Double A's Top-30 Songs of 2016

2016 had great music. But a lot of the great was hidden. Now I'm gonna expose those hidden gems.

30. "You Could Be My Lover" 

Puff Daddy ft. Ty Dolla $ign, Gizzle 

...

One of the most underrated songs of 2016. The only thing Puff Daddy's "You Could Be My Lover" song was missing and maybe the reason why it wasn't publicize, because it was missing one more featured singer. If Puffy could've added one or maybe two more well known names rappers, this song is probably in a lot of people's top list.

And when you add Ty Dolla $ign to your hook, it becomes automatic win for me. Ty has had so many hits this year and is really become a major talent. 

29."Girls Like" - Tinie Tempah ft. Zara Larsson 

...

I don't know who Tinie Tempah is or heard any of his music, but "Girls Like" was very good sound in 2016. Sure Zara Larsson, who sings the hook, might've made the song tens better, Tempah has a cool Euro, hip-hop sound to him.

28."Greenlight" - Pitbull ft. Flo Rida, Lunchmoney Lewis

...

Once I heard this song for the World Baseball Classic commercial, I loved it. The feel for this song fit so perfect for what the WBC is all about. It had a Caribbean sound to it, which fits WBC since it's gonna be held in so many hispanic countries.

Pitbull seems to get hit every year, doesn't he?

27."Heathens" - Twenty One Pilots

...

When I first heard Twenty One Pilots, I thought of them as this generations Linkin Park.

I didn't see the "Suicide Squad" movie but Heathens is a great song for a Marvel movie. I like the hard beat; the piano playing; it has fantasy, seductive sound that fiction movie would have -- but this one is ten times cooler.

I even like the band, Twenty One Pilots. Love the way they carry themselves.

26."On My Way" - Twenty88

...

Another song that didn't get much recognition. Big Sean and Jhene Aiko made a album together called Twenty88 and "On My Way" was one song on their album I really liked. It has an old school r&b flow to it. Sean and Aiko were made for this beat. Their voices blended so perfectly with the beat and both were singing in different genres.

25."Omen" - Sam Smith/Disclosure

...

Sam Smith and Disclosure do it again. The pair did a big single in "Latch", now in 2012, but this year the make another hit with "Omen". I first heard "Omen" on a live performance Smith and Disclosure did on an episode of "Saturday Night Live" back November of 2015 -- and I've loved it ever since. When you have two powerhouse talents like Smith and Disclosure, magic happens.

24."Come Down" - Anderson.Paak

...

Anderon.Paak bursted upon the scene for me on the Bet Awards, as he performed "Come Down". Paak brings this 'James Brown' style of singing to 2016, which is awesome. We hardly see young musicians today perform actual music, anymore. They just let the beat make them music, instead of being creative. I hope Paak can change that. Great talent. 

23."All The Way Up" Fat Joe, Remy Ma ft. French Montana

...

As a Puerto Rican, it's so great to see Fat Joe back under the limelight. One of the best hispanic rappers to walk on this earth, who had hits from "What's Luv", "Lean Back", to having one of this biggest hits in 2016, in "All The Way Up".

This was the New York City anthem. Especially when you have actual New Yorkers be part of the song. Even French Montana has a NYC, hood sound when he raps. Back in the days, Wu Tang Clan and Tribe Called Quest were known to be east coast/NYC vocals, but in today's day-and-age Montana's the voice of NYC hip-hop.

22."By Chance" - Rae Sremmurd

...

No, not "Black Beatles". Rae Sremmurd top song of 2016, is "By Chance" ... Well, for it is.

The "Black Beatles" song, which was famous for the mannequin challenge, wasn't as good as "By Chance".

21."Magnets" - Lorde/Disclosure

...

On the same episode of SNL when Sam Smith performed "Omen", on the same night, Disclosure and Lorde performed "Magnets" -- and like "Omen", it became another favorite of mine.

Lorde's voice and this beat went together so perfectly. "Magnets" sounds like good, new music. Usually, I never like today's music. But this beat/sound is very today's era and it just simply sounds awesome. This is the new age music I like. It's like rock meats techno.

Lorde is one of my favorite teen musicians; and I think they all suck, but Lorde is the real. And Disclosure -- to me -- has become the modern day Daft Punk. Disclosure knows good music.

20."Figure It Out" - French Montana, Kanye West, Nas

...

French Montana, Kanye West and Nas? I can't figure it out why people didn't talk or play this song more.

Not only you had great rappers; legendary rappers be in this song, and not only the beat was great, but the lyrics and what it was all about really spoke to me. 

West, Montana and Nas are basically telling us they can't understand why this world is the way it is. It really spoke the truth to what anyone with a brain wants to know about this world.

One of the best hip-hop songs this year. 

19."Sorry" - Beyonce

...

How can I not have a Beyonce song on my list.

I could've post five other Beyonce songs on this list, but this one was one of the best.

18."Fade" - Kanye West ft.Ty Dolla $ign, Post Malone

...

No, Kanye West didn't really rap in this song, but he didn't have to, because the beat wins by a mile.

The "Fade" beat sounds like something you'd hear back in 1995. But it isn't. That's why it's so great. How can this beat be made in 2016 and be this good and sound so retro. That's the genius of Kanye West. 

17."Needed Me" - Rhianna

...

"Work" didn't do it for me, but "Needed Me" did it for me. 

Rihanna's "Needed Me" had one of the most coolest beats to 2016. It almost sounds like bed rocking or a children's swing when the chain swings back and forth.

16."Grass Ain't Greener" -  Chris Brown

...

I don't know if Chris Brown's "Grass Ain't Greener" was your top song of 2016, but it was for me. You know how many times I've listened to this song on my phone? 

Brown has so many hits for so many years and this might be one of the best he's ever done. 

15."Me, Myself & I" - G-Eazy X Bebe Rexha

...

G-Eazy didn't so much in this song, but the hook makes this song one of the top songs of 2016.

14."Formation" - Beyonce

...

From the bevy of hits on Beyonce's "Lemonade" album, "Formation" takes the cake.

"Formation" came out very early in 2016 and I knew right away it was top hit. It had the Beyonce explosion that almost every song of hers have had for the past two decades.

13."In Common" - Alicia Keys

...

Great artists only make great music and that's what you got with Alicia Keys' "Im Common", that was released this year.

The beat is so smooth that it just glides into your ears.

12."Don't Mind" - Kent Jones

...

Talk about a song that has a perfectly matched voice and beat. Kent Jones breaks out with "Don't Mind" and it was huge hit 2016. It could end up being one of those one-hit wonders.

11."Cake By The Ocean" - DNCE

...

I loved "Cake By The Ocean" until I knew a Jonas sang. But I like the hook so much, that I had to put it on my list. Sometimes you have to put your personal differences aside and respect the music. 

10."Be Alright" - Ariana Grande

...

Another song that I first heard on SNL that I liked and another song that didn't get enough attention. "Be Alright" by Ariana Grande beats "Dangerous Woman" and "Into You".

"Be Alright" is a real pop song. It's a song that makes Grande different than any other artists and any of those young artists who shouldn't even be on stage. It brings a certain vibe and time when she sings this way. Songs like this last forever.

9."No Limit" - Usher

...

When Usher brings out an album, one song is gonna be the top song in that year.

Usher's "No Limit" brings out why he's been one of the greatest r&b singers in the past THREE decades. Almost twenty years, he's been putting hits after hits. The guy has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. He's brought me joy and his blood, sweat and tears to his songs.

8."This Girl" - Kungs vs Cookin on 3 Burners

...

I first heard this song on Pandora. And I just signed on to Pandora for over a year. I hadn't signed on their for a while, until that day when I first heard "This Girl" by Kungs vs Cookin on 3 Burners" and was blown away.

I'm a bit unbiased about this song because it reminds me of a 1990's house/club song. And that was the type of songs I grew up to. "This Girl" brings that nostalgia from when I was a kid, listening to music.

7."Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party" - Courtney Barrett

...

Okay, this may have been released back in the summer of 2015, but...I thought it was released this year. And you can't blame since Courtney Barrett performed this song twice on two main stream shows, in SNL and "Late Show" with Stephen Colbert. So I thought it was a new song.

Barrett's "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party" (which is the longest title song, ever) was one of my very favorites of 2016. You just don't hear alternative rock music like this, anymore and it was refreshing to hear grudge music in 2016. Which we need more of.

Courtney Barrett is what we've been missing and lacking in today's music industry.

6."Back To Sleep" - Chris Brown

...

Every year this guy puts out a big hit. Every year he puts out a big and the media still loves Justin Bieber for some reason.

You don't hear to many male singers singing about making love to a woman, anymore. Chris Brown finally puts an end to that with "Back To Sleep", as he describes what every man wants to do to their woman. And it's about love making -- nothing explicit.

"Back To Sleep" was the best r&b song of 2016. Just like every damn Chris Brown song is, every fucking year.

5."Wild Things" - Alessia Cara

...

Now this is a talented teen pop star. I watch all these girls and boys who the media makes out to be the next Michael Jackson or Whitney Houston, and they never talk about Alessia Cara.

Cara's "Wild Things" is something special. This girl has something that voice, that's simply magical, with a tint of edge. She is without a question, the youngest and most talented artist out there today.

4."That Part" - Schoolboy Q ft. Kanye West

...

Schoolboy Q's "That Part" is one of the best hip-hop songs of 2016. Probably the second best. There's no one on this earth, who likes hip-hop, that hates this song.

3."Real Friends" - Kanye West ft. Ty Dolla $ign

...

The beat, sound and lyrics. Probably one of this beautiful songs Kanye West has ever made -- honestly. I know the guy has made mega hits, but this song is good it had to be third in my top songs of 2016.

From the honesty West puts outs in these lyrics, to Ty Dolla $ign's amazing voice, "Real Friends" just fell all into the right places. It's such a perfect song and it sends you away to a different planet when you hear it.

Absolute genius song. Kanye should win a Grammy for this song and album.

2."Something About You" - Majid Jordan

...

How come this song not be number two. 

Majid Jordan's "Something About You" is what good music sounds in 2016. 

1."Cheap Thrills" - Sia ft. Sean Paul

...

This is what the top song of 2016 sounds like. It's been that since the summer.

Sia's "Cheap Thrills" has been the top song of 2016 for quite a while. She's become one of very top female artists in this decade. That sound she has to her voice is something you can't teach.

It's also great to see Sean Paul back.