ASCAP: Songs of the Year (1914-2024)

ASCAP: Songs of the Year, 1914-2024

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) formed in 1914. They are a membership association of more than 930,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. In honor of their 100th birthday, they created a list of their top 100 songs as well as a list of the songs of the year from 1914 to 2013. This page includes all of the songs on that list as well as awards for Pop Song of the Year. I can’t find an official list of the latter, but have compiled those songs to receive the award from 2005 to 2023. FYI – ASCAP identifies the songs by the songwriters, not the performers, but I have identified the performer associated with the highest-ranked version of the song even if that version doesn’t correspond with the referenced year. Click here to see other lists from publications and/or organizations. ASCAP Award for Pop Song of the Year: 2024: Rema & Selena Gomez “Calm Down” 2023: The Kid Laroi with Justin Bieber “Stay” 2022: Dua Lipa with DaBaby “Levitating” 2021: Post Malone “Circles” 2020: Jonas Brothers “Sucker” 2019: Zedd “The Middle” 2018: Ed Sheeran “Shape of You” 2017: Justin Bieber “Love Yourself” 2016: Walk the Moon “Shut Up and Dance” 2015: John Legend “All of Me” 2014: Robin Thicke with T.I. & Pharrell Williams “Blurred Lines” 2013: Fun with Janelle Monáe “We Are Young” 2012: Adele “Someone Like You” 2011: Train “Hey, Soul Sister” 2010: Coldplay “Viva La Vida” 2009: Alicia Keys “No One” 2008: Fergie “Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal)” 2007: Ne-Yo “So Sick” 2006: Mariah Carey “We Belong Together” 2005: OutKast “Hey Ya!” ASCAP Song of the Year (2014 List): 2013: Bruno Mars “Locked Out of Heaven” 2012: Rihanna with Calvin Harris “We Found Love” 2011: LMFAO with Lauren Bennett & GoonRock “Party Rock Anthem” 2010: Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” 2009: The Fray “You Found Me” 2008: Leona Lewis “Bleeding Love” 2007: Fergie “Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal)” 2006: Sean Paul “Temperature” 2005: Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” 2004: Hoobastank “The Reason” 2003: Uncle Kracker with Dobie Gray “Drift Away” 2002: Puddle of Mudd “Blurry” 2001: Train “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)” 2000: Brian McKnight “Back at One” 1999: Sixpence None the Richer “Kiss Me” 1998: Backstreet Boys “As Long As You Love Me” 1997: The Wallflowers “One Headlight” 1996: Celine Dion “Because You Loved Me” 1995: Martin Page “In the House of Stone and Light” 1994: All-4-One / John Michael Montgomery “I Swear” 1993: UB40 “Can’t Help Falling in Love” 1992: Genesis “Hold on My Heart” 1991: Amy Grant “Baby Baby” 1990: Alannah Myles “Black Velvet” 1989: Bette Midler “Wind Beneath My Wings” 1988: George Michael “Father Figure” 1987: U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” 1986: Berlin “Take My Breath Away” 1985: John Cougar Mellencamp “Small Town” 1984: George Michael “Careless Whisper” 1983: Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This” 1982: John Cougar Mellencamp “Jack and Diane” 1981: Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” 1980: REO Speedwagon “Keep on Loving You” 1979: The Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes” 1978: Billy Joel “My Life” 1977: Eagles “Hotel California” 1976: The Four Seasons “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)” 1975: Peter Frampton “Baby I Love Your Way” 1974: Lynyrd Skynyrd “Sweet Home Alabama” 1973: Brooks & Dunn “My Maria” 1972: Eagles “Take It Easy” 1971: Rod Stewart “Maggie May” 1970: The Jackson 5 “I’ll Be There” 1969: The Beatles “Come Together” 1968: Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World” 1967: Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” 1966: The Mamas & the Papas “California Dreamin’” 1965: The Beatles “Yesterday” 1964: The Temptations “My Girl” 1963: The Beatles “She Loves You” 1962: The Contours “Do You Love Me?” 1961: Elvis Presley “Can’t Help Falling in Love” 1960: Elvis Presley “It’s Now or Never” 1959: Percy Faith “Theme from A Summer Place” 1958: The Skyliners “Since I Don’t Have You” 1957: Buddy Holly & the Crickets “That’ll Be the Day” 1956: Johnny Mathis “Wonderful Wonderful” 1955: Doris Day “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)” 1954: The Chordettes “Mr. Sandman” 1953: Bill Haley & the Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” 1952: Nat “King” Cole “When I Fall in Love” 1951: Natalie Cole with Nat “King” Cole “Unforgettable” 1950: Nat “King” Cole “Mona Lisa” 1949: Gene Autry & Pinafores “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” 1948: Lenny Welch “Since I Fell for You” 1947: Francis Craig Orchestra with Bob Lamm “Near You” 1946: Nat “King” Cole “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” 1945: Bobby Darin “Beyond the Sea” 1944: Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter’s Orchestra & Williams Brothers Quartet “Swinging on a Star” 1943: Dick Haymes & the Song Spinners “You’ll Never Know” 1942: Glenn Miller Orchestra with Tex Beneke & Marion Hutton “I’ve Got a Gal in Kalamazoo” 1941: Glenn Miller with Tex Beneke & the Four Modernaires “Chattanooga Choo Choo” 1940: Glenn Miller “In the Mood” 1939: Glenn Miller “Moonlight Serenade” 1938: Judy Garland “Over the Rainbow” 1937: Shep Fields & Bob Goday “Thanks for the Memory” 1936: Benny Goodman Orchestra “Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)” 1935: Patty S. Hill & Mildred J. Hill (songwriters) “Happy Birthday to You” 1934: The Flamingos “I Only Have Eyes for You” 1933: Duke Ellington “Sophisticated Lady” 1932: Fred Astaire with Leo Reisman’s Orchestra “Night and Day” 1931: Dooley Wilson “As Time Goes By” 1930: Wayne King with Ernie Birchill “Dream a Little Dream of Me” 1929: Eddie Cantor “Makin’ Whoopee” 1928: Bobby Darin “Mack the Knife” 1927: Artie Shaw “Stardust” 1926: Gene Austin “Bye Bye Blackbird” 1925: Ben Bernie Orchestra “Sweet Georgia Brown” 1924: Paul Whiteman with George Gershwin “Rhapsody in Blue” 1923: Isham Jones “Swingin’ Down the Lane” 1922: Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra “Three O’Clock in the Morning” 1921: Nora Bayes “Make Believe” 1920: Paul Whiteman Orchestra “Whispering” 1919: Marion Harris “After You’ve Gone” 1918: Charles Harrison “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” 1917: American Quartet “Over There” 1916: Billy Murray “Pretty Baby” 1915: Olive Kline (as Alice Green) with Edward Hamilton “Hello Frisco!” 1914: Heidelberg Quintet “By the Beautiful Sea” Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lists from other publications and/or organizations” ASCAP.com ASCAP.com (2/13/2014). “ASCAP Celebrates 100th Birthday with Top Songs Lists” First posted 5/18/2023; last updated 5/8/2024.

