Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020

 Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020

Alright, for the last list of Season One of Gabingston’s Pop Reviews, it’s time to go over the Best Hit Songs of 2020! When it comes to the music that got big this year, 2020 was decent enough, although there have been better years for music within the past decade (2012 for example). There was a fair deal of variety on the charts, and some of the biggest hits of the year were also among the best of the year. So, with that said, how about we kiss this miserable year goodbye and count down the Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2020, starting with the Honorable Mentions!

Honorable Mention: In Your Eyes by The Weeknd (Peak: #16, Year-End: N/A)

I allow myself to include songs that peaked in the Top 40 but didn’t make the Year-End list as Honorable Mentions, and this year’s non-YE Honorable Mention is In Your Eyes by The Weeknd, which could’ve been a legit hit had it not been cannibalized by a song I will be talking about shortly. Sharing its title with a 1986 Peter Gabriel song, The Weeknd’s In Your Eyes is a throwback to that era of music, with a strong synth-driven groove and Abel’s crooning about his unwillingness to let his current relationship die (or at least that’s what I got out of it). The song is capped off with a quintessentially 80s saxophone solo, turning this into a song that I came back to quite a few times throughout the year.

Honorable Mention: Heart On Ice by Rod Wave (Peak: #25, Year-End: #51)

This was a song that crept up on me while listening to the Year-End list, and ended up all the way up here as an Honorable Mention. A Trap-R&B song, Rod Wave reflects upon his troubled past and tries to figure out whether to keep it on the low or be open about it (whether to keep his heart on ice or wear it on his sleeve). The beat is both low-key and gets the point across, and Rod’s mix of singing and rapping is one of the better performances in that lane that I’ve heard in a good while. We’ll see where his career goes, and if he’ll be able to follow it up, but this is a good start.

Honorable Mention: Blinding Lights by The Weeknd (Peak: #1, Year-End: #1)

Boy, isn’t this a predictable pick? Not only was it the biggest hit of the year, but it’s appeared on pretty much everyone’s Best of 2020 lists, and mine is no exception. While Heartless (which was right on the line of being an Honorable Mention itself) may have been the lead single, this quickly overshadowed it, shattering the record for most weeks in the Top 10 (which has been set by Circles just a few months prior), and dominated to the extent that The Weeknd’s other singles (like In Your Eyes) were killed in the crib. An obvious 80s throwback (particularly to Maniac by Michael Sembello and Take On Me by A-ha), Blinding Lights has already secured its spot as a pop classic that will be remembered for decades to come. The reason it isn’t on the list proper is because I’m a bit sick of it (it only left the charts this week, and will likely re-enter at some point, at the very least because The Weeknd is doing the Super Bowl halftime show this year), but boy is this song deserving of its success.

Honorable Mention: Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish (Peak: #8, Year-End: #18)

The final cut from the list proper, Everything I Wanted is a song I’ve talked about a few times in past Top 20 Rankings, so I’ll keep it short. The instrumentation (produced by her brother Finneas) sets a dreamy, bittersweet atmosphere effortlessly, Billie delivers possibly her best performance behind the mic to date (with the possible exception of When The Party’s Over) and the lyrics about her relationship with her brother and the world at large are exceptionally well-written. While I do think the relentless Billie Eilish praise can get a bit much at times, I think she’s one of the more interesting artists to come out of the past few years, and I’m interested in where her career takes her in the coming decade. Alright, onto the list proper!

#10: Good As Hell by Lizzo (Peak: #3, Year-End: #31)

I stated in my Winter 2020 Top 20 Ranking that this would likely make my Best of 2020 list, and that was indeed the case. Good As Hell was originally released in 2016, but blew up in Late 2019 after the success of Truth Hurts, and boy am I glad that it became a hit, because this is a joy to listen to. The beat, built around piano, snaps and hits of horns and percussion sets the unrelentingly positive, confident mood effortlessly. Lizzo’s performance does much the same, as her combination of rapping on the verses and soulful singing on the bridge and chorus lifts one’s spirits effortlessly. The lyrics do much the same thing, as they’re about treating one’s self to a day off as a relief to the stress of everyday life. While it’s up in the air whether Lizzo can have any more success in the future, this was sure a nice thing to have around, and as the title says, it sure is Good As Hell.

