Zebra's Year End Charts - 2014

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Year End Review: 2014
It's that time of the year again!


2014: Looking Back + Methodology

2014 was a really big year for me. It was full of new experiences and personal growth, and it was truly one of the best years of my entire life, if not the best. I started my Sophomore year of college, I got my first job, I made hard decisions that have impacted me in a beneficial way, and I feel as if I've begun to come out of my shell. It has truly been an incredible year. Getting past all of the sappiness, let's talk about the year musically.

2014 represented a branching out into new styles of music and into new sources for music. My chart had previously been dominated by huge pop hits and just chart fodder in general. Not that I was complaining. Well, let me give a little bit of my chart history. 2012 was the first year that I really started to look outside of the Hot 100 for sources of music, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. 2013 sort of reversed that trend, as I was too busy to actively seek new music. It led to most of my current favorites from that year being underrepresented as I didn't discover them in time. This year was much different. Instead of having not enough songs to fill my charts every week I ended up having too many. Thus, I finally made the push from a top 50 to a top 100. Most of my favorites truly were represented this year. I just feel really good about all of this. I loved so much music this year.

So much, it turns out, that I found it extremely hard to narrow this list down from the 400 or so songs that I had originally selected as contenders. I finally managed to narrow it down to 250, and from there I ranked each and every one. I decided to take the top half of that list (125 songs) and have that be my official ranking. I also decided to include the bubbling under to position number 160. It just feels like a nice number to end on. Oh, and this list is mainly opinion based. This makes it fair to the lower peaking songs that I truly love and to songs that are cut off by the end of the year. Chart rankings will help to influence some placements, however, especially if it's a song that burned on me. 

Without further ado, enjoy, and thanks for stopping by to check it out! You're wonderful! :)

Zebra's Top 100 Weekly Thread

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top 100 Songs of 2014:

001 - "Habits" - Tove Lo
002 - "Follow Your Arrow" - Kacey Musgraves
003 - "Partition" - Beyoncé
004 - "Crying For No Reason" - Katy B
005 - "Riptide" - Vance Joy
006 - "XO" - Beyoncé
007 - "Your Love" - Moko
008 - "The Worst" - Jhené Aiko
009 - "No Rest For The Wicked" - Lykke Li
010 - "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" - Paloma Faith
011 - "2 On" - Tinashe ft. ScHoolboy Q
012 - "I'm Not The Only One" - Sam Smith
013 - "Take Me To Church" - Hozier
014 - "Love Me Harder" - Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd
015 - "Bonfire Heart" - James Blunt
016 - "West Coast" - Lana Del Rey
017 - "You Don't Know What To Do" - Mariah Carey ft. Walé
018 - "Comeback" - Ella Eyre
019 - "Ice Princess" - Azealia Banks
020 - "Love Runs Out" - OneRepublic
021 - "Solo Dancing" - Indiana
022 - "Boom Clap" - Charli XCX
023 - "Shut Up And Dance" - Walk the Moon
024 - "Gold" - Sir Sly
025 - "Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)" - Klangkarussell ft. Will Heard
026 - "Problem" - Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
027 - "Changes" - Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau
028 - "Come To Me" - Goo Goo Dolls
029 - "The Heart Wants What It Wants" - Selena Gomez
030 - "Night Changes" - One Direction
031 - "Rollercoaster" - Bleachers
032 - "My Love" - Route 94 ft. Jess Glynne
033 - "All Of Me" - John Legend
034 - "Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix)" - Lilly Wood & The Prick
035 - "Don't Run" - Mr. Little Jeans
036 - "Ain't It Fun" - Paramore
037 - "Come With Me Now" - KONGOS
038 - "Stay With Me" - Sam Smith
039 - "Heaven" - Beyoncé
040 - "Falling" - HAIM
041 - "Midnight" - Coldplay
042 - "Right Here" - Jess Glynne
043 - "Gooey" - Glass Animals
044 - "I Got U" - Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones
045 - "People Help The People" - Birdy
046 - "Rather Be" - Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
047 - "Jubel" - Klingande
048 - "Of The Night" - Bastille
049 - "Drunk On A Plane" - Dierks Bentley
050 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
051 - "Uptown Funk" - Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
052 - "Drunk In Love" - Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z
053 - "Ultraviolence" - Lana Del Rey
054 - "God Made Girls" - RaeLynn
055 - "Addicted To You" - Avicii
056 - "Summer" - Calvin Harris
057 - "Ready For Your Love" - Gorgon City ft. MNEK
058 - "Turn Down For What" - DJ Snake & Lil Jon
059 - "Don't Tell 'Em" - Jeremih ft. YG
060 - "Beautiful" - Ben Rector
061 - "Say You Love Me" - Jessie Ware
062 - "Cops and Robbers" - Bean
063 - "High" - Peking Duk ft. Nicole Millar
064 - "Let It Go" - Idina Menzel
065 - "You Are My Pride" - Nora En Pure
066 - "I Wanna Get Better" - Bleachers
067 - "No Mediocre" - T.I. ft. Iggy Azalea
068 - "Secrets" - Mary Lambert ft. B.o.B.
069 - "Amnesia" - 5 Seconds of Summer
070 - "Instant Crush" - Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas
071 - "Girl In A Country Song" - Maddie & Tae
072 - "7/11" - Beyoncé
073 - "Talk Dirty" - Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz
074 - "Benediction" - Hot Natured
075 - "Blank Space" - Taylor Swift
076 - "Let Go For Tonight" - Foxes
077 - "Giant In My Heart" - Kiesza
078 - "Dangerous" - Big Data ft. Joywave
079 - "Chandelier" - Sia
080 - "Under Control" - Calvin Harris & Alesso ft. Hurts
081 - "Blame" - Calvin Harris ft. John Newman
082 - "5 AM" - Katy B
083 - "I Want It All" - Karmin
084 - "All About You" - Hilary Duff
085 - "Beggin' For Thread" - BANKS
086 - "I Hold On" - Dierks Bentley
087 - "Haunted" - Beyoncé
088 - "Heavy Metal and Reflective" - Azealia Banks
089 - "Stolen Dance" - Milky Chance
090 - "Bang Bang" - Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
091 - "Hideaway" - Kiesza
092 - "Snap Out Of It" - Arctic Monkeys
093 - "Faded" - Zhu
094 - "Kisses For Breakfast" - Melissa Steel ft. Popcaan
095 - "***Flawless" - Beyoncé ft. Chimimamda Ngozi Adichie & Nicki Minaj
096 - "You Haunt Me" - Sir Sly
097 - "Kings" - The Pierces
098 - "The Pressure" - Jhené Aiko
099 - "Day Drinking" - Little Big Town
100 - "Love Don't Die" - The Fray

Bubbling Under:

101 - "Not On Drugs" - Tove Lo
102 - "Digital Witness" - St. Vincent
103 - "Can't Rely On You" - Paloma Faith
104 - "A Sky Full Of Stars" - Coldplay
105 - "If I Could Change Your Mind" - HAIM
106 - "Extraordinary" - Clean Bandit ft. Sharna Bass
107 - "Ordinary Love" - U2
108 - "Afraid" - The Neighbourhood
109 - "Waiting All Night" - Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre
110 - "Things We Lost In the Fire" - Bastille
111 - "We Remain" - Christina Aguilera
112 - "Vista" - iamamiwhoami
113 - "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)" - Klangkarussell
114 - "Somethin' Bad" - Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood
115 - "You & I (Nobody In the World)" - John Legend
116 - "Here For You" - Gorgon City ft. Laura Welsh
117 - "Dare (La La La)" - Shakira
118 - "Waiting Game" - BANKS
119 - "Alone Together" - Fall Out Boy
120 - "Human" - Christina Perri
121 - "First Love" - Jennifer Lopez
122 - "Fall In Love" - Phantogram
123 - "Somewhere In My Car" - Keith Urban
124 - "Am I Wrong" - Nico & Vinz
125 - "The Walker" - Fitz & the Tantrums
126 - "Good Mistake" - Mr. Little Jeans
127 - "One More Day (Stay With Me)" - Example
128 - "Fever" - The Black Keys
129 - "Move" - Little Mix
130 - "Cool Kids" - Echosmith
131 - "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" - Arctic Monkeys
132 - "Feelin' Myself" - will.i.am ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, & French Montana
133 - "How Long Will I Love You" - Ellie Goulding
134 - "Pretty Hurts" - Beyonce
135 - "Gypsy" - Lady Gaga
136 - "Do It Again" - Royskopp & Robyn
137 - "Bridges" - Broods
138 - "Latch" - Disclosure ft. Sam Smith
139 - "Danse" - Mia Martina ft. Dev
140 - "Raging Fire" - Phillip Phillips
141 - "Animals" - Maroon 5
142 - "Happy Little Pill" - Troye Sivan
143 - "Red" - Taylor Swift
144 - "Lies" - CHVRHCES
145 - "Pumpin' Blood" - NONONO
146 - "If I Go" - Ella Eyre
147 - "Bo$$" - Fifth Harmony
148 - "Look Right Through (MK Remix)" - Storm Queen
149 - "Beating Heart" - Ellie Goulding
150 - "Wrapped Up" - Olly Murs ft. Travie McCoy
151 - "My Kind Of Love" - Emeli Sande
152 - "I Don't Dance" - Lee Brice
153 - "Liar Liar" - Cris Cab
154 - "Lanterns" - Birds of Tokyo
155 - "Magic" - Coldplay
156 - "Into the Blue" - Kylie Minogue
157 - "Don't" - Ed Sheeran
158 - "You Got the Love" - Mike Dem
159 - "Love Me Again" - John Newman
160 - "Dark Horse" - Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

Top Artists:

01 - Beyoncé
02 - Lana Del Rey
03 - Coldplay
04 - Azealia Banks
05 - Tove Lo
06 - Bleachers
07 - Katy B
08 - Ella Eyre
09 - Ariana Grande
10 - Sam Smith
11 - Paloma Faith
12 - Charli XCX
13 - Calvin Harris
14 - Sir Sly
15 - Lykke Li

Top Albums:

01 - Beyoncé - Beyoncé
02 - Broke With Expensive Taste - Azealia Banks
03 - Strange Desire - Bleachers
04 - Little Red - Katy B
05 - Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey
06 - Ghost Stories - Coldplay
07 - I Never Learn - Lykke Li
08 - Goddess - BANKS
09 - Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse - Mariah Carey
10 - The Pinkprint - Nicki Minaj
11 - Aquarius - Tinashe
12 - Tough Love - Jessie Ware
13 - A Perfect Contradiction - Paloma Faith
14 - My Everything - Ariana Grande
15 - In The Lonely Hour - Sam Smith
16 - Motion - Calvin Harris
17 - Queen Of The Clouds - Tove Lo
18 - Souled Out - Jhené Aiko
19 - Voices - Phantogram
20 - Our Love - Caribou

[Zeebz]

Number Ones - 2014:

01/05/14 - "XO" - Beyoncé (2nd Week)
01/12/14 - "Habits" - Tove Lo
01/19/14 - "XO" - Beyoncé
01/26/14 - "XO" - Beyoncé
02/02/14 - "XO" - Beyoncé
02/09/14 - "Dark Horse" - Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
02/16/14 - "Riptide" - Vance Joy
02/23/14 - "Riptide" - Vance Joy
03/02/14 - "Partition" - Beyoncé
03/09/14 - "All of Me" - John Legend
03/16/14 - "Partition" - Beyoncé
03/23/14 - "Crying For No Reason" - Katy B
03/30/14 - "Crying For No Reason" - Katy B
04/06/14 - "Crying For No Reason" - Katy B
04/13/14 - "Of The Night" - Bastille
04/20/14 - "Of The Night" - Bastille
04/27/14 - "Come With Me Now" - KONGOS
05/04/14 - "Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)" - Klangkarussell ft. Will Heard
05/11/14 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
05/18/14 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
05/25/14 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
06/01/14 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX (19th Birthday Number One)
06/08/14 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
06/15/14 - "Changes" - Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau
06/22/14 - "Changes" - Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau
06/29/14 - "Changes" - Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau
07/06/14 - "Problem" - Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
07/13/14 - "Kings" - The Pierces
07/20/14 - "Solo Dancing" - Indiana
07/27/14 - "Hideaway" - Kiesza
08/03/14 - "Love Runs Out" - OneRepublic
08/10/14 - "Love Runs Out" - OneRepublic
08/17/14 - "Boom Clap" - Charli XCX
08/24/14 - "Shake It Off" - Taylor Swift
08/31/14 - "Comeback" - Ella Eyre
09/07/14 - "Comeback" - Ella Eyre
09/14/14 - "Comeback" - Ella Eyre
09/21/14 - "Comeback" - Ella Eyre
09/28/14 - "Your Love" - Moko
10/05/14 - "Your Love" - Moko
10/12/14 - "Your Love" - Moko
10/19/14 - "I'm Not The Only One" - Sam Smith
10/26/14 - "I'm Not The Only One" - Sam Smith
11/02/14 - "Love Me Harder" - Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd
11/09/14 - "The Heart Wants What It Wants" - Selena Gomez
11/16/14 - "The Heart Wants What It Wants" - Selena Gomez
11/23/14 - "Take Me To Church" - Hozier
11/30/14 - "Ice Princess" - Azealia Banks
12/07/14 - "Blank Space" - Taylor Swift
12/14/14 - "7/11" - Beyoncé
12/21/14 - "7/11" - Beyoncé
12/28/14 - "Follow Your Arrow" - Kacey Musgraves

Total: 28

Superlatives:

Most Weeks at No. 1:

5 - "Fancy" - Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX   
4 - "XO" - Beyoncé
4 - "Comeback" - Ella Eyre
3 - "Crying For No Reason" - Katy B
3 - "Changes" - Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau
3 - "Your Love" - Moko
2 - "Riptide" - Vance Joy
2 - "Partition" - Beyoncé
2 - "Of The Night" - Bastille
2 - "Love Runs Out" - OneRepublic
2 - "I'm Not The Only One" - Sam Smith
2 - "The Heart Wants What It Wants" - Selena Gomez
2 - "7/11" - Beyoncé
                    
Most No. 1 Hits:

3 - Beyoncé
2 - Ariana Grande
2 - Igloo Australia
2 - Taylor Swift

Most Top Ten Hits:

7 - Beyoncé ("XO", "Drunk In Love", "Partition", "***Flawless", "Haunted", "Heaven", "7/11")
5 - Iggy Azalea ("Fancy", "Bounce", "Work", "Problem", "No Mediocre")
4 - Ariana Grande ("Problem", "Bang Bang", "Break Free", "Love Me Harder")
3 - Charli XCX ("Boom Clap", "Fancy", "Break the Rules")

[H.]

