Looking for the best (and probably the most popular) performances of the year? Check out our list below.
1. Rolling Thunder 24k Gold Leaf Lyrics
It doesn’t matter if you’re a pop fan or a rock fan; when it comes to music you’ll most probably be swept away by this song’s irresistible combination of vintage Broadway melodies and anthemic choruses.
As the year comes to its end, we reflect on the events that made it memorable. For music fans, it was a year full of big changes and some incredible performances. If you’re looking to find out more, continue reading the list.
2. Beautiful Life
It’s been a stellar year for Lady Gaga. She started the year by winning three Grammy Awards, including album of the year for her self-titled album. But it was her viral performances, including her ‘Million Reasons’ video, that really garnered attention.
The video started as an idea from Gaga’s creative director, Fernando Bozzi. He came up with the concept of having the artist appear in a crowd scene as they sing along with their lyrics. It wasn’t just a one-off either – Gaga has been featured in videos in this way ever since.
3. Black Rainbow
Speaking of viral videos, this year has seen the rise of ‘influencer’ videos. With creators such as Miranda Kerr and Selena Gomez gaining in popularity, people are starting to realise the potential of having famous faces in videos – especially when it comes to music. One of the best examples of this is Travis Scott’s popular ‘Astronaut’ video featuring a cameo from Buzz Aldrin. It’s already racked up over 125 million views, and that’s not counting the millions who’ve watched the behind-the-scenes video.
4. Shape Of You
This year has been a big one for Ed Sheeran. Not only did his album x hit the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Albums – it also won the album of the year prize at this year’s Grammys. Along with his commercially successful (and Grammy-winning) album, Sheeran released a series of singles that topped the charts in many parts of the world, including the UK. “Shape Of You”, in particular, was a #1 Billboard hit and has since been covered by artists such as Halsey and Bebe Rexha.
5. Uptown Funk
Of course, we can’t talk about Grammy-nominated albums and singles without talking about Bruno Mars. The songwriter and musician’s 24K Gold album was definitely one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The album featured legendary funk, hip-hop and R&B producer Nile Rodgers and was praised for its catchiness and Mars’ incredible vocal range. The album won the Grammy for album of the year and also nabbed the award for song of the year for “Uptown Funk”. Interestingly, though, Mars’ album wasn’t the only one to win this year. The legendary producer Rick Ross won the award for album of the year for his album, 1%
6. Royalty Free
Keely Dunn’s album Royalty Free received a lot of praise this year, especially after it was announced that she had won American Country Awards’ artist of the year and album of the year. On top of that, the album also picked up a number of platinum and gold albums from the American Association of Independent Music (2x Multi-Platinum, 4x Platinum and Gold). “Royalty Free” is an all-star collaboration with country music’s biggest names, including Luke Bryan, Charlie Daniels and others. If you like country music, this is one album you should check out.
7. The Wall
Another Grammy-winning album that’s making a name for itself this year is Post-Pandemic Life by Tove Lo. The album is the follow-up to her 2015 debut, Mmmh, and it continues to push boundaries. The track “The Wall”, in particular, was a collaboration with Swedish producer Max Martin, and it samples the classic ‘70s band ABBA. Lo says the inspiration for the song came from her own experiences during the pandemic. “I found myself stuck in my home with nothing to do, so I decided to make music. I had always wanted to work with Max Martin, and after the pandemic, the timing was perfect. We really smashed it,” she said.
8. Wonderful Crazy Night
It was actually a great year for female artists. Following the success of the Spice Girls and the iconic band New York, a wave of nostalgia hit the airwaves this year, inspiring many musicians to come together in order to remind people of their glory days. One of the best examples of this is “Wonderful Crazy Night”, the third single by pop group Dirty Dancing. The song was inspired by the 1988 film of the same name and is a celebration of female empowerment. The song’s music video, which was directed by Roman White, features former New York bandmates Jennifer Jason Leigh and Mark Goodman as well as some of the film’s iconic stars, including John Travolta and Fabienne Scoffield. The video also features cameos from various famous faces from the worlds of film and music, including Donny Osmond and Cyndi Lauper. “Wonderful Crazy Night” was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA, after it was listed on the Billboard Top 100 Singles for more than a year. It was also used as the soundtrack to the film’s 20th anniversary celebration in 2018.
9. Beautiful Trauma
Lorde’s album Pure Heroine was another big hit this year. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album as double platinum, and it’s been on the Billboard Top 200 Albums for an incredible 10 weeks now. “Beautiful Trauma” is the lead single from the album and continues Lorde’s obsession with social media. The track, which was produced by Benny Blanco, interpolates the melody from “Auld Lang Syne” and features American rapper Kanye West. This year also saw the release of Lorde’s sophomore album, Melodrama, which was produced by Jack White. It too was a #1 album in New Zealand and Denmark, among other places, and it spent 10 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 Albums this year. “Beautiful Trauma” is another international hit, and it’s been covered by artists such as Maroon 5 and Nellie McKay.
10. Love Will Fondly
If you’re a fan of the band Coldplay, you’ll most probably be excited to hear that the group has announced a massive return to form with their upcoming album, Everyday Life. In a recent interview with Billboard, Jonny Buckland said the band wanted to experiment with different sounds and create something fresh. The album, which was released on 6 October and available for pre-order now, won’t be a surprise to those who’ve been following their career over the last few years. Buckland said the idea for the album came to them while on the road – specifically while playing Paris. “It was the first time that we’d ever played the city, and we felt immediately inspired. We wanted to capture the essence of being in Paris, whether you’re there for a night or a week. We didn’t want to just recreate the experience, but we wanted to put a unique spin on it,” he said.
It’s been a memorable year for music – and for fans too. It started with the rebirth of the Spice Girls and the massive success of Taylor Swift, but it also saw the rise of new bands and artists. While this year was arguably dominated by pop music, there were also some incredible performances by artists such as Robert Pattinson and Taylor Swift. It will be interesting to see what 2019 has in store.