The 10 best and 10 worst songs of 2020

Callie AhlgrimDec 30, 2020, 18:25 IST

Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and 6ix9ine all released popular songs in 2020.Lady Gaga/Tekashi 6ix9ine/YouTube

2020 was peppered with career highlights from beloved artists like Taylor Swift ("August," "Tolerate It"), Halsey ("3am"), and BTS ("Black Swan").
But other artists — including Justin Bieber ("Yummy," "Running Over"), 6ix9ine ("Gooba"), Katy Perry ("Smile"), and Tory Lanez ("Money Over Fallouts") — released some of the worst songs in recent memory.
Insider rounded up the 10 best and 10 worst of the year, with each batch listed in chronological order.

The musical merits of 2020 have been widely discussed, debated, and dissected - but the other end of the spectrum cannot be ignored.

Many beloved artists released career-topping songs this year, from stirring ballads to pop bangers. But music lovers were also subjected to singles that were boring, cringeworthy, or even downright offensive.

Keep reading for Insider's roundup of 2020's highs and lows in chronological order, starting with the very best.

Click here to see our full ranking of the year's 30 best songs.

"Black Swan" is BTS' greatest artistic triumph to date.

"Black Swan" was released as a single on January 17, 2020. Big Hit Labels/YouTube

Halsey's "3am" pulses with both brilliance and petulance.

"3am" is the eighth track on "Manic," released on January 17, 2020. Halsey/YouTube

"People, I've Been Sad" by Christine and the Queens is sparkly, sophisticated, and painfully relatable.

"People, I've Been Sad" was released on February 5, 2020. Because Music

"XS" by Rina Sawayama is a sarcastic stroke of genius.

"XS" was released as a single on March 2, 2020. Rina Sawayama/YouTube

"Heavy Balloon" is the centerpiece of Fiona Apple's extraordinary album.

"Heavy Balloon" is the ninth track on "Fetch the Bolt Cutters," released on April 17, 2020. Fiona Apple/YouTube

Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé are a perfect, inimitable pair on "Savage Remix."

"Savage Remix" was released on April 29, 2020. @theestallion/Instagram

"Rain on Me" by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande is a therapeutic banger.

"Rain on Me" was released on May 22, 2020. Lady Gaga/YouTube

"Save Myself" is a captivating piece of storytelling.

"Save Myself" was released on July 22, 2020. Ashe/YouTube

"August" by Taylor Swift is a perfect song.

"August" is the eighth track on "Folklore," released on July 24, 2020. Taylor Swift/YouTube

Swift's "Tolerate It" is a heartbreaking masterpiece.

"Tolerate It" is the fifth track on "Evermore," released on December 11, 2020. Taylor Swift/YouTube

Justin Bieber releasing "Yummy" was the first sign that 2020 would be an awful year.

"Yummy" was released as a single on January 3, 2020. Justin Bieber/YouTube

"Unaccommodating" by Eminem, featuring Young M.A., is lyrically appalling.

"Unaccommodating" is the second track on "Music to be Murdered By," released on January 17, 2020. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Bieber's "Running Over" is vandalized by Lil Dicky.

"Running Over" is the eighth track on "Changes," released on February 14, 2020. Def Jam

6ix9ine is a bad rapper and "Gooba" is a bad song.

"Gooba" was released on May 8, 2020. Tekashi 6ix9ine/YouTube

Tones And I strikes a condescending tone with "Ur So F**king Cool."

"Ur So F**king Cool" was released on May 29, 2020. Tones And I/YouTube

J. Cole missed the mark with "Snow On Tha Bluff."

"Snow On Tha Bluff" was released as a single on June 16, 2020. Paras Griffin/VMN18/Getty Images for BET

Katy Perry's "Smile" is unbearably corny.

"Smile" was released as a single on July 10, 2020. Katy Perry/YouTube

Tory Lanez's "Money Over Fallouts" is grossly exploitative and self-pitying.

"Money Over Fallouts" is the first track on "Daystar," released on September 25, 2020. Manny Carabel/Getty Images

"Lil Pimp Big MAGA Steppin" by Lil Pump would be funny if it wasn't so embarrassing.

"Lil Pimp Big MAGA Steppin" was released on November 16, 2020. Lil Pump/YouTube

"One Whole Day" by Dixie D'Amelio, featuring Wiz Khalifa, sounds like a parody of a real song.

"One Whole Day" was released on December 4, 2020. Dixie D'Amelio/YouTube

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