2020 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics
2020 music was shaped by streaming, TikTok, global pop, hip-hop, country crossover, dance remixes, bedroom pop, and a strange year when people were hearing songs everywhere except normal concerts. The biggest songs of 2020 came from The Weeknd, Harry Styles, BTS, Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, Drake, Roddy Ricch, Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and many more.
This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 2020, then groups more 2020 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was a year of glossy pop, viral dances, moody R&B, country-pop, pandemic-era anthems, and at least one song that made everyone ask, “Wait, is this from TikTok?”
Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 2020?
Popular music in 2020 included synth-pop, dance-pop, hip-hop, trap, R&B, country-pop, K-pop, Latin pop, indie pop, and viral TikTok-driven hits. Songs like Blinding Lights, Watermelon Sugar, Dynamite, Rockstar, Say So, WAP, and Don’t Start Now helped define the sound of 2020.
Top 10 Songs of 2020
- Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
- Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
- Dynamite – BTS
- Dance Monkey – Tones and I
- Circles – Post Malone
- Break My Heart – Dua Lipa
- Say So – Doja Cat
- Roses (Imanbek Remix) – SAINt JHN
- Adore You – Harry Styles
- Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa
2020 Music Hits by Style
Beyond the Top 10, 2020 music becomes more interesting when grouped by style. Streaming and social media helped songs cross genres faster than ever, while pop, hip-hop, country, Latin music, K-pop, dance remixes, and indie sounds all found room in the same year.
2020 Pop, Dance-Pop, and Synth-Pop Hits
Pop music in 2020 leaned bright, glossy, and very playlist-friendly. The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Ava Max, and Taylor Swift helped define a year full of throwback synths, sleek dance beats, and polished radio hooks. A lot of 2020 pop sounded like it wanted to go dancing, even when the dance floor was technically the kitchen.
Break My Heart – Dua Lipa
Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa
Adore You – Harry Styles
Memories – Maroon 5
Intentions – Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
Before You Go – Lewis Capaldi
Yummy – Justin Bieber
Everything I Wanted – Billie Eilish
My Oh My – Camila Cabello featuring DaBaby
Lose You to Love Me – Selena Gomez
Willow – Taylor Swift
Kings & Queens – Ava Max
Cardigan – Taylor Swift
Positions – Ariana Grande
Stuck with U – Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber
Rain on Me – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
Magic – Kylie Minogue
2020 Hip-Hop, Rap, Trap, and R&B Favorites
Hip-hop and R&B were central to 2020, with Drake, Roddy Ricch, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, Pop Smoke, Lil Baby, Cardi B, Doja Cat, and The Weeknd all shaping the year. Trap beats, melodic hooks, viral moments, and streaming momentum helped songs move fast. This was the part of 2020 where the charts felt like a playlist that had already gone viral before breakfast.
Life Is Good – Future featuring Drake
Rockstar – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
Heartless – The Weeknd
Go Crazy – Chris Brown & Young Thug
Toosie Slide – Drake
Whats Poppin – Jack Harlow featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez & Lil Wayne
Blueberry Faygo – Lil Mosey
Slide – H.E.R. featuring YG
Bop – DaBaby
No Guidance – Chris Brown featuring Drake
Savage – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
Like That – Doja Cat featuring Gucci Mane
High Fashion – Roddy Ricch featuring Mustard
Laugh Now Cry Later – Drake featuring Lil Durk
Ballin’ – Mustard & Roddy Ricch
The Box – Roddy Ricch
WAP – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
Mood – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior
Woah – Lil Baby
Juicy – Doja Cat & Tyga
Highest in the Room – Travis Scott
Body – Megan Thee Stallion
Popstar – DJ Khaled featuring Drake
Godzilla – Eminem featuring Juice WRLD
For the Night – Pop Smoke featuring Lil Baby & DaBaby
Come & Go – Juice WRLD with Marshmello
Franchise – Travis Scott featuring Young Thug & M.I.A.
Trollz – 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj
2020 TikTok, Viral, and Internet-Driven Hits
2020 was one of the years when TikTok and short-form video culture became impossible to ignore in music. Songs could explode because of a dance, a meme, a remix, or a fifteen-second hook that refused to leave your brain. The line between pop hit and internet moment got blurry, then basically started doing choreography.
