One last looks back at the past, the not-so-distant past this time. After finishing the top songs of the 80s, 90s, and 00's now it's time to look back at the most recent dead decade and the biggest hits and artists that came from the decade that ended just a few years ago. I wasn't expecting this decade to be so hard, but it actually ended up being the hardest to go through. Deciding 10 songs out of the hundred+ great songs released in the decade was tough, especially since this was the decade where streaming really took off giving us access to so many different songs at any time we want. During the last decade, I really grew to like a lot of music I didn't really give a chance back in my teens, especially getting more into pop music.
Since the list was so long I want to give some special mentions to a few songs that almost made the list, but ultimately had to be left out of the top 10. I'm going to keep it to 5 extra songs, otherwise it would be a very long list. So lots of big names will be left off the list, but what can you do. Also, one specific artist who probably would have made the top 10 was left off because he's a terrible person now who deserves no attention (you probably know who I mean, and if not even better). So here are the 5 honorable mentions:
Honorable #5: "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele (2011)
Every time an Adele album is released it feels like a huge event. It's crazy to think there were only two Adele albums released in the entire 2010s decade. That's probably why you gotta appreciate them while they come, it's not something that happens often. "21" was her second full-length album and the album that pushed Adele from a relatively popular artist to a household name. There are a couple of songs from "21" you could put here as classics, but I stuck with "Rolling in the Deep". Adele can break your heart with one of her amazing ballads, but here she shows her more fiery side with an angrier breakup song. The lyrics are fantastic and when you add Adele's vocals it's completely undeniable. This song pushed her to the top of the charts and she's cemented her place there with hit after hit in the last 15 years.
Honorable #4: "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People (2011)
2011 was a pretty good year huh? The one-hit wonders Foster the People released their debut album "Torches" in 2011 and took the indie music scene by storm. It wasn't long till their hit song "Pumped Up Kicks" reached the top of the charts and took the radio/MP3 sales by storm. It's unfortunate that they never found another hit as big as this one because they have a pretty strong catalog. Their debut album "Torches" is still one of my favorites of the last decade, a fantastic album from start to finish.
Honorable #3: "Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles (2017)
Harry Styles's debut single as a solo artist blew me away. It was interesting to see the direction (sigh) he took after leaving the comforts of his big pop group. Releasing an epic rock song is an interesting choice I didn't see coming. Harry released his self-titled debut album in 2017 to lots of positive reception. The album experimented with lots of different styles of rock and it he made pretty much all of it work. It was really exciting to see a huge star using classic rock styles as an influence for his music and it actually becoming very popular. Unfortunately, none of his later releases really grabbed my attention like his first album. That's more of a personal thing, I still quite enjoy his two later albums just not quite the same as his first album. "Sign of the Times" remains my favorite Harry Styles song to date, but I still see the potential for greater things.
Honorable #2: "Ride" by Twenty One Pilots (2015)
It's not often an indie band I loved from early on ends up becoming one of the bigger rock bands of the decade. The mid-2010s were very kind to Twenty One Pilots as they found multiple hits from their album "Blurryface" and even got a big single from the "Suicide Squad" movie. "Ride" shows off how good this band can be with their mix of alt-rock/hip-hop/reggae to make a really fun song. It's a style that no one's really been able to replicate not for lack of trying.
Honorable #1: "Shallows" by Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper
When it was announced that Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga were going to star in yet another remake of "A Star is Born" I wasn't exactly sure what to think. Lady Gaga wasn't exactly known for being an actress despite having some small roles in a few movies and a season of American Horror Story. As an artist, she has an amazing presence and voice and she was able to put that into film for this performance. No better moment in the movie than when she performs "Shallows" in from of a live audience and they can't help but cheer when she starts belting out the chorus. It's a memorable moment in the movie that translates into the song itself if you're just listening to it.
And now onto the top 10 list proper!
10: "thank u, next" by Ariana Grande (2019)
It's safe to say that Ariana Grande was one of the biggest artists of the last decade with an insane amount of hits under her belt. To me, the best hit song she made came out right at the end of the decade in "thank u, next". The song not only shows how talented she is as a vocalist but how far she's come as a writer. Taking inspiration from her past relationships, she's able to spin all her breakouts and relationships that didn't work into a positive message for herself and others that can relate to the ups and downs of dating. It just works on pretty much every level.
9. "Shut Up and Dance" by WALK THE MOON (2014)
Technically not a one-hit-wonder band WALK THE MOON dropped their biggest song in 2014 and it was awesome. "Shut Up and Dance" is one of the few songs that was really overplayed and I never really got tired of it. To this day I still enjoy putting it on every now and then. The thing this song does so well is mixing the fun vibes with actually really unique instrumentation that's got lots of good layers. The bass and guitar really carry the song and it all builds to a really awesome keyboard solo before the final chorus. This sort of fun pop song has been sorely missing for the last few years.
8. "Run Away With Me" by Carly Rae Jepsen (2015)
The queen of pop (?) dropped one of the best pop albums of the decade "Emotion" in 2015. What better way to start an album than with a classic like "Run Away With Me". A song that starts you on a journey that only gets better as you dive into the rest of the album. My only complaint is that "All That" wasn't a hit song so I could put it on this list. While "Run Away With Me" wasn't nearly as big as "I Really Like You", I personally think it's the better song. As I said, it's an amazing album starter on top of being a little less cheesy than "I Really Like You" (which I enjoy the cheesy-ness). Also musically it feels stronger along with the more interesting melodies and lyrics. Can't really go wrong with most of the songs on the album... so go listen to it now.
7. "Out of the Woods" by Taylor Swift (2014)
It feels weird to put a Taylor song that wasn't that big of a hit compared to a lot of her other singles, but this was always my favorite of her 2010s songs. I wasn't really a huge fan of Taylor until she dropped the album "1989" in 2014. So basically I wasn't a fan until she went completely pop with her sound. Over time I grew to appreciate her older stuff, but this is the album I come back to a lot, and "Out of the Woods" is the song I always favored. Taylor's storytelling feels like it's at its best in this song with the strong music choice to pair along with it. Of course, her last few albums in the 2020s have shown a lot more growth and maturity as an artist, but this still feels like it can stand with some of her newer albums.
6. "I Love It" by Icona Pop, Feat. Charli XCX (2012)
Introducing a lot of the world to Charli XCX is worthy of making this list and that's all I probably need to say here. This loud and obnoxious song should be something I hate, but it somehow uses all that in a way that just completely works against all odds. Yeah, Charli is a big part of that because she just makes that shit work man, but the music matching that loud energy just makes this work so much more. I think hearing Charli scream "I DON'T CARE" to music that completely matches that energy just works so well that it's impossible not to enjoy this.
5. "Can't Feel My Face" by The Weeknd (2015)
My introduction to The Weeknd was unfortunately not a good one. The first single I remember hearing was "The Hills", which was the big single from his 2015 album. That song was so incredibly boring and showed a side of The Weeknd that I had zero interest in. I was ready to completely ignore this artist until to my surprise his next single was the complete opposite of "The Hills". "Can't Feel My Face" showed me how much talent The Weeknd had and how good he could be when he put some energy into his performance. Fantastic vocals backed with some awesome music make for one of the catchiest songs of the 2010s. The Weeknd would only grow as an artist from here and would go on to make two of the best pop albums of the 2020s so far. Go listen to "After Hours" and "Dawn FM" if you haven't already.
4. "Redbone" by Childish Gambino (2016)
I'm not sure anyone expected this from Childish Gambino when it was first released. Transitioning from his more hip-hop-focused albums into R&B/funk was certainly a welcome surprise, especially when the album turned out so good. "redbone" has that classic funk sound with more modern production. The song was inspired by and samples Bootsie Collins, a 70s music legend in the funk and R&B scenes. The vocal effects are really interesting and make the song unique as well as just matching well with the dark music. The bass really stands out and carries the song on top of the other little touches filling out the song. The dark mood of the song matches the lyrics about paranoia and feeling like you're not doing enough to keep the person you're with happy enough to stay with you. It works so well together and really felt like something fresh and new at the time of its release.
3. "Alright" by Kendrick Lamar (2015)
It was only a matter of which Kendrick song would be here and not if there would be one. Of course, you have to go with what many would say is the most iconic rap song of the 2010s. "To Pimp a Butterfly" was a game-changing album after his previous album that was also a game-changer (good kid, m.A.A.d City). A song that talks about Kendrick's religious beliefs and his trust in God. A song that isn't afraid to be real about pain and suffering, while still having an overall positive message about pushing through the hard times and trusting in God. A song with a more Christian message that isn't completely cheesy or relies heavily on cliches? Strange how that makes for a more thought-provoking song than what a lot of CCM artists put out there.
2. "Royals" by Lorde (2013)
For better or worse, Lorde changed pop music with the release of "Royals" in 2013. While not inventing the style of music she used in her first album, she most definitely popularized it in the mainstream. The more chilled-out vocals that many young artists (especially young women) tried to replicate for years with varying degrees of success. "Royals" stood out for the aforementioned vocal style and more alt-pop sound, but also because the lyrics were going against what a lot of mainstream music had been selling at the time. It went against the trend of constantly calling out famous luxury brands, and expensive cars and bragging about being rich. It felt like a breath of fresh air for the pop music scene and one that would bring a lot of new artists to the forefront.
1. "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit, feat. Jess Glynne (2014)
As far as pop songs go in the 2010s, it was a challenge trying to find anything more enjoyable than this. It's one of those songs that just works in every way it needs to from start to finish. The music feels like it's got lots of layers that all work together along with the great vocals that push everything to amazing heights. Clean Bandit does a good job at crafting the perfect song for the singer they chose, but none better than "Rather Be" at this point. Right from the start you hear the strings playing and it feels like something completely unique. Mixed with the EDM style works better than I could have imagined when I first heard it. There's a certain energy in the song that just puts me in a good mood. The song is pop perfection plain and simple. Music makes you feel all kinds of emotions, but if it's joy you're looking for look no further and "Rather Be".
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