Well, here we are.
We are nearly at the end of a year many would like to forget.
From the passing of David Bowie, a ton of amazing musicians and entertainers left us in 2016 — most recently Sharon Jones and Leonard Cohen.
Then, there is president-elect Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Matthew McConnaughey Trudeau.
At least we had a great year in music … right?
Meh.
What the hell, man. After a stupendous 2014 and a difficult 2015 for finding global hits, 2016 was a far cry from 1986 or 1996.
We had a bunch of cheap trills.
From an epically underwhelming return from Green Day to a bunch of derivative Top 40 trash, it was impossible to put together the ARJ Hottest 100. Hell — a Fever 50 would have been difficult.
With a vacuum of truly great songs on the global hit parade, we hope the events of 2016 will bring back great song-writing and fine quality singles as some released just this week from, of all acts, A Tribe Called Quest. James Arthur and Adele also are represented.
But when Sia is the best of 2016 …. it is time to put on the classics and tune out the present with an eye on the future.
New Zealand’s Kings may be the next Drake.
Anderson.Paak has a hit that samples the Israeli national anthem.
Hip-Hop is back, folks, and THAT is what will have us moving side to side, not Ariana Grande-Attitude.
The following is a completely biased chart representing the 40 most-played songs on the iTunes, Spotify and radio stations streamed by Adam R Jacobson in 2016. It represents global hit music as heard on Adult Alternative and Top 40 stations from North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
THE ARJ FAT 40 FOR 2016
1 SIA f/SEAN PAUL -Cheap Trills
2 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE – Can’t Stop The Feeling
3 TWENTYONE PILOTS – Ride
4 ADELE – Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
5 DJ SNAKE f/JUSTIN BIEBER – Let Me Love You
6 REVIVALISTS – Wish I Knew You
7 DISTURBED – The Sounds of Silence
8 THE HEAD AND THE HEART – All We Ever Knew
9 MICHAEL KIWANUKA – One More Night
10 STRUMBELLAS – Spirits
11 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – Dark Necessities
12 BASTILLE – Good Grief
13 JOSEPH – White Flag
14 BORNS – 10,000 Emerald Pools
15 BECK – Wow
16 KUNGS & COOKIN’ ON 3 BURNERS – This Girl
17 DAVID GUETTA /CHRIS WILLIS/CEDRIC GERVAIS – Would I Lie to You
18 LP – Lost On You
19 R.E.M. – Radio Song (Acoustic)
20 JAMES VINCENT McMORROW – Get Low
21 WARPAINT – New Song
22 RAG N BONE MAN – Human
23 LIV – Wings of Love
24 A TRIBE CALLED QUEST – We The People
25 AVETT BROTHERS – Ain’t No Man
26 ANDREW McMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS – Fire Escape
27 YOUNG THE GIANT – Something To Believe In
28 DUA LIPA – Be The One
29 DECLAN McKENNA – Brazil
30 JAMES ARTHUR – Say You Won’t Let Go
31 KINGS – Don’t Worry About It
32 RAE SREMMURD f/GUCCI MANE – Black Beatles
33 ANDERSON.PAAK – Come Down
34 MONDO COZMO – Shine
35 THE XX – On Hold
36 ZARA LARSSON – Lush Life
37 CALUM SCOTT – Dancing On My Own
38 ALAN WALKER – Faded
39 JULY TALK – Push + Pull
40 CARLOS VIVES & SHAKIRA – La Bicicleta
