Best 2020s Songs: 30 Tracks That Define The Decade We Live In

30: Ed Sheeran: Bad Habits (2021)

With its pulsing beats and catchy 80s-inspired synth hooks, Ed Sheeran’s Bad Habits was one of the best songs of 2021, delivering an irresistible blend of dance-pop as Sheeran delved into the dark side of fame and his battles with sobriety. Peaking at No.1 in the UK and No.2 in the US, the song’s clubby vibes mask a relatable narrative that has proved intoxicating enough to rack up over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify to date. Proving Sheeran’s worth as a gifted musician and storyteller, Bad Habits is as addictive as it gets among the best 2020s songs.

29: Lewis Capaldi: Someone You Loved (2020)

Widely gaining recognition as Gen Z’s favourite balladeer, Scottish singer-songwriter and loveable prankster Lewis Capaldi scored one of the 2020s’ biggest chart success stories with his heartbroken piano ballad Someone You Loved. “There’s a lot of music out there that has a lot of production on it. There’s something to be said for just a song with just piano and vocals,” Capaldi told NME. Peaking at No.1 in the UK and the US, and racking up over three billion plays on Spotify to become the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, Someone You Loved earns its place among the best 2020s songs for its emotional resonance and universal appeal.

28: Paramore: This Is Why (2022)

After everyday life was put on hold in the early 2020s, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the wry social commentary Paramore songwriter Hayley Williams offered on This Is Why provided a much-needed tonic. “When I was writing the lyrics, I was like, this social experiment – the internet – has been going wrong since day one,” Williams told The Guardian. “It exposes and exploits the general population’s blatant disregard for nuance.” Depicting its creator as a hyper-anxious agoraphobe wary of social interaction, This Is Why ranks among the best 2020s songs for the snarky way Williams delivers her tongue-in-cheek observations, capturing how everyone felt wallowing in their stay-at-home bubbles, doomscrolling on their phone (“This is why I don’t leave the house/You say the coast is clear/But you won’t catch me out”).

27: David Kushner: Daylight (2023)

Revealing how some of the best 2020s songs owe their success to the viral power of TikTok, David Kushner’s gothic folk-pop ballad Daylight is a dark and poetic rumination on the light and shade of human nature. “I would say it’s the most meaningful and personal song I’ve made to date,” Kushner told the UK’s Official Charts Company. “It has a lot of biblical references, which I like to incorporate lyrically. It’s the most important thing to me, my faith.” Musically inspired by Hozier, Bon Iver and Lana Del Rey, the song peaked at No.2 in the UK and No.33 in the US, with Kushner drawing from Paul the Apostle’s teachings to offer a uniquely spiritual insight that is rarely explored so evocatively in pop music.

26: Gorillaz: Cracker Island (2022)

As the title track for Gorillaz’s Cracker Island, a concept album tackling the modern era of fake news and digital echo chambers, this synth-funk pop gem makes a mighty splash on our list of the best 2020s songs. “The song is based on the idea that there are different islands in the future where cults are created,” Gorillaz songwriter Damon Albarn said in an interview with StuBru. “There everyone hears exactly what they want to hear without noise from other points of view. No interruption.” Thundercat’s sinuous bass work is the perfect foil for Albarn’s fantastical lyrics, painting a picture of a world of blissful ignorance that capture the stark realities of 21st-century life.

25 : Adele: Easy On Me (2021)

A deeply introspective work of self-therapy designed to help Adele move on from her divorce, the piano-led ballad Easy On Me sees the London-born singer-songwriter directly address her son, Angelo, making a plea for understanding (“I had no time to choose what I chose to do/So go easy on me”). Released as the lead single from Adele’s fourth studio album, 30, the song was a flawless comeback for the pop titan, peaking at No.1 in both the UK and the US, and perfectly showcasing Adele’s soulful and voice. “It’s got this soaring chorus which, you know, everyone’s going to hear now,” the singer said an interview with Zoe Ball, for BBC Radio 2. “It just felt like a ‘me’ song. And after being away for so long, it felt like that was probably the biggest part of my songs that people were waiting for.”

