13 Songs That Thrive At The Top | Playlist 🎧

13 Songs That Thrive At The Top features music courtesy of bbno$, Beyoncé, Carpenters, Imagine Dragons, and Keni Burke.  

According to her royal highness, 🎙 Beyoncé, “Finally, you put my love on TOP!” Woo – good to know girl! The late, great 🎙 Karen Carpenter also has some thoughts on matters of the TOP: “The love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around / Your love’s put me at the TOP of the world.” #CLASSIC.  There’s also 🎙 Keni Burke, who encourages, “Stop losing, yeah losing / Keep risin’ to the TOP.” Rick Ross also made bold assertion about the TOP on 🎵 “Mafia Music”: “The rumors turn me on, I’m masturbatin’ at the TOP / These hoes so excited, so they catchin’ every drop.” 💿 Deeper Than Rap, indeed 😏.

Three of the four musicians contribute TOP-notch songs to 🎧 13 Songs That Thrive At The Top (Sorry Rick, it’s a no-go). In addition to Beyoncé, 🎙 Carpenters, and Keni Burke, 🎧 13 Songs That Thrive At The Top features music courtesy of 🎙 bbno$ and 🎙 Imagine Dragons among others.  So, without further ado, and certainly no more masturbation references, let’s ascend and thrive at the TOP with these 13 top-notch songs!

1. Mary J. Blige, “On Top”

💿 Good Morning Gorgeous • 🏷 Mary Jane Productions Inc. / 300 Entertainment • 📅 2022

“Ayy, who run it? (Who run it?) / Who run it? (Who run it?) / Be honest (Be honest) / One hundred (One hundred).” Listening to 🎵 “On Top”, it’s hard for me to believe that 🎙 Mary J. Blige is in her fifties. One of the hip-hop-driven numbers on her 🏆 Grammy-nominated album, 💿 Good Morning Gorgeous, MJB has all the confidence in the world. “Now I’m back and I’m better / Big step in Margiellas,” she asserts in the first verse, continuing, “Buss down sky dweller / My time a little better / Who run it?”  She goes on to tout the longevity of her career (true) and for good measure, some drip.  Interestingly, 🎛 Cool N Dre stitch up a drill production for the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. Of course, she eats! 🎙 Fivio Foreign assists, amplifying the confidence of this top-driven joint: “This is my city, I’m giving aggression / None of my shooters is getting arrested / Who run it? / Eight hundred, they buggin’ / Dare a nigga come and say some…” Woo!

Appears in 🔻:

• Mary J. Blige, “On Top”: Rap BNGRZ 🔥 8 (2022)
• Top: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 17 (2023)

2. Imagine Dragons, “On Top Of The World”

💿 Night Visions • 🏷 KIDinaKORNER / Interscope • 📅 2012

“‘Cause I’m on top of the world, hey /… Waiting on this for a while now / Paying my dues to the dirt.”  WOO! 🎙 Dan Reynolds, the front man of 🏆 Grammy-winning rock/pop band, 🎙 Imagine Dragons sings in inspired, powerful fashion on the band’s uplifting, 2012 hit, 🎵 “On Top Of The World.” “On Top of The World” appeared on their biggest album, 💿 Night Visions.  Yes, 🎵 “Radioactive” is ‘tops’ on Night Visions, but “On Top Of The World” is noteworthy too.

On “On Top of The World,” Reynolds sings about a number of relatable topics and provides sound advice from the jump.  For loved ones, he asserts in the first verse, “If you love somebody / Better tell them while they’re here ‘ cause / They just may run away from you.” On the one hand, it is important to give people their flowers while they are still alive. In regard to the running part, it seems to be the product of anxiety, which millions of people experience in any number of situations.  In the second verse, Reynolds sings about perseverance: “I could’ve gave up then, but / Then again, I couldn’t have ‘cause / I’ve traveled all this way for something.” Woo! In order to reach the top, you have to work for it, period. Another lyric, filled with encouragement stands out from this utterly sublime gem: “And it’s a long way up when you hit the ground, but / Get up, now, get up, get up, now.”

