50. Dark Side Kelly Clarkson Favorite Line:If I show it to you now, will it make you run away?
So, you all know how I feel about "Dark Side." An awful single choice, bland, etc. etc. So, why is it number fifty on my year-end chart? I can't deny that beautiful instrumental in the verses, and it's really the only reason I listened to it so much. The lyrics are great, there's no doubt about that. It's a song about telling your loved one your deepest secrets and thoughts and hoping they don't leave you for them. I just feel that this song lacks a punch. It grows and grows, but never explodes. Hmm... Oh well. This managed to get to number 17 on my chart.
49. Payphone Maroon 5/Wiz Khalifa Favorite Line:All those fairy tales are full of ****, one more ****ing love song I'll be sick.
I really don't get why this song was so huge. I mean, I like it, and it's a good song, but I feel it had too much success. It's very beat driven, which is part of the reason I like it. The beat is heavy and addicting. But, something about it just makes it such a generic sounding song. I do really live the second half of the chorus, though. It gets pretty kick-ass right there. I also really love the production on the bridge. Wiz's voice doesn't really fit with the song, but the instrumental going on behind him is so... calming. It's really cool and I wish the whole song had that going on. This peaked at number five on my chart.
48. Zero Gravity Kerli Favorite Line:Traces of sadness, no more chain me to the ground.
Kerli really changed a lot since her debut album. This is pure dance pop, a genre that wasn't present in her debut album. I really do love this song, though. Even though it is pure dance pop, it has a certain pop to it than only Kerli can bring to a song. The production on this is pure epicness. It builds and explodes in so many various parts, and then it toys with dubstep around 2:30, and just gets into my bones. It's really a challenge not to just get up and dance to this amazing tune. I really wish Kerli were more popular. She deserves to be. This peaked at number nine on my chart.
47. Do Ya Thang Rihanna Favorite Line:You the ****, yeah, baby you the bomb.
This track is absolutely brilliant. One of Rihanna's best songs. Period. It is really a HUGE shame that it was only a bonus track and never received the single treatment. I mean, this song is so... GOOD. The beat is undeniable, the hook is ear candy, the rhythm just flows through like water through a stream. It's just too good! It really reminds me of "Umbrella." A similar beat, similar hook, but this song basically picks up where "Umbrella" left off. Which is why it would've been absolutely huge. If you have yet to check this one out, you must do so.
46. Settle Down No Doubt Favorite Line:We're underneath the avalanche so heavy again.
First off, we're cutting off the tremedously long intro and outro. Completely unnecessary and it brings nothing to the song. However, the rest of the song is awesome. It is really a shame that this never really clicked with the public because it's such a funky little song and a great return for No Doubt. I love the whole ska feel to this one and it really was such a great lead single. It's everywhere, but that works for No Doubt. The bridge is incredibly quirky and probably my favorite part of the song as a whole. It peaked at number eight on my chart.
45. Diamonds Rihanna Favorite Line:At first sight I felt the energy of sun rays.
I have such great memories with this song now thanks to my trip to Denver. It became basically one of two anthems from the trip. (The other one will appear higher in the list.) At first, I wasn't sure about this one. The production was spot on, but her vocals were crazy weird. Almost like she was trying to channel her inner Sia. But now, I don't even notice it. I guess I just got used to them. I love to sing along with this, and that's where the meories stem from. The bus ride home, it BLASTED on the radio and me and a few friends could not help but sing along. Shine bright like a DOYmond! Love it! When I sing it alone, I do so many amazing vocal inflictions towards the end. I ought to post it to YouTube because I just love doing it. This song has so far peaked at number two on my chart.
44. Desperate Measures Marianas Trench Favorite Line:Gonna make a heart-throb out of me, just a bit of minor surgery.
Again, I am so glad I discovered this band this year. Their music is just so cool and really fun to listen to. This song is another beat driven tune, and what I love is that it's a piano that drives its beat through the first half, and then a bass drum comes in and takes over. The lyrics are filled with a bunch of one-liners ranging from completely silly to though-provoking. It's a song about becoming famous and what fame can do to you, but it puts it in such a different perspective. Especially since it relates it back to relationships. I just really love this song. It peaked at number 16 on my chart.
