Top 25 Songs of 2020 (2020 Rankings)
2020 is finally over, so to celebrate the year of music I will be releasing both my best 50 albums of the year, and top 25 songs of the year (as seen here). The only songs eligible are songs officially released in the year 2020, and there's no specific genres I've purely focused on. Remember this is just my opinion, so be sure to share yours too.
Honourable Mentions
Lil Uzi Vert - P2
Cochise - Hatchback
Billie Eilish - Therefore I Am
DaBaby featuring YoungBoy Never Broke Again - JUMP
Digga D - Woi
25. Logic - Hit My Line
24. J Cole - The Climb Back
23. Charli XCX - anthems
22. Eminem featuring Juice WRLD - Godzilla
21. Dixie D'amelio - Be Happy
20. KYLE - YES!
19. Bugzy Malone - M.E.N III
18. Nas featuring Fivio Foreign & A$AP Ferg - Spicy
17. Drake - From Florida With Love
16. Lil Yachty featuring Drake & DaBaby - Oprah's Bank Account
15. J Hus featuring Burna Boy - Play Play
14. Pop Smoke - What You Know Bout Love
13. Juice WRLD featuring Trippe Red - Tell Me U Luv Me
12. Conway the Machine featuring Freddie Gibbs - Seen Everything But Jesus
11. Joji featuring Lil Yachty - Pretty Boy
10. Run The Jewels - walking in the snow
Run The Jewels dropped one of the best albums this year, and this is the standout song from the album. El-P starts things off with a great verse before Killer Mike comes in with a powerful verse about police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. It's not just thematically strong, it sounds good with a great beat and such a charismatic display from the both.
9. Aminé - Shimmy
We waited a whole year for a new Aminé single, and oh my God the wait was worth it. We get a great 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya' sample from Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Aminé brings this fun energy and catchy hook as well as some slick braggadocio and disses. The song isn't anything experimental or complicated, but it was on repeat all year.
8. Abra Cadabra - On Deck
UK rapper Abra Cadabra dropped the best drill track this year in my opinion, it's just such a banger. His husky delivery and energy bounces straight off this banging drill beat, and he provides some of the hardest and funniest punchlines of the year. His album was full of bangers and this was truly the standout one.
7. DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch - Rockstar
Tik Tok's biggest song of the year was a true banger. I didn't love it at first, but Roddy's melodies and DaBaby's catchy hooks and fun flow made this a real standout track on a poor album. I eventually loved this song and it's probably in my top 3 most played songs of the year - the Black Lives Matter remix is also a really nice touch.
6. Eminem - Darkness
Eminem dropped a socially charged track for the first time in a while, and it really hit hard. The whole song is a double entendre, and the conclusion basically is Em taking on the persona of the Las Vegas shooter. It's very sonically accessible, with a great bass and gentle vocals from Em. A powerful, powerful track.
5. Juice WRLD - Wishing Well
This is arguably Juice WRLD's best song, everything on this track just pops out into your ears, the vocals are gorgeous as is the beat and it's a really emotional track, with a lot of unfortunate foreshadowing about a drug overdose which would be his untimely end. This song is everything a Juice WRLD song is known for on steroids - so good.
4. Mac Miller - Good News
Mac Miller's first single for one of the best albums of the year was powerful. He also like Juice WRLD foreshadowed his downfall, with gentle vocals and an amazing beat. The song is simple in it's words and powerful in its execution and can bring a grown man to tears.
3. Ariana Grande - pov
Ariana's 2020 album wasn't one of her best, but it had some great songs and this is one. She uses her melodies to really evoke emotion over a great beat, and her vocal performance here is one of her best - especially in that last chorus. It's catchy, powerful and just really pleasant on the ears.
2. Eminem featuring Royce da 5'9" & White Gold - You Gon' Learn
Eminem's best song of 2020 comes from Side A of his album, it has this dramatic, eerie beat as White Gold matches that feel with a great hook. Royce's verse starts so hard and the scene is set for Em to just go off for 1 or 2 minutes. This is possibly my most played song of the year, the production to the rapping is all perfect.
1. The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
My song of the year is probably the biggest song of the year - and for a reason. This 80's pop feel is captured with some amazing vocals from Abel and a feel good atmosphere. It's hard to describe this song, it's just got every element a pop song should have to be great - I love this song and I can see why it blew up for so long.