Ed Sheeran: Top 50 Songs

Ed Sheeran Top 50 Songs

Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran was born on 2/17/1991 in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. He released his debut album, Plus (+) in 2011. His songs “Thinking Out Loud,” “Shape of You,” and “Perfect” are featured in the Dave’s Music Database book The Top 100 Songs of the Digital Era, 2000-2019. His albums Multiply (X) and Divide (÷) will both be featured in the upcoming Dave’s Music Database book The Top 100 Albums of the 21st Century. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 1%: 1. Shape of You (2017) 2. Thinking Out Loud (2014) 3. Perfect (with Beyoncé, 2017) 4. Love Yourself (written by Sheeran, performed by Justin Bieber) DMDB Top 2%: 5. I Don’t Care (with Justin Bieber, 2019) 6. Bad Habits (2021) DMDB Top 5%: 7. Photograph (2014) 8. The A Team (2011) 9. Castle on the Hill (2017) 10. Shivers (2021) DMDB Top 10%: 11. Don’t (2014) 12. Sing (2014) 13. Beautiful People (with Khalid, 2019) 14. River (with Eminem, 2017) 15. Lego House (2011) 16. Bam Bam (with Camila Cabello, 2022) 17. I See Fire (2013) 18. Everything Has Changed (with Taylor Swift, 2012) 19. Galway Girl (2017) DMDB Top 20%: 20. Happier (2017) 21. Afterglow (2020) 22. Merry Christmas (with Elton John, 2021) 23. End Game (with Taylor Swift & Future, 2017) 24. South of the Border (with Camila Cabello & Cardi B, 2019) 25. Give Me Love (2011) 26. Dive (2017) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 27. Cross Me (with Chance the Rapper & PnB Rock, 2019) 28. One (2014) 29. Supermarket Flowers (2017) 30. Lay It All on Me (with Rudimental, 2015) 31. Those Kinda Nights (with Eminem, 2020) 32. Peru (with Fireboy DML, 2022) 33. How Would You Feel (Paean) (2017) 34. New Man (2017) 35. What Do I Know? (2017) 36. Barcelona (2017) 37. Eraser (2017) 38. Hearts Don’t Break Around Here (2017) 39. Blow (with Chris Stapleton, 2019) 40. Make It Rain (2014) 41. Take Me Back to London (with Stormzy, 2019) 42. Eyes Closed (2023) 43. Own It (with Stormzy & Burna Boy, 2019) 44. Remember the Name (with Eminem & 50 Cent, 2019) 45. Afire Love (2014) 46. The Joker and the Queen (with Taylor Swift, 2021) 47. Candle in the Wind (2014) 48. Bloodstream (with Rudimental, 2014) 49. Antisocial (with Travis Scott, 2019) 50. Overpass Graffiti (2021) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Ed Sheeran Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 5/7/2023.

