When Your Group Chat Time-Travels
Some years don’t fade—they hover. And 2016 is one of those years that still shows up uninvited, sliding into your playlists like it pays rent. If the cultural mood is looping back (again), then the soundtrack has to come with it: the pop confessionals, the late-night bangers, the gleeful earworms, the songs that made you text someone you absolutely should not have texted. Here are the 21 tracks that defined the year—and if 2016 is truly returning, they’re not optional.
The Come Up Show, Wikimedia Commons
Love Yourself
This song practically perfected the “I’m totally fine” breakup message that is, in fact, not fine at all. It’s sweet-sounding, but the lyrics have that sharp little grin. The best part is how it makes you feel mature while you’re being petty, which is a very 2016 skill.
Screenshot from Love Yourself, Def Jam Recordings (2015)
Sorry
A masterclass in turning accountability into a dance-floor situation. The beat is bright, bouncy, and impossible to sit still through, even if your soul is deeply exhausted. It’s the kind of apology that arrives with confetti—questionable, but effective.
Screenshot from Sorry, Def Jam Recordings (2015)
One Dance
This track didn’t just dominate—it quietly took over every room with a pulse. It’s smooth, minimal, and built for that specific kind of party where nobody wants to admit it’s a party. Also: tthis is the song that made “just one more” feel like a life philosophy.
Work
It’s hypnotic, it’s icy, it’s got that late-night glow where everything feels cooler than it actually is. Rihanna and Drake together created a vibe that’s equal parts flirtation and exhaustion. You don’t even have to understand every word to understand the feeling.
Screenshot from Work, Roc Nation (2016)
Stressed Out
Nothing says 2016 like pop music openly spiraling about adulthood and getting a standing ovation for it. This song made nostalgia feel like a legitimate coping mechanism. If you’ve ever missed the simplicity of a past version of yourself, congratulations—you’ve already sung the chorus.
Screenshot from Stressed Out, Fueled by Ramen (2015)
Panda
A song that kicked the door in and didn’t bother explaining itself. It’s loud, relentless, and built for maximum chaos in the best way. “Panda” is basically pure adrenaline in audio form, and honestly, it still works.
Screenshot from Panda, GOOD Music (2016)
Hello
This wasn’t a hit so much as a global moment of collective emotional surrender. Adele didn’t release a song—she released a weather system. Even people who pretended not to like it knew exactly how the opening line goes.
Screenshot from Hello, Columbia Records (2015)
Don’t Let Me Down
This one is equal parts heart-on-sleeve and hands-in-the-air. It’s the kind of track that turns a personal plea into a stadium-sized chorus without losing the feeling. Perfect for late-night drives when you’re dramatic for no reason…and then realize you had a reason.
Screenshot from Don’t Let Me Down, Columbia Records (2016)
Can’t Stop The Feeling!
If happiness had a dress code, this song would show up in bright colors and comfortable shoes. It’s pure momentum: sunny, friendly, and weirdly unstoppable. It’s impossible to hear this without your body trying to join the conversation.
Screenshot from Can’t Stop the Feeling!, RCA Records (2016)
Closer
A song that somehow became everyone’s memory at once. The details are hyper-specific, but it still feels universal—like you’ve lived this story even if you haven’t. It’s messy nostalgia with a hook so big it could tow a truck.
Screenshot from Closer, Columbia Records (2016)
Cheap Thrills
This track made “having fun on a budget” sound like a flex, which is a beautiful public service. It’s playful, punchy, and built for singing like you own the room. Bonus points for the way it makes you feel like your living room is a festival stage.
Screenshot from Cheap Thrills, RCA Records (2016)
7 Years
Few songs capture that tender ache of time passing quite like this one. It’s reflective without being smug, emotional without being syrupy, and it hits harder the older you get. It’s the musical version of staring out a window and pretending you’re in a movie.
Screenshot from 7 Years, Warner Bros. (2015)
Needed Me
Rihanna delivering emotional boundaries with the calm confidence of someone who already changed the locks. The production is sleek, the attitude is colder than your iced coffee in February, and it’s endlessly replayable. This is the anthem for anyone who’s ever said “I’m good” and meant “good luck”.
Screenshot from Needed Me, Roc Nation (2016)
My House
The title is the mission statement: this song is here to turn wherever you are into a party. It’s loud, bold, and built for stomping around like you’re hosting a music video. There’s zero subtlety here, and that’s the point.
Screenshot from My House, Atlantic Records (2015)
I Took A Pill In Ibiza
This one sneaks up on you—catchy at first, then suddenly it’s telling you the truth while you’re nodding along. It’s a song about fame and emptiness that somehow became a singalong, which is extremely 2016. It’s the rare bop that comes with an existential aftertaste.
Dana Beveridge, Wikimedia Commons
Work From Home
Flirty, confident, and engineered for maximum “are we…or aren’t we?” energy. It’s playful without trying too hard, and it knows exactly what it’s doing with that hook. Ironically, it also aged into a whole different meaning later on, which makes revisiting it even funnier.
Screenshot from Work From Home, Epic Records (2016)
This Is What You Came For
A glossy dance-pop track that feels like neon lights reflecting off a summer night. Rihanna floats through it like she’s effortlessly in charge of the weather. You don’t listen to this one quietly—you let it take over the room.
Screenshot from This Is What You Came For, Columbia Records (2016)
Cake By The Ocean
A song that’s basically a wink in musical form. It’s funky, goofy, and confidently ridiculous, which is why it works. This track tastes like a vacation you didn’t plan but absolutely needed.
Screenshot from Cake By The Ocean, Republic Records (2015)
Me, Myself & I
This one is for the era of curated confidence: you’re independent, unbothered, and maybe still checking your phone. The hook is clean, the mood is cool, and it nails that “I’m fine alone” energy even if it’s a little performative. In other words: deeply on brand.
Screenshot from Me, Myself & I, RCA Records (2015)
Ride
Twenty One Pilots had a gift for making introspection sound catchy, and “Ride” is proof. It’s upbeat but thoughtful, like your brain is dancing while your feelings sit in the corner taking notes. It’s the kind of song that makes you sing—and then think about why you’re singing.
Screenshot from Ride, Fueled by Ramen (2016)
Heathens
Dark, catchy, and oddly inviting—like a party hosted in a haunted house with excellent lighting. It has that cinematic tension that makes it feel bigger than a typical radio hit. Ending this list with “Heathens” just feels right: if 2016 is back, it’s bringing a little edge with it.
Screenshot from Heathens, Fueled by Ramen (2016)
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