Top 50 Songs of 2018

Dave’s Music Database: Top 50 Songs of 2018

These are the top 50 songs of the year based on their overall performance in Dave’s Music Database, which is determined by combining chart data, sales figures, streaming, video views, and aggregates from year-end lists. Check out “Top Songs and Albums of the Year” lists here. DMDB Top 1%: Lil Nas X with Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road” (2018) Drake “God’s Plan” Lady Gaga with Bradley Cooper “Shallow” Drake “In My Feelings” Ariana Grande “Thank U, Next” Lewis Capaldi “Someone You Loved” Post Malone with Swae Lee “Sunflower” DMDB Top 2%: Drake “Nice for What” Zedd with Maren Morris & Grey “The Middle” Cardi B with Bad Bunny & J. Balvin “I Like It” Panic! At the Disco “High Hopes” Halsey “Without Me” Childish Gambino “This Is America” Travis Scott with Drake “Sicko Mode” 5 Seconds of Summer “Youngblood” Marshmello with Bastille “Happier” Post Malone with Ty Dolla $ign “Psycho” Juice Wrld “Lucid Dreams” DMDB Top 5%: XXXtentacion “Sad!” Benny Blanco with Halsey & Khalid “Eastside” Dan + Shay “Tequila” Calvin Harris with Dua Lipa “One Kiss” Post Malone “Better Now” Post Malone “Wow.” Ariana Grande “No Tears Left to Cry” Marshmello with Anne-Marie “Friends” Ella Mai “Boo’d Up” Imagine Dragons “Natural” Dean Lewis “Be Alright” Lil Baby with Gunna “Drip Too Hard” Ava Max “Sweet But Psycho” Kendrick Lamar with SZA “All the Stars” Shawn Mendes “In My Blood” Dan + Shay “Speechless” Trevor Daniel “Falling” Khalid “Better” Lil Baby with Drake “Yes Indeed” Khalid & Normani “Love Lies” DMDB Top 10%: Kodak Black with Travis Scott & Offset “Zeze” Morgan Wallen “Whiskey Glasses” XXXtentacion “Moonlight” Drake “Nonstop” Lauv “I Like Me Better” Mumford & Sons “Guiding Light” Tyga with Offset “Taste” Janelle Monáe “Make Me Feel” Shaed “Trampoline” DJ Snake with Selena Gomez & Cardi B “Taki Taki” The Weeknd “Call Out My Name” 21 Savage with J. Cole “A Lot” Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: Top Songs and Albums by Year lists Dave’s Music Database: Songs of the Year lists First posted 12/26/2021; last updated 1/17/2023.

Cardi B “I Like It” hit #1

I Like It Cardi B with Bad Bunny & J. Balvin

Writer(s): Belcalis Almanzar, Benito Ocasio, José Osorio, Tony Pabón, Marcos Masis, Jesus Nieves, Manny Rodriguez, Jorden Thorpe, Anthony White, Vincent Watson, Edgar Machuca, Xavier Vargas, Edgar Vargas, Benny Bonnilla (see lyrics here) Released: May 25, 2018 First Charted: April 21, 2018 Peak: 11 BB, 12 BA, 11 DG, 34 A40, 11 RB, 8 UK, 2 CN, 14 AU (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 1.2 UK, 14.46 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 1768.01 video, 1598.42 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “I Like It” was the fourth single from American rapper and singer Cardi B’s 2018 Invasion of Privacy album. It was her second trip to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 – her first time was with her debut single “Bodak Yellow.” It made her the first female rapper with two chart-topping hits. SF “I Like It” also featured Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny and Colombian singer J. Balvin performing in Spanish and English. It was the first #1 for either of them. The song has been described as “a blend of trap and salsa.” WK It is considered the first Latin trap song to top the Hot 100. WK Billboard called it “the ultimate Latin crossover track.” BB Stereogum staff said the song “continued to firm up a lane for Spanish language in the American pop mainstream.” WK The song was built on samples from the 1967 hit “I Like It Like That” by Pete Rodriguez, nicknamed “The King of Boogaloo.” It gained attention again in 1994 when the Blackout All Stars covered the song for the movie I Like It Like That and it reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was revived again in 2011 by Tito Nieves. Cardi B’s song actually sampled from “I Like It Like That” and a song from Tito Nieves called “Yeah, I Like It!” BB Rodriguez didn’t even know his song had been sampled until his grandkids told him. SF Rolling Stone’s Brittany Spanos said it “sounds like it was chemically concocted in a mad scientist’s lab to be 2018’s reigning song of the summer.” WK In ranking it as one of the best songs of the decade, Rolling Stone staff called it “a multicultural, worldwide block party.” WK The song was the first from a female rapper to surpass a billion streams on Spotify. WK It was nominated for a Grammy for Record of the Year. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Cardi B BB Billboard.com (6/1/2018). “From Pete Rodriguez to Tito Nieves to Cardi B, the Definitive History of ‘I Like It’” by Leila Cobo SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia First posted 3/31/2024; last updated 4/14/2024.