Here’s What Readers Picked for Their Favorite Song of 2022

2022 saw the release of several smash singles, with the year kicking into overdrive with Harry Styles’ hit “As It Was,” which nabbed the No. 1 spot for 15 weeks. In later months, TikTok gave rise Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit,” before Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul” and Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” claimed the crown for the summer and winter months. But which hit was your favorite?

To find out, we polled our readers about which track from the past year was their favorite — which, of course, arrived after compiling our own 100 favorite songs of the year. The results are in, and the responses may surprise you.

The No. 1 favorite song of the year, according to readers, is Elton John and Britney Spears’ duet “Hold Me Closer.” The track, which debuted in August and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, secured a whopping 45% of the vote, likely thanks to fans voracious appetite for a much-deserved Britney comeback. Coming in at No. 2 is Wizkid’s “Bad to Me,” which followed with almost 25% of the vote. Rounding out the top five are Anitta’s “Envolver,” BLACKPINK’s “Shut Down” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Vicious.”

We have some more superstars among the top 10 too, including Styles’ megahit “As It Was” at No. 6, Taylor Swift’s Midnights lead single “Anti-Hero” at No. 7, Burna Boy’s “Last Last” at No. 8, Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” at No. 9, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance breakout hit “Cuff It” at No. 10. With 100 songs to choose from, these 10 hits are in elite company.

See the full results of the poll below, and check out the full Billboard staff list of the 100 best songs of 2022 here.