Top 10 Best Songs of 2019

2019 was a wild year for music, bringing us hits from every corner of the industry. Whether you were into rock, pop, hip-hop, or something a little more experimental, there was something for everyone.

Artists pushed boundaries, some returned after long breaks, and new voices emerged that left a lasting impact on listeners. Now, it's time to take a look back at some of the standout tracks that shaped the year.

The Top Ten

Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

You know, I was wondering why this was so low on the best songs of 2020 list until I realized this was actually released in 2019. How foolish of me. Turns out everyone likes this song. Like I said earlier, this could start a trend of more '80s sounding synthwave-styled music becoming mainstream. I had my doubts about The Weeknd back in 2015 or somewhere near that. And this artist only got better for the most part up to the present.

This is a pretty unexpected turn from the mediocre releases The Weeknd has put out after "Pray For Me," but it's also an amazing one. The production is just stellar, and The Weeknd sounds really good. It's definitely a lot better than "Heartless." 10/10.
Unsainted - Slipknot

The piano in the introduction, Corey's epic screams, the chorus - everything about this song is amazing. It's the best song of 2019, hands down. I wish there were more songs like this to replace the Ariana Grande and Lil Nas X tracks dominating the charts. This, along with TOOL, Korn, Tyler, the Creator, and Lana Del Rey exemplify what music should sound like. Especially this.

YES! The best song from their new album so far. It's up there with my all-time favorites such as Wait and Bleed, Pulse of the Maggots, and Before I Forget. I'm sad about Chris, though...
The Greatest - Lana Del Rey

Beautiful song. Happy and cheerful. I am so glad I listened to this.
I think this is the best song of 2019.

Beautiful song from a beautiful album. One of the best albums released in recent years.

I just like Lana Del Rey in general and find this song has a catchy tune as well.
Bad Guy - Billie Eilish

One line of this song may sound cringy, but it's nowhere near as bad as "You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift. The only thing that should change is how she executes the line "I'm a bad guy." However, the new Taylor Swift song sounds so bad it could be considered the new "Baby Shark," but a lot worse.

I would appreciate Billie Eilish's songs more if she actually tried to sing and if the beats were less minimalist. The lyrical content is interesting, and I love the thought-provoking album title.

Another good pop song from an amazing alternative pop album. Not my favorite song on the album, but I don't hate it, and it's better than most of the songs on this list.
Bury a Friend - Billie Eilish

In my opinion, Billie Eilish is the most creative and unique singer ever, and this particular song is one of my favorite songs by her because she's special in her own way. This song just brings out so much of her talent. I also like the fact that she doesn't care about what people think about her. She wears clothes that nobody else does, which I find unique. It's also very remarkable that Billie Eilish is only 17 but already has three careers: singing, songwriting, and modeling. I think she's a perfect inspiration!

While Billie Eilish hasn't overly impressed me yet, she has a lot going for her. I absolutely love her low and breathy vocals. Her style of singing stands out from the rest of the pop music industry, and I appreciate it.
I think Bury a Friend represents everything Billie Eilish is all about: moody (although borderline melodramatic) lyrics and atmospheric production.
Earfquake - Tyler, the Creator

It's okay, I guess, but not something I'd go out of my way to listen to. This isn't what I want from Tyler.

Glad to see this song is now in the top 10 and is finally higher than that trash that is ME!

DON'T LEAVE. Perfection. The only thing bringing this down is Playboi Carti's incoherent mumbling, which really was unnecessary. But this song is groovy and amazing. 5/5
Old Town Road - Lil Nas X

I admit, I actually like this song a lot. I don't like the Young Thug and Mason Ramsey remix, the BTS remix, or the Diplo remix. The original is too boring, it was memified to death, and Lil Nas X milked it for all it's worth.
Still, I love this trap version with Billy Ray Cyrus.

This is conceptually stupid yet loads of fun simultaneously, and both artists can actually sing, so yeah, I say it's pretty good. 7/10

Don't know why this is not top 5. It was incredibly popular.
Everything I Wanted - Billie Eilish

This is a really good song that describes the relationship Billie has with her brother Finneas. Their relationship is a model all siblings should strive for. The song is also really calming, and the lyrics speak to me. Plus, Billie is super young and deserves the recognition.