43. Try P!nk Favorite Line:Why do we fall in love so easy even when it's not right?
Wow. Just wow. This song is truly amazing. There's really no other word to describe it. It gets inside you and moves you and makes you feel. The climactic chorus is truly one of the best things to ever be released in pop music. Ever. And those lyrics. We can all relate to these lyrics in some way. That chorus almost makes you cry. But just because it burns doesn't meant you're gonna die. You gotta get up and try. Truer words have never been spoken. This is truly a masterpiece. One of P!nk's best. This currently sits at number two on my chart and looks to take over the number one spot as early as next week.
42. Eyes Open Taylor Swift Favorite Line:But now we've stepped into a cruel world where everybody stands and keeps score.
Another masterpiece coming in at number 42 from Taylor Swift. The other song from The Hunger Games. Taylor really hit a creative mark with this one. The song is completely breathtaking and fits so well with the best book I've ever read. The bass line is out of this world great. What I really love about this is that this has no hint of country and moves into an alternative rock direction. No one would've ever pictured that Taylor Swift would make a song like this. It's just to beautiful and moving and so... awesome. I can't help but sing along to this one. It's one for the ages. It peaked at number seven on my chart.
41. It's Time Imagine Dragons Favorite Line:The path to Heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top.
I really don't know what it is about this band, but they have definitely become a personal new favorite of mine. This song was of course my first listen by them, and the moment I heard it, I fell in love. The instrumental is so cool. It's got this folky feel to it, but intermixed with rock and pop in a way I've never heard before. It works. Perfectly. I also love that this song has been everywhere. Alternative radio, pop radio, Glee, Parks & Rec, dozens of commercials, Perks of Being a Wallflower, the list goes on. It's because this song is so universal. Everyone can relate to it. It's such an amazing song and I hope it smashes on pop and goes on to let them officially break out. They're on their way, that's for sure. Love, love, love them and this song. It peaked at number 12 on my chart.
40. Hit and Run Breathe Carolina Favorite Line:The move's just right, make you come alive.
This is another band I got into this year. Well, duo. I really enjoy this song. It's a crazy mix of pop, dance, and alternative. With a little dubstep thrown in. The production on this song is crazy good! The best part of the production is on the vocals during my favorite line. The way "come" is edited to sound is just really cool. And then it just bursts into an explosion on awesomeness. The best part of the song is easily the breakdown, though. HUGE beats, amazing bass, and just an all around amazing instrumental. Why was this not a hit again? Grr! This peaked at number four on my chart.
39. Burn It Down Linkin Park Favorite Line:So when you fall, I'll take my turn, and fan the flames as your blazes burn.
I love the feel of this one a lot. It's got this real hard rock edge to it, but it's also got a soft pop spot in there that just mixes together to make this one hell of a song. I love how it climbs into an exploding chorus. I mean, that chorus just comes along in a huge POW. There really is no better way to listen to this song than just blasting it. Amazing. Then comes this awesome rap part and it just makes the song ten times better. Such a good song! It peaked at number seven on my chart.
38. One More Night Maroon 5 Favorite Line:And I'll be waking up, feeling satisfied but guilty as hell.
I tolerate this one a lot more than "Payphone" now. Both I loved, but due to their odd height of success, they burnt out on me rather quickly. This one is a lot funkier and easier to love than "Payphone," and I'm glad it wound up higher than "Payphone" on my year-end countdown because it truly is the better song. (And spent nine more weeks at #1 than "Payphone" too. ) The hook on this song is pretty intense and super catchy, which definitely aids it for me. I also love the bass line A LOT. It peaked at number nine on my chart.
37. Remember When (Push Rewind) Chris Wallace Favorite Line:I'm hanging by a thread, I'm tearing at the seams, holding on to what we used to be.
This song. It's such a cute little tune. I really do like this song a lot. It starts off soft and grows into an exciting and fun pop song. In fact, I like to call it the male version of "Give Your Heart a Break" as its sound is very similar to it as well as the vocal rhythm. It looks like it may have the success of "Give Your Heart a Break" too. Anyway, I love how undeniably catchy this song is. It's such a joy to listen to and really fun to sing along with. And that note at about 2:53 is amazing! It peaked at number 11 on my chart. (Hm... just like GYHAB before it broke out.)
36. Domino Jessie J Favorite Line:I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air.
AHHHHHH! I love, love, love, love, love, love the hell out of this song. Oh my God! It's like an orgasm everytime this comes on! Too bad part of its run was in 2011 or else this may have easily been a top ten contender for me. I'll always remember this too as my very first number one on my personal chart. :') This production on this song is blazing hot and her vocals are powerfully amazing. The bridge is so explosive. It climbs and then POW! I don't even care about the Katy Perry comparisons, this song is pure fire and you all will deal with how epic and amazing it is. Kneal before "Domino"!!!!
35. Drive By Train Favorite Line:When you move me everything is groovy. They don't like it sue me. Either way you do me.
Now to talk about a song that I can't help but sing along to. It's ridiculously catchy and such a great tune from Train. The lyrics are cheesy as hell, but that somehow works and makes the song so much better. I love the rhythm of this song so much. High note, low note, up, down, all around, it's too fun. This is definitely one of those songs that just puts a smile on my face and gets me into a good mood. Love it! It peaked at number three on my chart.
34. Blackout Breathe Carolina Favorite Line:This won't stop till I say so. Going and going and going and going and go! GO!
Oh my God, this song is amaze-balls. Another one I can't help but get up and dance to. Such a great tune. It truly deserved to be a much bigger hit than it turned out to be. The production is stellar and that hook is out of this world great. The bridge is fantastic. The climb of the vocals. And then it's like POW! Pure instrumental orgasm. It literally brings a tear to my eye eveytime that instrumental break down comes in. It's just so beautifully and wonderfully crafted. This peaked at number five, but would have been a number one hit if I had started my chart earlier.
33. Part of Me Katy Perry Favorite Line:So you can keep the diamond ring, it don't mean nothing anyway.
This is definitely not my favorite Katy Perry song ever, but this is a nice little pop song. The best part is definitely the explosive and beat driven chorus. When it comes in, something takes over and makes the song almost seem like a massive pop song. It has a really good production on it, and I admire the work they put into it for that reason. It's just so fun to listen to. Especially the bridge. Sometimes less is more, and the bridge here showcases that excellently. Just a low beat and Katy. It sounds really cool. Espeically when Katy sings "don't mean nothing," because she sounds exactly like Shania Twain there. Creepy. This peaked at number four on my chart.
32. Good Time Owl City/Carly Rae Jepsen Favorite Line:Doesn't matter when, it's always a good time then. Doesn't matter where, it's always a good time there.
Who would've thought Owl City would have another hit? Well, the duet between Adam and newcomer Carly Rae Jepsen definitely proved a great pop hit. Their voices and styles mix so perfectly together. It's a perfect little pop song. In fact it pretty screams summer, so it was smart of them to release it during that period. I really love the bridge. The pass-off is excellent and the way Carly says "where" is one of the best moments in pop history this year. I also love the children's choir at the end. This peaked at number four on my chart.
31. I Told You So Karmin Favorite Line:I was right, you was wrong. Figured I'd write it in a hip hop song.
Um... this is basically the song version of cocaine. This song is completely wicked and undeniably catchy and SUPER addictive. It gets inside your head like a nasty worm and crawls around until you find yourself wanting more of this song. It sucks that it's so short. The chorus is lovely and catchy, but its the verses here that will blow your mind. Amy can RAP! Like, damn. The first two verses and fun to try to master and you feel boss when you do. Same goes for the first half of the third verse. Then she goes "animal style" and you are completely left in the dust. Busta Rhymes, you have MAJOR competition here. This peaked at number three on my chart.
