10. Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber & MØ, "Cold Water"
EDM's one bright spot in 2016 was the rise of tropical house, whose Caribbean-inspired rhythms and bright instrumentation provided a welcome alternative to the lurching synths and squawking DJ Snake imitations that dominated the year. Major Lazer's contribution to the genre, "Cold Water," proved the most sonically enjoyable EDM track of 2016. The melodic guitar lines on the verses and horn-blast synths on the chorus and an unusually sincere vocal from Justin Bieber combine for an unusually buoyant atmosphere in a grim year.
9. Twenty One Pilots, "Stressed Out"
Many artists over the years have been hailed as the "voice of a generation," and many songs have been called "generation-defining." Earlier this year, such claims were even made about the Chainsmokers' "Closer," but the true voice of the Millennial generation very well might be Twenty One Pilots' Tyler Joseph. "Stressed Out" is a three-minute rumination on artistic angst and discomfort with adulthood, giving voice to a legion of fans disaffected by the dark days they live in. "But now we're stressed out" indeed.
8. Future feat. The Weeknd, "Low Life"
Two of modern music's greatest nihilists come together for a look at the dark side of the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Future and The Weeknd recount nights filled with women, drugs and trashed hotels, fueled by cocaine and lean, over sinister pianos and trap percussion, dissolving in a slurred haze, with the only certainty being that it will all happen again.
7. Nick Jonas feat. Tove Lo, "Close"
"Space is just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get close," says the line that anchors Nick Jonas's best solo work to date, but the production is beautifully spacious, with washes of synth, steel drums and echoing trap percussion creating a lush soundscape. The chemistry between Jonas and Tove Lo builds incredible sexual tension across the verses, coming to a head in the explosive chorus.
6. The Weeknd, "In The Night"
Co-written by Max Martin, "In The Night" is The Weeknd's most straight-ahead pop song. Driven by a popping bassline, The Weeknd sacrifices none of his signature darkness, spinning a tale of a an abused woman "dancing to relieve the pain." It's a marriage of dance floor nirvana and lyrical pathos, proving that there's no reason why pop can't have lyrical depth.
5. Twenty One Pilots, "Heathens"
Easily the best thing to come out of Suicide Squad, "Heathens" is an unusually tense song for the pop charts - but then again, this was an unusually tense year. Tyler Joseph's lyrics paint a picture of a dangerous crowd, while the gun-cock guitar sounds that run throughout the song prove to be one of 2016's most potent hooks. Easily the most sinister single of the year, capturing the atmosphere that Suicide Squad itself could only hope to achieve.
4. Adele, "When We Were Young"
Adele has made songs about encounters with people from her past her signature, and "When We Were Young" fits right in with standouts like "Hello" and "Someone Like You." An unexpected encounter sparks nostalgia for the days of her youth, captured in one of Adele's most sublime choruses: "Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time/That we might be exactly as we were before we realized/We were sad of getting old, it made us restless." There's an elegiac quality to it, perfect for a song about lost youth.
3. The Weeknd, "The Hills"
Pop songs can cover many emotions, but the one emotion everyone seemed to be feeling in 2016 was fear. If "Heathens" unfolds like the thriller that Suicide Squad wanted to be, "The Hills" unfolds like a horror film. The Weeknd's distorted vocals build creeping dread over the verses, exploding with the shrieking sample on the chorus, where the overpowering bass beats the song into submission. If not the best song of 2016, then definitely the one that defined the year best.
2. Ariana Grande, "Into You"
After a rough 2015, Ariana Grande came roaring back with Dangerous Woman and a string of killer singles, including this, hands-down the dancefloor jam of the year. A textbook lesson in build-and-drop pop composition, Grande's breathy vocals gradually build tension over the verses, driven by a rubbery bassline, escalating to a pummeling drop and a fist-in-the-air chorus. Guilty pleasure? No such thing, "Into You" is pure club-banger nirvana.
1. The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk, "Starboy"
An utterly hypnotic drum and bassline and atmospheric production courtesy of Daft Punk cemented "Starboy" as the best hit of 2016. The lyrics cover territory The Weeknd has tread before - the angst of the high life, women, booze, and cocaine - but it's hard to fault him when he keeps releasing singles this good. It's one of those songs whose superior quality is hard to define, but it's there in spades. The Weeknd had a better year than most in 2016, and "Starboy" was his greatest pop achievement.
Honorable Mentions
Justin Bieber, "Love Yourself"
Beyoncé, "Sorry"
Twenty One Pilots, "Ride"
Adele, "Send My Love (To Your New Lover)"
Mike Posner, "I Took A Pill In Ibiza"
Ariana Grande, "Dangerous Woman"
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