We're just a month away from the end of the year and also the end of the decade (at least when I started writing this). Yeah, the decade went by pretty fast and this year went by even faster. Music is often categorized by decades and over time we like to look back and see what kind of music defined the decade. We make fun of the terrible music people used to like back in the day or argue that music hasn't been great since the '90s or '80s or whatever decade you grew up in. I think there can be an argument made for every decade and why it could be considered the best. Maybe that's a good idea for another day, writing an argument as to why each decade could be considered the best of all time musically. But today I just want to make a list of the best and worst songs of the last year of this decade. I do have to say it might be hard for me to argue the 2010s as the best decade for music though. 2019 was a pretty forgettable year for pop music. Most of the songs that were popular and on the charts this year were just boring and not really worth talking about. Looking through a lot of the popular songs of the year when trying to make this list, it was hard to really choose anything I really hated or loved. Thankfully I think it was at least an improvement on last year and outside of the pop charts music was actually pretty great. So I'm going to rank the top 10 worst and best songs of the year. It's going to be in order from bad to worst and good to best (if that makes any sense?).
Honorable Mentions for Bad Songs:
- Con Calma by Daddy Yankee / Katy Perry: A very strange sample of an old 90s hit "Informant" by Canadian artist Snow. A typical club song about sex or something where Katy Perry pretends to be attracted to Daddy Yankee and he tries his best to make sense but fails. It's still surprising that this guy keeps getting hits after a decade of doing the same exact thing over and over and rarely trying anything new. Why is Katy Perry even in this song?
-The Git Up by Blanco Brown: Whenever a song gets huge there's always bound to be people who try to steal its style to make a quick hit off the popular song's success. In this case, Blanco Brown saw how huge the song "Old Town Road" was in the year 2019 and decided to try to cash in on the hip-hop with a bit of country trend. This is a really lazy song that sounds like it was made in a couple of hours and thrown out in a single to get as much airplay as possible off of "Old Town Road" and all the popularity around it.
- Knockin' Boots by Luke Bryan: It's a song that refers to sex as "knockin' boots". Haha, get it? Because of people that like country music like wearing boots! Maybe I should make a hipster version of this song and call it "Knockin' TOMS". Get it? Because of hipsters usually wea---
-Wow. by Post Malone: Maybe I'll never understand Post Malone's music. To me, it's just boring and lifeless with nothing interesting to say. It's actually strange how two of the biggest artists of the decade in Post Malone and Drake both seem to make such boring and lifeless music and people just keep eating it up. The sad part is I know both artists are capable of making good songs because both have made some pretty great songs in the past.
Bad Song 10: Closed on Sunday by Kanye West
Honestly, this one made the list for pretty much one reason:
"Closed on Sunday, you're my Chick-fil-a. You're my number one, with the lemonade"
Seriously, who gets a lemonade with the number one from Chick-fil-a? They put way too much sugar in that crap.
Joking aside, Just a really weird line in a song that's not actually that bad. It just feels completely out of place with the rest of the song to throw in a weird commercial for a fast-food franchise in a song that's supposed to be a worship song. It also doesn't make any sense. Who is he referring to when saying they are closed on Sunday? Is it God? That doesn't really make much sense.
Anyway, it's just a really bad line that completely takes away from what could have been an interesting song. Kanye has always had a strange sense of humor so maybe this is just a dumb dad joke he decided to include in the song, but that doesn't really make it any better.
Good Song 10: Old Town Road by Lil Nas X (Ft. Billy Ray Cyrus)
Yeah, this song was everywhere for a few months and it felt inescapable. The fact that I still enjoy this song for what it is and am still not bothered by it shows that this song is actually a good song. Normally a song with this much overplay can start to annoy me, but this one hasn't gotten to that point yet, though I'm sure some people won't agree with that. As I've written before, this song is very catchy and feels completely different than anything else on the charts this year. That's why his follow-up was so disappointing, it felt very unoriginal and boring. While I don't love this song, I completely understand why it got the attention it did and I think it deserved it.
