Zebra's Year End Charts - 2014

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top Songs Of 2014: 90-81

Here's the next batch! Enjoy, and thanks for the feedback! :)

90. “Bang Bang” – Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

Peak: 4
Album: Sweet Talker, My Everything
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "It's me, Jessie, and Ari, if they test me they sorry"

Jessie J has always been hit or miss with me. “Bang Bang”, however, was a hit. I was so excited for this as soon as I heard about it. Why? Mainly because of Ariana Grande. She’s been on fire this year (“Problem” and “Love Me Harder” will both make an appearance later). I heard it and it didn’t immediately stand out. As a matter of fact, I really didn’t like it. Then it grew on me, and it quickly ascended to number four. My Fifth Harmony friend loved this, and that’s probably why it grew on me. It had a quick burn rate, though, leading to a rapid fall off of the chart. I like it again now. Ariana’s part is still my favorite, although I like Nicki’s verse too. Perfect summer song. Jessie hasn’t been able to duplicate the same success with “Burnin’ Up”. And finding a standout lyric was incredibly hard lmao.

89. “Stolen Dance” – Milky Chance

Peak: 11
Album: Sadnecessary
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I want you by my side so that I never feel alone again"

“Stolen Dance” is quite possibly the biggest sleeper hit of the year. It took forever to fully grow on me, as was evidenced by its lengthy chart run. For those of you who don’t follow it, “Dance” debuted in late spring and didn’t peak until mid-fall. I don’t know why it took so long. Anyways, I just really like the vibe of this. I like how it was both mellow and fun at the same time. His voice is really cool, too. It’s a shame that I didn’t give this a top ten peak. It’s that good.

88. “Heavy Metal and Reflective” – Azealia Banks

Peak: 6
Album: Broke With Expensive Taste
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I'm in every city, they say hello to the head bitch"

Musically, I’m a huge fan of Azealia. Her personality may be annoying at times, but I look past it and focus on the music. I was beyond excited when I randomly saw Josh having it in his bubbling under section, and then I checked it out. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s very eccentric, even for Azealia standards. The instrumental was unlike anything I’d heard but I still really enjoyed it. Her flow is amazing, as usual. And I liked the video. I had planned for this to be an even bigger hit than it was but I suppose I played it too much. That tends to happen with her. Still, number 6 isn’t too shabby. Besides, “Ice Princess” (still to come!) more than made up for it.

87. “Haunted” – Beyoncé

Peak: 3
Album: Beyoncé
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I know if I'm haunting you, you must be haunting me" ("Haunted"); "Working 9 to 5, just to stay alive" ("Ghost")

The third Beyoncé entry to fall. I have a really tough time deciding on if it or “Heaven” (coming up) is my second favorite song off of the album. My favorite is obviously “Partition”, hands down. This wasn’t actually a single, but I fell in love with it to such an extent that I made it the sixth single from the album. I just couldn’t stop playing it. The “Ghost” portion of the song is definitely my favorite. The dark production really helps both this and “Ghost” really stand out. “Haunted” managed to race to number 3 in quite possibly the most competitive time frame this year. Bey has FIVE more entries – she had six as of last update – my mistake.

86. “I Hold On” – Dierks Bentley

Peak: 11
Album: Riser
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "We drove her out to Tennessee, and she's still here and now he's gone"

Over the course of the year I’ve really grown to love Dierks. I had loved a lot of his previous material (“What Was I Thinkin’” and “Feel That Fire” are both standouts), but “I Hold On” became my favorite from him. I first heard it in January but I forgot about it until early spring. I heard it again and I was hooked. Lyrically, this is about Dierks (I suppose it could apply to anyone) talking about sticking to what he loves and believes in. Musically, this feels like a completely different direction for Dierks that I most certainly approve of. The final chorus is my favorite. Shamefully this also missed the top ten, but just barely. I should really listen to Riser.

85. “Beggin’ For Thread” – BANKS

Peak: 14
Album: Goddess
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "My words can come out as a pistol, I'm not good at aiming but I can aim it at you"

“Beggin’ For Thread” is another song that has peaked deceptively low. It’s still rising as of my latest chart. Anyways, love BANKS. I’ve sort of talked about my love for her in the entry for “Waiting Game”. That peaked too low for my tastes, but I’m glad that she released this. I suppose my highlight would be her vocals, which are beautiful as always. I also think that this was her first big hit with me simply because it was more uptempo than “Waiting Game”. I have no idea of what I’ll chart as the follow-up, but BANKS looks to have a promising 2015. Goddess is a near perfect album by the way.