Can't wait for this to start.

[Zeebz]

Just Missed!

Unfortunately there's not room in my top 100 for everything, but at least I can represent more of my favorites here. Even with 60 bubbling under positions I still feel like I'm cutting too much out. As a result, I disqualified all songs I associated more with 2013 and songs that I will associate with 2015. There'll be exceptions to each rule, but for the most part it'll apply. Before I begin, I'd like to recognize those that just missed the bubbling under:

Top Ten Hits: Several songs that placed in my weekly top tens didn't quite make the cut. Most of these had extremely high burn rates with me, and I don't like most of them now. I can't say I regret sending them to the top ten though, it's just what I felt at the time. 

"Shake It Off" - Taylor Swift (Peak: 1)
"Black Widow" - Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora (Peak: 8)
"Anaconda" - Nicki Minaj (Peak: 10)
"Bounce" - Iggy Azalea (Peak: 3)
"The Monster" - Eminem ft. Rihanna (Peak: 8)
"Unconditionally" - Katy Perry (Peak: 10)
"Hey Brother" - Avicii (Peak: 2)
"Best Day Of My Life" - American Authors (Peak: 6)
"Break Free" - Ariana Grande ft. Zedd (Peak: 8)
"Maps" - Maroon 5 (Peak: 5)
"Happy" - Pharrell Williams (Peak: 10)
"Shower" - Becky G (Peak: 9)
"Work" - Iggy Azalea (Peak: 9)
"G.U.Y." - Lady Gaga (Peak: 10)
"Break The Rules" - Charli XCX (Peak: 8)
"Often" - The Weeknd (Peak: 7)

Pulled Because Recurrent/Too Current: All of these were serious contenders that I felt I should pull because I want them to have a better chance in their respective years.

"Afterlife" - Ingrid Michaelson
"Gunshot" - Lykke Li
"Global Concepts" - Robert DeLong
"I Lived" - OneRepublic
"Left Hand Free" - alt-J
"Try" - Colbie Caillat
"Unbreakable" - Jamie Scott
"Froot" - Marina & the Diamonds
"Do I Wanna Know?" - Arctic Monkeys
"Too Cool To Dance" - Eden xo
"Hot Skin" - Sam Feldt ft. Kav Verhouzer
"Fools Gold" - Fitz & the Tantrums
"Do What U Want" - Lady Gaga ft. R. Kelly
"What We Ain't Got" - Jake Owen
"Sledgehammer" - Fifth Harmony
"Gun" - CHVRHCES
"Geronimo" - Sheppard
"The Hanging Tree" - James Newton Howard ft. Jennifer Lawrence
"Young Blood" - Bea Miller
"Cardiac Arrest" - Bad Suns

[Zeebz]

Bubbling Under: 160 - 131

I promise it'll look better in future installments. For now, these songs were all favorites at some point in the year but various factors prevented them from making the top 100. For some it was overplay, for some it was a lack of chart success. There'll be 30 more bubbling under songs and then the top 100, which will look way better.

160. "Dark Horse" - Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

This hit number one in February, and I really loved it at the time. However, overplay killed it for me. Then we have that video. It was the nail in the coffin, and my utter disdain for this song caused it to tumble off of the chart quickly. I'd be more than happy to never hear this again. The only reason why it's on this list is because of its chart success.

159. "Love Me Again" - John Newman

A holdover from 2013, I still really love this song. It was one of the weakest number ones I had ever had at the time, but over the course of the year it has eclipsed most of the songs it competed with. His vocals are amazing.

158. "You Got the Love" - Mike Dem

This was a late summer hit that I couldn't get enough of. It narrowly missed the top ten.

157. "Don't" - Ed Sheeran

Ed has quickly become one of my favorite artists. I had loved most of his singles from +, but X (with the exception of "Sing", which is horrid) really cemented my appreciation of his music. The only reason why this is so low is because of slight overplay recently. "Thinking Out Loud" should be high on next year's list.

156. "Into the Blue" - Kylie Minogue

I don't have much to say about this one except for the fact that it was an instant favorite and it peaked too low.

155. "Magic" - Coldplay

It's feels criminal to rank this so low. I was so excited for Ghost Stories, but I was a little disappointed by this on first listen. It quickly grew on me, and it managed to peak at number 11 behind a really competitive top ten. They'll have two more entries.

154. "Lanterns" - Birds Of Tokyo

I know this is really old, but I only discovered it this year. Thanks, US radio. It's been an earworm all year, and I love it more currently than I ever did when I was charting it.

153. "Liar Liar" - Cris Cab

A really fun song who's theme didn't really match up with its mood. It peaked at number 9 in the early summer. It fell off quickly though.

152. "I Don't Dance" - Lee Brice

This year also marked a huge resurgence for my love of country music. I charted this one late, or else it would've peaked much higher than 63. It's a really sweet song.

151. "My Kind Of Love" - Emeli Sande

A clear beneficiary of my opinion based ranking, this unfortunately missed my chart. It's a beautiful song though, and it deserved better.

150. "Wrapped Up" - Olly Murs ft. Travie McCoy

This is one of the most recent entries on the list. I love Olly in general, but this is easily one of the best things I've see heard from him. It has a nice retro feel that I just can't get enough of. Expect it to be an even bigger hit next year.

149. "Beating Heart" - Ellie Goulding

This had an extremely slow climb up my chart, and it stalled in the upper 30's. It just kept getting stuck in my head, and that allows it to rank here. I just love Ellie.

148. "Look Right Through (MK Remix)" - Storm Queen

A fun dance song I was super late on (this must've been a trend this year). It peaked low but I really loved it at the time.

147. "Bo$$" - Fifth Harmony

I loathed this when I first heard it, and I'm not sure why. My friend is obsessed with Fifth Harmony though, and I fully credit her for it's rapid climb up my chart. It peaked at number 21 and for some reason it tumbled off really quickly. It's so catchy that it stuck with me for the rest of the year. It even re-entered due to constant exposure.

146. "If I Go" - Ella Eyre

Ella is easily one of my favorite new artists of 2014. She's such a class act. She had previously reached the top twenty with "Waiting All Night" (spoiler, it's coming up), but this song took my love for her to a new level. She has one more entry on my list (other than "Night"), but you won't see it for a while.

145. "Pumpin' Blood" - NONONO

Speaking of earworms, I think this one takes the cake. I was obsessed with it in late December/early January, and I'm not sure why it didn't hit the top ten. It has a quirkiness that just sticks with you.

144. "Lies" - CHVRCHES

This is here because my roommate has played their music all year, and this was an instant standout. I'm in love with them at the moment. As a result, it's just now charting, but that's only because I don't want to have another chart regret.

143. "Red" - Taylor Swift

This is one of my biggest chart regrets this year. It should have made the top ten at least. It's far superior to "Shake It Off" (which it outplaced by 50ish positions), and I think I even enjoy it more than "Blank Space". I enjoyed her last era far more than her current one, and that's mainly because of this and "Begin Again". Also, the Taylor stans are kind of turning me off from her. But this is still great.

142. "Happy Little Pill" - Troye Sivan

Another recent entry. I am in love with this right now. The production and the vocals are both stellar. It'll rank much higher on next year's list.

141. "Animals" - Maroon 5

Easily my favorite Maroon 5 single since "Payphone". However, like most of their recent singles, it became overplayed and just kind of annoying. Oh, and the video is creepy.