24: Russ Millions and Tion Wayne: Body (Remix) (2021)

The first drill song to reach No.1 in the UK, and winning Song Of The Year at the 2021 MOBO Awards, Russ Millions and Tion Wayne’s Body was a watershed moment in the history of British hip-hop. Even more so, the music video accompanying its remix, featuring Arrdee, 3x3E1 & ZT, Bugzy Malone, Fivio Foreign, Darkoo and Buni, made the track a cultural phenomenon among the best 2020s songs, with sportively streetwise lyrics giving fans a bottle-sized shakedown (“English girl named Fiona/Big batty girl named Abiola/Body-ody shaped like Cola”). Speaking to Viper magazine, Russ Millions marvelled at how fans have connected with the song. “I get to see how people act to it live, it’s crazy, it’s overwhelming,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t even have to sing the chorus, they sing it for me. It’s immense.”

23: Olivia Rodrigo: Good 4 U (2021)

A blisteringly cathartic pop-punk gem, Olivia Rodrigo’s Good 4 U roared its way to the top of the US Hot 100 in a fit of teenage angst and razor-sharp sarcasm. Packed with firecracker guitars and Rodrigo’s cheeky, sardonic bite, the song pours vinegar on the sting of heartbreak to produce the ultimate scream-along anthem for anyone who’s ever felt wronged. Single-handedly rejuvenating the chart prospects of rock’n’roll, Good 4 U anchors itself in the nostalgia of early-2000s pop-punk artists such as Paramore and Avril Lavigne, but it does so with such a fresh, furious energy that it demands to be recognised as a Gen Z touchstone in its own right. Sizzling with vindication, Good 4 U earns its place on our list of the best 2020s songs for bringing a dose of rock-tinged rebellion back into the mainstream.

22: Masked Wolf: Astronaut In The Ocean (2021)

Inspiring myriad TikTok dance-offs, Masked Wolf’s viral hit, Astronaut In The Ocean, saw the Australian rapper wade into the treacherous waters of psychological distress. “Astronaut In The Ocean touches on mental depression, how I was stuck in a place of anxiety and feeling low,” Masked Wolf said in an interview with Tone Deaf. Perfectly chiming with a generation’s preoccupation with mindfulness apps and wellbeing retreats, Astronaut In The Ocean struck a deep chord with music fans, accruing over 1.1 billion Spotify streams to date and charting at No.6 on the US Hot 100 and No.12 in the UK. Injecting a dose of conscious rap into the algorithm, Astronaut In The Ocean earns a spot among the best 2020s songs for connecting with millions who can relate to its message of overcoming mental-health struggles.

21: Steve Lacy: Bad Habit (2022)

One of the most surprising songs to top the US Hot 100, Steve Lacy’s Bad Habit took the homespun breeziness of bedroom pop to unprecedented heights. This gauzy, heart-on-sleeve jam struck a chord with a TikTok-savvy generation, recalling the quirky idiosyncrasies of Prince and even rapper André 3000 as Lacy lyrically navigates love, self-doubt and second chances (“Can I bite your tongue like my bad habit?”). Blending indie slacker charm with soulful whimsy, Bad Habit’s combination of lo-fi guitar licks and dreamy falsettos is a true earworm, dripping with equal parts regret and wistfulness as it clambers into your ear canal like a psych-pop tsetse fly.

20: Teddy Swims: Lose Control (2023)

Straddling Motown grit, modern pop polish and the emotional intensity of R&B, Lose Control cuts straight to the heart. Following a slow-burning climb to success – it peaked at No.1 on the US Hot 100 after seven months on the charts – its lushly assembled mix of piano and Teddy Swims’ gravelly, vulnerable vocals cemented its place as one of the best 2020s songs. “Being in love can be like an addiction sometimes, always chasing the highs from the lows,” Swims said at the time of the song’s release. By comparing the topsy-turvy nature of love to being caught in the grip of addiction, Lose Control frames Swims’ heartbreak in the shaky throes of withdrawal, capturing an achingly messy fallout with soul-baring panache.

19: Tommy Richman: Million Dollar Baby (2024)

In a decade littered with frivolous TikTok curios, Tommy Richman’s Million Dollar Baby is a richly rewarding exception. With Richman’s falsetto swimming over the beat like Scrooge McDuck in a vault full of gold coins, the song blends the shiny ingots of Memphis hip-hop with the molten alloy of contemporary R&B to forge a totally new currency. Thanks to its funk-infused bassline and bright, spiky synths, Million Dollar Baby went on to peak at No.2 in the US and stuck in listeners’ minds throughout the summer of 2024. Full of crunchy dissonance, it’s a forward-thinking pop-rap anthem among the best 2020s songs, emerging from a sea of sameness like a perfectly distilled blast of liquid genius.

