2Baba, Wizkid, Flavour Lead Billboard’s Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time

Punchngs July 29, 2025

2Baba, Wizkid, Flavour Lead Billboard’s Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time

Entertainments
23.08.2025
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Billboard has released a definitive ranking of the Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time, and the list is both a celebration and a
timeline of the genre’s rise from regional hits to global anthems. At the summit sits 2Baba’s enduring 2004 classic African Queen,
named number one a recognition of the song’s cross-generational appeal and role in introducing contemporary Nigerian pop to wide audiences.

2Baba, Wizkid, Flavour Lead Billboard’s Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time

The rest of the top five reinforces the breadth of Afrobeats’ influence: Wizkid’s Ojuelegba (2014) takes second place,
Flavour’s Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix) (2011) is third, Rema’s global smash Calm Down (2022) sits at four,
and Wizkid feat. Tems Essence (2020) lands at five. Viral breakout hit Love Nwantiti by CKay is sixth — a
reminder that Afrobeats’ modern era blends legacy artists and new stars who harness digital platforms to reach global listeners.

Billboard framed the list as a tribute to “game changers of the genre.” More than a nostalgia exercise, the ranking highlights songs that
achieved stylistic representation, broad local popularity, regional expansion beyond West Africa, measurable cultural impact, and
commercial success. The magazine’s team and contributors considered those five criteria when curating selections — an approach designed
to respect Afrobeats’ musical variety while foregrounding work that moved the culture forward.

Note: Billboard was careful to distinguish Afrobeats (the contemporary pop genre) from Afrobeat, the 1960s
fusion pioneered by Fela Kuti. The distinction is important: Afrobeats is a plural, evolving category shaped by highlife, hip-hop, R&B,
dancehall and electronic influences and has become synonymous with pan-African pop over the last two decades.

Table of Contents

Top five in focus

Each of the top five songs reflects a different chapter in Afrobeats’ growth:

2Baba — “African Queen” (2004): A romantic ballad whose cross-cultural melody and lyrical warmth helped export Nigerian pop to broader African diasporas and established 2Baba as a household name.
Wizkid — “Ojuelegba” (2014): A street-level ode to Lagos life that became a global calling card for Wizkid; its later remix and international interest signalled artists’ ability to bridge local narratives with global audiences.
Flavour — “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)” (2011): A highlife-infused club anthem that demonstrated Afrobeats’ capacity to modernize traditional sounds while commanding mainstream airplay.
Rema — “Calm Down” (2022): A contemporary crossover that reached global charts and playlists, underscoring how young stars can translate local hits into worldwide streaming phenomena.
Wizkid feat. Tems — “Essence” (2020): A culturally significant blockbuster whose collaborations and remixes broadened Afrobeats’ appeal to R&B and pop audiences worldwide.

Legacy acts and modern hits — what the list tells us

The Top 50 balances legacy acts who laid the groundwork with contemporary superstars who pushed the genre into the global mainstream. From
pioneers like Styl-Plus and P-Square to modern global influencers such as Burna Boy, Davido and Rema, Billboard’s compilation recognizes the
continuity of innovation — highlife and fuji threads remain audible in many entries even as production trends shift toward more electronic, beat-driven textures.

Songs like Do Me (P-Square) and Olufunmi (Styl-Plus) recall an earlier era of pan-African R&B-infused pop, while entries such as Love Nwantiti and
Calm Down show how streaming, TikTok and global playlists can turn local hits into international cultural moments.

2Baba, Wizkid, Flavour Lead Billboard’s Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time

Geography of influence

The list also maps Afrobeats’ geographic expansion. While Nigeria remains the genre’s epicenter represented by many of the artists here
the ranking includes songs that resonated across Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and the UK’s Afrobeats communities, reflecting a diasporic feedback loop. Tracks such
as Azonto (Fuse ODG) and Drogba (Joanna) (Afro B) illustrate how regional movements (Ghana’s azonto) and UK African diasporic producers helped
popularize African pop forms in Europe.

Billboard’s selection criteria combined commercial metrics with cultural influence — meaning some songs earned higher placement because they changed
how artists made or marketed music, not merely because they topped charts. For instance, Oliver Twist (D’banj) and Fall (Davido) were both
commercial juggernauts whose visibility demonstrated Afrobeats’ commercial potential in the 2010s.

Meanwhile, entries such as Ojuelegba and African Queen are rewarded for longevity and emotional resonance that shaped listeners’ perceptions
of Nigerian pop music internationally.

Full Top 50 list

Billboard’s Top 50 Best Afrobeats Songs of All Time

2Baba — “African Queen” (2004)
Wizkid — “Ojuelegba” (2014)
Flavour — “Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)” (2011)
Rema — “Calm Down” (2022)
Wizkid feat. Tems — “Essence” (2020)
CKay — “Love Nwantiti” (2019)
D’banj — “Oliver Twist” (2011)
Davido — “Fall” (2017)
Burna Boy — “Ye” (2018)
P-Square — “Chop My Money (Remix)” (2012)
Styl-Plus — “Olufunmi” (2003)
9ice — “Gongo Aso” (2008)
R2Bees feat. Wande Coal — “Kiss Your Hand” (2009)
Davido — “Dami Duro” (2011)
Yemi Alade — “Johnny” (2013)
D’banj — “Fall in Love” (2008)
Wande Coal — “Bumper to Bumper” (2008)
Fuse ODG feat. Itz Tiffany — “Azonto” (2013)
Sarkodie feat. Castro — “Adonai” (2014)
Phyno ft. Olamide — “Fada Fada” (2016)
Tiwa Savage & Don Jazzy — “Eminado” (2013)
Burna Boy — “Last Last” (2022)
Olamide — “Bobo” (2015)
Afro B — “Drogba (Joanna)” (2018)
Wizkid — “Pakurumo” (2011)
Mr. Eazi & Efya — “Skin Tight” (2015)
Wande Coal & DJ Tunez — “Iskaba” (2016)
Fireboy DML — “Peru” (2021)
Amaarae & MOLIY — “Sad Girlz Luv Money” (2020)
Burna Boy feat. Zlatan — “Killin Dem” (2019)
Ayra Starr — “Rush” (2022)
The Mavins — “Dorobucci” (2014)
Runtown — “Mad Over You” (2016)
P-Square — “Personally” (2013)
Tekno — “Pana” (2016)
Maleek Berry — “Kontrol” (2016)
Oxlade — “Ku Lo Sa” (2022)
Lojay & Sarz — “Monalisa” (2021)
Skales — “Shake Body” (2014)
Davido feat. Musa Keys — “Unavailable” (2023)
Asake — “Peace Be Unto You (PBUY)” (2022)
Libianca — “People” (2022)
Kizz Daniel feat. Tekno — “Buga” (2022)
Ice Prince feat. Brymo — “Oleku” (2010)
Olu Maintain — “Yahooze” (2007)
Victony & Tempoe — “Soweto” (2022)
Jazzman Olofin feat. Adewale Ayuba — “Raise Da Roof” (2004)
Timaya — “Dem Mama” (2005)
Nonso Amadi — “Tonight” (2016)
Weird MC — “Ijoya” (2006)

Critical takes and conversation starters

Any canon sparks debate. Fans will argue for their favorites, and critics will question omissions or placements — which is healthy for a living genre.
The list fuels conversations about how to weigh cultural significance against streaming numbers, and whether playlist-driven virality should outrank
historical importance. But Billboard’s effort provides a useful snapshot: Afrobeats is not a fleeting taste but a sustained cultural force with roots, branches and a growing global audience.

Importantly, the list also serves as a research tool for newcomers: it maps essential tracks across eras, helping listeners trace stylistic shifts from early 2000s
ballads to 2010s street anthems and 2020s streaming-era smashes.

Afrobeats shows no sign of slowing. With increasing label investment, cross-border collaborations, and festival spots from Lagos to London and New York, the
genre’s next chapter will likely be defined by hybrid experimentation and sustained global mainstreaming. Lists like Billboard’s help crystallize the songs
that shaped this trajectory — but the next decade will surely add new entries that reshape the canon once again.

This article summarises Billboard’s Top 50 Afrobeats Songs of All Time and provides contextual analysis for music fans and industry watchers.