I do like the instruments in Dark Side and yeah it didn’t really take off fore me also, Yeah Payphone sound genetic at time but if you can into to it just another good song that sounds incredible, I prefer the alternative side of Kerli but this is a nice dance pop that just feels so well heard by her in way that I can’t describe, Just feel the ecstasy in Diamonds, gotta get up and try, It’s Time almost made the top 40, that song is just a great and amazing that I just want to love it more. It’s time to begin and listen to it again & made the top 40 is Burn It Down and yeah it rocks that hard and everything about it is true and just great, One More Night breakout out of Payphone and become the bigger song amazingly, like Remember When, The Cheesiness of Drive BY is acceptable and made the song on what it is, Blackout is a nice song, Part of Me is alright and like I Told You SO. Amy’s rapping is alright. Not bad at all and good job.
30. Radioactive Imagine Dragons Favorite Line:I'm breathing in the chemicals...
The minute I heard this song, I knew I would end up loving it so, so much. It's one of those unique songs that really doesn't sound like anything that's out right now. It has a strong, thumping, fist-pumping beat, but it's slow. The rhythm flows through like an infectious disease, and I love that! One of my personal favorite parts is that electric guitar in the background during the chorus. It sounds so awesome. This song is such an event and I really hope that it will break out in pop after "It's Time" smashes. It's definitely not up pop's alley, but hey, you never know. This is still on my chart but has since peaked at number three.
29. Hit the Lights Selena Gomez & the Scene Favorite Line:It's the city of love that waits for you, but you're too damn scared to fly.
Like "Love You Like a Love Song," this one too took me forever to get into. But I eventually fell in love with it. Something about that heavy dance beat got to me. The chorus is such an explosion of pop bliss. My favorite part is definitely the lyrics in the chorus. It talks about letting the music run through you and just letting go, while the rest of the song talks about the struggles of life and just pushing through it all. I love it! I really hate that radio never latched onto it. It peaked at number six on my chart.
28. As Long As You Love Me Justin Bieber/Big Sean Favorite Line:We're under pressure, seven billion people in the world trying to fit in.
If someone had told me last year that I would have a Justin Bieber song in my top 100, let along my top 30, of 2012, I would just laugh my ass off. Well, here we are. Bieber came hard with "Boyfriend" this year. Hot production, but terrible lyrics and awful singing held it back for me. Then he came around with this. I tried it and hated to admit that it actually wasn't bad. It was announced as the second single and I knew that that meant I would be hearing it a lot, especially since it doesn't sounds like a Bieber song. So I downloaded it. The more I listened to it, the more I loved it. The production is super slick and it became such an anthem for my Denver trip. Weird anthem, but it became one. The week after Denver it shot up from number 23 to its peak of number six on my chart. The only downfall are the terrible lyrics of Big Sean's part. Ew. (How odd is it that Justin Bieber placed higher than both Selena Gomez songs?)
27. Ready or Not Bridgit Mendler Favorite Line:Ready or not here I come here I come. You're like a breath of fresh air in my lungs.
Let's continue the Disney parade here with newcomer Bridgit Mendler. I first heard this song and though, hmm, not bad. The more I listened to it, the more it stuck. It became such an anthem. It's so funky and easy to listen to. It's just one of those songs that makes me picture walking down the street in New York City with shades on and a new age sport jacket. Ha. Or maybe driving down a long stretch of highway in the summer in a red Camaro. I just love this one a lot. This peaked at number two on my chart. (Blocked by the record holder for longest running number one which will appear later.)
26. Disaster JoJo Favorite Line:I am through it, I-I am through all the agony, and now my eyes are drying, trying, no more crying.
God damn, JoJo is such a beast! Her music is truly amazing and some of the best music to ever grace my ears. Her record label needs to burn in Hell. She is truly gifted. Her voice is phenomenal, and she's such a beauty too. Everything about her is just pure 100% international superstar. This song continues her epicness. A piece of r&b tinged pop that is very reminiscent of her The High Road days. The lyrics are amazing, the production is tight, and her vocal infliction at the end absolutely make the song. When she sings Just disaster! towards the end in the super high note, it's like, DAMN! I wish her luck and hope she one day deserves all of the attention she deserves.
