1. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (1)
2. THIS IS AMERICA – Childish Gambino (2)
3. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (4)
4. &RUN – Sir Sly (5)
5. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (6)
6. BROKEN – lovelytheband (3)
7. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (9)
8. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (8)
9. ZOMBIE – Bad Wolves (14)
10. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (11)
11. CELEBRATE – Dirty Heads, The Unlikely Candidates (13)
12. THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile (7)
13. GUIDE YOU IN THE DARK – RECKLESS JACKS (10)
14. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (16)
15. DEVIL – Shinedown (17)
16. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (18)
17. THE NIGHT HAS AN ALIBI – Wons Phreely + the Horses (12)
18. WITHOUT WALLS – Lyia Meta (19)
19. UNWIND – John Defeo (20)
20. FAVORITE COLOR IS BLUE – Robert DeLong, K.Flay (24)
21. SORRY – Nothing But Thieves (15)
22. COLORS – Beck (25)
23. SATURDAY SUN – Vance Joy (21)
24. SILVER LINING – Mt. Joy (26)
25. LIFE TO FIX – The Record Company (28)
26. HUNGER – Florence + the Machine (29)
27. YOU WORRY ME – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (22)
28. RED MOON SKY – Face of Stone (30)
29. FOUR OUT OF FIVE – Arctic Monkeys (N)
30. QUARTER PAST MIDNIGHT – Bastille (N)
James Bay’s fantastic single “Pink Lemonade” is #1 for a second week, and Childish Gambino’s brilliant and provocative “This is America” jumps to #2 in just its second week on the chart. Bad Wolves’ remake of The Cranberries’ powerful protest song “Zombie” – which resonates more than ever today – leaps 10 spots to #14. Florence + The Machine are back with a great new single “Hunger,” which debuts at #29, and three other songs debut as well: “Silver Lining” by Mt. Joy, “Life to Fix” by The Record Company, and “Red Moon Sky” by Face of Stone.
1. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (1)
2. THIS IS AMERICA – Childish Gambino (8)
3. BROKEN – lovelytheband (3)
4. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (4)
5. &RUN – Sir Sly (5)
6. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (7)
7. THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile (2)
8. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (6)
9. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (10)
10. GUIDE YOU IN THE DARK – RECKLESS JACKS (11)
11. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (12)
12. THE NIGHT HAS AN ALIBI – Wons Phreely + the Horses (9)
13. CELEBRATE – Dirty Heads, The Unlikely Candidates (18)
14. ZOMBIE – Bad Wolves (24)
15. SORRY – Nothing But Thieves (16)
16. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (17)
17. DEVIL – Shinedown (19)
18. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (21)
19. WITHOUT WALLS – Lyia Meta (20)
20. UNWIND – John Defeo (23)
21. SATURDAY SUN – Vance Joy (13)
22. YOU WORRY ME – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (14)
23. IRREVERSIBLE KNOT – DENSE (15)
24. FAVORITE COLOR IS BLUE – Robert DeLong, K.Flay (26)
25. COLORS – Beck (29)
26. SILVER LINING – Mt. Joy (N)
27. DOUBT – Joywave (22)
28. LIFE TO FIX – The Record Company (N)
29. HUNGER – Florence + The Machine (N)
30. RED MOON SKY – Face of Stone (N)
1. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (2)
2. THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile (1)
3. BROKEN – lovelytheband (3)
4. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (6)
5. &RUN – Sir Sly (5)
6. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (4)
7. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (8)
8. THIS IS AMERICA – Childish Gambino (N)
9. THE NIGHT HAS AN ALIBI – Wons Phreely + the Horses (7)
10. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (12)
11. GUIDE YOU IN THE DARK – RECKLESS JACKS (11)
12. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (10)
13. SATURDAY SUN – Vance Joy (14)
14. YOU WORRY ME – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (9)
15. IRREVERSIBLE KNOT – DENSE (15)
16. SORRY – Nothing But Thieves (18)
17. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (19)
18. CELEBRATE – Dirty Heads, The Unlikely Candidates (21)
19. DEVIL – Shinedown (23)
20. WITHOUT WALLS – Lyia Meta (22)
21. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (26)
22. DOUBT – Joywave (24)
23. UNWIND – John Defeo (25)
24. ZOMBIE – Bad Wolves (N)
25. ALREADY GONE – Brett Dennen (13)
26. FAVORITE COLOR IS BLUE – Robert DeLong, K.Flay (28)
