The 50 Best Nigerian Songs of the 2010s (2010 to 2019)

The 2010s were the decade Nigerian pop went from Lagos clubs to the UK charts, Drake features and the Grammys. The songs below are the ones that defined parties, weddings, street dances and the global rise of Afrobeats.

Our earlier version of this page promised 100 songs. We have cut it to 50 because we would rather list 50 songs whose years and stories we could check than pad the list. Some well loved songs are left out simply because we could not confirm their release year.

How we chose the songs

We listed the songs by year, not by rank, because ranking "Oliver Twist" against "Ye" is a matter of taste. A song made the list if it did at least one of these:

• won or was nominated for Song of the Year at The Headies, Nigeria's main music awards
• crossed over abroad, through charts, certifications or major features
• became a national moment: a dance, a slogan, a wedding staple or a protest
• launched or changed the career of a major artist

The year given is the year the song was first released in Nigeria. Where a remix or foreign release came later, we say so.

Best Nigerian songs of 2010 and 2011

The early years belonged to the Mo'Hits, Chocolate City and EME camps, and to a new generation led by Wizkid and Davido.

1. "Holla at Your Boy", Wizkid (2010): the debut single that introduced a teenage Wizkid to the whole country.
2. "Kele Kele Love", Tiwa Savage (2010): her debut single, and the start of her run as the leading woman in Nigerian pop.
3. "Oleku", Ice Prince featuring Brymo (2010): Chocolate City's smash, which won Song of the Year at The Headies 2011.
4. "Eni Duro", Olamide (2010): the street record that put Olamide's Yoruba rap on the map.
5. "Dami Duro", Davido (2011): the breakout that made Davido a household name almost overnight.
6. "Oliver Twist", D'banj (2011): won Headies Song of the Year in 2012 and reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart after its 2012 UK release.
7. "Nwa Baby (Ashawo Remix)", Flavour (2011): highlife made modern, and still a party starter at every Nigerian event.
8. "Kukere", Iyanya (2011): the dance hit that turned Iyanya into a star and was nominated for Headies Song of the Year.
9. "Chop My Money", P-Square featuring May D (2011): a money and loyalty anthem, later remixed with Akon.

Best Nigerian songs of 2012 and 2013

Dance songs ruled these years, and the Headies Song of the Year went to party records.

10. "Alingo", P-Square (2012): came with a dance routine everyone tried to copy, and a Headies nomination.
11. "Like to Party", Burna Boy (2012): Burna Boy's first single, the start of a run that ended in a Grammy.
12. "Durosoke", Olamide (2012): a Headies Song of the Year nominee that confirmed Olamide as the king of the streets.
13. "Skelewu", Davido (2013): a song built around its own dance, a sign of the dance challenge era to come.
14. "Gobe", Davido (2013): another big Davido single from the same year, all bounce and swagger.
15. "Limpopo", Kcee (2013): won Headies Song of the Year and filled every owambe and wedding hall.
16. "Ada Ada", Flavour (2013): the Igbo wedding song, still played as brides dance in.
17. "Johnny", Yemi Alade (2013): a funny song about a cheating lover that made Yemi Alade a pan-African star.

Best Nigerian songs of 2014

2014 was one of the richest years of the decade, with new stars arriving and Mavin Records at full strength.

18. "Ojuelegba", Wizkid (2014): about his hard early days in Lagos. It won Headies Song of the Year in 2015, and the 2015 remix with Drake and Skepta took it worldwide.
19. "Aye", Davido (2014): a love song that won Headies Song of the Year in 2014.
20. "Dorobucci", The Mavins (2014): Don Jazzy's Mavin Records crew on one record, released on 1 May 2014.
21. "Shoki", Lil Kesh (2014): a YBNL dance hit, later remixed with Olamide and Davido.
22. "Woju", Kiss Daniel (2014): the debut that launched Kizz Daniel, followed by a remix with Davido and Tiwa Savage.
23. "Girlie O", Patoranking (2014): brought dancehall back to the centre of Nigerian pop, with a remix featuring Tiwa Savage.

Best Nigerian songs of 2015 and 2016

These years produced dance crazes, gospel tinged pop and the first signs of the cross border sound with Ghana.

24. "Godwin", Korede Bello (2015): a semi gospel pop song that played everywhere, from churches to clubs.
25. "Sade", Adekunle Gold (2015): the song that announced Adekunle Gold and his gentle, old school style.
26. "Bobo", Olamide (2015): gave the world the Shakiti Bobo dance, which caught the eye of Ciara, T-Pain and Missy Elliott.
27. "Skin Tight", Mr Eazi featuring Efya (2015): the Accra to Lagos sound that made Mr Eazi a star on both sides of the border.
28. "Final (Baba Nla)", Wizkid (2015): a Headies Song of the Year nominee from Wizkid's busiest year.
29. "Soke", Burna Boy (2015): Fela inspired horns and a groove that showed where Burna Boy was heading.
30. "Pana", Tekno (2016): the song that made Tekno's sound impossible to escape in 2016 and 2017.
31. "Mad Over You", Runtown (2016): a smooth love song, nominated for Headies Song of the Year, with a beat that crossed borders.
32. "Iskaba", Wande Coal and DJ Tunez (2016): marked Wande Coal's big return to the clubs.

