Year-End Special: My Top 45 Songs of 2017

2017, like 2016, was not that good of a year for music with rap still dominating for whatever reason. But even though all the chart toppers were crappy songs, there was a load of very good songs as well. Songs that never lost my interest throughout the year. Some were moving. Some were bangers. Some were guilty pleasures. So at this time, I will be counting my Top 45 songs of this past year. In the sea of not-so-good music, these 45 songs were the ones that stood out the most. A lot of these songs have different backgrounds and different reasons why I like them. But regardless, I enjoyed all of these. Before we get into the list, I do have things to cover first. So let's start by going over the rules and requirements for eligibility for this list.


1) Only songs from the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown are eligible. This is a Hits 1 blog, so it makes sense. If it was a Hit-Bound dropout, it's unfortunately not eligible. It needed to have spent at least one week on the countdown in 2017.

2) No songs from previous year-end rankings are eligible for this year's rankings. That way it'll be 45 new songs and there will be no repeats from last year or any year before. Fortunately, I don't think there was a single song from last year's ranking that would've done better on this year's list. So that's good.

3) Songs that debuted in mid to late December are not eligible. The cutoff date for eligibility was the week of December 2, 2017, making Nick Jonas – Find You, X Ambassadors – Ahead of Myself, and Harry Styles – Kiwi the final songs eligible for 2017. I do this to avoid prematurely ranking songs that could very well be more successful in 2018. If I were to rank them this year, then they won't be eligible for next year's ranking. The following songs debuted past the cutoff date and are not eligible for this year's list, but will be looked at first for consideration for the Top 45 Songs of 2018.

• Macklemore/Kesha – Good Old Days
• Symon – Lonely Girl
• Eminem/Ed Sheeran – River
• Louis Tomlinson – Miss You
• Liam Payne – Bedroom Floor
• Walk The Moon – One Foot

Now that we got those rules out of the way, I'd like to go through all my honorable mentions for this list. They're the songs that came very close, but just didn't make the cut for this countdown.

• The All-American Rejects – Sweat
• Bruno Mars/David Guetta – Versace On The Floor
• The Chainsmokers – Honest
• The Chainsmokers – Paris
• Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You
• Erin Bowman – Good Time Good Life
• Evaride – Heartless
• Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls
• Harry Styles – Kiwi
• James Arthur – Say You Won't Let Go
• Jon Bellion – Overwhelming
• Justin Bieber/BloodPop – Friends
• Linkin Park/Kiiara – Heavy
• Lukas Graham – You're Not There
• Niall Horan – Too Much To Ask
• Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee
• Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes
• Selena Gomez/Marshmello – Wolves
• Shawn Mendes – Mercy
• X Ambassadors – Ahead of Myself

Some of these songs could very well end being ranked in 2018 since they're still currently on the countdown. But unfortunately there was no room for them this year.

Finally, let's rewind to last year for a minute. Here are my Top 5 Songs from 2016:

5. P!nk – Just Like Fire

4. 5 Seconds of Summer – Jet Black Heart

3. Ellie Goulding – Something In The Way You Move

2. Mike Posner/SeeB – I Took A Pill In Ibiza

1. Coldplay/Beyoncé – Hymn For The Weekend

Alright. I believe I've covered everything I needed to cover. We're now ready to jump right into the list. I'd like to reiterate that everything you're about to see are my own opinions. These are my favorite songs of the year. You may not agree with them and that's perfectly find unless you try to start an argument with me. My picks. Not yours. So with that, let's kick things off with #45!

45. Martin Garrix/Bebe Rexha – In The Name Of Love

I chose not to rank this song in 2016 because I saw potential for it in 2017. Turns out it didn't last much longer. But regardless, it was a really good song. Martin Garrix's music doesn't normally get recognized in the world of mainstream music. But he is very good at what he does. The production on this song is very good. He also had songs like Scared To Be Lonely with Dua Lipa that did not make it to Hits 1. I thought that was another really enjoyable song from him. But back to this song, the vocals are fantastic. Bebe Rexha is a very underrated, yet talented artist. This is probably the one song where she showcases her voice the most. When she hits the high notes towards the end of the song, it gives me chills. All in all, great song. I wish it had more success in the mainstream world.

44. Fall Out Boy – Champion

The disastrous comeback single that was Young and Menace thankfully failed to graduate from Hit-Bound to the Weekend Countdown. Champion did make it on (obviously or you wouldn't be seeing it here), but didn't last very long or do very well. It's not a great song from Fall Out Boy and it's nowhere near their best work. But it was enjoyable during its time on the countdown. It has that nice rock vibe that I like to hear from them. I like the loud chorus and the verses are enjoyable too. It's definitely one of the better songs from their new album along with The Last Of The Real Ones. The other two are not my personal taste from a band like this. But overall, I enjoyed Champion for what it was. It would've been nice if did better on the countdown.

43. All Time Low – Good Times

This song never really stood out at first or throughout its time on the countdown. But at some point, I started to really enjoy it. It's a really nice song. While it's nowhere near the best, I can appreciate it for what it is. I like the instrumentals. The vocals sound good. I really like the lyrics. It's songs like this that I wish were bigger outside of Hits 1. Honestly, I wish All Time Low were bigger outside of Hits 1. They have some really good music. This is the third year in a row where one of their songs made it on to my Year-End countdown. Sure, they're music now isn't as good as it was before. But it's still enjoyable for the time being. This isn't like your everyday mainstream hit. It's different and I like that. I hope to hear more from this band in the future.

42. Bebe Rexha – I Got You

This is one of Bebe Rexha's few solo tracks. This is also her second of four appearances on this list. There's just something about her that I really like. I Got You was not that successful. But I thought it was a really good song. This song is another reason as to why I believe she is very underrated. She has a great voice, but doesn't get the recognition she deserves. I Got You shows that she has a good voice (though not as well as In The Name Of Love). I think she sounds really good throughout the song. The chorus is really enjoyable. I wish it had done better on the countdown. Hopefully in the future, we can possibly get some more songs like this from her.

41. Jason Derulo/Nicki Minaj/Ty Dolla $ign – Swalla

This is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I remember thinking that this song was really weird the first few times I heard it. The lyrical content is the most questionable thing about the song. But I enjoyed pretty much everything else about it. The chorus quite interesting, though a little repetitive. I like Ty Dolla $ign's verse more than I probably should. I really like Nicki's verse as well. It's probably the best part of the song. I honestly don't have much else to say. It's a strange song that just had my attention. I'm glad it was able to hang around on the countdown for a little while.

40. Aaron Carter – Sooner Or Later

This song lasted a little longer on the countdown than I thought it would, but still only peaked at #34. At first listen, I thought this was a very interesting song. You don't hear very many songs like this one. That being said, it grabbed my attention right from the start. The verses are pretty good. I love the chorus when you can really hear the EDM that was incorporated into the track. It makes it a very enjoyable listen and something I actually really liked hearing on the radio. It's a shame this song couldn't do better on the countdown. But I'm glad it even made it on there in the first place. It's unique and I like it mainly for that reason.

39. Charlie Puth – Attention
Out of all his songs, this is the one that grabbed the most of my attention. It's probably his best song since See You Again. One Call Away sucked and We Don't Talk Anymore faded on me. But Attention is a little bit more of a different sound for Charlie Puth. It has a nice vibe to it. The chorus is simple, but sounds really good. I think Charlie Puth's vocals are improving as well. It's a very catchy song and has cool production, which Charlie actually handled himself. So I'm definitely impressed. This is the first song in this list was actually pretty successful spending a week at the top spot. But there will certainly be more to come. This song is still on the countdown and I have yet to get sick of it. Hopefully his new album, Voicenotes, will be good.

38. Imagine Dragons – Believer
This song and I did not have a very good relationship at the start. Particularly because it was a lot different than what I had expected from them and I was hoping for something more along the lines of Night Visions. But at some point when I finally let go of that, I started to appreciate the song for what it is. I originally said it was an evolution that did not work out very well in their favor. Even now, the song still isn't as good as their older work. But it's enjoyable, at least for the time being. And just as I was growing into this song, I began to grow out of Thunder, which is starting to become pretty mediocre. Believer may not have been a favorite of mine when it first aired on the radio. But what matters is that I have finally come around to it enough to include it in this list.

37. The Vamps/Matoma – All Night
This is probably the best song I've heard from The Vamps since Somebody To You. I like that they worked with Matoma on this track and made something that is much different than what they've done in the past. Songs like Somebody To You were pop songs that seemed destined to be played on the radio. But All Night is definitely more EDM and not something I really expected to hear on Hits 1. I think they're vocals are really good. I like the chorus and I think the drop sounds pretty interesting. Unfortunately this didn't do so well in the United States. But it's definitely one of their best tracks in my opinion. It's not that far off from Somebody To You. I would love to hear more songs like this from them in the future.

36. Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line – Meant To Be
Some may not agree with my decision to include this song. Like I said before, I never hated Florida Georgia Line or their music. I enjoyed Cruise quite a bit and I actually kind of liked H.O.L.Y. in a way, though not very much. I like this collaboration with Bebe Rexha. I think it's a nice fusion of pop and country. Everyone's vocals sound really good. I think the two artists sound really good together. I think it's a nice song. But that's just me. I can understand why some may feel that this is just another mediocre country song. But I like it for what it is. I'm glad that this song is as successful as it is. Bebe Rexha is finally getting the recognition she deserves. I'm sure it'll do better in 2018. But I decided to rank it this year in case it fades on me next year.

35. John Legend – Love Me Now
This song had nowhere near the same amount of success as All of Me did. While it was slow, I found that song to be really nice and I liked its message. Love Me Now is a bit more upbeat and probably more enjoyable for those that are not fans of slower songs. I remember not liking this song at first for some unknown reason. But after listening to it more, it became a favorite of mine. Unfortunately it did pretty poorly on the countdown, which for some reason didn't really surprise me. I thought it was another really nice song and I actually liked the repeating "Love me now!" in the chorus. John Legend usually impresses me one way or another. I haven't heard very many upbeat tracks from him. But I thought this was a success. It's a shame America didn't feel the same.

34. Twenty One Pilots – Heavydirtysoul
Twenty One Pilots didn't seem to have as big of a year this year as they did last year. Aside from Heathens, which was carried over from 2016, Heavydirtysoul was their only song on the countdown this year. It's definitely a bit different from songs like Stressed Out and Ride. But I found it to be a very cool song. It's very fast aside from the pre-chorus, which I really like. I like Tyler Joseph's rapping and I think his vocals sound good in the chorus. This did not do as well as any of their previous songs, but that's probably why I really like it. Songs like Stressed Out and Heathens faded on me because of how overrated they became. Heavydirtysoul was only there for a little while, which is probably why I still like it. All in all, it's a cool song and even though it didn't have very much success, I'm glad it was able to spend a little while on the countdown.

33. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
When every One Direction started to release their solo work, they each went their own path as far as genre goes. Niall was the one that went for a more acoustic pop sound. I think it fits him really well and Slow Hands is a great example of that. This Town was good, but got a little boring at some point. It was a little too acoustic for me. But Slow Hands was definitely more upbeat, while still including some acoustics. It makes sense why this ended up becoming the bigger hit. His vocals sound really good and he really shows that he is a also a great musician. In a way, he reminds me of Ed Sheeran. I think they're both very similar in their music styles and who knows? Niall could be the next Ed Sheeran, even though Ed's probably not leaving music for a while.

