What a year for urban music lovers! 2016 brought us so many amazing r&b songs that we couldn’t get enough of. And that’s why we compiled this playlist with top R&B songs of 2016 for you!
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From smooth ballads to upbeat jams, these songs had it all: great melodies, clever lyrics, and soulful vocals. We’ve compiled the 50 best r&b songs of 2016 for you to enjoy and explore. This is the ultimate playlist for r&b fans! Don’t miss out on this fantastic selection of songs!
About The Playlist
Whether you like R&B love songs or more of an upbeat sing-along, this playlist has it for you. Despite containing 50 songs that are all noteworthy, we highlight the top three R&B bangers for you.
“Don’t Mind” by Kent Jones
Are you ready for some awesome music? Let’s kick off with Kent Jones, number three on the list. With his song “Don’t Mind,” he stormed the charts in 2016.
The song is about how he loves women from all over the world, no matter what language they speak. He sings in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Haitian Creole to show his appreciation for different cultures and beauty.
It’s a catchy and upbeat tune that will make you want to dance and sing along. Don’t mind if I do!
Music Charts Performance
Kent Jones rose to fame with his 2016 hit single “Don’t Mind”. The song is a catchy and upbeat R&B track that features Jones singing in different languages to express his admiration for various women.
Kent samples the 1997 song “Luv Me, Luv Me” by Shaggy and Janet Jackson, and also interpolates the 2007 song “Whine Up” by Kat DeLuna and Elephant Man.
The song was well received by critics and fans alike, who praised its infectious hook and multicultural appeal. And of course, it also performed well on the charts, reaching the top 10 in several countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
“Don’t Mind” was certified platinum by the RIAA and became Jones’ first and only solo hit to date. The song also earned him a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards.
“All The Way Up” by Fat Joe
Okay, time for our number two from the list of best R&B songs of 2016. This is none other than Fat Joe with the song “All The Way Up”.
This song is about living life to the fullest, celebrating success, and not letting anyone bring you down. It features catchy lyrics, a catchy beat, and a catchy hook that will make you want to dance and sing along.
Fat Joe is joined by Remy Ma, French Montana, and Infared on this track, which was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
This song is a perfect example of how R&B can be fun, energetic, and inspiring. Let’s listen to it now and get all the way up!
Performance ‘All The Way Up’ in Music Charts
“All the Way Up” by American rappers Fat Joe and Remy Ma, featuring American rappers French Montana and Infared was released on March 2, 2016 as the first single from their collaborative album Plata O Plomo.
The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 59th Grammy Awards.
The song peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Fat Joe’s first top 40 hit since his 2007 hit “I Won’t Tell”, as well as the only top 40 for Remy Ma as a solo artist and French Montana’s second biggest hit.
In France, the song peaked at number 85, becoming Fat Joe’s first chart entry in that country since 2002’s “What’s Luv?”, featuring Ashanti.
In February 2021, the song was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and streaming equivalent units of over three million copies in the United States.
The song also spawned several remixes, featuring artists such as Jay Z, David Guetta, GLOWINTHEDARK, Snoop Dogg, The Game, E-40, Park Jae-beom, Kalassy Nikoff, Mikael Lozach, and Johan Ishak.
“Desiigner” by Panda
And now for the song that really stood out in 2016. Our number one. This is Panda with his hit “Desiigner!”
This song is about living the high life, driving expensive cars, wearing designer clothes, and having a lot of money. It’s a catchy and energetic rap song that showcases Panda’s unique style and voice.
He uses a lot of ad-libs and sounds to create a fun and lively atmosphere. The song also samples a popular track from the movie “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift“, adding to its appeal and popularity.
This song is a perfect example of how hip-hop music can be creative and innovative, while still being fun and enjoyable.
Panda has definitely made his mark on the music scene with this hit, and we can’t wait to hear more from him in the future. This is “Desiigner” by Panda, our number-one song of 2016!
Performance of “Desiigner” in Music Charts
But how big was the success of “Desiigner” really in 2016? How did Panda’s song perform on the major music charts?
Panda was released as a single in December 2015, and quickly gained popularity online, especially on platforms like SoundCloud and YouTube.
The song features a catchy hook, a trap beat, and a heavy use of ad-libs by Desiigner. The lyrics are mostly about his love for luxury cars, especially the BMW X6, which he calls a “panda” because of its black-and-white color scheme.
Panda reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 2016, becoming Desiigner’s first and only song to do so. It also topped the charts in Canada, New Zealand, and the UK R&B chart.
It was certified five times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance. Panda also received positive reviews from critics, who praised its energy, production, and originality.
Some even compared Desiigner to Future, another popular rapper who is known for his use of auto-tune and ad-libs.
Panda was undoubtedly one of the biggest songs of 2016, and it propelled Desiigner to fame and recognition. However, some have argued that Panda was also a one-hit wonder, as Desiigner failed to replicate its success with his subsequent releases.
Panda remains Desiigner’s most popular and influential song to date, and it has left a lasting impact on the rap scene and the culture at large.
It has been sampled, remixed, parodied, and referenced by many artists and celebrities, such as Kanye West, Lil Kim, Jimmy Fallon, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.
It has also inspired memes, dances, challenges, and merchandise. Panda is a testament to Desiigner’s talent and potential, as well as to the power of viral marketing and social media.
Top 10 R&B Songs 2016
- Panda – Desiigner
- All The Way Up (Remix) – Fat Joe
- Don’t Mind – Kent Jones
- Congratulations – Post Malone
- One Dance – Drake
- goosebumps – Travis Scott
- For Free (ft. Drake) – DJ Khaled
- All Night (ft. Knox Fortune) – Chance the Rapper
- I Got the Keys (ft. Jay-Z & Future) – DJ Khaled
- 2 Phones – Kevin Gates
List of Best R&B Songs 2016
| # | Title - Artist |
|---|---|
| 1 | Panda - Desiigner |
| 2 | All The Way Up (Remix) - Fat Joe |
| 3 | Don't Mind - Kent Jones |
| 4 | Congratulations - Post Malone |
| 5 | One Dance - Drake |
| 6 | goosebumps - Travis Scott |
| 7 | For Free (ft. Drake) - DJ Khaled |
| 8 | All Night (ft. Knox Fortune) - Chance the Rapper |
| 9 | I Got the Keys (ft. Jay-Z & Future) - DJ Khaled |
| 10 | 2 Phones - Kevin Gates |
| 11 | Juju on That Beat (TZ Anthem) - Zay Hilfigerrr |
| 12 | Wavy (ft. Joe Moses) - Ty Dolla $ign |
| 13 | LUV - Tory Lanez |
| 14 | Too Good - Drake |
| 15 | Do You Mind (ft. Nicki Minaj - Chris Brown |
| 16 | Bad and Boujee (ft. Lil Uzi Vert) - Migos |
| 17 | Why You Always Hatin? - YG |
| 18 | Fade - Kanye West |
| 19 | No Problem (ft. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz) - Chance the Rapper |
| 20 | All Eyez (ft. Jeremih) - The Game |
| 21 | Down In the DM (ft. Nicki Minaj) - Yo Gotti |
| 22 | Bounce Back - Big Sean |
| 23 | Broccoli - Shelley FKA DRAM |
| 24 | Famous - Kanye West |
| 25 | Want Her - Mustard |
| 26 | No Shopping (ft. Drake) - French Montana |
| 27 | Wicked - Future |
| 28 | I'm The Man - 50 Cent |
| 29 | Twist My Fingaz - YG |
| 30 | Down In the DM - Yo Gotti |
| 31 | Really Really - Kevin Gates |
| 32 | Black Beatles - Rae Sremmurd |
| 33 | New Level (ft. Future) - A$AP Ferg |
| 34 | Both (ft. Drake) - Gucci Mane |
| 35 | Low Life (ft. The Weeknd) - Future |
| 36 | S.D.E. - Dave East |
| 37 | Law (ft. E-40) - Yo Gotti |
| 38 | Right Back - DJ Drama |
| 39 | Bounce - 2 Chainz |
| 40 | Nas Album Done (ft. Nas) - DJ Khaled |
| 41 | pick up the phone - Young Thug |
| 42 | Out My Face - Bankroll Mafia |
| 43 | Wake Up - Fetty Wap |
| 44 | Pop Style - Drake |
| 45 | All The Way Up - Fat Joe |
| 46 | Pt. 2 - Kanye West |
| 47 | Sneakin' - Drake |
| 48 | Bankrolls on Deck - Bankroll Mafia |
| 49 | Lil Baby - Mustard |
| 50 | Lockjaw (ft. Kodak Black) - French Montana |
You can find more playlists of this genre by clicking on the following link: Urban playlists!
Spotify Playlist
Do you like this playlist? In that case, we highly recommend our playlists featuring the best of hip-hop from the year 2015 and 2017!
Youtube Playlist
Final Thought – Top R&B Songs of 2016
As we conclude our review of the best r&b songs from the year 2016, we would like to share our final thoughts on the genre and our playlist.
R&b is a diverse and dynamic musical style that blends elements of soul, funk, pop, hip-hop, and more. It has a rich history and a vibrant present, with artists from different backgrounds and influences creating songs that express their emotions, experiences, and perspectives.
In 2016, we witnessed some of the most innovative and captivating r&b songs ever! Our playlist reflects this diversity and quality of r&b music in 2016, featuring songs that showcase the best of the genre in terms of vocals, production, lyrics, and mood.
We hope you enjoyed listening to our playlist as much as we enjoyed creating it. Thank you for joining us on this musical journey.
