The countdown is back! Every year at FireTunes, we count down the Top 100 songs of the year, unfortunately excluding all remixes or reworks of any song. So let’s get down to business…

100. High End by Chris Brown ft. Future & Young Thug

It’s unfair calling this Chris Brown’s song because all three artists play equal roles in this track. Future kicks it off with a verse you can surprisingly understand, Chris Brown weaves in and out of rapping and singing, while Thug closes it out with style.

99. Sound of Walking Away by Illenium ft. Kerli

Illenium grew as a producer so much in the past year, with his original tracks having a much more dynamic feel than his originals. Kerli’s powerful voice pushes the track to the drop, which is just so precise.

98. Walls by Loving Arms ft. Blu Eyes

The minimalistic approach to start works really well, especially when you get the semi vocal chop drop with sweet synths to go with it. The indie house scene is picking up big time and this is a pure testament as to why.

97. Surfin’ With U by Selmer

This Norwegian band is destined to blow up. With a sound reminiscent of Tame Impala, this song has the essence of a modern take on surf rock. The vocals are so dreamy, it’s almost as if you forget that it’s a three minute long song.

96. Almost There by Vic Mensa ft. Mr. Hudson

Vic Mensa looked destined to be at the top of the rap game just a couple years ago. His career has gone rockier than expected, but that hasn’t stopped him from releasing some heat. This track in particular with the crooner Mr. Hudson showcases Vic’s flow, let’s hope 2018 is when he finally takes the rap game over.

95. Stay by Zedd ft. Alessia Cara

Opening the song with no instrumentals but Alessia Cara singing over her own humming riff just shows how Zedd continues to release original music in a genre that’s building a reputation for uniformity. Combine that with the original vocal chop/synth drop that Zedd crushes, and that’s why this was one of the most played songs in 2017.

94. So Good by Big Sean, Metro Boomin ft. Kash Doll

WARNING: This song is not for the faint of heart. Big Sean channels his 50 Shades of Gray flow and gets real filthy. Metro flips E-40’s Choices for the beat, adding to the intensity, but the star of the show is Kash Doll. The unheard of rapper from Detroit enters with similar confidence that Nicki did on Monster just a few years ago.

93. I Believe In Us by LÉON

LÉON’s voice is impressive enough, when you pair that with vulnerable lyrics, it just makes the song so incredibly appealing. Power ballads are not something I usually listen to, but the Swedish vocalist draws me in with this song.

92. Real Life by Duke Dumont ft. Gorgon City

Duke Dumont has been quiet since 2015’s extended plays of Ocean Drive, but he dropped a banger this summer out of nowhere. The melodic house track is catchy in the best way possible.

91. Either Way by Snakehips & Anne-Marie ft. Joey Bada$$

Snakehips continues to put out heat no matter what style they’re going for. While their track with MØ was also a really solid track, we opted for Either Way to enter the countdown. Joey and Anne-Marie have perfect chemistry as they flow in and out of each part.

90. Runaway by Sasha Sloan

Sasha Sloan established herself from a young age as an elite songwriter, writing for Steve Aoki, Kygo, Charli XCX and more. She has now transitioned to her own development as an artist, and her track Runaway shows her style blending the traditional pop vocalist style with trap bass lines.

89. Rich Love by OneRepublic & Seeb

Anything Seeb touches turns to gold. Ryan Tedder has been working with the dance trio for a while now, and Rich Love shows how well their styles mesh. Seeb’s infectious drops have been nothing more than consistent throughout all their tracks, but Tedder’s voice is able to escalate this track to new levels.

88. Growing Up by Phil Good

Looking to beat your friend to an emerging artist, so you can say you discovered him first before he was huge? Phil Good is your guy for a future star. He’s got a cool electro-pop vibe and Growing Up shows the future of electronic music infused with pop.

87. WhatYo City Like by Tee Grizzley ft. Lil Durk

Tee Grizzley burst onto the rap scene with 2016’s First Day Out, and has grown on the success exponentially. His mixtape with Lil Durk is full of heat, but the lead single from the tape is the top of the top. Trading lines, the two of them both show their pride for their city.

86. …Ready For It? by Taylor Swift

When Taylor released Look What You Made Me Do, I along with most music fans could not stop laughing at how bad her new sound was. I was ready for a terrible album that would signal the end of Taylor’s career, following the path of Katy Perry. But then Taylor dropped …Ready For It? and I held my hand up and admitted I was wrong. …Ready For It? shows that Taylor Swift is capable of changing her sound and making it work.

85. Without You by Avicii ft. Sandro Cavazza

Avicii retiring from touring could have meant that he would never release a song again, but this summer his surprise four track EP showed the classic progressive Avicii sound. Without You is the pick of the tracks as it resembles the most definitive return to Avicii’s trademark music.

84. One Time Thing by Fickle & Vice

Imagine if all of those cheesy songs played at the start of really bad 80’s movies were actually good. That’s what Fickle & Vice gives us with One Time Thing. The whole song just vibes so well, it’ll be stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

83. Hard Way by DJ Mustard & RJMrLA ft. Rae Sremmurd, 

Hard Way is reminiscent of Future’s Mask Off, with a haunting flute in the background. Yet again, Swae Lee shows that he is capable of handling any beat with catchy lines and seamlessly easy flow.

82. Pony by Huntar ft. Gucci Mane

Ginuwine will have to tip his cap and acknowledge Huntar’s cover of the classic R&B steamer. The excitement in the song is much more noticeable, and Gucci’s cameo is always a way to hype up a song.

81. Candy Paint by Post Malone

Post Malone messed with all of us saying that his new project Beerbongs and Bentleys would be out in December, and the lack of release means that we can have Candy Paint tide us over until the full project comes out. Post’s mumbles work well over the simple piano melody.

 

Check back tomorrow for the next installment of the countdown!