Hey there music fans, I'm back again for my first chart review on this blog! I feel like the 2017 year-end Hot 100 would be a good place to start with this, because I know most of the songs on it and so does my audience (I think). So this should be a good chart to test out this series with. I'm not sure how it will turn out in the end, and I'm interested in seeing that, so let's get started!
INTRODUCTION
2017 was a very interesting year for music. This includes the tying of the weeks at #1 record by a random Latin song, the surge of trap-style music on the charts, the further development of "album bombs", and much, much more. I think it would be interesting to go back and review this chart because I'm not sure whether or not I can call 2017 a good year for music, so I guess it's time to find out. Also, the style in which I do this might be a little different, but hopefully it doesn't make it harder to understand. So yeah, without further ado, let's get this review over with!
SONG REVIEWS
100. "The Fighter" by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I love that beat in the background. Very unique for a song by two country artists. I also think Keith and Carrie sound very good together throughout the whole song.
99. "Look At Me!" by XXXTENTACION
Rating: 7/10
Comments: This song is...weird. The bass boosted production and the awkward lyrics about sex grab my attention in a negative way. But the song feels catchy in a couple ways, and I think the rapping (not the lyrics, the rapping) is pretty good, so I'd call it more good than bad.
98. "do re mi" by blackbear
Rating: 4/10
Comments: Not really feeling this one. It feels really bland to me, although I like his vocals.
97. "What Lovers Do" by Maroon 5 and SZA
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: It's not a truly amazing song, but it is a nice little tune that I wouldn't mind on my rotation. I think the chorus is very catchy and I enjoy SZA's contributions.
96. "Havana" by Camila Cabello and Young Thug
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I couldn't explain in a couple sentences how much I enjoy this song. Everything is just in the right place here. I love what's in the background and how good Camila Cabello sounds in this. Also, I don't know why but that trumpet solo towards the end feels really good to me. It might be my favorite part of the song.
95. "Everyday We Lit" by YFN Lucci and PnB Rock
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: It's just a banger. Pretty much any song that has to do with feeling good, or in this case, being "lit", is really good to me, and this is a perfect example of that. I also enjoy that piano in the background for some reason.
94. "Small Town Boy" by Dustin Lynch
Rating: 10/10
Comments: It's nothing more than average amazing country song to me. I don't spot very many flaws in it, which is good.
93. "I Get The Bag" by Gucci Mane and Migos
Rating: 6/10
Comments: It's not the best trap song out there, but it's not the worst, either. I feel like it could have more to it, but I do enjoy the contributions from the Migos, so it's fine, I guess.
92. "Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendes
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Shawn Mendes is a very talented music artist, and this song shows it. A very good vibe is going on here, which I always enjoy hearing.
91. "No Promises" by Cheat Codes and Demi Lovato
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: I like how one of the guys from Cheat Codes is singing along with Demi Lovato in here. He adds a lot to the song in my opinion. Demi sounds great as well.
90. "Down" by Marian Hill
Rating: 8/10
Comments: I enjoy the combination of the female vocals and the piano that comes at various points within the song. But when it breaks into the trap part, it's cool, but I think the drums there are a little too loud. But it's still a cool song.
89. "Malibu" by Miley Cyrus
Rating: 8.5/10
Comments: This is a pretty cool different sound from Miley Cyrus. I think the guitars in the background are nice. But I think it could have a little more to it.
88. "Water Under The Bridge" by Adele
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Adele strikes again! I think her vocal performance here is great, and so is what's in the background. Sounds really good overall.
87. "Sign of the Times" by Harry Styles
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Harry Styles sounds great over this amazingly-produced music. It's better than a few of the songs he did with One Direction, in my opinion.
86. "Slippery" by Migos and Gucci Mane
Rating: 7/10
Comments: I prefer this over "I Get The Bag", but it's still only at the "good" level for me. I like the production here, as that's probably my favorite part. Gucci Mane contributes nicely, too.
85. "Swalla" by Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj, and Ty Dolla $ign
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Really catchy, just has a few empty spaces in it that could be filled.
84. "What About Us" by P!nk
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Great comeback song for P!nk. It doesn't remind me too much of her older stuff, which can be good because it means she's trying a new sound very well. And I like that.
83. "Both" by Gucci Make and Drake
Rating: 7/10
Comments: It's not a song I should be liking, but I do anyways. I like Drake's contributions, and they really help define the song in my opinion.
82. "Starving" by Hailee Steinfeld, Grey, and Zedd
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: I personally prefer her late 2017 hit "Let Me Go" to this, but "Starving" is still really good. The EDM-like production does a lot to make it that way, and I like how Hailee Steinfeld sounds here.
81. "Drowning" by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Kodak Black
Rating: 8/10
Comments: A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is a good rapper, but although Kodak Black isn't bad I don't think he fits on this beat. His part does bring the song down slightly, but A Boogie's part and the cool piano help to bring it back up.
80. "Love Galore" by SZA and Travis Scott
Rating: 5/10
Comments: SZA is a good vocalist, but she often doesn't choose good beats to sing over. And this is the case with this song. Her vocals shine a lot, but the production doesn't. Travis Scott sounds good, though.
79. "Magnolia" by Playboi Carti
Rating: 9/10
Comments: This is a pretty big guilty pleasure for me. His rapping is pretty weird, but pretty good at the same time. I also like the faster beat.
78. "Young, Dumb, & Broke" by Khalid
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: This is probably my favorite song from Khalid as a lead artist. It's very sticky, which usually equates to something pretty good.
77. "Too Good At Goodbyes" by Sam Smith
Rating: 5/10
Comments: Sam Smith is a good vocalist, but this isn't really my style of music. It's not bad, but not something I'd voluntarily listen to again, either.
76. "Hurricane" by Luke Combs"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Probably the best country song on this list. Luke Combs has a great voice and he shows it perfectly here.
75. "All Time Low" by Jon Bellion
Rating: 8/10
Comments: low low low low low low low low low low low low low low low low low low low
(but seriously, it's a pretty cool song)
74. "Feels" by Calvin Harris, Big Sean, Katy Perry, and Pharrell Williams
Rating: 10/10
Comments: It's just a fun, feel-good song that I can always listen to if I'm looking for something like that. Everything about it shines so brightly here.
73. "Chained To The Rhythm" by Katy Perry and Skip Marley
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Very good comeback from Katy Perry. I could do without Skip Marley's part, but Katy's parts make up for that.
72. "What Ifs" by Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Another really good country song from the list. Their voices work really well together.
71. "Slide" by Calvin Harris, Frank Ocean, and Migos
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: I personally prefer "Feels", but this one is still nice to listen to.
70. "Broccoli" by D.R.A.M. and Lil Yachty
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Another guilty pleasure. The piano in the background, which sounds similar to the one in the rap classic "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, is probably the best part, as it makes the song feel really uplifting. But using the term "broccoli" to refer to marijuana? That's a little weird...
69. "Cold" by Maroon 5 and Future
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I prefer "What Lovers Do" slightly, because I think the featured artist in this song does more harm than good. But I still like it, as it's still catchy.
68. "goosebumps" by Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I used to not be a huge fan of Travis Scott, but after hearing his new hit song "SICKO MODE", that changed. I enjoy this song because he and Kendrick both rap well in it.
67. "Praying" by Kesha
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I never thought there could be so much power in one song. And even if it did happen, I wouldn't have thought it would be from someone like Kesha. Such a good job was done to make this song what it is.
66. "LOYALTY." by Kendrick Lamar and Rihanna
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: The sample from Bruno Mars's "24K Magic" did a lot here. It took me a while to notice it, but when I did, I found it cool that they would sample a song as recent as that.
65. "Passionfruit" by Drake
Rating: 8/10
Comments: v i b e s
64. "Swang" by Rae Sremmurd
Rating: 2/10
Comments: No. Just...no.
63. "Juju On That Beat (TZ Anthem)" by Zay Hilfigerr and Zayion McCall
Rating: 7/10
Comments: The dude's voice is awful but that catchy beat makes up for it somewhat.
62. "DNA." by Kendrick Lamar
Rating: 8.5/10
Comments: The news sample thing that comes with the beat switch in the middle is really cool. It makes the song more interesting than it would be otherwise.
61. "Rolex" by Ayo & Teo
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: Really cool dance song. I love the guy's voice as well.
60. "Caroline" by Amine
Rating: 6/10
Comments: One of those songs that's very weird but very catchy at the same time.
59. "Now or Never" by Halsey
Rating: 4/10
Comments: Is this that song that ripped off Rihanna's 2016 hit "Needed Me"? If so, Halsey did not do a good job at it.
58. "Heathens" by twenty one pilots
Rating: 8/10
Comments: It's pretty dark, which is interesting because only a small portion of songs I listen to are dark. But it's nice to have a change-up there.
57. "In Case You Didn't Know" by Brett Young
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Not one of the best country songs on here but still pretty cool.
56. "rockstar" by Post Malone and 21 Savage
Rating: 6/10
Comments: I have a lot of mixed thoughts on this one. It sounds cool, but there are a few things that make me question whether or not to like it. I guess it's good then?
55. "Tunnel Vision" by Kodak Black
Rating: 8/10
Comments: I know, I know, I should hate this song, because the guy's a rapist and drug dealer and all that. But in my opinion, those qualities inside a person should not affect someone's opinion on their music, and just like I say, if it sounds good it is good.
54. "Mercy" by Shawn Mendes
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Shawn Mendes and his talented vocals come to make a song great once again!
53. "Rake It Up" by Yo Gotti and Nicki Minaj"
Rating: 6/10
Comments: I would hate this song if it didn't feel so harmless to me. Yo Gotti is not a bad rapper that I certainly don't mind getting mainstream success.
52. "T-Shirt" by Migos
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Not in my top 3-5 songs off of Culture (which I might review soon), but it's still a cool listen.
51. "Thunder" by Imagine Dragons"
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I loved this song from the very first listen, and when I saw them in concert this past summer, it just made all their songs better for me, including this one. Still remains as one of my favorites of 2017 to this day.
50. "Mi Gente" by J. Balvin and Willy William
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Really cool Latin song. I like that beat in the background.
49. "CAN'T STOP THE FEELING!" by Justin Timberlake
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This song is gonna be a big dance classic for many years to come because of how good people think it is. And I agree with these people because of how fun this song is.
48. "Bank Account" by 21 Savage
Rating: 7/10
Comments: Whatever that is in the background is the coolest part. 21 Savage isn't a bad rapper so I enjoy his parts somewhat, too.
47. "Sorry Not Sorry" by Demi Lovato
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Very cool song, just think the chorus is a little too overboard than it should be.
46. "Let Me Love You" by DJ Snake and Justin Bieber
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: Every part of this is amazing, except for the drop, which is pretty underwhelming in my opinion. But aside from that, Justin Bieber sounds really good, and DJ Snake did a good job with every part other than the drop. Glad it was a hit.
45. "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man
Rating: 9/10
Comments: This isn't something I would've expected to be big, but I can't complain, because I really enjoy it.
44. "Rockabye" by Clean Bandit, Anne-Marie, and Sean Paul
Rating: 10/10
Comments: I think the single mother awareness theme here is cool, but it's not what gets my attention. The actual music is what does that. The song is very fun and although I could do without Sean Paul, Anne-Marie sounds amazing and helps a lot to make the song amazing.
43. "Side To Side" by Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Really catchy guitar in the background, and really good vocals by Ariana Grande here. My second favorite song off of Dangerous Woman, only to the truly amazing "Into You".
42. "Paris" by The Chainsmokers
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Not their best song (maybe not even close), but it's still amazing. Andrew Taggart and the female (not sure what her name is) both sound great, especially together.
41. "Bad Things" by Machine Gun Kelly and Camila Cabello
Rating: 8/10
Comments: MGK's rapping is really good as usual, but is the chorus really ripped off from Fastball's hit song "Out of My Head" like that? It sounds good, though.
40. "Castle On The Hill" by Ed Sheeran
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This is much, much better than "Shape of You" in my opinion. If only this song was the hugely successful song instead of that.
