It seems to be a general consensus that top 40 music isn't very popular here on the forums, which got me thinking about that occasional diamond in the rough that might capture people's attentions. So I got curious, out of all the songs we seem to agree on that are not what they could be, are there any songs that have been in the top 40 in recent years that you have approved of? If you have, what were they?

"...is there a top 40 song you do like?"

I looked at several 'recent' years of Billboard top 40 hits and top 100 even.
I found no song or 'artist' that was set apart from the rest or very appealing to me at all.
I'm 71 and guess I'm quite particular of what I like and what I determine to be an actual good write and appealing musicianship.
Guess I'm hopelessly a 60's/70's music kind of guy.
Per usual....subjectivity rules with this type of question.

I'm little contribution but happy to give a bump Ember.

Carry on....

I find that subjectivity fascinating, which is why I love making threads like this. Thanks for taking the time to come and comment!

Chuckle.....

Well....I should qualify that I certainly have had no commercial success with my song writing efforts (being drivel to most) over 40 years.
But....I know my place in the music world....and, it's right where I am now.
Being just a bottom feeder that just keeps writing in hopes that I can actually write songs that I don't hate too much after listening/mixing them ad nauseum.

A good day to all.....back to topic.

I really like Janice's newest release. May not be in the Top 40, but it should be.



https://soundcloud.com/mootsman/sets/sampler


Regards,


Bob

Love this one. Retro soul duet. It's gorgeous.

Love the up positive message in this one and the horns!



Here's another one I like. Country+Pop sounds surprisingly good.

Anything by Bruno Mars. IMO, he was born with "it," like the old school stars who could sing, dance and act.

Trax

There has been and continues to be a ton of great music in the top 40. Below are just a few off the top of my head.

What About Us by Pink

Chandelier and Elastic Heart by Sia

Royals by Lorde

Dirt by Florida Georgia Line

I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons

Some Nights and We Are Young by Fun

"One that comes to mind is the newest Childish Gambino song, "This Is America." Whether or not you agree with it's message, you can't argue that it isn't a fantastic song."




You can't be serious.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYOjWnS4cMY

Brett Young's "In Case You Didn't Know".








The whole album is worth a listen...

Current Top 40 List

I browsed the current list and found a few I like from hearing on the radio.....

05 - Wait by Maroon 5
08 - Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
22 - Sit Next to Me by Foster the People
30 - Finesse by Bruno Mars
35 - Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug

There are several "Top 40" charts, and I have to say, there is something on most of them that I like.

It's like the grocery store for me. There is a bunch of stuff I really don't want or like.. Then there are the things I do like; and purchase. I don't complain about the other items that I don't want but others do. They actually help ensure what I like WILL be there as well. It's all good by me.

To the current songs or artists from those charts would take a bit. Let's just say there are plenty.

I think the responses you are seeing show this is not correct. There are always some folks who crap on anything they don't personally like or appreciate but, while loud, they are also typically a minority.

I checked out a few on the Biilboard top 40. There were a couple that would not make me lunge for the >> button...but I cannot say that I like any of them. Were there not so MUCH great music (to us) to listen to I'd perhaps check the charts out more often. But Apple Music has the two of us nailed. When we create a radio station or listen to any of their curated playlists we hear many new artists and we typically like them...but they are within genres that Apple Music "knows" we like. We listen in the house and in the vehicles all the time and everyday we are exposed, as mentioned, to new (and mostly young) artists that we like. But they would not make the top 40 unless we were to have a shift (of epic proportions) in listening tastes. But, hey, a lot them do show up on Fallon and Colbert!

The personal irony in this for J&B is that after leaving our bluegrass band 10 years ago almost all of our family and friends do not enjoy the music that we create today (and post on the forum). They say it's a waste of Janice's voice and that we should be still playing bluegrass and acoustic country, etc.

It's all so relative. For J&B Wilco is modern

J&B



Bob, that was very nice of you to say that. Made our day!
J&B

I haven't had a chance to listen to all of these but ones pointed out by John and Josie are great.

Imagine Dragons especially for me.

My daughter and I waited in the rain for like four hours to see them play in Raleigh when she was in high school. By the time the rain stopped there were about fifty people left and we were hugging the stage for all the acrobatics by Dan Reynolds. We could have reached out and touched them we were so close. Sopping wet, but musically satiated.

Good times. A must see band.

Rock and roll at its finest.

W/o looking through past top 40's would any of the below artists that show up there? They are some of the acts that we've enjoyed on Daryl's House.

Kandace Springs
Anderson East
Ellie King
Fitz and The Tantrums

There are more but those names come to mind.

J&B

A couple of songs from Charlie Puth's Voicenotes that made the Top 20...


"Attention"




"How Long"

I enjoy Fitz..... They are kind of Pop and New Alterative..... That's my take, good pick Bud.

Took the words right out of my mouth!
(letters out of my fingers????)

All of these songs are very fun and upbeat ( for the most part anyways)! When I think of the top 40s nowadays I rarely think of country-pop, which is funny because it's everywhere. I think we get really focused on the more aggressive sounding pieces that end up in the top 40s that we forget about some of the catchier tunes.

I remember when I first heard Bruno Mars I was pretty shocked. His voice was just so soulful compared to some of the other voices I was hearing on the school radio. Admittedly, I'm not that big of a fan of his more recent stuff, but I can at least appreciate his singing chops.

There are actually some pretty good songs on this list! I'm not as familiar with Sia or Florida Georgia Line, but my Roommate loves Sia and has a bunch of her stuff.

I've never actually heard of him before! I will have to give their album a listen later. Thanks for sharing this one.

There are a few songs on there I have never heard of. It seems I'm more out of touch with Top 40 music then I thought! Any particular reason why these songs speak to you in specific?

That is actually a really interesting way of looking at it. Again, I think it circles back around to subjectivity and individual taste. I am certain that as trends come and go that the top 40 charts and the people who listen to them tend to go through phases themselves. Perhaps some months will have better songs on the top 40 charts then other months, and maybe during one of those phases something more to one's taste will be present on that list.

Food for thought, methinks! Thanks for the insight.

That, or it's really easy to forget the good songs that are in the mix. This is just speculation really, but I think people have a tendency to have more knee-jerk reactions to the things they don't like, and more easily remember bad experiences. So while there may be plenty of good or catchy music in the Top 40, people may be more likely to make blanket statements about how much they dislike it because they recall all the things they dislike first. Which was part of the reason why I decided to start the thread as well. Stopping long enough to contemplating what songs in the Top 40 have merit or bring personal enjoyment can take that generally negative thinking and put a bit of a positive spin on it.

Of course, that's just my thoughts on the matter. Even I do it -- I say I don't like the top 40 -- but reading over people's comments and songs they've been linking, I realize there's way more songs then I remembered that have been hits on the charts that I do like, to some degree.

It's just easy to forget the good sometimes.

I keep forgetting that Imagine Dragons is Top 40 stuff, to be honest. I do really enjoy them, though I do tend to prefer people's remixes of their songs. One of my friends has been particular obsessed with their song Thunder, and I've been enjoying the Kid Comet remix of Believer.

I don't even know where to look for the official top 40, but right now, Kasey Musgraves' Space Cowboy is a pretty awesome song.

She's the next Taylor Swift if I'm guessing right.

I won't be surprised if this is her last 'Country' record.

Edit: My comparison to Taylor Swift is complimentary not derogatory.

Some really good suggestions in this thread I'm not too keen on Top 40 music myself. I mostly listen to either older music, or newer independent stuff. Lovin' some of the suggestions here though!