Head back to 2016 with the biggest hits in the ROLI Learn app

Get your nostalgia fix with some era-defining songs

23 January 2026

Your guess is as good as ours as to why 2016 is on everyone’s minds lately. 2016 marked the birth of TikTok, Instagram Stories, and a slew of era-defining songs that are still etched into our collective memory to this day. Pop music was enjoying a renaissance of sorts. Genres clashed, and sonic borders were blurred between classical, EDM, tropical, and retro-funk; musicals were making a major return to the public zeitgeist, and an animated shark conquered the internet with greater force than most chart-toppers.

So, just like everyone else tapped into the internet (chronically online or otherwise), we’re taking our own trip down memory lane with songs in the ROLI Learn app. Revisiting these tracks now, a decade later, it's no surprise that they were hits at the time of their release, thanks to their infectious hooks, solid pop songwriting, and a timelessness uniquely their own. But, it can come as a bit of a shock—has that much time really passed?!

Childish Gambino — "Redbone"

When Childish Gambino released his third album, “Awaken, My Love!” in November 2016, Donald Glover traded trap for R&B, funk, and psychedelic sounds, embracing the tried-and-true method of pulling from the past for sonic reinvention. The lead single, Redbone, snuck into the airwaves with a sinister, hypnotic groove, a significant departure from his usual sound. This shift would influence artists in the years that followed, making Redbone one of the most talked-about and recognisable tracks of the year. The song’s cultural significance was further cemented by its use in the opening sequence of Jordan Peele’s modern horror classic Get Out, released in 2017.

While it was a sleeper hit, only debuting at #75 on the Billboard Charts in 2016, after reaching the status of viral meme, it re-entered the charts and peaked at #12 by August 2017. The song was remixed and reshared across the internet, and slowed and reverbed across countless TikToks — not to mention, it received three Grammy Award nominations, including Record of the Year at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, eventually winning Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Bruno Mars — “24K Magic”

Few artists captured pure pop magic quite like Bruno Mars did in 2016. With ‘24K Magic’, the lead single to an album that would later sweep the Grammys, including grabbing Album of the Year, Bruno Mars adopted the retro sounds of funk, R&B, and soul at a time when trap and tropical house dominated the charts. The deliberate nostalgic lean towards ’80s synths, talkbox effects, and session musician prowess would soon become a trademark of Mars’s sound. The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 top ten and went multi-platinum. In quite a timely fashion, Bruno Mars has returned this year with an extension of this sound on his latest single, ‘I Just Might’, for his new album ‘The Romantic’, due for release in 2026. Hey, if it works, it works.

The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey — “Closer”

You were guaranteed to hear the seemingly endlessly looping EDM chorus of ‘Closer’ blasting out of cars, bars, and shopping malls, and that’s exactly what made it such an earworm. With a minimalist beat and immediately sing-alongable chorus, The Chainsmokers and Halsey created one of Spotify’s most-played songs of all time and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for twelve weeks

Clean Bandit feat. Sean Paul and Anne‑Marie — “Rockabye”

Fusing dance-pop and Caribbean groove, chamber strings, ‘Rockabye’ became one of the UK’s defining hits of 2016. Anne-Marie’s warm vocal tone and Sean Paul’s unmistakable rhythmic lift (we should also note that 2016 marked a major cultural resurgence for Sean Paul; he’ll appear in this article again later) sent the track to number one for nine consecutive weeks—including, quite bizarrely, the coveted Christmas number one spot.

Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone — “City of Stars” (La La Land)

La La Land was a cultural phenomenon in 2016. With many citing the film as a return to the good old days of Hollywood musicals, ‘City of Stars’ stood as an anthem for those yearning for that bygone era. Sung with understated charm by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, the song became the movie’s emotional centrepiece and ultimately won both the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The solitary piano line and gentle jazz cadence were a delight for aspiring pianists, who adopted it almost immediately, with plenty of covers left in its wake. Plus, eagle-eyed ROLI fans may have noticed a Seaboard co-star alongside Ryan Gosling in a few La La Land scenes.

The Weeknd — “I Feel It Coming ft. Daft Punk”

In 2016, the release of Starboy marked the start of a new era for The Weeknd. Stylistically rooted in R&B and pop, The Weeknd cited artists like The Smiths, Talking Heads, and David Bowie as inspiration for his musical transformation, and incorporated elements of electronic, new wave, disco, and funk on the album. This is most clearly heard on his collaboration with the French electronic duo Daft Punk on ‘I Feel It Coming’. The song spent more than half a year on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually earned multi-platinum certifications. Given how ubiquitous sonic throwbacks to ’70s and ’80s sounds have become in music today, it’s fair to say The Weeknd was highly influential, opening the floodgates for other artists to follow suit.

Drake — “One Dance ft. WizKid and Kyla”

‘One Dance’ was a global juggernaut in 2016, becoming Drake’s first solo number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating charts worldwide. In the UK, it was the year’s best‑selling single thanks to its dancehall rhythms, marking a moment when afro-beats became integral to mainstream pop. Its infectious groove made it a fixture on dance floors and radio nonstop. Even years later, Drake's contribution of 'One Dance,' and WizKid's influence are often credited with helping bring Afro‑inspired rhythms to Western pop music.

Pinkfong — “Baby Shark”

You either love it or hate it, but it’s undeniable that few cultural phenomena have been quite as impactful as ‘Baby Shark’. Released as part of Pinkfong’s children’s content catalogue, the song eventually became the most-viewed YouTube video in history with more than 16 billion plays. By 2026, its ubiquity has become part of its legend; ‘Baby Shark’ is the prime example of how internet-era music can bypass the industry entirely and win through cultural saturation alone. We just hope the current 2016 nostalgia trend doesn’t spark a ‘Baby Shark’ revival…

Rag ’n’ Bone Man — “Human”

Rag ’n’ Bone Man’s bluesy vocal growl and soulful performance stood in stark contrast to the tropical dancefloor fillers and EDM beats dominating the charts during 2016. As a result, it was a welcome breath of fresh air. ‘Human’ climbed to number two on the UK charts and swept up multi-platinum certifications as well as a BRIT Award for British Single of the Year. A decade on, the single is one of the era’s clearest examples of a breakout single, whose universally felt lyrics “expressing the angst of the human condition and the inability of humans to be perfect” resonated with millions of listeners.

Sia — “Cheap Thrills”

After the success of hits like ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Elastic Heart, ’ Sia was already a household name, with a proven talent for writing hits. With ‘Cheap Thrills’, powered by a bouncing beat, her signature vocal lilt, and yet another feature from Sean Paul, the track topped the Billboard Hot 100, claiming her first number one as a lead artist, and became one of 2016’s best-selling singles worldwide. It still stands as one of the decade’s most durable pop earworms.

Justin Timberlake — “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”

If we weren’t already falling too deep down the nostalgia rabbit hole, the feeling comes twofold when we look back on one of the most pervasive film soundtracks of 2016. Latching on to the apparent nostalgia for the dolls with unruly, colorful hair, Dreamworks would release the first of their three-part Trolls feature film series, replete with an ensemble cast and Justin Timberlake on the soundtrack. ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling!’ became a universal mood-booster almost immediately, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating global charts throughout the year.

Like many of the tracks of 2016, the song pulled inspiration from the past, with an infectious disco-pop sound as colorful as the characters in the movie it came from. Some reviewers criticised its saccharine optimism, but audiences embraced it wholeheartedly, sending it to multi-platinum status and securing an Academy Award nomination.

Relive musical memories with ROLI Learn

Looking back, we’ll admit it, a lot of great songs came out in 2016. Taking a trip down memory lane through a playlist is a great way to relive the cultural moments that shaped formative times in our lives, and remind us of moments we may have forgotten. If you’re not brave enough to go through your phone camera roll and post those throwback pictures on your feed (some things are better left unseen), then tap into that 2016 nostalgia with a few songs you can play in the ROLI Learn app. We’ve curated a list below, and you can find them on the Home screen of the Learn app too.

Tunes from 2016

Alessia Cara – How Far I’ll Go (from Moana)
Billie Eilish – Quick Play – Ocean Eyes
Bruno Mars – 24k Magic
Childish Gambino – Redbone
Clean Bandit feat. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie – Rockabye
Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla – One Dance
Jonas Blue feat. JP Cooper – Perfect Strangers
John Legend – Love Me Now
Justin Hurwitz – Mia and Sebastian’s Theme (from La La Land)
Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop the Feeling
Little Mix feat. Jason Derulo – Quick Play – Secret Love Song
Ludovico Einaudi – Nuvole Bianche
Maroon 5 feat. Kendrick Lamar – Don’t Wanna Know
Pinkfong – Quick Play – Baby Shark
Rag 'n' Bone Man – Human
Ramin Djawadi – Light of the Seven (Game of Thrones)
Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone – City of Stars (from La La Land)
Sia – Cheap Thrills
Shawn Mendes – Treat You Better
The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey – Closer
The Weeknd – Die for You
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk – I Feel It Coming
The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk – Starboy
Zayn and Taylor Swift – I Don’t Wanna Live Forever

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