Top 50 Songs of 2020: 50 - 41

 

Top 50 Songs of 2020: 50 - 41

50. Miyavi - Need for Speed

Miyavi had an amazing year, and Need for Speed stood as one of his best from the new decade. In fact, its landing at number 50 shows just how solid this year was for music. The speedy guitar throughout the song is one of the year's best musical choices.

49. Yonezu Kenshi - Placebo (Feat. Yojiro Noda)

Kenshi has made-known the fact that he is a Radwimps fan, so he must have loved collaborating with Yojiro Noda. I mean, we all loved the collaboration too, and it stands as the best new song on the excellent Stray Sheep album.

48. The Weeknd - Blinding Lights

Technically released at the tail-end of 2019, This mega-hit by The Weeknd is more recognizable with 2020. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to call it 2020's most iconic and influential song. Starting a Synth-line trend in music and re-popularizing 80s-style pop, Blinding Lights still stands as one of the best resurrections of this once dead trend.

47. Taemin - Criminal

Arguably 2020's most acclaimed East Asian track (at least in the West), Taemin came soaring back to attention with this massive dance track. The SHINee and SuperM member has quite a few legendary hits that he can claim to be part of, and while Criminal definitely is not the peak, it stands out on its right simply due to Taemin's performance and the final chorus.

46. Sky-Hi - Sky's the Limit (Prod. SourceKey)

Everyone and their grandmother released a hip-hop based song on why they are epic this year, but most fell flat as if the artist had no confidence or skill to even dream of following up with their claim. Enter Sky-Hi, the lead rapper of AAA, who has already shown his versatility. But Sky's the Limit is something new, with less than three minutes, Sky-Hi provides this operatic yet over-the-top song where he raps the competition to the ground.

45. King & Prince - Mazy Night

Johnny's Entertainment artists in 2020 all matured pretty significantly or at least continued to do so. While they were not the most surprising or continuous of those, King & Prince definitely did reinvent themselves. Mazy Night stands as the best written King & Prince single yet, by quite a bit. While the verses can prove a little overdone at times, little can beat the orchestral bombast at the center of the track.

44. Tulsi Kumar - Tanhaai

Tanhaai is that massive tears on the dance floor anthem that was needed to wake Hindi music from its long slumber. The production duo Sachet-Parampara do not waste a single moment of this song and spends it all on the build, culminating in a humongous drop chorus that adds electro guitar just for good measure.

43. Ayumi Hamasaki - Dreamed a Dream

It had to be good, Tetsuya Komuro and Ayumi Hamasaki both collaborating after long breaks. The song is massive, building in energy with breakdowns in every corner. This all culminates in a massive chorus which really shows that Ayumi has not lost any of her edge. I mean, really that chorus is massive.

42. Nightwish - Noise / Pan

I know, now they are technically 51 Songs, but I had to sneak both of these songs on the list. While you are at it, you might want to check out their Shoemaker too.

Nightwish have some great songs in their arsenal, though they are not really all that accessible at times. With Noise, they have delivered a modern masterpiece. Filled to the brim with their signature, giant, operatic rock, Noise is worth every second in its run-time. The thing to push it in the top 50, though, is the spectacular lyrics, a perfect encompassment of the terrors of addiction to technology.

Pan is massive in its ambition, building with violins and guitars every second. The song's real tool is its ability to switch between quiet and emotive to full-on heavy metal. Not every song can do that, and even fewer as well as Pan does. The chanted segments are incredible.

41. Gaho - Start Over

One of the greatest Korean OST songs in years, there is just something that makes Start Over click. Maybe it is that song is so uplifting. The lyrics, the instrumental, and vocal performance all excellently convey one point. "I am at rock bottom, and I will come up.". In a year where many of us felt and saw our worst, this song stood as an uplifting sign of hope.