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TwistedElegance's Top 50 Singles of 2015 (35-31)
Member Since: 2/3/2014
Posts: 142
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TwistedElegance's Top 50 Singles of 2015 (35-31)
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Member Since: 2/3/2014
Posts: 142
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Here
Alessia Cara
Know-It-All
The prevailing mood of Alessia Cara's debut single could be gleaned from the ingenious sample of Isaac Hayes' Ike's Rap II, previously used to otherworldly effect on Portishead's trip-hop classic, Glory Box. Following a familiar template - personal lyrics sung over tightly drawn R&B - the newcomer characterised her brand by drifting dreamily between bittersweet bashfulness and self deprecating killjoy, while the ghostly tones of the production gave everything a delectable, unified feel. A sensuous design beautifully executed.
#50 in 2014: My Silver Lining | First Aid Kit
#50 in 2013: The Wire | Haim
#50 in 2012: Picking Up the Pieces | Paloma Faith
#50 in 2011: Video Games | Lana Del Rey
#50 in 2010: 4th of July (Fireworks) | Kelis
 
Can't Deny My Love
Brandon Flowers
The Desired Effect
It's something of a surprise that Brandon Flowers doesn't have a string of solo hits to his credit. The promise hinted at on his first outing, Flamingo, was showcased spectacularly on The Desired Effect, which saw the Killers frontman sticking to what he's known for while at the same time experimenting with '80s trimmings further than ever before. Without resorting to gimmicks, Flowers draped Can't Deny My Love in crisp new wave influences from the decade including heavy percussion, distorted guitars and a guilt-free pop chorus with as much genuine hit potential as any Top 10 record in 2015.
#49 in 2014: Wrote a Song About You | MNEK
#49 in 2013: Green Garden | Laura Mvula
#49 in 2012: Swimming Pools (Drank) | Kendrick Lamar
#49 in 2011: The Show Goes On | Lupe Fiasco
#49 in 2010: Make Me Wanna Die | The Pretty Reckless
 
WTF (Where They From)
Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell Williams
WTF (Where They From) - Single
Even though ten years have passed since The Cookbook, Missy Elliott is still regarded as one of the most dependable brands in hip-hop. Following several false starts she looks to have finally committed to a fully-formed comeback, accomplishing the first step with swaggering ease after WTF's glowing reception among music critics and consumers alike. Proving she still knows her way around a precision club banger, the song also made it clear that absence has done nothing to diminish her wit or attitude, and its accompanying video reintroduced her trademark creativity that's thankfully untarnished by a decade spent languishing in obscurity.
#48 in 2014: Everytime | Broods
#48 in 2013: Strong | London Grammar
#48 in 2012: Running | Jessie Ware
#48 in 2011: Post Break-Up Sex | The Vaccines
#48 in 2010: Te Amo | Rihanna
 
Can't Keep Checking My Phone
Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Multi-Love
Reinforcing their psychedelic rock conviction, American/New Zealand outfit Unknown Mortal Orchestra here proved themselves experts on how to fuse tumultuous melodic expression with DIY beats. Saluting a raw musical spirit, there was a frivolous energy that drove Can't Keep Checking My Phone, from the pared-back rhythm and blitzing synth stabs to the out-and-out illegibility of the verses. Such oddball lyrics on most other songs would incite a dislocation between the music and the words, but it only made this venture all the more compelling.
#47 in 2014: Tribe | Theophilus London feat. Jesse Boykins III
#47 in 2013: Follow Your Arrow | Kacey Musgraves
#47 in 2012: Safe & Sound | Taylor Swift feat. The Civil Wars
#47 in 2011: Guilt | Nero
#47 in 2010: Paper Romance | Groove Armada
 
Ex's & Oh's
Elle King
Love Stuff
Mining her own relationship history for material, Elle King's tough but tender tales are delivered in a variety of styles. The sense of honesty and the bluesy barroom texture of her voice was a shot in the arm to the current brand of sensitive singer-songwriters, coincidentally arriving as Alanis Morissette was celebrating the 20th anniversary of her confessional masterpiece, Jagged Little Pill. On Ex's & Oh's, King's vocals were earthy and expressive, conveying lived-in passion and battered vulnerability, brilliantly backed by a chunk of thigh-slapping country rock. Impressive stuff.
#46 in 2014: Let Go | Isis Salam feat. Kruse & Nuernberg
#46 in 2013: Count On Me | Chase & Status feat. Moko
#46 in 2012: My Gun | The Rubens
#46 in 2011: Glad You Came | The Wanted
#46 in 2010: Soldier of Love | Sade
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/1/2012
Posts: 15,668
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Jamie 
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Didn't know Miike Snow released something this year 
Here is an amazing song! Love the lyrics 
Ex's & Oh's is my jam! Love that woman 
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Member Since: 11/17/2008
Posts: 28,694
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3/5
Ex's and Oh's and Can't Deny My Love are my favorites 
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Member Since: 2/3/2014
Posts: 142
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I'm a Ruin
Marina and the Diamonds
Froot
Since her arrival in 2009, Marina Diamandis has tenaciously pursued her vision of striking sophisti-pop perfection. Whether flirting with the subtler shades of gothic rock on I'm a Ruin's opening verse, or casting loose a glossy new wave groove on its pouty chorus, this was a record that wielded as much effortless fervor as any it competed against. At times she can sail too close to novelty territory, but when she applies sincerity to her afflictive lyrics as she did here, the results are stirring.
#45 in 2014: i | Kendrick Lamar
#45 in 2013: Gas Pedal | Sage the Gemini feat. IAmSu!
#45 in 2012: Drive By | Train
#45 in 2011: Jar of Hearts | Christina Perri
#45 in 2010: Raise Your Glass | P!nk
 
Want To Want Me
Jason Derulo
Everything Is 4
Less suave and too forced would be the best way to compare Jason Derulo to just about any of his peers. His voice is polished and his dance moves are faultless, but there's something almost offputting about his cleanliness and niceguy demeanour. Thankfully my cynicism is penetrable. At a time when many R&B artists are still playing around with dance pop, it's not surprising given his prior success in the field that he too thought to keep at it. Want To Want Me's old school funk accents and punchy chorus were far removed from his earlier attempts at playing it cool but ultimately coming off cheesy. A rare perfect collision of disco posturing and pop savvy.
#44 in 2014: In the Lurch | Antemasque
#44 in 2013: Love Me Again | John Newman
#44 in 2012: Promises | The Presets
#44 in 2011: Marvin & Chardonnay | Big Sean feat. Kanye West & Roscoe Dash
#44 in 2010: Everything To Me | Monica
 
Style
Taylor Swift
1989
Arguably the biggest star in the world, Taylor Swift chose to celebrate her tenth year in the business and some 30 million album sales by branching out. Teaming with the ever-present Max Martin on the majority of 1989, she mapped a worthy route into classic Top 40 tunes and succeeded in capturing the general public's imagination. While not everything worked for me, there was no denying Style. Superbly executed, it not only reflected her country influences but also her current ones, and recalled the highlights of primetime Madonna. Like everything else this era it offered simplicity in its lyrics, but musically it stood tallest amongst her recent output with distinctive rolling harmonies, carefully strummed bridges and a big, shout-out-loud chorus.
#43 in 2014: Good Mistake | Mr Little Jeans
#43 in 2013: Desert Night | RÜFÜS
#43 in 2012: Anything Could Happen | Ellie Goulding
#43 in 2011: Til Death | Wynter Gordon
#43 in 2010: Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) | Jay Z, Bono, Edge & Rihanna
 
Counting Sheep
SAFIA
Counting Sheep - Single
Few genres in Australian music right now are running on the same steam as indie electronica. With its crunching chorus and menacing strings, Counting Sheep set itself apart from broody predecessors Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues and Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds with its melancholic, clownish sound. The lyrics were wacky and the beat was dense, but the trio's real strength emerged on its marvelous bridge, slipping into a contagious groove that mirrored the highlight of fellow Canberrans Peking Duk, whose Say My Name was another of 2015's darkly entrancing dancefloor beasts - and coincidentally featured SAFIA's Ben Joseph on vocals.
#42 in 2014: Throw It Down | Dominique Young Unique
#42 in 2013: Another Love | Tom Odell
#42 in 2012: We'll Be Coming Back | Calvin Harris feat. Example
#42 in 2011: Last Name London | Theophilus London
#42 in 2010: On Melancholy Hill | Gorillaz
 
Pray To God
Calvin Harris feat. Haim
Motion
In contrast to the bulk of Motion, Calvin Harris's collaborations with Haim and Ellie Goulding thrived as a result of them giving him actual songs to engineer, with tunes built not just from beats and crescendos but soaring melodies. Pray To God found both parties playing to their strengths: Harris's propulsive beat and thunderous keys giving prominence to the sisters' sky-scraping hook and Edge of Seventeen mimicry. No great leap forward, however it did signal a DJ coming to terms with his capabilities and opening himself up to a new audience without causing hostility among the old.
#41 in 2014: Yellow Flicker Beat | Lorde
#41 in 2013: Riptide | Vance Joy
#41 in 2012: Nobody's Perfect | J. Cole feat. Missy Elliott
#41 in 2011: Lady Luck | Jamie Woon
#41 in 2010: If I Had You | Adam Lambert
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Member Since: 9/1/2013
Posts: 20,932
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Want To Want Me & Style 
Sorry, Can't Feel My Face, What Kind Of Man should've make it tbh 
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Member Since: 5/6/2011
Posts: 26,891
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Style & I'm A Ruin 
Sorry was snubbed tho 
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Member Since: 10/3/2009
Posts: 35,844
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Should Have Known Better 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 29,531
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Want To Want Me is nice! Style is great too.
Sadly "Pray To God" is my least favorite Calvin Harris' single of all time 
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Member Since: 2/17/2012
Posts: 33,611
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Omg so many songs that are on my list too! I can't believe I still haven't listened to the UMO album yet I just got lazy.
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Member Since: 8/25/2011
Posts: 1,124
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I'm a Ruin 
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Member Since: 10/13/2003
Posts: 48,022
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Pray To God,Style & Here 
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 34,134
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I'm A Ruin, Want To Want Me, Style and Pray To God
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Member Since: 2/3/2014
Posts: 142
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Distant Past
Everything Everything
Get To Heaven
Since formation in 2007, Everything Everything have garnered fair praise for their charismatic brand of falsetto rock. Third album Get To Heaven signaled their greatest musical development thus far, taking a chance with esteemed producer Stuart Price at the helm. From its pulse-racing first verse, Distant Past was a shot of manic energy and trance-like rhythms that conveyed their comical charm perfectly. The fundamental appeal of the song pivots around the exceptional vocal ability of Jonathan Higgs, stretching from Dizze Rascal-like rapping to furious howl in the space of just a few seconds. The result was a disorientating delight, performed with a confidence and coherence that several of their contemporaries might envy.
#40 in 2014: You Ruin Me | The Veronicas
#40 in 2013: I Was a Fool | Tegan and Sara
#40 in 2012: Little Things | One Direction
#40 in 2011: Good Life | OneRepublic
#40 in 2010: Pretty Girl Rock | Keri Hilson
 
