Some say cultural or societal events affect music, so we will go through the years and see what is going on, the music that was popular and see what you think regarding this.
CULTURAL, SOCIETAL AND MAJOR EVENTS THAT HAPPENED IN 2018
Cultural:
#MeToo movement goes global: The #MeToo movement, which began in 2017, gained even more momentum in 2018, with women from all over the world coming forward to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault. The movement led to a number of high-profile resignations and firings, and raised awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual violence.
Beyoncé makes Coachella history: Beyoncé became the first black woman to headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2018. Her performance was widely praised as being a powerful and groundbreaking celebration of black culture.
Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: Prince Harry, the sixth in line to the British throne, married American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. The wedding was watched by millions of people around the world, and was celebrated as a symbol of diversity and inclusion.
Black Panther becomes a global phenomenon: The Marvel superhero film Black Panther was released in February 2018, and quickly became a global phenomenon. The film, which featured a predominantly black cast and crew, was praised for its groundbreaking representation of black culture and its celebration of black empowerment.
Societal:
March for Our Lives: In March 2018, hundreds of thousands of students and adults took to the streets in Washington, D.C. and other cities around the world to call for stricter gun control laws. The March for Our Lives movement was sparked by the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people.
National Memorial for Peace and Justice opens: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, a memorial to the victims of lynching in the United States, opened in Montgomery, Alabama, in April 2018. The memorial is the first of its kind in the country, and is a powerful reminder of the legacy of racial violence in America.
Midterm elections: The 2018 midterm elections were one of the most important in recent history, with Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years. The elections were seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump and his policies, and were also marked by record turnout among young people and women.
Major events:
Winter Olympics: The 2018 Winter Olympics were held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February. The games were marked by a number of historical moments, including the first-ever joint team from North and South Korea, and the first woman to win gold in snowboard big air.
FIFA World Cup: The 2018 FIFA World Cup was held in Russia in June and July. France defeated Croatia in the final to win the tournament for the second time in their history.
G7 summit: The 2018 G7 summit, a meeting of the leaders of the seven most industrialized countries in the world, was held in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada, in June. The summit was marked by disagreements between President Trump and the other leaders on a number of issues, including trade and climate change.
These are just a few of the many notable cultural, societal, and major events that happened in 2018. It was a year of great change and upheaval, but also of hope and progress.
TOP 40 SONGS OF 2018
- God’s Plan – Drake
- Rockstar – Post Malone ft. 21 Savage
- Psycho – Post Malone ft. Ty Dolla Sign
- This Is Me – Keala Settle (from The Greatest Showman)
- Shot in the Dark – AC/DC
- Havana – Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug
- I Like It – Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
- Girls Like You – Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B
- Perfect – Ed Sheeran
- Pray For Me – The Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar
- IDGAF – Dua Lipa
- New Rules – Dua Lipa
- Better Now – Post Malone
- Happier – Ed Sheeran
- Finesse – Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B
- The Greatest Show – Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron & Michelle Williams (from The Greatest Showman)
- Rewrite the Stars – Zac Efron & Zendaya (from The Greatest Showman)
- Never Be the Same – Camila Cabello
- No Tears Left to Cry – Ariana Grande
- These Days – Rudimental ft. Macklemore, Jess Glynne & Dan Caplen
- Mi Gente – J Balvin & Willy William ft. Beyoncé
- In My Feelings – Drake
- Sicko Mode – Travis Scott ft. Drake
- Nice for What – Drake
- Sunflower – Post Malone & Swae Lee
- Youngblood – 5 Seconds of Summer
- Lucid Dreams – Juice Wrld
- Bad Guy – Billie Eilish
- Without Me – Halsey
- All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey
- Delicate – Taylor Swift
- Meant to Be – Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
- I Fall Apart – Post Malone
- Boogie Down – Ed Sheeran
- Kiss and Make Up – BLACKPINK ft. Dua Lipa
- One Kiss – Calvin Harris & Dua Lipa
- Taste – Tyga ft. Offset
- Eastside – Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid
- I Fall Apart – Post Malone
- Love Lies – Khalid & Normani
TOP ALTERNATIVE AIRPLAY SONGS OF 2018
- High Hopes – Panic! at the Disco
- Broken – lovelytheband
- Sit Next to Me – Foster the People
- Africa – Weezer
- Whatever It Takes – Imagine Dragons
- Feel It Still – Portugal. The Man
- Monsters – All Time Low ft. Blackbear
- My Ex’s Best Friend – Machine Gun Kelly ft. Blackbear
- Happier – Ed Sheeran
- Youngblood – 5 Seconds of Summer
This list reflects the popularity of pop-punk and alternative rock in 2018, as well as the continued success of established artists like Panic! at the Disco, Imagine Dragons, and Ed Sheeran. It is also worth noting that several of the songs on this list were collaborations between different artists, which suggests that collaborations were a trend in alternative music in 2018.