Bad Song 9: Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max
You ever listen to a new song and immediately hate it? Yeah, that was this song for me. There's something just very annoying about this song that makes it hard to listen to. The melody used in the chorus is so annoying and the lyrics don't help either. I've never heard of Ava Max before, but she's not very impressive. Her two big hits sound very similar to each other actually, but this one is slightly worse. The music in the song is very generic pop sounds that don't really add anything to an already boring song. I'd probably forget this song even exists in a couple hours if it wasn't annoyingly constantly used on Tinder profiles.
Good Song 9: Bury a Friend by Billie Eilish
If Myspace were still a thing, this song would definitely by every high school girl's profile song. That being said, this song is still pretty great. Most people didn't know the name Billie Eilish until this song came out of nowhere and started gaining traction. Who knew that this would lead to the creation of a new mega-star who would go on to dominate the year. Billie was exactly what the mainstream music world needed in 2019, something fresh and different. While I can't say I love this song, I really appreciate it for bringing something new to the airwaves. Of course, lots of copycats are going to try to use this style now to make a quick profit, but that's what happens to all great new artists. The song has a dark mood to it that's basically become Billie's signature sound, at least for her big album this year. It will be interesting where she goes from here.
Bad Song 8: I Don't Care by Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
The last time these two teamed up, they made the biggest song of 2016 in "Love Yourself". This time they made one of the most forgettable songs in "I Don't Care". This was still the 16th biggest song of the year, but that's still pretty surprising considering the star power in this song. The problem is that the song is so boring that I think even the biggest fans of these two weren't very impressed. As every reviewer will probably say, the problem with this song is that they truly sound like they don't care. As if this song isn't even worth making, and they are just doing it because it's a guaranteed hit since they are two of pop music's favorite men... okay, boys. Maybe next time they'll actually make something that feels like some work was put into it.
Good Song 8: Juice by Lizzo
This definitely sounds like something Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson would have made a few years ago. I'm honestly surprised this song wasn't a bigger hit, cause it's pretty damn great. I honestly wonder if it had been released by Bruno Mars would it have been a bigger hit? Probably. The lyrics wouldn't make as much sense coming from Bruno though.
I love the music though, it's got a cool 70s/80s pop vibe to it with some really great bass. Lizzo has all the charm to make a song like this work and her vocal ability always shines. 2019 was a big year for Lizzo, who seems to be the exact opposite of Billie Eilish in her musical persona. There will always be space for some fun pop personalities like Lizzo's on the charts and I'm glad to see it there.
Bad Song 7: Harleys in Hawaii by Katy Perry
Oh, Katy, what are you doing? After her last album being a huge letdown for her with no big hits, Katy made a comeback in 2019. So far, it hasn't been a very good comeback. She's released a couple of new singles that are probably leading to a new album in 2020. None of those singles have made much traction in the charts and none of them were even close to reaching the top of the charts. "Harleys in Hawaii" was the worst of them all, not even getting in the hot 100 for one week.
The song is the kind of thing that Katy Perry just doesn't do very well in my opinion. Katy is at her best when she's belting out or at least having fun in songs like "Firework" and "California Gurls", not boring songs like this were she's barely singing along to some mediocre music. Also, if you're going to have a song that takes place in Hawaii, would it kill you to make it a little more tropical and fun... maybe that's too obvious?
Good Song 7: Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift
Taylor's new album was pretty hit or miss overall, but it did have this gem of a song early on in the album. This feels like the perfect Taylor Swift song, and it also sounds like something that could have been on her "1989" album which is good. Taylor usually feels at her best when she's singing about real relationships and being more honest about them and her feelings. This song works in that way and the music is simple but works well with Taylor's voice in this case. Overall it's a very catchy song that's short and sweet that I can listen to over and over without getting tired of... yet?
Bad Song 6: High Hopes by Panic! at the Disco
I've always been a fan of Panic! at the Disco's music, especially the early years of their discography but this song just really sucks along with the album it came from. It's a very loud and irritating song that I wish it would just chill out a bit and stop screaming in my ear. Bradon's vocals are very grating in this song, and the production just sounds very ugly and overdone. I seriously have to turn the volume down a significant amount when listening to this song or my head will start to hurt. Brandon's vocals are usually pretty good to great and I don't think he's really the main problem with the song. The problem is all in the production and the music. It makes what would have been a mediocre song even worse.
Good Song 6: Shallow by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
I've talked a lot about this song in previous posts, so I'll keep it short to not repeat myself too much. This song is a great moment for the movie and it works as a song on its own outside of the movie. I think listening to the song outside of the movie is a lot less impactful of course because the moment this song takes place is a big moment full of emotion. Still a great song outside of the movie and I think it's worthy of the praise it gets.
Bad Song 5: Earth by Lil Dicky (Feat. Tons of celebrity cameos)
This is supposed to be a comedy song that's also a call to action for us to take better care of our planet. While the message of taking care of our planet Earth is one worthy of being promoted, this song doesn't really do a good job at it. Throughout time there's been a lot of songs like this where a lot of famous singers come together to promote a good cause. The most famous example of that is "We are the World" from back in the 80s, and that song was also pretty awful. This song (Earth) features lots of famous singers and pop stars vocals as they all pretend to be different animals on Earth and say gross things. It's basically just one joke throughout the entire song that's not actually funny.
"I'm a Baboon, but I sound like Justin Bieber"
"I'm a Zebra, but I sound like Ariana Grande"
"I'm a Koala, but I sound like Ed Sheeran"
That's the joke. And it goes on for almost five minutes repeating that over and over again. The only funny one is Kevin Hart pretending to be Kanye West, but that's only because Lil Dicky couldn't get the real Kanye West to play himself. So yeah, I'll save you time and tell you that YES, it is important that we take care of our Earth while we still have time. Now you don't have to listen to this song.
Good Song 5: Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles
When I first heard this song I thought it would be going on my worst list for this year, but something strange happened. I found the chorus very annoying at first, with the repetition of the phrase "Watermelon sugar high" over and over again till it made absolutely no sense. Over time and a couple dozen listens I think I really like this song now... I think. Never has a song made me feel more confused. The song has a lot of good things about it, mainly the music that has a good guitar and good bass lines throughout with a fun beat. There are also nice little details throughout like the horns that slowly build in the verses and become more powerful at the final chorus. The verses are really well done, it's just the chorus that I feel holds this song back a little. It could have been better, but I still enjoy it a lot for what it is.
Bad Song 4: Senorita by Shawn Mendes and Camila Hair
I think I'd prefer to just forget this song even existed like I'm sure the rest of the world already has. It's a boring song with no chemistry between two people who are or were supposedly a real couple. Camila does the same thing she always does, by not really adding anything to the song and Shawn Mendes isn't doing much better. By the way, did you guys know that Camila is Latin? I don't think her music refers to that fact enough.
Good Song 4: Lover by Taylor Swift
*For some reason my blog here decided to delete all the text I had written for the next few songs, so I have to try to write everything out again, which is fun*
Taylor comes back with a simpler love song and it's really enjoyable. What I like a lot about this song is how the instruments are actually real and really back up Taylor's vocals really well. The song just has a nice vibe to it that's both relaxing and romantic, which matches perfectly with the lyrics. Taylor's vocals also work really well because the way she sings the song totally matches the mood the song is aiming for.
Bad Song 3: Lose You to Love Me By Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez might just be the most boring artist of the decade. I don't think I've heard a single song from her that was actually impressive or even worth listening to. This one is no different as she returns with a new single that brings absolutely nothing new and exciting from an artist that really needs it. This is another song full of cliches and boring music where Selena fails to show any kind of emotion about what she's singing about. That's the difference between an artist like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, Taylor can actually convey emotion in her vocals and match the lyrical content of her songs. While not all of Taylor's songs are good, at least she's got that while Selena doesn't really have much of anything. I might be being extra mean because I had to write this whole thing out again and listen to this song one more time. I really hope to hear something different from Selena soon, cause I really want to see what she truly has to offer, this can't be all of it.
