Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
The 15th most popular song of 2025 belonged to Kendrick Lamar. ‘TV Off’ is Lamar’s second appearance on the list, after his ‘Luther’ collab with SZA showed up at #2. The songs were the second and third singles on his surprise 2024 album GNX.
The song was produced by Mustard (among others), and bears a striking similarity to the duo’s smash Drake diss track ‘Not Like Us.’
Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
Sabrina Carpenter lands at #12 with ‘Espresso,’ a 2024 single that managed to outrank any of the songs from her 2025 album Man’s Best Friend. And Morgan Wallen is at #13 with the title track of last year’s I’m the Problem.
Gracie Abrams holds the #14 spot with ‘That’s So True,’ her most successful song and the first to appear on this blog. Congratulations to her on both counts.
Continuing my look at the top songs of 2025…
Rounding out the top ten of the year-end Billboard Hot 100 is Chappell Roan with ‘Pink Pony Club.’ Roan is one of only two solo women in the top ten (the other is Billie Eilish).
In the 11th spot is Morgan Wallen with with one of four songs he landed in the year-end top 20. ‘Love Somebody’ was the second single from his fourth studio album, I’m the Problem. It was his third #1 hit and his first to debut atop the Hot 100.
I like to start each new year by featuring the most popular songs of the previous year that I never got around to covering — a final round of ‘What the Kids are Listening To.’ And though 2026 doesn’t get here until Thursday, I’m kicking things off today.
First, a recap of the eight most popular songs of 2025 (according to the Billboard Hot 100), all of which did receive the Song of the Day treatment:
The week of December 28, 1965, saw a pair of singles atop the Billboard Hot 100 that typify the musical excellence of the 60s: Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘The Sound of Silence‘ at #1 and The Beatles’ ‘We Can Work It Out‘ at #2.
In the third spot that week was a song just as enduring and excellent as those two — James Brown’s ‘I Got You (I Feel Good).’ This track, Brown’s signature song, was the funk master’s highest-charting single, peaking right here at #3.
Meet Me In Montauk 