TOP ROCK AND ROLL SONGS OF 2018
- Bulletproof – Shinedown
- High Hopes – Panic! at the Disco
- Mind Your Manners – Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators
- Driving Rain – Foo Fighters
- Life to Fix – Greta Van Fleet
- Night Shift – Shinedown
- Come On to Me – The Offspring
- Beverly – The Black Keys
- Everything I Learned I Learned From Rock And Roll – Greta Van Fleet
- Right to Roam – Ozzy Osbourne
- Spin Our Wheels – The Struts
- Don’t Stop (If It Feels Good Do It) – Greta Van Fleet
- Skinhead Rock & Roll – The Glorious Sons
- We Want a War – The Glorious Sons
This list reflects the diversity of the rock and roll genre, with songs from a variety of subgenres, including hard rock, alternative rock, and garage rock. It is also worth noting that several of the songs on this list were from debut or second albums, which suggests that there is a lot of new and exciting talent in the rock and roll scene.
TOP CHRISTIAN ROCK SONGS OF 2018
- Hosanna (Praise Is Rising) – Hillsong Worship
- O Come to the Altar – Elevation Worship
- Reckless Love – Cory Asbury
- What a Beautiful Name – Hillsong Worship
- Old Church Choir – Zach Williams
- Even If – MercyMe
- All My Hope – Crowder ft. Brooke Fraser
- Broken Things – Matthew West
- Different – Micah Tyler
- The Price of Agony – Fit for a King
- Misery Game – Glasslands
- Warlike – Remedy Drive
This list reflects the popularity of worship music and contemporary Christian rock in 2018. It is also worth noting that several of the songs on this list were from established artists, such as Hillsong Worship, MercyMe, and Matthew West. However, there are also some newer artists on the list, such as Cory Asbury and Zach Williams, which suggests that there is a lot of new and exciting talent in the Christian rock scene.
SOME COMMON THEMES IN SONGS OF THE 2018 BILLBOARD HOT 100
Love and relationships: This is a classic theme that is always popular in music, and it was no different in 2018. Songs like “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, and “Youngblood” by 5 Seconds of Summer all deal with different aspects of love and relationships, from falling in love to breaking up and moving on.
Self-love and empowerment: Another popular theme in 2018 was self-love and empowerment. Songs like “I Like It” by Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin, “IDGAF” by Dua Lipa, and “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish all celebrate female empowerment and self-confidence.
Social and political issues: Some songs on the 2018 Billboard Hot 100 also addressed social and political issues. For example, the song “This Is America” by Childish Gambino is a powerful commentary on racism and gun violence in the United States. And the song “Pray For Me” by The Weeknd ft. Kendrick Lamar is a prayer for the world in the face of violence and injustice.
In addition to these specific themes, many of the songs on the 2018 Billboard Hot 100 were also characterized by their catchy melodies, upbeat tempos, and positive messages. These songs were designed to make people feel good and dance, and they were successful in doing so.
Overall, the songs on the 2018 Billboard Hot 100 reflected the diverse and eclectic music scene at the time. There was something for everyone on the chart, from pop and hip hop to rock and country.
MOST POPULAR MUSIC GENRES OF 2018
The most popular music genres of 2018 were:
- Hip hop and R&B
- Pop
- Rock
- Country
- Electronic dance music (EDM)
These genres were consistently popular throughout the year, and were represented by some of the biggest artists in the world, including Drake, Cardi B, Post Malone, Ed Sheeran, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Imagine Dragons, and Luke Bryan.
Hip hop and R&B were particularly popular in 2018, with Drake and Cardi B being the top two artists on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 chart. Pop was also very popular, with songs like “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B and “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran topping the charts for weeks on end. Rock and country also had their fair share of hits, with bands like Imagine Dragons and artists like Luke Bryan having successful albums and singles. And EDM continued to be a popular genre for clubbing and dancing, with artists like Calvin Harris and Martin Garrix releasing some of the biggest dance hits of the year.
In addition to these five main genres, there were also a number of other genres that were popular in 2018, including Latin music, Latin pop, and K-pop. These genres were represented by artists like J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and BTS, who all had successful albums and singles in 2018.
Overall, the music scene in 2018 was very diverse, with a wide range of genres and artists being popular. There was something for everyone to enjoy, no matter what their taste in music.
The music genre that became more known in 2018 is K-pop. K-pop, or Korean pop music, is a genre of popular music that originated in South Korea. It is characterized by its catchy melodies, elaborate dance routines, and stylish fashion.
K-pop had been gaining popularity in recent years, but it really broke through into the mainstream in 2018. This was due in part to the success of groups like BTS and BLACKPINK, who both had major hits in 2018. BTS’s song “Fake Love” became the first K-pop song to reach number one on the Billboard Digital Songs chart, and BLACKPINK’s song “DDU-DU DDU-DU” became the most-viewed music video by a K-pop group on YouTube.
The success of BTS and BLACKPINK helped to introduce K-pop to a wider audience, and the genre quickly became one of the most popular in the world. In 2018, K-pop accounted for 3.8% of the global music market, up from 2.6% in 2017.
K-pop’s popularity in 2018 was also due to the rise of social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. These platforms allowed fans to easily discover and share K-pop music and videos. K-pop also benefited from the fact that many of its biggest stars are active on social media, which allows them to connect with their fans on a personal level.
Overall, 2018 was a breakthrough year for K-pop. The genre became more known around the world and gained a huge following of fans. It is likely that K-pop will continue to grow in popularity in the years to come.