27. THE GOLD – Manchester Orchestra (16)
28. SEVERED – The Decemberists (17)
29. COLORS – Beck (N)
30. WORLD GONE MAD – Bastille (20)
1. THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile (2)
2. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (3)
3. BROKEN – lovelytheband (1)
4. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (4)
5. &RUN – Sir Sly (6)
6. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (7)
7. THE NIGHT HAS AN ALIBI – Wons Phreely + the Horses (8)
8. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (9)
9. YOU WORRY ME – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (5)
10. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (11)
11. GUIDE YOU IN THE DARK – RECKLESS JACKS (15)
12. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (17)
13. ALREADY GONE – Brett Dennen (14)
14. SATURDAY SUN – Vance Joy (16)
15. IRREVERSIBLE KNOT – DENSE (18)
16. THE GOLD – Manchester Orchestra (13)
17. SEVERED – The Decemberists (12)
18. SORRY – Nothing But Thieves (22)
19. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (23)
20. WORLD GONE MAD – Bastille (10)
21. CELEBRATE – Dirty Heads, The Unlikely Candidates (27)
22. WITHOUT WALLS – Lyia Meta (24)
23. DEVIL – Shinedown (25)
24. DOUBT – Joywave (26)
25. UNWIND – John Defeo (28)
26. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (30)
27. MY MY MY! – Troye Sivan (19)
28. FAVORITE COLOR IS BLUE – Robert DeLong, K.Flay (N)
29. TWO HIGH – Moon Taxi (20)
30. ALL THE STARS – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (21)
1. BROKEN – lovelytheband (1)
2. THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile (3)
3. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (5)
4. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (2)
5. YOU WORRY ME – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (6)
6. &RUN – Sir Sly (7)
7. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (8)
8. THE NIGHT HAS AN ALIBI – Wons Phreely + the Horses (10)
9. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (12)
10. WORLD GONE MAD – Bastille (4)
11. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (13)
12. SEVERED – The Decemberists (9)
13. THE GOLD – Manchester Orchestra (14)
14. ALREADY GONE – Brett Dennen (16)
15. GUIDE YOU IN THE DARK – RECKLESS JACKS (17)
16. SATURDAY SUN – Vance Joy (18)
17. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (23)
18. IRREVERSIBLE KNOT – DENSE (20)
19. MY MY MY! – Troye Sivan (19)
20. TWO HIGH – Moon Taxi (11)
21. ALL THE STARS – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (15)
22. SORRY – Nothing But Thieves (25)
23. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (27)
24. WITHOUT WALLS – Lyia Meta (26)
25. DEVIL – Shinedown (28)
26. DOUBT – Joywave (29)
27. CELEBRATE – Dirty Heads, The Unlikely Candidates (N)
28. UNWIND – John Defeo (30)
29. SAFARI SONG – Greta Van Fleet (21)
30. I HOPE YOU’RE HAPPY – Blue October (N)
1. BROKEN – lovelytheband (1)
2. WHATEVER IT TAKES – Imagine Dragons (3)
3. THE JOKE – Brandi Carlile (6)
4. WORLD GONE MAD – Bastille (2)
5. PINK LEMONADE – James Bay (12)
6. YOU WORRY ME – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (5)
7. &RUN – Sir Sly (7)
8. HANDYMAN – AWOLNATION (10)
9. SEVERED – The Decemberists (8)
10. THE NIGHT HAS AN ALIBI – Wons Phreely + the Horses (11)
11. TWO HIGH – Moon Taxi (4)
12. BAD BAD NEWS – Leon Bridges (17)
13. THOUGHT CONTAGION – Muse (13)
14. THE GOLD – Manchester Orchestra (14)
15. ALL THE STARS – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (9)
16. ALREADY GONE – Brett Dennen (18)
17. GUIDE YOU IN THE DARK – RECKLESS JACKS (21)
18. SATURDAY SUN – Vance Joy (22)
19. MY MY MY! – Troye Sivan (23)
20. IRREVERSIBLE KNOT – DENSE (24)
21. SAFARI SONG – Greta Van Fleet (16)
22. RUN FOR COVER – The Killers (15)
23. I FEEL LIKE I’M DROWNING – Two Feet (28)
24. PAIN – The War on Drugs (19)
25. SORRY – Nothing But Thieves (N)
26. WITHOUT WALLS – Lyia Meta (30)
27. SAY AMEN (SATURDAY NIGHT) – Panic! At the Disco (N)
28. DEVIL – Shinedown (N)
29. DOUBT – Joywave (N)
30. UNWIND – John Defeo (N)
2011 saw the release of two incredible albums by two of my favorite artists, Adele’s epic masterpiece “21” and Foster the People’s debut album “Torches.” The best song of the year is without doubt “Rolling in the Deep,” Adele’s triumphant song of betrayal, heartbreak and ultimate survival. Foster the People have three songs in my top 10, beginning with “Pumped Up Kicks,” with it’s dark message sharply contrasting with a peppy upbeat melody.
Here are my Top 50 favorite songs of 2011:
1. ROLLING IN THE DEEP – Adele
2. PUMPED UP KICKS – Foster the People
3. MOVES LIKE JAGGER – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
4. STEREO HEARTS – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
5. READY TO GO – Panic! At the Disco
6. RAISE YOUR GLASS – P!nk
7. HOUDINI – Foster the People
8. HELENA BEAT – Foster the People
9. SOMEONE LIKE YOU – Adele
10. FIREWORK – Katy Perry
11. PERFECT – P!nk
12. EVERY TEARDROP IS A WATERFALL – Coldplay
13. ADOLESCENTS – Incubus
14. PARTY ROCK ANTHEM – LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock
15. CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT – Foster the People
16. HOWLIN’ FOR YOU – The Black Keys
17. GOOD LIFE – OneRepublic
18. SHAKE ME DOWN – Cage the Elephant
19. MONEYGRABBER – Fitz & the Tantrums
20. ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD – Rihanna
21. JUST THE WAY YOU ARE – Bruno Mars
22. JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH – The Black-Eyed Peas
23. FOR THE FIRST TIME – The Script
24. BORN THIS WAY – Lady Gaga
25. MY BODY – Young the Giant
26. THE LAZY SONG – Bruno Mars
27. GIVE ME EVERYTHING – Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afro jack & Nayer
28. GRENADE – Bruno Mars
29. WHAT’S MY NAME? – Rihanna featuring Drake
30. TONIGHT, TONIGHT – Hot Chelle Rae
31. THE CAVE – Mumford & Sons
32. KEEP YOUR HEAD UP – Andy Grammer
33. WALK – Foo Fighters
34. WAITING FOR THE END – Linkin Park
35. RHYTHM OF LOVE – Plain White T’s
36. DON’T YOU WANNA STAY – Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson
37. DON’T GOTTA WORK IT OUT – Fitz & the Tantrums
38. THE ADVENTURES OF RAIN DANCE MAGGIE – Red Hot Chili Peppers
39. DOG DAYS ARE OVER – Florence + the Machine
40. THE SOUND OF WINTER – Bush
41. THE EDGE OF GLORY – Lady Gaga
42. YOU AND I – Lady Gaga
43. LAST FRIDAY NIGHT (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
44. UNDISCLOSED DESIRES – Muse
45. YOU ARE A TOURIST – Death Cab for Cutie
46. IF I DIE YOUNG – The Band Perry
47. NOTHING – The Script
48. WITHOUT YOU – David Guetta featuring Usher
49. JUST A KISS – Lady Antebellum
50. NEVER GONNA LEAVE THIS BED – Maroon 5
A number of talented alternative, indie rock and hip hop bands and artists emerged on the music scene in 2013, including Lorde, The Neighbourhood, Capital Cities, Bastille, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Lana Del Rey. Other established artists such as P!nk, OneRepublic, Bruno Mars, Muse, Fitz & the Tantrums, Rihanna and Fall Out Boy also produced some memorable songs. My pick for the best song of 2013 is “Sweater Weather,” the achingly beautiful song of young love and lust by The Neighbourhood.
1. SWEATER WEATHER – The Neighbourhood
2. CAN’T HOLD US – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
3. RADIOACTIVE – Imagine Dragons
4. SAFE AND SOUND – Capital Cities
5. OUT OF MY LEAGUE – Fitz & the Tantrums
6. JUST GIVE ME A REASON – P!nk featuring Nate Ruess
7. LOCKED OUT OF HEAVEN – Bruno Mars
8. COUNTING STARS – OneRepublic
9. MADNESS – Muse
10. ROYALS – Lorde
11. THRIFT SHOP – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
12. BLURRED LINES – Robin Thicke + Pharrell + T.I.
13. HO HEY – The Lumineers
14. WAKE ME UP! – Avicii
15. STAY – Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko
16. GET LUCKY -Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
17. LITTLE TALKS – Of Monsters and Men
18. DON’T YOU WORRY CHILD – Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin
19. IT’S TIME – Imagine Dragons
20. ELEPHANT – Tame Impala
21. CARRY ON – fun.
22. WHEN I WAS YOUR MAN – Bruno Mars
23. WAYS TO GO – Grouplove
24. POMPEII – Bastille
25. I WILL WAIT – Mumford & Sons
26. SUMMERTIME SADNESS – Lana Del Rey
27. CATCH MY BREATH – Kelly Clarkson
28. MY SONGS KNOW WHAT YOU DID IN THE DARK – Fall Out Boy
29. DAYLIGHT – Maroon 5
30. MIRRORS – Justin Timberlake
31. DEMONS – Imagine Dragons
32. TROJANS – Atlas Genius
33. ROAR – Katy Perry
34. MISS JACKSON – Panic! At the Disco
35. TREASURE – Bruno Mars
36. CLARITY – Zedd featuring Foxes
37. HOLD ON, WE’RE GOING HOME – Drake
38. THE MONSTER – Rihanna + Eminem
39. TAKE BACK THE NIGHT – Justin Timberlake
40. HARLEM – New Politics
41. SAIL – AWOLNATION
42. LEADER OF THE BROKEN HEARTS – Papa Roach
43. I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE – Taylor Swift
44. LOVE SOMEBODY – Maroon 5
45. A LIGHT THAT NEVER COMES – Linkin Park
46. SAME LOVE – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
47. BRAVE – Sara Bareilles
48. SWEET NOTHING – Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
49. DIAMONDS – Rihanna
50. TRY – P!nk
2014 was an incredible year for music, especially alternative and indie rock. In my opinion, it was the best year for music since 1990, and I was actually hard-pressed to limit my list to only 100 songs. A number of great new albums were released, including “Ghost Stories” from Coldplay, “Supermodel” from Foster the People, “Turn Blue” from The Black Keys, “X” from Ed Sheeran, “Morning Phase” from Beck, and “In the Lonely Hour” from Sam Smith.
My favorite song is “Love Me Again” from John Newman, an amazingly talented soulful-voiced singer from Britain who has one of the best and most unique voices around today. He sings of the hurt he caused his lover, then passionately pleads for forgiveness to a driving breakbeat with powerful organ, drums and piano. The song is a musical masterpiece that was underrated in the U.S. It was released in 2013, but peaked on the charts during the first few months of 2014, so ends up on my list for that year.
Here is my list of the 100 best songs of 2014:
1. LOVE ME AGAIN – John Newman
2. DO I WANNA KNOW? – Arctic Monkeys
3. COME A LITTLE CLOSER – Cage the Elephant
4. TAKE ME TO CHURCH – Hozier
5. HAPPY – Pharrell Williams
6. SEASONS (WAITING ON YOU) – Future Islands
7. POMPEII – Bastille
8. A SKY FULL OF STARS – Coldplay
9. FEVER – The Black Keys
10. COMING OF AGE – Foster the People
11. RIPTIDE – Vance Joy
12. THE WALKER – Fitz & the Tantrums
13. MAGIC – Coldplay
14. CHANDELIER – Sia
15. RED EYES – The War on Drugs
16. BLAME – Calvin Harris featuring John Newman
17. PSEUDOLOGIA FANTASTICA – Foster the People
18. COME WITH ME NOW – KONGOS
19. STOLEN DANCE – Milky Chance
20. BEST FRIEND – Foster the People
21. TEAM – Lorde
22. SING – Ed Sheeran
23. BAD BLOOD – Bastille
24. I WANNA GET BETTER – Bleachers
25. SLEEPING WITH A FRIEND – Neon Trees
26. LOVE RUNS OUT – OneRepublic
27. WHY’D YOU ONLY CALL ME WHEN YOU’RE HIGH – Arctic Monkeys
28. GIANTS – Bear Hands
29. AFRAID – The Neighbourhood
30. STAY WITH ME – Sam Smith
31. BEST DAY OF MY LIFE – American Authors
32. SOMETHING FROM NOTHING – Foo Fighters
33. DON’T – Ed Sheeran
34. COUNTING STARS – OneRepublic
35. MY SWEET SUMMER – Dirty Heads
36. IT’S ABOUT TIME – Young the Giant
37. SOUTHERN SUN – Boy and Bear
38. DANGEROUS – Big Data featuring Joywave
39. LEFT HAND FREE – Alt-J
40. CAR RADIO – twenty one pilots
41. FALL IN LOVE – Phantogram
42. BLUE MOON – Beck
43. LATCH – Disclosure featuring Sam Smith
44. HABITS (STAY HIGH) – Tove Lo
45. WHO NEEDS YOU – The Orwells
46. RATHER BE – Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne
47. BACK TO THE SHACK – Weezer
48. SUMMER – Calvin Harris
49. CENTURIES – Fall Out Boy
50. ALL OF ME – John Legend
51. THUNDER CLATTER – Wild Cub
52. LAZARETTO – Jack White
53. GIRLS/BOYS/GIRLS – Panic! At the Disco
54. I’M ONLY JOKING – KONGOS
55. LA LA LA – Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith
56. FOOLS GOLD – Fitz & the Tantrums
57. CARDIAC ARREST – Big Suns
58. MIDNIGHT – Coldplay
59. TRUE LOVE – Coldplay
60. THIS IS GOSPEL – Panic! At the Disco
61. WAIT FOR ME – Kings of Leon
62. UNBELIEVERS – Vampire Weekend
63. DIGITAL WITNESS – St. Vincent
64. STORY OF MY LIFE – One Direction
65. RUDE – Magic!
66. AM I WRONG? – Nico & Vinz
67. TIMBER – Pitbull featuring Ke$ha
68. GOTTA GET AWAY – The Black Keys
69. CHOCOLATE – The 1975
70. MAPS – Maroon 5
71. COOL KIDS – Echosmith
72. LOVE DON’T DIE – The Fray
73. SAY SOMETHING – Great Big World with Christina Aguilera
74. AFTERLIFE – Arcade Fire
75. WEST COAST – Lana Del Rey
76. GIMME SOMETHING GOOD – Ryan Adams
77. TALK DIRTY – Jason Derulo
78. ALL THE RAGE BACK HOME – Interpol
79. NOT A BAD THING – Justin Timberlake
80. BOOM CLAP – Charlie XCX
81. DO OR DIE – 30 Seconds to Mars
82. SUPERHEROES – The Script
83. DO YOU – Spoon
84. ALL ABOUT THAT BASS – Meghan Trainor
84. ANIMALS – Maroon 5
86. BURN – Ellie Goulding
87. ONE MINUTE MORE – Capital Cities
88. GIRLS CHASE BOYS – Ingrid Michaelson
89. FLAWS – Bastille
90. LET HER GO – Passenger
91. WEEKEND – Priory
92. HEY BROTHER – Avicii
93. MIND OVER MATTER – Young the Giant
94. TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT – Cage the Elephant
95. SIRENS – Pearl Jam
96. I DON’T WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE – Rise Against
97. ANGEL IN BLUE JEANS – Train
98. YOUNG GIRLS – Bruno Mars
99. AIN’T IT FUN – Paramore
100. JUST ONE OF THE GUYS – Jenny Lewis
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 