#9: Rain On Me by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande (Peak: #1, Year-End: #48)

Welcome back, Lady Gaga. For that matter, welcome back Ari. Both Gaga and Ariana have appeared on my best lists in the past (Gaga in 2010 and 2019 and Ariana in 2016), and together they take up the #9 spot on this list with Rain On Me, a House-inspired dance jam that no one could actually go out and dance to, for reasons we all know about. 

Well, in contrast to her previous single Stupid Love (which debuted high and promptly dropped like a rock), Rain On Me was able to not only debut at #1 (one of the dozen songs that did so in this weird, weird year), but stay on the charts long enough to securely make the Year-End list. I’m sure this had something to do with the lyrical content, which despite the song not being specifically about the virus which shall not be named, fit oddly well into the mood of the year. As mentioned in my Summer 2020 Ranking, the lyrics are about persevering through hard times, which 2020 certainly had an abundance of.

“I didn't ask for a free ride

I only asked you to show me a real good time

I never asked for the rainfall

At least I showed up, you showed me nothing at all

It's coming down on me

Water like misery

It's coming down on me

I'm ready, rain on me”

Of course, the other reason this was a hit was down to the performers. Both Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande have not only had a lot of success (although Gaga was at her biggest between 2009 and 2011), but they’re both vocal powerhouses, and having two of the best singers in current pop music collaborate turns out exactly how one would expect it to. While I think both Ari and Gaga have done better, this is still really good, and more than worthy of a spot on this list.

#8: Chasin’ You by Morgan Wallen (Peak: #16, Year-End: #34)

Alright, anyone ready for a stalker anthem? Well, I for one sure am, as while this may indeed be a stalker anthem, it’s the best stalker anthem this side of Every Breath You Take. 

To begin, the instrumental is a nice acoustic Country thing that is very pleasant to listen to. I’ll be the first to say that a lot of modern Country can be a bit overproduced (even some stuff from a certain someone who may or may not be appearing later on in this list), so this is a nice change of pace. A similar thing goes for Morgan Wallen’s singing, which in contrast to some of the raspy oversinging he can do at times, is nice and restrained (although it’s still quite raspy, but that’s just the type of voice he has).

Now, I did mention that this was a stalker anthem, and that’s what I’m gonna talk about here. I first got that it was a stalker anthem after Diamond Axe Studios talked about this very song on his Worst of 2020 list, where he details his problems with the lyrics, and… yeah, I understand. In this song, Morgan sings about this girl he used to know, and how after all these years, he’s still chasing her. 

“Chasing you, like a shot of whiskey

Burning going down, burning going down

Chasing you, like those goodbye tail lights

Heading west to anywhere out of this nowhere town

Chasing that freedom, chasing that feeling that got gone too soon

Chasing that you and me, I only see in my rear view

Hell, I'm laying every night holding someone new

Still chasing you, still chasing you”

Umm, Morgan you just said that you got a new girl, why do you still want your ex?

Anyway, for as… flawed as the lyrics are, I still can’t help but like this wonderful (if also a bit creepy) song. I'm sure that Morgan Wallen will have a long and fruitful career ahead of him, and if he can keep up this level of quality, I for one am interested in seeing where it goes. 

#7: Bluebird by Miranda Lambert (Peak: #26, Year-End: #91)

Fun fact: In both 2010 and 2020, there was a song by Miranda Lambert at #91 on the Year-End list. Not only that, but both of them made my best lists for their respective years, and while Bluebird may not be as high on this year’s best list as The House That Built Me was on my 2010 best list, it’s still more than worthy of a spot in the lower half of the list.

To begin, the instrumentation is superb. A slice of neotraditional leaning Country, the mix is rich with percussion, guitar and even some mandolin, which is always nice to hear. While Miranda Lambert is by no means my favorite Country vocalist, she still gets the job done more than well. However, I’d definitely say that the strongest aspect of this song has to be the lyrical content.