84. “All About You” – Hilary Duff

Peak: 4
Album: n/a
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Think you're all about me but I'm all about you"

I haven’t heard much of Hilary’s back catalogue, but I was intrigued to hear that she was releasing new material this year. “Chasing the Sun” didn’t impress me, but thankfully that wasn’t her actual single. “All About You” is amazing. I love the chorus and the backing vocals that basically shout the chorus. Definitely a highlight. Oh, and this is an earworm. It was stuck in my head all fall. It’s a really sweet love song. This was a really strong comeback single, and honestly it should’ve done a whole lot more than it did. At least it made my top five!

83. “I Want It All” – Karmin

Peak: 2
Album: Pulses
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I want you to prove that I'm right about you"

While we’re talking about songs that should’ve performed better, let’s please talk about Pulses. I thought it was a solid album with two exceptional first singles (“Acapella” and this). It’s a shame that this underperformed, but oh well. “I Want It All” is a really fun disco influenced song that always made me want to dance. It’s my favorite thing that they’ve ever done. It quickly raced to number 2 around early March.

82. “5 AM” – Katy B

Peak: 16
Album: Little Red
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Ooh, I need somebody to calm me down, a little loving like Valium"

Love love love Katy B. If you haven’t heard anything from her, please do so. Both of her albums were fantastic, but honestly I probably prefer Little Red. This was a single last year from it, but since I really loved “Crying For No Reason” (coming!) this year I decided to also chart this. It’s another one that constantly made me want to dance. The theme is one of loneliness, but it doesn’t seem so. Little Red is perfect.

81. “Blame” – Calvin Harris ft. John Newman

Peak: 2
Album: Motion
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "So blame it on the night, don't blame it on me"

Calvin Harris AND John Newman? Yes please. John’s soulful vocals mesh well with Calvin’s production to create an exceptional follow-up single to “Summer”. At the time of its peaking, I definitely enjoyed this one more than “Summer”. The tides have reversed yet again, however, and “Summer” is yet to come. Definite standout this year. Motion is really solid.

---

Oh, and since it's officially Christmas Eve, please enjoy this quintessential holiday classic:

Thanks again for tuning in! Happy holidays! :)

[surfy]

Bang Bang, Heavy Metal And Reflective, Haunted, All About You, I Want It All, and Blame!

All I Want For Christmas Is You shoutout? Yes please!

Amazing list so far, Zebra!

[Fancy]

yes yes YES banks and hilary!

[Flip]

Bang Bang, All About You & Blame :)

[popstop]

<3 at this group <3

Banks is currently charting on my list!

Love that Karmin and Bang Bang are in there.

Stolen Dance, Beyonce - so much win.

[♛ The Manticore ☯]

Yay at Karmin and Katy B making it! Also as a few here already mentioned, I liked some of the songs that bubbled under. I'm pleased to see Mia Martina & DEV's "Danse". That actually made it to my Top 100 list.

[ry4n]

yassss Kiesza slay ily zebra you're the best omg

Love your picks so far! Great!

Zebra you're just amazing

[Juan Carlos]

Dec 21, 2014 18:27:05 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Juan Carlos! I'm loving all of your feedback so far. Thanks for the dedicated comment, I appreciate it.

You're welcome!

Dec 21, 2014 18:27:05 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

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.

Oh! Looks like I minsudertood the comment about "Perfect Replacement". My bad. Anyway, I always recommend Example's albums, so you should check it.

Dec 21, 2014 18:27:05 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Thanks again, friend! <3

<3

---

Before the next batch appears, I'm going to say that I like to see "***Flawless", "Faded", "Hideaway", "Stolen Dance", "Haunted", "Beggin for Thread", "I Want It All" and "Blame" so far. Also, I was going to say that I need to check to Sir Sly stuff since I saw them on Albie's chart, but I clicked on the link you posted to find out that I have listened to them on one of my local Alternative radio stations, but I didn't know they were the guys who played that song

Re Calvin Harris:

Dec 22, 2014 2:00:49 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

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.

Don't worry. At least, he made it and he reached #13! :)

[WotUNeed]

Glad to see "Stolen Dance", "5 AM", and "Blame" represented! Three quality tracks.

Out of touch with modern country, but I used to like Dierks Bentley and "I Hold On" is another selection I appreciate. Good pick. I kept meaning to listen to "Beggin for Thread" and then never bothered, so this is a good opportunity for me to do that. Dunno why I slept on it so long; solid track on first impression. Some of Hilary Duff's past hits are guilty, semi-nostalgic pleasures for me, but I again never bothered to listen to her recent output. "All About You" seems pleasant enough. Hadn't heard "I Want It All" before either; doesn't capture me the way "Brokenhearted" did, but it's a good tune. Is that "da da da"-ing interpolated from somewhere or does it just have a classic vibe?

