My Favorite Hits of 2017

Attention!!!

2017 was indeed an interesting year. While the greatest hits of the year failed to find a place on this list with the exception of Despacito, I found the average hits more to my liking. In terms of my taste, EDM, Rap and Pop clearly ruled the global charts and also this compilation. Genre wise it is a smorgasbord of sub-genres with a few entries from Latin Pop and Hip-Hop. Several artists have numerous entries, the highest of which is Nicki Minaj with 4 entries as a featured artist followed by Charlie Puth, Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, Jason Derulo, Niall Horan, Cardi B, Maroon 5, SZA, The Weeknd, Demi Lovato, David Guetta and Bruno Mars each with 2 entries .   

However, my most favorite from all of last year’s releases was Kygo’s EDM smash hit It Ain’t Me containing Selena Gomez’ haunting vocals followed by G-Eazy’s pump anthem No Limit and Rita Ora’s Anywhere. So here are my top 50 favorite hits of 2017 in descending order:  

1. Kygo & Selena Gomez – It ain’t me
2. G-Eazy ft. Cardi B & A$AP Rocky – No limit
3. Rita Ora – Anywhere
4. French Montana ft. Swae Lee – Unforgettable
5. DNCE ft. Nicki Minaj – Kissing strangers
6. Maroon 5 ft. SZA – What lovers do
7. Charlie Puth – How long
8. Julia Michaels – Issues
9. Taylor Swift – Call it what you want
10. Portugal. The Man – Feel it still
11. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
12. Lana Del Rey ft. The Weeknd – Lust for life
13. Martin Jenson – Solo dance
14. Jason Derulo – Tip toe
15. Nick Jonas – Find you
16. Echosmith – Goodbye
17. Liam Payne ft. Quavo – Strip that down
18. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber – Despacito
19. Demi Lovato ft. Iggy Azalea – Kingdom come
20. Harry Styles – Sign of the times
21. Cardi B – Bodak yellow (money moves)
22. Drake – Passionfruit
23. Maroon 5 ft. Future – Cold
24. Pixie Lott ft. Stylo G – Won’t forget you
25. Taylor Swift – Look what you made me do
26. Niall Horan – Too much to ask
27. Lorde ft. Post Malone, SZA & Khalid – Homemade dynamite
28. Shawn Mendes – There’s nothing holdin’ me back
29. David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj & Lil Wayne – Light my body up
30. The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk – I feel it coming
31. Jason Derulo ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – Swalla
32. Jax Jones ft. Demi Lovato & Stefflon Don – Instruction
33. Dua Lipa – Be the one
34. Ariana Grande – Everyday
35. Halsey ft. Lauren Jauregui – Strangers
36. Stargate ft. Pink & Sia – Waterfall
37. Alesso – Falling
38. Bruno Mars – That’s what I like
39. CNCO ft. Little Mix – Reggaetón lento
40. Olly Murs & Louisa Johnson – Unpredictable
41. Julia Michaels – Uh huh
42. Gabrielle Aplin – Love so slow
43. Zara Larsson – I would like 
44. Charlie Puth – Attention
45. Bruno Mars vs. David Guetta – Versace on the floor
46. Anne Marie – Ciao adios
47. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
48. Rag N’ Bone Man – Human
49. Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry & Big Sean – Feels
50. Niall Horan – Slow hands

Till the next favs...

At Ease!!!

Most Inspirational Songs of 2016

Attention!!!

This segment of the year-end compilation is here to stay. This is mostly because unlike other decades, each year there are enough and more inspirational songs that are released. Even most movies and animated films include many inspirational songs, which is clearly reflected on this list. While inspirational songs did not chart high worldwide in 2016 like the preceding year, there were some really good songs. Particularly Andra Day's Rise Up is an exceptional song which has now been covered by hundreds of artists. It is also a favorite at auditions in reality contests. At second place is Sia with her Never Give Up from the film Lion and at third is Sucker for Pain by Lil Wayne and a number of artists from the film Suicide Squad. 

Sia is the only artist with two entries while Fergie has two entries as she is also a part of the Black Eyed Peas. The film Trolls also has two songs on the list. Other films include Zootopia, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Star Trek Beyond. Some other interesting facts are that Fifth Harmony's last single as a quintet is on the list as well as the Black Eyed Peas' final song before Fergie's departure; the official song for the UEFA Euro 2016 by David Guetta and the official English song for the Olympics 2016 by Katy Perry are also on the list. So here are the top 25 most inspirational songs of 2016:

1. Andra Day – Rise up
2. Sia – Never give up 
3. Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons ft. Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors – Sucker for pain 
4. Katy Perry – Rise 
5. Shakira – Try everything 
6. Rihanna – Sledgehammer 
7. Charlie Puth – One call away 
8. Justin Timberlake – Can’t stop the feeling!
9. G-Eazy & Bebe Rexha – Me, myself & I 
10. Selena Gomez – Kill ‘em with kindness 
11. Iggy Azalea – Team 
12. Alan Walker – Alone 
13. Fifth Harmony – That’s my girl
14. Pink – Just like fire 
15. David Guetta ft. Zara Larsson – This one’s for you 
16. Tim McGraw – Humble and kind 
17. Sia ft. Kendrick Lamar – The greatest 
18. Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MØ –  Cold water 
19. Anna Kendrick – Get back up again 
20. Fergie – Life goes on
21. Zedd ft. Kesha – True colors 
22. Dami Im – Fighting for love 
23. Black Eyed Peas ft. The World – #WHEREISTHELOVE 
24. Robbie Williams – Love my life 
25. Beyonce – Formation 

Till the next chord...

