If you haven’t noticed on your Instagram or TikTok feed, 2016 is having a real moment. This throwback isn’t about going backward. It’s about remembering what made the room light up. Before trends, before algorithms, before everything got louder.
The phrase “2026 is the new 2016” has been popping up everywhere, with people revisiting the style, sound, and energy of a decade ago. From throwback aesthetics to revived trends, social feeds are full of reminders of how that era felt online and offline.
Ten years ago was a time when Pokémon Go turned public parks into meeting points. When Kylie Jenner’s influence reshaped beauty culture overnight. When trends happened collectively, in real time, before everything was instantly analyzed, archived, and monetized.
It was also a great year for music.
So we’re jumping on the bandwagon and revisiting the songs we loved in 2016. Fern has put together a ready-to-ride profile you can drop straight into your schedule. This is not a light nostalgia ride. Fern designed this challenging profile around three progressive climbs that build from Zone 3 to Zone 6, with recoveries that reset you just enough to go again. It may take the strength you had 10 years ago in 2016 to get through it! By the final climb, riders will feel the full progression and finish stronger than they started, carried by songs that still energize the room.
Below, you’ll find a bucket playlist of Billboard Top 100 hits from 2016.