30 Unreleased Songs Stans Think Could’ve Gone #1

As unfortunate as they are sometimes, only the savviest of artists understand that a large scale music leak can be just as helpful in promoting a hit song as it is detrimental.

Case in point: “Move Ya Hips” by ASAP Ferg feat. Nicki Minaj & MadeInTYO. The song caught the attention of Stan Twitter in May when DJ Clue shared a snippet on Instagram Live hours after Minaj earned her first-ever Hot 100 #1 with Doja Cat‘s “Say So” remix. In addition to being just a plain catchy song, stans were more motivated than ever to capitalize on Minaj‘s historic achievement with demands that it be released on streaming services.

.@DJCLUE previewed NEW NICKI & @ASAPferg on IG live!🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/byTNW9auWv

— NMLite (@NMLite_) May 12, 2020

The online campaign for “Move Ya Hips” couldn’t be ignored in the following weeks. On July 27th, Minaj finally responded to the fan demand and confirmed she’d be dropping the track with A$AP Ferg & MadeinTYO that same Friday. The announcement was met with an intense fan reaction as stans rallied to support the track with streaming parties, campaigns to purchase the song on iTunes, artwork and more.

“Move Ya Hips” 7/30..let’s go https://t.co/sSTwP8TSnR

— HOOD POPE (@ASAPferg) July 27, 2020

Flacko, I heard it was coming Thursday but I could be wrong 😉 https://t.co/pEbwZ2PTEy

— Mrs. Petty (@NICKIMINAJ) July 27, 2020

“Move Ya Hips” debuted at #1 on US iTunes and #19 on the Hot 100, becoming Ferg‘s highest-charting song of his career and Minaj‘s 111th entry. While Minaj fans were frustrated they couldn’t achieve a third #1 for the rapper, the success of “Move Ya Hips” is still very impressive, even more so for an unreleased track that was released purely out of fan demand. The Top 20 debut begs the question: what other unreleased songs deserve a chance to hit the Billboard charts?

We set out to find the answer in a recent Pop Crave tweet posing this question: “What are some unreleased tracks/demos that you think would’ve gone #1 had they been released?” The responses were overwhelming as stans posted saved demos from artists like One Direction, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony, Lana Del Rey and many more.

What are some unreleased tracks/demos that you think would have gone #1 had they been released? 💿 pic.twitter.com/2GYRjLGH11

— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 13, 2020

We compiled 30 of the most popular responses to our public Twitter poll below, including such fan favorites as “New Body” by Kanye West, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign; “Garden” by Halsey; “Standing On The Sun” by Beyoncè; “Competition” by Azealia Banks and many more. Continue below to see Stan Twitter’s top picks: