The Songs of Summer (2012-Now)

An examination of the Billboard charting songs of summer

The song of the summer used to be a thing. We’d have one pop song that would just be inescapable and rule the radio for 3-4 months. We could measure time by that song. The rise of streaming, the death of radio and the passing of genre has decentralized this town square of music for the most part. Now we don’t really have those songs that feel like part of the collective consciousness in the same way anymore.

I’m going to look back at the top 10 songs of the summer charts and I’ll name my pick for the Real Songs of Summer.

2012

Rank, Title and Artist from the Billboard charts:

1. CALL ME MAYBE, Carly Rae Jepsen

2. PAYPHONE, Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa

3. SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW, Gotye feat. Kimbra

4. WIDE AWAKE, Katy Perry

5. LIGHTS, Ellie Goulding

6. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, Rihanna

7. WHISTLE, Flo Rida

8. TITANIUM, David Guetta feat. Sia

9. WE ARE YOUNG, fun. feat. Janelle Monae

10. STARSHIPS, Nicki Minaj

The Song of the Summer: Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen

This is a perfect pop song. I dare you to challenge me on this. It’s a bright, fun and light ear worm. Musically, the verses are interior, full of anxiety, quieter. Then the choruses, a declaration of infatuation explode and come to life. Inescapable as it was, it’s the definition of a perfect summer song and a perfect pop song from an artist who has given us nothing but perfect pop songs since. 10/10. No notes.

Runner Up: Where Have You Been, Rihanna

Rihanna. A Euro-dance pop track. A Johnny Cash sample. Oh, and Rihanna. The coolest layered harmonies. Sure, the drop kinda killed pop music for a minute. But it gave us life in 2012 and this song is just as fresh and fun as when it came out.

(Honorable Mention(s): Somebody That I Used to Know; Wide Awake; Lights; Titanium; We Are Young; Starships)

2013

1. BLURRED LINES, Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell

2. RADIOACTIVE, Imagine Dragons

3. GET LUCKY, Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams

4. WE CAN’T STOP, Miley Cyrus

5. CAN’T HOLD US, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton

6. CRUISE, Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly

7. MIRRORS, Justin Timberlake

8. TREASURE, Bruno Mars

9. CUPS (PITCH PERFECT’S WHEN I’M GONE), Anna Kendrick

10. COME & GET IT, Selena Gomez

The Song of the Summer: We Can’t Stop, Miley Cyrus

Woof. This is a sad year for summer pop. So many incredible albums came out and they never hit the radio (HAIM’s The Wire would look so good on this list). Don’t worry though. Miley’s here to save the day. “We Can’t Stop” is indeed a banger. Look, we know she doesn’t have a big butt to shake at the strip club, but this song has aged pretty well and accomplished everything it set out to do. Miley grew up and just wanted to have some grown up fun. This song pales in comparison to “Wrecking Ball,” but it’s still so much fun.

Runner Up: Mirrors, Justin Timberlake

The 20/20 Experience is a fantastic pop album. I know we don’t really like Justin anymore, but this song is an undeniable song of the summer, especially given the competition. “Mirrors,” especially the full 8:04 version, is an intimate love song on a huge wall of Timbaland sound that evolves and becomes even sexier and more intimate as it moves along. With their signature beatbox and Justin’s gravelly falsetto, this song is a little less pool party and a little more drive with the windows down at sunset.

(Honorable Mention: Get Lucky)

2014

1. FANCY, Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

2. RUDE, MAGIC!

3. PROBLEM, Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea

4. STAY WITH ME, Sam Smith

5. AM I WRONG, Nico & Vinz

6. ALL OF ME, John Legend

7. WIGGLE, Jason Derulo feat. Snoop Dogg

8. HAPPY, Pharrell Williams

9. SUMMER, Calvin Harris

10. TURN DOWN FOR WHAT, DJ Snake & Lil Jon

The Song of the Summer: Problem, Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea

Head and shoulders above the rest of the songs on this list, Ariana Grande’s “Problem” never wears out its welcome. Holding both a groove and an impressive vocal, “Problem” is a danceable summer song. It’s a pool party song, a karaoke song. Iggy Azalea, who had one great flash in the pan summer, sounds great here too. Max Martin and SHELLBACK brought us a sax sample and a whispered chorus, a playground for Ariana to just run all over. It’s fun, fizzy and flirty, even if we still can’t realllllly tell what Ari’s saying.

Runner Up: Fancy, Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

Okay, Iggy had an impressive debut, even if she couldn’t follow it up. “Fancy” is the White Girl Wasted anthem we didn’t know we needed. It’s definitely a sign of its time, especially with the r-word drop. But tell me who dat, who dat, that do dat, do dat. It’s Charli XCX on the chorus and bridge. She’s doing much of the heavy lifting here. Charli is definitely vying for Song of the Summer 2023 with “Speed Drive,” and has proven to be one of pop music’s brightest stars.

(Honorable Mention: us for having survived this year of summer blunders)

2015

1. CHEERLEADER, OMI

2. SEE YOU AGAIN, Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth

3. BAD BLOOD, Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar

4. CAN’T FEEL MY FACE, The Weeknd

5. WATCH ME, Silento

6. TRAP QUEEN, Fetty Wap

7. SHUT UP AND DANCE, WALK THE MOON

8. LEAN ON, Major Lazer & DJ Snake feat. M0

9. THE HILLS, The Weeknd

10. FIGHT SONG, Rachel Platten

The Song of the Summer: Can’t Feel My Face, The Weeknd

The Weeknd is an interesting character in pop music, often writing about sex and drugs in the most impersonal ways, which in turn makes the music even more personal. He’s not looking for love, rather the next high. “Can’t Feel My Face” feels like the summer of 2015. Give me something quick, sexy, and a little bit thoughtless. Calling on the music of Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, The Weeknd’s work straddles the lines between dance, pop, R&B but with a rapper’s persona. It’s all bravado and character-driven but somehow inviting.

Runner-Up: Lean On, Major Lazer & DJ Snake fear. M0

This narrowly beats out “Trap Queen” and “Shut Up and Dance” for a few reasons. Major Lazer had been around for some time, having created the song “Pon de Floor,” which was sampled in Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls).” DJ Snake made “Turn Down for What” the year before. Together, they created this sound that pop DJ’s would chase for years to come. A little moody and a little dancey with a dark pop vocal from a northern European singer, “Lean On” is the summer song that plays in the background and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

(Honorable Mentions: Trap Queen; Shut Up and Dance; The Hills)

2016

1. ONE DANCE, Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla

2. CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!, Justin Timberlake

3. DON’T LET ME DOWN, The Chainsmokers feat. Daya

4. CHEAP THRILLS, Sia feat. Sean Paul

5. THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR, Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna

6. PANDA, Desiigner

7. NEEDED ME, Rihanna

8. RIDE, twenty one pilots

9. WORK FROM HOME, Fifth Harmony feat. Ty Dolla $ign

10. SEND MY LOVE (TO YOUR NEW LOVER), Adele

Song of the Summer: One Dance, Drake feat. WizKid & Kyla

The charts got this one right. Good job, everyone! There’s something almost magical about this song. Drake had been attempting to sing a lot more in his music for sometime at this point but this melody and production elevates his voice better than any song he’s ever made. This song is J Dilla on vacation: simple loops that build with an umbrella’d drink in each hand. It’s effortlessly cool. Unbothered. With Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” dancehall was here, but damn this song is summer.

Runner-Up: This Is What You Came For, Calvin Harris feat. Rihanna

“This Is What You Came For” is forever the dance song of the summer. This tropical house jam picks up where “One Dance” leaves off and injects some extra endorphins. Rihanna sounds so good with just a harp as a track for 20 seconds until the beat starts to form under her. It’s like in the X-Men movies, when Storm starts to pull the wind around her until she unfolds into a force of nature. Thankfully, this is that summer shower that you can dance in without worry. It’s no wonder why this became Rihanna’s 21st top-five song on the Billboard.

(Honorable Mentions: Needed Me)

2017

1. DESPACITO, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber

2. THAT’S WHAT I LIKE, Bruno Mars

3. I’M THE ONE, DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne

4. WILD THOUGHTS, DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller

5. SHAPE OF YOU, Ed Sheeran

6. BELIEVER, Imagine Dragons

7. HUMBLE., Kendrick Lamar

8. UNFORGETTABLE, French Montana feat. Swae Lee

9. BODY LIKE A BACK ROAD, Sam Hunt

10. CONGRATULATIONS, Post Malone feat. Quavo

Song of the Summer: Despacito, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber

We did it again! 2 for 2! This year, the number one song was indeed the true song of the summer. This wasn’t just any other song of the summer. It became the longest-running #1 hit on the Billboard charts to date (only to be beat by another song of the summer. Stay tuned.), dominating the charts for 16 weeks. Finally, another and better song dethroned the Macarena as the longest charting (mostly) Spanish language song. “Despacito” brought reggaeton and its king Daddy Yankee to the top of the charts. It’s cool, sexy and pretty perfect. Who would’ve thought that the summer would be ruled by a song with the word “laberinto?” This song’s success in the US paved way for a new Latin explosion, giving us J Balvin’s “Mi Gente” with Beyonce, and later opening the door for Spanish-language artists like Rosalia, Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis and KAROL G to create the pop sound of the US.

Runner Up: Wild Thoughts, DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller

Okay, so the worst part about this song is DJ Khaled saying DJ Khaled a bunch. But the sample of Santana’s “Maria, Maria” featuring the Fugees is sultry and simmery. And have we talked about Rihanna yet? There’s something so cool about how she almost purrs the words “wild, wild, wild.” I mean, it’s probably because she’s the coolest. Bryson Tiller is also here sounding so good. I feel like a child saying, this song is like a sandwich - so good if you cut the crusts off. The crusts are DJ Khaled saying DJ Khaled.

(Honorable Mention: HUMBLE by Kendrick is a great song, obviously. It’s just not a song of the summer.)

2018

1. IN MY FEELINGS, Drake

2. I LIKE IT, Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin

3. GIRLS LIKE YOU, Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B

4. NICE FOR WHAT, Drake

5. LUCID DREAMS, Juice WRLD

6. PSYCHO, Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign

7. BOO’D UP, Ella Mai

8. NO TEARS LEFT TO CRY, Ariana Grande

9. GOD’S PLAN, Drake

10. BETTER NOW, Post Malone

Song of the Summer: (tie) I Like It, Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin; Nice for What, Drake

THIS IS WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, PEOPLE!!! 2018 is a great year for the songs of the summer. Of all the top 10’s on the Billboard charts so far, 2018 is the most packed with heavy hitters. Maroon 5 excluded, you could make a solid argument for all of these as the song of 2018’s summer. We’re gonna move past “In My Feelings,” which rode its dance video virality to the top spot and go for the two songs that feel like the summer and that have proven to be a bit more timeless. “I Like It” brought the Boogaloo sound into hip hop, with Spanish language features, and Cardi coming out in full force, this song remains to be a force to be reckoned with. There’s a reason that Rolling Stone called it one of “the best summer songs of all time,” and, at #11, the latest released track to join the ranks.
”Nice for What” is also Drake in full force. He’s rapping instead of singing this time, over a bounce track, and he just sounds like he’s having fun. I like when Drake sounds like he’s having fun. It’s a fuckboy song for sure - there’s nothing like a rich dude telling women to know their worth. It’s not Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)," whose “Ex-Factor” he sampled for the track, but it’s still fun. Half credit for having Big Freedia prominently on the track, but not giving her a featured credit.