39. "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift
Rating: 5/10
Comments: The pre-chorus is pretty much the only good thing about this song. Other than that, this style doesn't really fit Taylor Swift in my opinion, and I'm pretty sure that this is a diss track aimed at Kanye West, which is never something I'd like to hear. I'm sort of glad this song kept "Despacito" from breaking the record for the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, however.
38. "Don't Wanna Know" by Maroon 5 and Kendrick Lamar
Rating: 9/10
Comments: It's catchy, and I love Kendrick Lamar's verse a lot.
37. "Fake Love" by Drake
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I prefer "Portland" to this, but I still like it.
36. "Strip That Down" by Liam Payne and Quavo
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Good song for Liam Payne's first song since One Direction's hiatus. Shows how he's grown up now pretty well.
35. "Bounce Back" by Big Sean
Rating: 7/10
Comments: I Decided. was a pretty good album, and this was one of the highlights off of it.
34. "I Feel It Coming" by The Weeknd and Daft Punk
Rating: 10/10
Comments: The Weeknd has a lot of good songs, but this one might be my favorite. Daft Punk did a good job on the production, and The Weeknd slayed his vocals as usual. I'm glad this song was very popular because it definitely deserves it because of how good it is.
33. "Love On The Brain" by Rihanna
Rating: 6/10
Comments: It feels extremely dated to me, but hey, at least it's not the trash that is "Work".
32. "Slow Hands" by Niall Horan
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I liked this a lot better than "This Town", and I'm glad this was the bigger hit. It has a lot more to it.
31. "1-800-273-8255" by Logic, Alessia Cara, and Khalid
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This isn't the best anti-suicide song out there, as "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind exists as well. But it's certainly a good song for that topic, especially considering it's somewhat of a rap song.
30. "Scars To Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara
Rating: 8/10
Comments: Cool self-empowerment anthem, although it's definitely not the best out of those.
29. "Issues" by Julia Michaels
Rating: 4/10
Comments: Not a fan of this one. It's not bad, but Julia Michaels does not sound good over this bland production at all.
28. "iSpy" by KYLE and Lil Yachty
Rating: 10/10
Comments: That poppy little beat in the background says it all. It gives the song an uplifting vibe that can't be found in too many modern rap songs.
27. "It Ain't Me" by Kygo and Selena Gomez
Rating: 9/10
Comments: The chopped up vocal samples are interesting. Also, Selena Gomez sounds really good.
26. "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" by ZAYN and Taylor Swift
Rating: 7/10
Comments: Sounds weird in some parts, but overall it's good. Zayn's falsetto is annoying at first, but it gets better as the song goes on.
25. "Redbone" by Childish Gambino
Rating: 8/10
Comments: I can definitely see the hate for this, but it's a score for me. Not his best song, though.
24. "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)" by Cardi B
Rating: 8/10
Comments: The beat in the background is really cool. Cardi B has a good flow and good rhymes as well.
23. "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" by Shawn Mendes
Rating: 10/10
Comments: This might be my favorite Shawn Mendes song on this list, or maybe period. He expresses his vocal abilities the best in this song, and that cool guitar in the background adds to it.
22. "Attention" by Charlie Puth
Rating: 8/10
Comments: That bassline makes the song really cool for me. Gives it a vibe that's hard to resist.
21. "Location" by Khalid
Rating: 5/10
Comments: Not bad, just really bland in my opinion. Khalid does sound good in this, however.
20. "Starboy" by The Weeknd and Daft Punk
Rating: 9/10
Comments: "I Feel It Coming" should've hit #1 instead of this in my opinion, but I still think this song is really good. This and "I Feel It Coming" are probably my two favorite songs off of Starboy.
19. "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd and Gucci Mane
Rating: 7/10
Comments: It has a pretty fun beat, which makes it pretty good. But nothing else can bring it up to the "great" tier for me.
18. "Wild Thoughts" by DJ Khaled, Rihanna, and Bryson Tiller
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I prefer "I'm The One" to this, but not by much. I still love the sample from Santana's hit single "Maria Maria" here, and how well Rihanna and Bryson Tiller fit over it. Glad it was a hit.
17. "Stay" by Zedd and Alessia Cara
Rating: 9.5/10
Comments: Really catchy beat, and Alessia Cara provides some pretty good vocals.
16. "24K Magic" by Bruno Mars
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Another amazing comeback from 2016/2017!
15. "Unforgettable" by French Montana and Swae Lee
Rating: 10/10'
Comments: French Montana definitely knows how to make good rap music in the era of weird trap music. This might be his best song, although I also like "Bring Dem Things" and "No Stylist" a lot.
14. "Mask Off" by Future
Rating: 8/10
Comments: This is really chill, which I love to hear most of the time. That flute thing in the background sounds nice, too.
13. "XO TOUR Llif3" by Lil Uzi Vert
Rating: 9/10
Comments: The only bad thing about this is that mumbling that comes a little more than halfway through the song. Other than that, it's really good!
12. "I'm The One" by DJ Khaled, Chance The Rapper, Justin Bieber, and Quavo
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Anthem. Everyone contributes at least somewhat here. Great lead single for Khaled's album.
11. "Say You Won't Let Go" by James Arthur
Rating: 6/10
Comments: It's a bit cheesy, but somewhat cool.
10. "Congratulations" by Post Malone and Quavo
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Really fun song, I like the positivity that Post Malone has in the chorus. I also like his and Quavo's verses.
9. "Believer" by Imagine Dragons
Rating: 10/10
Comments: P̭̻̺A̤͡I̸̞̤̤̦̘N͎͉̭!̛̝̱
8. "Body Like A Back Road" by Sam Hunt
Rating: 7/10
Comments: This is a pretty big guilty pleasure. It's basically a rap song disguised as a country song, which can take some IQ to do even if it doesn't sound the best. But Sam Hunt is a really good country singer that has made much better songs than this, so it sort of sounds bad in comparison.
7. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers and Halsey
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Andrew Taggart and Halsey sound really good together. The drop is just as good.
6. "Bad and Boujee" by Migos and Lil Uzi Vert
Rating: 9/10
Comments: This song is fun! I like how that "rain drop, drop top" part was turned into a big meme.
5. "Something Just Like This" by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay
Rating: 10/10
Comments: Chris Martin is an amazing vocalist, and no one could have done this song better than him. Didn't expect this to be in the top 5 of this chart, but I certainly won't complain.
4. "HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar
Rating: 9/10
Comments: Kendrick Lamar is a great rapper, as he delivers some very cool lyrics in his songs. This song is not an exception. It also has a pretty playful beat that makes it stand out from a lot of his other songs.
3. "That's What I Like" by Bruno Mars
Rating: 9/10
Comments: It's not superior to "24K Magic", but it's still really good. It has a little bit of a different vibe in it, which is fun to hear.
2. "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber
Rating: 9/10
Comments: I'm not to thrilled about this song tying the record for the most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which it shares with "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men. And if you remember, I included that song on my top 25 songs of all-time list I posted earlier this month. But anyway, I think this song is really cool regardless of what records it almost broke. The Latin feel is not something I'm used to hearing in hit songs, so that was cool.
1. "Shape of You" by Ed Sheeran
Rating: 8/10
Comments: It's a good song but it doesn't deserve to be the number one song of the year in my opinion, considering that it's my least favorite song in the top 5 and second-least favorite song in the top 10 of this list. But I still don't mind it, because there are worse options.
OVERALL SCORE
842/1000 = 0.842 = 84.2%
FINAL WORDS
So that wraps up this pretty long post! This chart was very fun to review, because there were a lot of really big songs on here that I had gone quite a long time without hearing them, so coming back to them was interesting. This review shows that in my opinion, 2017 was a pretty good year for music. It didn't have too high of highs, but there was only one song on this whole list that I just don't like at all, which is slightly less than I'd find on an average year-end list. I didn't expect it to be this good, but it was, and that is cool. Also, I was considering making a separate section where I'd list my 10 favorite and 10 least favorite songs on this list, but with how many 10/10s and how few low ratings I had on here, that would be difficult, so I decided not to.
But yeah, this was fun to do and I'm glad I did it. I'd like to thank anyone a lot who read it, and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much as I did making it. And don't forget, if you have suggestions, be sure to hit me up with them, because I would love to hear them! Thanks again and I'll be back tomorrow for another album review!
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