Every year, Billboard tracks the hits of the summer months to determine their annual “Song of Summer”.
In the past, they’ve kicked off the summer months by ranking all of the hits going back to the 50’s but, for 2016, they have decided to list the biggest hits of each summer from 1985 to last year.
It really is a trip back through recent times to see the records that became the ear worm of each season. Of note are the number of records that could be considered “novelty” or one-off oddities including Baby Got Back, Macarena and Party Rock Anthem.
Also interesting is that vast variety of artists on the list. Only two have repeated, Mariah Carey in 1990 and 2005 and Katy Perry in 2008 and 2010. Jay-Z is also on their twice but, in both cases, in the featured artist position (2003 for Benyonce and 2007 for Rihanna).
The Song of Summer for the last thirty years:
1985 – Shout – Tears for Fears
1986 – Papa Don’t Preach – Madonna
1987 – Alone – Heart
1988 – Roll With It – Steve Winwood
1989 – Right Here Waiting – Richard Marx
1990 – Vision of Love – Mariah Carey
1991 – (Everything I Do) I Do It For You – Bryan Adams
1992 – Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-a-Lot
1993 – Can’t Help Falling in Love With You – UB40
1994 – I Swear – All-4-One
1995 – Waterfalls – TLC
1996 – Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix) – Los Del Rio
1997 – I’ll Be Missing You – Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Featuring 112
1998 – The Boy is Mine – Brandy & Monica
1999 – Genie in a Bottle – Christina Aguilera
2000 – Bent – Matchbox Twenty
2001 – Let Me Blow Ya Mind – Eve Featuring Gwen Stefani
2002 – Hot in Here – Nelly
2003 – Crazy in Love – Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z
2004 – Confessions Part II – Usher
2005 – We Belong Together – Mariah Carey
2006 – Promiscuous – Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland
2007 – Umbrella – Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
2008 – I Kissed a Girl – Katy Perry
2009 – I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
2010 – California Gurls – Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg
2011 – Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO Featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
2012 – Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
2013 – Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke
2014 – Fancy – Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX
2015 – Cheerleader – OMI
As for this year, we’ll know in September.
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