5. 50 Cent – ‘I’m The Man’ (Feat. Chris Brown)
50 Cent the rapper hasnāt had a good year commercially in a while but 2016 wasnāt bad for him, considering he didnāt release much music. The Sonny Digital-produced āIām The Manā was originally released in December 2015 but the remix featuring Chris Brown came out in March, which was officially released as a single to radio stations. So weāll go ahead and count it as a 2016 release. It was a song we least expected 50 to make but it ended up being a grower and the driving force for 50’s Effen promo run in the clubs, eventually leading to a Gold plaque at the end of the year. – Navjosh
4. Travis Scott & Young Thug – ‘Pick Up The Phone’ (Feat. Quavo)
Everybody thought āPick Up The Phoneā was just another above-average song when it was first released to the public back in June but I guess we were all wrong. Travis Scott, Young Thug and Quavo showed amazing chemistry on the auto-tune heavy song and after a few listens, it was clear that the track was about to become an anthem for the young generation. – Navjosh
3. Drake – ‘Controlla’
Whether you were a fan of Drakeās use of Dancehall in 2016 or not, youāll have a tough time denying how catchy VIEWS cut āControllaā is. Despite falling victim to an early leak (with a gem of a Popcaan feature), the infectious melodies from the track were heard all throughout Summer. This record is, without a doubt not only the best example of Drakeās genre experimentation on VIEWS, but all of the music he put out last year. Fall back, āOne Danceā. – Akaash
2. The Weeknd – ‘I Feel It Coming’ (Feat. Daft Punk)
The Weeknd in 2016 wasnāt the mysterious R&B singer of 2011 but one who has advanced to the next level while still keeping his core sound intact. The title song āStarboyā from his latest album is obviously a hit but itās the other Daft Punk assisted singleĀ āI Feel It Comingā that we cannot get out of our heads. Itās already released as a single on the radio but currently being overshadowed by ‘Starboy”s run. Hopefully it will get its own shine soon. – Navjosh
1. Rae Sremmurd – ‘Black Beatles’ (Feat. Gucci Mane)
Thereās always that one Hip-Hop song each year which transcends the genre, whether itās a smash on the Pop charts or it becomes a viral sensation. For 2016, that honor goes to Rae Sremmurd’s Billboard topping ‘Black Beatles’. Donāt lie, you did the Mannequin Challenge with your family during the holidays just so you could make them hear āthat girl is a real crowd pleaserā. While it wasnāt the strongest performance from the newly released Gucci Mane, ‘Black Beatles’ is a song that will still be getting spins well into 2017 – even though your Aunt Sheila calls it āthat mannequin challenge songā. –Ā Joe Coad
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