Tag: drake

Revisit the Biggest Songs, Artists, and Cultural Moments of the Last 10 Years with Spotify’s ‘The Decade Wrapped’ Podcast

December 16, 2019

With 2020 right around the corner—and the 2010s coming to a close—we’re taking a journey through the last decade in music with a new original podcast, The Decade Wrapped.

The podcast’s host, Eric Eddings, will be joined by critics, comedians, influencers, and writers as they look back at the music stories that defined pop culture between 2010 and 2019. This 10-episode series incorporates data and insights from Spotify’s popular Wrapped campaign. Launched earlier this month, the campaign revealed through personal Wrapped e-cards what our listeners have been streaming—not only over 2019, but over the past decade—as well as what the world listened to during that time. 

The first three episodes are available starting today, December 16, in the U.S. (The next seven episodes will be released daily over the course of the week.) Get a taste for the episode topics and featured songs:

2010: Nicki Minaj Tells Us to “Check It Out”/Female-Driven Pop

In the early 2010s, women like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Katy Perry took the stage . . . but no one matched the omnipresence of Nicki Minaj. Before even dropping a full album, she was featured on tracks by Lil Wayne, Kanye, will.i.am, and Gucci Mane. Her debut album, Pink Friday, didn’t disappoint—and over the years she became a force in hip-hop.

2011: One Direction (Re)invents the Stan

In 2011, British boy band One Direction recorded their first album, released “What Makes You Beautiful,” and finished up their first tour. One Direction’s teen audience was fully internet literate and ready to make the band their own. Fanfiction and fanart take flight. So of course we had no choice but to stan.

2012: “Gangnam Style” Introduces K-Pop to the U.S.

One of the most-watched videos in the history of YouTube, “Gangnam Style” set the stage for K-Pop hits like BTS to come. The song, which has been streamed over 208 million times on Spotify, is credited with bringing Korean culture into the American mainstream.

2013: Harlem Shake[s the Internet]

If there was any year that your grandma might be caught dancing to an EDM song, 2013 was it. The “Harlem Shake” showcased the immense viral power of crossover appeal and memes, and the song became a mainstream number-one hit, with more than 2.1 million streams on Spotify. The 2010s were the decade of user-created content—and this song embodied that ideal.

2014: “Uptown Funk” and Taylor Swift Go Retro

In 2014, the 1980s came back to the top of the charts as Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” and Mark Ronson’s “Uptown Funk,” featuring Bruno Mars, battled for number one. “Uptown Funk” propelled producers to the forefront; it became one of Ronson’s biggest hits and underscored the increasingly key role of producers in music then and today.

2015: Kendrick’s To Pimp A Butterfly Takes Flight, Drake Has the Biggest Year Ever, and Hamilton Shoots Its Shot

There were three differing perspectives on what the biggest musical story of 2015 was. Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly cemented Lamar as a cultural icon as it examined race, discrimination, anger, and violence. Meanwhile, Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and his diss track feud with Meek Mill fueled a massive year for him. And Lin-Manuel Miranda turned Broadway upside down when his hip-hop musical Hamilton exploded as a hit inside and outside the theater.

2016: Beyoncé Drops Lemonade

 With her release of Lemonade, Beyoncé solidified her status as a powerful force in music. Lemonade appeared to divulge intimate details about her life while at the same time commenting on black life in America. It was universally praised for its personal and political content—and also for crossing genres. Its controversial snub at the Grammys also marked the beginning of a broader conversation around recognizing black musicians.

2017: “Despacito” Gets All the Views

In 2017, “Despacito,” a catchy song from Luis Fonzi and Daddy Yankee, crossed a huge milestone to become the most-watched video. Not music video. Video. Oh, and it surpassed 1.3 billion streams on Spotify, making it the first Spanish-language song to reach the billion-stream milestone. 

2018: “thank u, next” and the Evolution of Ariana Grande

The year 2018 was all about Ariana Grande. She returned to music with the One Love Manchester concert and came out on top with “thank u, next,” proving that music has the power to help us process, heal, and face what’s next.

2019: The Yeehaw Agenda

The end of the decade gave us giant breakthroughs for two artists. For Lizzo, it’s a story of years of hard work that culminated in the artist’s becoming a mainstay in the mainstream. And for Lil Nas X, it was the perfect storm of a catchy song on TikTok and a cowboy hat.  

Take it all the way back with a listen to the first episode on Nicki Minaj and female-driven pop below.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4C9SyDbX6N7HfgxYAVs9NP?si=DSOxhIGkQsa7bQGpREV_cw

¡Viva Latino! Live Miami Assembles Stellar Line-up with Bad Bunny, Nicky Jam and Others

June 10, 2019

There’s no denying that Latin music—replete with infectious hooks and hip-swaying rhythm to spare—has claimed a spot among the most popular genres in the U.S., Spotify’s ¡Viva Latino! Playlist, which shares Latin anthems like Bad Bunny’s “MIA (feat. Drake)” that have topped more than half a billion streams each, is en route to surpass 10 million followers on Spotify, making it the third most followed playlist on the platform.

Music has a unique quality. It possesses the power to inspire and connect us with the creators and artists who move our souls. In the spirit of that connective power, last year we introduced our ¡Viva Latino! Live series in Chicago. On August 30th, with renowned hitmakers Bad Bunny and Nicky Jam as headliners, Spotify is taking the series to the cultural epicenter of the Latinx community – Miami.

Like “el ritmo” that defines the genre, we don’t see Latin music’s popularity waning any time soon. Latin artists continue to grow within the Global Top 100, seeing a staggering 250% increase in representation since 2014. In the last two years alone, we’ve seen an average 33% year over year increase in streams of Latin music. In fact, ¡Viva Latino! is growing at a rate 5 times quicker than any other playlist in Spotify’s Top 1000 Playlists.

“When Spotify approached me to be part of the first Viva Latino live last year I was truly honored,” says Bad Bunny. “To once again be a part of this mega experience is truly incredible. This year we are going to be on a whole other level.”

¡Viva Latino! Live Miami takes over American Airlines Arena on August 30, 2019. This installment in the series also marks the first time one of our live shows will offer ¡Viva Latino! superfans access to pre-sale tickets through www.VivaLatinoLive.com. A group of superfans in the Miami-area will be given early access to secure their spots. So, if you’re local and a fan of the show’s artist line-up, be on the lookout for an email from Spotify to see if you’re one of the lucky few! Then, don’t forget to head over to the ¡Viva Latino! playlist to get yourself hyped for the show.

Tickets will be available on Ticketmaster.com with presale beginning Tuesday, June 11 at 10:00 am ET. General sale will begin on Friday, June 14, 2019 at 10:00 am ET.

Additional artists will be announced in the coming weeks, so be sure to follow @VivaLatino on Instagram and @SpotifyLatino on Twitter for the latest developments.

Celebrating a Decade of Discovery on Spotify

October 10, 2018

It’s been 10 years since Spotify officially launched for fans—and new music and artist discovery has never been the same. We built our Swedish company to create a legal, better alternative to piracy—one that helps to fairly compensate artists for their work and shape music listening and sharing via streaming.

Since October 2008, fans all over the world have enjoyed a decade of music discovery, finding new artists and tracks to fall in love with and rediscovering old favorites. Playlists such as Discover Weekly and Release Radar make finding a new song or hearing a new band as easy as opening the Spotify app and pressing play. We are now the largest music-streaming service in the world, but we remain as laser-focused on connecting fans with artists and helping them to build their careers as we were on day one.

We now have 180 million monthly active listeners across 65 countries. And as of August 31, 2018, we have paid over 10 billion euros to rights holders since launch. Music fans on Spotify can enjoy our music library of over 40 million songs and podcasts, and 3 billion-plus user-created playlists. And to date, over 2,000 genres have been identified on Spotify, among them Wonky (electronic music characterized by synths with unusual time signatures), Shimmer Pop (a Swedish cousin of indie pop and indietronica), and British Blues (the blues … with a British flavor).

Since launch, we’ve also found that “listening diversity,” or the number of artists the average user streams per month, has risen on Spotify over the past 10 years at an average of about 8 percent per year. In the past three years alone, listening diversity increased about 40 percent on the strength of new personalized and editorial playlists—meaning people are listening to an increased number of artists on a regular basis.

Between Spotify’s expert-curated playlists, such as ¡Viva Latino!, Hot Country, and RapCaviar, as well as personalized playlists such as Discover Weekly and Daily Mix, we’ve helped music fans discover a world of new artists, allowing us to pursue our goal of supporting one million creators.

In honor of this important milestone, we’re unveiling our lists of the most-streamed artists and songs, milestones and achievements, and most influential genres over the past 10 years. Take a closer look:

 

Most-streamed song each year since Spotify launch

2008: The Killers – “Human”

2009: The Black Eyed Peas – “I Gotta Feeling”

2010: Eminem, Rihanna – “Love The Way You Lie”

2011: Don Omar, Lucenzo – “Danza Kuduro”

2012: Gotye, Kimbra – “Somebody That I Used To Know”

2013: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – “Can’t Hold Us” (feat. Ray Dalton)

2014: Pharrell Williams – “Happy” – from Despicable Me 2

2015: Major Lazer, MØ, DJ Snake – “Lean On”

2016: Drake – “One Dance”

2017: Ed Sheeran – “Shape of You”

Top-streamed artists of all time

1. Drake

2. Ed Sheeran

3. Eminem

4. The Weeknd

5. Rihanna

6. Kanye West

7. Coldplay

8. Justin Bieber

9. Calvin Harris

10. Ariana Grande

Most-streamed songs of all time

1. Ed Sheeran – “Shape Of You’”

2. Drake – “One Dance”

3. The Chainsmokers, Halsey – “Closer”

4. Post Malone – “rockstar” (feat. 21 Savage)

5. Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”

6. Major Lazer, MØ, DJ Snake – “Lean On”

7. Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber – “Despacito – Remix’”

8. Justin Bieber – “Love Yourself”

9. Justin Bieber – “Sorry”

10. The Chainsmokers – “Don’t Let Me Down”

First 10 artists to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify

1. Rihanna (2013)

2. David Guetta (2013)

3. Eminem (2013)

4. Kanye West (2014)

5. Avicii (2014)

6. Coldplay (2014)

7. JAY Z (2014)

8. Katy Perry (2014)

9. Drake (2014)

10. Pitbull (2014)

Most-streamed albums globally

1. Ed Sheeran – ÷

2. Justin Bieber – Purpose

3. Drake – Views

4. Ed Sheeran – x

5. Post Malone – beerbongs & bentleys

6. The Weeknd – Starboy

7. Drake – Scorpion

8. The Weeknd – Beauty Behind The Madness

9. Post Malone – Stoney

10. Kendrick Lamar – DAMN.

Most-streamed female artists globally

1. Rihanna

2. Ariana Grande

3. Sia

4. Beyoncé

5. Nicki Minaj

6. Adele

7. Taylor Swift

8. Selena Gomez

9. Katy Perry

10. Shakira

Total time streamed on Spotify: 16,858,080 years

Total tracks now on Spotify: 40M+

Total playlists now on Spotify: 3B+

October 2008 Flashback – top global track, artist, and album:

Most-streamed track: Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”

Most-streamed artist: Lady Gaga

Most-streamed album: Coldplay – Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends

To continue celebrating with us, check out our Decade of Discovery playlist, which features the most-streamed songs over the past 10 years on Spotify, including favorites like Avicii’s “Wake Me Up,” Hozier’s “Take Me To Church,” Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.,” Rihanna’s “Work,” Sia’s “Chandelier,” Major Lazer’s “Lean On,” the star-studded “Despacito Remix,” and more.

 

The Most Streamed Songs of Summer 2018

August 27, 2018

It was the plea heard around the world; “Kiki, do you love me?”

The line not only set the stage for a viral dance challenge, but served as the standout lyric of 2018’s most streamed song of the summer – “In My Feelings” by Drake. The track, from the artist’s smash double album Scorpion, streamed more than 393 million times between June 1 and August 20.

Maroon 5’s ballad “Girls Like You” (featuring Cardi B) is the second most-streamed song of the summer, with about 293 million streams, and Cardi B’s “I Like It” (featuring J Balvin and Bad Bunny) came in a close third with more than 289 million streams for the same time period. (Kudos to the new mom for being behind two out of three of Summer’s biggest hits!).

Our list of top summer streaming jams also includes dance tracks such as “One Kiss” by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa and “Solo” by Clean Bandit(featuring Demi Lovato)—both especially popular across Europe—as well as 5 Seconds of Summer’s pop-rock anthem “Youngblood.” Ariana Grande’s track “no tears left to cry” was a mainstay on our charts throughout the summer as the singer’s lead single off Sweetener, one of August’s most anticipated albums.

Summer 2018 can also be defined by its breakout stars, perhaps most notably Juice WRLD, a 19-year-old Chicago rapper whose track “Lucid Dreams” has been a consistent presence on Spotify’s global chart for the last two months.

“Juice WRLD is undoubtedly the breakout star of the summer,” says Carl Chery, Spotify’s Head of Urban Music. “His rise was one of the quickest in recent memory but his music has proven to have staying power. His knack for melodies and his willingness to be vulnerable on songs like ‘Lucid Dreams’ connected with his audience in a real way.”

Latin jam “Te Boté – Remix” has also emerged as a top summer track globally, led by world stage newcomer Nio Garcia, a Puerto Rican dancer-turned-rapper (the track also features artists Casper Magico, Darrell, Ozuna, Bad Bunny and Nicky Jam). Between June 1 and August 20, “Te Boté – Remix” was the most streamed song in 9 countries, including Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica.

“The current music landscape is much more diverse than it has ever been, and that’s why we’re able to witness these smash breakthroughs from an artist like Nio Garcia,” says Rocio Guerrero, Spotify’s Head of Global Cultures. “Songs like ‘Te Boté’ and ‘Asesina’ from Brytiago and Darell are connecting to listeners globally. It’s not just Latin people listening —there is a captive, worldwide audience fully embracing reggaeton and Latin trap, so it’s not surprising to see ‘Te Boté’ find a place at the top of the charts this summer.”

Check out Spotify’s List of Top Global Songs of Summer 2018:

More than Magic: Behind Our 2018 Songs of Summer Predictions

May 23, 2018

If you’re looking to get a head start on the songs that will rock this summer’s hazy airwaves, there’s no need to consult a crystal ball. We used our own tarot cards, palm lines, constellations, and tea leaves to divine the season’s standouts.

Okay, not quite—but we do have a solid track record of predicting the most listened-to songs of summer, calling out hits like Luis Fonsi, Justin Bieber, and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” remix, Drake’s “One Dance” and Calvin Harris’ “Summer”—all songs that have dominated summer streaming.

Magic aside, creating this list of summer crowd-pleasers is no easy task—we’re pulling a very select number of songs from thousands of options. There are plenty of factors to consider across a range of musical categories, so we consult Spotify’s own genre experts. Those genre experts span pop, hip-hop, latin, country, rock, and electronica, and they’re behind some of your favorite playlists, from RapCaviar and Hot Country to Today’s Top Hits. As music experts, they shine a light on exactly what’s trending.

Overall, predicting the Songs of Summer is a full a team effort. We look for:

  • Songs on an upward trajectory: Recent hits played more and more with no sign of slowing down are likely to carry that momentum into the summer.
  • Songs with strong engagement in key Spotify playlists: How well a song is doing in influential playlists (are listeners saving it and not skipping it?) gives us a good indication of hit potential.
  • Songs with strong chart performance: We can see how a track is performing in relation to all others through our charts – if it rises to the top, it will rise with the summer heat.
  • Songs with momentum driving them: If an artist is getting ready to tour, drop a new album, or if the song is highly anticipated, it’s more likely to command playlists.
  • Songs generating buzz: Is it making headlines for being the first of its kind, particularly relevant, or created by an up-and-coming artist? (Think Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.”) Those factors will probably continue to drive its success.
  • Songs that just sound like summer: Is it beach, poolside, or backyard-party-worthy? We know ‘em when we hear ‘em.
  • Songs that our gut tells us to go for: We go with our instincts. Some songs just have that inexplicable summer magic.

Historically, songs that end up being summer hits fall into a few of these categories. Last year, “Despacito – Remix” was the undisputed song of the summer, with more than 786 million streams during the summer months. According to Shanon Cook, Trends Expert at Spotify, “Despacito” was a rare find.

“‘Despacito’ was such an interesting song-of-the-summer story. Not only did the track have a summery – and saucy – reggaeton vibe, but it sustained itself as one of Spotify’s top-streamed global songs for about 10 weeks. And because it originated as a latin music track, ‘Despacito’ brought with it this wonderful cross-cultural narrative that got everyone talking.”

With these considerations in mind, we’ve conjured up this year’s song of the summer predictions, one of which we think will most likely be crowned The One when we reflect back in August (but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.)

See for yourself:

According to Cook, this summer’s leading contenders fit easily into the top hits criteria, from Calvin Harris to Camila Cabello.

