Top 50 Songs of 2012

With 2013 quickly approaching, it’s time for me to share my third annual “Top 50 Songs of…” list. And the Top 50 Songs of 2012, according to yours truly, are…

1. “Sweet Nothing” – Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
2. “Scream & Shout” – will.i.am featuring Britney Spears
3. “One More Night” – Maroon 5
4. “Die Young” – Ke$ha
5. “Synthesizer” – The Cataracs
6. “Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen
7. “I Will Wait” – Mumford & Sons
8. “Some Nights” – Fun.
9. “Dirty Bass” – Far East Movement featuring Tyga
10. “Locked Out of Heaven” – Bruno Mars
11. “Home” – Phillip Phillips
12. “Pound the Alarm” – Nicki Minaj
13. “Don’t Wake Me Up” – Chris Brown
14. “What Makes You Beautiful” – One Direction
15. “The Night Out” (A-Trak Remix) – Martin Solveig
16. “Let’s Have a Kiki” – Scissor Sisters
17. “Starships” – Nicki Minaj
18. “Alcohol” – The Cataracs
19. “Chasing the Sun” – The Wanted
20. “Bright Lights Bigger City/Magic” – The Treblemakers
21. “Let’s Go” – Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
22. “Right Round” – The Treblemakers featuring My Name Is Kay
23. “Back in Time” – Pitbull
24. “The Sign/Eternal Flame/Turn the Beat Around” – The Barden Bellas
25. “I Need Your Love” – Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
26. “Don’t You Worry Child” – Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin
27. “It’s Time” – Imagine Dragons
28. “Diamonds” – Rihanna
29. “Payphone” – Maroon 5
30. “Make It Nasty” – Tyga
31. “Feel So Close” – Calvin Harris
32. “We Are Young” – Fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
33. “Too Close” – Alex Clare
34. “Gangnam Style” – PSY
35. “Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself)” – Ne-Yo
36. “Here I Am Alive” – Yellowcard
37. “Respect” – Melanie Amaro
38. “I Don’t Like You” – Eva Simons
39. “Mercy” – Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
40. “Don’t Stop the Party” – Pitbull featuring TJR
41. “Beez in the Trap” – Nicki Minaj
42. “All Around the World” – Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris
43. “Scream” – Usher
44. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Taylor Swift
45. “In My Trunk” – Dev
46. “Ho Hey” – The Lumineers
47. “Live My Life” – Far East Movement featuring Justin Bieber
48. “Set It Off” – Timomatic
49. “Somebody That I Used to Know” – Goyte
50. Dance Again” – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull

I always have a few songs that just miss the cut. Honorable mentions this year include: “Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men, “I Cry”  by Flo Rida, “Greyhound” by Swedish House Mafia, “Earthquakey People” by Steve Aoki featuring Rivers Cuomo, and ”I’m On a Roll” by Stefano featuring New Boyz & Rock Mafia.

Last year, I was all about David Guetta. This year, I’m really diggin’ Calvin Harris (below). Not only did “Sweet Nothing” featuring Florence Welch snag the #1 spot, but I also included a number of his other songs from “18 Months.” Those songs are: “Feel So Close,” “Let’s Go” featuring Ne-Yo, and “I Need Your Love” featuring Ellie Goulding. In addition to “18 Months,” some of my other favorite albums from 2012 are: “Overexposed” by Maroon 5, “Some Nights” by Fun., and ”Gordo Taqueria” by The Cataracs. Speaking of The Cataracs, I was really upset to hear they broke up, but Niles is gonna hold down the fort, thankfully. As long as he’s producing beats, I’ll be jamming to them!

