Whether or not 2018 was a good year differs from person to person. While some may relentlessly complain about how long this year seemed, others choose to adopt a more optimistic view as they reminisce about various top quality memes. Despite this, one thing is for sure: the music that came out this year definitely surpassed expectations. There were a lot of contenders for the top five songs of the year, but we were able to narrow it down (with a lot of honorable mentions).

1. Whatever It Takes – Imagine Dragons

This alternative rock band is no stranger to placing their songs high on “Billboard’s Top 100,” but “Whatever it Takes” particularly broke barriers. The album, Evolve, was centered around a theme of self-recognition and value.The music video depicted the band playing while getting soaked by water, fire raging on in the background, and much more. With this, lead singer Dan Reynolds describes the rush of adrenaline in his veins. While each one of the American rock band’s songs are amazing, this one takes the cake. With an inspiring chorus and rhythmic lines, Imagine Dragons got our hearts pumping and believing that we can do whatever it takes.

2. God’s Plan – Drake

Though Drake might not be in the best place right now, considering his feud with Kanye on Twitter, his songs definitely made a difference this year. This music video highlighted Drake’s generosity, listing his $996,631 budget for the video, and how he gave it all away. The song describes Drake stepping up to help the world and gives us the iconic line of only loving our mothers and our bed (we’re sorry). Either way, with its simplistic beat and catchy lyrics, “God’s Plan” has definitely touched our lives.

3. Stay Lost (Cabu Remix) – Joe Hertz

Deviating from the regular pop dominants, Joe Hertz introduced a new way of creating music. With a funky melody and a catchy drop, Hertz combined a soft voice and mellifluous words to create “Stay Lost.” This song definitely captured the airs of a ballad with a modern twist and paved the way for a new genre of music. Drawing inspiration from James Newton Howard and Tom Player, “Stay Lost” is definitely on our ‘good vibes’ playlist on Spotify.

4. Pray For Me – Kendrick Lamar ft. The Weeknd

Aside from being an enormous breakthrough for people of color, Black Panther also introduced one of the best soundtracks of the year. “Pray For Me,” a song about accepting destiny for the sake of the greater good, combines Lamar’s eye-opening raps with The Weeknd’s smooth baritone voice. This song proved to be a great addition to the casino scene in the movie, and was also a pleasure to hear on the radio.

5. High Hopes – Panic! At The Disco

Aside from their 2000’s hit “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” and the short lived popularity of “Victorious,” Panic! At The Disco is dominating the radio again, this time with “High Hopes.” The song features advice from Urie’s mother, Urie himself encouraging the listener to strive for more. Combined with high vocals and trumpets, this song is a great addition to any day.

We did have some honorable mentions. “All The Stars”, “Breathin’”, “Africa”, and the Wii theme music were just a few of the songs that we took into consideration. Either way, we are eager to see what next year has in store for us!