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MusicTalker's #1 Song of 2010-2014 is...
Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
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MusicTalker's #1 Song of 2010-2014 is...
Half-Decade Special: Top 100 Songs of 2010-2014
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50-41
40-31
30-21
20-11
10-1!!!:
10 Beyoncé - Partition 2013
When BEY first dropped her self-titled unexpectedly, we were all left at her mercy. What are you to do, in your state of shock, when you desperately want to listen to her album in full iTunes quality, but don't happen to have the money on your iTunes account right then to purchase it right there? For the first night this album was out, all I could do was listen to the snippets on a loop until like 24 hours into the mayhem. Of course, snippets don't give the full scope of this record whatsoever, but I immediately started picking out favorites, including (if I remember correctly)... Blow, No Angel, PARTITION, Mine, ***Flawless, & Heaven. Emphasis on Partition: the one snippet that I could not stop playing for the duration of the night and the one that made this album a must buy. I was initially shocked at the lyrics Bey was singing: unnaturally forceful and blunt for her usual work, and more risky. It starts with an album highlight, the sick two-minute rap epic that is the Yoncé intro, and then turns into a dark and atmospheric hip hop & r&b croon about... well, you know. In most hands, this song would've been a lyrical disaster and an awkward delivery, but Bey gives the perfect balance of fun, mystery, hip hop, pop, r&b, & best of all, a sense of control and power. The lyrics may not be something I would usually like, but I can't deny that Bey's power as a performer and all around entertainer is more apparent than ever on Partition. She set out to make a point and she did, whether the delivery was meant to be graceful or not.
9 Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger (featuring Christina Aguilera) 2011
When I throw out the term "pop perfection", I usually reserve it for tracks that I know were made with the main intention of being a hit on pop radio. These tracks are unapologetic-ally pop and perfection in the process. Sometimes, pop perfection is what an artist needs to save their career when it needs it the most. Before Jagger, Maroon 5 was going through a huge slump of a third era, and it was pretty disastrous. It wasn't until The Voice that they gained greater access to a larger audience and to more collaborators such as Max Martin and Legend X. This is the first of many Max-penned M5 tracks to come, but it still remains the best. This track is a fusion of M5's 2nd album with what was new territory for them in 2011: dance pop (or just this blatantly pop in general). It was by far more "on trend" and modern than anything else on Hands All Over, making it only fitting that it would be the one to take off and literally revive their mainstream career. Not only was it a huge hit, but it's also still constantly charting in the iTunes Top 1500 and it gets a lot of recurrent airplay. It's not a flash-in-the-pan and forget it pop confection: it's one that you'll dance to now, ten years from now, and maybe even twenty years from now. Or if you won't dance, you should at least sing the chorus and try to hit those notes. This song is just a blast.
8 Adele - Rolling In the Deep 2010
THE quintessential smash hit of the 2010s. The one that will stand the test of time and become that song your children know without you even trying. It's the one that we all still talk about and literally changed the face of pop music this decade. It started a movement towards more soulful, alternative & more "natural/organic" music and started the shift away from dancepop (that would still be prominent for another two years, but ultimately fizzle out once the movement RItD started got stronger in 2012 and 2013). This song marks a turning point for me, and at the age of 15, it forced me to expand my musical horizons. I became more open-minded for other genres and began to explore more styles of music, especially from the past. Most specially, I began to explore Adele's discography and become fascinated with an incredible, heart-numbing voice. We all know this song for a damn good reason, and we're not going to forget it. You love it, your mom loves it, and maybe your grandma has heard it and liked it too. The cycle will only continue for years to come.
7 Gotye - Somebody that I Used to Know (featuring Kimbra) 2011
Speaking of the Rolling In the Deep and 21 movement, Somebody that I Used to Know would not have happened in the US without Rolling In the Deep coming before it. I've always compared these two in my head and put them together as partners. They were both a bit unusual to smash in the early 10s, but they both ended up eclipsing everything else that came during their time. One of the things that made Somebody so special was how much impact the song, emotionally and sonically, with a hugely simple but haunting verse from Gotye, and another from Kimbra, and a cry of a chorus. The "haunting" part is what's always drawn me to Somebody the most; something about the chill and clear disconnect relayed by Gotye and Kimbra that truly makes the listener feel their sorrow and pain. It's like a couple arguing, building up tension, and then finally releasing it in a shouting match of a chorus for the world to witness. It's a really sad song, but one I actually learned something from as a teenager: that relationships are hard, and they hit really low points where you end up being with a different person than you started out with. People change: sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse.
6 Rihanna - Diamonds 2012
Earlier, I mentioned Sia was involved with a song that was one of my favorite musical moments of recent memory. I was referring to her penning of Diamonds, a Rihanna-sung hit from about 2 years ago. It feels like this song has been around forever now, but that just goes to show its now huge presence in Rihanna's discography thanks to the awesome quality of the song. It's actually rather sparse and repetitive lyrically... it doesn't have an actual bridge. What's important to pay attention to here is Rihanna's vocal and the emotions she's trying to convey. Since this song is about the loss of a loved one, it's becomes clear that Rihanna's pain is easy to hear. I can tell that she genuinely connected with the lyrics Sia wrote with her in mind. She also simultaneously sounds happy and hopeful about her loved one's prospects in the life beyond. Whether dealing with relationships or death, this is another song about some type of loss. Diamonds is a great portrayals of how humans deal with such loss: with conflicted emotions, with a seeking out of loved ones, and with a sense of vulnerability that we might not always show. While the Top 40 potential to smash was always here as well thanks to Sia's amazing ability to balance hit potential with real emotion, it's never too sappy or too formulaic. Instead, Diamonds was a refreshing change of pace for Rihanna from TTT, and it set the tone beautifully for what has become her current career.
5 Drake - Take Care (featuring Rihanna) 2011
Drake's has had the most flawless run of any artist with the quality of his CDs in the past five years. He has yet to serve any album that's less than stellar, even counting his debut and So Far Gone. Still, even among all the gems, there can only be one crowning jewel. It has to the one that will never wear and tear with time, and only shines brighter as it becomes more exposed to my opinions. I went into Take Care beyond excited that my two very favorite artists of the 2010s had united for their 2nd track together. You would think this type of song would be a grower, but I had an instant reaction of being stunned, and then hypnotized, and then just in awe. It starts off Rihanna's deeper vocals, which were very new-sounding for her at the time in 2011. It caught my pleasantly off guard and I had already been won over within 2 seconds. Then, Drake comes in and sing-raps like a pro, showing his emotion, talent, range, and depth as a rapper, performer, and just as a person overall. I'm glad Drake came in and challenged people's perceptions of what warrants a rap song versus what doesn't, and I see no reason why Take Care can't be called a hip hop song. Rather than repeat past styles like so many of his peers, Drake took the genre into new territory and changed the genre, creating a blueprint that countless rap newcomers now follow. Only thing is, they can't just sing and rap, they have to have the flow, delivery, and lyrical content, too. Drake has all of these, shown off beautifully on songs like Take Care. This song shows off why he's such an innovative artist and is willing to take risks to create gorgeous songs.
4 Rihanna - Only Girl (In the World) 2010
As I mentioned before, Rihanna and Drake were absolutely on top of things in the past five years. Both never stopped putting out quality music and being successful, unless they took a break on their own terms (see: Rihanna currently with the R8 Drought). They ruled their genres, and it's no surprise to me as to why they did. It's funny now to think that in the beginning of 2010, Rihanna's career had hit a bit of rough patch. Even when Rude Boy and Love the Way You Lie hit #1, there was still concern Rihanna would not be able to repeat the success of Good Girl Gone Bad. It was a transition time for Rihanna; not quite enough hits to call her a pop icon, but enough for her to not disappear into complete obscurity if she flopped two times in a row. Needless to say, she proved everyone wrong, began the decade right with Loud in 2010, and thus started a remarkable string of hits that secured her deserved icon status as of today. What was the first song to help get Rih back into business, along with the help of the fellow stunner What's My Name? Only Girl! The 2nd best dancepop single of a decade full of them (the 1st one is super obvious given OG's position) is still as fresh and timeless as it was when it debuted four and a half years ago. Rihanna sounds ethereal and light, contrasting beautifully with her more gritty tones of Rated R. The song makes you feel like your floating on a poppy, airy cloud while a rave is occurring around you (which is exactly the imagery the video captured, a stunning video and one of the best of the 10s). The airy cloudy isn't disrupted, but rather elevated by an awesome belter of a bridge, begging you to sing along with her, and a grinding, climatic bridge that leads into a conclusion whether of such a well-produced and well-orchestrated song. I still hear this all the time and couldn't be happier to! It always makes me feel GREAT and gets me pumped.
