Paulboard Top 50 of 2014 | No. 2 - No. 1 **COMPLETE**

[crystalphnx]

[crystalphnx]

1.) The PaulBoard Top 50 of 2014 countdown is compiled by awarding points to each song based on its chart run on my weekly Paulboard Top 30 chart. Each week that a song spent at No. 1 = 30 points, No. 2 = 29 points, No. 3 = 28 points, and so on. For example, a song with a chart run of 1 - 1 - 10 - 20 - 30 - OUT would receive 30 + 30 + 21 + 11 + 1 = 93 total points.

2.) If multiple songs are tied with the exact same point total, they are ranked based on their weekly peak position. If they had the same peak position, they are ranked based on the number of weeks they spent at that peak, in the Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, or Top 30.

3.) Any song that charted on my weekly Top 30 in 2014 is eligible for my year-end Top 50. That means both singles and album tracks will appear.

4.) Any song that debuted on my weekly Top 30 in previous years is eligible for the Top 50 of 2014 countdown, but songs are only awarded points for the weeks they spent on my weekly chart in 2014.

I really appreciate people taking the time to check this out. I loved doing these in the past on UKMix, so I thought I'd give it a shot here for the first time. Let's have some fun!

[surfy]

I'm ready to see what your favorites were!!! <3

[crystalphnx]

01.) "The Way" | Ariana Grande ft. Mac Miller
02.) "22" | Taylor Swift
03.) "We Can't Stop" | Miley Cyrus
04.) "People Like Us" | Kelly Clarkson
05.) "Brave" | Sara Bareilles
06.) "Honeymoon Avenue" | Ariana Grande
07.) "Highway Don't Care" | Tim McGraw ft. Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
08.) "Safe And Sound" | Capital Cities
09.) "#Beautiful" | Mariah Carey ft. Miguel
10.) "I Knew You Were Trouble." | Taylor Swift

[Zeebz]

Looking forward to this! I enjoy 2013's entire top ten. I'm probably the most excited to see "Follow Your Arrow" make an appearance. It's perfect.

[Juan Carlos]

This is going to be interesting. Your Top 10 of 2013 recap is really good, especially for "I Knew You Were Trouble." and "Safe and Sound".

Anyway, according to the banner in the OP, I'm excited to see Kylie's appearance

[crystalphnx]

many many thanks for the comments! :)

Dec 30, 2014 13:10:44 GMT -5 Juan Carlos said:

Anyway, according to the banner in the OP, I'm excited to see Kylie's appearance

well if you're a big Kylie fan like myself, then you're definitely in for a treat ;) she has a whopping 6 entries in my Top 50 this year (second only to Taylor, who managed 7.)

[Juan Carlos]

Dec 31, 2014 10:50:09 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

well if you're a big Kylie fan like myself, then you're definitely in for a treat ;) she has a whopping 6 entries in my Top 50 this year (second only to Taylor, who managed 7.)

I'm not a massive Kylie fan, but it's great to see she made 6 entries on your Top 50. Oh! And I'm excited for Taylor as well

[crystalphnx]

55.) "CHASING THE SUN" | Hilary Duff

Points: 117
Debut: 08/03/2014
Run: *1* - 2 – 9 – 11 – OUT – 15 – OUT

54.) "STEAL MY GIRL" | One Direction

Points: 118
Debut: 10/05/2014
Run: *2* - 9 – 16 – 21 – OUT – 3 – OUT – 17 - OUT

53.) "THIRSTY" | Mariah Carey

Points: 119
Debut: 06/01/2014
Run: *4* - 7 – 13 – 11 – OUT – 21 – OUT – 11 – OUT

52.) "CLASSIC" | MKTO

Points: 120
Debut: 03/30/2014
Run: *1* - 8 – 11 – OUT – 26 – OUT – 14 – 17 – OUT – 20 – OUT

51.) "SIRENS" | Cher Lloyd

Points: 121
Debut: 04/13/2014
Run: *5* - 10 – OUT – 18 – 24 – 13 – 24 – 19 – OUT – 14 – OUT

[surfy]

I loved all those songs... I can't wait to see what actually did make it!!!

[Juan Carlos]

"Chasing the Sun" and "Classic" are the ones I really like, so it's sad that they didn't make it. "Sirens" is quite good too, although I haven't listened to it so many times.

