September means the kids returning to school, hockey season starting and cooler mornings. It also means the start of a new TV season, although with Netflix and other streaming sites, summer has a bit more to offer for TV shows.
Summer is also a time for listening to some sweet tunes as you drive down the highway on the way to the lake or the mountains. So what were the top songs of the summer of 2018? Funny you should ask. This is a column about that very thing.
Now it almost looks like the decision will really come down to the top Drake song of the summer. The hitmaker from Toronto was all over the charts with one big hit after another. Of course, there were plenty of other contenders, like Maroon 5, Cardi B, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, Imagine Dragons and many more.
And yes, I know music is completely subjective. I tend to like pop, alternative and rock in that order. Your tastes may differ slightly and that's OK.
- Drake -- Nice for What. Yeah we start at the top. As I said, Drake ruled the charts and this one had a great beat and a nice Lauryn Hill sample.
- Maroon 5 -- Girls Like You. Adam Levine and the boys are still cranking out the hits. This one features a cameo from the ubiquitous Cardi B.
- Cardi B -- I Like It. Yeah, what can I say, I like it. The song is catchy. Cardi B came out of nowhere and proved to be an equally talented singer and rapper.
- Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla $ign -- Psycho. The next big rap star had a strong summer.
- Ed Sheeran -- Perfect. We have to throw in a slow song right? Sheeran tells a story like no one else. His cameo on Game of Thrones may not have been popular but his music sure is.
- AJR feat. Rivers Cuomo -- Sober up. A great little ditty about sobering up. Nice cameo from the Weezer guy too.
- Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa -- One Kiss.
- Clean Bandit feat. Demi Lovato -- Solo.
- Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line -- Meant to Be. A little country for my tastes but not a bad song and certainly popular.
- Weezer -- Africa. OK, it's a cover but I'm telling you these guys can do it all.
I know as soon as I submit my list I will think of 10 better songs but that's the way it goes. If you're looking for patterns, I don't know. One thing it seems is that almost every song has a "guest star." That seems to be the way music is going. It's interesting to hear different people singing together but sometimes you wonder can the singer not hold their own for a full song? Ed Sheeran seems to be one sort of exception. Although he did have a hit song, River, with the odd partnership with Eminem. That wasn't a bad song.
Another thing for sure is that music keeps changing and evolving and yet holding on to the past. For example, the Weezer cover of the classic Toto song Africa, as well as with the various samples and/or copied styles of 70s funk/rap by almost everyone.
– Lindsay is the reporter for the Mountain View Gazette
