Trump , Brexit , Aleppo , the deaths of Bowie , Prince and Cohen. The rise of the alt right. 2016 has been a turbulent and trying year. And while we lost many legends , and saw a world divided by fear , xenophobia and false news. I t was music that provided the soothing balm for all the many global ills. And there were many. But in times of turmoil , where backward ideologies rise , artistic endeavours flourish.
Beyonce stormed back with her magnum opus Lemonade. Bowie tooka breathtaking final bow on Blackstar. And we were treated to a wave of new stars like Christine And The Queens , Anderson Paak , Chance The Rapper , Zara Larssson and Shura.
Rihanna , Lady Gaga, Frank Ocean and Drake stormed back with titular albums that proved why they are on top of their game.
And now we count down , reflect and present to you the 101 Greatest Tracks of 2016. This is the fifth consecutive year , The Playlist has presented its end of year list. In the past Frank Ocean , Daft Punk , Sia and The Weeknd have all landed atop the year end summit.
101. WASTE A MOMENT Kings Of Leon
100. DONT LET ME DOWN The Chainsmokers
99. JUST LIKE FIRE Pink
98. METEORITE Years And Years
97. NO PROBLEMS Chance The Rapper
96. SAY YOU DO Sigala
95. GETAWAY Blossoms
94. PERFECT ILLUSION Lady Gaga
93. COME DOWN Anderson Paak
92. CANT STOP THE FEELING Justin Timberlake
91. CAKE BY THE OCEAN DNCE
90. THIS IS NOT ABOUT US Banks
89. WARM Becky Hill
88. SHOUT OUT TO MY EX Little Mix
87. AFTER THE AFTERPARTY Charli XCX
86. TOO GOOD Drake feat. Rihanna
85. LIGHT IT UP Major Lazer
84. LOVE ME The 1975
83. IN CONTROL AlunaGeorge
82. TESCOLAND Jamie T
81. CONTROLLA Drake
80. WHO AM I Katy B feat Craig David & Major Lazer
79. I WOULD Zara Larsson
78. GIRLS LIKE Tinie Tempah feat Zara Larsson
77. BOY PROBLEMS Carly Rae Jepsen
76. PHENOMENAL WOMAN Laura Mvula
75. GOLD Kiiara
74. THIS GIRLS Kungs vs Cookin On 3 Burners
73. 24K MAGIC Bruno Mars
72. OPHELIA The Lumineers
71. WOULD I LIE TO YOU John Gibbons
70. SEND MY LOVE Adele
69. STRESSED OUT Twenty One Pilots
68. DANGEROUS WOMAN Ariana Grande
67. SCARS TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL Alessia Cara
66. FAMOUS Kanye West
65. THE GREATEST Sia
64. ALL NIGHT Beyonce
63. BURN THE WITCH Radiohead
62. THIS IS WHAT YOU CAME FOR Calvin Harris feat Rihanna
61. DONT TOUCH MY HAIR Solange
60. TREAT YOU BETTER Shawn Mendes
59. WILD HORSES Birdy
58. FALSE ALARM Matoma & Becky Hill
57. PIECE BY PIECE (Idol Version ) Kelly Clarkson
56. WHATEVER Roisin Murphy
55. LET ME LOVE YOU DJ Snake feat Justin Bieber
54. U TURN Tegan And Sara
53. BE THE ONE Dua Lipa
52. HURTS Emeli Sande
51. LOVE ON THE BRAIN Rihanna
50. CHANGE Christina Aguilera
49. AT NIGHT ( I THINK ABOUT YOU ) MNEK
48. I HATE U , I LOVE U Gnash feat Olivia O'Brien
47. FREEDOM Beyonce feat Kendrick Lamar
46. CLOSER The Chainsmokers feat Halsey
45. WORK FROM HOME Fifth Harmony
44. LUSH LIFE Zara Larsson
43. ALARM Anne-Marie
42. THIS AINT OVER Alez Newell
41. HUMAN Rag n Bone Man
40. NERVOUS SONG Gavin James
39. GOOD GRIEF Bastille
38. COLD WATER Major Lazer feat Justin Bieber & MO
37. RAGING Kygo feat Kodaline
36. ALL MY FRIENDS Snakehips feat Tinashe
35. TEARS Clean Bandit feat Louisa Johnson
34. DONT MIND Kent Jones
33. COOL GIRL Tove Lo
32. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG Adele
31. HYMN FOR THE WEEKEND Coldplay
30. INTO YOU Ariana Grande
29. YOUTH Troye Sivan
28. I TOOK A PILL IN IBIZA Mike Posner
27. HOLD UP Beyonce
26. PIECE OF ME MK & Becky Hill
25. CRUEL Foxes
24. BEAUTIFUL THING Stone Roses
23. NEVER BE LIKE YOU Flume
22. WORK Rihanna feat Drake
21. SORRY Beyonce
20. IN COMMON Alicia Keys
19. ULTRALIGHT BEAM Kanye West
18. SEXUAL Neiked
17. LAZARUS David Bowie
16. WHATS IT GONNA BE Shura
15. CRANES IN THE SKY Solange
14. ONE STRIKE All Saints
13. NEEDED ME Rihanna
12. THE SOUND The 1975
11. ONE DANCE Drake
10. CHEAP THRILLS Sia feat Sean Paul
9. NIKES Frank Ocean
8. STARBOY The Weeknd feat Daft Punk
7. BLACK BEATLES Rae Sremmurd
6. MILLION REASONS Lady Gaga
5. FINAL SONG MO
4. HANDS A Song For Orlando
3. FUCK APOLOGIES JoJo feat Wiz Khalifa
2. TILTED Christine And the Queens
1. FORMATION Beyonce
Formation was officially dropped on an unsuspecting public on a dull Saturday night last February. After a sombre start to year with the death of David Bowie , it was a welcome return for Beyonce.
The jaw dropping video saw Beyonce embrace her roots whilst shining a distinctly high profile spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement. It was Beyoncé's most political video yet.
The track itself whilst starting off minimal transforms into a marching band , four to the floor anthem. The lyrics are sharp and punchy throwing shade at conspiracy theories regarding her and the illuminati and the now immortal line " I got hot sauce in my bag , swag "
It was a relevant , power anthem that was needed in a post Bowie , pre Trump , fierecely more frightening world. A call to arms for women , for black people sick of police injustice towards unarmed black men. And a reminder that when Beyonce is on the very top of her game , there is no one of her generation with more power and talent and more influence on the current social narrative. Had Beyonce stuck to the traditional ways of releasing music which she abandoned with 2013's eponymous album. Then , Formation would have stayed atop iTunes charts for months.
In a new world of false news , the lines urging us to "get in formation " couldn't be more apt. And the sassy , defiant closing line "you know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation. always stay patient , best revenge is your paper "