[crystalphnx]

50.) "DRUNK IN LOVE" | Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z

Points: 123
Debut: 01/05/2014
Run: 27 – 13 - *2* - OUT – 26 – 11 – 15 – OUT – 5 – OUT – 26 - OUT

Queen (or is it King?) B certainly had the world's attention when she suddenly, and unconventionally, released her fifth studio album exclusively on the iTunes Store last December without any prior announcement. Not only did this album achieve much higher sales than her previous album, it also spawned her first Hot 100 Top 10 hit since "Sweet Dreams" in 2009 (and one of her biggest Paulboard hits ever): "Drunk In Love", a sexy jam designed to channel the drunken ho within all of us. Her last appearances on a Paulboard Year-End Countdown were in 2011, with “1+1” (No. 36) and “Best Thing I Never Had” (No. 49.) Another track from her latest album managed to chart higher than any of those, so you'll just have to hang tight to find out exactly which song accomplished that feat.

49.) "AM I WRONG" | Nico & Vinz

Points: 124
Debut: 05/18/2014
Run: 9 – 10 – OUT – 20 – OUT – 11 – *7* – 7 – OUT – 29 – OUT

Norweigan duo Nico & Vinz (formerly known as Envy), scored their first-ever Billboard and Paulboard smash this summer with “Am I Wrong.” Although follow-up single “In Your Arms” performed much more weakly on the Hot 100, I’ve recently started getting into it again (after it made a very brief Paulboard appearance back in November), so there’s still some hope that it can become a late bloomer on my personal chart. On the Hot 100, unfortunately, it's looking likely that they'll be forever branded "one-hit wonders."

48.) "FANCY" | Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

Points: 124
Debut: 05/11/2014
Run: *1* - 4 – 22 – OUT – 9 – 19 – 21 – OUT – 17 – OUT

After her first few singles flew pretty much completely under-the-radar, Iggy successfully stormed the States this year with "Fancy", and its adorable, buzzworthy Clueless-inspired video. Although it didn't slay Paulboard nearly as hard as it slayed the Hot 100, it still made enough of an impact to land a spot inside this year's Top 50. Many predict that Iggy's moment in the sun is already nearly over, so I'm curious to see what 2015 holds for this Australian import.

47.) "LIPS ARE MOVIN'" | Meghan Trainor

Points: 125
Debut: 10/26/2014
Run: 10 – 10 – OUT - *9* - 11 – 9 – 12 - OUT

Possibly my favorite new artist of 2014, Meghan Trainor's doo-wop/pop sound has me (and most of the world, for that matter) spellbound. Although I was initially disappointed that superb Title EP tracks like "Dear Future Husband" and "Title" were denied single treatment in favor of this brand-new recording, "Lips Are Movin'" has definitely grown on me and I've enjoyed watching it become another big Hot 100 hit for her. People complain that it's just a lame copycat of her breakout smash, but I think it's distinct enough from "All About That Bass", while still maintaining her endearing signature sound. Plan on seeing more of Meghan as we make our way up this countdown.

46.) "TIMBER" | Pitbull ft. Ke$ha

Points: 125
Debut: 12/01/2013
Run: [20 – OUT – *3*] – 3 – 3 – 15 – 25 – 28 – OUT – 13 – OUT – 9 – OUT – 27 - OUT

Ke$ha's Warrior era went downhill very fast after its successful lead single (although I personally love chart flop "C'Mon", which was my No. 24 song of 2013), so it came as a very pleasant surprise when her featured appearance on Pitbull's "Timber" landed her a second Hot 100 No. 1 smash early last year. #hitbullsavescareers

[Zeebz]

I enjoy everything in your bubbling under section, but I especially like "Sirens" there.

As for your top fifty:

"Drunk In Love": It's both. She's amazing. Anyways, the "drunken ho" comment is so true. :'( That chart run is so odd though, lol. Glad to see it here.

"Fancy": I loved this back when it was beginning to become a hit. It hasn't held up the best but I still enjoy the video. It'll probably appear soon on my own list. I'm enjoying your chart runs, lol. They're so random.

I enjoy "Am I Wrong", "Lips Are Movin'", and "Timber" as well.

[surfy]

It's Qing Bey! ;)

Every song in this section was amazing!!! <3

[crystalphnx]

all the comments are much appreciated! :)

Jan 2, 2015 12:51:21 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

That chart run is so odd though, lol.

I'm enjoying your chart runs, lol. They're so random.

LOL. true story. I didn't think people would pay much attention to those, but thanks for noticing :) yeah, my weekly chart is based entirely on play counts, and I don't have any recurrent rules, so it can fluctuate wildly depending on what I'm in the mood to hear (or what I might need a break from) each week. it makes for really wonky chart runs, but I like how each chart is a snapshot of that particular week of my life - the songs (kind of) reflect what's been on my mind/what I've been going through at that specific point in time.

Jan 2, 2015 18:42:14 GMT -5 surfy said:

It's Qing Bey! ;)

LOL. perfect! I'll definitely be using that from now on. ;)

[crystalphnx]

45.) "MILLION MILES" | Kylie Minogue

Points: 129
Debut: 03/23/2014
Run: 13 – *5* - 7 – 9 – 23 – 15 – 24 – OUT – 23 – OUT

Kylie Minogue has been one of my absolute favorite artists ever since I picked up a copy of Fever during a family trip to London in 2003. She released her 12th studio album last March, and, not surprisingly, it spawned many massive Paulboard hits, so you can expect to see much more of Kylie as we climb this countdown. This first entry off Kiss Me Once actually wasn't one of the standout tracks when I first listened through the album, but it took less than a couple of weeks to grow on me and has become one of many favorite tracks on one of my favorite albums of 2014.

44.) "BRAVE" | Sara Bareilles

Points: 130
Debut: 08/11/2013
PBT50 of 2013: No. 5
Run: [11 - *1* - 2 – 3 – 3 – 26 – 6 – 8 – 29 – 25 – 14 – OUT – 22 – OUT – 5 – OUT] – 27 – 11 – 18 – OUT – 12 – 13 – OUT – 5 – OUT – 17 – OUT – 25 – OUT – 21 - OUT

The internet exploded back in the summer of 2013 when Katy Perry dropped the highly-anticipated lead single from her third major label studio album and it seemed to bear a striking resemblance to Sara Bareillies's "Brave", which had been released that spring. I'd given "Brave" a quick listen when it was first released and hadn't thought much of it, but I decided to check it out again to see (well, hear) if I agreed with all the plagiarism hoopla. Once I gave "Brave" a second chance, I realized that I'd passed on a real gem (and I'm kind of a sucker for female pop self-empowerment-anthems.) It went on to become my No. 5 song of 2013 ("Roar" was No. 11) and enjoyed enough chart success in 2014 to land a spot on my countdown once again.

43.) "HAPPY" | Pharrell Williams

Points: 133
Debut: 02/09/2014
Run: *2* - 4 – 9 – 19 – 5 – 19 – 29 – 28 – OUT

This global mega-smash from mega-cute Pharrell had an interesting journey to success, originally appearing on the Despicable Me 2 Soundtrack in June of 2013, but not garnering much attention, especially in the US, until nearly a year later. Like "Fancy", "Happy" didn't dominate Paulboard the way it did the Hot 100, but it still impacted my year enough to earn a spot inside my Top 50 of 2014.

42.) "#BEAUTIFUL" | Mariah Carey ft. Miguel

Points: 136
Debut: 05/12/2013
PBT50 of 2013: No. 9
Run: [*1* – 1 – 2 – 2 – 4 – 15 – 12 – 9 – 14 - OUT] – 19 – OUT – 28 – OUT – 20 – 3 – 3 – 11 – 8 – 25 – OUT – 26 - OUT

Along with Kylie, Mariah has been one of my absolute favorite artists ever since I picked up her Greatest Hits album in January 2002. Although it didn't reach "We Belong Together"-sized (or even "Obsessed"-sized) success, "#Beautiful" performed better than I expected on the Hot 100 after a string of mega-flop singles. It also resorted my faith in her music-making abilities after the nearly insufferable "Triumphant (Get 'Em)" from 2012. In fact, I've enjoyed "#Beautiful" so much that it made No. 9 on my 2013 list and remains inside the Top 50 on this countdown as well.

