Afrobeats’ biggest victory lap yet has an unmistakable green-white-green tint. In a new staff list from Billboard, Nigerian stars claim every spot in the Top 10 of “The 50 Best Afrobeats Songs of All Time,” led by 2Baba’s era-defining ballad “African Queen” at No. 1 and followed by a run of anthems that powered the genre from Lagos block parties to global main stages.
Billboard Top 10 (1–10)
#1: 2Baba – “African Queen” – A soft-focus love letter that helped modern Afrobeats cross oceans.
#2: Wizkid – “Ojuelegba” – Lagos hustle in melody form; a lodestar for the genre’s global moment.
#3: Flavour – “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)” – Highlife DNA, dancehall pulse—pure party permanence.
#4: Rema – “Calm Down” – The streaming juggernaut that sealed Gen-Z Afrobeats’ pop supremacy.
#5: Wizkid ft. Tems – “Essence” – Silky duet that reset the standard for crossover R&B x Afrobeats.
#6: CKay – “love nwantiti” – Viral romance that turned short-form clips into worldwide sing-alongs.
#7: D’banj – “Oliver Twist” – Swaggering club classic that cracked UK pop wide open.
#8: Davido – “Fall” – A glossy slow-burner that rewrote U.S. Afrobeats radio history.
#9: Burna Boy – “Ye” – Afro-fusion mission statement and festival-field roar.
#10: P-Square – “Chop My Money (Remix)” – Big-hook generosity built for weddings and arenas alike.
The list arrives as Afrobeats enjoys unprecedented institutional recognition—dedicated charts in the U.S. (Billboard’s U.S. Afrobeats Songs), the U.K.’s Official Afrobeats Chart, and new award categories from the Recording Academy to the VMAs and AMAs. Billboard says its rankings weighed stylistic fidelity, local impact, regional spread, cultural resonance, and commercial performance, with a three-songs-per-artist cap to reflect the scene’s breadth.
Crucially, the publication differentiates Afrobeats (the 2000s-onward, polyrhythmic pop movement) from Afrobeat (Fela Kuti’s 1960s/’70s jazz-funk fusion), while acknowledging the genre’s many tributaries—from alté to street-pop—that feed its sound.
For Nigeria, the clean sweep of the Top 10 underscores what fans have chanted for years: Afrobeats to the world—and at the very top of it.
2baba
Wizkid
Flavour
Rema
Wizkid
Ckay
Dbanj
Davido
Burna Boy
P-Sqaure