“And if the house just keeps on winning

I got a wildcard up my sleeve

And if love keeps giving me lemons

I'll just mix 'em in my drink

And if the whole wide world stops singing

And all the stars go dark

I'll keep a light on in my soul

Keep a bluebird in my heart”

Yeah, a song about taking bad luck and unfortunate circumstances and figuring out how to turn it into a positive is definitely something I can go for in 2020. Good job, Miranda, hope you can keep this up.

#6: Don’t Start Now/Break My Heart by Dua Lipa (Peak: #2/#13, Year-End: #4/#33)

These two songs are also picks that are quite predictable, especially if you’d read some of my Top 20 Rankings. While I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a fan of Dua Lipa, all of the U.S. singles she’s pushed from Future Nostalgia (These two songs, Physical and Levitating) have been bops from one degree to another, and I’m definitely rooting for her to keep this up.

First up, Don’t Start Now, her biggest hit to date and the fourth biggest hit of 2020. I’ve already talked about this song twice on my seasonal rankings, so much of this will be repeating things I’ve already said about this song, so here it goes:

With production that is a blend of 70s Disco, 80s Dance-Pop and 2010s EDM, Don’t Start Now bears many similarities to Gloria Gaynor’s 1979 smash I Will Survive, with Dua rejecting her ex’s advances, saying that’s she’s over him and that he had his shot with her, but blew it. Also, the song is a complete and total blast to listen to, definitely deserving of its success.

That brings me to her other hit this year, Break My Heart. Featuring a bassline that can only be described as T H I C C (and bears similarities to Another One Bites The Dust and Need You Tonight), the song is about Dua Lipa going out and meeting a guy and immediately falling head over heels in love, even though he could break her heart (maybe his name is Taio Cruz). Even though she’d have been better staying at home (this was clearly recorded pre-pandemic), there’s no going back now. While Dua may have broken through a few years ago, I think that these two songs could vault her onto the A-list of Pop Stars, and I for one am up for that.

#5: Die From A Broken Heart by Maddie & Tae (Peak: #22, Year-End: #65)

For the #5 slot on this list, we have country duo Maddie & Tae’s breakout hit Die With A Broken Heart. While they first gained attention in 2014 with Girl In A Country Song, a satire of the then-dominant Bro Country, this is their first real big hit, and I think this is a great introduction.

For one, this is a gorgeous sounding song. Built off of gentle percussion and multilayered guitar, it’s traditional Country at its best. Maddie & Tae’s vocals compliment it perfectly, setting the heartbroken mood very effectively, which will bring me to the lyrics. After being dumped by their respective boyfriends, Maddie & Tae ask their mothers what will happen to them and how they should deal with the breakup?

“How does he sleep at night?

Mama, the nerve of this guy

To leave me so easy

Am I gonna be alright?

I wanna kick myself for falling so hard

Mama, can you die from a broken heart?”

I really don’t have a lot to say about this song, it is pretty straightforward. However, a straightforward song can also be a good song, and that is definitely the case here. We’ll see where time will take Maddie & Tae, and if they’ll be able to replicate this success, but whether or not they score any more big hits, if you’re only gonna have one hit, this is a good one to have.

#4: Does To Me (ft. Eric Church)/Lovin’ On You by Luke Combs (Peak: #20/#23, Year-End: #93/#97)

Raise your hand if you saw this coming. If you’re at all aware of my taste in music, you will know that I am a big fan of Luke Combs, one of Country’s biggest new stars over the past few years, and he continued that hot streak into 2020. Three of his song ended up on the Year-End list, with two of them being present in a tie at #4 on this list.

The first of the two songs is Does To Me, which features Eric Church, whose hit Springsteen was an Honorable Mention on my Best of 2012 list. As typical for a Luke Combs song, the production is Traditional Country with some Rock touches here and there, and as per usual, it sounds fantastic. Also as per usual for a Luke Combs song, the man himself delivers a near-flawless vocal performance, with the perfect mix of grit and sincerity, and while I’m not as big of a fan of Eric Church’s voice as I am of Luke’s, he fits in quite well here. However, the best part of this already fantastic song has got to be the lyrical content, where Luke and Eric sing about the small things and moments in life that they treasure.