Good Song 3: Bad Guy by Billie Eilish
That bass line is enough to put this song in the top ten list, and the electronic melody in the chorus is enough to put it in the top 5. Listening to this song I do have to wonder how a song like this will stand the test of time. It's different than anything else on the charts for sure, and like I said about "Bury a Friend" it's a breath of fresh air at a time where a lot of music just kind of sounds the same. Although, a lot of music does have this sort of "dark" vibe nowadays, and emo-rap is at its peak popularity which this doesn't differ too much from. This actually kind of reminds me of that song "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots, just with a little less energy.
So maybe this song isn't as completely original as I maybe first though, but it's still a great song. I think I might actually like the music more than the subtle vocals by Billie Eilish though, but that's not really a bad thing. I still dislike the little breakdown at the last minute, so that keeps it from being any higher on this list.
Bad Song 2: 7 Rings by Ariana Grande
I wrote a lot about this song in one of my recent posts which you can see
HERE. But I still really dislike this song and listening to it more hasn't really helped it. It's still boring and misguided with its very strange sample of "My Favorite Things" from the old musical "The Sound of Music". The whole song just feels ungenuine and Ariana just doesn't pull off the whole bragging about being rich thing off very well... despite the fact that she IS actually rich. The music is boring and Ariana just doesn't shine like she usually does. It's one of her weaker songs for sure, but I think every artist has these kinds of missteps every now and then.
Good Song 2: Sunflower by Post Malone & Swae Lee
A also wrote a lot about this song in that recent post and most of that still applies. Both of these artists are more hit than miss for me usually but coming together for this song they really put together something great. Yeah, I'm sure lots of great producers and writers helped too, but the two artists still sound great in this song. It's a very easy song to listen to with a great flow and mood that works really well with these two artists. Usually, Post Malone is "singing" behind darker music and more moody, so hearing him in a more happy/chilled out song is really nice. The fact that it's so short is also really nice, by the time it ends it leaves you wanting more.
THE WORST SONG: Someone You Loved by Lewis Capaldi
It didn't take long for me to realize that this is my least favorite song of the year. No one knew the name Lewis Capaldi until recently when this song randomly hit the charts pretty hard and even reached number one for some odd reason. Apparently, he's related to one of the doctors from Doctor Who so that's a thing. This song is pretty awful though and no amount of cool relatives is going to change that. It's a pretty generic "sad" song about a break-up. The entire song is pretty much just a piano playing basic chords in a standard pop-song chord progression, nothing else. The song feels empty in its minimal music. Having just a piano doesn't have to be a bad thing, the piano is an instrument that can be enough to carry a song. The problem here is that it's not really doing anything interesting. That means that it's up to the vocals and lyrics to really carry the song. Lewis' vocals aren't good enough to carry this song and the lyrics are just full of overused break-up song cliches you've no doubt heard too many times. It gets really bad when Lewis tries to belt out the chorus and sounds like he's about to blow out his voice with his raspy screeching. This song just fails in every way possible with boring music, generic lyrics, and weak vocals.
THE BEST SONG: thank u, next by Ariana Grande
Leave it to Ariana to make one of the worst songs and one of the best songs of 2019. It was a tough choice between this and "Sunflower", but ultimately I think I enjoyed this one a little more than "Sunflower". This is just one of those songs that work on every level. Of course, Ariana's vocals are almost always on point and she has a great performance on this one. I admit the music isn't incredibly impressive, but it's nice and subtle and works well with the flow of the song. The real standout of this song though is the lyrics. The song is all about Ariana's real-life past relationships as she remembers all the things she's learned from each of them. There's even a nice shoutout to the late Mac Miller which is really nice. It's nice to see someone take a more positive spin on her past relationships and even using real names to compliment her exes. This song feels unique in that way, at least from all the other songs on the pop charts this year. It's a really catchy song with a great message featuring great vocals by Ariana. Definitely worthy of being my favorite pop song of the year.
Here's the playlist for the songs of the list. I also included another playlist I made recently that has 200 songs I really liked from the past decade if you're looking for some new music of all kinds.
Here's the 200 song playlist:
