Year-End Special: Zedd - Year Of 2018

This past Saturday, Hits 1 counted down their Top 45 songs of the year. Like every radio station at the end of every year, they count down their Top 45 songs of the year based off of airplay. So, I'm now going to go through Hits 1's year-end list and I'm going to show my opinions and thoughts on every song on this list. Every week, I usually do a Top 20 review at the end of each countdown post. But for this post, I'm actually going to do a Top 45 Review just to see what grade Hits 1 had on music with one of the following areas:

Crap (0 Points)
Bad (1 Point)
Mediocre (2 Points)
Decent (3 Points)
Good (4 Points)
Great (5 Points)

As what I said, this was very similar to a Top 20 Review, but with 45 songs. I decided to do a Top 45 Review on this post just because I want to see how Hits 1 did with music this year. The total score will come out of 225, which of course I'm going to convert so that the score could be out of 100. They will also be coordinated with a different color for each rank. There are going to be some minor changes that way every rank should be in a different color. So, here's the color-coding code for this list:

Red = Crap
Turquoise = Bad
Yellow = Mediocre
Pink = Decent
Blue = Good
Green = Great

Purple and orange will also be on this rank for the best song and the worst song on this list, and dark blue and dark red will also be on this rank for my Top 5 and Bottom 5. Remember, the parenthetical number for each song means that this song has reached it's peak on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. Now, we're ready to get into this year-end list. But before we get to the year-end list, here are last year's Top 5 songs.

5. Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill
4. Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holding Me Back
3. The Chainsmokers/Halsey - Closer
2. Zedd/Alessia Cara - Stay
1. Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You

Now, here are the Top 45 Songs of 2018 according to Hits 1.

#45. Demi Lovato - Tell Me You Love Me (#5) [5; Great]
Of course, it's really nice to see her out of the hospital for health issues this year. I was actually praying for her during that. Anyway. Now, onto the song. This song was definitely better than Sorry Not Sorry. The production on this one was pretty amazing, Demi's vocals shine throughout the whole song, and that chorus was unstoppable. So yeah. I really love this song.

#44. Halsey - Alone (#11) [5; Great]
Hits 1 did a nice job editing out Big Sean and Stefflon Don's verse in this song. I was so pleased about that. Now, on to my opinion. This song was just a step up from Bad At Love. The production in this one is so amazing, Halsey's vocals are so outstanding, I really love those verses, and wow. That chorus was so amazing. This was just an amazing song and I was pretty pleased about this song on this list. 

#43. MAX/Gnash - Lights Down Low (#6) [0; Crap]
You know, I actually love this song back when it first debuted the countdown last year. But then, I got really sick of it. And of course, I still don't like it for now. This song debuted back in April last year and lasted 62 weeks on the countdown without making the Top 5. Now, back to my opinion. The production does not sound good, MAX's vocals are not good, and Gnash doesn't sound good in his verse. So yeah. I still don't like it. But don't worry. The song should grow back on me later.

#42. Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft (#5) [3; Decent]
Last year, I used to love this song when it first debuted Hit Bound. But then, I got sick of this song a little bit when it was still on the countdown. However, this song is still decent. Now, back to my opinion. What's interesting about this song is that Kelly's voice does sound a little bit like Adele in this song. But her voice is actually decent and the production is decent. But I think the song might grow back on me soon.

#41. Dua Lipa - New Rules (#11) [5; Great]
I was actually surprised about this song making this list. This was actually her first song to appear on the countdown. And of course, this song was just awesome. What an awesome British singer we have. My opinion on this one is that the production is awesome, and I love Dua's vocals. I really love that pre-chorus where it has 3 rules. I also love the actual chorus. The drop in the chorus was pretty amazing. This song was just awesome.

#40. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects (#6) [5; Great]
This was an awesome song. Of course, it's not as good as This Feeling, but it's still a pretty awesome song. But this time, Andrew Taggart did not take on some vocals in this song. He worked on the production instead. Now, on to my opinion. The production was so great, and Emily's vocals are so awesome. The chorus is what I enjoyed. Overall, this song was just awesome.

#39. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still (#5) [5; Great]
This song was actually crowned as my #1 song of last year. It is also Alt Nation's biggest song of last year, with 12 weeks at #1 on the Alt-18, which was pretty amazing. I was actually pleased about that. Now, back to my opinion. The production was heaven, the vocals are heaven, the lyrics are heaven, the chorus was heaven. everything on this song was heaven. I was actually surprised about this song being on there. This was such a heaven song.

#38. Bebe Rexha - I'm A Mess (#3) [5; Great]
This was just an amazing song. She really is a talented singer. I really love every song from her. Also, to me, this is by far her best song. This song was actually a step up from Meant To Be. Bebe has some talented vocals in this one, the production was really outstanding, I'm a fan of those lyrics, and wow. That chorus was just unstoppable. This was a pretty amazing song.

#37. Dua Lipa - IDGAF (I Don't Give A F**k) (#9) [4; Good]
Yeah I know. I have gotten sick of this song when it was still on the countdown. But then, the song grew on me a little bit. For now, this song was just good. Though the song itself is a step down from New Rules. The song itself was pretty low-key. The production was good, Dua's vocals are pretty good, and the lyrics are pretty good, and that chorus was just good. So yeah. It's just not a great song. 


#36. Foster The People - Sit Next To Me (#6) [5; Great]
What an amazing song. This is another song that I heard a lot on Alt Nation. I really am a fan of their music. Of course, this song wasn't as good as Pumped Up Kicks, but it's still amazing. Everything on this song was amazing on this one. The production is so amazing, Mark Foster's vocals are very amazing, the lyrics are so amazing, and the chorus was very amazing. It spent 2 weeks at the top on the Alt-18 in the early part of this year. I was actually happy about that. This song was just amazing.

#35. Charlie Puth/Kehlani - Done For Me (#7) [5; Great]
This song sounds a lot like How Long. It was also a step up from this one. And of course, this song was just amazing. It's such a nice duet between those two. Now, on to my opinion. The production in this one was outstanding, Charlie's vocals are awesome, and Kehlani's vocals are unstoppable in the second verse. The chorus was so amazing and it also grabs my attention. So yeah. This song was just amazing.

#34. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
This is such an awesome alt-EDM song. It peaked at #2 on the Alt-18. But I gotta say, this song actually did better on the countdown than the Alt-18. Now, on to my opinion. The production on this one was pretty good, Dan Smith's vocals are so awesome, I really love those lyrics, the chorus was awesome, and I really enjoyed the drop. I was so pleased to see it do better than the Alt-18. This song was just awesome.

#33. G-Eazy/Halsey - Him & I (#3) [5; Great]

Of course, I did get sick of this song when it was still on the countdown and the American Top 40. But then, the song has grown on me. This was such an amazing song. Now, back to my opinion. This song was just a step up from Me, Myself, & I. The production was amazing, G-Eazy's verses are unstoppable, and Halsey's vocals sounded pretty amazing in the chorus and the last verse. I really really love this song.

#32. The Weeknd/Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me (#5) [2; Mediocre]

This is one of the songs taking from the Black Panther soundtrack. But I gotta say, this song was just mediocre. I got sick of this song when it was still on the countdown and the American Top 40. And for now, this song was just mediocre. It grew on me just a little bit. Now, on to the song. The production was okay, the vocals are okay, Kendrick's verse is okay, and the chorus was okay. Everything on this song was okay. You know, I'd  much rather prefer All The Stars over this, because All The Stars is definitely better than this one. So yeah. This song was pretty mediocre. But this song could grow on me more soon.

#31. Imagine Dragons - Natural (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
This was actually the theme song for the 2018 NCAA football season. And of course, this song is not as good as Whatever It Takes or Machine, but it’s still great. I really love Dan Reynolds’s vocals in this one. And of course, this song is so similar to Believer, where it has the screaming in the chorus. This is another song that I heard a lot on Alt Nation. I think it did great on the Alt-18. But for me, it’s such a great song.

#30. Maroon 5/Cardi B. - Girls Like You (#4) [3; Decent]
I really have no idea what’s going on with this song. Though this song was just decent. Adam Levine still sounded great in this one and the production is still pretty great. I still love the chorus. But the main reason why this song was decent is because of Cardi B.’s verse. Her verse does not sound good. I know it's because her voice is so annoying. But the version without her is actually great. So yeah, this version is just decent.

#29. Backstreet Boys - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (#3) [5; Great]
It’s really nice to see this group come back here. It’s been a decade since we last heard a song from them. They are back this year. They also have a lot of big hits back in the 90’s. Now, this song was amazing. The production is unstoppable, the vocals are amazing, the lyrics are fantastic, and I fell in love with the chorus. To me, I really think this song is just amazing.

#28. Selena Gomez/Marshmello - Wolves (#3) [5; Great]
At first, this song was mediocre when it first debuted Hit Bound. But then after a few more listens, the song has grown on me. Now, this song was pretty amazing. The production in this one was outstanding, Selena’s vocals are definitely amazing, the chorus was unstoppable, and I really love that drop in the chorus. What an amazing song.

#27. Macklemore/Kesha - Good Old Days (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
What an awesome song to listen to. This song was a step up from Glorious. Macklemore has nailed the first and second verse and Kesha’s vocals shine pretty much throughout the chorus and the last verse, but Macklemore did the first half of the last verse and Kesha did the other half. But you know what I say, rappers are not aloud to take on some vocals during the last verse. But, sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. He did nailed the first half of the last verse. That song was just amazing.

#26. Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry (#4) [5; Great]
This is absolutely my favorite song off of her album, Sweetner. But not her best song ever. Now, this is definitely better than God Is A Woman, Breathin’ and Thank U, Next. The production is pretty amazing, Ariana’s vocals are fantastic, I love the lyrics, and I fell in love with the chorus. This song was just AMAZING!!!!!! I was so pleased to see this song making this list.

#25. NOTD/Bea Miller - I Wanna Know (#6) [0; Crap]
I really have no idea why it’s still on the countdown. I’m now sick of hearing this song. Now, the production doesn’t sound good, and Bea’s vocals aren’t good. The drop in the chorus still doesn’t sound good. So yeah. This is now a bad song. However, the song should grow back on me when it leaves the countdown soon.

#24. Khalid/Normani - Love Lies (#2) [5; Great]
We finally have a song that’s in my Top 10 songs of this year. This was my #5 pick this year. Now, as what I said on my Top 10 songs post, this song was just heaven. The production is really heaven, Khalid’s vocals are fantastic, Normani’s vocals also sounded fantastic in the second verse, and wow. That chorus was just heaven. I was pretty pleased about this song making this list.

#23. Camila Cabello - Havana (#1, 1 Week) [0; Crap]
Of course, Hits 1 did a nice job editing out Young Thug’s verse in this song. And of course, Camila has been a very talented singer. I’ve been enjoying a lot of her music. But I gotta say, this song was just BORING!!!!!!!!!! I don’t really like the production in this one and Camila’s vocals do not sound good. So yeah. I really had it with this song. I don't know why it made the list because this song was just pretty bad.

#22. Camila Cabello - Never Be The Same (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
This was also in my Top 10 songs of this year. This was my #4 pick of this year. But I decided to put this song in purple because the songs in my Top 3 songs of this year did not make this list. Now, this song was definitely her best song ever. What’s interesting about this song is that the beginning of the song reminds me of Thriller. Now, the production is really heaven, and Camila’s vocals are so heaven. I do love the way when she hits those high notes in the pre-chorus. Her high notes in the pre-chorus sounded pretty heaven. The actual chorus was definitely heaven. Everything on this song washeaven. I was so pleased about this song making this list.

#21. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Want You Back (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
What a catchy song. Now this song wasn’t as good as Youngblood, but it’s still amazing. Of course, at the start, I thought that this song was just great. And then, after listening to it once more, this song was now a pretty amazing song. The vocals are very amazing, the lyrics are so nice, and the chorus was just unstoppable. So yeah. This song was pretty amazing and I’m glad that it made this list.

#20. Marshmello/Anne-Marie - Friends (#5) [5; Great]
This was also in my Top 10 songs this year. This was my #6 pick this year. As what I said in my Top 10 songs post, I very much appreciate this song to be the best friend-zone anthem ever. This was absolutely Marshmello’s best song ever. The production is pretty heaven, the guitars sounded really heaven, Anne-Marie’s vocals shine throughout the whole song, the lyrics are so heaven, and the chorus was pretty heaven. I was pretty pleased about this song making this list. This song was just heaven.

#19. Charlie Puth - How Long (#1, 2 Weeks)
Of course, I started to get sick of this song when it was still on the countdown. But then, the song has grown back on me. Now, this song is basically Attention 2.0. I love Charlie’s voice in this one, and the lyrics are so nice. I really enjoyed that chorus. So yeah. This song was so awesome and I’m glad that this song made this list.

#18. Niall Horan - On The Loose (#3) [5; Great]
Of course, this song was just a step up from Too Much To Ask. Now, this song looks pretty upbeat like Slow Hands was. Now, the production is so great, Niall’s vocals are awesome, the lyrics are nice,  and I love the chorus. And of course, the song has grown back on me after getting sick of it when it is still on the countdown. This was such an awesome song.

#17. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood (#1, 2 Weeks) [1; Bad]
I really am starting to get sick of this song. Of course, everything on this song is pretty bad for now, including the production, and Shawn’s vocals. However, the song might grow back on me when it leaves the countdown soon. I really hope it leaves the countdown soon. Of course, I really have no idea why it made this list.

#16. Lauv - I Like Me Better (#5) [5; Great]
What an amazing song. Though this song was not as good as There’s No Way, but it is still amazing. I really love the vocals in this one, the lyrics are amazing, and the chorus was definitely unstoppable. Of course, this song was just great at the start. But then after listening to it once more, it has grown on me more. This song was just amazing.

#15. Selena Gomez - Back To You (#2) [5; Great]
This song was just awesome. Though this song wasn’t as good as Wolves, but it is still awesome. I really love the production in this one, Selena’s vocals are pretty awesome, the lyrics are really amazing, and the chorus was unstoppable. Too bad it didn’t hit #1 on this countdown. Though it should’ve gotten to that top spot. But oh well. This was such an awesome song.

#14. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
This is definitely their best song ever. This was absolutely better than their other songs. Now, on to the song. The production is so amazing, Patrick Stump’s vocals in this one are amazing, the lyrics are outstanding, and the chorus was amazing. I was so pleased about this song making this list. This song was just amazing.

#13. Imagine Dragons - Thunder (#1, 5 Weeks) [4; Good]
And of course, I started to get sick of this song when it was still on the countdown. But then after it leaves the countdown, the song has grown on me a little bit. This song was good for now. The production is just good, Dan’s vocals are good, and the chorus was good. However, this song should become great again soon. But for now, it’s just good.

#12. Halsey - Bad At Love (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
What an amazing song. I really love this song. I did not get sick of this song, because I really really love this song. Now, on to my opinion. The production is amazing, Halsey’s vocals in this one are pretty amazing, the lyrics are amazing, the chorus was pretty amazing, everything on this song was amazing. I was so pleased about this song making this list.

#11. Maroon 5 - Wait (#4) [0; Crap]
I actually love this song when it was on the countdown back then. It used to be pretty good. But then, I got sick of it. And you know what? This song is still really bad. The production is flat out boring, Adam’s vocals do not sound good, and I still don’t like that chorus. So yeah. I still think this song was garbage. However, the song should grow back on me later next year.

#10. Walk The Moon - One Foot (#2) [5; Great]
What an amazing song. This is another song that I heard a lot on Alt Nation. It peaked at #5 on the Alt-18 last year. Now, this song was amazing. The production on this one was amazing, Nicholas Petricca’s vocals are amazing, the lyrics are amazing, and the chorus was unstoppable. I was so pleased about this song being that far on this list.

#9. Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line - Meant To Be (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
This was actually the biggest country song this year. Now, this song was an awesome country-pop song. Now, back to my opinion. I love Florida Georgia Line’s part in this song. They sang the first verse in this one. Their vocals in the first verse sounded awesome. Then, Bebe Rexha takes over the second verse, but not all of it because as she’s singing in this verse, Florida Georgia Line told her to hold up and told her that’s she’s beautiful. Her vocals are outstanding. The chorus in this one was so amazing. And of course, there's actually two versions of this song. The official version is where Florida Georgia Line had the first verse and pretty much the whole song. I know I get that a lot of pop fans do not like this version. And then the other version where every local pop radio stations would play is where Bebe Rexha handled the first verse and then sing the first chorus with Florida Georgia Line on backup. To me, I think the latter version is better because Bebe's vocals sounded outstanding in this one and she was a very talented singer. But the official version is still awesome.

#8. Taylor Swift - Delicate (#1, 3 Weeks) [5; Great]
This was also in my Top 10 songs of this year. This was my #7 pick this year. And of course, this is definitely her best song ever. The production is fantastic, Taylor’s vocals are heaven, the lyrics are amazing, and that chorus was heaven. I was so pleased about this song making the Top 10 on this list. This was definitely a heaven song.

#7. Hailee Steinfeld/Alesso/Florida Georgia Line/Watt - Let Me Go (#1, 1 Week) [3; Decent]
I got sick of this song when it was still on the countdown. But then, the song grew back on me just a little bit. And now, this song was just decent. Hailee’s vocals in this one are pretty decent, the production is really decent, the chorus was very decent, and the drop is very decent. So yeah. It’s now really decent. But it’ll grow on me more soon.

#6. Ed Sheeran - Perfect (#1, 2 Weeks) [5; Great]
This was also in my Top 10 songs of this year. This was my #8 pick this year. As what I said in my Top 10 songs post, this is definitely his best song ever. Of course, I heard the duet with Beyoncé and the symphony with Andrea Bocelli before and both of them are pretty good. But this version is actually better than those two. Now, on to the song. This song reminds me of Linkin Park - One More Light mainly because of the guitar in the first verse. The guitar in the first verse does sound amazing. The production is fantastic, Ed’s vocals are heaven, the lyrics are amazing, and that chorus was heaven. What a fantastic song.

#5. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood (#1, 5 Weeks) [5; Great]
Of course, this song is easily their best song ever. This is definitely better than Want You Back. Now, on to my opinion. The production is amazing, the vocals shine throughout the whole song, and that chorus was just amazing. I was actually surprised about this song being in the Top 5 on this list. That was so amazing.

#4. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes (#1, 8 Weeks) [5; Great]
This was also in my Top 10 songs of this year. This was my #10 pick this year. As what I said in my Top 10 songs post, this was definitely their best song ever. It’s definitely better than their other songs. Now, the horns in the beginning sounded heaven, Brendon’s vocals are fantastic, the lyrics are amazing, and the chorus was heaven. I was actually pleased about this song making the Top 5 here on this list.

#3. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night) (#1, 4 Weeks) [5; Great]
I was actually surprised about them having two songs in the Top 5 on this year-End list. Now, this was such an awesome song. The production is awesome, and Brendon’s vocals are awesome, I really love the chorus on this one. I even heard this song a lot on Alt Nation. It peaked at #7 on the Alt-18. But this song actually did better than the Alt-18. I was actually happy about that.

#2. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes (#1, 1 Week) [5; Great]
I even heard this song a lot on Alt Nation. We do have a lot of alt-pop songs making this list. And this one was absolutely one of them. Now, I really love Dan’s voice in this one, the lyrics are what I’m a fan of, and that chorus was awesome. I think this song did great on the Alt-18.  Though this song does deserve to do better than the Alt-18 so that’s good.

#1. Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey - The Middle (#1, 9 Weeks) [0; Crap]
CURSE YOU HITS 1 FOR LETTING THIS SONG BE THE BIGGEST SONG OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!! I’m not too thrilled about this song at the top. Now, on to my opinion. The production is so bland, generic, and underwhelming, Maren’s vocals do not sound good here, the chorus was pretty bad and the drop sounded absolutely horrible. So I was very mad about this song at the top. This did not deserve 9 weeks at the top and it is definitely not worthy of #1 of the year. I really had it with this song.

And there you have it. Those were my opinions on every song on this year-End list. Now I’m going to be doing my Top 45 Review. It’s very similar to a Top 20 Review that I do every week at the end of every countdown post, but with 45 songs. Now, I’m going to be ranking the entire countdown based on the six ranks.

My Top 45 Review:
0 - Crap:
45. Zedd/Maren Morris/Grey - The Middle
44. MAX/Gnash - Lights Down Low
43. NOTD/Bea Miller - I Wanna Know
42. Camila Cabello - Havana
41. Maroon 5 - Wait

1 - Bad:
40. Shawn Mendes - In My Blood

2 - Mediocre:
39. The Weeknd/Kendrick Lamar - Pray For Me

3 - Decent:
38. Maroon 5/Cardi B. - Girls Like You
37. Kelly Clarkson - Love So Soft
36. Hailee Steinfeld/Alesso/Florida Georgia Line/Watt - Let Me Go

4 - Good:
35. Dua Lipa - IDGAF (I Don’t Give A F**k)
34. Imagine Dragons - Thunder

5 - Great:
33. Imagine Dragons - Natural
32. Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line - Meant To Be
31. Imagine Dragons - Whatever It Takes
30. Panic! At The Disco - Say Amen (Saturday Night)
29. The Chainsmokers/Emily Warren - Side Effects
28. Selena Gomez - Back To You
27. Marshmello/Bastille - Happier
26. Fall Out Boy - The Last Of The Real Ones
25. Foster The People - Sit Next To Me
24. Walk The Moon - One Foot
23. Dua Lipa - New Rules
22. Halsey - Bad At Love
21. Halsey - Alone
20. Macklemore/Kesha - Good Old Days
19. Niall Horan - On The Loose
18. Charlie Puth/Kehlani - Done For Me
17. G-Eazy/Halsey - Him & I
16. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Want You Back
15. Demi Lovato - Tell Me You Love Me
14. 5 Seconds Of Summer - Youngblood
13. Charlie Puth - How Long
12. Bebe Rexha - I’m A Mess
11. Backstreet Boys - Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
10. Ariana Grande - No Tears Left To Cry
9. Lauv - I Like Me Better
8. Selena Gomez/Marshmello - Wolves
7. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still
6. Panic! At The Disco - High Hopes
5. Ed Sheeran - Perfect
4. Taylor Swift - Delicate
3. Marshmello/Anne-Marie - Friends
2. Khalid/Normani - Love Lies

6 - Best Song Of The Year:
1. Camila Cabello - Never Be The Same

Total Score: 186/225 = 82.6% (B-) [Good]

And that’s all I have to say about this post. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Overall, Hits 1 had an 82.6% in music this year, which is still pretty good. Let’s hope 2019 should be a better year with music. Once again, I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Hit me with your thoughts and any interesting facts that you have about this post.