Say So – Doja Cat
Roses (Imanbek Remix) – SAINt JHN
Dance Monkey – Tones and I
Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo
Death Bed – Powfu featuring Beabadoobee
Ily (I Love You Baby) – Surf Mesa featuring Emilee
Party Girl – StaySolidRocky
Falling – Trevor Daniel
Hot Girl Bummer – Blackbear
Roxanne – Arizona Zervas
Sunday Best – Surfaces
Gooba – 6ix9ine
2020 Country, Country-Pop, and Roots-Leaning Hits
Country music had a major presence in 2020, especially through country-pop, relationship ballads, and crossover-friendly songs. Maren Morris, Gabby Barrett, Morgan Wallen, Dan + Shay, Luke Combs, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Old Dominion, Luke Bryan, and Maddie & Tae helped give the year its country side. These songs added heartbreak, romance, and a little front-porch energy to a very streaming-heavy year.
The Bones – Maren Morris
I Hope – Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth
Chasin’ You – Morgan Wallen
10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
Forever After All – Luke Combs
Nobody but You – Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani
One Margarita – Luke Bryan
7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
One Man Band – Old Dominion
Die from a Broken Heart – Maddie & Tae
2020 K-Pop, Global Pop, Latin, and International Hits
Global pop was a major part of 2020. BTS brought K-pop deeper into mainstream American pop culture, while Bad Bunny, Jhay Cortez, Anuel AA, Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin, Little Big, The Roop, and Eurovision-linked artists gave the year an international flavor. The charts were no longer just crossing genres; they were crossing borders without asking for a passport.
Dynamite – BTS
Life Goes On – BTS
Yo Perreo Sola (Remix) – Bad Bunny, Ivy Queen & Nesi
Dákiti – Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez
Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life) – Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin
Mamacita – Black Eyed Peas, J. Rey Soul & Ozuna
La Jeepeta (Remix) – Anuel AA, Bray, Juanka, Myke Towers & Nio García
Think About Things – Daði Freyr
On Fire – The Roop
Uno – Little Big
Alive – Vincent Bueno
Freaky! – Senhit
Like This – Park Hye Jin
2020 Alternative, Indie Pop, Rock, and Singer-Songwriter Favorites
Alternative, indie pop and rock were not the loudest part of 2020, but they still mattered. Twenty One Pilots, The Killers, The 1975, Christine and the Queens, Mac Miller, Surfaces, The Rua, and Selena Gomez gave the year reflective, moody, or left-of-center moments. Some of these songs sounded like festival stages; others sounded like headphones at 2 a.m.
Level of Concern – Twenty One Pilots
Good News – Mac Miller
Without You – The Rua
Caution – The Killers
If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) – The 1975
People, I’ve Been Sad – Christine and the Queens
Reachupdontstop – Baauer
Bridged by a Lightwave – deadmau5 & Kiesza
2020 Ballads, Emotional Pop, and Reflective Radio Songs
2020 also had plenty of emotional pop, ballads, and reflective songs. Billie Eilish, Lewis Capaldi, Selena Gomez, JP Saxe, Julia Michaels, Taylor Swift, Trevor Daniel, and others gave listeners slower, moodier songs during a year that already had enough mood for everyone. These were the songs for quiet rooms, long walks, and dramatic staring into the fridge.
Before You Go – Lewis Capaldi
Everything I Wanted – Billie Eilish
Lose You to Love Me – Selena Gomez
If the World Was Ending – JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels
Cardigan – Taylor Swift
Falling – Trevor Daniel
Stuck with U – Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber
Willow – Taylor Swift
2020 Dance, EDM, Remixes, and Club-Ready Hits
Dance and EDM-friendly songs remained strong in 2020, even when actual clubs were not exactly having their best year. Dua Lipa, Topic, A7S, Joel Corry, MNEK, Disclosure, deadmau5, Kiesza, Baauer, and The Blessed Madonna helped keep dance music moving through remixes, streaming playlists, and living rooms pretending to be nightclubs.