32. G-Eazy/Kehlani – Good Life
This song was recorded for the soundtrack for The Fate of the Furious. It really was not that big of a hit. But it was a really good song. I like G-Eazy. I think he's a good rapper. I really like his verses on this song. I'm glad Kehlani was featured on the track because she has a very good voice. I think she sounds great in the chorus. This is the kind of rap music I like to hear, not a song full of underwhelming trap beats while the rappers themselves have annoying voices. It's a shame this didn't get that big and only lasted one week on the Weekend Countdown. But I'm sure he'll have some more successful tracks from his new album, The Beautiful & Damned. One of the songs from there is already on Hit-Bound, so I hope he has another hit like Me, Myself, & I.

31. Fitz & The Tantrums – HandClap
I really enjoyed this song in 2016. But it didn't actually enter the countdown until January of this year. So Hits 1 was definitely a little late with this one. But it still did very well having peaked in the Top 5. I was happy that it did well because Fitz & The Tantrums don't get very much recognition in the world of mainstream music. They're usually only popular on alternative stations. I've enjoyed their music for a little while now. Songs like Out Of My League and The Walker were really good. HandClap was a really good song as well. I really liked the production. The song is loud, but fun. It's one of those songs that makes you want to get up and move. It's very energetic. Like I said, I'm glad this song did well on Hits 1, even if it didn't do as well outside of Hits 1.

30. Portugal. The Man – Feel It Still
Similar to Fitz & The Tantrums, Portugal. The Man is usually only popular on alternative stations. But Feel It Still was a big crossover into mainstream radio. It was very successful on Alt Nation and it has done pretty well on Hits 1 as well. I'll admit that I didn't love it the first few times I heard it. But at some point, I realized that it's actually a very catchy song. The vocals are a little strange, but interesting for the most part. I really like the production. It's a little different than what we normally hear and I'm glad Portugal. The Man now have a hit song and it's not just the same artists over and over again. I'm surprised this song did as well as it did. It didn't spend that much time in the Top 10, but I'm surprised it even got there. America must've really liked this song. I don't blame them.

29. Steve Aoki/Louis Tomlinson – Just Hold On
This is one of Steve Aoki's few hits that actually made it on Hits 1. It's not as good as Back 2 U, but that was like REALLY good and this is pretty good as well. This was released as Louis Tomlinson's debut single as a solo artist. He's always been my personal favorite from One Direction because aside from him being the best-looking, he also has the best voice in my opinion. Harry is pretty good competition though. But anyway, I was anticipating the release of this and I was not disappointed. Even though it's not the best work from Steve Aoki, it's still really good. I love Louis' voice and I like the lyrical content. This did very well on Hits 1 peaking in the Top 5 and lasting a very long time on the countdown. I just wish this had more success outside of Hits 1. But other than that, I thought it was a great debut single for Louis.

28. Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso/Florida Georgia Line/watt – Let Me Go
In a way, this song is kind of like Starving 2.0. But as I've said before, I think this is the much superior track. Not only is the drop better and not as annoying, but Hailee Steinfeld really shows off her voice more here than she did on Starving. On Starving, it felt as though there were some kinds of restrictions on her voice. But here on Let Me Go, she shows off what she's truly capable of. I really like the chorus. I think Florida Georgia Line sound good. Even though the drop isn't the best thing I've ever heard, it's enjoyable in a way and I like the production overall. This song didn't really get that big at first. But after all four artists performed it at the 2017 American Music Awards, it started to gain a little bit more steam, though not much. Despite this, it is currently doing well on the countdown, which makes me happy. I really like it and I think it's one of Hailee Steinfeld's best songs.

27. The Script – Rain
The Script is one of those bands that just does not disappoint me. Every single they've released I've enjoyed. The first song I ever heard from them was Breakeven and I instantly fell in love. Then I heard songs like For The First Time and Nothing, followed by Hall of Fame, Six Degrees of Separation, and Superheroes. Now we're at Rain and I still really like the band. Rain is a bit different than what they've done before. But it's really good. It's not their best work by any means. But like I said, they've impressed me single and single. Danny's vocals sound really good. I like the production and instrumentation. It's a catchy song that had my attention from the start. Despite not being a big hit, it stuck around on Hits 1 for a little while, longer than I thought it would. But it's a little disappointing that they're not as big now as they were before. Now their music really only plays on adult contemporary stations. But I will always love this band and I think they are very talented. Rain was a great song that deserved more than it got.

26. Cheat Codes/Demi Lovato – No Promises
This song was around for a good chunk of the year. But it didn't actually get to Hits 1 until about August or September. So Hits 1 was a little late with it. I actually really like this song. Demi Lovato sounds really good on here. I think she and Trevor Dahl sound really good together. This song was getting big on Hits 1 around the same time as Sorry Not Sorry, which ended up being the bigger hit obviously. I'm pretty sure that song also prevented No Promises from reaching the Top 10. Even though Sorry Not Sorry was the bigger hit, I think No Promises was the better song. It has some nice production all throughout the track. I like the chorus and the drop. I love when Demi Lovato hits the big note in the last chorus. All in all, I think it's a great song. It did decent on Hits 1, but it could've done better. While it may not have been the biggest song this year for Demi Lovato, I think it's the better of the two. But that's just my opinion as you should know by now.

