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2006 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

Top 10 Songs of 2016

  1. Closer – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
  2. Heathens – Twenty One Pilots
  3. Sorry – Justin Bieber
  4. Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Justin Timberlake
  5. Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
  6. Stitches – Shawn Mendes
  7. This Is What You Came For – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
  8. Let Me Love You – DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber
  9. Cheap Thrills – Sia featuring Sean Paul
  10. Treat You Better – Shawn Mendes

More 2016 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 2016 music was a mix of EDM-pop, hip-hop, R&B, alternative pop, tropical house, country crossover, viral dance tracks, and big emotional ballads. Streaming was reshaping the charts, pop songs were getting moodier, and dance music was everywhere — basically, the playlist had commitment issues.

2016 EDM-Pop, Dance, Club, and Tropical House Hits

Dance-pop and EDM-flavored radio were huge in 2016. The Chainsmokers, Calvin Harris, DJ Snake, Major Lazer, Sia, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Fifth Harmony helped define a sleek, beat-driven sound that worked on radio, streaming playlists, clubs, and every phone speaker at full volume.

This Is What You Came For – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
Let Me Love You – DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber
Cheap Thrills – Sia featuring Sean Paul
One Dance – Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla
Cold Water – Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber
Work from Home – Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign
Don’t Let Me Down – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
Roses – The Chainsmokers featuring Rozes
I Took a Pill in Ibiza – Mike Posner
Never Forget You – Zara Larsson & MNEK
Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun
Starving – Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd
Middle – DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine

2016 Pop, Teen Pop, and Big Radio Hits

Mainstream pop in 2016 leaned bright, catchy, and streaming-friendly. Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Mendes, Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Charlie Puth, Demi Lovato, and Taylor Swift kept pop radio packed with polished hooks, emotional choruses, and songs engineered to live rent-free in your head.

Send My Love (To Your New Lover) – Adele
Me Too – Meghan Trainor
Love Yourself – Justin Bieber
My House – Flo Rida
Just Like Fire – Pink
Into You – Ariana Grande
No – Meghan Trainor
On My Mind – Ellie Goulding
Something in the Way You Move – Ellie Goulding
Sugar – Karmin
Hands to Myself – Selena Gomez
We Don’t Talk Anymore – Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez
Out of the Woods – Taylor Swift
Confident – Demi Lovato
Dangerous Woman – Ariana Grande
Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya
New Romantics – Taylor Swift
One Call Away – Charlie Puth
Into You – Ariana Grande
Hide Away – Daya
Close – Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo
Perfect Illusion – Lady Gaga
Hold My Hand – Jess Glynne
Play That Song – Train

2016 Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B, and Pop-Rap Favorites

Hip-hop and R&B were central to 2016, with Drake, Rihanna, The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Desiigner, Bryson Tiller, G-Eazy, D.R.A.M., and Lil Yachty all shaping the sound of the year. This was a major streaming-era moment, where moody hooks, trap influence, and viral energy helped push songs everywhere fast.

Starboy – The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
One Dance – Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla
Hotline Bling – Drake
Work – Rihanna featuring Drake
Needed Me – Rihanna
Jumpman – Drake & Future
In the Night – The Weeknd
Panda – Desiigner
Too Good – Drake featuring Rihanna
Don’t – Bryson Tiller
Formation – Beyoncé
Sorry – Beyoncé
Love on the Brain – Rihanna
Gold – Kiiara
Broccoli – D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty
Me, Myself & I – G-Eazy x Bebe Rexha

2016 Alternative, Indie Pop, and Modern Rock Hits

Alternative and indie-leaning music had a strong place in 2016, especially through Twenty One Pilots, X Ambassadors, Coldplay, The Lumineers, The Strumbellas, Kings of Leon, Cold War Kids, Grouplove, Bastille, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. The sound ranged from dark and anxious to rootsy, festival-ready, and extremely playlistable.

Stressed Out – Twenty One Pilots
Ride – Twenty One Pilots
HandClap – Fitz and The Tantrums
Unsteady – X Ambassadors
The Sound of Silence – Disturbed
Brand New – Ben Rector
Hymn for the Weekend – Coldplay featuring Beyoncé
Let It Go – James Bay
Adventure of a Lifetime – Coldplay
A Change of Heart – The 1975
America’s Sweetheart – Elle King
Ophelia – The Lumineers
Spirits – The Strumbellas
First – Cold War Kids
Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah) – Andy Grammer
Waste a Moment – Kings of Leon
S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Welcome to Your Life – Grouplove
Take It All Back – Judah & The Lion
Good Grief – Bastille
Home – Blue October

2016 Ballads, Adult Contemporary, and Big Vocal Hits

Ballads and emotional pop were still powerful in 2016. Adele, Lukas Graham, Alessia Cara, Kelly Clarkson, Andra Day, Calum Scott, Ruth B., Rachel Platten, and James Bay brought big feelings to radio and streaming playlists. These songs were made for finales, montages, slow dances, and dramatic staring into the middle distance.

Hello – Adele
Stand by You – Rachel Platten
7 Years – Lukas Graham
I Hate U, I Love U – Gnash featuring Olivia O’Brien
Scars to Your Beautiful – Alessia Cara
Here – Alessia Cara
Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend
Dancing on My Own – Calum Scott
Piece by Piece – Kelly Clarkson
Without You – The Rua
Rise – Katy Perry
Lost Boy – Ruth B.
Rise Up – Andra Day
11 Blocks – Wrabel
Bring My Love Home – Brendan James

2016 Country, Folk-Pop, and Roots-Leaning Hits

Country and roots-leaning songs also found room in 2016, with Florida Georgia Line, The Lumineers, Elle King, The Strumbellas, Judah & The Lion, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats helping connect country, folk-pop, roots rock, and Americana-friendly radio. This section gives the year a little more banjo, stomp, and boots-on-the-floor energy.

H.O.L.Y. – Florida Georgia Line
Ophelia – The Lumineers
America’s Sweetheart – Elle King
Spirits – The Strumbellas
S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Take It All Back – Judah & The Lion

2016 Viral Hits, Dance Crazes, Soundtracks, and Pop Culture Curveballs

2016 was deep into the streaming and social media era, so viral dances and pop culture moments mattered. Songs could explode because of radio, playlists, memes, YouTube, dance challenges, or some mysterious combination of all of the above. This is where the charts started feeling less like a countdown and more like the internet with a beat.

Hit the Quan – iLoveMemphis
Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem) – Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall
Broccoli – D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty
Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Justin Timberlake
The Sound of Silence – Disturbed

2016 Popular Music Chart

  1. Closer – The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey
  2. Heathens – Twenty One Pilots
  3. Sorry – Justin Bieber
  4. Can’t Stop the Feeling! – Justin Timberlake
  5. Cake by the Ocean – DNCE
  6. Stitches – Shawn Mendes
  7. This Is What You Came For – Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna
  8. Let Me Love You – DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber
  9. Cheap Thrills – Sia featuring Sean Paul
  10. Treat You Better – Shawn Mendes
  11. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) – Adele
  12. Stressed Out – Twenty One Pilots
  13. Starboy – The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk
  14. One Dance – Drake featuring Wizkid & Kyla
  15. Me Too – Meghan Trainor
  16. Love Yourself – Justin Bieber
  17. My House – Flo Rida
  18. Cold Water – Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber
  19. Ride – Twenty One Pilots
  20. Just Like Fire – Pink
  21. HandClap – Fitz and The Tantrums
  22. Into You – Ariana Grande
  23. Work from Home – Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign
  24. Don’t Let Me Down – The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
  25. No – Meghan Trainor
  26. Hello – Adele
  27. On My Mind – Ellie Goulding
  28. Hotline Bling – Drake
  29. Unsteady – X Ambassadors
  30. Fireball – Pitbull
  31. Something in the Way You Move – Ellie Goulding
  32. Sugar – Karmin
  33. Work – Rihanna featuring Drake
  34. Stand by You – Rachel Platten
  35. Hands to Myself – Selena Gomez
  36. Roses – The Chainsmokers featuring Rozes
  37. We Don’t Talk Anymore – Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez
  38. Out of the Woods – Taylor Swift
  39. The Sound of Silence – Disturbed
  40. Brand New – Ben Rector
  41. I Took a Pill in Ibiza – Mike Posner
  42. Confident – Demi Lovato
  43. 7 Years – Lukas Graham
  44. I Hate U, I Love U – Gnash featuring Olivia O’Brien
  45. Hymn for the Weekend – Coldplay featuring Beyoncé
  46. Let It Go – James Bay
  47. Dangerous Woman – Ariana Grande
  48. Needed Me – Rihanna
  49. Sit Still, Look Pretty – Daya
  50. New Romantics – Taylor Swift
  51. One Call Away – Charlie Puth
  52. Jumpman – Drake & Future
  53. Into You – Ariana Grande
  54. Adventure of a Lifetime – Coldplay
  55. In the Night – The Weeknd
  56. A Change of Heart – The 1975
  57. America’s Sweetheart – Elle King
  58. Ophelia – The Lumineers
  59. Hide Away – Daya
  60. Never Forget You – Zara Larsson & MNEK
  61. Scars to Your Beautiful – Alessia Cara
  62. Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun
  63. Here – Alessia Cara
  64. Like I’m Gonna Lose You – Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend
  65. Panda – Desiigner
  66. Dancing on My Own – Calum Scott
  67. Piece by Piece – Kelly Clarkson
  68. Without You – The Rua
  69. Rise – Katy Perry
  70. Close – Nick Jonas featuring Tove Lo
  71. Spirits – The Strumbellas
  72. Pillowtalk – Zayn
  73. First – Cold War Kids
  74. Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah) – Andy Grammer
  75. Waste a Moment – Kings of Leon
  76. H.O.L.Y. – Florida Georgia Line
  77. Too Good – Drake featuring Rihanna
  78. Lost Boy – Ruth B.
  79. Hit the Quan – iLoveMemphis
  80. S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
  81. Don’t – Bryson Tiller
  82. Welcome to Your Life – Grouplove
  83. Formation – Beyoncé
  84. Take It All Back – Judah & The Lion
  85. Perfect Illusion – Lady Gaga
  86. Rise Up – Andra Day
  87. Sorry – Beyoncé
  88. Good Grief – Bastille
  89. Love on the Brain – Rihanna
  90. 11 Blocks – Wrabel
  91. Home – Blue October
  92. Gold – Kiiara
  93. Hold My Hand – Jess Glynne
  94. Bring My Love Home – Brendan James
  95. Play That Song – Train
  96. Broccoli – D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty
  97. Starving – Hailee Steinfeld & Grey featuring Zedd
  98. Me, Myself & I – G-Eazy x Bebe Rexha
  99. Middle – DJ Snake featuring Bipolar Sunshine
  100. Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem) – Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall