The top songs of 2020: Boogie to the best and worst songs from this year

Nothing could have saved us from the pain and despair 2020 brought. The dark times kept rolling before any of us could catch our breath. And yet, from being a steady presence to becoming a saving grace, music poured on its glitter and worked its magic. Whether it was to escape, dance, cry, work from home, or scream, some of these top songs 2020 steered us through the chaos. Tracks from these artists consoled us in ways words still struggle to capture. Here they are, in no particular order.

Streaming Surge Amid Lockdowns

The pandemic wiped out more than thirty billion dollars in live music revenue worldwide in 2020. Venues went dark, tours vanished, and physical sales dropped hard. Streaming filled the gap and became the main revenue driver for the industry. Playlists turned into lifelines while listeners stayed home, and the numbers kept climbing even as everything else shut down.

TikTok's Role in 2020 Hit-Making

TikTok stepped up as a discovery machine for several tracks on this list. Savage Remix became one of the most-used sounds on the platform that year. WAP and other songs rode waves of user-generated clips straight into heavy rotation. The app turned casual dances into chart momentum faster than traditional radio could keep up.

Female Collaborations Break Records

Rain On Me became the first all-female collaboration to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. WAP marked the first time a female rap collaboration hit the top spot in its first week. These pairings proved that star power and bold material could move the needle without compromise.

K-Pop Goes Global with Dynamite

Dynamite marked BTS’s first all-English track and the first time an all-Korean act reached number one on the Hot 100. The song spent three weeks at the summit. It also earned the group their first Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, a clear signal that K-pop had crossed another threshold in the States.

Megan Thee Stallion – “Savage Remix” (feat. Beyoncé)

The remix earned the nod here over the original for its instant legend status among listeners and TikTok users alike. Beyoncé’s feature and Megan’s new verse gave the track fresh weight. Relatable lines mixed with a philanthropic angle, since proceeds supported COVID-19 relief efforts in Houston. The song climbed to number one on the Hot 100 and landed at number fifteen on the year-end chart. It also ranked among the most-played tracks on TikTok throughout 2020.

Kanye West – “Wash Us In The Blood” (feat. Travis Scott)

Kanye stayed busy on the campaign trail but still dropped music. Wash Us In The Blood arrived during the renewed Black Lives Matter protests and served as a direct plea amid the unrest. The track debuted at number forty-nine on the Hot 100. Travis Scott’s verse added sharp contrast to Kanye’s call for the Holy Spirit to intervene. Later the song picked up Top Gospel Song honors at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards.

Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande – “Rain On Me”

This glossy pop number cut through the gloom with cathartic energy. Gaga and Grande traded verses that felt like a shared exhale. The track debuted at number one on the Hot 100, the first all-female collaboration to do so, and gave both artists another chart milestone in a year that needed one.

Doja Cat – “Boss Bitch”

Doja Cat supplied the soundtrack for Birds of Prey with a track that matched Harley Quinn’s defiant streak. The song peaked inside the top thirty in markets such as Australia and Canada. Over time it crossed one billion streams on Spotify, proof that its brash attitude traveled far beyond the film’s release window.

BTS – “Dynamite”

BTS dropped their first all-English single and watched it rocket to number one. The retro-pop groove delivered an instant mood lift and held the top spot for three weeks. The Grammy nomination followed, rounding out a year that pushed the group deeper into mainstream American conversation.

Rina Sawayama – “XS”

XS arrived with jagged guitars and Sawayama’s commanding vocals. The song took a sharp look at consumerism and the endless chase for more. It never cracked the upper charts, yet its pointed lyrics and sleek production gave it staying power among fans who wanted something sharper than standard pop fare.

The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights”

Blinding Lights actually surfaced in late 2019, but its dominance played out across 2020. The battered-face video and awards-show appearances kept the song in heavy rotation. It finished the year as the top track on Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 and later earned the title of the biggest Hot 100 song of the twenty-first century, with a record fifty-seven weeks inside the top ten.

Cardi B – "WAP" (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)

WAP sparked debate from the first listen, yet its catchiness was undeniable. The track debuted at number one on the Hot 100 with the biggest first-week streaming numbers of any song that year. It became the first female rap collaboration to reach the summit in week one, and the online conversation only pushed it further.

These top songs 2020 gave listeners something to hold onto when everything else felt uncertain. The year tested the industry and the audience alike, yet the music kept showing up. Some tracks broke records, others simply soundtracked late-night scrolls and living-room dances. Either way, they marked the moment.