Best #1 Single of the Year: 2017

Cafe Society
1

It’s that time again!

2017 has been something of a mixed bag when it comes to pop. We’ve seen an inexplicable resurrection of crunk coupled with a number of singer-songwriter hits, a foreign-language song tying for the longest-running #1 of all time, and the rare occasion of an act landing its first #1 more than two decades after their debut.

Twelve songs topped the charts this year. What’s your favorite?

Best #1 single polls: 1955-56 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010-2014 All-time (1956-2014)

2

Pop music has gotten pretty boring the past couple of years. Had to vote for Taylor Swift by default because at least she still knows what fun is.

3

I know I’m not the demographic but in all honesty if you tied me to a spinning wheel of death and threw knives at me I wouldn’t be able to tell you how any of those go.

Are singles charts even relevant any more?

4

I agree that the pickings are rather slim, but Despacito is catchy and fresh. And it is interesting to hear a foreign language song catch on.

Usually I am all about the Taylor Swift, but her latest is kind of meh. And I don’t like Bruno Mars or Ed Sheeran for no particular reason.

Regards,
Shodan

5

Wow, really slim pickings this year… I have 3 kids, 8-13, so I think I’ve heard all of them a few times, I went with the song that I have heard ad naseum all year… Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You

6

I find “I’m the One” ridiculously hooky, and somehow I haven’t gotten sick of it despite hearing it a zillion times, so that’s my vote.

7

I want to go ahead and vote for Tay-tay as her song stirred useless controversy about any number of topics (Kanye, Taylors evolution as a singer/songwriter, the typical “this song sux” takes), but, like always, will listen to all the others on YouTube before voting as I’m sure I’ve heard more of these than I merely recognize from title alone.

8

I think of Despacito as the the breakout song of the year. Bad and Boujee and Bodak Yellow are the other ones I got the sense were the coolest hits.

9

I listen to quite a bit of pop on my commute but I must not know titles because about half of those songs were unrecognizable by title to me. I voted for Perfect but that’s because my eyes missed Despacito on the list. That was easily the best pop song of the year.

10

Several songs on this list didn’t get any airplay on the top 40 stations, so they aren’t rated in the world-famous Ponch8 Music Rating System. I just haven’t heard them enough to make any assessments on them. Of the songs I am familiar with, none of them were good enough for me to vote for. For the first time since 1960, I will not vote for any #1 single. The Justin Bieber and Ed Sheerhan songs tie for dead-ass last place. I can’t stand either one of those fuckers.

The real story of 2017 is the resurgence of Kesha. I will do a write-in vote for her Billboard #1 album Rainbow.

11

I like the Taylor Swift song and Shape of You, but I like *Humble *more.

12

I chose “I’m the One” too. It’s the only one on the list that I wouldn’t mind hearing again. The others range from “Boring” (“Perfect”) to “God, that’s awful” (“Look What You Made Me Do”).

13

The Weeknd w/ Daft Punk - “Starboy” is one of the best pop tunes I’ve heard in the past couple of years, easy choice for me

14

“Humble” and “Starboy” are solid tracks, too. I can’t stand “Shape of You” and “Despacito” for some reason. I think I’m just burnt out on those Caribbean and Latin-influenced pop beats.

15

I voted for “Despacito” because it’s the only one I’m 100% sure I’ve heard.

16

I think Black Beatles came out last year.

17

I voted The Weeknd w/ Daft Punk - “Starboy” because it has the coolest name, but I haven’t heard any of them. I’m not sure what’s changed in my life. Pop songs used to inflict themselves upon my consciousness, but now I mostly seem to be able to avoid them. Maybe it’s those UFOs everyone is suddenly talking about. Are they putting up some kind of screen?

18

I don’t listen to a lot of pop but I do make my way to that radio station now and then. Still surprised at how many of these I hadn’t heard, but I suppose it’s because they’re more hip-hop and the pop stations don’t really play those.

The ones I have heard: “Starboy” “The Shape of You” “That’s What I Like” “Despacito” and “Perfect”

I guess my vote goes to Perfect (even though it’s boring), with Despacito as the follow-up for the only one that wouldn’t make me change the radio station.

19

It did, but it was still #1 in January of this year so it makes the cut.

20

I’ve never heard of any of these songs (except perhaps a title or twobeen thrown around) so abstained from voting. I’m old.