Best 2016 Trend Songs That Still Hit the Same

You know that feeling when someone puts on a song and suddenly everybody in the room turns into a backup dancer? That was 2016 in a nutshell. It was peak late-night drives, chaotic summer anthems, moody headphones music, and “play it again” hooks that refused to leave your brain.

Below is a stacked list of 2016 trend songs, grouped by vibe, so you can build a throwback playlist fast. Pick a section, hit play, and watch your memories load.

The “put this on and the room wakes up” hits

These are the instant mood-flips. If your playlist needs a heartbeat, start here.

• Rihanna ft. Drake, “Work”
• Drake, “One Dance”
• Justin Bieber, “Sorry”
• The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey, “Closer”
• Sia, “Cheap Thrills”
• Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
• Twenty One Pilots, “Ride”
• Beyoncé, “Formation”
• Ariana Grande, “Into You”
• Meghan Trainor ft. John Legend, “Like I’m Gonna Lose You”
• DNCE, “Cake by the Ocean”
• ZAYN, “PILLOWTALK”
• Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna, “This Is What You Came For”
• Coldplay, “Hymn for the Weekend”
• Lukas Graham, “7 Years”

Pop songs that lived on the radio (and in your head rent-free)

If 2016 had a “most replayed” button, it probably belonged to these.

• Justin Timberlake, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
• Adele, “Hello”
• Selena Gomez, “Hands to Myself”
• Ariana Grande, “Dangerous Woman”
• Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber and MØ, “Cold Water”
• Shawn Mendes, “Treat You Better”
• The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk, “Starboy”
• The Weeknd, “I Feel It Coming”
• Hailee Steinfeld ft. Grey and Zedd, “Starving”
• Daya, “Sit Still, Look Pretty”
• Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do”
• Rachel Platten, “Fight Song”
• Fifth Harmony ft. Fetty Wap, “All In My Head (Flex)”
• Sia, “Alive”
• Alessia Cara, “Scars to Your Beautiful”

Rap and R&B that dominated the vibe

2016 had bangers, sure, but it also had that smooth, late-night, text-your-ex energy.

• Drake, “Hotline Bling”
• Drake, “Controlla”
• Rihanna, “Needed Me”
• Beyoncé, “Sorry”
• Bryson Tiller, “Don’t”
• Desiigner, “Panda”
• Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”
• Travis Scott, “goosebumps”
• Young Thug, “Digits”
• Future, “Mask Off”
• Chance the Rapper, “No Problem”
• Kanye West, “Famous”
• Post Malone, “White Iverson”
• Anderson .Paak, “Come Down”
• Tory Lanez, “LUV”

Dance, EDM, and “windows down” summer fuel

These were made for beach days, festival clips, and driving nowhere with your friends on purpose.

• DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber, “Let Me Love You”
• Mike Posner, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix)”
• Major Lazer ft. Nyla and Fuse ODG, “Light It Up (Remix)”
• Alan Walker, “Faded”
• The Chainsmokers ft. Daya, “Don’t Let Me Down”
• Martin Garrix ft. Bebe Rexha, “In the Name of Love”
• Jonas Blue ft. Dakota, “Fast Car”
• Kungs vs Cookin’ on 3 Burners, “This Girl”
• Cheat Codes and Kris Kross Amsterdam, “Sex”
• Flume ft. Kai, “Never Be Like You”
• Zedd and Alessia Cara, “Stay”
• Galantis, “No Money”
• Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie, “Rockabye”
• Gnash ft. Olivia O’Brien, “i hate u, i love u”
• OMI, “Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)”

Alt, indie, and “sad but aesthetic” essentials

For when you want the throwback nostalgia with a little mood and a lot of staring out the window.

• The 1975, “Somebody Else”
• The Neighbourhood, “Daddy Issues”
• The Neighbourhood, “Sweater Weather”
• Tove Lo, “Cool Girl”
• Halsey, “Colors”
• Melanie Martinez, “Soap”
• Beach House, “Space Song”
• Redbone, Childish Gambino, “Redbone”
• Cage the Elephant, “Trouble”
• X Ambassadors, “Unsteady”
• Bastille, “Good Grief”
• Panic! at the Disco, “Victorious”
• Fall Out Boy, “Centuries”
• Lorde, “Team”
• Lana Del Rey, “High By the Beach”

Country and crossover songs that were everywhere

Even if you “weren’t a country person,” 2016 still found a way into your playlist.

• Florida Georgia Line, “H.O.L.Y.”
• Thomas Rhett, “Die a Happy Man”
• Maren Morris, “My Church”
• Kacey Musgraves, “Biscuits”
• Sam Hunt, “Body Like a Back Road”
• Old Dominion, “Snapback”
• Dan + Shay, “How Not To”
• Carrie Underwood, “Church Bells”
• Tim McGraw, “Humble and Kind”
• Little Big Town, “Better Man”

Party starters for the “play this at 11:30 PM” moment

These are the songs you drop when you want people to stop scrolling and start moving.

• Beyoncé, “Formation”
• Rihanna, “Work”
• Drake, “One Dance”
• Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane, “Black Beatles”
• Desiigner, “Panda”
• DJ Snake ft. Justin Bieber, “Let Me Love You”
• Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna, “This Is What You Came For”
• DNCE, “Cake by the Ocean”
• Twenty One Pilots, “Ride”
• The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey, “Closer”

Quick way to build a 2016 playlist that actually flows

If you want it to feel like a night out (not a random shuffle), here’s the easiest order:

1. Start familiar: 2 to 4 big radio hits so nobody has to “warm up.”
2. Switch to bounce: drop in dance tracks right after the first sing-along moment.
3. Add one moody pocket: 2 to 3 darker, slower songs, then pull it back up.
4. Close with chaos: finish with your loudest, most recognizable bangers.

A small tip that makes a big difference: don’t stack five similar tempos in a row. Mix one upbeat track, then a mid-tempo groove, then go big again.

One strong opinion (that saves playlists)

If you’re making a “2016 trend songs” playlist for other people, skip the deep cuts until the end. Start with the songs everyone recognizes in the first 10 tracks. Once people feel safe, they’ll happily follow you into the niche stuff.