25. Zayn/Sia – Dusk Till Dawn
I have to say, this is definitely Zayn's best song. It's unfortunate that it's not being treated that way. After the extremely mediocre Still Got Time, I wasn't exactly looking forward to any future releases from this man. But then he released Dusk Till Dawn and I fell in love. It's crazy how some artists can go from making one of the worst songs of the year to making one of the best songs of the year. Dusk Till Dawn is honestly just mesmerizing. Zayn is not holding back on the vocals. I love that he brought in Sia. I think they sound amazing together. I love the slow, quieter verses leading up to the loud chorus that makes you want to sing along to it at the top of your lungs. It's doing pretty well on Hits 1 so far, so that's good. But I wish this song would've been a bigger hit everywhere else. It's a little annoying how some songs just get ignored even though they're better than the song that actually made it big. I think this song is better than I Don't Wanna Live Forever by a long shot. Apparently America doesn't agree. Oh well. I still love this song though. Hopefully it continues to do well on Hits 1.

24. Adele – Water Under The Bridge
Many were hoping this would be released as the next single after Send My Love (To Your New Lover) and I can completely understand why. Most of Adele's album, 25, didn't appeal to me that much. Some of the songs are okay, but others are just not my personal taste. Water Under The Bridge is definitely one of the best songs on there. I like the production. There's a bit more going on in this song than there is in Send My Love. I think Adele's vocals sound really good, especially in the verses. I really like the chorus. This did reasonably well on Hits 1, peaking in the Top 5, which I'm glad about. It didn't necessarily do as well as Send My Love, but I still think it's the better song personally.

23. Lady Gaga – The Cure
This was released not long after the release of her most recent album, Joanne. I found it a little strange that she decided to do that, but I went along with it. It's a really good song. It's nowhere near her best by any means. But it was good enough for it to be included in this list. The verses are a little odd, but interesting. I like when she says, "I will be right by your side," leading into the chorus, which I really like as well. It's a little bit of a change from what Lady Gaga usually does, but I think it sounds really good. It has some nice lyrics to it. The production in the chorus is a little weird, but in a good way. This song did pretty well on Hits 1 peaking in the Top 10 and lasting a long time on the countdown even though it wasn't that big of a hit elsewhere. Still, Lady Gaga performed it live a few times and it's a very enjoyable song. I'm glad it did well on Hits 1.

22. Ed Sheeran – Perfect
The title of the song speaks for itself. I'm glad this was chosen as a single because it is fantastic and beautiful. Ed Sheeran is definitely one with love songs after 2015's Thinking Out Loud, which I have finally come around to for those unaware. But I feel like Perfect is a step up from that. I love the lyrics. "I have faith in what I see. Now I know I have met an angel in person, and she looks perfect. No I don't deserve this. You look perfect tonight." One thing's for sure, if I get into a relationship anytime soon, this will be our song. It might even be my wedding song. Who knows? And on this song, Ed Sheeran not only shows that he's a great songwriter, but a great vocalist as well. His voice is beautiful. I love it. I love him. This song has literally made me fall in love with this man. I don't understand how he could possibly be single. He seems like such a sweet guy and anyone that writes a song like this is definitely husband-material. I've listened to the Perfect Duet with Beyoncé and the Perfect Symphony with Andrea Bocelli and I like both. But it's the original version that stole my heart. This is our current #1 song and I hope it stays that way.

21. Calvin Harris/Frank Ocean/Migos – Slide
Calvin Harris went for a bit of a different sound with his latest album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1. I like the majority of his music but after This Is What You Came For from last year, I began questioning the direction he was taking. But I still went into this song with an open mind and I was quite impressed. I'll admit that the high-pitched voice in the beginning and end of the song can get a little annoying. But everything else about the song is on point. The production here is really good and I like that Calvin Harris decided to go this route. Frank Ocean's vocals sound good as expected. Even Migos doesn't suck. They actually sound pretty decent in this song. It's a very weird collab that works very well. I'm happy for Calvin Harris. I'm glad this single turned out to be a win. It didn't do that well on Hits 1 unfortunately. But it did receive a lot of critical acclaim, so that's nice.

20. Clean Bandit/Sean Paul/Anne-Marie – Rockabye
This was the first time we heard from Clean Bandit ever since Rather Be, which, although I got sick of it, was an enjoyable song overall. I like Clean Bandit because they're not like your average pop group. They're electronic, but they also have some elements of classical music, which makes them stand out. This year they brought Rockabye, which I really liked at first listen and I still do. I love the production on this song. Anne-Marie's vocals sound really good. I love what Sean Paul had to contribute. He's definitely one of my favorites. I love the lyrical content as the song is about motherhood. I'm sure all mothers can relate to this song, which is probably why my mom loves this song. It's very well-written and well-produced. I'm glad this was able to spend some time on the Weekend Countdown, even though it didn't last very long. Though it was a pretty big hit everywhere else. It's a shame Symphony, which came later in the year, didn't get as big.

19. MAX/Gnash – Lights Down Low
This song debuted on Hit-Bound early in January of this year. I've loved it ever since. This song seems to have some mixed opinions within the blogging community. But me personally, I love it. As you probably know, I have a thing for love songs. I think this song was very nicely written. I love the lyrics. The chorus is really nice. I love the bridge of the song. MAX has a very good voice that he shows off really nicely. The instrumentals are good. It's a really nice song that I think everyone should appreciate. It has a nice meaning to it. Some people may say it's boring because it doesn't have much to it, but I think that's the point. I've heard the remix they play on Venus and it's not good. It defeats the whole purpose of the song. It's supposed to be slow and sweet. I love the music video, although it'll probably hit you in the feels. It's a little sad, but it's sweet and I think it reflects nicely on the song. It spent a lot of time on Hit-Bound that I was surprised it made it on the countdown. Even more surprising, it actually did pretty well. It's still on the countdown now, but it'll probably be gone by the start of next year. It wasn't that big of a hit everywhere else, though I did hear it on the radio every now and then, which was nice. I wouldn't mind getting another song like this from MAX sometime soon.

18. Katy Perry/Skip Marley – Chained To The Rhythm
The comeback single from Katy Perry was definitely a favorite of mine for a long time. I got hooked the first time I heard it. It's a cool pop tune that reminded me of some of her songs from Teenage Dream. It has some good production to it. I love the chorus. I think it's really catchy. Katy Perry has some good vocals and I really like Skip Marley's verse. It's the first Katy Perry song I've loved in quite a while. I did not love Prism that much. Roar was not exactly my personal taste. I liked Dark Horse, but it wasn't exactly amazing. This Is How We Do was more of a guilty pleasure of mine that I liked for a little while, but it didn't stick with me. Chained To The Rhythm, while not being an amazing song by any means, was a good comeback in my opinion. It was much better than Rise from last year, which pretty much flopped. Unfortunately, Witness was not that great of an album. But Chained To The Rhythm was a definite stand-out track and I'm glad it was released as the lead single. This didn't do as well as I had hoped. But it did okay.

17. Harry Styles – Sign Of The Times
This was the song from a One Direction member that received the most critical acclaim. It's almost hard to believe that Harry used to be in One Direction after listening to his solo album. They're two completely different genres. Harry went for more a rock-type sound, which I applaud because not very many artists nowadays go that route. Sign Of The Times is a definite stand-out song this year. It's almost six minutes long and there is a lot of repetition, but it sounds really good and I was impressed that Harry decided to go for something like this. I like the lyrical content and I think the song was produced very well. Harry's vocals are on point and I can understand why some may have considered him the best vocalist from One Direction. Even his falsetto sounds really good. Overall, the song is fantastic. His new self-titled album is really good too. You should check it out if you haven't already. Unfortunately, this didn't do so well on the Weekend Countdown because god forbid we have a song that's leaning more towards rock than pop. Even though it's Harry Styles, that's apparently not enough for his music to do well. I wish people would see the amount of talent that goes into a song like this as opposed to something like Strip That Down, which requires little to no talent.

16. Linkin Park – One More Light
Chester Bennington was definitely one of the biggest losses we had this year. As someone who has been a fan of Linkin Park for quite some time, I was very saddened by the news. But at the same time, I was shocked. I had a hard time believing it was true. My heart goes out to his family as well as Mike Shinoda and the rest of Linkin Park. Although One More Light was not Linkin Park's best album, the title track really stood out and I'm glad it ended up being released as a single. It speaks perfectly of Chester's situation and how everyone feels. It's a very beautifully written song. Chester's voice shines throughout the whole song. Only he was able to scream out their heavier songs AND sing on a slower ballad and sound good doing both. He was a good man. Listening to this song only reminds me of him. I'm glad this did well on Hits 1 because it is a beautiful song and tribute. I'm not sure what will happen to Linkin Park now. But whatever they decide to do, I will support them. I'm sure they're going through a very hard time right now.

15. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
This song was released on the same day as Shape Of You. Shape Of You did end up being the bigger hit and I used to think it was the better song. But at the time, I barely even listened to Castle On The Hill. At some point, I began to realize that Castle On The Hill is actually the better song. I appreciate Shape Of You for what it is. I love its simplicity and it worked well for Ed. But Castle On The Hill is a whole other story. The production here is fantastic. I like the use of the guitars. The chorus is amazing in terms of both the production and the vocals. I love the lyrical content as the song is essentially about life. At one point in the song, he talks about all the different things his friends are doing. It's brilliantly written and well-executed. I was quite impressed with how this song turned out. It's a shame it couldn't be as big of a hit as Shape Of You. But what matters is that it was still a #1 song on the Weekend Countdown and it got itself a spot in the Top 15 for my favorite songs of the year. I swear, Ed Sheeran is one of the best artists we currently have in music. I'm glad he had such a successful year this past year.

14. Mono Mind – Save Me A Place (Bridge & Mountain Remix)
This was one of those special songs that Hits 1 picked up on their own. One of the things I like about Hits 1 is that every now and then they select songs that aren't very well-known. I like this because it gives me more music to listen to and different artists to look up. They expose me to songs I would probably never hear anywhere else. And sometimes (though not often), those songs become hits. Save Me A Place is definitely the best underground song Hits 1 picked up on this year. I love the electronic vibe this song gives off. The production is amazing. The song has me hooked from start to end. I love the robotic vocals in the verses. I think they sound really cool. The female vocalist in the chorus sounds really good as well. I think the song is very well put together and I'm glad Hits 1 picked this song up. Now I look forward to future releases from Mono Mind. I've watched their interviews. They're definitely an interesting band that I want to keep up with. Hopefully their future releases will be as good as this and possibly even make it on to Hits 1.

13. Louis Tomlinson/Bebe Rexha/Digital Farm Animals – Back To You
Ever since Louis announced a new song with Bebe Rexha would be coming, I was anticipating its release. I was definitely pleased when I first listened to it. I love how Bebe takes on the first part of the song, Louis takes on the second part, and then they join together for the final chorus. Their voices alone are already amazing. But they sound even better singing together. The production here is interesting in a good way. I like the lyrical content. I couldn't help but notice the little Drag Me Down reference in the chorus. All in all, it's a great song and it's my personal favorite song from a One Direction member. I have always admired Louis and I'm so glad that his solo career is going well. People may be all over the other four members. But Louis is and always will be my favorite. I just wish his songs would become bigger hits. This did okay on Hits 1, but it really didn't last very long. But even if they don't hit charts like the Hot 100, they're still hits in my book. I'm still waiting for that album. I'm sure it'll be great.

12. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee/Justin Bieber – Despacito
This song has to be the biggest Latin crossover hit since Enrique Iglesias/Sean Paul – Bailando in 2014. Even after it spending 16 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying the record for most weeks at the top, I still love it. I have a thing for Latin music, probably due to my Latin background, which may also have to do with why I like Mi Gente. Despacito is one of those songs that just makes you want to get up and dance. It was played at my senior prom earlier this year and it was hard not to dance to it. It is a fantastic song that really brings a lot of energy. Luis Fonsi sounds great. Daddy Yankee's verse is still my favorite part of the song. I like Justin Bieber's take on the chorus, and no that's not the only reason why I like the song. I like the original version just as much as the remix. But thanks to the remix, this song spent a hell lot of time at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which I was pleased by. I've seen a lot of people call this song trash, likely because of how overrated it was. But there's something about it that just stuck with me. I like that a Latin song like this one was able to do this well in the United States. I'm very happy for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee. This was a fantastic song and I'm glad it did as well as it did.

11. Miley Cyrus – Malibu
Miley Cyrus has finally broken free from whatever demonic spell she was under when she released Bangerz and Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz. The latter was just an awful album overall. I had some mixed opinions on Bangerz. But the singles really weren't good for the most part. I'm so glad that she has gone back to her roots. Malibu gave me hope that she would do something more along the lines of her older music. She is very talented and she has a great voice. So I'm glad she was able to find herself. Her career has been all over the place. But hopefully, things stay the same way they are now. Malibu is a fantastic song that reminds me of why I like Miley Cyrus. The production is really good. The song was well-written. Miley really showcases her voice in this song. I love the last chorus. There's a lot of improvement here that really makes the song stand out and actually makes it better in a way. It's easily her best song in a long time. This song did okay on Hits 1. It didn't really last very long unfortunately. But I'm glad it made it on there. It may not have been as big of a success as her other songs, but it's definitely a big improvement from what she's done previously. In the words of people on the internet, "A demon has left Miley Cyrus and entered Taylor Swift."



With that, we will now be entering the Top 10. These ten songs you're about to see are the songs that stood out the most in 2017. I've listened to each of them about a thousand times to make sure I was making the right decisions. I believe these songs are all worthy of being where they are. So let's get into the Top 10 starting with #10.

10. Calvin Harris/Pharrell/Katy Perry – Feels
This was a fantastic follow-up to Slide, which was another one of the best songs this year. The production here is on point throughout the whole song. Calvin Harris really stepped up his game this year. I'm quite impressed. I love the disco-funk vibe. It makes the song undeniably catchy. I got hooked immediately from the first listen. Pharrell sounds great in the verses. I think Katy Perry did a nice job on the chorus. Hits 1 edited out Big Sean, but I actually liked his verse too. I think he had a nice contribution. This is one of those songs that just easily gets stuck in your head. I remember hearing this song on Hits 1 around the fourth of July and I thought to myself that it would make a great summer hit. Unfortunately it didn't do as well as I had hoped it would. It barely reached the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and didn't last very long on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. But it definitely stood out as one of the best electronic/dance songs of the year. Not the best, but certainly one of the best. All four artists contributed well. Calvin Harris definitely improved this year from last year's This Is What You Came For. It's a shame this didn't reach that height.

9. DJ Khaled/Rihanna/Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts
After the mediocre I'm The One, I was anticipating any future releases from DJ Khaled. But then Wild Thoughts came out and I was impressed. I thought the guitar sounded really cool. I was unaware at first that it was a sample from Maria Maria by Santana. But even after I found out, that didn't change my thoughts. It still sounded really cool. I think DJ Khaled made very good use of it. It fit well with the rest of the song. Even Carlos Santana himself praised the song and these three artists' take on it. Rihanna's vocals sound really good in her verse and the chorus. Even though it's hard to understand her at some points, her voice sounds really good. Surprisingly, Bryson Tiller sounds really good as well. I actually really like his verse too. The song doesn't have much to it in terms of the production, but it works very well and sounds really good. DJ Khaled did a nice job with this one. It was a big step up from I'm The One. On that one, none of the artists sounded good. But here, everyone sounds good. This song did not hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 because it was blocked off by Despacito. I would've loved to have seen this at the top for at least one week. It made its way on to Hits 1 pretty quickly, which I thought was impressive. But it didn't last very long unfortunately. But I'm glad it was reasonably successful elsewhere. It may not have been as big as I'm The One, but it was definitely superior.

8. Macklemore/Skylar Grey – Glorious
I was in love with this song ever since it debuted on Hit-Bound. We haven't heard much from Macklemore ever since 2013 when he and Ryan Lewis had several hits, including Thrift Shop, Can't Hold Us, and Same Love. They were three completely different types of songs and I enjoyed all of them. I thought he was a very talented artist. Then he had songs like White Walls and Downtown that really didn't appeal to me at all. But I still appreciated him as an artist. This year, he went solo for his new album, Gemini, which Glorious is the lead single for. I love everything this song has to offer. Even without Ryan Lewis, the production here is on point. Macklemore has some great verses. It's nice to see he's still a great rapper. Skylar Grey absolutely steals the show with her take on the chorus. She's been around for a long time, but is extremely underrated. I'm Macklemore chose her for this song because her voice fits perfectly. I don't think he could've made a better choice. The chorus sounds fantastic. But my favorite part is the bridge, which Skylar also handles. That's when her voice shines the brightest. I love the lyrical content. Macklemore has always been a great songwriter. Overall, I love everything about this song. Macklemore has given me hope for rap music with this song and Good Old Days. Glorious is still one of the best songs on the countdown. It did pretty well on Hits 1 despite not being a massive hit. I'm glad this song got some recognition. Thank you, Macklemore and Skylar Grey, for bringing this glorious song.

7. Lady Gaga – Million Reasons
I absolutely admire Lady Gaga. She's not only an amazing artist, but an amazing person as well. I did not like Perfect Illusion. I found that song to be annoying and a big mess. But Million Reasons was an interesting follow-up. It was one that I grew to love very early on. Most people are probably used to Lady Gaga releasing anthems like Bad Romance, Telephone, Just Dance, and Applause. But with Million Reasons, she experiments with a slower piano ballad. I can understand if some find this hard to get into. But I like hearing slower ballads every now and then. This one definitely worked out in Lady Gaga's favor. It is a beautiful song. I'm so glad this was more successful than Perfect Illusion. It was pretty big around the same time as Lady Gaga's epic Super Bowl halftime performance, which caused the song to gain more steam. It ended up peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. But it died off pretty quickly, causing it to miss the Year-End chart. It didn't do as well as her other hits, but it's still a favorite of mine. The instrumentals are really good. Her voice sounds fantastic. We really get to hear more of her raw vocal skills. The lyrical content is amazing. Everything about this song works well for Lady Gaga. When she performed it at the Super Bowl, I was moved. She's definitely one of the best artists of our time. I'm so glad this song turned out well. I only wish it didn't die off so soon.

6. Logic/Alessia Cara/Khalid – 1-800-273-8255
There are a lot of people that don't like this song and I guess I can somewhat understand why. But to me, this is one of the most moving songs I've heard this year. I didn't care too much for it at first. I never actually listened to it until I saw Logic's performance of it at the MTV VMAs a few months ago, where he then gave an incredible speech about equality. This song is essentially about suicide awareness and for those unaware, the title of the song is the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. I've never been in a situation where I've considered suicide as an answer to my problems. But I've read many stories of people who thought suicide was their only option. I've also read a lot of stories about children that take their own lives because of things like bullying. Reading every story, it breaks my heart. This topic is one that's never really discussed in music. So I'm glad that Logic decided to take on this song because it is one that I know has and will continue to help people. That being said, I love the lyrics. I think the song was very well-written. Logic sounds really good during his verse and the chorus. I really like what Alessia Cara had to contribute. Khalid's outro gave me chills the first several times I heard this song. His voice fits very well with the song's message and I think Logic made a very good choice selecting him to be part of the song. It did pretty well for the most part. It didn't exactly last that long on the Weekend Countdown. But it peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. While some may not find the song to be too interesting, I know it will have a significant impact on young people that are having a hard time accepting themselves. No one should ever have to turn to suicide.

5. Kesha – Praying
Like Lady Gaga, Kesha was well-known for putting out anthems like TiK ToK, We R Who We R, and Die Young. But at some point, she kind of disappeared and it took me a while to realize everything she had been going through the past few years. She had a filed a lawsuit against Dr. Luke, a producer she had worked with numerous times, claiming that he sexually assaulted her. She definitely had some hard times these past few years. I knew she was working on new music, but I didn't expect it to come out when it did. The first time I listened to it was when I was in the car with my dad. I put it on without even listening to it beforehand. By the end of the song, I was trying my best to hold back my emotions. This song is absolutely beautiful in every way possible. All throughout this song, we get to hear Kesha's raw voice, which sounds amazing. I love the second verse when she starts to hit the big notes. The chorus is absolutely amazing. The lyrical content stands out and it's pretty obvious the song is about Dr. Luke as Kesha says that she hopes his soul his changing. Knowing what she's been through and the fighter she has become, I could not be more proud to see how far she's come. I'm so glad things went well for her and she was able to make music again. And now she's going to be on tour with Macklemore soon. It seems like things are starting to get better for her and I'm very happy for her. Praying was definitely a massive stand out in 2017 and I'm glad the critics agree that it is an amazing song. Kesha is back and better than ever.

4. P!nk – What About Us
If I had to make a list of the best female vocalists, P!nk would be somewhere near the top. She's been around for quite a while and consistently impresses me with every new single she releases. From bangers like So What and Raise Your Glass to more vocal-oriented songs like Just Give Me A Reason and What About Us, P!nk has given us everything she has to offer. Just Like Fire from last year wasn't exactly a favorite among the YouTube critics, but it was definitely a favorite of mine. Now for the second year in a row, her song has ranked in the Top 5 for my favorite songs of the year. Some may consider this song to be underwhelming for P!nk. But not every song by her has to be a banger necessarily. Here on What About Us, we hear what P!nk is truly capable of vocally. From the soft verses to the big chorus, she really gives it her all. There are a lot of big notes all throughout the song that only remind me of how talented P!nk really is. She is a phenomenal singer and she really shows it here on What About Us. The lyrical content is amazing as well. I love the production. I don't think it's necessarily underwhelming. But I think it was done in a way where we would be able to really hear P!nk's voice. I recently watched a live performance of this song that took place about a month after it was released and P!nk sounded incredible. This song isn't her best work by any means, but it definitely impressed me and in a way, it may have surpassed Just Like Fire. I'm glad this ended up being a #1 hit on Hits 1 and even if it didn't do as well on the Billboard Hot 100, it's still a favorite of mine.

3. The Weeknd/Daft Punk – I Feel It Coming
This song was my original pick for the best song of the year. But after more thought, I felt #3 was a good spot for it. The follow-up to Starboy was definitely an amazing one. This song is undeniably catchy and it was very well-produced. After Starboy, I was very interested in the fact that there was another collaboration with Daft Punk. Since the first proved to be a great song, I had high expectations for this one. While it's definitely a different sound, it exceeded my expectations and in a way, proved itself to be superior to Starboy. I Feel It Coming is more of a chill-type song and it's not as big of a banger as it's predecessor. But I love it for what it is. The production on here is amazing. There's not too much going on, nor is there too little. I like the lyrical content. The Weeknd's vocals sound great. One of the things my dad pointed out about this song that I started to agree with shortly after is that there are some strong Michael Jackson vibes. It feels like a Michael Jackson song in a way and The Weeknd actually kind of sounds like him. I really like what Daft Punk had to contribute. They're still an amazing duo. We even get some vocals from them on this song, which we didn't get in Starboy. It's nice that they still sound as good as before. All in all, I found this song to be quite impressive. The Weeknd really went for something different here that worked very well in his favor. It peaked in the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and ranked reasonably well on the Year-End chart, which makes me happy. It's definitely one of his best songs along with The Hills. With time, this song might even end up proving itself to be the best song from The Weeknd. Who knows? But the main thing I got out of this song is that The Weeknd and Daft Punk are a very good combo that should definitely work together more often.

2. The Chainsmokers/Coldplay – Something Just Like This
As soon as I heard The Chainsmokers would be collaborating with Coldplay, I was excited and anticipated its release. When I first listened to it, I was not disappointed. Chris Martin's vocals sound amazing all throughout the song. I love the production from The Chainsmokers. It does sound a little bit like a rehash of Roses, but it still impresses me. The drop fits very well with the rest of the song. I love the build-up towards the end of the song leading up to the final drop with Chris Martin shouting, "Oh I want something just like this!" It makes the song even more mesmerizing than it already is. While some may have already been sick of The Chainsmokers at this point, I still had an open mind when listening to their music. Something Just Like This is very possibly their best song to date. I love the lyrical content and all the superhero references. I watched the lyric video a few times and I love it as much as I love the song. I love the way it was all put together and how it has a superhero and all that good stuff. But when I watch that video, it makes me feel like a kid again. It makes me remember all the times I wanted to be a superhero. The song itself takes me back to those good old days. The song is just over four minutes long. But it's one of those songs that I didn't want to end. I could listen to it for hours. It has something special to it that makes it stand out from almost every other song this year. I truly believe it's the best I've heard from The Chainsmokers. I've seen many people say that Closer is the better song. But I genuinely feel that Something Just Like This is better than Closer, Don't Let Me Down, and Paris combined. I'm so glad this was as big of a hit as it was. It definitely deserved it. The Chainsmokers definitely impressed me and Coldplay got themselves a song in my Top 5 of the year for the second year in a row. The song is amazing, beautiful, mesmerizing, you name it.

1. Kygo/Selena Gomez – It Ain't Me
Once upon a time, it was 2015 and I was browsing iTunes for some new music to get into. Buried in the dance section, I found two songs that I got interested in. One was titled Firestone and the other was titled Stole The Show, both of which were by Kygo. I immediately loved both songs. They weren't your average EDM bangers. They were more tropical house-type songs that I had never really encountered before. It was something totally new to me that I fell in love with. So I decided to keep up with him. He released a few more songs like Here For You and Stay, both of which I loved. The latter even trended on the YouTube15 at some point. Soon he released his debut album, Cloud Nine, which I really liked. It had a lot of good songs on there. Some of them sounded very similar, but that's what makes Kygo unique. So he had a whole album, but none of the singles really became big hits in the United States. Then early this year, he released It Ain't Me, which features Selena Gomez. As soon as I saw that Selena was featured on the song, I knew that Kygo had finally gotten himself a hit. Sure enough, I was right. This song was a huge success worldwide peaking in the Top 10 almost everywhere. It is a fantastic song and I was so happy to see it doing so well. The production on this song is fantastic. The guitars sound really good. Selena Gomez sounds amazing throughout the whole song, especially the chorus. I'm glad she was able to really show off her voice here. It's easily the best thing she has been a part of in 2017. I think the drop sounds really cool with bits and pieces of Selena's voice. Towards the end of the song, you can even hear that sound that distinguished Kygo in his first album. I love the lyrical content here as the song is about standing up for yourself in a toxic relationship. The song was very well-written. Seeing this song get this big just made me proud because I've been a fan of Kygo for a couple of years now and it's nice to finally see him have a hit. He is a very talented musician, DJ, and producer. I've seen how talented he is on the piano. I've even seen him live once and it was probably the best show I've ever seen. He now has a new album, Kids In Love, which you should definitely check out. It's very good. But yeah. It Ain't Me is the one song this year that truly stood out to me the most. Congratulations to Kygo as he has achieved the honor of having the #1 song of the year as decided by me. Here's to hoping he can have some more hits in the future.




And now I have finally finished it! Those were my Top 45 songs of 2017! I have no idea if this was longer than last year's list. But one thing's for sure, they both took almost equally as long to make. Those of you that actually read the whole thing, you guys are amazing because I spent days on this and, like last year, I really put my heart into it. So thank you. I also did something new this year. I created a Spotify playlist for this list. If you want to check that out, click here and you can listen to any song from this countdown or shuffle the whole thing.

Feel free to comment what you thought and your opinions on this list. Keep in mind that this was entirely my opinion as these were my favorite songs of the year. As far as future posts go, I plan to have the countdown post out on either Monday or Tuesday. Then I have two more Year-End posts to do: Hits 1's Top 45 of 2017 and Billboard's Year-End Hot 100. The former will definitely come out this next week and the latter may end up coming out the following week. We'll see how things go. Like I said, thank you for reading. This is my last official post of 2017 and I can't wait to see what next year brings us. With that, I will see you all in 2018. Happy New Year everyone!