Each week, we use this column to break down major takeaways from the latest Billboard albums and singles charts. But it seems like a good week to break down a larger question about the charts circa ...

What makes a great song of the summer? Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words “summer,” “sunshine,” or another synonym — “California” — in ...

Alex Warren’s chart-topping ballad “Ordinary” is this summer’s most popular song by the numbers, but critics and music fans have lamented that this summer seemed to have few breakout hits as the ...

In 2025, the song of the summer is no longer a singular designation but a window into how music consumption and culture writ large has become increasingly fragmented. With monoculture dead, any number ...

Gone are the sweaty days when “Not Like Us” lit up parties nationwide, uniting Drake dissers everywhere. There are manchildren and daisies and animated anthems from “KPop Demon Hunters,” but nothing ...

Devon Powers says there is one significant data point no one has considered in the debate around 2025’s Song of the Summer, or rather, why there doesn’t really seem to be one this year: Donald Trump.

Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 8, Rolling Stone is breaking down 13 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy ...