#40. Haim "The Wire"
The first I heard of the all-sister band Haim (admittedly, one song at the time), I just thought of them as another mediocre all-girl band that will disappear almost as soon as they came onto the scene. Only a few months later, the song "Red Eye" on Kid Cudi's April release Indicud told me that this band was more than just your typical soft-rock/pop band. After "Don't Save Me", "Falling", and "The Wire" were all released as singles, I was hooked. It was no surprise that their album, Days Are Gone, was such a success. I chose this song over "Falling" as it had a much happier, Summer feel to it and we need more good happy Summer tunes in our playlists.
NOTE: Yes, that is Jorma Taccone from The Lonely Island in the video.
#39. Phoenix "TryingTo Be Cool"
NOTE: R. Kelly remixed this song. Man, R. Kelly can do just about anything.
#38. Paramore "Still Into You"
When I first heard about two of Paramore's founding members Josh and Zac Farro leaving the band, I was convinced that the whole band scene was over for lead singer Hayley Williams and she would start her Gwen Stefani mid-00's solo venture. But alas, the show went on with Hayley and the other two members (Jeremy Davis and Taylor York). Not only did they release another album, but it was Paramore's best album to date. The only problem with their self-titled album was that they didn't release more singles yet, thus putting the song "Still Into You" onto the list at #38 as the band's only song to touch the list. This song was huge and refreshing in between all the Katy Perry and beat-dependent dance music we heard on the radio in 2013.
NOTE: "Still Into You" came in 100th on Billboard's end of the year Top 100.
#37. Kanye West "Black Skinhead"
Well, this song certainly didn't make it for the music video. When Mr. Kardashian first performed the song on Saturday Night Live in mid-May, I was filled with excitement that quickly turned into fear. "WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME?!" I thought to myself as the song began. Once he started rapping, I realized that this would not be any other Kanye West song or Kanye West album as the song was filled with a Daft Punk beat and racially charged lyrics that would change the rap/hip hop genre's outlook as Kanye has mastered over the years. The interactive music video that was released in July was a nice idea but not perfectly executed as you could take snapshots of the video after a few clicks of your mouse. The only part of the music video with any real impact are the 3 black-robed characters at the beginning and end of the video with the barking dogs following their appearance. This was certainly the most frighteningly awesome punk-rap song (and possibly the only to meet all of those criteria) of 2013.
NOTE: Lupe Fiasco makes an under-the-radar cameo as he speaks the first four words of the song "For my theme song"
#36. Vampire Weekend "Diane Young"
Vampire Weekend is known for their catchy indie-rock music from their first two albums. With the release of Modern Vampires of the City, Ezra Koenig and gang made fans think about death and maturity as those were the central themes of their newest album. The entire plot of "Diane Young" is that it's a happier play on the words "dyin' young". The video, based off of Da Vinci's The Last Supper painting, is filled with other awesome alternative/indie musicians including Sky Ferreira, Dave Longstreth from The Dirty Projectors, Chromeo, Despot, Hamilton Leithauser from The Walkmen, and my personal-favorite Santigold. It's another happy, catchy tune from Vampire Weekend but with a dark, lyrical twist.
NOTE: The original music video had a Saab burning "like a pile of leaves" as referenced in the first sentence of the song.
#35. Tegan and Sara "Closer"
Identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin had a pretty solid career through a decade of six albums but never really took any chances and after "Walking With A Ghost" and "Back In Your Head", didn't really have any big songs of note. That all changed with their January release of their 7th album Heartthrob, a synthpop-heavy collection of songs that gained the band even more fans and was their best selling album to date. "Closer" is a perfect song to run to as the song just screams workout music. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Quin's pick their guitars back up again but it seems like they've found a genre they could stick with for good if they chose to do that.
NOTE: "Closer" is the first Tegan and Sara song to make the Billboard Hot 100. How is that even possible? We as Americans should be ashamed.
#34. Childish Gambino "3005"
The latest entry onto this year's top 40 comes from actor Danny Glover's son, Donald, who is also an actor himself... and a writer... and a comedian... and a rapper named Childish Gambino. The dude's pretty busy these days. "3005" is the only song to have an accompanying music video off of because the internet so far, so I wouldn't be surprised to see Donald return to the list next year with an even higher-ranked song (please let it be "Zealots of Stockholm"). The music video features Gambino and his teddy bear on a ferris wheel and has a crazy deep meaning involving long-term relationships but before the internet fully decipher this video, just do what most of youtube tells us to do and "shut up and enjoy the music".
NOTE: Childish Gambino's "Hearbeat" was #37 on my top 40 of 2012.
#33. John Legend featuring Kimbra "Made To Love"
Before "Made To Love", John Legend was known for his soulful voice and slower, relaxing music. Once Legend got together with Kanye West and Hit-Boy, magic happened as Legend released his first song with a danceable yet darker instrumental. The song collides John Legend's impeccable voice with a beat produced by two of the hottest music producers right now. John Legend also brought along Kimbra from Gotye's "Somebody I Used To Know" to add some background scatting which just adds another layer of swagger to this song.
NOTE: John Legend's album, Love In The Future, has been nominated for Best R&B album at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
#32. Lorde "Tennis Court"
Lorde shows off her hip hop influences in the trip hop single "Tennis Court" off of Pure Heroine. My favorite part of this song unlike most other Lorde songs is the stormy beat in the background and the deep unknown voice saying "YEAH". My favorite lyric is "It's a new art form, showing people how little we care" as the song is mostly about a type of teenage rebellion which Lorde just knows how to perfectly express throughout her debut album.
NOTE: Ella Yelich O'Connor (AKA: Lorde) wrote this song at the age of 14.
#31. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Sacrilege"
You know a band is good when their weakest album still manages to crack the top 40 songs list twice in one year. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have shown ability to change things up from their punk rock beginnings to a more electronic sound on 2009's It's Blitz to the gospel choir that popped up in Mosquito's first single "Sacrilege". The video, is a story told in reverse starring actress/model Lily Cole as a woman who goes around town sleeping with basically every dude until she's burned alive. If we did that in 2013, the population would be severely dwindling.
NOTE: Lily Cole is eerily convincing as the main evil character in the 2012 movie The Moth Diaries and I'm buying all of my Lily Cole stock now.
#30. Miguel featuring Kendrick Lamar "How Many Drinks?"
It was a big year for Kendrick Lamar and a big first half for Miguel, still riding the hype from his Grammy's performance and a spike in sales of his second album Kaleidoscope Dream. When the two powers collided on Kendrick's remix of "How Many Drinks?", I was entirely in on the song before hearing it. Miguel's smooth vocals mixed with another quick Kendrick verse made the song live up to expectations and finishes the year at #30 on my top 40 songs of 2013 list.
NOTE: "How Many Drinks?" received a nomination for Best R&B Performance at the 2014 Grammy Awards.
#29. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton "Can't Hold Us"
I thought for the longest time that the Ray Dalton was saying "Like this city can't hold us". In case you weren't aware, what he's actually singing is "Like the ceiling can't hold us". The Heist is a phenomenal album and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis have continued riding that album's success by releasing videos for "Can't Hold Us" and "White Walls". With a drum line and a piano for a beat, there was not a more sure-fire party-starting song in America than "Can't Hold Us". The video fits as it is just the right amount of fun as well.
NOTE: "Can't Hold Us" was certified as the most-streamed song on Spotify in 2013.
#28. James Blake "Retrograde"
No, not THAT James Blake. Blake's slow electronic Bon Iver-esque reputation continued on his second album Overgrown. I'm glad it did as "Retrograde" is James Blake's best song yet. a three-minute forty-five second adventure that starts out quiet, chill, and soothing and then turns into a much louder, fully awake single mid-way through. Another artist who was mentored by Kanye West and Justin Vernon (Lead singer of Wisconsin's very own Bon Iver), Blake's second album had a bit more variety and just plain sounded better overall than his previous work. I wouldn't be surprised to have the 25-year old singer on future music lists.
NOTE: Overgrown won the 2013 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year.
#27. J. Cole featuring Miguel "Power Trip"
June 18th, 2013 is a day that will be marked down as one of the greatest in rap's history. Three major releases of Mac Miller's Watching Movies with the Sound Off, Kanye West's Yeezus, and J. Cole's excellent Born Sinner albums all rivaled each other on that date. In many hip hop fandom circles, J. Cole's album won the day and launched J. Cole into a higher tier among present day rap royalty. The lead single off of Born Sinner featured the vocals of Miguel alongside J. Cole's lyrics about his love for a woman and the accompanying video fits the song perfectly. In the video for "Power Trip", J. is having a good time in the strip club when he becomes obsessed with one woman in particular. He becomes so obsessed that him and one of his friends find out where the woman lives. Once they discover where she lives, they also discover that Miguel is dating her and the end.... well, there's a twist at the end. It's a really good music video.
NOTE: J. Cole would've been singing the Miguel part if it weren't for Roc-Nation founder Jay-Z's advice to get Miguel on the track. We should be thankful that Jay-Z is so smart.
#26. The Lumineers "Stubborn Love"
People were starting to get unreasonably annoyed with the success of folk rock bands like The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, and Of Monsters and Men near the end of 2012. Why was America so upset? because the only songs played on the radio of these bands involved them going "Hey!" or "Ho!" or some other various noise that is in basically every non-rap song in 2013. The Lumineers traded their Ho-Heying for another song that's easy to sing along to in "Stubborn Love". Whether or not indie folk bands are your flavor of music or not, The Lumineers have made their impact on mainstream radio and are enjoying the success of their self-titled debut album.
NOTE: "Stubborn Love" appears in this terrific Dick's Sporting Goods Ad: Here is that ad.
The oldest artist on the countdown, 81-year old Petula Clark was a very surprising revelation as she had not had any real big songs of note since 1964's "Downtown". While this song certainly did not have the cultural impact of "Downtown", "Cut Copy Me" seems like the perfect send-off for a long and storied career. The song is the perfect example of how TO use auto-tune. She doesn't overdo the auto-tune and it adds a layer of emotion to the song that is absent from current day uses of the vocal modifier. Hopefully this isn't the last we've heard from Petula Clark but if it is, it's quite the great end to a successful career.
NOTE: #25 on last year's list? "Youth Without Youth" by Metric.
#24. Mayer Hawthorne "Her Favorite Song"
Mayer Hawthorne's newest album is just an excellent listen all around. "Her Favorite Song" was a song I first heard on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and immediately, I knew that I needed to hear more from this guy. I was not disappointed. At the end of the year however, this is the only Mayer Hawthorne song to make the list with a soulful, "Come to me baby" bedroom feel that was only topped maybe by Miguel since 2010. I look forward to future Mayer Hawthorne singles and albums making end of the year lists.
NOTE: #24 on last year's list? "How Come You Never Go There?" by Feist.
#23. D.A. "Glowing"
This is another song that would have still made the top 40 but would not have been this high had it not been for the music video. The music video alone is probably one of the three greatest videos this year. It tells the story of a couple growing up in bliss while they seemingly ignore all the horrendous news stories on the television. It's actually quite representative of the majority of the U.S. population in 2013. You add a great singing voice with only a piano and it's clear we're on a whole new tier of good music on the Top 40. This was the first song released by unknown artist D.A. and it certainly leaves me wanting to hear more.
NOTE: The music video was directed by Tyler, The Creator.
#22. Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell "Blurred Lines"
Sometimes pop radio just gets it right. "Blurred Lines" is the perfect example of that theory. The song was this year's "Single Ladies" for guys. It had many controversies behind it including the iconic music video, the lyrics, and a certain VMA performance starring Miley Cyrus. The title-track off of Robin Thicke's first pop-heavy album was unavoidable this year but not necessarily for Robin Thicke reasons as Pharrell's production and WOO-ing really helped Robin Thicke launch his career into a whole new stratosphere of popularity. Alan Thicke's son's Marvin Gaye-inspired song is probably the most popular song of the year and should take home multiple grammy's. Any recent backlash was unwarranted and will go away soon.
NOTE: According to Interscope, "Blurred Lines" broke the record for largest radio audience in late July.
#21. Grouplove "Ways To Go"
Grouplove is a perfectly constructed band of people who all look like they would've been in some hippie group in the late 1960's and never stop being happy. A band that first burst into the public eye in 2011 with songs like "Tongue Tied" and "Colours", Grouplove released a song that sounded much more dance-able than "Tongue Tied". I did not think that was possible as "Tongue Tied" blew up on the radio about a year after it's release and attracted many different audiences of several genres. The indie pop band was not able to top this song on their 2013 album, Spreading Rumours, but still managed to release a very good indie pop/Alt-rock album. The mini-Kim Jong Un dancer just adds to the whole joyous experience of a Grouplove song.
NOTE: Notice their obsession with the British spelling of words like "Colour" and "Rumour"? Yeah, none of them are British.
#20. Pusha T "Numbers On The Boards"
Pusha T is the most underrated rapper today. Sure, he only raps about one thing normally (dealing cocaine) but he raps about one topic better than anybody else today. His first solo studio album My Name Is My Name was a fantastic story-telling album from beginning to end. One of many highlights was "Numbers On The Boards", which is a song that's confidence would not be topped in 2013. The beat is also one that would not be topped in hip hop this year making it the perfect breakthrough song for listeners to start taking Pusha T seriously. The only thing that would've made this song better would be more lyrical content and maybe making it a minute or two longer.
NOTE: Jay-Z co-wrote the song and Kanye West co-produced it. Pusha T sure knows how to pick mentors.
#19. Robin Thicke featuring Kendrick Lamar & 2 Chainz "Give It 2 U"
Robin took a play out of the Prince playbook here by using a "2" instead of spelling out "to" and shortening "you" to one letter which is Prince's signature song title move. Anyways, this was a pop-ish/hip hop-ish song that you could have totally predicted happening in 2013 unlike all the other changes in music. Kendrick Lamar verse? check. Robin Thicke ditching the soul music for something that'll make him more cash at the risk of being called a sell out? check. Over-expensive music video that isn't anywhere near as good as the song itself? check. This may have been the driving song of 2013 as the quick, upbeat instrumental created a very catchy hook.
NOTE: The song appeared in this Serena Williams Beats by Dre commercial
#18. Janelle Monae' featuring Miguel "Primetime"
As you can already tell, I'm very much on the Miguel bandwagon. Well, you can add Janelle Monae to my list of bandwagon's that I'm currently riding. Then again, I have been on the Janelle Monae bandwagon since her appearance in Big Boi's "Morris Brown" video (2006). The Electric Lady is not as strange as it's predecessor, The ArchAndroid, but it's way more groovy (bet you didn't think that word would still be used in 2013). One of many stellar songs, "Primetime" features the already awesome pairing of Miguel and Monae' and perfectly executes what a song featuring the two of them should sound like. "Primetime" is this generation's "My Boo" from Usher and Alicia Keys.
NOTE: You see what she did there? "Emotion picture"? Instead of MOTION picture. She's so quirky.
#17. Justin Timberlake "Mirrors"
(For some reason, the Vevo version would not post here, link to Vevo version if the quality of this video doesn't fit the quality that you all deserve is here, so click here.)
Justin Timberlake's comeback to music wasn't quite what some of his fan base wanted but I think it's safe to say that those people were expecting a crazy dance record like Britney Spears' last album. JT's "Suit & Tie" follow-up was a dedication not only to his actress wife Jessica Biel, but also to his grandparents. "Mirrors is obviously a love song about a person's other half and the video is even more powerful than the lyrics themselves. The video stars an elderly couple where the husband recently passed away (as did Timberlake's grandfather in 2012) and the wife is going through the stages of mourning. It's quite the video that adds even more to an already 8-minute long song. Trust me, the eight minute version is so much better than the edited down for radio version.
NOTE: "Mirrors" won the 2013 MTV VMA Video of the Year award.
#16. M.I.A. "Bring The Noize"
After the 2012 release of "Bad Girls", it took another 20 months for M.I.A.'s fourth album Matangi to be released. It was worth the wait and we got a small preview in June with her second single, "Bring The Noize". "Bring The Noize" is probably M.I.A.'s best hip hop song yet in an already strong career. It's safe to say we aren't getting rid of M.I.A. any time soon as the Sri Lankan keeps making complete bangers for hits.
NOTE: The album name Matangi is named after the Hindu goddess of music and learning.
#15. Tyler, The Creator featuring Pharrell "IFHY"
Tyler, The Creator brings more stage presence to a show than almost every one of these artists with his energy on stage performing songs like "Tamale" which always gets the crowd rowdy. "IFHY" (Acronym for... you'll hear it in the song) is a song about a man who is jealous and angry about how much he wants the perfect girl, Salem, who he's been obsessing about for the past three albums. It's quite a long and difficult to explain story but with all the levels to this story of Wolf, Sam, Salem and other Odd Future members, Tyler has achieved a Kanye-level of genius innovation in his writing/producing. The video is memorable for making Tyler into a puppet-like character while he raps about his emotions and Pharrell adds a layer of silky vocals in he background making this the softest yet best song from Tyler yet.
NOTE: #15 last year? "Settle Down" by No Doubt.
#14. Miley Cyrus "We Can't Stop"
Miley, Miley, Miley. Everyone has an opinion on Miley Cyrus either majorly positive or majorly negative. She made "twerking" mainstream in 2013. Really, what she accomplished is one of the most successful career change-ups musically ever. She went from this innocent, annoying, Disney kid who also sang country music to bonafide pop superstar with wild antics up her sleeve. It might seem like her life and career are falling apart when in reality, she's never been bigger and her music has never been better. In my honest opinion, her music was never good before "We Can't Stop". The music video fits the song perfectly as it is filled with so many cringe-worthy moments that you might just give up at the part where someone cuts off a finger (sort of). She'll never be a Madonna or a Britney, she can only be whatever the fuck she wants to be right now and that's an independent, rebellious kid-star making party music.
NOTE: Rolling Stone named the video for "We Can't Stop" the #1 music video of 2013. I'd certainly put it in the top 6 video-wise at least.
#13. Pusha T featuring Kendrick Lamar "Nosetalgia"
As stated previously at #20, nobody raps about one thing better than Pusha T (that one thing is still cocaine). "Nosetalgia" is the perfect title for the song as Push tells stories of his days as a coke dealer while Kendrick describes what it was like growing up, watching his father go through an unhealthy cocaine addiction. There was not a better throwback rap song in 2013 as the bongo drums in the background make this sound like some deep-thinking poetry being read off at 4 am in some jazzy bar that barely anybody attends. At least, that's the vibe I'm getting from this song. Disagree? Leave your thoughts in the comments but bitch, don't kill my vibe. (-loads up pun gun- PUNPUNPUNPUNPUN)
NOTE: (Very mini-spoiler alert) This is Pusha T's second, Kendrick's third, and both of their final appearances on the Top 40 songs of 2013 list. A tremendous year for both rappers.
#12. Miley Cyrus "Wrecking Ball"
Miley Cyrus got even more scandalous with her synthpop ballad "Wrecking Ball". The first question was "Who's the song about?". The second question was "Why is she naked?". The third and final question is "Why a feud with Sinead O' Connor?". None of these questions were fully answered but one thing I am confident in saying is that this song means a lot more to Miley than any other song off of Bangerz. She literally cried her first time performing the song live at the iHeart Radio Music Festival, and carried that broken heart-ed emotion into the official video. This song was the pop power ballad of 2013 and continued the rapid success of Miley Cyrus's pop direction. Also, it was incredibly memeable (new word!).
NOTE: The "Nothing Compares 2 U" inspired video broke "We Can't Stop"'s VEVO record for quickest video to reach 100 million views.
#11. Charli XCX - You (Ha Ha Ha)
Believe it or not, there are still a lot of unknown songs left on this list. "You - Ha Ha Ha" has appeared in at least one commercial recently and might be gaining mainstream traction within the next couple of months but I (#HipsterAndy moment coming up here) have known about the song since it's videos release in early January. The singer from England is most known for her vocals on Icona Pop's "I Don't Care" where everyone had a grand 'ol time crashing cars into bridges but Charli still had the better album and best song between her and the girl group. If you are looking for a genre to specify this song under, STOP. I feel like Indietronica is the best description (Indie Electronica) music but genres no longer have any clear definitive definition or relevance in 2013.
Note: Todd Rundgren --- Yes, the "Bang On My Drum All Day" guy --- co-wrote and co-produced a song on Charli's True Romance album. It wasn't this song but still... what a bizarre pairing of musical minds.
#10. Lily Allen "Hard Out Here"
At first listen, you wonder "Oh no! Why Lily!? Why the auto-tune!?", but then you realize... "Wait a minute, the entire song is based on sarcasm and calling out the music industry on it's bullshit. The use of auto-tune is sort of genius!". Yes, the auto-tune is clearly only there ironically as a way of summarizing pop music and popular culture today. Lily's comeback from having two children is a middle finger to artists who objectify women in music videos and the unrealistic standards that people have for women based on things in popular culture like beautiful celebrities and thin dancers. The song is catchier than the common cold, the lyrics are perfection and the video is genius. It also clearly calls out #22 on this list for basically covering everything Lily Allen is against (besides the auto-tune). It doesn't get much better than this but there are still 9 more songs on it's elite level.
NOTE: The song's title is very sly reference to Three Six Mafia's 2005 hit "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp".
#9. Lianna La Havas "Elusive"
Just like James Blake's album Overgrown in 2013, Lianne La Havas's record Is Your Love Big Enough? was nominated for the 2012 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. With a soulful tone, Lianne released two great songs ("Elusive" being the only one to make the Top 40 of 2013) with "Gone" and "Elusive" and decided to make the videos one continuation of the same story in early 2013. Her soulful take on British singer-songwriter Scott Matthews' "Elusive" was the best song to fall out of nowhere this year.
Note: The original version of "Elusive" was a folk-rock song. It's also good but Lianne's voice makes the song what it should be.
#8. Kanye West featuring Charlie Wilson "Bound 2"
The only music video to sprout a parody of James Franco and Seth Rogen having sex on a motorcycle which is something nobody wanted, yet everyone needed. "Bound 2" is the only throwback to early-day Kanye on Yeezus, featuring a sample from the Ponderosa Twins Plus One and the angelic cloud-parting voice of Charlie Wilson. Musically, it is phenomenal. The video has received much criticism for looking like a cheap commercial for Lee Greenwood music and all the airbrushing that might have gone on with Kim Kardashian's post-baby body. At the end of the day, what people think of Kanye's video does not affect him in the least. The video was made just for Kim, as was the song. It's clearly a love song to Kim and the video is telling fans that 'Ye is finally happy with his home-life. Now, if he could just get his fashion designs approved and keep the paparazzi away from his dumpsters at 4 AM, the world will be at peace again.
NOTE: I forgot to mention that the "Uh-huh Honey" was sampled from Brenda Lee's 1960 song "Sweet Nothin's". Kanye really knows his older music.
#7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Despair"
Honestly while creating this list, I thought I'd put this song in the top 3. We've now reached a grouping of 7 songs that could have all been #1 but alas, there can only be one #1 song of 2013. "Despair" is one of the tracks off of Mosquito that does what the Yeah Yeah Yeahs do best and that's let Karen O dominate a slower song. Like "Maps" and "Skeletons" past, this song has emotion behind it. Unlike "Maps" and "Skeletons", this song is more dedicated to Karen O's recent marriage where she's finally happy as demonstrated as the song progresses to a happier place in the end. With lyrics like "My song is your song" and "Your song is our song", it's a nearly perfect wedding song. The video is also quite awesome in it's simplicity.
NOTE: With the video for "Despair", the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are the first band to ever perform or film a music video on top of the empire state building. A really cool idea as the band formed in and around New York City.
#6. Mariah Carey featuring Miguel "#Beautiful"
The song of the Summer. It should be obvious why this song is so good. Mariah Carey's voice is unmatchable and Miguel's just fits perfectly with Mariah's. It's everything a summer song should be as I picture driving past a beach with the top down every time I hear it. It is #Beautiful and completely makes up for Mariah Carey's American Idol judging stint.
NOTE: "#Beautiful" only made it to #3 on Billboard's Hot 100. What else does Billboard want from a pop song!?
#5. Arcade Fire "Reflektor"
Unlike anything else heard in 2013, "Reflektor" can best be described as indie art rock with some flares of disco added on for effect. It is the weirdest, catchiest thing I heard all year. The entire album, Reflektor is very artistic and all-over-the-place good, yummy, music sweetness. "Reflektor" is a song you must thing about, listen to ten times, and then think about some more before you're fully on the song's bandwagon. Featuring production by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and a quiet cameo from David Bowie, "Reflektor" is a seven minute dance-a-thon that needs to be heard by everyone at some point. It's that good.
NOTE: NME ranked "Reflektor" as the #2 song of the year behind Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" (A song without a music video that will therefor be absent from this list.)
#4. Janelle Monae' "Dance Apocalyptic"
"Dance Apocalyptic" is Outkast's "Hey Ya!" meets an alternate universe with androids and time-travel. The song is not perfected without the video. The song is upbeat and very "Hey Ya"-esque with it's cleverly catchy lyricism. If anybody needed any further proof that Janelle Monae could be the James Brown or the Tina Turner of our generation, here it is. Don't stop, chalangalangalang.
NOTE: Janelle performed "Dance Apocalyptic" on Late Show with David Letterman and ended up dancing on his desk. Letterman followed her performance by calling her "The hardest working woman in show business". There's even more proof for you Janelle Monae neigh-sayers.
#3. Beach House "Wishes"
If you have yet to see the video for Beach House's "Wishes", you must see it now. I command you. It is the most strangely beautiful thing you will see all day. You don't need to be on drugs to understand it either because none of it makes any damn sense at all, no matter how intoxicated you are. This what Eric Wareheim of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Good Job! fame. It is the most Tim and Eric thing ever from the little bit of Tim and Eric shows that I've seen. Starring Ray Wise of Mad Men and Twin Peaks, the music video is basically a halftime show to end all halftime shows. One of my wishes is that every future halftime show tries to top this. Your move, Bruno Mars. The song is a very spacey, relaxing tune and fits phenomenally with the slowed-down pace of the music video.
NOTE: I was convinced this would be my strangest #1 song choice ever until the final two months hit. (ohhh the anticipation! ohhh the subtle hints! OHHH!!)
#2. Lorde "Royals"
Being a part of the 99% has never sounded so good. The #2 song of the year comes from a 17-year old New Zealander... because of course it does. Lorde's synthpop song took over the radio this fall with it's catchy beat but the real story was how so many people related to the lyrics that once again, talked about something that's wrong with culture today. People place way, way, way too much value on items and who has the coolest diamonds or golden leashed tigers. At the end of the day, most of us will never be royals, rulers, famous, or make a significant pop culture impact and this New Zealand teenager was so irritated by this that she wrote a song about it which will likely launch her career into something of an Adele-type where she gets every award ever created. Lorde likely won't have to worry about counting dollars on the train anymore, she'll be earning big bucks off of "Royals" and her debut album Pure Heroine for awhile.
NOTE: The song's influence? A George Brett 1976 baseball card. SAY WHAT? Here's the proof.
#1 songs of year's past
2006. Pink "Stupid Girlz"
2007. Amy Winehouse "Rehab"
2008. Kanye West "Flashing Lights"
2009. Santigold "L.E.S. Artistes"
2010. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Skeletons"
2011. Adele "Someone Like You"
2012. Santigold "The Keepers"
THE #1 SONG OF 2013
Arcade Fire "Afterlife"
Another song from one of the best albums of 2013, Arcade Fire wrote their best song yet in "Afterlife". Maybe, I just like it so much because I was in Philosophy 101 my first semester of college and the lyrical contemplation of whether or not love exists in the afterlife when all is either blissful or completely nonexistent. The song also is the perfect end-of-night, let's all have one last shot while we reminisce about the good times feel. I have a feeling that this will always bring back memories of my first semester, much in the way that M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" reminds me of simpler times, walking home with friends during junior high school. When I hear this song, I'll remember the long drives back-and-forth to school and the personal struggles that I've (so far) managed to pull through like wanting to drop out at certain moments or the waning innocence that the "real world" has not yet stolen from all of us as of yet. This song will remind me of so many things and I'm sure I will create many memories in the future that this song can take my mind back to. Thank you, Arcade Fire for creating the best song of 2013.
And thank you for reading. The top 20 albums of the year will be posted before 2014. Think you have a clue just because you know the top 40 songs of the year? You haven't the slightest.
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Love your choices, but, eh could do without Mariah. Apart from that, my dogs and I agree with you. :)
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