rent or any of that. Nostalgia for when kids were allowed to dream, and look at that stars. As opposed to now where you would be better off just leaving those dreams behind and getting a safe job at which you will earn money, but never really be fulfilled. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go contemplate my life now.

5. Cold Water: Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber and MO

This Top 5 was difficult to pin down. Songs jumped around all the spots for a majority of the week. This song is a sweet song about a couple who is willing to support each other through difficult times. Justin Bieber had a career year in 2015, and he has continued that momentum through 2016. This was my favorite song that he released this year. And while MO does a pretty nice job with what little work she was given to do on this song, over a very nice instrumental created by Major Lazer, this is Justin’s song. There are ways I did feel they could make this song even better, as it is it’s still a pretty damn good song. Mainly because it feels sincere, which is not usually a vibe I get from Justin that much, but here it actually sounds like he cares enough about this girl to do anything to support her. The idea of I’ll pick you up while you’re down is always a nice thing to write a song about, but I thought it was very well executed. However, it feels rather one sided. Justin is singing about how he’s going to take care of his girl during her tough times. But MO sings from the perspective of the girl who is going through those hard times, asking Justin’s character for help. I would have liked it better if she had returned the sentiment by saying I’ll be there for you too or something like that. It’s a minor nitpick but I think that would have brought this song to a higher level. Still a great song though, I’ll take it.

4. Broccoli: D.R.A.M featuring Lil Yachty

This song makes me really happy. I grin whenever I hear it. Having Lil Yachty on this song was a huge mistake. I understand it, seeing as Yachty was a XXL Freshman and he is a hot act this year. Still, he is easily the worst part of this song. But D.R.A.M does enough to save this song thankfully. He provides a high level of energy that matches well with this incredibly whimsical instrumental. D.R.A.M sounds like he’s having fun, over a really fun sounding beat, which in turn makes the audience have fun while listening to it. He also has a very cutesy demeanor that seeps into his delivery that I find really endearing. I have nothing else to say about it. It’s great.

3. Let It Go: James Bay

“Let It Go” is a sweet little guitar ballad about love. If “Bad Things” was a song about the hot and heavy stage of a relationship, this is about the stage that comes after that. The stage where they have couple’s problems but work through them because they love each other. James Bay himself even questions why he’s putting in the effort to work things out, but realizes he’d rather make it work with this person instead of starting over with someone else. She is the one he wants to be with, and they’ll do anything to stay together. Such a sweet sentiment for a song. And the instrumentation more than fits the mood. A very intimate guitar melody which while mellow in its tone, still has a driving melody that gives the song some life. It’s a very well written song and I highly recommend listening to it.

2. I Took a Pill in Ibiza: Mike Posner

This was the surprise of the year. Not only did Mike Posner make a comeback, but he also made one of the best songs of the year. The tone is set right from the opening line where he says “I took a pill in Ibiza to show Avicci I was cool.” So much is said in that one line. The song overall is ironically about Mike Posner’s own failure as a pop star. After 2010 his career as a front man pretty much hit a wall and he spent most of his time behind the scenes writing songs for other artists. This is Mike’s reflection of his own past failures and how he’s been dealing with them and man is it depressing. First off he abuses drugs to impress a younger musician who is more popular than he is or ever was. He drives expensive cars just to show people that he is a baller, and he hangs out with older artists who actually remember his hit in 2010 so he can still feel like a big deal. Mike defines himself by how popular his music gets, and since he hasn’t had anything close to a hit since 2010, he thinks that’s a negative reflection on him as a person. This song is an accumulation nearly half a decade of spiraling depression, frustration, and failure all exploding out into this one song. This song succeeded in its job of making me feel bad for Mike Posner. Yes it’s a sad song, but it’s a good sad song. All Mike Posner knows are sad songs.

1. Closer: Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

I didn’t expect to make this my No.1 song. But the more I thought about it, the more it fit. I have not listened to any other song more this year than “Closer” by the Chainsmokers. As I’ve said previously on this list 2016 was a huge year for the Chainsmokers. This song was the biggest one of their group of hit songs to come out this year. Hitting #1 on Billboard and remaining there for many consecutive weeks. I love this song because not only does it have a pretty catchy chorus and a pretty instrumental, but I also totally understand the concept. Which by my interpretation is about a former couple who just met each other again and are looking to rekindle their relationship. The girl moved far away and they couldn’t be together, but now they have an opportunity to relive their past relationship, even if it was just for one more night. It has a level of depth that I did not expect from a Chainsmokers song. I totally get this song and it hits home for me. That is why it is my favorite song of 2016.

That’s my list, thank you for reading this far and I hope 2017 has a lot of great things in store for you. Do you agree with this list? Yes? No? Why? Leave a comment. And have a safe and happy New Year.