18: Cardi B: WAP (2020)

An empowering celebration of female agency, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP pushed boundaries and challenged societal norms in the summer of 2020. With its fierceness and charisma, the song peaked at No.1 in the UK and the US and got tongues wagging with a provocative statement about women owning their desires and confidently expressing their sexuality. While WAP has sparked debates and controversies, there’s no denying the impact its unapologetic defence of female pleasure has made among the best 2020s songs.

17: Chappell Roan: Good Luck, Babe! (2024)

Not just a pop triumph but an essential LGBTQ+ anthem among the best 2020s songs, Chappell Roan’s breakout hit, Good Luck, Babe!, is a sass-filled call for self-acceptance in a heteronormative world. Peaking at No.4 in the US and No.2 in the UK, the song’s dreamy, 80s-style synths underpin this highly original breakup ballad as Roan explores the pain of being in love with someone too afraid to embrace their own sexuality. Sashaying with sensuous theatricality, Good Luck, Babe! unfolds like a queer love tragedy that pits romantic longing against the forces of repression. With a brilliantly catchy chorus, it’s sharp and unflinching, particularly when Roan scorns the very notion of self-denial with a defiant flourish (“You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling”).

16: SZA: Kill Bill (2023)

Taking lyrical inspiration from Quentin Tarantino’s kung-fu revenge saga of the same name, Kill Bill sees SZA assume the persona of a spurned lover who dreams of visiting violence upon her ex-boyfriend (“I might kill my ex, not the best idea/His new girlfriend’s next, how’d I get here?”). “Her lyric and melody was written from top to bottom in no more than an hour, right there on the spot,” the song’s co-producer Rob Bisel told Variety magazine. “It just kind of fell out of the sky.” With its beguiling boom-bap-inspired beat and eerie flute sounds helping it stand out among the best 2020s songs, Kill Bill peaked at No.1 in the US and spent more than 50 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

15: Michael Marcagi: Scared To Start (2024)

Emerging as a new voice in contemporary folk-pop, Ohio-born Michael Marcagi launched his dream-chasing ambitions with the acoustic ballad Scared To Start. The song’s viral success on TikTok quickly propelled it to No.9 in the UK, largely thanks to lyrics that summon the courage needed to embrace change. “Scared To Start is a song for the adventurers, the travellers and the people who look forward without dwelling on the uncertainties of life,” Marcagi later said. “It’s about taking the risks and putting yourself out of your comfort zone, regardless of what the rest of the world has to say.” Resonating with Gen Z’s ethos of self-discovery and the broader cultural shifts sparked by The Great Resignation, Scared To Start ranks among the best 2020s songs to inspire listeners to break out of their shells and strive for a brighter tomorrow.

14: Billie Eilish: Happier Than Ever (2021)

Showcasing Billie Eilish’s artistic growth and emotional depth, Happier Than Ever saw the homespun maverick serve up a dark and introspective masterpiece that builds into a pop-punk tsunami of emotional catharsis. Released in July 2021 and peaking at No.4 in the UK and No.11 in the US, it’s a hauntingly beautiful song that explores themes of heartbreak and vulnerability. With Eilish gliding effortlessly from Billie Holiday-esque vocal inflections to a gutsy emo-indebted scream that Paramore’s Hayley Williams would be proud of, Happier Than Ever left us in little doubt over her status as one of the most captivating and thought-provoking artists of her generation.

13: Joji: Glimpse Of Us (2022)

Thanks to Joji’s soulful and heartfelt delivery, the masterful piano ballad Glimpse Of Us takes listeners on an intimate and introspective journey they’ll never forget. Peaking at No.8 on the US Hot 100, Joji’s poignant narrative weaves a tale of love, loss and longing, while the song’s stripped-down production aches with vulnerability and authenticity. Easily one of the best 2020s songs, it leaves Joji holding his head high as a unique and compelling voice in the music business.