3. Lana Del Rey, “Fucked My Way Up to the Top”

💿 Ultraviolence • 🏷 Interscope • 📅 2014

“I fucked my way up to the top / This is my show…” Holy shiitake mushrooms 🍄, 🎙 Lana Del Rey! 🎵 “Fucked My Way Up to the Top” just might be the most controversial song from the 🏆 Grammy-nominated, singer/songwriter’s catalog. Listening to this explicit gem from 💿 Ultraviolence, it leaves the listener with questions.  No, there does not seem to be much doubt with the fact Del Rey slept around in an attempt to break through in the cutthroat music industry, but beyond this fuckery (😂), it is the shade that raises eyebrows: “I’m a dragon, you’re a whore / Don’t even know what you’re good for / Mimicking me’s a fucking bore.” Shots fired! Who were they thrown at? Most people point at 🎙 Lorde, with some sus Lana Del Rey Twitter activity at the time Ultraviolence was released. 🎙 Taylor Swift has been thrown out there, but, on 💿 Midnights, Swift and Del Rey joined forces on the marvelous “Snow On The Beach” so… Still, “Fucked My Way Up to the Top” remains a top-notch Lana Del Rey song.

Appears in 🔻:

• Top: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 17 (2023)

4. bbno$, “top gun”

💿 bag or die • 🏷 bbno$ • 📅 2022 

“Honestly, I’ve got nothing against Tom Cruise, but…fuck Tom Cruise. And that’s all I have to say about this song!” 🎙 bbno$ (Alexander Leon Gumuchian) comments to Apple Music regarding his colorful, top song, 🎵 “top gun”. Um… okurrr! “Top gun” arrives as the second track on 💿 bag or die, the 2022 album by the Canadian rapper.  Quite the character, bbno$ doesn’t fail to compel on this brief cut.  Notably, “top gun” features intriguing production work by 🎛 Diamond Pistols. More intriguing, however, are the confident, outlandish, and humorous rhymes, which should be taken with a grain of salt 😏. The chorus takes the cake, as to be expected:

“Your lady thirsty, don’t show mercy

She too curvy, controversy

She suck my D, cure her scurvy

She so mad, she Eddie Murphy

Call her mommy (She call me daddy)

She bad and boujee (Downton Abbey)

I’m poppin’ tags (I’m poppin’ tags)

I’m in this bitch (We makin’ slappers).”

No further analysis or explanation necessary… “Dick game average, but I know how to thrust” 🍆 💦.

Appears in 🔻:

• Top: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 17 (2023)

5. Gloria Gaynor, “Back On Top”

💿 Testimony • 🏷 Spring House Productions, Inc. • 📅 2019

“Now I’m back on top / Like I never fell off / I took some knock down punches, but I’m still standing strong.” Hallelujah 🙌! Although set in a minor key, 🎵 “Back On Top”, a highlight from the 2019, 🎙 Gloria Gaynor gospel album, 💿 Testimony, is an exuberant profession of faith.  Although the 🏆 Grammy winner (best known for her disco records) has been through her fair share of adversity, she is ‘back on top’ and thanks God for it on this spiritual gem!

“I had a front row seat on a roller coaster ride, you got that right,” she sings in the first verse, adding, “I kept on hoping things would change but I finally realized the devil’s a liar.” Yes! Say that, say that! In the second verse, Gaynor asserts, “Thought I would never see the light of day from under that rock, then I heard that knock / It was Jesus, sweet Jesus.” Of course, it is the chorus that serves as the centerpiece, with the verses leading up to the victory lap.  Still, the bridge section is delightful and uplifting too, where Gaynor delivers shrewd advice: “Keep praying when you can’t get up / Have faith when the going gets rough / Yeah, you gotta keep on running / Soon you gonna reach that summit.” Besides a spirited performance and thoughtful lyrics, the production and sound is awesome – uplifting as well! 🎵 “Back On Top” gives us soulfulness that fits both the R&B and gospel world with its piano ostinato, soaring organ, and biting horn riffs.

