Congratulations! You have made it to the finish line of this marathon of a year. Despite 2020 being an extremely arduous time, music has been one thing that has kept us all going. With the global lockdown, some artists took advantage of the downtime to fully immerse themselves in their craft and have created some timeless music. Today we present the 5 most influential songs of 2020 – Mac Miller, The Weeknd, and More!
Wap – Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion
Without a doubt, WAP comes at the top of our list. This track shook the world with its initial release sparking major controversy. From conservative Ben Shapiro to Carol Baskin from Tiger King, it seemed like everyone had a say in this video and song. The main gripes that many individuals have with this track is the over-sexualization of women and how they portray themselves while others took the stance that this was an empowering moment for women. Despite all the flak that was caught, Cardi simply addresses the haters by saying “they keep talking and the numbers keep going up”.
Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
Our second choice comes from Fleetwood Mac, an unexpected competitor for a top-charting song in 2020. This was the first time the group charted on the top 100 since 1977 and shone a huge light on the influence that TikTok has on the music industry. The video responsible for blowing this song up featured a man skating along the road sipping away at cranberry juice. This sparked a ridiculous trend and everyone started to re-create the video in their own way. This massive boost in streams signified the revival of the old soft rock group and became a household name once again.
Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
Peaking at number one in over 30 countries, Blinding Lights by The Weeknd had to be on this list. Capitalizing on the current trend of the 80s sound, the track has an extremely nostalgic feel that struck home for all generations. You wouldn’t be able to walk through the mall without hearing this track at least once. However, it doesn’t come without a modern edge to it. The Weeknd perfects this balance and comes out with a track that is known worldwide.
Good News – Mac Miller
On September 7, 2018, the world was shaken by the loss of Mac Miller. To everyone’s surprise, his team released Good News as a single foreshadowing his posthumous album ‘Circles.’ His openness about his struggles with mental illness helped shed light on the issue and opened up a conversation of mental health. With its somber message, this track never hit no. 1 however, the message behind the song was a shocking insight into the psyche of an artist and highlight the importance of an artists well-being.
The Box – Roddy Rich
Our final pick for the most influential song of 2020 is none other than The Box by Roddy Rich. Upon initial listen, the vocal motif that characterizes the song comes off as a bit unsettling but has become one of the reasons why this song stands on this list. Rich is a genius for this track as it is strange yet not unusual. Experimental yet comfortably familiar, this track caught the ears of DJs, people, and the radio helping it climb to the no. 1 spot.
And that’s a wrap for our most influential songs of 2020. Let us know in the comments below what other tracks we missed.