At Ease!!!

Greatest Hits of 2015

Attention!!!

2015 was an awesome year for music in terms of quality as well as genre. Although the year was heavily influenced by R&B, compared to the Pop filled 2014, the year produced brilliant hits. There was Reggae, EDM, Minimal House, Rock, Pop, Country, Rap, Doo-Wop and the newbie Trap which made its ascent to the mainstream scene. The titans of the industry Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Adele, Drake and Wiz Khalifa battled head to head for the top position on the charts and boy bands and girl groups also enjoyed commercial success for instance Little Mix, One Direction, Fifth Harmony and 5 Seconds of Summer. 

The year belonged to Taylor Swift with her crossover album 1989 enjoying monumental success with four top 10 hits and two chart toppers during the year. Blank Space which was No.12 last time on the list is No.6 this year. This along with Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud (15-13) are the only singles to be included from 2014. Swift and The Weeknd each have three entries on the list with Justin Bieber accumulating a whopping four entries including his feature on Skrillex & Diplo's Where Are U Now. Bieber has all four hits within the Top 25 while The Weeknd has all three of his hits within the Top 20. Meghan Trainor, Charlie Puth, Jess Glynne and Demi Lovato all have two singles each on the chart.

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars' record breaking global smash hit Uptown Funk grabs the crown on the year end list with Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth's See You Again off the Furious 7 soundtrack at No.2. Adele's comeback hit Hello is at No.3 and would have surely ended at the top if it was not released so late in the year. Soundtracks were quite successful as can be seen from the Furious 7 theme song and similar success was enjoyed by Fifty Shades of Grey wherein it contained the hits Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding and Earned It by The Weeknd. 

The year was a good year for dance music with Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MO's Lean On becoming a worldwide hit as well as hits by Calvin Harris, Skrillex, Avicii, Diplo and Zedd. We see Trap being incorporated to Rap, EDM as well as Pop. Fetty Wap enjoyed immense commercial and critical acclaim with his Trap Queen enjoying top positions in the charts worldwide. David Guetta has incorporated Trap into his current music. Alternative Rock had hits by Fall Out Boy, Hozier, X Ambassadors, WALK THE MOON and Elle King. After the breakthrough of MAGIC!'s Rude in 2014 we see Reggae becoming a contemporary mainstream genre with OMI's Cheerleader and R.City's Locked Away. 

Teenyboppers such as Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas all proved that they are much more than social media icons and celebrities and proved with their new albums that they have the vocals as well as the talent to produce mega hits. New artists such as The Weeknd, Rachel Platten, Jesse Glynne, Years & Years and James Bay blew us away with their awesome songs and their deliverance. So without further ado here are the top 50 greatest hits of 2015:

1. Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown funk
2. Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See you again
3. Adele – Hello
4. The Weeknd – Can’t feel my face
5. Taylor Swift – Blank space
6. Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MO – Lean on
7. Justin Bieber – What do you mean?
8. OMI – Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)
9. Ellie Goulding – Love me like you do
10. Hozier – Take me to church
11. Justin Bieber – Sorry
12. The Weeknd – The hills
13. Ed Sheeran – Thinking out loud
14. Fetty Wap – Trap queen
15. Lost Frequencies – Are you with me
16. Jason Derulo – Want to want me
17. Rachel Platten – Fight song
18. Maroon 5 – Sugar
19. The Weeknd – Earned it
20. WALK THE MOON – Shut up and dance
21. Justin Bieber – Love yourself
22. Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar – Bad blood
23. Skrillex & Diplo ft. Justin Bieber – Where are u now
24. Little Mix – Black magic
25. Years & Years – King
26. Jess Glynne – Hold my hand
27. One Direction – Drag me down
28. James Bay – Hold back the river
29. Meghan Trainor – Lips are movin’
30. David Guetta ft. Bebe Rexha, Nicki Minaj & Afrojack – Hey mama
31. Silento – Watch me (whip/nae nae)
32. Calvin Harris with Disciples – How deep is your love
33. Nick Jonas – Jealous
34. Natalie La Rose ft. Jeremih – Somebody
35. Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – Worth it
36. Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini & Lookas – G.D.F.R.
37. R. City ft. Adam Levine – Locked away
38. Drake – Hotline bling
39. Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney – FourFiveSeconds
40. Olly Murs ft. Demi Lovato – Up
41. Charlie Puth ft. Meghan Trainor – Marvin Gaye
42. Selena Gomez ft. A$AP Rocky – Good for you
43. Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes
44. Taylor Swift – Style
45. Demi Lovato – Cool for the summer
46. Sheppard – Geronimo
47. Carly Rae Jepsen – I really like you
48. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Downtown  
49. Tinie Tempah ft. Jess Glynne – Not letting go
50. LunchMoney Lewis – Bills 

Till next year...

At Ease!!!

Best Hip-Hop/R&B/Rap Ballads of All Time

Attention!!!

The ascension of Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth's See You Again to the top of the charts in both the UK and the US shows that the era of hip-hop/r&b/rap ballads is not completely over. These songs are set apart from the average hip-hop/r&b/rap songs from the fact that there is a fixed structure for them, with the highly personalized rap verses accompanied by an even more emotional chorus mostly by a set of powerful haunting vocals by a featured artist. Eminem is the king of such ballads as his experiment with the structure by sampling the chorus of Dido's Thank You in Stan and featuring Dido herself in the song proved to be a massive commercial success which was also adored by the critics. His entrance to the sub-genre in the early 2000s laid the foundation for the monumental hits to come over the years which took on the form of hip-hop ballads. The female favorite to accompany Eminem on these ballads is Rihanna who has also proven herself as a vocal powerhouse with Jay-Z and Kanye West. Jay-Z, Kanye West, Tinie Tempah and B.o.B are also ardent fans of the hip-hop ballads releasing several throughout their career.

Love The Way You Lie by Eminem & Rihanna takes the crown with B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams' Airplanes takes second place. Interestingly at third place it is once again the king and queen with their hit The Monster. Eminem has the highest number of entries on the list with 7 with Rihanna and Tinie Tempah having 6 entries each. B.o.B, Bruno Mars, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Rita Ora, Nelly, Travie McCoy and the Black Eyed Peas all have several entries on the list. So here are the 50 Best Hip-Hop/R&B/Rap Ballads of All Time:

1. Eminem ft. Rihanna – Love the way you lie
2. B.o.B ft. Hayley Williams – Airplanes
3. Eminem ft. Rihanna – The monster
4. Black Eyed Peas – Where is the love?
5. Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – Empire state of mind
6. Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland – Dilemma
7. Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – See you again
8. Tinie Tempah ft. Eric Turner – Written in the stars
9. Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye West – Run this town
10. T.I. ft. Rihanna – Live your life
11. Professor Green ft. Emeli Sande – Read all about it
12. Rita Ora ft. Tinie Tempah – R.I.P.
13. B.o.B. ft. Bruno Mars – Nothin’ on you
14. Eminem ft. Dido – Stan
15. Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine – Stereo hearts
16. Nelly – Just a dream
17. Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars – Billionaire
18. Jay-Z ft. Justin Timberlake – Holy grail
19. Labrinth ft. Emeli Sande – Beneath your beautiful
20. T.I. ft. Justin Timberlake – Dead and gone
21. Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora – Black widow
22. Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars – Lighters
23. Lil Wayne ft. Bruno Mars – Mirror
24. Chipmunk ft. Chris Brown – Champion
25. Dr. Dre ft. Eminem & Skylar Grey – I need a doctor
26. Diddy-Dirty Money ft. Skylar Grey – Coming home
27. Black Eyed Peas – Meet me halfway
28. Alicia Keys ft. Nicki Minaj – Girl on fire
29. Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz – Number 1
30. Kanye West ft. Rihanna – All of the lights
31. Keri Hilson ft. Kanye West & Ne-Yo – Knock you down
32. B.o.B ft. Taylor Swift – Both of us
33. Labrinth ft. Tinie Tempah – Earthquake
34. Tinchy Stryder ft. Amelle Berrabah – Never leave you
35. Tinie Tempah ft. John Martin – Children of the sun
36. Nicki Minaj ft. Rihanna – Fly
37. Tinie Tempah ft. Ellie Goulding – Wonderman
38. Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder – The fighter
39. Eminem ft. Sia – Guts over fear
40. Professor Green ft. Lily Allen – Just be good to green
41. Tinchy Stryder ft. Pixie Lott – Bright lights
42. Eminem ft. Lil Wayne – No love
43. Gym Class Heroes ft. Neon Hitch – Ass back home
44. Nicki Minaj – Girls fall like dominoes 
45. Sean Paul ft. Kelly Rowland – How deep is your love
46. Travie McCoy ft. Jason Mraz – Rough water
47. T.I. ft. Keri Hilson – Got your back
48. Eminem ft. Nate Ruess – Headlights
49. Eric Turner ft. Tinie Tempah & Lupe Fiasco – Angels and stars
50. Pitbull ft. Kelly Rowland & Jamie Drastik – Castle made of sand

Till the next ballad…

At Ease!!!