Best Nigerian songs of 2017

2017 was the year Nigerian songs started earning foreign certifications and big international remixes.

33. "If", Davido (2017): won Headies Song of the Year in 2018 and became one of the most quoted love songs of the decade.
34. "Fall", Davido (2017): a slow burner that went on to be certified Platinum in the United States by the RIAA.
35. "Joromi", Simi (2017): a sweet love song that showed Simi's songwriting at its best.
36. "Maradona", Niniola (2017): an Afro house hit that became huge in South Africa.
37. "Come Closer", Wizkid featuring Drake (2017): one of the biggest Nigerian and American collaborations of the decade.
38. "Leg Over", Mr Eazi (2017): a love song later remixed with Major Lazer, French Montana and Ty Dolla $ign.
39. "Wo", Olamide (2017): a street anthem that earned a Headies Song of the Year nomination.

Best Nigerian songs of 2018

A new wave of talent arrived, and Nigerian music became sharper about life in the country.

40. "Ye", Burna Boy (2018): won Headies Song of the Year and became the turning point of Burna Boy's global rise.
41. "This Is Nigeria", Falz (2018): a sharp take on Childish Gambino's "This Is America" about corruption and daily life. The broadcasting regulator banned it.
42. "Case", Teni (2018): a Headies Song of the Year nominee from Teni's breakthrough year.
43. "Soco", Starboy featuring Wizkid (2018): a Starboy crew record that ruled dance floors at home and abroad.
44. "Assurance", Davido (2018): a love song for his partner Chioma, and the title became everyday slang for proof of commitment.

Best Nigerian songs of 2019

The decade ended with new stars, street pop and a Grammy nomination.

45. "Dumebi", Rema (2019): the debut hit that made Rema the new face of Mavin Records.
46. "Jealous", Fireboy DML (2019): the first hit from YBNL's new voice, nominated for Headies Song of the Year.
47. "Am I a Yahoo Boy", Naira Marley featuring Zlatan (2019): a street song that landed in national news when Naira Marley was arrested by the EFCC days after its video came out.
48. "Soapy", Naira Marley (2019): released days after his release from custody, and a dance craze that summer.
49. "Joro", Wizkid (2019): a slow, warm love song nominated for Headies Song of the Year.
50. "Anybody", Burna Boy (2019): from African Giant, the album that earned Burna Boy his first Grammy nomination.

Who had the most hits of the decade?

On this list, Davido has the most songs with seven, followed by Wizkid with five (six counting his feature on Starboy's "Soco") and Olamide with four. Burna Boy has four, and his run from "Like to Party" in 2012 to African Giant in 2019 is the biggest climb of the decade.

Artist	Songs on this list
Davido	7
Wizkid	5
Olamide	4
Burna Boy	4
Mr Eazi, Naira Marley, P-Square, Flavour	2 each

Headies Song of the Year winners, 2010 to 2019

The Headies Song of the Year is the closest thing Nigeria has to an official record of each year's biggest song. These were the winners for songs of the decade.

Ceremony	Winning song
2011	"Oleku", Ice Prince featuring Brymo
2012	"Oliver Twist", D'banj
2013	"Limpopo", Kcee
2014	"Aye", Davido
2015	"Ojuelegba", Wizkid
2016	"Fada Fada", Phyno featuring Olamide
2018	"If", Davido
2019	"Ye", Burna Boy

For the slang these songs gave Nigerians, from "Assurance" to street pop phrases, see our guide to Nigerian slangs and their meaning.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest Nigerian song of the 2010s?

There is no official answer, but "Ojuelegba" by Wizkid and "Oliver Twist" by D'banj have the strongest claims. Both won Headies Song of the Year and both broke through abroad.

Did a Nigerian song reach the UK top 10 in the 2010s?

"Oliver Twist" by D'banj reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in May 2012, a landmark for Afrobeats in Britain.

Which Davido song went Platinum in America?

"Fall", released in 2017, is certified Platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

Why is this list 50 songs and not 100?

We only included songs whose release years and impact we could check. We would rather give you 50 accurate entries than 100 guesses.

Who won the most Headies Song of the Year awards in the 2010s?

Davido, with two wins: "Aye" in 2014 and "If" in 2018.