Another great installment here!

[Zeebz]

Dec 24, 2014 1:25:27 GMT -5 surfy said:

Bang Bang, Heavy Metal And Reflective, Haunted, All About You, I Want It All, and Blame!

All I Want For Christmas Is You shoutout? Yes please!

Amazing list so far, Zebra!

Glad you like all of those! And I had too. Lol. Thanks, Surf! I really appreciate the feedback! :)

Dec 24, 2014 1:38:10 GMT -5 Fancy said:

yes yes YES banks and hilary!

yes yes YES at you loving Banks & Hilary! Thanks, Fancy! I really appreciate the feedback! [2]

Dec 24, 2014 5:02:11 GMT -5 Flip said:

Bang Bang, All About You & Blame :)

Glad you like those! Thanks for your comments, Flip! As with everyone else's, I appreciate them. :)

Dec 24, 2014 9:53:44 GMT -5 popstop said:

<3 at this group <3

Banks is currently charting on my list!

Love that Karmin and Bang Bang are in there.

Stolen Dance, Beyonce - so much win.

<3 at you <3

Good to hear! Is she still rising or is has she peaked? Hopefully it's the former. Glad you like the other two. Other, and totally agree on those two. Thanks, Popstop! I really enjoy the feedback!

Dec 24, 2014 13:25:53 GMT -5 ♛ The Manticore ☯ said:

Yay at Karmin and Katy B making it! Also as a few here already mentioned, I liked some of the songs that bubbled under. I'm pleased to see Mia Martina & DEV's "Danse". That actually made it to my Top 100 list.

Glad you like the fact that those made it, and I'm glad you enjoy some of the bubbling under. I still love "Danse". I'll be looking forward to seeing it on yours. Thanks, Konami! Your comments are greatly appreciated!  

Dec 24, 2014 13:32:01 GMT -5 ry4n said:

yassss Kiesza slay ily zebra you're the best omg

Love your picks so far! Great!

Zebra you're just amazing

Lol you flatter me (I'm not that great), but thanks. :kii: I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoy the Kiesza selection. Thanks, ry4n! Also, aren't you charting "Beggin' For Thread" now because of this list? If so, glad you enjoy it!

Dec 24, 2014 15:59:56 GMT -5 Juan Carlos said:

---

Before the next batch appears, I'm going to say that I like to see "***Flawless", "Faded", "Hideaway", "Stolen Dance", "Haunted", "Beggin for Thread", "I Want It All" and "Blame" so far. Also, I was going to say that I need to check to Sir Sly stuff since I saw them on Albie's chart, but I clicked on the link you posted to find out that I have listened to them on one of my local Alternative radio stations, but I didn't know they were the guys who played that song

Re Calvin Harris:

Dec 22, 2014 2:00:49 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

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.

Don't worry. At least, he made it and he reached #13! :)

Glad you enjoy those! Oh, and glad you've heard of them! Hopefully you enjoyed them. And yay at you enjoying his ranking! Thanks, Juan Carlos! As usual I remain appreciative of the feedback.

Dec 25, 2014 1:49:58 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Glad to see "Stolen Dance", "5 AM", and "Blame" represented! Three quality tracks.

Out of touch with modern country, but I used to like Dierks Bentley and "I Hold On" is another selection I appreciate. Good pick. I kept meaning to listen to "Beggin for Thread" and then never bothered, so this is a good opportunity for me to do that. Dunno why I slept on it so long; solid track on first impression. Some of Hilary Duff's past hits are guilty, semi-nostalgic pleasures for me, but I again never bothered to listen to her recent output. "All About You" seems pleasant enough. Hadn't heard "I Want It All" before either; doesn't capture me the way "Brokenhearted" did, but it's a good tune. Is that "da da da"-ing interpolated from somewhere or does it just have a classic vibe?

Another great installment here!

Glad you like those! I definitely think so. 

I am too, but I've tried to make an effort to seek some out this year. Glad you enjoy the Dierks selection and Dierks in general. He has another entry. "Beggin' For Thread" is really great, and I've slept on everything else she's released until recently. I agree with the Hilary comment - everything I've heard from her so far has been a nostalgic guilty pleasure. "All About You" shouldn't suffer the same fate though. "Brokenhearted" is still really good, and admittedly it was more instant for me than "I Want It All". I think it just has a classic vibe (looked it up on Wikipedia and didn't see anything to the contrary), but I could be mistaken. 

Thanks, Wot! Definitely appreciate the fact that you're following along and listening to the selections you don't know!

To everyone else who has looked/liked - Thanks. I really value the fact that you're even taking the time to check this list out. :)

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top 100 Songs of 2014: 80-71

Here's the next batch! I hope you all had a great holiday. Thanks for following along! :)

80. “Under Control” – Calvin Harris & Alesso ft. Hurts

Peak: 3
Album: Motion
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I'm too afraid of my heart to let you go"

“Under Control” was a hit in early 2014. Its run was actually split between both years, but it was lucky enough to peak this year. I don’t have that much to say about it, except that Calvin and Alesso work well together and that I love Hurts’s vocals. The production is my favorite part. I sort of forgot about it until I compiled this list. Oops. It’s still great.

79. “Chandelier” – Sia

Peak: 16
Album: 1000 Forms Of Fear
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I'm gonna live like tomorrow doesn't exist"

I admittedly don’t know enough of Sia’s discography (I need to listen), but I was in love with “Chandelier” from the very first listen. It’s beautiful. Sia’s vocals are amazing. This is one of my favorite actual hits of the year, and I’m so glad that she was able to breakout on her own. Oh, and “won two tree drink” (I know those aren’t the actual lyrics) was a permanent fixture in my head all fall. This should’ve made the top ten. Too bad it stalled at number 16. I should listen to her album.

78. “Dangerous” – Big Data ft. Joywave

Peak: 6
Album: 1.0
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I bet you didn't know someone could love you this much"

I first heard this in a Spotify ad and I immediately had to look it up. It’s that good. It’s quirky, fun, and catchy. It’s one of my favorite alternative hits of the year. It peaked at number 6 and it has had great longevity. I’m still not sick of it. Definitely need to hear more from both Big Data and Joywave.

77. “Giant In My Heart” – Kiesza

Peak: 4
Album: Sound Of A Woman
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "This love is greater than my heartbreak"

Kiesza’s follow-up to “Hideaway” was far more instant with me. It didn’t manage to duplicate the same level of success, though, as it only peaked at number 4. Then again it did have a lot more competition. It fell extremely quickly, though. I love the chorus. It was stuck in my head for the greater portion of its chart run. “No Enemiesz” hasn’t done anything yet, but I think it will soon. Kiesza is one of my favorite new acts of 2014. This is definitely another album I'll have to check out.

76. “Let Go For Tonight” – Foxes

Peak: 3
Album: Glorious
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Let love in your life and be shown"

I regrettably charted “Youth” far too low early this year. Foxes had previously had a hit as a featured artist on “Clarity” but I’m glad she was finally able to score a hit on her own. “Let Go For Tonight” has a really loud chorus that I was simply in love with. It took a while for me to appreciate it, but once I did it vaulted to number 3. It’s just fun and perfect for spring.

75. “Blank Space” – Taylor Swift

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: 1989
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Oh my God, who is she? I get drunk on jealousy"

I may not care for “Shake It Off” anymore, but “Blank Space” is a different story. It managed to become her second number one this year. Why? It’s an earworm. I constantly found myself singing it. The video definitely helped give it the push to number one. Overplay is starting to kill this one, but not quite yet.

74. “Benediction” – Hot Natured

Peak: 2
Album: Different Sides Of the Sun
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Feel like my love has found a home"

I discovered this from Slizzard’s chart and it instantly became a favorite. I listened to it once and was hooked. I couldn’t stop playing it. The production is fantastic. It debuted in the same week as “Shake It Off” and “Comeback”, and I originally had them all planned to debut in the top three. “Benediction” failed to do so, but it raced to number two behind “Comeback”. The high play counts in its first few weeks caused it to tumble quickly. Oh, and that image is totally random.

73. “Talk Dirty” – Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz

Peak: 5
Album: Talk Dirty
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Been around the world, don't speak the language"

What a fun song. It’s the definition of earworm. It didn’t capture me on first listen last fall, but once I listened again in early January it raced up the chart all the way to number 5. It held up well throughout the year, despite the constant overplay. It probably should’ve peaked higher, especially considering how much I loved it. This is probably my favorite thing that he's ever done.