140. "Raging Fire" - Phillip Phillips

I love Phillip Phillips. Seriously, he's great. "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" were two of the biggest hits on my chart last year. I was a little disappointed by this at first, and that caused it to peak in the upper 40's. Although I still love the former two singles more, I've gained a recent appreciation for this.

139. "Danse" - Mia Martina ft. Dev

This really catchy tune reminds me of 2011-2012. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Dance pop has been fading on my chart recently, but this proved that I can appreciate a good one when I hear it. It may be generic, but it's still really enjoyable.

138. "Latch" - Disclosure ft. Sam Smith

Really this should've been a bigger hit. It peaked at number 16 in February (I think that's right) but then competition started picking up and it fell off. I then grew tired of hearing it all of the time. It later re-grew on me and thus it re-entered.

137. "Bridges" - Broods

My roommate has played this all year too. Similarly to Chvrches, I absolutely love Broods now. This and "Mother & Father" have been stuck in my head all semester. And I'm totally okay with that.

136. "Do It Again" - Royskopp & Robyn

I adore Robyn. I was so excited to hear that she was coming back this year. This didn't grab me at first, but now I'm obsessed. This, it recently re-entered my chart and should hopefully reach a more deserving peak.

135. "Gypsy" - Lady Gaga

This > "G.U.Y.". It really should've been the next single. I decided to chart it anyways. Her poor single choices and over the top nature have mostly caused me to not care about her anymore, but occasionally she impresses me.

134. "Pretty Hurts" - Beyoncé

If there's one artist that represents 2014 for me, it's Beyoncé. Her album is still absolutely perfect, and I loved it so much that I created my own singles for it towards the end of the year. Her dominance is evident in the fact that she still has SIX more entries. And I think all of them might be in the top 100.

133. "How Long Will I Love You" - Ellie Goulding

A really sweet song that I really loved early in the year. I enjoy it far more than "Burn".

132. "Feelin' Myself" - will.i.am ft. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa, & French Montana

I'm almost ashamed to place this on my list. Almost. I was beyond obsessed with it at the end of last semester. It just pumps you up. I can't listen to it near as much nowadays, but it's still really nice for an occasional listen.

131. "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" - Arctic Monkeys

The follow-up to the absolutely massive "Do I Wanna Know?" didn't immediately grab me, but over the year it has consistently remained fresh and enjoyable. Too bad it only peaked in the lower 20's.

[ry4n]

"Black Widow" - Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora (Peak: 8)
"Anaconda" - Nicki Minaj (Peak: 10)
"Bounce" - Iggy Azalea (Peak: 3)
"Hey Brother" - Avicii (Peak: 2)
"Shower" - Becky G (Peak: 9)
"Work" - Iggy Azalea (Peak: 9)
"Global Concepts" - Robert DeLong
"Froot" - Marina & the Diamonds
"Do I Wanna Know?" - Arctic Monkeys
"Sledgehammer" - Fifth Harmony
"Gun" - CHVRHCES
"Geronimo" - Sheppard

160. "Dark Horse" - Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
159. "Love Me Again" - John Newman
157. "Don't" - Ed Sheeran
156. "Into the Blue" - Kylie Minogue
155. "Magic" - Coldplay
154. "Lanterns" - Birds Of Tokyo
153. "Liar Liar" - Cris Cab
151. "My Kind Of Love" - Emeli Sande
150. "Wrapped Up" - Olly Murs ft. Travie McCoy
148. "Look Right Through (MK Remix)" - Storm Queen
147. "Bo$$" - Fifth Harmony
146. "If I Go" - Ella Eyre
144. "Lies" - CHVRHCES
142. "Happy Little Pill" - Troye Sivan
139. "Danse" - Mia Martina ft. Dev
138. "Latch" - Disclosure ft. Sam Smith
135. "Gypsy" - Lady Gaga

Yasssssss

[Albie]

Wow that's a lot of Bubbling Under! And its so much good stuff. Wish "Magic" would have been higher. LOVE that you charted "Gypsy" even. Also wish "My Love" had been higher. Looks great though - I can't wait to see when you're actually in the Top 100.

[surfy]

Absolutely loving your picks! (And this is just the Bubbling Under...)

Ready for more!!!

[WotUNeed]

Many excellent selections here, and we've not even started the main chart. Can't wait to see what's in store! Already have a few tracks to check out.

(This post is basically useless but I want to get this thread in my Participated list so I don't forget and miss future updates.)

[H.]

Some great songs in the bubbling under.

[Mr. Thonk Eyes]

There's some really great gems in your bubbling under section!!!

[Zeebz]

Bubbling Under: 130-131

Time for the next section of the bubbling under! We're almost to the actual list, and it was hard to decide whether or not to include them in the top 100. They're all still favorites, and any one of them could've made it. Enjoy!

130. "Cool Kids" - Echosmith

I discovered this late last year as it was charting on several personal charts, but I just didn't care for it at the time. Obviously I grew to enjoy it. It's catchy and that certainly helped it to rise all the way to number 10. Overplay has affected it a bit, which explains why it's so low. 

129. "Move" - Little Mix

Like, "Bo$$", this was introduced to me by my friend. I fell in love almost immediately. It was catchy, fun, and I had a lot of exposure to it due to said friend. It thus raced all of the way to number 5 in February. Unfortunately, the chart became more competitive and it fell off rather quickly. I still really enjoy it, though. 

128. "Fever" - The Black Keys

I was so late on this one. Well, sorta. It charted in the upper 90's but it just didn't grab me. I was super excited for new Black Keys material, but I was slightly disappointed by this. Recently it has re-grown on me and it's just so good. 

127. "One More Day (Stay With Me)" - Example

Example is usually hit or miss with me. He's had enormous success ("Changed the Way You Kiss Me" and "Natural Disaster" were both number one hits), but he's had his fair share of duds (poor "All the Wrong Places" & "Perfect Replacement"). This was a hit, and it was just a fun song for early summer. It peaked at number 20.

126. "Good Mistake" - Mr. Little Jeans

After "Oh Sailor" smashed last year, I was so ready for follow-up material. She definitely didn't disappoint. This and "Don't Run" (still to come!) are amazing. They were constant earworms that peaked way too low. Why? Because I charted them both at the same time. Oops. Oh, and if you don't already know about Mr. Little Jeans, do yourself a favor and listen to Pocketknife. So good. 

125. "The Walker" - Fitz & the Tantrums

This is such a fun one. The follow-up to "Out Of My League" (peaked at number 29, shamefully low) didn't chart until early summer. It was definitely perfect for that time frame though, which helped it to experience similar success as "League". It's still stuck in my head.

124. "Am I Wrong" - Nico & Vinz

Ah, the seemingly destined one hit wonder of 2014. They'll probably be one hit wonders on my chart too. This peaked at number 8 before it was killed by overplay, and it even had decent longevity. It just sounded so different from everything else at the time. I can tolerate it again now, so it's fully deserving of this placement.

123. "Somewhere In My Car" - Keith Urban

This is probably my favorite thing that Keith has ever done. So good. It's just now starting to rise on my chart, but I opted to include it on this list and not 2015's because this was released in the summer and I've heard it on the radio practically all Fall. 

122. "Fall In Love" - Phantogram

"Fall In Love" is another recent favorite that took forever to grow on me. It's one of the best alternative hits of the year. I especially love the intro. I recommend Voices, as it's full of great cuts. 

121. "First Love" - Jennifer Lopez

Easily the best thing she's done since "I'm Into You". It's kind of generic, but I'm okay with that. It practically had no burn rate for me. Unfortunately, this became a hit in the summer and thus it didn't make the top ten. 

120. "Human" - Christina Perri

I've loved everything that I've heard from Perri to date, and this is no exception. The whole song is awesome, but the chorus is truly a standout. It's sung so beautifully. 

119. "Alone Together" - Fall Out Boy

A holdover from late 2013, this managed to peak at number 2. I prefer both "My Songs..." and "The Phoenix", but I love all three. "Centuries" nearly made the list.

118. "Waiting Game" - BANKS

BANKS is a recent favorite (once again caused by my roommate - I really enjoy his taste). Unfortunately, this took a while to grow on me and it only peaked in the lower forties. It's truly a shame. Thankfully "Beggin' For Thread" (it's still to come!) managed to peak higher. "Waiting Game" is hauntingly beautiful. You should definitely give Goddess a listen. So many standouts.

117. "Dare (La La La)" - Shakira

My favorite Shakira single since "Rabiosa". Don't get me wrong, I loved both "Can't Remember To Forget You" and "Empire" (both narrowly missed out), but this is just so upbeat and fun. It will definitely serve to remind me of summer 2014.

116. "Here For You" - Gorgon City ft. Laura Welsh

I love this, and Gorgon City in general. Laura's vocals are the highlight of this for me. This peaked at number 16 in the heat of summer, and it's definitely another reminder of how good this summer was. "Ready For Your Love" is still to come.

115. "You & I (Nobody In the World)" - John Legend

Excellent. I love John Legend, and I'm so glad that he was able to breakthrough with "All Of Me". Both the original form of this and the R3HAB remix are outstanding. It peaked at number 19.

114. "Somethin' Bad" - Miranda Lambert ft. Carrie Underwood

Miranda and Carrie are both amazing, so how could I not love this? They work really well together. This is, unfortunately, their only entry. "Automatic" and "Something In the Water" came really close.

113. "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)" - Klangkarussell

The duo that made "Sonnentanz" (still to come) managed to chart a follow-up! "Netzwerk" is brilliant. Tom Cane's vocals are so good. Also, this nearly made the top ten in late summer. I recommend the whole Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain) EP. 

112. "Vista" - iamamiwhoami

Absolutely love iamamiwhoami. This may not be my favorite from her, but it's still utterly beautiful. The production is relaxing yet upbeat. Peaked at number 21 in the early Fall.

111. "We Remain" - Christina Aguilera

I'm not a big (newer) Christina Aguilera fan, but when I heard this cut from the Catching Fire soundtrack, I was instantly in love. It's easily my favorite thing that she's done since Back To Basics. If she made more songs like this I'd probably enjoy her discography a whole lot more.

110. "Things We Lost In the Fire" - Bastille

Bastille hit hard with "Pompeii" last year (it's easily in the top ten for the year), but they didn't stop there. "Of the Night" (still to come) and this guaranteed that they'd become favorites of mine. The chorus is my favorite part of this one. You should definitely go listen to All This Bad Blood.

109. "Waiting All Night" - Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre

Perfect combination. Rudimental has been a favorite of mine since "Feel the Love" was released, and Ella is a recent favorite. Her vocals are so soulful. Plus they're perfect for drum and bass. The only reason why this didn't make the top 100 is because it was technically released in 2013. Too bad I didn't discover it until this year.

108. "Afraid" - The Neighbourhood

The Neighbourhood has become another recent favorite of mine. "Sweater Weather" prompted me to check out I Love You and it was amazing. "Afraid" might be my favorite of the bunch, but I'm not sure. Anyways, I always get the pre-chorus stuck in my head at the most random times. It peaked at number 12, but it really deserved to hit the top ten. 

107. "Ordinary Love" - U2

A soundtrack single from Mandela: Long Way To Freedom, it hit the top ten early in the year. I just loved the lyrics. I don't have much else to say about it, although I prefer it to their most recent offering.

106. "Extraordinary" - Clean Bandit ft. Sharna Bass

Chart-wise, this did better than "Rather Be". Ranking wise? Nope. "Rather Be" made the top 100. Anyways, "Rather Be"' commentary will explain why. Sharna's vocals helped to make this an instant earworm, and I just love Clean Bandit's productions. 

105. "If I Could Change Your Mind" - HAIM

I've heard this several times since it's release, but it is just now charting. It makes this list because of the exposure. I just love HAIM and how fresh this sounds. They have another song to come.

104. "A Sky Full Of Stars" - Coldplay

Another Coldplay song down, and I hate to see it go. I wasn't the biggest fan of this initially (it sounded different from everything else from them), so it had an extremely slow climb up the charts. I eventually fell in love with it. I never would've guessed that Coldplay and Avicii would sound so good together. They have one more entry, and you won't see it for a while. 

103. "Can't Rely On You" - Paloma Faith

Paloma is perfection. This year was really the year that I grew to appreciate her. "Picking Up the Pieces" was already a favorite of mine, but once I heard "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" I was ready to call myself a fan. That then caused "Can't Rely On You" to grow on me, and it almost hit the top ten. I just love Pharrell's production here. Oh, and her vocals are outstanding as usual. One more entry to go!

102. "Digital Witness" - St. Vincent

I can't remember where I heard this from (might've been a Spotify ad, actually), but I loved it immediately. It peaked far too low, but it's still so fresh. I haven't listened to her album yet, but I really need to. Brilliant song.

101. "Not On Drugs" - Tove Lo

The last bubbling under song. I was so torn about keeping this out of the top 100, but it just didn't fit. I love love love love Tove Lo. I don't have much to say about this one either, but it's a definite earworm that should've peaked much higher. Look out for "Habits".

---

Thanks to everyone who has liked and commented so far. Your feedback has been noted, and I really appreciate it. :)

[ry4n]

129. "Move" - Little Mix
127. "One More Day (Stay With Me)" - Example
124. "Am I Wrong" - Nico & Vinz
122. "Fall In Love" - Phantogram
120. "Human" - Christina Perri
116. "Here For You" - Gorgon City ft. Laura Welsh
113. "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)" - Klangkarussell
110. "Things We Lost In the Fire" - Bastille
109. "Waiting All Night" - Rudimental ft. Ella Eyre
106. "Extraordinary" - Clean Bandit ft. Sharna Bass
105. "If I Could Change Your Mind" - HAIM
103. "Can't Rely On You" - Paloma Faith
101. "Not On Drugs" - Tove Lo

:)

[Albie]

"Can't Rely On You", Waiting Game" and many others that should have been higher.

LOVE the love for Christina on her b-day. :)

[Juan Carlos]

Oh! I forgot to comment here, but I love the dedication you've put on this so far. And your EOY chart hasn't begun yet! :o

Anyway, I guess you already know which are the songs I like and I'm not going to emphasize them, although they are most of them, but I'm going to do the following instead

Re "Lanterns": I agree with you here and I kind of like US radio for this, although not so much for belated hits in general. Oops!

Re "Wrapped Up": Yay! This is easily so much better than "Troublemaker" as a lead single, but not as great as "Heart Skips a Beat". Expect it to be higher next year.

Re "Beating Heart": Ellie is amazing and I knew about her because of "Lights" after it became a hit in the US. Another reason why sometimes US radio tends to be good? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The song is good, but I would have preferred if "Goodness Gracious" was released instead of this there.

Re "Red": Oh! I guess we agree here since I also think "Red" should have done better in my personal chart than it did.

Dec 16, 2014 15:41:46 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Also, the Taylor stans are kind of turning me off from her.

I can't at this because it tends to be true in a sort of way to me as well. LOL!

Re "Raging Fire": So true. "Raging Fire" wasn't as great as "Home" and "Gone, Gone, Gone" for me, but I still like his stuff.

Re "Latch": I'm always here for Disclosure, so it's sad to know it didn't make the Top 100, although an appearance from them is still amazing.

Re "Gypsy": I think the whole "Do What You Want" mess regarding the video was a turn off from me. I also think "Gypsy" should have been released instead, despite "G.U.Y." had the Zedd touch and the video for the latter was amazing, although it came too late.

Re "Pretty Hurts": This is one of the songs I regret for not charting, but it's still amazing to listen to it. So glad it made in your Bubbling Under chart.

Re "One More Day (Stay With Me)": I think it should have higher. It's one of my favourite songs from Live Life Living for me, although it's not a "Changed the Way You Kiss Me". The shoutout of "Natural Disaster" <3 BTW, "Perfect Replacement" is still great!

Re "Human": This is so great that I can't at the CHR/Pop format missing this. Ugh!

Re "Dare (La La La)": Yes to see that this peak higher than "Can't Remember to Forget You" and "Empire". I don't want to be mean, but I prefer this over those and I think it should have been the lead single, as it was supposed to be, although I guess her label wanted to focus this for the FIFA World Cup in its Brazil 2014 form, despite it wasn't the main theme. Sigh!

Re "Here for You": A Gorgon City track! Although it didn't do well in my personal chart, it's so great to see this here.

Re "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)": Too low, but a massive yes to see this here. Klangkarussell is so underrated, but I totally agree with you regarding Tom Cane's vocals. Nice shoutout by the way!

Re "Things We Lost In the Fire": So good to see a Bastille song. The chorus is so great as you said and the fact that the two songs of them are still to come is really exciting.

Re "Waiting All Night": Rudimental! I also think this is good collaboration and I'm looking forward to their new material of course.

Re "Can't Rely On": Oh! A Paloma track. "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" made me to look forward her songs and this one is really good.

[Landmarx]

Among my favorites on your list - Love Me Again, My Kind Of Love, Red, Animals, Latch, Am I Wrong, If I Could Change Your Mind, Can't Rely On You, Digital Witness and Not On Drugs.

Your list promises to continue to be amazing!

[surfy]

So sad Not On Drugs didn't make top 100, but OMG this list is amazing!!!! Can't wait to see what the top 100 brings!

[Zeebz]

Thanks for all of the feedback so far, all! That goes for everyone who is liking, viewing, or commenting. I really appreciate it. <3

Dec 16, 2014 17:54:32 GMT -5 ry4n said:

:standouts:

Yasssssss

I'm so glad you like all of those! Thanks for following, Ryan! I'm grateful for it. :)

Dec 16, 2014 18:58:27 GMT -5 Albie said:

Wow that's a lot of Bubbling Under! And its so much good stuff. Wish "Magic" would have been higher. LOVE that you charted "Gypsy" even. Also wish "My Love" had been higher. Looks great though - I can't wait to see when you're actually in the Top 100.

Glad you think so! And I agree - both definitely could've been higher. It's so hard to make this list. Love "Gypsy". You don't have to wait much longer. ;) Thanks for following, Albie! I really appreciate it and your feedback. :)

Dec 16, 2014 19:10:54 GMT -5 surfy said:

Absolutely loving your picks! (And this is just the Bubbling Under...)
Ready for more!!!

Glad you're excited! I'll respond to your other comment too.

Dec 16, 2014 20:35:25 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Many excellent selections here, and we've not even started the main chart. Can't wait to see what's in store! Already have a few tracks to check out.

(This post is basically useless but I want to get this thread in my Participated list so I don't forget and miss future updates.)

So glad you're enjoying it so far! I really appreciate the feedback! Glad you could find something new. And it isn't useless, it means a lot. Thanks for your feedback and for following, Wot.

Dec 16, 2014 20:39:56 GMT -5 H. said:

Some great songs in the bubbling under.

Glad you think so! Thanks, Shoosh! :)

Dec 16, 2014 23:05:17 GMT -5 Mr. Thonk Eyes said:

There's some really great gems in your bubbling under section!!!

Glad you think so! [2] Thanks, JT! :)

Dec 18, 2014 22:07:59 GMT -5 ry4n said:

129. "Move" - Little Mix + other amazing songs

Glad you like those too! Thanks again! :)

Dec 18, 2014 23:58:38 GMT -5 Albie said:

"Can't Rely On You", "Waiting Game" and many others that should have been higher.

LOVE the love for Christina on her b-day. :)

Totally agree. All of those had been in consideration for the top 100. Sad to cut them out. And was it her birthday? Didn't know. Glad I could show her a little love then. Thanks again! 

Dec 19, 2014 17:30:58 GMT -5 Juan Carlos said:

Oh! I forgot to comment here, but I love the dedication you've put on this so far. And your EOY chart hasn't begun yet! :o

Re "Wrapped Up": Yay! This is easily so much better than "Troublemaker" as a lead single, but not as great as "Heart Skips a Beat". Expect it to be higher next year.

Re "Beating Heart": Ellie is amazing and I knew about her because of "Lights" after it became a hit in the US. Another reason why sometimes US radio tends to be good? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The song is good, but I would have preferred if "Goodness Gracious" was released instead of this there.

Re "Red": Oh! I guess we agree here since I also think "Red" should have done better in my personal chart than it did.

Dec 16, 2014 15:41:46 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Also, the Taylor stans are kind of turning me off from her.

I can't at this because it tends to be true in a sort of way to me as well. LOL!

Re "Pretty Hurts": This is one of the songs I regret for not charting, but it's still amazing to listen to it. So glad it made in your Bubbling Under chart.

Re "One More Day (Stay With Me)": I think it should have higher. It's one of my favourite songs from Live Life Living for me, although it's not a "Changed the Way You Kiss Me". The shoutout of "Natural Disaster" <3 BTW, "Perfect Replacement" is still great!

Re "Dare (La La La)": Yes to see that this peak higher than "Can't Remember to Forget You" and "Empire". I don't want to be mean, but I prefer this over those and I think it should have been the lead single, as it was supposed to be, although I guess her label wanted to focus this for the FIFA World Cup in its Brazil 2014 form, despite it wasn't the main theme. Sigh!

Re "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)": Too low, but a massive yes to see this here. Klangkarussell is so underrated, but I totally agree with you regarding Tom Cane's vocals. Nice shoutout by the way!

Juan Carlos! I'm loving all of your feedback so far. Thanks for the dedicated comment, I appreciate it. I agree with all of your comments, so I'm going to address these specifically. 