“Cardi B’s ‘I Like It’ screams summer jam, and it’s hard to overlook Calvin Harris’ ‘One Kiss’ as the dance-pop track that will be ubiquitous from now until August. Both are doing really well on our global chart at the moment. The brand new Camila Cabello-Pharrell Williams collaboration ‘Sangria Wine’ could really take off, and no doubt Drake will be soundtracking our summers with ‘Nice for What’ or a new release in the coming weeks.”

So get out your flip-flops, put on those sunglasses, and start summer early with our 2018 Songs of Summer playlist.

Moms Listen to Top Artists, Too—Just Ask Latham Thomas and Her Teen DJ Son

May 11, 2018

Wondering what to add to your mom’s breakfast-in-bed Spotify playlist this Mother’s Day? It might not be so different from what you’d add to your own. Spotify’s latest data on the top artists for women between the ages of 20 and 70-plus show that hits are hits—no matter what your age.

In a list of top listened-to artists by gender and age group, Post Malone and Ed Sheeran take the top two slots for women ages 30 through 59, with Drake, Avicii, and Adele also scoring high. For women 60 and up, it’s all about Ed Sheeran and perennial favorite The Beatles.

Parents have a big opportunity to influence what their kids listen to, and based on the data, it looks like the next generation is repaying the favor by keeping Mom in the musical know.

Take the musical preferences of Latham Thomas, wellness and lifestyle specialist and founder of Mama Glow. Latham and her 14-year-old son, Fulano Librizzi—an accomplished DJ and musician who has spun for everyone from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to the New York Knicks—both get down to Stevie Wonder, but also thrive on sharing everything from jazz to J. Cole.

We spoke to Latham about what her family is listening to now, and how to bridge the generation gap with the right tunes.

What are your early memories of music?

My mom was always playing music; she would throw on a record and make pancakes in the morning. Especially on weekends, it was Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Diana Ross. I went to my first Prince concert when I was 3, and Sheila E threw her drumsticks in the audience and my aunt caught them. My whole childhood was always punctuated with music.

How did you begin sharing your love of music with your son, Fulano?

When I was pregnant with my son, his father had a radio show on WKCR [in New York City] called “Jazz Alternatives.” We would hang out in the studio and pull records that looked interesting­­. We had Sicilian tarantellas, blues like Lead Belly, Sun Ra, Funkadelic, and Parliament—which my son loves now. He would actually kick to the rhythm of certain things. I think playing a lot of different music for him definitely helped with shaping his aptitude. Not only is he a DJ, he arranges music; he plays guitar and bass, ukulele. I think all those instruments also help him with understanding how to create a song. It’s nice to be able to know that just our passion and love for music helped to shape him to be very musical.

Does Fulano now introduce you to new music?

Yes. All the music that is current, I only know because of my son. He’s the one who’s like, “Oh, you’ve got to listen to J. Cole, you’ve got to listen to Migos.” I find out about a lot of indie or underground artists. He’ll play me a list of stuff and say, “This is really big right now” or, “This person’s on the come up.” I don’t know all the names, but I stay in the pulse that way.

What songs are at the top of both of your playlists right now?

We both maintain a lot of the same soul classics, like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. As far as the more current music, we both have been listening to J. Cole. We both like Cardi B.

How can parents better get along musically with their kids?

If you have a different musical style than your kids, spend some time and get to know who the artists are that they’re listening to, because those people are definitely influencing them. It’s a point of entry for conversation and connection, and it’s a point of coolness for you. Every generation has music that the previous generation just doesn’t get. But if you can gather around what matters to kids, you can ride the soundtrack of their lives and get to know better what’s happening in their own world. Music just has that ability to make people come together.

Happy Mother’s Day!

TIME’s 2018 Most Influential People Share the Songs That Inspire Them—From Dylan to Drake

April 19, 2018

They’re the people you’d love to invite to dinner, the friends in your head, the thought leaders you follow, the sages who expand your worldview—and of course, their Spotify playlists are worth checking out.

From global leader­­­s and CEOs to musicians, movie stars and athletes, these pioneers, artists, leaders, titans and icons comprise this year’s 2018 TIME 100, TIME’s annual list of 100 of the most influential people in the world. Of course, we wanted to know what they’re listening to as they change and evolve culture.

When TIME asked many of the influencers on the TIME 100 list—including “Wonder Woman” Gal Gadot, journalist Ronan Farrow and Parkland student and activist Emma González—to share a song that inspires them, the result was a mix just as eclectic as their talents. Below are songs from 35 influencers and excerpts about why they’re inspirational. Whether it’s Broadway or B.I.G., you’ll want to listen to them all.

