Billboard’s Top 20 Songs of 2017: Swimming Edition

Photo Courtesy: Kelly Lennon

By Chandler Brandes, Swimming World College Intern.

A few weeks ago, Billboard released their top 100 best songs of 2017. These are the songs playing on the radio during practice, stuck in our heads as we swim back and forth, on repeat during bus rides to meets and blasting in our headphones before a race.

Here are the top 20 songs of 2017, with a bit of a swimming twist.

20. Francis & the Lights ft. Chance the Rapper: “May I Have This Dance” (Remix)

“You must have been born with two right feet”

This is singling swimmers out: we should never try running and should strictly stick to the water.

19. Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug: “Havana”

“Havana, ooh na-na
Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh na-na”

This really has nothing to do with swimming, but boy, does this song get stuck in your head during practice.

18. Kesha: “Praying”

“Well, you almost had me fooled…”

When you think practice is going to be recovery but it’s actually really, really hard. You fooled us, Coach.

17. Zedd & Alessia Cara: “Stay”

“I could give you a thousand reasons why
But you’re going and you know that”

When your alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m., you automatically think of a thousand reasons to skip practice and stay in bed. No matter how tempting going back to sleep is, you always end up rolling out of bed and making your way to the pool.

16. Future: “Mask Off”

“Intermission, never take a break”

No timeouts or breaks in swimming.

15. Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert: “Bad and Boujee”

“We came from nothin’ to somethin’”

There’s no better feeling than improving upon your seed time, your team scoring more points than expected, or being the outside smoke. Everyone loves the underdog.

14. Childish Gambino: “Redbone”

“I wake up feeling like you won’t play right”

You know when you wake up for practice and you can just feel that your coach is going to make practice extra hard? Especially during training trip…

13. Lorde: “Green Light”

“I know about what you did and I wanna scream the truth”

When you know that one teammate keeps pulling on the lane line during backstroke and Coach asks who did it but you don’t want to be a tattletale…

12. Khalid: “Location”

“I don’t need nothing else but you”

After practice, you don’t need anything but a huge plate of food. Then another one. And maybe even one more.

11. Julia Michaels: “Issues”

“I could love you just like that
And I can leave you just as fast”

Swimming: a love-hate relationship. Some days you love it, other days you’re ready to hang up your suit for good.

10. Portugal. The Man: “Feel It Still”

“Might be over now, but I feel it still”

After a really hard practice or lift, you’re tired, fatigued and your entire body hurts. Even when practice is long over, you still feel the aftermath the next day.

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

“You don’t have to run, I know what you’ve been through”

Finally—someone who understands that swimming is enough and we shouldn’t have to run for extra cardio.

8. Harry Styles: “Sign of the Times”

“Just stop your crying, it’ll be alright
They told me that the end is near
We gotta get away from here”

Your goggles are filled with tears, your arms are burning, you can’t move your legs anymore. But you look at the clock, and thank goodness, practice is almost done. Just a few more laps…

7. J Balvin & Willy William ft. Beyoncé: “Mi Gente” (Remix)

“Si el ritmo te lleva a mover la cabeza ya empezamos como es
Mi música no discrimina a nadie así que vamos a romper”

Not sure about you, but I have no idea what any of this means…just like when Coach is explaining the main set.

6. Kendrick Lamar: “HUMBLE.”

“Be humble”

A short and sweet message. Work hard, be a good sport, stay humble and take pride in your accomplishments.

5. Lil Uzi Vert: “XO TOUR Llif3”

“I don’t really care if you cry”

What every coach thinks, or maybe even says out loud. I guess it’s true: how you feel is irrelevant.

4. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft. Justin Bieber: “Despacito” (Remix)

“My sunrise on the darkest day
Got me feelin’ some kind of way”

Before the sun even rises, swimmers are out of bed heading off to practice, and that has got you feeling some sort of way.

3. Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean & Migos: “Slide”

“It’s my favorite part, we see the lights, they got so far
It went too fast, we couldn’t reach it with our arms”

You’re racing the 1650 and see the counter in the distance—so close, yet so far. Then you get closer; you think you’re almost done. You see the light at the end of the tunnel, those glorious red blocks. Then you realize you have 65 more lengths to go.

2. Cardi B: “Bodak Yellow”

“Don’t you come around my way, you can’t hang around my block”

When you and your #squad are heading up to the blocks for a relay, nobody’s messing with you.

1. Selena Gomez: “Bad Liar”

“Oh I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’
I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’
“Oh I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’
I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’

If this isn’t what you’re saying in your head when your coach is telling you to go faster, you’re doing it wrong.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

3 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Valley Swim Team Phoenix

6 years ago

Sorry Phoenix Swimmers. None in my library.

Sharon Brian

6 years ago

Ryland Brian

Jenni Isaacs Smith

6 years ago

What a horrible list of songs? That won’t be playing during my swim teams practice.