I'll be honest, the song didn't interest me when I first heard it, but now I love it, and the music video really complements the song.

Same with this one. Billie is one of my favorite singers, next to Melanie Martinez.
Solway Firth - Slipknot

"Solway Firth" is proof that Slipknot has finally found the beat they have been trying to find since the passing of Paul Gray back at the start of the decade. After the uncertainty of whether they even wanted to continue as a band when ".5: The Gray Chapter" came out, the band took some time off after a couple of years of touring to recuperate and come back with a stronger mindset. Despite a slight roadblock with the departure of longtime percussionist Chris Fehn over legal issues, the band was able to continue putting their sound forward and ultimately ended up releasing a whole plethora of some of their best work in over 15 years.
"Solway Firth", the final track on "We Are Not Your Kind" (with the exception of the Japanese release, which includes the single "All Out Life" as a bonus track), is one of the album's more experimental tracks, bordering even on "Melodic death metal" territory. An incredibly somber opening leads to an all-out assault of heavy guitars, double-kick patterned drumming, and brutal intensity from Corey Taylor's vocals. It's a track that would feel right at home if it had come from "Iowa", and a strong case of an experimental track that fires on all cylinders.
"I haven't smiled in years."
Cellophane - FKA Twigs

The Newcomers

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Bop - DaBaby
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Cradles - Besomorph

The Contenders

Circles - Post Malone

Great song by Post Malone. It shows that he can go outside trap beats and make more pop-type songs.

Such an amazing and addictive song by Post Malone. So glad it went number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Circles is such a good song. Post Malone is becoming one of my favorite artists.
The Raven Child - Avantasia

There were better Avantasia songs on this album, but The Raven Child is still a phenomenal track.

This song is an epic masterpiece! The instrumentals were amazing and so were the vocals, especially Hansi's.

Pure joy and ecstasy on this monster of a track!
Gone - Charli XCX & Christine and the Queens

Should be at #2 or #3. It is hyperpop perfection! I love how futuristic this sounds. Also, the lyrics are pretty good. This young woman that I have been watching since 2011 deserves a Grammy.
2024 edit: She got nominated for a Grammy! My comment on YouTube back in 2011, on the Nuclear Seasons music video before she got famous, saying that "She has a good future," aged so well! My God, she is so successful now. I cannot believe my comment back in 2011 aged so well.

By far one of the best songs from Charli, along with February 2017, White Mercedes, Warm, and 1999. Just very good! Hopefully, Kidz Bop doesn't ruin this masterpiece.
Fear Inoculum - Tool

I didn't even know who or what Tool was (please don't bash me) until I saw this No. 1 trending on YouTube. And it lasted on the trending page for three whole days!
So, I gave it a listen, not realizing it was over 10 minutes long. Since I have a short attention span, I thought I would pull out 30 seconds in, but no. I heard the whole track. And I was blown away!
This track is hypnotic in the way it uses its stringed instruments and satyr. Well done, Tool. You earned a new fan that very day.

This song really deserves a place on the list. It might have a lot of elements Tool has used before, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This song proves that perhaps those 13 years were worth the wait. We can only hope we get more greatness when the full album releases later.
Bags - Clairo
Take What You Want - Post Malone

The collaboration no one saw coming, nor asked for, but we all needed.

One of Post Malone's best songs. Ozzy, Posty, and Travis make such a good team on this.

Why is this so low? You've got the legendary Ozzy here, and he does a great guitar outro. Post Malone sounds the freshest he ever has been, and Travis Scott sounds superb as well. -Spydyr
Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa

This song is fantastic, and seeing Dua Lipa perform it live reinforces that opinion. She has the attitude to carry it off. I really hope this becomes the bonafide smash hit it deserves to be. Welcome back, Dua Lipa.