41.) "JUST BE MINE" | Cher Lloyd

Points: 136
Debut: 06/01/2014
Run: 23 – OUT – 17 – OUT – 28 – 9 - *2* - 5 – OUT – 27 – OUT – 20 – 12 - SC

Spunky, sassy UK X Factor alum Cher Lloyd is no stranger to Paulboard success; in fact, "Want U Back", her breakthrough (and only) US hit, was actually the No. 1 Paulboard hit of 2012. 2014 saw the release of her sophomore album, Sorry I'm Late, which ended up performing miserably in both the U.S. and her native UK. I really hope this sophomore slump won't be the last we hear from Cher, because I think the album contains some real gems. The first of said gems to make the Paulboard Top 50 of 2014 is the album's catch-tastic opener: "Just Be Mine".

[surfy]

Brave, Happy, and #Beautiful!!! <3

[crystalphnx]

40.) "REALLY DON'T CARE" | Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd

Points: 138
Debut: 05/04/2014
Run: 12 - *5* - 16 – OUT – 10 – 30 – 29 – 8 – 6 – OUT – 25 - OUT

Although none of Demi's singles thus far have held a candle to the best works of fellow Disney princesses Selena and Miley, Demi's still enjoyed some prior Paulboard success of her own: "Give Your Heart A Break" was my No. 12 song of 2012, and last year "Made In The USA" ended up at No. 46. Quite surprisingly, her most recent album era has gone four singles deep (with a fifth supposedly planned), the fourth of which has earned Demi another entry on a Paulboard Year-End Countdown (thanks to a little help from the aforementioned Cher Lloyd.) "Really Don't Care" is a delectable, Kelly Clarkson-esque, "go f**k yourself" breakup anthem (or even an anti-homophobia anthem, as demonstrated by the song's official video, though that doesn't fit the lyrics quite as nicely.)

39.) "FINE" | Kylie Minogue

Points: 141
Debut: 03/23/2014
Run: *10* - 12 – 11 – OUT – 21 – 16 – OUT – 22 – 21 – OUT – 21 – 13 – OUT – 30 – 23 - OUT

As promised, here's another entry from Australia's answer to Madonna: the eternally gorgeous Kylie Minogue. "Fine" actually has the interesting distinction of being the lowest-peaking song to make a Paulboard Year-End Countdown. On the weekly Paulboard Top 30, "Fine" never reached any higher than No. 10; previously, this unique honor went to Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" (No. 8 peak, No. 27 of 2010), which was also "beaten" this year by Meghan Trainor's "Lips Are Movin'" (No. 9 peak, No. 47 of 2014.)

38.) "TITLE" | Meghan Trainor

Points: 141
Debut: 10/12/2014
Run: *1* - 13 – 17 – 16 – OUT – 12 – 10 – 11 – 27 - OUT

This adorable, ukulele-driven ditty about the significance of relationship labels was supposedly a contender to be the follow-up to "All About That Bass", but was ultimately denied that opportunity in favor of "Lips Are Movin'". I'm still holding out hope that this will get a chance to shine after Meghan's full-length album is released, since it definitely switches up her sound a bit after two noticeably similar (though still excellent) singles in a row.

37.) "I WISH YOU WOULD" | Taylor Swift

Points: 143
Debut: 10/26/2014
Run: 5 – 4 - *2* - 7 – 21 – 17 – OUT – 18 - OUT

I was absolutely convinced that 1989 would debut with lower sales than Speak Now or Red; surely, Taylor was bound to lose at least SOME country-leaning fans in her well-publicized transition to pure pop, while the pop music audience is notorious for only downloading individual hits and rarely shelling out the money for a full album. Fortunately, I was completely wrong, and Taylor is currently smashing harder than ever...and deservedly so! 1989 is packed with pop brilliance, and one of its many standouts is this track here: "I Wish You Would". One of the most deliciously 80's-pop-production moments on the entire album hits right at the 1:21 mark: "I-I-III-I-I-I-wish-I-wish-I..."

36.) "ALONE WITH ME" | Cher Lloyd

Points: 145
Debut: 06/01/2014
Run: 10 – 26 – 18 – 16 – OUT – 27 – 18 - *7* - 18 – OUT – 18 – 7 - SC

Somewhat amusingly, the two tracks from Cher Lloyd's Sorry I'm Late album to make this year's countdown (not counting the oh-so-close-but-just-missed-out "Sirens") are the album's opener ("Just Be Mine") and its closer ("Alone With Me", not counting bonus remixes.) This isn't to say that there's nothing worthwhile inbetween, but it's interesting that this album manages to start and finish on particularly high notes. For comparison sake, her debut album produced three songs that landed a spot on a Paulboard Year-End Countdown: "With Ur Love" (No. 24, 2011), "Swagger Jagger" (No. 39, 2011), and "Want U Back" (No. 1, 2012.)

[hitseeker.]

Yay for your Year-end, glad I found it!

- Aww all of those songs were so close :'( I love them all, except for "Sirens".
- So glad to see "Drunk In Love", "Am I Wrong", "Fancy", "Timber", "Happy", "#Beautiful", and "Really Don't Care"! <3333
- "Happy" had such a high burn rate for me, can't really stand it now
- I'd say Beyoncé is Qing. Apparently she defies the very concept of gender ;) haha

Nice list so far, Paul; I've bookmarked it so I won't miss future updates. Looking forward to the rest of it!!

[surfy]

Really Don't Care, TITLE (Yes! This should be the next single!!!), and I Wish You Would!!! <3

[crystalphnx]

muchas, muchas gracias for the feedback, guys! :)

Jan 4, 2015 15:38:01 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

Yay for your Year-end, glad I found it!

- Aww all of those songs were so close :'( I love them all, except for "Sirens".

ouch at the "Sirens" shade, but I guess you're not alone in your assessment of it, since it flopped literally...everywhere...

Jan 4, 2015 15:38:01 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

"Happy" had such a high burn rate for me, can't really stand it now

yeah, I actually feel pretty similarly about it now. it had a good run when I first got into it in February-March, but I haven't really played it much at all since then

Jan 4, 2015 15:38:01 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

I'd say Beyoncé is Qing. Apparently she defies the very concept of gender ;) haha

quoted for truth

Jan 4, 2015 15:38:01 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

Nice list so far, Paul; I've bookmarked it so I won't miss future updates. Looking forward to the rest of it!!

you're a sweetheart many thanks!

[crystalphnx]

35.) "I WAS GONNA CANCEL" | Kylie Minogue

Points: 146
Debut: 03/23/2014
Run: 15 – *6* – 6 – 10 – 17 – 21 – 16 – OUT – 15 – 27 – OUT

Tragically, the second official single from Kylie's Kiss Me Once album, "I Was Gonna Cancel", was a mega-flop even in her (typically) most loyal territories, so we still haven't gotten a proper third single from the project (and likely never will.) Although the hook does sound like Pharrell just shamelessly recycled Beyoncé's "Green Light", this song really speaks to me as someone who's prone to just stay inside and keep to myself. Even when I'm tempted to cancel, I need to "shut out all the doubt, just get up and go, what's on the other side, you'll never know unless you go-go-go-gooo..."

34.) "SWEET REFRAIN" | Perfume

Points: 146
Debut: 02/19/2014
Run: 8 – 5 – 14 – OUT - *2* - 17 – OUT – 27 – OUT – 24 – 5 – [OUT]

I first learned of J-Pop trio Perfume when a friend of mine showed me the video for their 2008 smash hit “Love The World” during one of my late-night front desk shifts in college. I knew less than a handful of Japanese words, but the beat of that song was just so adorable and infectious that I was absolutely hooked even without understanding the lyrics. Although none of the singles that Perfume have released since “Love The World” have rivaled its brilliance, “Sweet Refrain" is definitely one of their best singles of the past few years. "Sweet Refrain" is actually the only song in a language other than English to appear on this year's countdown.

33.) "ORDINARY GIRL" | Lolene

Points: 147
Debut: 01/26/2014
Run: 28 - *2* - 18 – 11 – 11 – OUT – 7 – 22 – OUT – 9 – 24 - OUT

Just like the previously-mentioned Perfume, Lolene was first brought to my attention by a friend. Xiivi, who used to post here on Pulse, included several Lolene tracks on his 2013 Year-End Countdown, and after hearing short snippets of them all, I decided I needed to check out her album in full. Unfortunately, her debut was shelved before it saw a proper release, so it's hard to come across, and once I was able to get it for myself, I understood why: she was clearly being molded into a Mini Lady Gaga (TF/TFM-style), but with material that totally paled in comparison to the likes of "Just Dance", "Poker Face", and "Paparazzi". The one true standout from Lolene's rejected album is embrace-yourself-anthem "Ordinary Girl".

32.) "STORY OF MY LIFE" | One Direction

Points: 151
Debut: 11/03/2013
PBT50 of 2013: No. 21
Run: [*1* - 4 – 14 – 3 – 12 – OUT – 4 – 21 – 20] – 12 – OUT – 14 – 14 – 6 – OUT – 16 – 17 – 10 – OUT – 22 – OUT – 17 - OUT

After two albums filled with shamelessly tween-centric pop, 1D cleverly decided to switch up their sound for their third studio album and adopted a more Mumford & Sons/Phillip Phillips-inspired pop/rock style, with a dash of 80's influence here-and-there. This ended up working brilliantly, allowing them to maintain their core fanbase while winning more radio support than they’d gotten with any song since their breakthrough hit “What Makes You Beautiful”. Midnight Memories is easily my favorite album from them so far, and “Story Of My Life” is easily one of their best songs ever (pun intended.) Like the aforementioned WMYB, SOML is the second 1D song to appear on more than one Paulboard Year-End Countdown.

31.) "ALL ABOUT THAT BASS" | Meghan Trainor

Points: 151
Debut: 07/27/2014
Run: 7 – 6 – OUT – 9 – OUT – 14 – 19 – *5* – OUT – 6 – OUT

”All About That Bass” brought Meghan Trainor to everyone’s attention in a very big way, and I’m so glad it did. Although this song’s central theme of self-acceptance/empowerment has been done countless times in previous pop hits, Meghan’s clever take on the message, combined with her refreshing doo-wop style, allowed this song to have a massive impact across the globe. That said, I think she has at least a couple other even better songs: if this list was purely subjective instead of points-based, I’d probably put “Title” above it, and there’s still one other Meghan tune left to reveal on the Paulboard Top 50 of 2014.

[hitseeker.]

Story Of My Life! <3 Glad 1D released that more mature single, really good. AATB is so annoying to me, could never listen to it all the way through

[Zeebz]

Your chart runs make a lot of sense, then. My listening habits would never allow me to base my chart off if that, but it's cool to see the accurate weekly snapshots.

Anyways, glad to see "Brave", "Happy" (kind of sick of it nowadays though), "#Beautiful", "Really Don't Care", "Title", "I Wish You Would", "Story Of My Life", the Kylie sonsgs, and "All About That Bass" here. There's definitely a few I'll need to check out.

[crystalphnx]

thanks again for the comments everybody! :)

Jan 5, 2015 13:15:16 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

Story Of My Life! <3 Glad 1D released that more mature single, really good. AATB is so annoying to me, could never listen to it all the way through

glad to see you also stan for SOML, but I'm a tad sad to see you feel that way about AATB. is "Lips Are Movin'" any more to your liking? or are you just completely anti-Meghan? :'(

[crystalphnx]

30.) "DARK HORSE" | Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

Points: 152
Debut: 10/27/2013
PBT50 of 2013: No. 14
Run: [6 - *2* - 2 – 16 – 6 – 30 – 6 – 3 – 2 – OUT] – 9 – 21 – 8 – 16 – OUT – 6 – 16 – 6 – OUT – 15 – OUT – 30 - OUT

The single that almost never was, Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" had slightly unfortunate timing and got its chart run basically sliced in half by the 2013/2014 calendar cut-off, but that means it was able to join the exclusive little group of songs that charted on both the 2013 and 2014 Year-End Countdown. Like many other fans, I was pretty disappointed by the overly colorful and cartoonish video that seemed totally ill-suited for this song, but no matter how bad the video, "Dark Horse" is undoubtedly one of the finest moments on PRISM (and of Katy's entire career, for that matter.)

29.) "YOU'RE MINE (ETERNAL)" | Mariah Carey

Points: 152
Debut: 02/16/2014
Run: *1* - 7 – 18 – 9 – OUT – 19 – OUT – 23 – 13 – 21 – 16 – OUT

In my write-up for "#Beautiful", I mentioned that it had been preceded by a string of mega-flop singles; unfortunately, "#Beautiful" was followed by even more flops, including this song here. Listening to it now, nearly a year since it debuted on my chart, it definitely benefited from pre-album hype and isn't an exceptionally strong song on its own. It's nice enough, but not too surprising that it didn't become another "We Belong Together." All the shots of the so-sexy-it-HURTS Trey Songz in the official video are pretty damn worthwhile, though...

28.) "ANIMALS" | Maroon 5

Points: 153
Debut: 09/14/2014
Run: 12 – OUT - *7* - 8 – 9 – 26 – 12 – 12 – 9 – OUT

I actually wasn't too impressed with "Animals" when I first listened through V, and I felt like it definitely wasn't worthy of the hype it'd been getting prior to the album's release. It didn't take too long for me to see (hear?) the light, however, and now this track easily stands as one of my favorite moments on their most recent album. The "you can pretend it's meant to be, but you can't stay away from me" bits are brilliantly catchy. This track has been referred to as a "One More Night" retread, but it's clearly the better of the two in my opinion. Shame it wasn't able to enjoy the same kind of Hot 100 success.

27.) "I WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN" | Rita Ora

Points: 156
Debut: 04/20/2014
Run: *3* - 7 – 6 – 7 – 11 – 14 – OUT – 27 – 22 – OUT – 26 – OUT

The UK's Rihanna clone, Rita Ora, hadn't really "wow"ed me with any of her singles until this delightful bop dropped last Spring. Shamelessly poppy and delightfully catchy, it definitely makes me smile, and the choreography in the video is pretty adorable too. It's a shame that super-fit Calvin has been such a petty douche since their breakup and gave away most of her album to other acts, since they clearly make musical magic together.

26.) "ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS STAY" | Taylor Swift

Points: 158
Debut: 10/26/2014
Run: 7 – 5 - *4* - 5 – 14 – 11 – OUT – 13 – OUT - [25 – SC]

Much like Maroon 5's "Animals", I was underwhelmed by "All You Had To Do Was Stay" when I first listened through 1989. I didn't think it was terrible or anything, it just seemed pretty forgettable sandwiched between much more noteworthy tunes like "Style", "Out Of The Woods", "Shake It Off", and "I Wish You Would". Clearly, this song has grown on me since those first couple listens, but I still wouldn't recommend it as a potential single candidate. It's just one of many, many solid moments on one fantastic album.

[hitseeker.]

Jan 6, 2015 12:43:50 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

glad to see you also stan for SOML, but I'm a tad sad to see you feel that way about AATB. is "Lips Are Movin'" any more to your liking? or are you just completely anti-Meghan? :'(

I'd say I'm anti-Meghan, sadly. She or her music do absolutely nothing for me :'(

Oh your most recent batch is so PERFECT!

[Juan Carlos]

Oops! I already missed half of your EOY chart I'm sorry :(

Anyway, glad to see "Drunk In Love" made the list. Also, "Fancy", "Timber" (Oh! I also enjoyed "C'mon", despite it burnt on me a little), "Brave" (Nice to see it was a success for you in 2013), "I Wish You Would", "I Was Gonna Cancel", "Story of My Life" (One of the few songs from 1D that I like), "Dark Horse", "I Will Never Let You Down" and "All You Had to Do Was Stay" so far.

On the other side, I don't like "All About That Bass" and I just can't listen to "Happy" anymore.

Jan 6, 2015 12:50:03 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

It's a shame that super-fit Calvin has been such a petty douche since their breakup and gave away most of her album to other acts, since they clearly make musical magic together.

Well, I'm not defending Calvin for doing that (regarding the TCA blocked performance), but the only reason I could find is that Rita did something against him, so he didn't want her to perform it. Also, it's true that the rest of the songs that both of them make for her album, which are three, aren't going to be there, but it's not confirmed that he already 'gave away' them.

[crystalphnx]

Jan 6, 2015 16:47:24 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

I'd say I'm anti-Meghan, sadly. She or her music do absolutely nothing for me :'(

Oh your most recent batch is so PERFECT!

aww. well...I'm sad to hear that about Meghan, since I'm really totally charmed by her music, but many thanks for the approval on that last batch! I figured you'd at least be pretty happy about AYHTDWS and "Animals" :)

Jan 6, 2015 17:14:43 GMT -5 Juan Carlos said:

Well, I'm not defending Calvin for doing that (regarding the TCA blocked performance), but the only reason I could find is that Rita did something against him, so he didn't want her to perform it. Also, it's true that the rest of the songs that both of them make for her album, which are three, aren't going to be there, but it's not confirmed that he already 'gave away' them.

ha, I figured I'd be in trouble with you for saying anything against King Calvin ;) I just feel like, even if she was a "bad girlfriend" or whatever, it's unfortunate that he took it out on her professionally. of course, he's certainly not the first ex- to do something like that.

Calvin aside, many many thanks for commenting on all the stuff you'd missed! I really appreciate you taking the time to check all that out. :)

[crystalphnx]

25.) "OUT OF THE WOODS" | Taylor Swift

Points: 161
Debut: 10/19/2014
Run: *1* - 1 – 15 – 6 – 13 – 15 – 5 – OUT – [26 – SC]

For each of her past few albums, Taylor has always released at least three iTunes countdown singles (not counting the first official single) in the final weeks leading up to the album's release date; however, with 1989, she shook things up a bit and only gave us two: "Out Of The Woods" and "Welcome To New York." I typically don't download all of her countdown singles, since I always plan to purchase the full album in CD format as soon as it's available, but I couldn't resist checking out a new song from her impending first-ever pure-pop album. I wasn't disappointed by what I heard, and "Out Of The Woods" had my weekly chart on lock until 1989 leaked in full. I could definitely imagine this working well as a single, perhaps the follow-up to "Style"?

24.) "TEAM" | Lorde

Points: 162
Debut: 12/30/2013
Run: [6] – 9 – 8 – 20 - *4* - 8 – OUT – 8 – 17 – 12 – OUT

Although "Royals" was the much much bigger hit, I actually found myself enjoying "Team" a lot more. This may be partially due to the fact that it wasn't nearly as overplayed/overexposed as "Royals", but I think the hook is actually stronger too. Expectations will undoubtedly be very high for Lorde's next album, so I'm curious to hear what she'll give us next.

23.) "XO" | Beyoncé

Points: 183
Debut: 01/05/2014
Run: 5 – 7 - *1* - 2 – 20 – 5 – 14 – OUT – 11 - OUT

Although I liked "XO" well enough on first listen, it was the video that really truly sold me on it. Not only does Qing B look absolutely adorable frolicking around an amusement park, but something about all of the flashing lights and positive energy really captures the atmosphere of this song quite well. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the brief audio recording at the very start of the song is taken from the tragic Challenger explosion, and although I still think it was a poor choice on B's part, it doesn't impede my overall enjoyment of this excellent tune. John Mayer's fantastic acoustic cover of this song is definitely worth checking out as well.

22.) "FIREPROOF" | One Direction

Points: 186
Debut: 09/14/2014
Run: 2 – 3 – 3 – 11 – 17 – OUT - *1* - 6 – OUT – 25 – OUT – 25 - [26 – SC]

One Direction released "Fireproof" online as a free "gift to fans" about a month before their album's release date, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to hear what their fourth studio album would hold, especially since I'd been really really pleased with Midnight Memories. Fortunately, "Fireproof" sounds like it could've fit in pretty nicely on Midnight Memories, so I was instantly hooked. Although Four (as a whole) hasn't floored me quite the way Midnight Memories did, it still features several very solid tracks in addition to this teaser tune.

21.) "HOW YOU GET THE GIRL" | Taylor Swift

Points: 197
Debut: 10/26/2014
Run: 4 - *3* - 7 – 4 – 16 – 15 – OUT – 12 – 13 – 8 – [7 – SC]

We got our first taste of this delightful 1989 bop thanks to a Diet Coke featuring Tay herself, and it was immediately clear that this song would be an infectious treat. This was confirmed when I was able to hear the song in full, and it now stands as one of my absolute favorite moments on 1989 (along with two other tracks that you'll be seeing in a while.) One 1989 review that I read suggested that this song is actually meant to be kind of tongue-in-cheek and not taken literally, like Taylor knows that the list of cliches in the lyrics aren't really the recipe for love. Although it's hard to know what Taylor's true intentions were when she wrote this, I really appreciated that insight on the reviewer's part, and it helped me to enjoy this song on a whole 'nother level.