25th Anniversary: Songs of the Year

Over the past 25 years, we have published hundreds of thousands of songs, and each year, we always had one that we awarded the Song of the Year. Take a stroll down memory lane, and check out our Songs of the Year from 1998 to the present!

·  1998: “Once Upon a December” from Anastasia: From the animated movie Anastasia, this song is one of the most popular from the film. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the movie was eventually developed into a Broadway musical in 2017.  

·  1999: “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams: Originally by Bryan Adams for the soundtrack for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Brandy also recorded a cover of this song around this time. This song has topped the charts in over nineteen countries, and it continues to be a piano-friendly ballad for many special occasions.

·  2000: “Linus and Lucy (Peanuts Theme)” by Vince Guaraldi: This classic jazz tune has been featured on many Peanuts TV specials, most notably A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s been certified gold for sales by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and a fun fact: the song has been used as background music for The Weather Channel's local forecasts during the holidays since 1999.

·  2001: “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack: One of the biggest hits for Lee Ann Womack, this inspirational country ballad was a top pick for weddings, proms, and other big special events. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and it also won a Country Music Association Award for Single of the Year.

·  2002: “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton: The first measure of the piano part makes this pop classic instantly recognizable. This was the biggest hit for Vanessa Carlton, and it was so popular that the song was actually retired from the MTV countdown show Total Request Live.

·  2003: “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera: This empowering song was a part of a transition in Christina Aguilera’s career from bubblegum pop star to more introspective and grown-up. This became Christina’s longest-charting solo track, and it spent 27 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

·  2004: “My Immortal” by Evanescence: This ballad from rock band Evanescence was a bit of a change from their previous hit “Bring Me to Life.” This piano-friendly ballad showcases lead singer Amy Lee’s range, and it made the top 20 on a variety of Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, Adult Contemporary, and Adult Pop Songs.

·  2005: “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts: First recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1994, the Rascal Flatts version became a hit in the early 2000s. The song is about finding true love eventually after traveling on some “broken roads,” and it earned the band a Grammy for Best Country Song.

·  2006: “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter: This song by Canadian singer Daniel Powter first became popular in Europe and eventually had success in the US, topping numerous Billboard charts. It was used in many shows where people were having a bad day, such as contestants eliminated from American Idol.

·  2007: “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s: One of the most popular songs about a girl named Delilah, this song became a sleeper hit for the Plain White T’s. It was nominated for two Grammys and was eventually parodied on Sesame Street with the title “I’m the Letter T.”

·  2008: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen: One of the most covered songs, this simple but meaningful folk classic by Leonard Cohen had a resurgence in 2008. It was featured in a variety of reality competitions, including American Idol and The X Factor. Jeff Buckley’s version made it to the Billboard digital song chart, eleven years after its initial release.

·  2009: “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus: Originally featured on Hanna Montana: The Movie, this song was Miley’s first solo song to be released on country radio. It was ranked at number eight as one of the best-selling digital singles of the year, and it also received an MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie.

·  2010: “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey: This was Journey’s signature song in the ‘80s, but it gained a resurgence in 2010 when it was featured on Glee in the US and The X Factor in the UK. The song is the best-selling digital song from a pre-digital era.

·  2011: “Someone Like You” by Adele: This beautiful ballad was the second single from Adele’s album 21, and it was as big of a hit as her first single, “Rolling in the Deep.” Adele became the first British female solo artist to have two number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 from the same album.  

·  2012: “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri: From the highly popular teen vampire movie The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1, this song was a big hit for Christina Perri. It has been covered by a variety of artists, and it became certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling ten million units in the US.

·  2013: “Stay” by Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko: This emotional but simple ballad was one of Rihanna’s biggest hits, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. She performed this single at the Grammy Awards as well as The X Factor.

·  2014: “Let It Go” from Frozen: Sung by Broadway superstar Idina Menzel, this song was a huge hit for Disney, and it was the first song from a Disney movie to make it to the top ten in the Billboard Hot 100 since “Colors of the Wind” in 1995. It won an Academy Award and a Grammy Award, and people of all ages love to belt out this inspirational tune.

·  2015: “Mary, Did You Know?” by Mark Lowry: Always a popular song around Christmastime, this song was particularly popular this year with covers by a cappella group Pentatonix and Jordan Smith from The Voice. Hundreds of artists have covered this beautiful song, and many have made it to the Billboard charts.

·  2016: “7 Years” by Lukas Graham: This song was the first international hit for the Danish band Lukas Graham. The lyrics reflect on life experiences so far and what might happen in the future. These words, along with a catchy melody, earned the band three Grammy nominations, and it was the seventh best-selling song worldwide that year.

·  2017: “City of Stars” from La La Land: From the hit movie musical La La Land, this was the signature song, and it describes the hopes and dreams that artists have when working towards in L.A. It won many awards, including Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards and the Academy Awards.

·  2018: “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman: From the blockbuster movie The Greatest Showman, P. T. Barnum describes his dreams for the future, and he’s sure that with hard work, these dreams will all come true. This inspirational song helped the soundtrack to stay at the number one slot for eleven consecutive weeks.

·  2019: “Shallow” from A Star Is Born: From the hit movie musical A Star Is Born, this song is the first on-screen duet by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, and it’s a part of a pivotal moment in the movie. This power ballad won many awards, including an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

·  2020: “Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2: From the hit Disney sequel Frozen 2, this inspirational song encourages everyone to follow their true calling. It was performed in the movie by Idina Menzel and Aurora, and it received nominations for an Academy Award, a Critics’ Choice Movie Award, and many more.

·  2021: “Easy on Me” by Adele: This was the first single from Adele’s highly anticipated album 30, and this simpler ballad proved to be a huge hit. It came to be the most streamed song on Spotify in a day as well as a single week, and it topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart as well as the Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay chart.

·  2022: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto: From the Disney movie Encanto, this song about a mysterious member of the Madrigal family was one of the movie’s breakout hits. It became the longest chart-topper for Disney on the Billboard Hot 100, and it reached number one on the Spotify charts.

· 2023: “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish: One of the more introspective songs on the Barbie movie soundtrack, Barbie is trying to figure out the purpose and meaning of her life. This song was quite successful worldwide, peaking at number one in Australia, Ireland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, and it reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s received five nominations for the Grammys, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year. The peaceful piano ballad features Billie’s beautiful upper register in the chorus.

Click here for a list of all of our Song of the Year selections, and don’t forget to download our app!