3 Adele - Set Fire to the Rain 2010
It seems like Rolling In the Deep and Someone Like You define the 21 era, but the third smash hit from the album is often more overlooked than the other two. I blame it not getting the moody black and white video it deserved (because anything is better than a rushed live video without the official audio). Ironically, Rain is my favorite off of the entire album and is my favorite Adele song period to date, including all of the equally admirable 19. Rain is as dramatic a pop ballad as can be with its orchestra strings and "big" sound, and I feel most other singers would've been entirely overwhelmed and drowned out by it. But when you have Adele recording, the game changes and anything is possible. Adele's voice matches and even surpasses the sadness and longing the production creates, and she's honestly never sounded better than she does on Rain. I want to especially highlight the very first few lines she sings, which were the first I heard. Like Take Care, they simply left me stunned. In typical Adele fashion, she performs vocal acrobatics by going from falsetto to normal back to falsetto voice, making her gorgeous lyrics hit me even harder. If my countdown were based on lyrics alone, Rain would easily be my #1 song of the past 5 years. That first verse! I don't cry much during songs, but Rain has made me well up quite a few times. I occasionally write song lyrics, and Rain was a huge influence on my style of songwriting. It's poetic, but most importantly, it's interpretive to each individual listener. This deserved way more than 2-3 weeks at #1 or however many it got. In fact, it deserved at least 10, not even exaggerating.
2 Beyoncé - Mine (featuring Drake) 2013
I'd like to think of this song as the R&B sibling to Set Fire to the Rain. They're both essentially ballads, both one of the singers most personal songs ever, and both written with magnificent lyrics, production, and overall quality in mind. Mine is over 6 minutes long, but it's so well done that 6 minutes ends up feeling like not enough. It starts off with Bey singing some revealing lyrics, such as one of my favorites "been having conversations about breakups and separations, I'm not feeling like myself since the baby". I would have never realized that about her until she said it herself. Simple accompaniment waves her through the beginning, but after the first verse, the song becomes bigger, the bass deeper, and Drake comes in. Now, I'd been wanting a Bey/Drake collabo for YEARS, so this moment was something I had to cherish. I could've never imagined them making a song this resounding and brilliant, even in my wildest dreams. He sings a catchy hook that then harmonizes with The Queen, and it basically sounds like heaven itself coming down unto Earth. Since a Drake feature is never a small deal, he sings yet another part of the song into what I can only call my favorite singing that he's ever done a track. He even does ANOTHER verse at the end. Mine is like a Drake album track on crack and laced with the audio version of beauty itself. IDK... I can't describe this song without basically calling it godly and geeking out. It's my favorite Bey song ever, and I can only recommend it to you in the highest regard.
P.S. Boi-1da absolutely murdered that BEAT. 
1 Rihanna - We Found Love 2011
I had a really hard time choosing between We Found Love and Mine for #1; I'll just say it was incredibly close and they switched back and forth multiple times. However, I couldn't possibly feel right about this entire list if We Found Love wasn't #1. It represents the past 5 years for me so well with its dancepop feel (a genre I listened to quite a lot from 2010-2014) and its touch of my favorite artist: Rihanna. It's a perfect balance between euphoric and melancholy, and I'm always most drawn to songs that are able to convey multiple emotions at once. Calvin's beat contributes to this atmosphere as well, sounding fit for any party across the world, but also for someone who is feeling down about love or anything in general. The thing about We Found Love is that I can literally listen to whenever I want and always find it appropriate for my mood. It's a song that does whatever effect to you that you want it to; if you're happy, it makes you further happier; if you're down, it feels relate able. Rihanna and Calvin have created nothing less than pop brilliance that will no doubt become a classic everywhere. Rihanna's voice is almost always pop brilliance, but here, it does so many things at once. It's light and airy, like OG, but it also sounds as if it's longing for someone who's not able to be there, even when they "found love in a hopeless place". Like a lot of songs in my countdown that I love, I feel WFL captures the true essence of what modern love is really like in all its conflicted-ness, doubt, and temporary moments of assumed perfection. Love is not perfect, but we have to do the best that we can with it. The only thing you can do is try to find love in your hopeless places, grab it by the reins, and never stop dancing. This song is not only a love of mine, but it represents me as a person perfectly, in terms of my views on life and my emotions. I have no doubt that's why I connect to it every time. This is a powerful song for me and always will be; ask me ONE song to define my teen years, and I will say the same three words. God bless the goddess of pop.
Previously Done Countdowns:
 Top 100 Songs of 2014
Top 10 Albums of 2014
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Member Since: 3/2/2014
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Don't worry sis.. we'll be waiting  slay us!
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Member Since: 10/13/2003
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can't wait to see your countdown 
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Member Since: 10/3/2009
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Top 100 Songs of 2014. I'll be waiting for it. 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
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Member Since: 2/19/2007
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Looking foward to your lists 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
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I'm looking forward to this!
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ATRL Senior Member
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ATRL Senior Member
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Member Since: 8/31/2013
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Perched 
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Banned
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Perched 
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ATRL Contributor
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Christmas Day it is, then. 
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Member Since: 7/22/2009
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Can't wait for your list!
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Member Since: 6/6/2011
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This is the one I'm most exicted for, bring it!
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 8/1/2012
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Can't wait for yours
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Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
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Here's the full recap of last years countdowns:
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Originally posted by Top 100 Songs of 2013
1 Beyoncé - Mine (featuring Drake)
2 Lady Gaga - Do What U Want (featuring R. Kelly)
3 Beyoncé - Heaven
4 Drake - Hold On, We're Going Home (featuring Majid Jordan)
5 Dawn Richard - Frequency
6 Beyoncé - Partition
7 Drake - From Time (featuring Jhené Aiko)
8 Justin Timberlake - Cabaret (featuring Drake)
9 Lady Gaga - G.U.Y.
10 Dawn Richard - Northern Lights
11 Justin Timberlake - Don't Hold the Wall
12 Ciara - Body Party
13 Kanye West - Blood On the Leaves
14 Katy Perry - Legendary Lovers
15 Daft Punk - Get Lucky (featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers)
16 Ciara - Overdose
17 Justin Timberlake - Gimme What I Don't Know (I Want)
18 Lorde - Royals
19 Kanye West - Black Skinhead
20 Justin Timberlake - Tunnel Vision
21 Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (featuring JAY Z)
22 Katy Perry - Dark Horse (featuring Juicy J)
23 Ellie Goulding - Burn
24 Britney Spears - Work Bitch
25 Kacey Musgraves - Follow Your Arrow
26 Beyoncé - No Angel
27 Ciara - DUI
28 Beyoncé - XO
29 Sevyn Streeter - It Won't Stop (featuring Chris Brown)
30 Lady Gaga - Donatella
31 Ariana Grande - The Way (featuring Mac Miller)
32 Ellie Goulding - Goodness Gracious
oops I skipped 33 last year, lol  I would replace it with Chris Brown - Love More (featuring Nicki Minaj)
34 Dawn Richard - Ode to You
35 J Cole - Power Trip (featuring Miguel)
36 Kacey Musgraves - Blowin' Smoke
37 Ariana Grande - Right There (featuring Big Sean)
38 Avicii - Wake Me Up (featuring Aloe Blacc)
39 Lady Gaga - MANiCURE
40 Fall Out Boy - Where Did the Party Go
41 Florence + the Machine - Over the Love
42 Dawn Richard - Break of Dawn
43 Eminem - The Monster (featuring Rihanna)
44 Childish Gambino - V. 3005
45 Kat Dahlia - Gangsta
46 JAY Z - Oceans (featuring Frank Ocean)
47 Lady Gaga - Fashion!
48 Lorde - Team
49 Beyoncé - Pretty Hurts
50 Lady Gaga - Sexxx Dreams
51 Katy Perry - Roar
52 Beyoncé - Blow
53 Lady Gaga - Applause
54 Ellie Goulding - Tesselate
55 Ariana Grande - Lovin' It
56 Lady Gaga - Venus
57 Fall Out Boy - Alone Together
58 Drake - Come Thru
59 Daft Punk - Instant Crush (featuring Julian Casablancas)
60 Lady Gaga - Swine
61 Eminem - Rap God
62 Kelly Rowland - Red Wine
63 Lorde - 400 Lux
64 Jhené Aiko - Bed Peace (featuring Childish Gambino)
65 Big Sean - Beware (featuring Jhené Aiko & Lil Wayne)
66 J Cole - LAnd of the Snakes
67 Katy Perry - Choose Your Battles
68 Bastille - Pompeii
69 John Mayer - Who You Love (featuring Katy Perry)
70 J Cole - Crooked Smile (featuring TLC)
71 Sage the Gemini - Red Nose
72 Ellie Goulding - Hearts Without Chains
73 A$AP Rocky - Fashion Killa
74 Kacey Musgraves - My House
75 Miguel - How Many Drinks? (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
76 Olly Murs - Hey You Beautiful
77 Paramore - Still Into You
78 Fantasia - Without Me (featuring Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliott)
79 Selena Gomez - Come & Get It
80 Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light 'Em Up)
81 Olly Murs - Dance With Me Tonight
82 Justin Timberlake - Dress On
83 Justin Timberlake - Murder (featuring JAY Z)
84 Beyoncé - Drunk In Love (featuring JAY Z)
85 Britney Spears - Passenger
86 MKTO - Classic
87 Justin Timberlake - Mirrors
88 Kelly Rowland - Gone (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
89 Ariana Grande - Lovin' It Kelly Rowland - Talk a Good Game (featuring Kevin Cossom) lol another mistake
90 Britney Spears - Perfume
91 Katy Perry - Unconditionally
92 Drake - Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2 (featuring JAY Z)
93 Cher Lloyd - I Wish (featuring T.I.)
94 Big Sean - Ashley (featuring Miguel)
95 Big Sean - You Don't Know (featuring Ellie Goulding)
96 OneRepublic - Counting Stars
97 Kanye West - Send It Up (featuring King Louie)
98 Kanye West - Bound 2 (featuring Charlie Wilson)
99 Nelly - Get Like Me (featuring Nicki Minaj & Pharrell)
100 Kelly Clarkson - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas |
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Originally posted by Top 10 Albums of 2013, with Top 5 tracks from each
01 Beyoncé - BEYONCÉ
I. Mine (featuring Drake)
II. Heaven
III. Partition
IV. No Angel
V. XO
02 Drake - Nothing Was the Same
I. Hold On, We're Going Home (featuring Majid Jordan)
II. From Time (featuring Jhene Aiko)
III. Furthest Thing
IV. Come Thru
V. Pound Cake / Paris Morton Music 2 (featuring JAY Z)
03 Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience (Complete)
I. Cabaret (featuring Drake)
II. Don't Hold the Wall
III. Gimme What I Don't Know (I Want)
IV. Tunnel Vision
V. Suit & Tie (featuring JAY Z)
04 Lady Gaga - ARTPOP
I. Do What U Want (featuring R. Kelly)
II. G.U.Y.
III. Donatella
IV. MANiCURE
V. Fashion!
05 Dawn Richard - Goldenheart
I. Frequency
II. Northern Lights
III. Ode to You
IV. Break of Dawn
V. Return of a Queen
06 Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer Different Park
I. Follow Your Arrow
II. Blowin' Smoke
III. My House
IV. It Is What it Is
V. Dandelion
07 Fall Out Boy - Save Rock & Roll
I. Where Did the Party Go
II. Alone Together
III. My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)
IV. Young Volcanoes
V. The Mighty Fall (featuring Big Sean)
08 Kanye West - Yeezus
I. Blood On the Leaves
II. Black Skinhead
III. Send It Up (featuring King Louie)
IV. Bound 2 (featuring Charlie Wilson)
V. New Slaves (featuring Frank Ocean)
09 Katy Perry - PRISM
I. Legendary Lovers
II. Dark Horse (featuring Juicy J)
III. Roar
IV. Choose Your Battles
V. Unconditionally
10 J. Cole - Born Sinner
I. Power Trip (featuring Miguel)
II. LAnd of the Snakes
III. Crooked Smile (featuring TLC)
IV. Rich
V. Forbidden Fruit (featuring Kendrick Lamar)
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Member Since: 2/16/2010
Posts: 69,775
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Also, my goal for my countdowns this year is to have less songs by the same artists. Some variety is needed.
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Banned
Member Since: 3/15/2013
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You have fantastic taste, so I'll be expecting a lot from this years list. Can't wait!
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
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I'm hyped for this!
You always start the best threads and have the most reasonable comments on music.
Plus your 2013 results are great. Can't wait
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
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LOVE your 2013 list!! And I love you as a member too so I'm really excited
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