Top 10 Catchiest Pop Songs of the Last Decade
#10: “Work” (2016)
Titans In Time - Work For It (Official Music Video)
Rihanna feat. Drake A song can be catchy for all sorts of reasons, but in this case, good old repetition is to thank (or blame). The title in the chorus alone is enough to garner Rihanna’s “Work” a spot on this list, not to mention the singer’s sizzling chemistry with then-on-and-off fling Drake: the lyrics contain dozens of “work”s in total, one of which is Drake’s. Rihanna is no stranger to paying homage to her Caribbean roots in her music, this time singing over a tropical dancehall beat. While “Work” may have gotten overplayed after its release, it’s much easier to appreciate in the post-“Anti” Rihanna content drought.
#9: “Don’t Start Now” (2019)
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Dua Lipa By doing a full 180 on her sound, Dua Lipa delivered her catchiest bop to date. “Don’t Start Now,” the lead single of her disco-infused album “Future Nostalgia,” raised her profile and set her apart from the Ava Maxes and Bebe Rexhas of the pop landscape. The first few seconds of the song tease its whopper of a chorus before heading into the first verse, and its energy doesn’t let up until the end. And while it’s just a minor production choice, the cowbell adds a lot of character: it almost acts as a symbolic alarm to say “time’s up” to the ex Dua’s singing about moving on from.
#8: “Blinding Lights” (2019)
The Weeknd The rest of the song holds up, but that electric keyboard hook is melodic magic. 1980s homages were already part of The Weeknd’s brand, but “Blinding Lights”’s synthwave influences add a cinematic quality straight out of the decade’s sci-fi movies like “Blade Runner” and “Tron.” Not only was it the best-selling song of 2020, but it became the most-streamed song on Spotify of all time and the longest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 -- further evidence of its staying power. Of course, “Blinding Lights” is far from the first time that The Weeknd released a contagious pop production. His dark and seedy take on Michael Jackson in “Can’t Feel My Face” (XREF) was just a hint of what was to come.
#7: “Bad Guy” (2019)
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Billie Eilish With its booming bass, snapping sound effects, and layered mumble vocals, “bad guy” feels like it was engineered in a lab to possess our frontal lobes. But despite sounding like it was created by a full house of producers, it was solely the work of Billie Eilish herself and her brother FINNEAS. With a quirky synth riff partly inspired by the “Wizards of Waverly Place” theme song, “bad guy” has a witchy, even sinister tone throughout as it comments on Eilish’s attitudes towards questionable men. Once things seem to quiet down, they ramp right back up with a gritty trap breakdown.
#6: “Havana” (2017)
Camila Cabello feat. Young Thug Breaking out of Fifth Harmony is clearly much easier when you’ve got this jam up your sleeve. While “Havana” wasn’t Camila Cabello’s first release as a solo artist, the song did so well that it was changed to her debut album’s lead single. Written as a love letter to the singer’s Cuban birthplace, *that* piano riff is unmistakably one of the best hooks of the 2010s. Layer some trap beats, trumpet, and a guest spot from Young Thug over it, and you’ve got yourself a modern pop classic. Cabello still has yet to top the heights of “Havana,” but with a tune like that, can you blame her?
#5: “As It Was” (2022)
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Harry Styles There’s only one direction your thumb will go after hearing this song: the replay button. Harry Styles’ “As It Was” offers a pleasant and breezy listening experience, evoking the feeling of surfing on clear blue waves. With its infectious synth melody and drum pattern, it almost brings to mind A-ha’s “Take On Me.” But don’t be fooled by the aforementioned: the lyrics to “As It Was” are surprisingly melancholy and bittersweet. While Styles has released much more rock-tinged tracks as a solo artist, this is his updated, elevated take on the pure pop of his boy band days.
#4: “Old Town Road” (2019)
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Lil Nas X feat. Billy Ray Cyrus Nearly three decades after Billy Ray Cyrus released one of the most annoyingly catchy country songs of all time, lightning struck twice. And surprisingly, it wasn’t with the help of his famous daughter. Instead, “Old Town Road” introduced the world to Lil Nas X. Before the rapper was even known for his sense of humor or provocative videos, “Old Town Road” blended country and hip-hop in a way so satisfying that the remixed version with Cyrus became the longest-running #1 single ever on the Billboard Hot 100. Its brilliance lies in its simplicity: the bare-bones tune moves at a galloping pace accessible to anyone, and combines two genres that have historically stayed separate. Given its massive success, “Old Town Road” clearly hit an untapped market.
#3: “Shake It Off” (2014)
Taylor Swift Good luck ridding your mind of this. Sick. Beat. While of course Taylor Swift had previously flirted with straight-forward pop, “Shake It Off” was her official big-time entry in the genre. Employing the talents of legendary producers Max Martin and Shellback, she managed to make the lead single of “1989” her catchiest offering yet. From its drums and horns to that massive chorus, “Shake It Off” pulls no punches around the fact that Swift would soon be holding an iron fist over the pop zeitgeist. Even more impressively, she continued clapping back at the players and haters in the song’s equally delectable follow-up, “Blank Space.” Can’t stop, won’t stop grooving.
#2: “Shape of You” (2017)
Ed Sheeran This song was singularly crafted to stimulate the pleasure centers in our brains. While no one was really expecting a hookup song from Ed Sheeran, the results are undeniably irresistible. Thanks in part to repurposing the melody of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” the chorus of “Shape of You” is as tight as a drum and easily the most danceable moment of Sheeran’s discography. And speaking of percussion, the marimba in the instrumental tells you you’re getting something different from his usual fare with the very first note. After one listen, “Shape of You” will be pushing and pulling in your head like a magnet -- don’t say the lyrics didn’t warn you. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Chandelier” (2014), Sia
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“Love Me Like You Do” (2015) Ellie Goulding
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“Cake by the Ocean” (2015), DNCE
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“Shut Up and Dance” (2014), Walk the Moon
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“Bang Bang” (2014), Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
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#1: “Uptown Funk” (2014)
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars Whether or not you have a nut allergy, this song that’s smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy is dangerous all the same. Almost a decade after its release, the hooks of “Uptown Funk” are still inescapable and nearly impossible to resist. Not to mention, the lyrics of the Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars collab remain quotable from the beginning to the end of its nearly five-minute runtime. Overplayed though it may be, the cocky attitude and retro flair of “Uptown Funk” make it an instant mood-booster. If pop music is really junk food for the ears, consider this song a bangin’ mukbang.