Image Source: SFGate.com

On top of Calvin Harris, I’ve also taken a liking to Ellie Goulding (below) and Mumford & Sons. I really think Ellie Goulding’s gonna blow up in 2013. I’ve been listening to her 2011 album, “Lights“, nonstop and I absolutely love it. I don’t know why I haven’t listened to her new album, Halcyon, yet, but if it’s half as good as “Lights,” then I know I’ll love it. Now, I know Mumford & Sons has been around for awhile, but I’ve been hearing more and more of them lately. I’ve somewhat recently become obsessed with their song, “I Will Wait,” which made my Top 10. I’ve been listening to their new album, Babel, and I really like it. I’ve gotta dig through the archives and start listening to some of Mumford’s older stuff, too.

Image Source: Mixmag.net

As a first for my “Top 50 Songs of…” list, three songs from a movie soundtrack made the cut. What makes this different is that the songs were actually sung by the actors/actresses in the movie. They’re not just “theme” songs that appear on the soundtrack. If you couldn’t guess by now, the movie I’m talking about is Pitch Perfect, one of my favorite movies from 2012. All of the songs are covers/mashups and they’re sung by a capella groups — The Treblemakers and The Barden Bellas. I honestly enjoy some of the covers (i.e. “Bright Lights Bigger City”) better than the original songs. I think The Treblemakers and The Barden Bellas need to become a reality because, let’s be serious, I’d listen to their music and I know a lot of other people who would, too. At least give us a sequel, please.

Photo Source: E! Online

Quick shout out to Britney Spears and Ke$ha (above), who both placed in my Top 5. Happy to see/hear they both have new songs out. Ke$ha recently released a new album, “Warrior,” and Britney Spears is “working hard” on a new album, according to MTV.com. They’ve been favorites of mine over the years and they never disappoint.

Now, I can’t end this post without writing about “Call Me Maybe” and “Gangnam Style,” probably two of the most viral songs of the year. These songs spurred a fury of parody videos, whether it was the Harvard baseball team rockin’ out on the road to Carly Rae Jepsen’s hit or the U.S. Naval Academy channeling their inner PSY. There’s no way you can think about 2012 without one both of these songs buzzing through your head.

Image Source: NBCNews.com

Happy New Year, everyone! Whether you’re going out or having a kiki, be safe and have fun! As I do every year, I’ve made many memories to numerous songs in 2012 and I’m excited to make more memories to new songs in 2013, starting tonight!

What were your favorite songs/artists of 2012? Were there any songs you think should’ve made the list, but didn’t? Who do you think we should be watching out for in 2013? Feel free to leave your comments below!

Top 50 Songs of 2011

Yet another year has gone by and my favorite way to remember all the good times I’ve had is to attach those memories with the songs I’ve grown to love along the way (i.e. “Party Rock Anthem” = Boardy Barn, ”We Found Love” = moving to Hoboken, etc.).

Kickin’ it off with #1 is…

1. “Party Rock Anthem” – LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock

And here’s the rest of my list…

2. “We Found Love” – Rihanna
3. “Till The World Ends” – Britney Spears
4. “Turn Me On” – David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj
5. “In The Dark” – Dev
6. “Jello” – Far East Movement
7. “I Wanna Go” – Britney Spears
8. “Moves Like Jagger” – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
9. “Give Me Everything” – Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer
10. “Sexy And I Know It” – LMFAO
11. “You Make Me Feel…” – Cobra Starship featuring Sabi
12. “Where Have You Been” – Rihanna
13. “Good Feeling” – Flo Rida
14. “N*ggas In Paris” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
15. “Backseat” – New Boyz featuring The Cataracs & Dev
16. “Took My Love” – Pitbull featuring Red Foo, Vein & David Rush
17. “Levels” – Avicii
18. “Pause” – Pitbull
19. “Little Bad Girl” – David Guetta featuring Taio Cruz
20. “Where Them Girls At” – David Guetta featuring Flo Rida & Nicki Minaj
21. “Night Of Your Life” – David Guetta featuring Jennifer Hudson
22. “Beautiful People” – Chris Brown featuring Benny Benassi
23. “On The Floor” – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
24. “Champagne Showers” – LMFAO
25. “Glad You Came” – The Wanted
26. “(Drop Dead) Beautiful” – Britney Spears featuring Sabi
27. “The Motto” – Drake featuring Lil Wayne
28. “Look At Me Now” – Chris Brown featuring Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne
29. “S&M” (Remix) – Rihanna featuring Britney Spears
30. “Pass At Me” – Timbaland featuring Pitbull & David Guetta
31. “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)” – will.i.am featuring Jennifer Lopez & Mick Jagger
32. “Stereo Hearts” – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
33. “Did It On’em” – Nicki Minaj
34. “I Can Only Imagine” – David Guetta featuring Chris Brown & Lil Wayne
35. “Tonight Is The Night” – Outasight
36. “Drop It Low” – Kat Deluna
37. “If I Was You (OMG)” – Far East Movement featuring Snoop Dogg
38. “What You Want” – Evanescence
39. “Mr. Saxobeat” – Alexandra Stan
40. “Big Fat Bass” – Britney Spears featuring will.i.am
41. “Dance A$$” (Remix) – Big Sean featuring Nicki Minaj
42. “Champion” (Matt Nash & Dave Silcox Remix) – Chipmunk featuring Chris Brown
43. “Figure 8″ – Outasight
44. “Super Bass” – Nicki Minaj
45. “Pumped Up Kicks” – Foster The People
46. “Don’t Wanna Go Home” – Jason Derulo
47. “Hit The Lights” – Jay Sean featuring Lil Wayne
48. “Sweat” – David Guetta featuring Snoop Dogg
49. “Don’t Stop The Party” – Black Eyed Peas
50. “Someone Like You” – Adele

Honorable mentions include: “It Will Rain” and “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars, “Cheers” by Rihanna featuring Avril Lavigne, “Headlines” by Drake, “Save The World” by Swedish House Mafia, “Man Down” by Rihanna, “Rise Above” by Reeve Carney featuring Bono & The Edge, “Suave (Kiss Me) by Nayer and “On Display” by Melissa Gorga (I had to).

My favorite album of the year was definitely “Nothing But The Beat” by David Guetta, closely followed by “Femme Fatale” by Britney Spears. Can we expect more hits from these two music moguls in 2012? I really hope so. These two artists have really become favorites of mine this year.

Time for some other shout outs. I was particularly happy for Dev this year with her debut album, “The Night The Sun Came Up,” which features “In the Dark.” Also, congratulations to her on becoming a mom just recently! I think we’ll be seeing more of her in 2012, along with her collaboration buddies, The Cataracs, who will be coming out with a new album in 2012 (obviously very excited about that). I was also super pumped to hear Far East Movement’s new single, “Jello,” which is a great sign of what’s to come in their second studio album, “Dirty Bass,” which we can also expect in 2012. Rihanna made an awesome comeback, in my opinion, with songs like “We Found Love,” “Where Have You Been” “Cheers (Drink To That),” “Man Down” and “Talk That Talk.” As always, I love Pitbull… he can do no wrong, which is why he’s featured multiple times on my list.

I think Maroon 5 and Cobra Starship came out with some pretty catchy/different music this year. I’m interested to see if they have anything else up their sleeves for 2012.

Now, for some more 2012 predictions. I think Outasight will become more popular 2012. I love their songs, “Figure 8” and “Tonight Is The Night.” I hope to see more of them. I know Avicii‘s already decently popular, but he really caught my attention this year for some reason. I think he’ll be one of the DJs to look out for in 2012. I think Sabi might be an artist to watch out for as well. She’s been featured in Britney Spears’ “(Drop Dead) Beautiful” and Cobra Starship’s “You Make Me Feel…,” but I’ve heard some of her solo songs, like “Goodnight” and “Wild Heart,” and she’s got it goin’ on. Lastly, Pitbull’s righthand woman, Nayer, seems to be coming out of the woodwork, especially with the release of her single, “Suave (Kiss Me).”

What were some of your favorite songs, albums and artists in 2011? Any songs you think I missed? Let me know! As you should know, I love new music suggestions.

Happy New Year, everyone!