#50) Work- Rihanna ft. Drake (#1 for 9 Weeks, 4th Best-Selling Song of 2016)
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After a long line of formulaic dance songs, Rihanna hopped on the Tropical Pop/Dancehall bandwagon. However, being from the Caribbean, she did it right. Her slurred Jamaican Patois mixed with Drake's clear rap makes this one of the best collaborations between Rihanna and Drake. It's currently nominated for two Grammy awards
#49) Panda- Desiigner (#1 for 2 Weeks, 6th Best-Selling Song of 2016)
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Desiigner became one of rap's biggest breakout stars of 2016 with his song, Panda. "I got broads in Atlanta" was one of the most quotable lyrics of the year, and it was the song to dethrone Work from #1. Desiigner's repetitive lyrics, along with his iconic "git gits" made this a likeable and popular song. It's currently nominated for Best Rap Performance. At 18 years old, Desiigner became the youngest male to get a #1 song (second overall to 16 year old Lorde with Royals).
Although Famous underperformed commercially, it was one of the most controversial songs of the year for two reasons. The first reason is for the music video, which contains fake nude bodies of some of America's most controversial celebrities. The second reason is because of the lyric "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex/Why? Because I made that bitch famous." Taylor Swift responded to this lyric, feeling hurt that Kanye would paint her as a bitch. However, Kim Kardashian released a Snapchat video of Taylor giving Kanye permission to use the line. Whether Taylor is misunderstood or a snake, the controversy worked for Kanye West. It's currently nominated for two Grammy Awards, and Famous almost got The Life Of Pablo some album awards.
#47) The T- Alaska ft. Adore Delano (Did Not Chart)
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One of the more unique songs on my countdown, it features drag queens Alaska and Adore Delano. After receiving criticism from her performance in RuPaul's Drag Race, and criticism from her private life, Alaska released a rap about the problems of fame. Considering the quality of most drag queen songs, The T excels in production and in substance. Filled with Drag Race inside jokes, it's a pleasant production for any fan of RPDR.
#46) When We Were Young- Adele (#14 Peak, 83rd Best-Selling Song of 2016)
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Adele's album 25 is one of the most significant albums of all time, as it helped to reboot the failing music industry through physical sales. Her megahit song Hello was dominating the charts for months, during which she released When We Were Young. It was commercially successful as a single even without promotion. Similar to Someone Like You, it features incredibly personal lyrics and soaring vocals.
