Throwing back to the week of January 10, 1957, we find Dean Martin and Tennessee Ernie Ford holding on to the top two spots with, respectively, ‘Memories Are Made of This‘ and ‘Sixteen Tons.’
At #3, The Platters’ ‘The Great Pretender’ was steadily moving up the chart on its way to a #1 berth a few weeks later. This was the first chart-topping hit for the doo-wop band, which ultimately had four songs reach #1.
Concluding my look at the top songs of 2025…
Drake shows up at #24 on the year-end list with ‘Nokia,’ and while I’m sure he’s glad to be in the top 25, this is a far cry from the upper echelons of the chart he’s used to occupying. It’s been more thane two years since Drake last had a #1 hit on the Hot 100.
On the other hand, the #25 song, ‘Golden,’ by fictional band Huntrix, spent five weeks at #1, becoming the best-performing single by an animated band (move over, Chipmunks, the KPop Demon Hunters are here).
Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
Leon Thomas’ ‘MUTT’ sits at #22 on the year-end list, followed by Shaboozey at #23 with ‘Good News.’ This is Shaboozey’s second appearance on the 2025 Hot 100, after his juggernaut ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ grabbed the #2 spot a year after dominating the summer of 2024.
‘Good News’ was the lead single of the “Complete Edition” of Shaboozey’s breakthrough album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, released at the end of 2024.
Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
Kendrick Lamar closed out the top 20, and he’s back again at #21. This time he’s a featured artist on a single from SZA’s 2024 album Lana, returning the favor after she featured on his #1 hit ‘Luther.’
This is one of nine collaborations between SZA and Lamar, and the third most successful (after ‘Luther’ and 2018’s ‘All the Stars,’ from the Black Panther soundtrack).
Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Squabble Up’ sits at #20 on the year-end list, giving him four entries in the top 20. That ties him with Morgan Wallen, giving two very different artists a shared grip on last year’s musical landscape.
‘Squabble Up’ was released as a dual lead single with ‘TV Off,’ though both ended up being eclipsed by third single ‘Luther.’
Meet Me In Montauk 