12: Miley Cyrus: Flowers (2023)

Breaking the record for the most-streamed song in a single week on Spotify and peaking at No.1 in the UK and the US, Flowers, by Miley Cyrus, is a fiery pop-rock ballad that finds the rebellious icon reclaiming her independence following her break-up with actor Liam Hemsworth. In penning autobiographical lyrics that reference the Californian wildfire that destroyed her home, Cyrus emerges from her personal ordeals stronger than ever, brandishing one of the best breakup songs of the modern era and sharing words of optimism and empowerment to turn the page on a new chapter of her life (“No remorse, no regret/I forgive every word you said”). Inspiring and euphoric, Flowers will be remembered as a triumphant ode to inner strength and the promise of renewal.

11: Mac Miller: Good News (2020)

Released two years after Mac Miller’s tragic death, aged 26, Good News has the power to reduce you to tears. Feeling more like an intimate diary entry than a song, Miller’s lyrics are steeped in understated optimism (“Well it ain’t that bad/It could always be worse”), offering a glimpse into his struggles with fame in a way that balances weary resignation with almost prophetic wisdom. Not the straightforward rap song you might expect, this standout from the posthumous Circles album finds Miller singing softly over dreamy ethereal beats, wrestling with questions of existential purpose and pondering his mental health. Propelled by a plucky guitar groove and a serene yet bittersweet air of melancholy, Good News gave fans a profoundly moving farewell to the late rapper, and it makes for a devastatingly poignant entry in our list of the best 2020s songs.

10: Glass Animals: Heat Waves (2020)

An indie sleeper hit that racked up more than 3.2 billion streams – an astonishing achievement for alt-pop outliers such as Glass Animals – Heat Waves took all the pent-up melancholy of pandemic life and turned it into something trendier than a bottle of Prime. Dripping with tasty, trap-inspired production and woozy yet flavourful chords, Heat Wave feels like the sonic equivalent of a tropical mirage, its bass-heavy beats providing ballast for shimmering melodies. Speaking to a world grappling with separation and nostalgia, Heat Waves took on a viral momentum all its own, eventually peaking at No.1 on the US Hot 100 while capturing the lo-fi malaise of a generation shaped by social distancing.

9: Lizzo: About Damn Time (2022)

With its upbeat and infectious melody, About Damn Time wowed listeners upon its release. One of the best songs of 2022, its undeniable sense of joy and confidence encouraged fans to embrace their true selves and celebrate their individuality, Lizzo’s powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics delivering a message of self-acceptance and body positivity that scored her a US No.1 hit. Flying in the face of doom-scrollers with a blast of optimism and self-empowerment, Lizzo is nothing short of exceptional.

8: Sam Fender: Seventeen Going Under (2021)

Capturing his troubled journey into adulthood, Sam Fender’s coming-of-age indie rock-anthem Seventeen Going Under ranks highly among the best 2020s songs for poignantly navigating the maze of growing up. “17 is when all the challenges begin,” Fender wrote on Tumblr, in “A Letter To My 17 Year old Self”. “You’re not a baby, but you’re definitely not an adult (turns out that bit takes a lot longer than you think).” With all the blue-collar relatability of Bruce Springsteen at his best, the Newcastle-born singer-songwriter dredges up memories of his teenage years in North Shields, vividly conveying the anger and despair he felt as the child of an unemployed parent (“I see my mother/The DWP see a number/She cries on the floor encumbered”). Peaking at No.3 in the UK, Seventeen Going Under is one of the decade’s most impactful and emotionally charged rock songs, transforming the social deprivation of Fender’s upbringing into universally affecting songwriting.

7: Kendrick Lamar: Not Like Us (2024)

With a beat that bounces like a lowrider down Rosecrans Avenue and a hook that feels tailor-made for West Coast block parties, Not Like Us emerged from Kendrick Lamar’s heated feud with Drake to become a US No.1. Both a cultural lightning rod and an unstoppable party banger, it has already gone down in rap history as one of the boldest diss tracks in living memory, largely for putting a full stop on the beef with celebratory relish. Beneath its breezy groove, however, lies razor-sharp teeth, as Lamar unleashes a flurry of lyrical haymakers and character-assassinating jabs in cheekily defiant fashion. “Not Like Us is the energy of who I am, the type of man I represent,” Lamar said. “Now, if you identify with the man that I represent… this man has morals, he has values, he believes in something, he stands on something. He’s not pandering.” A seismic release, Not Like Us instantly carved out a place in pop culture, and it stands as one the best 2020s songs for its sheer bloody-mindedness alone.