72. “7/11” – Beyoncé

Peak: 1 (2)
Album: Beyoncé: Platinum Edition
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I'm fresher than you"

My most current number one! This week’s chart hasn’t been created yet, but “7/11” will likely be dethroned. However, I debated whether or not to count this as 2014 or 2015, and obviously this was the year I went with. I didn’t know what to think of it on first listen, but I eventually gave in and loved it. It’s pure fun. The video is one of my favorites released this year. I love the simplicity of it. I do wish that the re-release had had more songs on it, but this was enough to make me appreciate it. She now has four more entries.

71. “Girl In A Country Song” – Maddie & Tae

Peak: 19
Album: Maddie & Tae
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Well, shakin' my moneymaker ain't ever made me a dime"

One of my favorite country songs released this year. It’s just a breath of fresh air. Country has increasingly been dominated by bro-country songs that are all basically the same and that all objectify women. I’m so glad that this basically called them out on it. My favorite part of this song is how they cleverly work lyrics from the bro-country songs into this one. It really drills the message in. The video is hilarious too. This should’ve peaked higher.


Thanks! Artists will resume as of the next batch. :)

[ry4n]

Dec 27, 2014 20:23:25 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Lol you flatter me (I'm not that great), but thanks.

You are though :(

Dec 27, 2014 20:23:25 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

:kii: I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoy the Kiesza selection. Thanks, ry4n!

No problem. :)

Dec 27, 2014 20:23:25 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Also, aren't you charting "Beggin' For Thread" now because of this list? If so, glad you enjoy it!

Yassss your impact :'(

[.indulgecountry]

Love seeing Girl in a Country Song, Blank Space, Talk Dirty, Chandelier, I Hold On, I Want It All, All About You, Bang Bang, and anything by Beyonce in your last 20 songs. <333

[surfy]

Chandelier, Blank Space, Talk Dirty, 7/11, and Girl In a Country Song!!!

Love your chart so far!!! Can't wait for the rest!!!

[Juan Carlos]

Great to see "Under Control", "Dangerous", "Let Go for Tonight" (Yay! Foxes ), "Blank Space" and "7/11" in this batch. "Chandelier", "Giant In My Heart" and "Talk Dirty" are also good too, while I haven't listened to the remaining ones yet.

[Zeebz]

Thanks for all of the continued feedback! I appreciate all of it. :)

Dec 27, 2014 22:33:02 GMT -5 ry4n said:

Dec 27, 2014 20:23:25 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Lol you flatter me (I'm not that great), but thanks.

You are though :(

Dec 27, 2014 20:23:25 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

:kii: I really appreciate it. Glad you enjoy the Kiesza selection. Thanks, ry4n!

No problem. :)

Dec 27, 2014 20:23:25 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Also, aren't you charting "Beggin' For Thread" now because of this list? If so, glad you enjoy it!

Yassss your impact :'(

Ha. Thanks though. :) Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for commenting, Ryan! :)

Dec 27, 2014 22:59:51 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Love seeing Girl in a Country Song, Blank Space, Talk Dirty, Chandelier, I Hold On, I Want It All, All About You, Bang Bang, and anything by Beyonce in your last 20 songs. <333

So good to see that you like those! Hopefully you'll continue to find more things that you like. <333 Thanks for commenting, Indulge!

Dec 28, 2014 0:20:44 GMT -5 surfy said:

Chandelier, Blank Space, Talk Dirty, 7/11, and Girl In a Country Song!!!

Love your chart so far!!! Can't wait for the rest!!!

Glad you like those! And thanks Surf! :)

Dec 28, 2014 11:48:21 GMT -5 Juan Carlos said:

Great to see "Under Control", "Dangerous", "Let Go for Tonight" (Yay! Foxes ), "Blank Space" and "7/11" in this batch. "Chandelier", "Giant In My Heart" and "Talk Dirty" are also good too, while I haven't listened to the remaining ones yet.

Great to see that you enjoy all of those! If you find anything new that you like, do let me know. And I <3 Foxes. Thanks for commenting, Juan Carlos!

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top Songs Of 2014: 70-61

Next batch! Hopefully the next one will be up tomorrow.

70. “Instant Crush” – Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas 

Peak: 12
Album: Random Access Memories
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "And we will never be alone again, 'cause it doesn't happen every day"

After “Get Lucky” managed to become a hit on my personal chart last year, I never did look into their follow-ups. Well, until this year at least. Big mistake. I actually like “Instant Crush” considerably more than “Lucky”. Casablancas’s vocals mesh really well with Daft Punk’s disco-tinged production here. It creates a really mellow vibe. It quickly raced to number 12 early in the year, although it should’ve been much bigger. Random Access Memories is a great album as a whole, by the way.

69. “Amnesia” – 5 Seconds of Summer 

Peak: 5
Album: 5 Seconds of Summer
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "If what we had was real, how could you be fine?"

To be honest, I’m really surprised that I enjoyed something from them this much. I loathed “She Looks So Perfect” after a week or so and “Don’t Stop” was only okay. “Amnesia” is a different story. It may have taken a while to grow on me, but I really appreciate it now. Their vocals are great here, and the whole vibe of the song seemed perfect for fall. Lyrically it speaks of a failed relationship that was so great that the narrator would rather forget that it happened than to deal with the pain. The way they sing this really sells it. It peaked at number 5 around October. Also, lmao at the contrast between this and "Often". 

68. “Secrets” – Mary Lambert ft. B.o.B. 

Peak: 4
Album: Heart On My Sleeve
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I don't care if the world knows what my secrets are"

It’s fitting that this finishes around “Amnesia”. I loved them both around the same time and they both basically rode up the chart together. Anyways, Mary Lambert is so underrated. Her feature on “Sam Love” was great (as was “She Keeps Me Warm”), but “Secrets” really helped me to appreciate her. This is a total 180 from both of those. It's quirky, upbeat, and just a fun song about loving yourself. I’m a sucker for these types of songs. I love her honesty here. It peaked at number 4. 

67. “No Mediocre” – T.I. ft. Iggy Azalea 

Peak: 5
Album: Paperwork
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I don't want no mediocre"

Before this, the last time that I had loved a T.I. song was “Dead and Gone”. This was perfect for late summer/early fall. It was just fun. I couldn’t escape it, either. My RAs continuously played this. I enjoy this more than most of Iggy's solo material, so I suppose that helped it. Peaked at number 5 and it had decent longevity.

66. “I Wanna Get Better” – Bleachers 

Peak: 8
Album: Strange Desire
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I didn't know I was lonely 'til I saw your face"

It took me a while to get into them, but I absolutely love Bleachers. Strange Desire is one of my favorite albums of the entire year. Speaking of which, I’ll probably start an album countdown soon. Anyways, “I Wanna Get Better” just now peaked at number 8. I love the chorus. It just feels so anthemic. Great song, great album, great band. “Rollercoaster” is still to come.

65. “You Are My Pride” – Nora En Pure 

Peak: 4
Album: n/a
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "You've got kisses sweeter than honey"

I discovered this one via Slizzard’s chart and I fell in love with it instantly. The soulful vocals (Marvin Gaye. Need I say more?) were what really hooked me. “You Are My Pride” quickly raced to number 4 but it didn’t have the best longevity. It still takes me back to late spring. It’s just a really pleasant listen.

64. “Let It Go” – Idina Menzel 

Peak: 6
Album: Frozen (Soundtrack)
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen"

I actually charted “Let It Go” before I had ever seen Frozen. I saw it racing up various charts and I just had to give it a listen. I was hooked. It’s a great reminder of how well Disney delivers, even if they have much better. It managed to peak at number 6 in the spring. It had decent longevity as well, mainly due to me watching Frozen in early May. It’s so good. This works perfectly in the context of the movie and that definitely amplified my love for it. I just love Menzel’s Broadway-esque vocals. So loud, so fun to sing along to. I definitely memorized every word and it sang it for my friends. Am I proud? Not especially. Lmao. I’ll definitely remember this one for quite a while. The only reason why it ranks this low is because it burned on me over the summer. It’s still great, but I just don’t love it as much as I did.

63. “High” – Peking Duk ft. Nicole Millar 

Peak: 2
Album: n/a
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Alive now, I'm fine cause I let you go"

Another discovery from Slizzard’s chart, it was a big hit in the fall. It was a sleeper hit of sorts, though, as it took an above average amount of time to reach its peak. The chorus was stuck in my head for days. I love the bouncy production and Millar’s vocals. I don’t have much to say about it, but it’s great.

62. “Cops and Robbers” – Bean

Peak: 12
Album: Rollercoaster - EP
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Bang bang bang, how's it feel now? Should've never let me go"

The epitome of fun in song form. Seriously, it’s an earworm. It managed to peak just outside of the top ten in late spring. I regret not sending this to the top ten, possibly more so than anything else. It’s so good. It has endless replay value for me. If I need something to listen to while I’m doing homework, I usually place this in the queue. Love her vocals and the production on this. I believe (?) that this was sent for adds, even though it's kind of old. Could be mistaken. This should’ve become a big hit.

61. "Say You Love Me" - Jessie Ware

Peak: 35
Album: Tough Love
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "'Cause I don't want to fall in love if you don't want to try"

I debated on whether or not to include this. It's just now starting to pick up steam on my weekly charts, but I decided to include it because I've known it for a while. Besides, it's just so good. I'm currently obsessed with Jessie in general at the moment. She's amazing. Tough Love is a fantastic album that I recommend. This is the second single from the album and it's easily my favorite. Her vocals are gorgeous. They're so full of passion and soul, something that many artists lack nowadays. She's a breath of fresh air. The lyrics are beautiful. The production on this is simple yet vibrant, allowing her vocals to truly shine. This has been on repeat ever since I revisited it just about two weeks ago. Expect this to be an even bigger hit in 2015, and its placement to be so much higher. Definitely check her out.

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Zebra's Top Artists Of 2014: 12-10

12. Charli XCX

She had previously hit big as a featuring act on Icona Pop's "I Love It", but this year she truly made a breakthrough (both on my chart and in general). "Fancy" became the longest running number one of the year (and my birthday number one) due to her chorus. "Boom Clap" became her second number one hit soon after. She had another hit with "Break the Rules", which peaked at number 8. "Rules" and "Fancy" have both burned on me, which is probably why she ranks this low. I haven't listened to Sucker, though. 

11. Paloma Faith

I've known Paloma since "Picking Up the Pieces" (so, so great) but I haven't really appreciated her or explored her discography until this year. She's quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I didn't immediately love "Can't Rely On You", but as soon as I heard "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" I became a fan. It's one of my favorite songs of the year, and it helped me to rediscover "Can't Rely On You". "Trouble With My Baby" is good too. I definitely recommend A Perfect Contradiction.

10. Sam Smith

I initially didn't like Sam Smith. Well, let me clarify. I loved his features on "La La La" and "Latch" but "Money On My Mind" annoyed me to no end. I still don't enjoy it. "Stay With Me" also initially annoyed me, but I'm not sure why. I think it was the choir that joined Sam for the last chorus. Anyways, "I'm Not the Only One" became the first solo Sam single that I loved. It became a two week number one in late fall. He, like Ware, just puts so much passion and soul into his work. His voice is incredible. "Stay With Me" has since grown on me and has become one of my absolute favorites. It just perfectly expresses his desperation. In the Lonely Hour is so so good. 


Albums coming soon!

Thanks for checking this out! I really appreciate it. :)

[ry4n]

You didn't discover "High" from my chart? :'( </3

[surfy]

Amnesia, No Mediocre, Let It Go, and Say You Love Me (such a grower, but it's beautiful!!!) <3

Also great to see Charli (I can't wait to see what the next single is for this project!) and Sam (Literally same about the commentary for him!)

[hitseeker.]

As your taste is flawless, there are lots of songs I adore, so please bear with me as I list them all!

Dark Horse
Love Me Again
Don't
Into The Blue
Magic
Wrapped Up
Red
Happy Little Pill
Animals
Gypsy
Pretty Hurts
Cool Kids
Move
Am I Wrong
First Love
Dare (La La La)
You & I (Nobody In The World)
Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)
Ordinary Love
A Sky Full Of Stars
Not On Drugs
***Flawless
Faded
Hideaway
Bang Bang
Haunted
All About You
Blame
Under Control <333
Chandelier
Let Go For Tonight
Blank Space!!
Talk Dirty
7/11
Amnesia
No Mediocre
Let It Go

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Charli, Sam, and Calvin in your artists' list!

--

You are amazing and so is this list! BookmarkT already so I don't miss any more updates, keep up the great work, friend! Oh and I have to check out a lot of songs of course lmfao.

[crystalphnx]

I've got a bit of catching up to do! I love that you do include a "standout lyric" in each description.

- "Hideaway" = like it, don't LOVE it. definitely catchy
- "Bang Bang" = as with the above - like it, don't LOVE it. granted, for whatever reason, all-female collabos between artists I usually love on their own tend to be a tad underwhelming ("Me Against The Music", "S&M (Remix)", this.) that said, it still would've been nice to see this hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and give all 3 ladies their first chart-topper
- "Haunted" = very cool track, and possibly the coolest video from that album
- "All About You" - I liked CTS a bit more, but both of Hilary's recent "comeback" tunes have been quite nice. shame that neither became a big hit
- "Blank Space" = LOOOOOOOOOVE it. you can expect to hear more about how I feel when it pops up on my countdown
- "Talk Dirty" = love it. it was great seeing Jason get a proper smash again. and that BAWWWWDDYYYY. but the best line is obviously: "our conversation ain't long, but you know what is..." ;)

[Juan Carlos]

Good to see "Instant Crush", "No Mediocre", "I Wanna Get Better" and "High" so far, as well as Charli XCX, Paloma Faith and Sam Smith.

