These were the singles released in 2018 or that first became hits in 2018 that had the strongest impacts on me.
1. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry” – Has any other singer besides Ariana Grande ever endured so many personal struggles so publicly and on such a massive scale? She still had a lot of heartbreak left to come after releasing “No Tears Left to Cry,” but luckily she was already equipped with and had gifted the world with a timeless anthem for how to insist on finding the joy amidst all life’s turmoil.
2. Dennis Lloyd – “Nevermind” – The ultimate kind of elastic groove to which you can chill out or dance ’til you drop.
3. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai captured the language of infatuation in 2018, but the feelings are eternal.
4. Ariana Grande – “God is a Woman” – Oh, trust me, I believe. I was certain once I heard that first sexy guitar strum.
5. U.S. Girls – “Velvet 4 Sale” – This is the sort of rock music that makes me happy to currently be an adult human.
6. Beck – “Colors” – Is Beck the greatest dance artist of his era? “Colors” makes a strong case.
7. Janelle Monáe – “Pynk” – If we all had our own personal “Pynk” to announce to everyone who we are, the world would be a much better place.
8. Rüfüs Du Sol – “No Place” – I imagine that this is what it will sound like when I drift off this mortal coil.
9. Childish Gambino – “This Is America” – The musical equivalent of getting shot in the head and living to tell the tale.
10. Portugal. The Man – “Tidal Wave” – The force of extreme weather, but going down smooth and easy.
11. Janelle Monáe – “Make Me Feel” – Feeling good should sometimes feel like there’s a worm dancing in your brain.
12. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me” – It’s good to know that some musicians are out here to make sure we’re safe and sound.
13. Elle King – “Shame” – It’s healthy to exorcise the lowdown dirtiest impulses of your humanity through song.
14. Paul McCartney – “Come on to Me” – I know I’d also like to remain this punny and lusty into my seventies.
15. Bob Moses – “Back Down” – An ideal soundtrack for making an unstable night feel just a little bit more stable.
16. Kendrick Lamar and SZA – “All the Stars” – The kind of song that assures you that all the spirits of your community are with you.
17. Max Frost – “Good Morning” – I’m happy to admit when I wake up in a day-conquering mood, and Max Frost has packaged that feeling.
18. Tyler, the Creator – “You’re a Mean One” – Maybe all kids movie theme songs should be crafted by pansexual oddballs.
19. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” – When the sound cuts out right before the chorus, and then the guitar chimes in so nastily, I feel like I’m drowning, into the Sunken Place or something … and I like it.
20. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It” – The desire to make it all the way through together really does often sound this urgent, doesn’t it?
The 2018 VMA’s were just a couple of weeks, which means I’ve had a hankering to rank every Video of the Year winner from most not-the-best to the very best. And so, here is that ranking?
35. Green Day – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
34. Katy Perry – “Firework”
33. Britney Spears – “Piece of Me”
32. Eminem – “Without Me”
31. Aerosmith – “Cryin'”
30. Eminem – “The Real Slim Shady”
29. The Smashing Pumpkins – “Tonight, Tonight”
28. Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – “Bad Blood”
27. Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, and P!nk ft. Missy Elliott – “Lady Marmalade”
26. Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”
25. Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – “We Found Love”
24. Madonna – “Ray of Light”
23. Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”
22. R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”
21. Don Henley – “The Boys of Summer”
20. OutKast – “Hey Ya!”
19. Lauryn Hill – “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
18. Panic! at the Disco – “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”
17. The Cars – “You Might Think”
16. Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana”
15. Beyonce – “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”
14. Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”
13. Lady Gaga – “Bad Romance”
12. Neil Young – “This Note’s for You”
11. van Halen – “Right Now”
10. Beyonce – “Formation”
9. Rihanna ft. Jay-Z – “Umbrella”
8. TLC – “Waterfalls”
7. INXS – “Need You Tonight/Mediate”
6. Jamiroquai – “Virtual Insanity”
5. Sinead O’Connor – “Nothing Compares 2 U”
4. Dire Straits – “Money for Nothing”
3. Pearl Jam – “Jeremy”
2. Missy Elliott – “Work It”
1. Peter Gabriel – “Sledgehammer”
Each week*, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
*This will be my last Billboard Hot Rock Songs re-ranking post, at least for the foreseeable future, as these posts have become a bit too same-old, same-old for my tastes. But I will continue to scan the charts each week, and I might occasionally write down some reactions should the spirit move me.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Imagine the Dragons – “Natural”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. Weezer – “Africa”
8. lovelytheband – “Broken”
9. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
10. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
11. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. John Mayer – “New Light”
14. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
15. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
16. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
17. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
18. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
19. twenty one pilots – “Levitate”
20. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
21. Five Finger Death Punch – “Blue on Black”
22. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
23. grandson – “Blood // Water”
24. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
25. Shinedown – “Devil”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
Each week*, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
*-This will be my last Billboard Hot 100 re-ranking post, at least for the foreseeable future, as these posts have become a bit too rote for my tastes. But I will still scan the charts each week, and I might occasionally write down some reactions should anything catch my fancy.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
3. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
4. Travis Scott – “Sicko Mode”
5. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FEFE”
6. Post Malone – “Better Now”
7. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
8. Travis Scott – “Stargazing”
9. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
10. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
11. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo – “No Brainer”
12. Drake – “Nice for What”
13. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
14. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
15. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
16. YG ft. 2 Chainz, Big Sean, and Nicki Minaj – “Big Bank”
17. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
18. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
19. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
20. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. Weezer – “Africa”
8. lovelytheband – “Broken”
9. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
10. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
14. John Mayer – “New Light”
15. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
16. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
17. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
18. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
19. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
20. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
21. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
22. Shinedown – “Devil”
23. grandson – “Blood // Water”
24. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
25. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
5. Hunger
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FEFE”
4. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
5. DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo – “No Brainer”
6. Post Malone – “Better Now”
7. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
8. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
9. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
10. Drake – “Nice for What”
11. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
12. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
13. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
14. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
15. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
16. Drake – “God’s Plan”
17. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
18. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
19. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
20. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
5. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. lonelytheband – “Broken”
8. Weezer – “Africa”
9. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
10. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
14. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
15. John Mayer – “New Light”
16. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
17. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
18. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
19. Muse – “Something Human”
20. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
21. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
22. Shinedown – “Devil”
23. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
24. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
25. U2 – “Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
5. Hunger
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot 100, and then I rearrange the top 20 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all 20, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Drake – “In My Feelings”
2. Cardi B, Bad Bunny, and J Balvin – “I Like It”
3. Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B – “Girls Like You”
4. 6ix9ine ft. Nicki Minaj and Murda Beatz – “FeFe”
5. Post Malone – “Better Now”
6. Drake – “Nice for What”
7. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up”
8. Juice WRLD – “Lucid Dreams”
9. Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla $ign – “Psycho”
10. Tyga ft. Offset – “Taste”
11. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry”
12. Taylor Swift – “Delicate”
13. Drake – “God’s Plan”
14. Lil Baby and Drake – “Yes Indeed”
15. Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey – “The Middle”
16. Marshmello and Anne-Marie – “Friends”
17. Ed Sheeran – “Perfect”
18. Khalid and Normani – “Love Lies”
19. XXXTentacion – “Sad!”
20. Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line – “Meant to Be”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. No Tears Left to Cry
2. Boo’d Up
Jmunney's Blog 