Used To Love You
Gwen Stefani
Used To Love You - Single
It seems an age has passed since Gwen Stefani was an irresistible force, integrating electro, new wave and hip-hop into some of the most thrilling pop music of the mid-2000s. The singer's super cool persona and platinum blonde coiffure made her one of the most recognisable stars alive. Then she stopped. Three children, one No Doubt album and two misfiring solo singles later, Stefani returned a newly-single woman with something to sing about. The failure of Baby Don't Lie and Spark the Fire prompted a radical re-think, and if a marriage breakdown can be described as good for anything, it was surely in her case, inspiration. Heavily loaded with fresh emotion, Used To Love You recaptured some of her best qualities - accessibility, sensibility and melody - reminding us that when she seeks overemotional candor, she usually finds it.
#39 in 2014: Don't Tell 'Em | Jeremih feat. YG
#39 in 2013: We Are the Same | Lurch & Chief
#39 in 2012: Primadonna | Marina and the Diamonds
#39 in 2011: High For This | The Weeknd
#39 in 2010: Crossfire | Brandon Flowers
 
Hotline Bling
Drake
Hotline Bling - Single
Suddenly, it was everywhere. The extensive hype surrounding the release of Drake's Hotline Bling video and the overabundance of memes it inspired was an entertainment in itself. Luckily, the record lived up to the weight of its accumulated notoriety. Everything - music, mood and lyrics - worked in perfect unison to form an unlikely blend of soul with a sparse, trap backing. The song had the most basic of plots, but remarkably the result was R&B with individuality and even depth, a rare thing indeed at the top end of today's charts.
#38 in 2014: Head Up High | Oh Land
#38 in 2013: All of Me | John Legend
#38 in 2012: Get Along | Guy Sebastian
#38 in 2011: Big | Sneaky Sound System
#38 in 2010: Grenade | Bruno Mars
 
Fire and the Flood
Vance Joy
Dream Your Life Away
Two years on from his breakthrough success with Riptide, Vance Joy revealed a slightly more ambitious side of himself with Fire and the Flood. Equally as fetching, the song sits somewhere between the intimacy of his signature hit and the familiar structures of big FM rock, achieving an almost giddy effect in the course of the horn-playing midway through. But it's his lyrics that really counted, proving he could carry conviction as well as a tune. Sensitive but robust, Fire and the Flood was as deliciously winsome as the male singer-songwriter got in 2015.
#37 in 2014: Talk Is Cheap | Chet Faker
#37 in 2013: Broken | Jake Bugg
#37 in 2012: Push and Shove | No Doubt feat. Busy Signal & Major Lazer
#37 in 2011: Moves Like Jagger | Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
#37 in 2010: XXXO | M.I.A.
 
Cool For the Summer
Demi Lovato
Confident
Sporadic evidence suggests that Demi Lovato is probably capable of writing more catchy Top 10 tunes than she actually wants to. Instead, she seems content with each era counting on one solid hit to do most of the talking. The pounding Cool For the Summer is her most recent example, crammed with fuzzy synths, sexual insinuations and a strapping Max Martin chorus. Unintentionally camp, it maybe wasn't the guarded pop we've come to expect from the ex-Disney star, but it's hard to imagine this won't represent her career-high.
#36 in 2014: Let It Go | Idina Menzel
#36 in 2013: Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues | SAFIA
#36 in 2012: Nothing's Real But Love | Rebecca Ferguson
#36 in 2011: Gucci Gucci | Kreayshawn
#36 in 2010: Everything You Wanted | Kele
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Member Since: 4/16/2007
Posts: 30,963
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So many good songs. Sorry
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Member Since: 5/23/2007
Posts: 65,087
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Used To Love You is good. I used to hate Hotline Bling but right now I'm obsessed  and Cool For The Summer is provably my fave Demi Lovato song! Amazing set 
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/3/2014
Posts: 34,134
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Used To Love You, Hotline Bling and Cool for the Summer
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Member Since: 11/27/2008
Posts: 78,826
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Style, Pray To God, Ex's & Oh's, Cool For the Summer and Used To Love You
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