I've always liked a lot of what Dua Lipa has put out but never expected her to actually release a nu-disco song. Anyway, this song is great, and I like where she's going with this. 10/10

I really enjoy the pre-chorus and drop of this song, but that's about it.
Head Above Water - Avril Lavigne

Arguably Avril Lavigne's best song. She's definitely come a long way from the days when she made songs like "Sk8er Boi." She's matured quite a bit since then and has been through things I wouldn't wish on anyone.
But judging the song itself, while I don't think it's as good as Kesha's song "Praying," it's still quite the inspirational ballad that ends up being a legitimately good song. After what Avril Lavigne's been through, she deserves recognition for coming up with arguably the best song she's ever released.
Not sure what else is coming out this year at the moment. But for now? It's the best song of the year in my opinion. Also, this only made it to #64 on the Billboard Hot 100 while "7 Rings" is still sitting at #1. If that isn't sad, I don't know what is.
The Archer - Taylor Swift

I was so pleasantly surprised by this song. At the beginning, I thought of a Lana Del Rey song, but then I saw it was Taylor, and I was like, "Is that really her?"
I'm not a fan of Tay-Tay, but this song really blew me away. The maturity and lyricism she shows on this track are simply impressive. Definitely worth listening.

This song is one of my favorites from the new album. The song interpolates "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, and Taylor's wistful ache over relationships seems so genuine and sad. Truly a beautiful song.
Talk - Khalid

It's a decent song, but it's overplayed to the point that I've heard it played literally three times in a row.

Disclosure never disappoints at producing tracks.
Plus, Khalid's voice really brings this up too.

Disclosure really does produce this well, and Khalid's voice is amazing, except for the autotune you can hear in the chorus. 8/10
Giant - Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man

I've really been listening to a lot of Calvin Harris lately, with "Promises" growing on me and "Blame" being another one of my favorites as well.
And I liked "Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man despite the logic behind it. I expected nothing less than this, in all honesty. Even though the "I AM, I AM, I AM" parts are highly repetitive, the drop is still nice, the production is solid, and Rag'n'Bone Man shows a lot of passion here. 9.5/10

In 2018, Calvin Harris got cool (and I mean REALLY cool) again with songs like Promises and One Kiss (these songs are some of my favorites of 2018).
This song is also cool. Not exactly as good as the two I mentioned, but still awesome.
Seventeen - Sharon Van Etten
Two of Us - Louis Tomlinson

Even if you hate One Direction and what the members have done since, how could anyone not like this song? Especially since it's a beautiful ode to his mother and sister who both passed on tragically. But that's not it, not only are the lyrics moving and filled with passion, but the music and production are on an A-level as well. Please vote for this song. It's an everlasting oracle to those who mean the most to us.

I promise that I did not put this on the list, but I love this song! Louis adds EDM and guitar together, which works out well. Plus, his vocals are spot on as he sings about his deceased mother, wishing he was the one taken and that he will be living "One life for the two of us." Definitely a top 10, you should listen to this. "Beautiful People" and "Sanctuary" are also must-listens.
Mumble Rapper vs. Lyricist - Vin Jay

This was a delight to listen to, besides the swearing. It's like Logic vs. 21 Savage in rapping. Both are the best in their style of game, and Vin Jay does a great job. 7/10

It's corny at some parts but an OK song. Only people who don't like it are Fantano stans because they can't think for themselves.
Also, what's so bad about a boomer mentality?

When you make a mumble rapper actually sound good.
Hexed - Children of Bodom

If I'm being completely honest, as someone who's listened to a lot of metal over the years, this is a good metal song. That said, I'm not sure if I enjoy the vocals on this song as much as I enjoy the melody.
And this has nothing to do with the vocals being death metal. For me, personally, the vocals don't stand out nearly as much as the melody compared to other songs with death metal vocals.
That said, it's not a situation like a certain other song on this list where I'm not going to remember it 24 hours from now. It's just that the melody is so good that the vocals don't really stand up to it and just sort of end up lost in the song, in my opinion.
I don't hate the song, I just feel that, for me, Children of Bodom's vocals don't stand out compared to bands like Killswitch Engage or In Flames. And this is coming from someone who prefers European metal, if my love for bands like Within Temptation and Powerwolf is any indication.