1. “Sometimes It Snows in April,” Prince

“It reminds me that specificity engenders empathy, that hearing the detailed, sad lament of a specific person can make the listener, regardless of who they are, feel pain and love and longing.”

— Jesmyn Ward, author

2. “Children and Art,” from Sunday in the Park with George

“It punches me in the gut for a multitude of reasons but ultimately because it is about legacy (a concept I am now frequently occupied with), and what we leave behind when we’re gone.”

— Sonia Friedman, theater producer

3. “Lose Yourself,” Eminem

“The simple message of taking advantage or your opportunity, seizing the moment and not letting it slip away, resonated with me and helped drive me to accomplish all of my wildest dreams and then some.”

— J.J. Watt, NFL player

4. “Be a Lion,” Diana Ross & Ted Ross, from the soundtrack to The Wiz

“This work is hard. I sometimes sing this song at the top of my lungs as a way of reminding myself that I am committing to being a lion.”

— Tarana Burke, activist and Me Too founder

5. “Words Fail,” from Dear Evan Hansen

“Reminds me that to step out into the sun… you have to stop hiding.”

— Hugh Jackman, actor

6. “Blackbird,” The Beatles

“I can hear it a thousand times. It doesn’t matter where I am, what I’m doing, or how I feel. It will always make me feel good.”

— Gal Gadot, actor

7. “The Secret O’ Life,” James Taylor

“It really does contain the secret of life which, quite simply, is ‘enjoying the passage of time.’”

— Jimmy Kimmel, comedian

8. “Wheels of a Dream,” from Ragtime

“Coalhouse Walker Jr. is an extraordinary character: a black man at the turn of the century who dares to believe that the American Dream was meant for him as much as it was intended for any other American.”

— Sterling K. Brown, actor

9. “Juicy,” Notorious B.I.G.

“It’s a song about overcoming adversity in the hood and living a life you never dreamed.”

— Trevor Noah, comedian and author

10. “Stand Up for Something,” Andra Day and Common

“I’m inspired by the lyrics of this song because they encourage me to stand up for what I believe in, speak truth to power, be my authentic self and to love, even when hateful people put so much energy into demonizing me.”

— Cristina Jiménez, activist

11. “A Sky Full of Stars,” Coldplay

“It is the perfect song at the end of a good week’s practice or for a victory car ride home with the team. It makes me happy and feel alive.”

— Roger Federer, tennis player

12. “Badlands,” Bruce Springsteen

“It offers a great, urgent reminder to not settle — plus, it’s very satisfying to sing loudly.”

— Cindy Holland, VP of Original Content at Netflix

13. “Anthem,” Leonard Cohen

“The chorus lyrics inspire me because, at their essence, I think they’re about recognizing our own failures and shortcomings—embracing them rather than hiding from them.”

— Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO

14. “God’s Plan,” Drake

“The song itself is great but the video gave it a whole new life and meaning, and I think it reminds people that there are a lot of ways you can make a difference in other people’s lives.”

— Kevin Durant, NBA player

15. “Fast Car,” Tracy Chapman

“It is like a time machine, always taking me back to listening to it with my dad. The lyrics speak to so much, but more than anything they speak to the cyclical quality of the human condition.”

— Ryan Coogler, director and writer

16. “Time,” The Burned

“I was listening to it in a spin class, as I was in my own private Idaho, wondering if I had waited too long for everything— love, children…and the chorus came on: ‘I hope there is time for everything.’ Please listen to it. I bet you cry.”

— Hoda Kotb, Today co-host

17. “Take It to the Limit,” The Eagles

“I just think it is one of the greatest rock anthems ever. It takes me back to summer vacation with my family in the 1970s driving to the beach in the back of my dad’s truck through Sonora, Mexico.”

— Savannah Guthrie, Today co-host

18. “Thunder Road,” Bruce Springsteen

“Whenever I’m down, I throw this on. It’s Bruce asking Mary to hop in the car with him and drive. The song is full of longing, excitement, danger and hope. In short, inspiration.”

— Kumail Nanjiani, actor, writer and producer

19. “Things Have Changed,” Bob Dylan

“It’s about having reached the point in life when you’re a little jaded, a little fed up, and you decide to just do it your way. I love the defiance. Believe in yourself and where you’re going; don’t worry about the others.”

— Ann McKee, neuropathologist

20. “Imagine,” John Lennon

“It’s such a beautiful song about making the world a better place. It’s a shame that such a talented man was lost to gun violence.”

— Alex Wind, Parkland student and activist

21. “The Times They are a-Changin’,” Bob Dylan

“Hearing it at the march made me feel like we were at the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our country’s history.“

— Cameron Kasky, Parkland student and activist

22. “When I Look at the World,” U2

“It reminds me how many amazing people there are in the world.“

— David Hogg, Parkland student and activist

23. “Stick To Your Guns,” Watsky

“The connecting thread is a timeline of shootings in America (specifically a mass school shooting). The first part is spoken from the point of view of the shooter, the second is from those in the media, and the third is the robotic voice of a politician.”

— Emma González, Parkland student and activist

24. “Yellow,” Coldplay

“It inspires me to keep fighting for the 17 people we lost. The lyrics — ‘look at the stars, look how they shine for you’ — remind me that they are watching over us constantly. They are the 17 brightest stars in the sky.”

— Jaclyn Corin, Parkland student and activist

25. “Home,” Diana Ross

“We are all searching for spaces where we are truly seen, heard, loved and affirmed for who we are—and this song is a powerful reminder that we can be those spaces for ourselves.”

— Janet Mock, author and activist

26. “God Only Knows,” The Beach Boys

“One of my favorite songs of all time. It is track eight on Pet Sounds, which is why I wanted to have my song ‘Rainbow’ be track eight on my album of the same name. I think Pet Sounds is one of the most brilliant albums ever made.”

— Kesha, singer and songwriter

27. “Stop This Train,” John Mayer

“It takes a very complex human emotion, the feeling that you’re not in control, and puts it into such a simple context in a way that is really a mastery of songwriting.”

— Shawn Mendes, singer and songwriter

28. “What’s Going On,” Marvin Gaye

“It was an intellectual song that questioned peace and violence and war, and I just thought that it was something that needed to be talked about. For a popular musician to put it into words, it caused people to have to think about what’s going on in the world.”

— Maxine Waters, U.S. Representative from California

29. “We Used to Wait,” Arcade Fire

“It’s about life pre- and post-Internet, about what it was like to wait for a letter or newspaper to arrive, to crave the information and contact. When we’re old the young’uns will interview us about what that old world used to be like.”

— Jodi Kantor, journalist

30. “Modern Girl,” Sleater-Kinney

“With its stripped-down acoustics and lyrics that walk a fine line between anger and restraint, Sleater-Kinney’s ‘Modern Girl’ is a song that I find myself returning to over and over and over again.”

— Megan Twohey, journalist

31. “Ode to Billie Joe,” Bobbie Gentry

“I think ‘Ode to Billie Joe’ by Bobbie Gentry is essentially a perfect piece of songwriting, for the way it transports you to a time and place and, with incredible economy, tells a complicated and personal story.”

— Ronan Farrow, journalist

32. “I Will Always Love You,” Whitney Houston

“Ever since Whitney’s passing the song has taken on a whole new meaning. It reminds us that her voice was once the eighth wonder of the world and even though she’s gone we still wish her joy and happiness, but most of all this… we wish her love.”

— Lena Waithe, writer, producer and actor

33. “Where Is The Love?” The Black Eyed Peas

“This song was released in 2003 — a year before I was even born! — but it was song that I grew up listening to. It wasn’t until I was older that I really understood the lyrics. It inspires me every day to use my voice to help make changes in the world.”

— Millie Bobby Brown, actor

34. “A Case of You,” Joni Mitchell

“Listening to the song always transforms my mood. I find it lulling and heartbreaking at the same time, and the inventiveness of her lyrics and how they take you on a meandering journey while evoking the most visceral imagery is pure brilliance.”

— Kevin Kwan, author

35. “Here Comes the Sun,” The Beatles

“My parents used to play it for us as kids every morning during breakfast and the nostalgic love I have for it has made it only more special over the years. During my wedding last fall it was raining like crazy and I was beginning to come to terms with the fact that I was going to have a damp ceremony. Then, a couple of my bridesmaids played the song in the dressing room and right on cue, the sun came! I can only imagine how many times that song will come to my rescue again.”

— Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble founder and CEO

The full 2018 Time 100 list and related tributes appear in the April 30, 2018 issue of TIME (on newsstands Friday, April 20, and now at http://time.com/100).