Ralph Orlowski // Getty Images
2007 | - #1: "Umbrella" by Rihanna feat. Jay-Z- #2: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie- #3: "Party Like A Rockstar" by Shop Boyz | Of all the things to consider when releasing a big single, weather generally isn't one of them. However, the 2007 floods in the United Kingdom just happened to keep the song on the radio for weeks and weeks. Rihanna still dominates the pop culture conversation to this day, proving her voice, music, and business acumen are more than enough to succeed in the music industry.
Island Records/Universal // Getty Images
1988 | - #1: "Roll With It" by Steve Winwood- #2: "The Flame" by Cheap Trick- #3: "Monkey" by George Michael | "Roll With It" was clearly inspired by Motown—a little too closely, evidently, as Motown songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland were eventually credited as co-writers on the track to avoid a copyright battle. Another encouraging summer bop, the second verse's lines, "Now there'll be a day you'll get there, baby / You'll hear the music play, you'll dance, baby," rarely fail to cheer the listener up.
Frazer Harrison // Getty Images
2015 | - #1: "Cheerleader" by OMI- #2: "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth- #3: "Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar | OMI, a Jamaican singer, worked on "Cheerleader" for years before finding success in his home country and later around the world. Though it took its time, it eventually became a global smash hit, and proved that Spotify was just as important to monitor as the radio stations in determining which songs are gaining traction.
Alberto E. Rodriguez // Getty Images for The Recording Academy
2019| - #1: "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus- #2: "Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish- #3: "Talk" by Khalid | 2019 was truly a tale of two major songs. Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road," the country/rap crossover, was released in December2018, exploded onTikTok in early 2019, and held Billboard Hot 100's top spot for a record-shattering 19 weeks. Billie Eilish's breakout "Bad Guy" proved to be the only match, ending Lil Nas X's streak, and claiming Grammys for Record and Song of the Year.
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN // Getty Images
2005 | - #1: "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey- #2: "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani- #3: "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls feat. Busta Rhymes | A single from her 10th studio album, "We Belong Together" was widely considered Mariah's comeback single, and come back she did. The song is one of the most successful of all time, taking influence from R&B and hip-hop's ubiquitous Roland 808 drum machine to craft a genre-blending hit.
Carlo Allegri // Getty Images
2004 | - #1: "Confessions Part II" by Usher- #2: "Slow Motion" by Juvenile feat. Soulja Slim- #3: "Burn" by Usher | Usher pops up for the second time on this list in 2004, snagging both the #1 and #3 spots. In the song, he admits to his girlfriend that he impregnated hismistress.
Brenda Chase // Getty Images
1999 | - #1: "Genie In a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera- #2: "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez- #3: "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child | 1999's summer songs were dominated by strong women, and "Genie In A Bottle" is a strong example. Coming off the success of recording "Reflections" for the soundtrack of the Disney film "Mulan," Aguilera's hit has been described as "uncomfortably adult," given that she was 19 years old when it was released.
Brenda Chase // Getty Images
1997 | - #1: "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans feat. 112- #2: "Bitch" by Meredith Brooks- #3: "MMMBop" by Hanson | The Police's mega-hit, "Every Breath You Take," made a comeback in "I'll Be Missing You." The song was recorded in memory of The Notorious B.I.G., who was murdered earlier in 1997, and became one of the best-selling singles of all time. Don't overlook "MMMBop" at #3, though.
Kevin Winter // Getty Images for EA Sports Bowl at Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest
2020| - #1: "Savage" by Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé- #2: "Say So" by Doja Cat featuring Nicki Minaj- #3: "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd | Summer has only just begun, and what hits will take us through remains to be seen. Until then, here are the top hits taking us into the summer from Billboard Hot 100. Let's see if one can hold out through September like "Old Town Road" did last year.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto // Getty Images
2008 | - #1: "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry- #2: "Take A Bow" by Rihanna- #3: "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne feat. Static Major | You may not have heard of Max Martin, but you've certainly heard his music. The secretive Swedish producer is behind many of the hits of this decade, including 2008's "I Kissed A Girl." Perry walked in the shoes of previous artists such as Madonna in releasing a single that's controversial but oh-so-catchy.
Christopher Polk // Getty Images
2010 | - #1: "California Gurls" by Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg- #2: "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem feat. Rihanna- #3: "Airplanes" by B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams | Katy Perry is back with another infectious anthem, again produced by Max Martin among others. A West Coast competitor to 2009's "Empire State of Mind," "California Gurls" was instantly deemed the song of the summer and its performance on the charts did not disappoint.
ABC Television // Wikimedia Commons
1973 | - #1: "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" by Jim Croce- #2: "Will It Go Round in Circles" by Billy Preston- #3: "Brother Louie" by Stories | "Leroy Brown," a story-driven song, tells the tale of a fearsome resident of the South Side of Chicago—that is, until he loses a fight badly. The song would inspire Freddie Mercury and lead to covers by Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton, Sonny & Cher, Dean Martin, and many others.
Kevin Winter // Getty Images
2014 | - #1: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX- #2: "Rude" by MAGIC!- #3: "Problem" by Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea | The most-streamed song on Spotify, which was quickly gaining users at the time, "Fancy" became one of the biggest hits for rising stars Charli XCX and Iggy Azalea; Billboard even named it the best-selling hit by a female rapper of all time. Azalea also features on the #3 spot, Ariana Grande's song "Problem."
Ethan Miller // Getty Images
2009 | - #1: "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas- #2: "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas- #3: "Knock You Down" by Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo | "I Gotta Feeling" and "Boom Boom Pow" occupied both the #1 and #2 spots on the Billboard chart, respectively, in June 2009, making The Black Eyed Peas one of a select few groups to achieve that feat. The former Grammy-winning track is one of the best-selling singles of the 21st century, with its timeless theme of positivity and hope.
Vince Bucci/AFP // Getty Images
1998 | - #1: "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica- #2: "You're Still the One" by Shania Twain- #3: "Too Close" by Next | Boy meets girl. Boy meets another girl. Girl meets girl. 1998's song of the summer is created, or so the story goes. The first #1 hit for both Brandy and Monica, the song was inspired by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney's duet "The Girl Is Mine," released 16 years prior.
Frank Micelotta // Getty Images
2003 | - #1: "Crazy In Love" by Beyonce feat. Jay-Z- #2: "Magic Stick" by Lil Kim feat. 50 Cent- #3: "Right Thurr" by Chingy | Beyoncé's debút single as a solo act after the dissolution of Destiny's Child, the song was later declared the best of the decade by VH1. An incredibly widely covered song, "Crazy In Love" has cemented its place as one of the most instantly recognizable pop songs of all time.
Kevin Winter // Getty Images
2002 | - #1: "Hot In Herre" by Nelly- #2: "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne- #3: "Dilemma" by Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland | The chorus of "Hot In Herre"—"It's getting hot in here / So take off all your clothes"—is instantly memorable and still prominently remembered by popular culture. Probably the only R&B smash hit to sample Neil Young, it was also included in the video game "The Sims 4." In the game universe, the Sims characters speak a dialect called Simlish, so the song's lyrics were updated accordingly. If you love this song, but are frequently around small children, try this version.
EMI USA
1989 | - #1: "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx- #2: "Toy Soldiers" by Martika- #3: "Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul | A slow ballad, "Right Here Waiting" became a platinum single for Marx, selling more than 1 million copies. Marx ditches the synths and power drums and instead relies on a piano and a classical guitar for the stripped-back instrumentation of this relatively minimalist song.
Sergi Alexander // Getty Images
2017 | - #1: "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber- #2: "That's What I Like" by Bruno Mars- #3: "I'm the One" by DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper & Lil Wayne | The final foreign language song on this list, "Despacito" ("Slowly") enlisted the help of Justin Bieber to turn an already-popular song into a record-smashing hit. In its wake, many other Latin pop artists have gained prominence in English-speaking markets, which has been called the "Despacito effect."
Kevork Djansezian // Getty Images
2011| - #1: "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock- #2: "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer- #3: "Rolling In The Deep" by Adele | LMFAO, the uncle-nephew duo descended from Motown giant Berry Gordy, Jr., had incredible success from 2010 until their breakup in 2012 and dominated the airwaves with "Party Rock Anthem," one of the most successful songs of all time. The group popularized the dance move the Melbourne Shuffle through their music video for the track and the refrain "Every day I'm shufflin'!"
Liam Nicholls // Getty Images
2000 | - #1: "Bent" by Matchbox Twenty- #2: "It's Gonna Be Me" by 'N Sync- #3: "Try Again" by Aaliyah | Alternative rock was a dominating force in music in the early 2000s, though "Bent" is the only major example on this list. Matchbox Twenty's only single to hit #1, "Bent" has a theme of love despite flaws, which remains relatable even as the musical style goes out of fashion.
Jamie McCarthy // Getty Images
2018 | - #1: "In My Feelings" by Drake- #2: "I Like It" by Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin- #3: "Girls Like You" by Maroon 5 feat. Cardi B | And finally, the second coming of Drake with this smash hit from his double LP "Scorpion." It checks all the boxes for a modern song of the summer: instant catchiness, viral dances, and a blend of genres such as hip-hop and New Orleans bounce.
Kevin Winter // Getty Images
2012 | - #1: "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen- #2: "Payphone" by Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa- #3: "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye feat. Kimbra | Canadian pop queen and LGBTQ+ icon Carly Rae Jepsen burst onto the scene with "Call Me Maybe," though it was originally written as a folk song. Much of the initial popularity was thanks to a tweet by Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, who were dating at the time; Jepsen was immediately signed by Scooter Braun, Bieber's longtime manager.
White House photo by Robert L. Knudsen // Wikimedia Commons
1970 | - #1: "(They Long to Be) Close to You" by Carpenters- #2: "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" by Three Dog Night- #3: "Make It With You" by Bread | The second Burt Bacharach- and Hal David-written track on this list—with "This Guy's In Love With You" being the first—this hit by The Carpenters was originally recorded by Herb Alpert as well, though that recording was scrapped. Good thing it was, as "Close To You" gave The Carpenters their first of three Grammys.
Christopher Polk // Getty Images
2016 | - #1: "One Dance" by Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla- #2: "Can't Stop The Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake- #3: "Don't Let Me Down" by The Chainsmokers feat. Daya | One of the best-selling singles of all time from one of the best-selling artists of all time, "One Dance" saw Drake clearly cracking the pop formula of delivering catchy hits time and time again that fuse pop with hip-hop. Mixing elements from dancehall, Afrobeat, and traditional pop, "One Dance" dominated the airwaves in 2016 and featured prominently on year-end lists from music critics.
Jamie McCarthy // Getty Images
2013 | - #1: "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell- #2: "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons- #3: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams | "Blurred Lines" has since become controversial for several reasons, including its misogynistic lyrics and a copyright battle with Marvin Gaye's family and label over similar elements in the song. Despite these controversies, the song is catchy, and thus had a solid run on the radio, beating out dubstep-inspired "Radioactive" and vintage throwback "Get Lucky."