Runner Up: No Tears Left to Cry, Ariana Grande

After a suicide bomber attacked one of her stadium shows in Manchester, England, Ariana Grande understandably took some time. Her first song after and the lead single of the album, sweetener, is a dazzling in its optimism. “No Tears Left to Cry” is weird, but in the best ways possible. It’s an atypical pop song, starting with the refrain of the chorus, because it needed to. It needs to start with the words: “Right now, I’m in a state of mind / I wanna be in, like, all the time.” A song about choosing to be optimistic, about the moment you decide to pick yourself up and move on, this is a song of the summer for the times in which we live. This song could have come out in 2018 or last year or next year. It will continue to be evergreen.

(Honorable Mentions: Lucid Dreams, Psycho, Boo’d Up, God’s Plan, Better Now)

2019

1. OLD TOWN ROAD, Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus

2. BAD GUY, Billie Eilish

3. TALK, Khalid

4. I DON’T CARE, Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber

5. TRUTH HURTS, Lizzo

6. SENORITA, Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello

7. SUCKER, Jonas Brothers

8. SUNFLOWER (SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE), Post Malone & Swae Lee

9. NO GUIDANCE, Chris Brown feat. Drake

10. SUGE, DaBaby

Song of the Summer: Old Town Road, Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus

There’s no doubt that this is the song of summer 2019. Lil Nas X, coming out of nowhere with this song, getting kicked off the country charts for not being country enough, and then running the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for a record-breaking 19 consecutive weeks. This song does everything: gives you a memorable hook, makes you yell it at the top of your lungs, gets Wrangler on your booty, and sparks a debate about genre gatekeeping. I’ll admit, I liked the song but was generally a Lil Nas X agnostic, until I saw him live. Now, I’m a believer. He is a rare talent, consistently ahead of his time. He’s here to save pop music, just like he saved the summer of 2019.

Runner Up: Truth Hurts, Lizzo

Okay, let’s talk about it. Lizzo is probably cancelled, and a shame too because this song is a banger. But let’s really talk about how DaBaby and Chris Brown continue to have successful music careers after the shit they’ve done. Can we have real consequences for male artists who do and say terrible things? Plus, they’re both pretty mid in general. Strike them both from the record.

(Honorable Mentions: Senorita; Sucker; Sunflower)

2020

1. ROCKSTAR, DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch

2. BLINDING LIGHTS, The Weeknd

3. WHATS POPPIN, Jack Harlow feat. DaBaby, Tory Lanez & Lil Wayne

4. SAVAGE, Megan Thee Stallion

5. ROSES, SAINt JHN

6. WATERMELON SUGAR, Harry Styles

7. SAY SO, Doja Cat feat. Nicki Minaj

8. WAP, Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion

9. CIRCLES, Post Malone

10. ADORE YOU, Harry Styles

Song of the Summer: (tie) Savage, Megan Thee Stallion; Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles; WAP, Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion

It was the summer that Harry Styles told us he likes to go downtown, with a shiny, simmering song that never quite boils over but stays exciting nonetheless. It was the summer of Megan Thee Stallion, giving us two of the best songs of summer. It was the summer of the radio edit of “WAP” saying “wet and gushy” which somehow sounds more explicit than just saying “wet ass pussy.” We were locked up and locked down in the summer of 2020 and pop stars recorded themselves on songs basically saying, “We’re horny.” And those songs rose to the tops of the charts because we were too.

Runner Up: (tie) Say So, Doja Cat feat. Nicki Minaj; Adore You, Harry Styles

“Say So” is summer brunch. It’s fun, a little edgy but also laidback. It’s bottomless mimosas. “Adore You” is a summer night cap. It’s one last drink before you go, but first let me slip into something a little more comfortable. Both songs capture the more subdued pinks and lavenders of the summer sunrises and sunsets. Vocally captivating with warm production, instead of rushing to a party, they linger and invite you to kick your shoes off and stay a while.

(Honorable Mention: Blinding Lights)

2021

1. BUTTER, BTS

2. GOOD 4 U, Olivia Rodrigo

3. LEVITATING, Dua Lipa

4. KISS ME MORE, Doja Cat feat. SZA

5. SAVE YOUR TEARS, The Weeknd & Ariana Grande

6. MONTERO (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME), Lil Nas X

7. DEJA VU, Olivia Rodrigo

8. PEACHES, Justin Bieber feat. Daniel Caesar & Giveon

9. LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)

10. STAY, The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber

Song of the Summer: (tie) Good 4 U, Olivia Rodrigo; Levitating, Dua Lipa

Olivia Rodrigo gave us a great “Fuck You” song, calling on the lineage of songs by other women scorned. With a title stylized like Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” and a track very reminiscent of Paramore’s “Misery Business,” Olivia has us all screaming like a damn sociopath. Dua Lipa, on the other hand, gifted us some shiny zap funk fun on “Levitating.” It’s silly, frothy and fun. And as the pandemic lockdown era started to ease up, the freedom of summer meant that we got to voice our anger and our desire to have fun at the same time. Thank you, ladies. Seriously.

Runner Up: Kiss Me More, Doja Cat feat. SZA

One of life’s simplest and purest joys is that of the kiss. Doja Cat basically took that meme, the one that’s like “sure sex is cool but have you ever tried…” and turned it into a song that’s horny but in a sweet way. Is there anything you want to hear from your partner more than, “I ain’t giving you one in public / I’m giving you hundreds, fuck it”? Besides, “I make enough money that you don’t have to work anymore.” Then SZA shows up and says, “Fuckin with you feel like jail.” Are you kidding me? Put this song in the rafters. Legendary shit.

(Honorable Mentions: Montero (Call Me By Your Name), Peaches, Leave the Door Open)

2022

AS IT WAS, Harry Styles

ABOUT DAMN TIME, Lizzo

FIRST CLASS, Jack Harlow

WAIT FOR U, Future feat. Drake & Tems

RUNNING UP THAT HILL (A DEAL WITH GOD), Kate Bush

ME PORTO BONITO, Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone

HEAT WAVES, Glass Animals

BREAK MY SOUL, Beyoncé

LATE NIGHT TALKING, Harry Styles

TITÍ ME PREGUNTÓ, Bad Bunny

Song of the Summer: Break My Soul, Beyoncé

The queens in the front and the doms in the back

Ain’t takin no flicks but the whole clique snapped

There’s a whole lotta people in the house

Tryna smoke with that ‘gnac in your mouth

We haven’t yet begun to even process how revolutionary Renaissance is as an album. Beyoncé isn’t even just at the top of her game; she’s at the top of THE game. She is defining what pop music is, what the pop album is, how a pop album is rolled out, what a visual album is, what a career in pop music is. This is Beyoncé’s world and we all exist in it. It’s shocking still that we are in a world that relies so heavily on her stardom yet refuses to give her the accolades she rightly deserves, but let me be clear: everyone else is impersonating, but Beyoncé is that girl. And these motherfuckers ain’t stopping her.

Runner Up: Titi Me Pregunto, Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny rightfully took the world by storm last summer. “Titi Me Pregunto” is a summer rager. The latin trap song, just like its subject, doesn’t want to settle down. When your tia wants to know why you always have another girlfriend, maybe its cause to get a little introspective. Or maybe she’s just being metiche. It’s like “Mambo No. 5” if it wasn’t corny. Spanning genres from across the Latin sound, TIME Magazine called it the best song of the year and Bad Bunny became the most streamed artist in the world, proving himself to be an innovator of the Latin sound and we are all the better for it.

(Honorable Mentions: As It Was; Me Porto Bonito)

2023

I’m not picking from the Billboard 100 for this. And I don’t have to. My blog, my rules.

Song of the Summer: Psychedelic Switch, Carly Rae Jepsen

credit: genkirocket (TikTok)

Alright, folks. Slather up the sunscreen. I had a mole looked at recently and doctor told me that due to the extend of its irregular borders, I'm flirting with the melanoma.

Much love,

Aaron