“I was a third-string dreamer on a second-place team

But I was hell on wheels with a full head of steam

When coach put me in

And I'm still proud of that hit

 

I was a last resort to go to prom with the queen

Thanks to an ex-boyfriend who broke her heart that week

No, I didn't get lucky

But I still felt like a king

And that might not mean much to you

But it does to me”

“There's a worn-out blade that my Granddaddy gave me

My Mama's first Bible, Daddy's Don Williams vinyl

That first-fish-catching Zebco thirty-three

Well, that might not mean much to you

But it does to me”

With as many songs as we get about luxury and wealth in popular music, it’s nice to hear something a bit more down-to-earth once in a while, and when it comes to humble, down-to-earth Country music, there isn’t much better than this song right here.

For the second of the two songs, we have Lovin’ On You. In this song, Luke goes over some of the things he likes in life, but how none of that compares to how much he loves his woman, who he just recently got married to. 

“Don't get me wrong

I like a bobber on the water

Hookin' 'em and reelin' 'em in

I like a Friday night slow ride

Brooks & Dunn B-side

Hit rewind, spin it again

I like a strong shot of whiskey

The way a Marlboro hits me

Some broken in cowboy boots

 

But I'm in love and lovin' on you

I feel that rush soon as you walk in a room

I can't get enough of you, honey

You're right on the money

I'm a junkie for your midnight moves

I'm in love and lovin' on you”

Of course, the 90s-esque Country instrumentation and Luke’s splendid voice help make this a great song as well. My current Pulse handle describes me as a Luke Combs stan, and I think that’s a fair self-assessment, as I’ve yet to hear anything I dislike from him. Luke Combs, keep doing what you’ve been doing, cause I’m in love with lovin’ on your music.

#3: I Hope You’re Happy Now by Carly Pearce and Lee Brice (Peak: #27, Year-End: #73)

We ain’t done with the Country streak quite yet, as the Bronze Medal goes to I Hope You’re Happy Now, a duet from rising Country star Carly Pearce and established Nashville mainstay Lee Brice. Of the two Country hits in 2020 with “I Hope” in the title, this is the far superior one, and let me explain why.

First, unlike the overblown clusterf**k that is the production on Gabby Barrett’s I Hope, the composition on Carly and Lee’s hit is much more restrained and down to earth, while still conveying the tone of the song effectively. Carly and Lee’s vocals are pretty much perfect for this type of regretful breakup duet, as both of them sound sincerely heartbroken without trying too hard to do so (unlike, say, Lewis Capaldi on Someone You Loved). 

The place where this is most superior to the other I Hope, however, is in the lyrical content. While Gabby’s song is spiteful and embittered, this song, while still a bit salty, is ultimately more mature about it and accepting of the over-ness of the relationship.

“I hope you find, what you were looking for

I hope your heart ain't hurting anymore

And you keep moving on

I figured it out

And you don't hate me somehow

'Cause I hope, you're happy now”

While this wasn’t nearly as big of a hit as the other I Hope from 2020, this is the one that deserved the success, and on this list, I will give it the credit it so rightfully merits. Great job, you two, I’m hoping for more like this in the years to come.

#2: Say So by Doja Cat (Peak: #1, Year-End: #11)

Anyone who read my Spring 2020 Top 20 Ranking would’ve seen this pick coming from a mile away. As soon as I saw that the original instead of the remix was the one that was on the 2020 Year-End Hot 100, I immediately knew that the question wasn’t whether Say So would make the list, but how high it would be, and it turned out to be all the way up at #2. 

While this isn’t my favorite hit of the year, it was definitely the one I listened to the most, and much of that is down to the production. Ignoring the man who produced it, Say So is one of the best-sounding pop songs in years. The smooth, clean Disco groove is effortlessly infectious and catchy, with practically infinite replay value. It’s so easy for me to just get lost in how perfectly mixed this song is. Of course, the performer herself isn’t too shabby either. Doja goes from soft, smooth cooing in the chorus and first verse to energetic, quirky rapping in the second, absolutely nailing both of them. Of course, the lyrics are a bit PG-13, basically just Doja telling a guy who is interested in her that if he wants to boink her, all he has to do is say so. I compared this song to Get Lucky (another Disco throwback I return to with great frequency) in my aforementioned Top 20 Ranking (spoilers for a coming Best of 2013 list, by the way), and yeah, they’re basically two sides of the same sweet, sweet coin. While I can certainly understand why some of you aren’t exactly comfortable listening to this song, I can’t help but feel that beat and ride the boogie, and I will unashamedly name this the second best hit song of 2020. So, what could be the song to have topped this?

Hey, you know how I just went about stanning Luke Combs a few minutes back? Well, I’m not exactly done with that. You see, he had one more hit this year, and while it may have been released at a very bad time and been a big question mark as to whether it’d be on the Year-End list, once I saw that it made it, there wasn’t any other choice for what was going to top my best list. So, to the surprise of no one who knows my general taste in music, here is my pick for the Best Hit Song of 2020…

#1: Even Though I’m Leaving by Luke Combs (Peak: #11, Year-End: #85)

There was no way that this song was going to be denied the top spot. It’s been a part of my life for the past year and a half, and I even included it as an Honorable Mention on last year’s best list just in case it got caught between years, which it thankfully didn’t. So, aside from being the biggest hit from my favorite artist, why is this my #1?

To start, this is an absolutely gorgeous song. As with the other Country songs on the list, this is definitely in the more traditional lane when it comes to modern Country, with a mixture of multiple layers of guitar, organic percussion and even mandolin, all of which comes together beautifully. Of course, that would be nothing if Luke Combs wasn’t a good singer, but fortunately for us, he is not only a good singer, but one of the best vocalists in contemporary Country music, and as with Does To Me and Lovin’ On You, he nails the balance between gritty conviction and sincere feelings. 

With all that said, what put this song all the way up at #1 was without a doubt the lyrical content. As I briefly touched upon last year, this is a song about the relationship between the narrator (in this case Luke) and his father, and how it both changes and stays the same over the passage of time. At the beginning of the song, the narrator is but a small child, afraid of the monsters that lurk in the dark, and wanting his dad to stay by him and protect him. As his dad leaves him to go to bed, he assures the narrator that, while he may be gone physically, he’ll always be with him in his heart.

“Just 'cause I'm leavin'

It don't mean that I won't be right by your side

When you need me

And you can't see me in the middle of the night

Just close your eyes and say a prayer

It's okay, I know you're scared when I'm not here

But I'll always be right there

Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere”

Fast forward a number of years, and the now grown up narrator is going off to fight overseas. While he looks like he’s fully ready to go and lay his life on the line, he’s not quite sure if he wants to be so far from his family, especially with the possibility that he’ll never return home. Right before he leaves, his father repeats much the same message as he did so many years before, that while they may be separated physically, he’ll still be there right by his side in spirit.

This brings us to the third and final verse, and boy is it a way to end the song. By this point, the narrator’s dad is lying on his deathbed, about to pass on from this life onto the next. The narrator pleads for his dad to stay just a little longer, as he has no idea how to keep going on without his father.

“Daddy, I'm afraid, won't you stay a little while?

I never thought I'd see the day I had to say goodbye

Daddy, please don't go, I can't do this on my own

There's no way that I can walk this road alone”

However, right before he is to pass away, his father tells him these final, parting words.

“Well, daddy grabbed my hand and said...

Just 'cause I'm leavin'

It don't mean that I won't be right by your side

When you need me

And you can't see me in the middle of the night

Just close your eyes and say a prayer

It's okay, boy, I ain't scared

I won't be here, but I'll always be right there

Even though I'm leavin', I ain't goin' nowhere

I ain't goin' nowhere”

Come on, you’d have to be dead inside to not have that tug at at least a few heartstrings. The bittersweet, tear-jerking ending to this beautiful song makes it more than worthy, in my humble opinion, of being named The Best Hit Song of 2020, and one of the most powerful, emotionally gripping stories I’ve heard in a long, long time. God bless you, Luke Combs, I wish you a long and prosperous career in the years and decades to come.

 

Well, that’s it for 2020, and also for Season One of Gabingston’s Pop Reviews. I’ll have more content coming in 2021, starting with the Winter 2021 Top 20 Ranking and the Best and Worst Hit Songs of 2011. Happy New Years, everyone, let’s all hope for a fresh start in this new year before us. I’ll see you next time, and have a wonderful day!