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.’
Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
Kendrick Lamar holds the #17 position with ‘Not Like Us,’ giving him three songs in the top 20 (so far). This track was the #6 song of 2024, and another indication that 2025 didn’t introduce many new hits.
At #18 is Morgan Wallen’s ‘Just in Case,’ his fourth track in the top 20. At least this one was released last year.
Between 1976 and 1991, Billboard froze their final Hot 100 chart of the year to focus on a year-end wrap-up issue. So the #1 song the week of January 4, 1986, was the same as the prior week. That was Lionel Richie’s ‘Say Say Say,’ enjoying its second week atop the chart.
In the #2 spot that New Years week was the appropriately titled ‘Party All the Time,’ the first single from Eddie Murphy’s debut music album How Could It Be. This was the kickoff to an ill-fated music career that spanned three albums, poor reviews, and this one hit.
Meet Me In Montauk 