Appears in 🔻:

• Gloria Gaynor, “Back On Top”: Music Lifts 🎶 🏋 No. 14 (2023)

6. DJ Khaled, “Top Off” (Ft. Jay-Z, Future & Beyoncé)

💿 Father of Asahd • 🏷 We the Best / Epic • 📅 2019

🎵 “Top Off”, released in March 2018, marked one of the best moments from 💿 Father of Asahd, the 2019 album by 🎙 DJ Khaled.  On this ‘convertible’ gem, the WE THE BEST hype man secures the services off 🎙 Jay-Z, 🎙 Future, and 🎙 Beyoncé  🤩! All four musicians are 🏆 Grammy winners! “Top Off” is set in a minor key and features dramatic production work including malicious synths. At the top, the listener is served up with a silly intro by Jay-Z, as well as shout-outs from DJ Khaled. The intro is followed by a repetitive, autotune heavy hook by Future.  The lack of profundity by Future is real: “I took the top off the Maybach.” Okay… Eventually, Hov delivers agile, hard-nosed, and tough-minded rhymes. Beyoncé ends up being the biggest surprise. After dropping somewhat warm vocals, she changes course with tougher, more explicit, pop-rap styled vocals. Arguably, she outperforms her hubby and Future.  Honestly, I don’t think it’s even arguable. Bow down!

Appears in 🔻:

• 10 Absolutely Alluring Songs About Cars (2020)
• Top: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 17 (2023)

7. Carpenters, “Top Of The World”

💿 A Song For You • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 1972

“There is only one wish on my mind / When this day is through I hope that I will find…” 🎙 Carpenters – siblings 🎙 Karen Carpenter (1950 – 1983) and 🎙 Richard Carpenter (1946 – ) – were a musical force, PERIOD.  All told, the 🏆 Grammy-winning duo’s gentle brand of pop earned them 12 top-10 hits, with three of those top-10s being no. 1s.  After scoring a no. 1 hit with 🎵 “(They Long To Be) Close To You” in 1970, they’d score their second no. 1 with 🎵 “Top Of The World” in 1973, spending two weeks on top. “Top Of The World” appeared on their 1972 album, 💿 A Song For You.

Finishing off the excerpted verse, Karen sings, “That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me / All I need will be mine if you are here.” Sigh, she sings with incredible ease – nothing forced.  Her voice is clear and angelic.  After blessing us with her compelling lead, she gets lovely supporting vocals (Richard) during the tuneful chorus:

“I’m on the top of the world looking down on creation

And the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I’ve found ever since you’ve been around

Your love’s put me at the top of the world.”

Of course, the verses are sweet too, with Karen radiating with her breezy approach. Rightfully, Karen’s vocals and brilliant songwriting (Richard Carpenter and 🎼 ✍ John Bettis) earn substantial praise on this once in a lifetime classic. That said, the music – the instrumental – deserves plenty of love, too.  “Top Of The World” was produced by 🎛 Jack Daugherty.  The aesthetic created is celestial in itself.  “Top Of The World” has this sensational blend of pop with a dash of country/folk thrown in. There are keys, pedal steel, and strings that complement the sophisticated lead of Karen. Five decades after its arrival, 🎵 “Top Of The World” remains an epic, timeless record.

Appears in 🔻:

• Carpenters, “Top Of The World”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 36 (2023)

8. Shawn Mendes, “Top of The World”

💿 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack • 🏷 UMG Recordings, Inc. • 📅 2022

When I picture the handsome, hunky, and most importantly, talented 🎙 Shawn Mendes, it is NOT as a crocodile! However, for the film 🎦 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, I suppose the 🏆 Grammy-nominated pop star had to do what he had to do as Lyle, the crocodile 🐊. Anyways, in addition to getting Mendes to voice Lyle, they also got him to sing 🎵 “Top of The World,” which appears at the top of the original motion picture soundtrack.  So, what does the crocodilian singer have to say? Well, apparently, “There are wonders that are waiting / Underneath the midnight sky / … A little space for you and I.” Woo! Furthermore, per the chorus, Lyle asserts, “At the top of the world tonight / Where no one ever has to hide / At the top of the world tonight / You’re sittin’ safe and starry-eyed.” My, my, my, isn’t that a surefire vibe? As always, Mendes sounds great, even if he is a crocodile and doesn’t happen to be flaunting those abs this time around…

9. Rihanna, “Higher”

💿 Anti • 🏷 Roc Nation • 📅 2016 

“You take me higher, higher than I’ve ever been, babe / Just come over, let’s pour a drink, babe / I hope I ain’t calling you too late, too late.” One of the best songs from 💿 Anti, the 2016 album by 🎙 Rihanna,  clocks in at just about two-minutes in length.  That’s right, 🎵 “Higher” is short, but more importantly, incredibly sweet [Note: higher is a synonym for top]. “Higher” is brilliant from start to finish.  First and foremost, Rihanna sings with an incredibly raspy, distinct tone, which complements the drunkenness of which she sings about (“This whiskey got me feelin’ pretty”) and her longing for his company (“I just really need your ass with me”).  Beyond her awesome tone, honesty, and excellent personality exhibited, the production is sick.  Why? “Higher” thrives off its old-school sound, a backdrop that Rihanna sounds superb singing against. The crème de la crème is the chorus (excerpted above).

Appears in 🔻:

• 14 Songs Sure to Lift You Higher (2019)

10. Trey Songz, “Top Of The World”

💿 Anticipation II • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 2020

“If I could, I would bring the whole hood to the top of the world with me,” 🎙 Trey Songz sings on 🎵 “Top Of The World”. He adds in the memorable chorus, “Here’s my world, for free, I’m tryna give you what you came to see, yeah.” As always, the handsome, sex-loving R&B singer is in excellence voice on this gem appears on his 2011mixtape – rereleased in 2020 – 💿 Anticipation II.  On “Top Of The World,” Trey has several things on his mind. Topics include money (“I ain’t talking short bread, girl, I’m with that major K”), sex (“Staring at your body, goddamn your sexy body”), and potentially providing what others need to be successful that they can’t seem to attain… something along those lines.  Sure, Trey gloats when it comes to the drip and the women he beds that other guys can’t but there are some wise words thrown in too. Beyond the entertainment value of the lyrics, especially the chorus, the production and sound of the record earn high marks too. 

11. Beyoncé, “Love On Top”

💿 4 • 🏷 Columbia • 📅 2011

“Baby, it’s you, you’re the one I love / You’re the one I need, you’re the only one I see…” If there is one album in the 🎙 Beyoncé discography that is considered ‘divisive,’ it is likely 💿 4 from 2011. The album has no shortage of strong songs, yet, at the time, it felt different for the 🏆 highly decorated R&B/pop diva. One of the best moments from 4 is 🎵 “Love On Top”, which originally appeared as the eighth track on the album.  Check streaming services these days with the expanded version, and you’ll notice that “Love On Top” now appears as the opening song, as opposed to 🎵 “1+1”.  Regardless of placement, “Love On Top” is tops on 4.

Queen Bey’s vocals always give, so it’s unsurprising that “Love On Top” serves up a TOP-notch performance.  Furthermore, she collaborates with a formidable songwriting team: 🎼 ✍ Terius Nash (The-Dream) and Shea Taylor (also produces with Beyoncé).  The result is an R&B record that balances past and present seamlessly.  One of the best features from a musicianship perspective is the use of modulation.  It seems far too often many artists are afraid of key changes these days. For Bey and “Love On Top,” those modulations are a godsend – a truly awesome accentuation! Of course, when it all comes down to it, it is Beyoncé’s voice, and those love dedicated lyrics – “Finally [Jay-Z], you put my love on top!”