Breaking Me – Topic & A7S
Break My Heart (Moodymann Remix) – Dua Lipa & The Blessed Madonna
My High – Disclosure
Head & Heart – Joel Corry x MNEK
Roses (Imanbek Remix) – SAINt JHN
Bridged by a Lightwave – deadmau5 & Kiesza
Reachupdontstop – Baauer
PCM’s Top 100 Songs of 2020
- Blinding Lights – The Weeknd
- Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
- Dynamite – BTS
- Dance Monkey – Tones and I
- Circles – Post Malone
- Break My Heart – Dua Lipa
- Say So – Doja Cat
- Roses (Imanbek Remix) – SAINt JHN
- Adore You – Harry Styles
- Don’t Start Now – Dua Lipa
- Life Is Good – Future featuring Drake
- Rockstar – DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch
- Memories – Maroon 5
- Heartless – The Weeknd
- The Bones – Maren Morris
- Intentions – Justin Bieber featuring Quavo
- Go Crazy – Chris Brown & Young Thug
- Level of Concern – Twenty One Pilots
- Before You Go – Lewis Capaldi
- Señorita – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
- Toosie Slide – Drake
- Good as Hell – Lizzo
- Whats Poppin – Jack Harlow featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez & Lil Wayne
- Yummy – Justin Bieber
- Trampoline – SHAED
- Think About Things – Daði Freyr
- Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685 & Jason Derulo
- Everything I Wanted – Billie Eilish
- Blueberry Faygo – Lil Mosey
- Slide – H.E.R. featuring YG
- Bop – DaBaby
- No Guidance – Chris Brown featuring Drake
- Death Bed – Powfu featuring Beabadoobee
- I Hope – Gabby Barrett featuring Charlie Puth
- My Oh My – Camila Cabello featuring DaBaby
- Savage – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé
- Chasin’ You – Morgan Wallen
- Like That – Doja Cat featuring Gucci Mane
- High Fashion – Roddy Ricch featuring Mustard
- Life Goes On – BTS
- Laugh Now Cry Later – Drake featuring Lil Durk
- Lose You to Love Me – Selena Gomez
- Ballin’ – Mustard & Roddy Ricch
- Ily (I Love You Baby) – Surf Mesa featuring Emilee
- Yo Perreo Sola (Remix) – Bad Bunny, Ivy Queen & Nesi
- Dákiti – Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez
- Good News – Mac Miller
- The Box – Roddy Ricch
- On Fire – The Roop
- Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life) – Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin
- Willow – Taylor Swift
- Kings & Queens – Ava Max
- Uno – Little Big
- Cardigan – Taylor Swift
- Breaking Me – Topic & A7S
- Positions – Ariana Grande
- Stuck with U – Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber
- My High – Disclosure
- Party Girl – StaySolidRocky
- Falling – Trevor Daniel
- WAP – Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion
- Mood – 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior
- 10,000 Hours – Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
- Woah – Lil Baby
- Mamacita – Black Eyed Peas, J. Rey Soul & Ozuna
- Forever After All – Luke Combs
- Juicy – Doja Cat & Tyga
- Nobody but You – Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani
- Hot Girl Bummer – Blackbear
- If the World Was Ending – JP Saxe featuring Julia Michaels
- Lose You to Love Me – Selena Gomez
- La Jeepeta (Remix) – Anuel AA, Bray, Juanka, Myke Towers & Nio García
- Highest in the Room – Travis Scott
- Body – Megan Thee Stallion
- Popstar – DJ Khaled featuring Drake
- One Margarita – Luke Bryan
- 7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
- Rain on Me – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
- One Man Band – Old Dominion
- Godzilla – Eminem featuring Juice WRLD
- For the Night – Pop Smoke featuring Lil Baby & DaBaby
- Break My Heart (Moodymann Remix) – Dua Lipa & The Blessed Madonna
- Caution – The Killers
- Roxanne – Arizona Zervas
- Come & Go – Juice WRLD with Marshmello
- If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know) – The 1975
- Sunday Best – Surfaces
- Come Thru – Summer Walker & Usher
- Gooba – 6ix9ine
- Reachupdontstop – Baauer
- Bridged by a Lightwave – deadmau5 & Kiesza
- Die from a Broken Heart – Maddie & Tae
- People, I’ve Been Sad – Christine and the Queens
- Franchise – Travis Scott featuring Young Thug & M.I.A.
- Head & Heart – Joel Corry x MNEK
- Alive – Vincent Bueno
- Magic – Kylie Minogue
- Trollz – 6ix9ine & Nicki Minaj
- Freaky! – Senhit
- Like This – Park Hye Jin