Re: "Wrapped Up" - Literally exactly the same. They're all great though
Re: "Beating Heart" - Same for "Lights". Speaking of "Lights", it was an absolute monster on my chart. If I ever do an all time ranking, it'd be really high. Oh, and regarding "Goodness Gracious", I really enjoy it but personally I prefer "Beating Heart". Would've loved to see it get a proper release though.
Re: "Red" - It's so good. And glad you agree! The stans are really off-putting.
Re: "Pretty Hurts" - It's a shame that it didn't chart higher on your chart, but I'm glad you enjoy it!
Re: "One More Day (Stay With Me)" - I actually haven't heard that album. Do you recommend it? Also, that wasn't a dig at "Perfect Replacement". I love it. It's a shame it didn't chart better on mine. 
Re: "Dare (La La La)" - I don't think you were mean at all. I agree. It was the most instant for me and obviously I still enjoy it more than the former two.
Re: "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)" - It narrowly missed my top 100. It (as well as everything above it) could've been there. :( Anyways, yes, they are underrated. And no problem! Glad to give them some attention!

Thanks again, friend! <3

Dec 19, 2014 23:26:47 GMT -5 Landmarx said:

Among my favorites on your list - Love Me Again, My Kind Of Love, Red, Animals, Latch, Am I Wrong, If I Could Change Your Mind, Can't Rely On You, Digital Witness and Not On Drugs.

Your list promises to continue to be amazing!

So glad you like those - they're some of my favorites too. Thanks, Landmarx. I really appreciate the fact that you're following along.  <3

Dec 21, 2014 16:39:31 GMT -5 surfy said:

So sad Not On Drugs didn't make top 100, but OMG this list is amazing!!!! Can't wait to see what the top 100 brings!

Me too. It was in my top 100 until the very last minute when I decided something else deserved to be there a little bit more. And you don't have to wait long! :)

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top 100 Singles Of 2014: 100-91

Here's the first batch! I really hope you enjoy them! The standout lyrics section is mainly just an excuse to allow you to be able to check them out. Oh, and sorry for the messy pictures! I meant to have all of them be single covers, but some of the images were too large.

100. “Love Don’t Die” – The Fray 

Peak: 9
Album: Helios
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "A thousand years go by, but love don't die"

I’m a casual fan of The Fray. Until this, I hadn’t really loved anything from them since 2009. I’m glad this changed that. It’s just fun. The chorus is explosive, and the instrumental just makes me want to tap my feet every time I hear it. It takes me right back to late spring. This took a while to climb to the top ten due to stiff competition. I’ve heard it basically all year too so that’s helped it to remain fresh in my mind, and it’s probably why this just managed to crack the top 100. I really should listen to Helios.

99. “Day Drinking” – Little Big Town 

Peak: 43
Album: Pain Killer
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Don't want to wait till the sun's sinking, we could be feeling all right"

I adore Little Big Town. They had me hooked at “Little White Church”. Unfortunately, I hadn’t listened to any but their singles up until Tornado. I’ve since went back and listened to a lot of their discography and I’m certainly a fan. I was really looking forward to this, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s breezy, it’s fun, and it’s just perfect for the summer. Plus there’s nothing wrong with a little day drinking. ;) It’s a shame I never sent this to the top forty. I’ve loved it for most of the year and that’s why it makes the list. Oh, and Pain Killer is great.

98. “The Pressure” – Jhené Aiko 

Peak: 8
Album: Souled Out
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "No pressure, I know you're real"

Jhené is one of my favorite new discoveries of 2014. Well, technically I had discovered her in December with her feature on “Beware” and with “The Worst”. She didn’t immediately stand out to me though. “The Worst” eventually gave Jhené her breakthrough (you’ll see it later), which in turn paved the way for the success of this song. I was really excited for a follow-up, so this climbed the charts rather quickly, inevitably reaching the top ten in the fall. Her vocals are mellow and beautiful. I don’t really have much else to say about it though. Souled Out is a fantastic album.

97. “Kings” – The Pierces 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Creation
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I can feel the Earth move when you speak"

“Kings” is such a random number one. I discovered it via the UK chart in the middle of the summer and I was hooked. A quirky instrumental combined with one of the catchiest choruses of the year caused me to have this on repeat for a great portion of the summer. It was this overexposure that caused its rapid descent down the chart. I believe it only spent 14 weeks on, which at the time was the shortest charting number one in my chart history. It has since been tied by “Shake It Off”. Too bad it fell so quickly, it definitely deserved more time towards the top. Oh, and apparently they had a theme song for Teen Wolf, according to Lahey.

96. “You Haunt Me” – Sir Sly 

Peak: 12
Album: You Haunt Me
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I'm aimless heading toward nowhere at the speed of light"

Sir Sly is great, you should really check them out if you get the chance. I like “Gold” far more (you’ll see it, but not for a while), but “You Haunt Me” is still a really great single. It’s just mellow, and it seemed perfect for the fall. I’ve yet to chart a follow-up, but you can bet I will. I’ve heard a good portion of You Haunt Me and they’re quickly becoming a new favorite of mine. 

95. “***Flawless” – Beyoncé ft. Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie & Nicki Minaj 

Peak: 7
Album: Beyoncé
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "You wake up, flawless" (original); "I woke up like this" (remix)

It’s no secret that I absolutely love Beyoncé. She’s my most played last.fm artist, largely due to the strength of her latest effort. This was an instant standout from the album. It went on to become her fourth top ten hit from the album, following “XO”, “Drunk In Love” and “Partition” (all in the top 100). I love how she incorporated “Bow Down” at the beginning and then segued into Chimimanda’s spoken interlude to “Flawless”. I just love her message. “Flawless” is my favorite part of the song. I guess I just really like urban Beyoncé. It’s a great workout song. It really gets me pumped. The remix is really solid too. Nicki made for a great addition. Beyoncé has FIVE entries to come. Hmm. Maybe I stan too much? 

94. “Kisses For Breakfast” – Melissa Steel ft. Popcaan 

Peak: 11
Album: n/a
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Kisses for breakfast, early in the morning, tell me baby how you want it"

This is another UK chart discovery. I had already loved Kove’s “Way We Are” (it featured her), so it wasn’t surprising that I fell in love with this too. It’s breezy, summery, cheesy and catchy all at the same time. Great debut single if I do say so myself. It’s still charting, but it’s missed its shot at the top ten. Perhaps I just gave it too slow of a climb, perhaps it was competition. Oh well. I’m looking forward to a follow-up. Oh, and Popcaan feels nonexistent in this.

93. “Faded” – ZHU 

Peak: 4
Album: The Nightday
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Baby I'm wasted"

“Faded” is a refreshing dance track that hit it big in the summer. I just love everything about it. The vocals, the production, everything. So good. I kept playing it over and over. I don’t know why it dropped off so fast, but I wish it could’ve charted longer. The follow-up, “Stay Closer”, didn’t do much but I love it too. I should check out the EP. I know next to nothing about ZHU, except for the fact that this song is nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance Recording and that they have produced great remixes of “West Coast” (still to come!).

92. “Snap Out Of It” – Arctic Monkeys 

Peak: 42
Album: AM
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I'll be here waiting ever so patiently for you to snap out of it"

Don’t let its peak fool you, it’s still rising. It’ll likely finish with at least a top 20 peak. Anyways, the Arctic Monkeys had a colossal hit with “Do I Wanna Know?” last year, which led me to check out AM. It’s a fantastic album. I’ve been meaning to listen to their older stuff, but for now I’m content with loving their current one. I even own it on vinyl. This was my favorite off of the album other than “Know”, but I didn’t chart it because it wasn’t a single. Just a few weeks ago I discovered that it was actually a single and that it had a video. I just love everything about this. The chorus would probably be my favorite, though.