12. Keni Burke, “Risin’ to the Top”

💿 Changes • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1982

“Give it all you got / You gotta wake up your body.” Sometimes, the beat – the groove – is enough to solidify a song’s hit status. 🎙 Keni Burke, initially known as a member of 🎙 Five Stairsteps, delivered one of those gems where the groove cemented the musical legacy. 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top”, from Burke’s 1982 album, 💿 Changes, is nothing short of a surefire vibe.  If you opt for the 7” Version,  you miss out on the build-up of the intro (the 5-minute version is the one to beat).  Beyond the beat, the bass line is among the most elite you’ll ever hear, often outlining an F minor 9 chord. Furthermore, the keys are utterly sublime giving “Risin’ to the Top” a jazzy, soul aesthetic. Soul is alive and well on this early 80s cut but it also shows evolution to a new breed of R&B. The color of the backdrop is one of the biggest selling points, making this Burke joint a popular source of sampling.

It is NOT only the instrumental that makes “Risin’ to the Top” hot. Vocally, Burke serves up compelling lead vocals – both smooth and soulful.  Furthermore, the backing vocals up the ante.  Then, of course, there is the songwriting, with plenty of memorable lyrics to complement the tuneful melody and impressive backdrop.  “Stop losing, yeah losing / Keep risin’ to the top,” Burke asserts at the end of the first verse, prior to encouraging the waking of your body.  The third verse is a prime example of the rise: “Big time illusions / Create a lot of confusion / But the time has finally come / Let’s get it done / Keep moving, yeah moving.” More than 40 years later, 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top” continues to be the definition of an R&B classic. It deserved to be a pop hit, yet, it only reached the R&B charts. Nonetheless, the legacy of the record, written by Burke, 🎼 ✍ Norma Jean Wright, and Allan Felder, is enduring 💪.

Appears in 🔻:

• Keni Burke, “Risin’ to the Top”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 33 (2023)
• Top: 3 to 5 BOPS No. 17 (2023)

13. Ricky Dillard, “He’s My Roof Top (Live)” (Ft. Keith Wonderboy Johnson)

💿 Choirmaster • 🏷 Motown Gospel • 📅 2020

Gospel music speaks most to believers, but even the most unapologetic religious skeptic would be hard-pressed to deny the spirit cultivated on 🎵 “He’s My Roof Top (Live).” The fifth song on 💿 Choirmaster, the 2020 album by 🏆 Grammy-nominated gospel standout 🎙 Ricky Dillard isn’t brand-new. It’s an enhanced cover of 🎙 The Mighty Clouds of Joy staple, 🎵 “He’s My Rooftop”, from the 1983 album, 💿 Sing and Shout.  The Mighty Clouds of Joy version was funky in its own right – a progressive sound for contemporary black gospel music at the time. Here, we focus on the awesome take by Dillard, who enlists the awesome 🎙 Keith Wonderboy Johnson for the vocal assist.   

Where the original clocked in at five minutes, Ricky Dillard and company go eight-and-a-half minutes and man, oh, man, is it energetic, funky, and high-flying to the nth degree.  The backing band kills it, particularly the bassist! Characterizing it as spirited is an understatement – it’s that potent.  Lyrically, the themes are familiar and idiomatic of black gospel: God is my all, and “I’m gonna serve him.” Again, regardless of whether you’re particularly pious or not religious at all, it’s hard to deny the power of this song, not to mention the rooftop metaphor (“For he’s my rooftop in the rage of the storm / He’s my protector, there will never be no harm”).

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: May 2020
• 11 Songs That Provide That Spiritual Refresh (2020)
• The Mighty Clouds of Joy vs. Ricky Dillard: Head 2 Head 🗣️ 20 (2021)
• 13 Ear Catching Covers, Vol. 2 (2021)

13 Songs That Thrive At The Top [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; bbno$, Interscope, KIDinaKORNER, Mary Jane Productions Inc. / 300 Entertainment, Motown Gospel, RCA, Spring House Productions, Inc., UMG Recordings, Inc., We the Best / Epic; Billel Moula via Pexels]