25. Die Young Ke$ha Favorite Line:Music up, gettin' hot. Kiss me, give me all you've got.
My queen has returned. While everyone else praises Gaga or Spears, I go for wild child Ke$ha. This song definitely did not disappoint me at all. The beat is undeniably catchy and the lyrics are undeniably Ke$ha. I love that in the verses she goes back to her sing/rap days. Very Animal of her. Lol. I absolutely love this girl and everything she touches is pure gold. So it's no shocker that this is the second longest running number one on my chart. It lasted for a total of six weeks. It would have lasted longer had its number one predecessor not been the record holder itself. (Whoops.) I think my favorite part of the song is the production in the bridge. The emphasis on the vocals along with those rock tinged hand clapping, foot stomping beats just sold the song to me. Love it. Love everything about it.
24. Spectrum Zedd/Matthew Koma Favorite Line:Breathing you in when I want you out.
When I first heard this, it's like I took an acid trip and never came down. I've never heard such an epic production before. That instrumental itself was enough for me to download it. Hell, I would've just listened to the instrumental all by itself if that's all it were. It's so beautiful and epic and amazing and awesome and Brobdingnagian. Wow. It's just on a whole other level. Then you add in that VOICE! Wow! Matthew Koma can sing his ass off! Those vocals just match up so perfectly with the production and took the song even higher. I still cannot believe this was not a hit. It had all the makings of one and definitely deserved to be a number one massive, mega smash hit. It peaked at number two on my chart.
23. Lolita The Veronicas Favorite Line:Wild and exciting I'm breaking you down. You're making a comeback, I'm taking your crown.
They are back!! Well, at least for one song. This song is pure fire. It's so dark, but so upbeat at the same time. I lvoe that about these girls. They're not afraid to go there. The first album was pop/rock bliss, but their second album delve into the dance and europop world. This new song delves even deeper into the weird gothic side of dance music. It has a thumping beat and hauntingly beautiful harmonies. All over a slick production that sounds like Ellie Goulding's "Lights" on acid. I really wish that this would have been promoted better over here in the states. It defniitely could have been a big hit for them, even despite the mediocre appeal in Australia. (Stupid Australia for completely skipping on this.) I HATE that their album was pushed back. I need it in my ears now! This peaked at nubmer three on my chart.
22. Good Girl Carrie Underwood Favorite Line:His lips are dripping honey, but he'll sting you like a bee.
Carrie lost me in her Play On days. Apart from a few singles, it was otherwise boring and not worth buying. Then she came back with this foot-stomping, hand-clapping, middle-of-the-day hum inducing monster. A slick country production with heavy beats and rocking steel guitar made for quite a pleasure to the ears. Then Carrie begins singing. She hits some pretty impressive notes in this one that she never really showcases in past singles. Then she gets into it. A lot! I lobe her vocal inflictions everywhere. It brings the song to a new level of sexy and epicness. That electric guitar breakdown is one of the best things in country music this year. Especially when it goes away and Carrie jumps in with some killer falsetto. This peaked at number two on my chart.
21. Rumour Has It Adele Favorite Line:She is half your age, but I'm guessing that's the reason that you've strayed.
Speaking of thumping beats, in comes Adele with one of her hottest and sexiest songs to date. Now, usually we're used to Adele crooning and swelling over with emotion. Then we get to this song. A beat heavy tune with fiesty vocals. Adele becomes this bitchy goddess and there's no stopping her in her path of destruction in this tune. The production is downright killer and to this day it still surprises me that it's Ryan Tedder! One-trick-pony Tedder! Such a sick beat and ear candy. Of course, then there's that bridge. All slow and dramatic. It kind of brings the song down, but it's somewhat necessary. I LOVE the piano in the second half, though. Then it just stops... and then... BOOM! Bitchy Adele is back. Love it! This peaked at number six on my chart.