6: Benson Boone: Beautiful Things (2024)

Taking you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, Benson Boone’s pop-rock blaster Beautiful Things began life as a TikTok darling before soaring its way to the top of the US Hot 100 in 2024. Meeting his fear of loss with gut-punching resolve, Boone uses his velvet-like voice to lull listeners into a false sense of security before digging deep into his boots for a gutsy falsetto as he implores his lover to stay. A piercing mix of cathartic gospel and soul-scouring vulnerability, Beautiful Things sticks its claws in and never lets go.

5: Dua Lipa: Levitating (2020)

Blending heart-thumping 70s disco grooves and dance-pop vibes, Levitating, by Dua Lipa, is a starry-eyed celebration of finding love on the dancefloor that ranks among the very best 2020s songs. “It’s the feeling when love makes you feel like you’re levitating,” was how Lipa described it to Apple Music. “It’s otherworldly.” The gravitational pull of the song’s interstellar bass work sucks you in like a nu-disco tractor beam, with lyrics that float along with quasi-celestial eloquence (“Glitter in the sky/Glitter in my eyes”). Setting a new record as the longest-running Top 10 song by a female artist in Billboard history, this Future Nostalgia highlight remained in play for an incredible 77 weeks before finishing at No.1 on the 2021 year-end Hot 100 Songs chart. Widely regarded as one of the best Dua Lipa songs, it marked the moment the singer became a truly global pop superstar.

4: Harry Styles: As It Was (2022)

Drawing inspiration from 80s art-rock legends such as a-ha and Peter Gabriel, Harry Styles masterfully carved his own distinct path on As It Was. The song’s earworm melody and sun-kissed indie-pop hooks make it one of the most unforgettable and uplifting entries among the best 2020s songs, though beneath the surface it harbours poignant lyrics that reflect on nostalgia and loneliness. Soaring to the top spot on both the UK and US charts, As It Was became a monumental crossover sensation that remains hard to beat.

3: PinkPantheress (Featuring Ice Spice): Boy’s A Liar, Pt.2 (2023)

In February 2023, the dynamic duo of UK songwriter PinkPantheress and US rapper Ice Spice gave dance-pop a shot of adrenaline. Climbing its way to No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100, Boy’s A Liar, Pt.2 marked a significant milestone: one of the best songs of 2023, it became PinkPantheress’ first single to make waves in the US, seamlessly fusing her hyperpop style with Ice Spice’s drill-indebted bars, which in turn are perfectly complemented by Mura Masa’s energetic Jersey-club groove. Easily one of the most unexpected and yet game-changing entries among the best 2020s songs, Boy’s A Liar, Pt. 2 is likely to influence the next generation of pop mavericks.

2: The Weeknd: Blinding Lights (2020)

A nostalgic synth-pop masterpiece that cruises through an 80s-inspired soundscape, Blinding Lights, which appeared on The Weeknd’s 2020 album, After Hours, is neon-saturated futurism by way of Knight Rider and TRON. Immersing listeners in a tale of late-night adventures and reckless love, the song took its cues from a-ha’s Take On Me to create a 21st-century dancefloor anthem that evokes escapism and euphoria in equal measure. An instant classic which went to No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic, Blinding Lights is dazzling to behold.

1: Silk Sonic: Leave The Door Open (2021)

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak teamed up as Silk Sonic for Leave the Door Open, a sensuous and soulful R&B ballad that pays homage to 70s soul music while injecting a modern flair. Oozing with charm and charisma, Silk Sonic’s smooth and velvety vocals, lush instrumentation, groovy basslines, soulful guitar riffs and nostalgic organ chords helped the song peak at No.1 on the US Hot 100, making listeners swoon thanks to its seductive and flirtatious narrative. As they invite their love interest to open the door and let sparks fly, Mars and .Paak’s immense talent and chemistry makes it incredibly hard to say no – and that’s why it tops our list of the best 2020s songs.

Check out the best 2020s albums.

Original article: 31 October 2023

Updated: 14 January 2024. 20 January 2025