The Top 50 Songs of 2015

Dave’s Music Database: Top 50 Songs of 2015

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%: Adele “Hello” Wiz Khalifa with Charlie Puth “See You Again” The Weeknd “Can’t Feel My Face” Justin Bieber “Love Yourself” Justin Bieber “Sorry” The Weeknd “The Hills” Drake “Hotline Bling” Justin Bieber “What Do You Mean?” Lukas Graham “7 Years” Twenty One Pilots “Stressed Out” Silentó “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” DMDB Top 2%: Major Lazer with DJ Snake & MØ “Lean On” Ellie Goulding “Love Me Like You Do” Shawn Mendes “Stitches” Desiigner “Panda” Thomas Rhett “Die a Happy Man” Twenty One Pilots “Ride” DMDB Top 5%: Mike Posner “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” Disturbed “The Sound of Silence” X Ambassadors “Renegades” Jason Derulo “Want to Want Me” Little Big Town “Girl Crush” Rihanna with Kanye West & Paul McCartney “Four Five Seconds” Alan Walker “Faded” Coldplay with Beyoncé “Hymn for the Weekend” Chris Stapleton “Tennessee Whiskey” Rachel Platten “Fight Song” DNCE “Cake by the Ocean” Alessia Cara “Scars to Your Beautiful” Flo Rida “My House” Alessia Cara “Here” David Bowie “Lazarus” Adele “Send My Love to Your New Lover” The Chainsmokers with Rozes “Roses” Skrillex with Diplo & Justin Bieber “Where Are Ü Now” Kendrick Lamar “Alright” Coldplay “Adventure of a Lifetime” Calvin Harris & Disciples “How Deep Is Your Love” Beck “Dreams” G-Eazy with Bebe Rexha “Me, Myself & I” Charlie Puth & Meghan Trainor “Marvin Gaye” Selena Gomez with A$AP Rocky “Good for You” Mumford & Sons “Believe” David Bowie “Blackstar” Adele “When We Were Young” Andy Grammar “Honey I’m Good” Meghan Trainor & John Legend “Like I’m Gonna Lose You” Post Malone “White Iverson” Kendrick Lamar “King Kunta” Sam Hunt “Take Your Time” 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.

“Love Yourself” debuted at #4, giving Justin Bieber three songs in top 5

Love Yourself Justin Bieber

Writer(s): Ed Sheeran, Benny Blanco, Justin Bieber (see lyrics here) Released: November 9, 2015 First Charted: November 20, 2015 Peak: 12 US, 111 BA, 13 DG, 14 RR, 18 AC, 15 A40, 16 UK, 12 CN, 17 AU, 25 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 9.0 US, 2.06 UK, 12.04 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 2207.1 video, 2114.93 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: “Love Yourself” was the third single from Justin Bieber’s fourth album, Purpose. All three songs went to #1 in the U.S. and UK. The song debuted at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 while Bieber’s previous singles “What Do You Mean?” and “Sorry” were still in the top 5. Prior to Bieber, only The Beatles and 50 Cent had accomplished that feat. WK “Love Yourself” knocked “Sorry” out of the number one slot, making him the twelfth artist to succeed himself on the Hot 100. WK It did so in the UK as well, making him only the third act – after the Beatles and Elvis Presley – to do so. SF It ended up as Billboard’s number one song of the year and was nominated for Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. It won the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Song. The cut was “a kiss-off to a narcisstic ex-lover who did the protagonist wrong.” WK Bieber said it was “definitely about someone in my past,” WK singing “‘Cause if you like the way you look that much, oh baby you should go and love yourself.” WK Bieiber also said that it was “cool because so many people can resonate with that because how many women do we bring back that mom doesn’t really necessarily like?” WK It was written by Bieber with Ed Sheeran and Benny Blanco. Blanco produced the track, offering the instrumentation and programming. WK The acoustic pop song featured “just vocals, an electric guitar, and a brief flurry of trumpets.” WK Sheeran, who has said he originally had Rihanna in mind for the track WK and that he considered it for his own album, SF provided background vocals. WK Of working with Sheeran, Bieber said, “I think he’s one of the most talented writers in the game right now” WK “so just to be able to work with that caliber of songwriter was really, really awesome.” WK Consequence of Sound’s Michelles Geslani said it “sounds exactly like what you’d expect from a meeting of these two minds.” WK Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt called it “the world’s first campfire-folk diss track” WK and Digital Spy’s Amy Davidson called it a “deliciously evil poison-pen ballad.” Spin’s Andrew Unterberger called the song “an earth-salting, cruelly chuckling kiss-off track [which] features an unprecedented-for Bieber caliber of lyrical detail.” WK Resources: SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: Last updated 7/22/2023.