91. “Hideaway” – Kiesza 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Sound Of A Woman
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "You're just another day that keeps me breathing"

Ah, “Hideaway”. Kiesza’s breakthrough hit is a perfect throwback to 90’s dance music. Originally I wasn’t a fan because I didn’t like the “oohs” and “aahs”, but I quickly got over that. It eventually raced to number one in mid-summer. It kind of feels like a placeholder number one now that I think of it, as I didn’t really have anything else to put a number one in that frame. Not to discount its success, however, as I love it. It had a quick burn rate. The video is really cool too. I've read that she had a broken rib when she shot it, so it's really impressive that she was able to dance at all. “Giant In My Heart” is still to come. 

---

Zebra's Top 15 Artists Of 2014: 15-13

15. Lykke Li

Love Lykke. She makes this list due to the success of the singles from I Never Learn. "No Rest For the Wicked" introduced me to the era but it took me a while to actually get into it. Once I did though, I realized how beautiful it was. It's truly an amazing song, and I'll elaborate on it later. However, I will say that I probably enjoy it even more than "I Follow Rivers". Anyways, the album is Li's third. It's a gorgeous album that focuses on a breakup. Hopefully she experiences greater success in the future.

14. Sir Sly

I've already mentioned Sir Sly. They had two big hits with "Gold" and "You Haunt Me", and they've easily become one of my favorites. I highly recommend You Haunt Me. I don't have much else to say about them except for the fact that I hope they experience more success in the near future. 

13. Calvin Harris

As much as I hate to rank him this low, I have to. Sorry Juan Carlos! The competition this year for artists is just too great. Anyways, Calvin has been a favorite of mine since 2012. Motion is a great album, although I love his others more. "Summer", "Blame" and "Outside" were all hits this year. "Pray To God" & "Outside" will hopefully become big hits next year and continue his success streak. 

[Flip]

Kisses For Breakfast and Hideaway

[surfy]

Day Drinking, The Pressure, ***FLAWLESS, and Hideaway!!!

Calvin!!!

Love your list so far!!!

[H.]

Great to see Hideaway, Jhene, Day Drinking, Zhu, Arctic Monkeys, Flawless, and The Fray charting.
Fantastic list so far  :)

[Albie]

"Love Don't Die", "You Haunt Me", "Hideaway", and "Faded" made it! Oh and CALVIN at #13! Slay King!

[sbp17]

Love the diversity already!

[WotUNeed]

The second half of your bubbling under was also great!

Glad to see "Love Don't Die", "Kisses for Breakfast", and "Snap Out of It" all officially in the top 100! Half of the rest of the 91-100 section are songs I'll have to hear in the near future, but looking forward to that.

Keep up the great work! :)

[popstop]

So many awesome songs in your bubbling under :'(

Glad to see The Fray just sneaked into the official list, and there is no such thing as stanning too much for Beyonce. We both know this.

[WotUNeed]

Have now listened to the ones I hadn't heard before. "Day Drinking" was pleasant. "The Pressure" is pretty cool. Hadn't bothered to check out Aiko before, but based on this track, she seems like the kind of artist who could easily grow on me with continued exposure, so I look forward to hearing the other tracks you feature. "Kings" is a cool track! Not sure how I completely missed it as it's the kind of thing I tend to like. "You Haunt Me" is my favorite of the songs I hadn't previously heard. Listened to "Gold" once or twice before, but that was the extent of my Sir Sly exposure. I think I might prefer this song, though. Pretty awesome. "Faded" is pretty cool too.

[Deleted]

hey bitch! I'm sick and in bed and ready to be dazzled by this. catching up but just wanted you to know. I'm here 4 U! xo

[Zeebz]

Thanks for all of the likes/comments/viewing! It's all truly amazing. <3 you all. 

Dec 22, 2014 4:42:36 GMT -5 Flip said:

Kisses For Breakfast and Hideaway

So glad you like those! Thanks for following, Flip! It's very appreciated.

Dec 22, 2014 5:22:33 GMT -5 surfy said:

Day Drinking, The Pressure, ***FLAWLESS, and Hideaway!!!

Calvin!!!

Love your list so far!!!

Glad you love all of these! I love your commentary so far, Surf! Thanks for following. :)

Dec 22, 2014 8:44:21 GMT -5 H. said:

Great to see Hideaway, Jhene, Day Drinking, Zhu, Arctic Monkeys, Flawless, and The Fray charting.
Fantastic list so far  :)

I'm glad you like SO many! Thanks, Shoosh! I really appreciate the fact that you're following along! :)

Dec 22, 2014 12:38:43 GMT -5 Albie said:

"Love Don't Die", "You Haunt Me", "Hideaway", and "Faded" made it! Oh and CALVIN at #13! Slay King!

Glad you like all of those! And yes, he's probably the king of my personal chart. Thanks for commenting and following, Albie! I appreciate it.

Dec 22, 2014 13:46:51 GMT -5 sbp17 said:

Love the diversity already!

Thanks, sbp17! I really value that comment, and the fact that you're following along! :)

Dec 22, 2014 22:15:46 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

The second half of your bubbling under was also great!

Glad to see "Love Don't Die", "Kisses for Breakfast", and "Snap Out of It" all officially in the top 100! Half of the rest of the 91-100 section are songs I'll have to hear in the near future, but looking forward to that.

Keep up the great work! :)

Glad you think so! Oh, and it's great seeing that you like all of those. I was about to say let me know what you think, but you're already on top of that! 

Dec 23, 2014 8:55:28 GMT -5 popstop said:

So many awesome songs in your bubbling under :'(

Glad to see The Fray just sneaked into the official list, and there is no such thing as stanning too much for Beyonce. We both know this.

Thanks! I was incredibly sad to see them go. :'( Really glad you like the Fray entry! Oh, and you're absolutely right, Popstop. I have no idea where that moment of doubt came from. No denying that she'll be all over the rest of the chart. Thanks, Popstop! I really value the feedback!

Dec 23, 2014 21:54:47 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Have now listened to the ones I hadn't heard before. "Day Drinking" was pleasant. "The Pressure" is pretty cool. Hadn't bothered to check out Aiko before, but based on this track, she seems like the kind of artist who could easily grow on me with continued exposure, so I look forward to hearing the other tracks you feature. "Kings" is a cool track! Not sure how I completely missed it as it's the kind of thing I tend to like. "You Haunt Me" is my favorite of the songs I hadn't previously heard. Listened to "Gold" once or twice before, but that was the extent of my Sir Sly exposure. I think I might prefer this song, though. Pretty awesome. "Faded" is pretty cool too.

Wot! So glad that you listened to all of those and that you enjoyed them. I only feature one more Aiko track, but I definitely recommend her. She's fabulous. "Kings" really does seem like the kind of thing that you'd like, lol. I love "You Haunt Me" and Sir Sly. Good to see that you've listened to "Gold". And both are great. Oh, and nice to see the love for "Faded". Thanks for listening (so so nice of you), commenting, and following along, Wot! It means a lot. Seriously.

Dec 23, 2014 23:03:27 GMT -5 @spiritanimal said:

hey bitch! I'm sick and in bed and ready to be dazzled by this. catching up but just wanted you to know. I'm here 4 U! xo

Coco! Hey bitch, hope you get well soon and enjoy my list! Spoiler, Mariah and Ella Eyre are both to come. When you get caught up, please do let me know what you think. I value your feedback. Oh, and I'm here for your comments. Thanks for doing so, Coco! Really appreciate it. xoxo