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Songs for the Billbored – Flotscrum Picks the Songs of the Year (1950-present)

An eclectic list of songs that the voices in my head have voted number one for each of the years from 1950 to present in head to head comparison with the number 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 over the same period.

Click (or tap) on any year to access Flotscrum’s choice of the best songs from that year.

YearFlotscrum #1Billboard PosBillboard #1
2024Can't Fix the World Toronzo Cannon~A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey
2023A Symptom of Being Human Shinedown
~Flowers by Miley Cyrus
2022
Zombified Falling in Reverse~Heat Waves by Glass Animal
2021
If This is the Last Time by Lany~Levitating by Dua Lipa
2020
Atlas Falls by Shine Down~Blinding Lights by Weeknd
2019
Living by Dierks Bentley~Old Town Road by Lil Nas X (Feat. Billy Ray Cyrus)
2018Burning Man by Dierks Bentley~Perfect by Ed Sheeran
2017Better Me by Montgomery Gentry~Shape of You by Ed Sheeran
2016Humble and Kind - Tim McGraw96Love Yourself - Justin Bieber
2015Wash It All Away - Five Finger Death Punch~Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson (feat. Bruno Mars)
2014Same Damn Life - Seether~Happy - Pharrell Williams
2013Kiss it Goodbye - Nickelback~Thrift Shop - Macklemore
2012Bitter End - Veer Union~Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye
2011Titanium - David Guetta & Sia~Rolling in the Deep - Adele
2010Need You Now - Lady Antebellum2Tik Tok - Kesha
2009

Burn It to the Ground - Nickelback~Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas
2008The Little Things - Danny Elfman~Low - Flo Rida (feat. T-Pain)
2007What I've Done - Linkin Park38Irreplaceable - Beyoncé
2006Not Ready To Make Nice - Dixie Chicks~Bad day - Daniel Powter
2005Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls9We Belong Together - Mariah Carey
2004The Reason - Hoobastank6Yeah - Usher (with Ludacris)
2003White Flag - Dido~In Da Club - 50 Cent
2002Dreamer - Ozzy Osbourne~How You Remind Me - Nickelback
2001Only Time - Enya59Hanging by a Moment - Lifehouse
2000Burn - Jo Dee Messina~Breathe - Faith Hill
1999The Bad Touch - The Bloodhound Gang~Believe - Cher
1998Believe in You - Amanda Marshall~Too Close - Next
1997Bitch - Meredith Brooks15Candle in the Wind 1997 - Elton John
1996Someone Who is Cool - The Odds~Macarena - Los del Río
1995Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman? - Bryan Adams16Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio (feat. L.V.)
1994Get Over it - The Eagles~The Sign - Ace of Base
1993Everybody Hurts - REM~I will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
1992Lost Together - Blue Rodeo~End of the Road - Boyz II Men
1991Heavy Fuel - Dire Straits~I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
1990Thunderstruck - AC/DC~Hold On - Wilson Phillips
1989The Road to Hell - Chris Rea~Look Away - Chicago
1988The Flame - Cheap Trick14Faith - George Michael
1987Alone - Heart2Walk Like An Egyptian - The Bangles
1986Who's Gonna Love You Tonight - David Foster~That's What Friends are For - Dionne Warwick & Friends
1985Smooth Operator - Sade62Careless Whisper - Wham!
1984Against All Odds - Phil Collins5When Doves Cry - Prince
1983Flashdance - What a Feeling3Every Breath You Take - The Police
1982Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson22Physical - Olivia Newton-John
1981Veteran of the Psychic Wars - Blue Öyster Cult~Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
1980Voices - Cheap Trick~Call Me - Blondie
1979Every Time I Think of You - The Babys89My Sharona - The Knack
1978Till It Shines - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band~Shadow Dancing - Andy Gibb
1977Evergreen - Barbra Streisand4Tonight's the Night - Rod Stewart
1976Dreamboat Annie - Heart~Silly Love Songs - Paul McCartney (Wings)
1975Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen18Love Will Keep Us Together - Captain & Tennille
1974When Will I See You Again - The Three Degrees75The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand
1973Dream On - Aerosmith~Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree - Tony Orlando and Dawn
1972If You Don't Know Me by Now - Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes~The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack
1971Burning Bridges - Mike Curb Congregation~Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
1970Fire and Rain - James Taylor67Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
1969Everbody's Talkin' - Harry Nilsson 73Sugar, Sugar - The Archies
1968Time of the Season - The Zombies39Hey Jude - The Beatles
1967
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield27To Sir With Love - Lulu
1966Wild Thing - The Troggs24Ballad of the Green Berets - SSgt. Barry Sadler
1965California Dreamin' - The Mamas & the Papas10Wooly Bully - Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs
1964You Really Got Me - The Kinks78I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles
1963Blowin' in the Wind - Peter, Paul and Mary17Sugar Shack - The Fireballs
1962Goin Down Slow - Howlin' Wolf~Stranger on the Shore - Acker Bilk
1961Big Bad John - Jimmy Dean86Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis
1960Big Iron - Marty Robbins~Theme from A Summer Place - Percy Faith
1959I Only Have Eyes for You - The Flamingos73The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
1958Its All In the Game - Tommy Edwards9Volare - Domenico Modugno
1957Chances Are – Johnny Mathis39All Shook Up - Elvis Presley
1956Roll Over Beethoven – Chuck Berry~Heartbreak Hotel - Elvis Presley
1955Only You – The Platters29Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado
1954You'll Never Walk Alone - Roy Hamilton~Little Things Mean a Lot - Kitty Kallen
1953Vaya con Dios – Les Paul & Mary Ford2The Song from Moulin Rouge - Percy Faith
1952You Belong to Me – Jo Stafford4Blue tango - Leroy Anderson
1951Anytime – Eddie Fisher12Too Young – Nat King Cole
1950Enjoy Yourself – Guy Lombardo & The Royal Canadians (feat. Kenny Gardner)~Goodnight Irene – Gordon Jenkins & The Weavers

Always the Luddite, Flotscrum ascribes to a philosophy where, it is better to march to a different drum when the drum du jour  is actually a drum machine.