[sbp17]

I had never heard of High so I just listened to it. Great song. (And after watching the video, I'm guessing whoever produced it was 'high'. lol)

[sbp17]

Oh wait....I just listened to Say You Love Me. Wow. Awesome song and vocalist. I'll definitely check out more of her stuff.

[H.]

Great to see Dangerous, Stolen Dance, I Wanna Get Better, Instant Crush, Blame, Talk Dirty, Blank Space, and Giant in my hear charting.
Also great to see Charli and Sam on your artists list.
Fantastic list.  :)

[WotUNeed]

More good stuff here!

Particularly glad to see "Chandelier", "Dangerous" (such an amazing song), "Blank Space", "Benediction" (agreed on the production), "Instant Crush" (very rare I dislike something with Casablancas involvement), "Amnesia", "I Wanna Get Better", and "Let It Go"!

"Under Control" is a good song but I couldn't help but feel the talent involved should have been able to come up with something even better than that. "Girl in a Country Song" is another one I hadn't listened to before going through Pulse's year-end countdowns; clever song. Checked out the Mary Lambert song; not what I was expecting. Quirky. Kinda fun. Had been meaning to check out "No Mediocre" and never got around to it; nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough. LOL, you weren't kidding about soulful vocals on "You Are My Pride"... Marvin fucking Gaye. Interesting use of his song but I like it. "Rollercoaster" I like a lot! Hadn't heard of it or her. (I'm assuming solo artist as opposed to group?)

Thanks for continuing this!

[Web]

Glad to see Dangerous, Stolen Dance, Talk Dirty, Instant Crush, I Wanna Get Better, and Blame included on the list!

Looking forward to the rest of your countdown, looks great so far :)

[Zeebz]

Okay so this whole process is going to be a mess. I want to make sure my new post gets top of the page, so comments on your comments will all be split. :)

Dec 31, 2014 0:35:26 GMT -5 ry4n said:

You didn't discover "High" from my chart? :'( </3

No, unfortunately. :( I originally found it through Slizzard's chart. Your chart and our discussions on it definitely helped it to become a hit, so you definitely deserve some credit. Glad you're following, though. :)

Dec 31, 2014 0:56:20 GMT -5 surfy said:

Amnesia, No Mediocre, Let It Go, and Say You Love Me (such a grower, but it's beautiful!!!) <3

Also great to see Charli (I can't wait to see what the next single is for this project!) and Sam (Literally same about the commentary for him!)

So good to see that you like those. And 100% agreed on "Say You Love Me". It's so good. Glad you like the artists too! Thanks, Surf! :)

Dec 31, 2014 10:25:55 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

As your taste is flawless, there are lots of songs I adore, so please bear with me as I list them all!

Dark Horse

+ lots of good stuff

Charli, Sam, and Calvin in your artists' list!
You are amazing and so is this list! BookmarkT already so I don't miss any more updates, keep up the great work, friend! Oh and I have to check out a lot of songs of course lmfao.

Definitely feel free to list as many as you want! Haha. I really appreciate the feedback. :)

Hitseeker! You're amazing as well and so sweet. Glad you enjoy it that much! <3 Do let me know if you discovery anything else that you love! Thanks for the commentary, friend!

[Zeebz]

Dec 31, 2014 10:44:48 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

I've got a bit of catching up to do! I love that you do include a "standout lyric" in each description.

- "Hideaway" = like it, don't LOVE it. definitely catchy
- "Bang Bang" = as with the above - like it, don't LOVE it. granted, for whatever reason, all-female collabos between artists I usually love on their own tend to be a tad underwhelming ("Me Against The Music", "S&M (Remix)", this.) that said, it still would've been nice to see this hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 and give all 3 ladies their first chart-topper
- "Haunted" = very cool track, and possibly the coolest video from that album
- "All About You" - I liked CTS a bit more, but both of Hilary's recent "comeback" tunes have been quite nice. shame that neither became a big hit
- "Blank Space" = LOOOOOOOOOVE it. you can expect to hear more about how I feel when it pops up on my countdown
- "Talk Dirty" = love it. it was great seeing Jason get a proper smash again. and that BAWWWWDDYYYY. but the best line is obviously: "our conversation ain't long, but you know what is..." ;)

Glad you're providing your commentary here as well! Thanks! I thought it'd be a nice way to highlight some of my favorite lyrics and a nice way to introduce everyone to the songs I loved without annoying YouTube videos everywhere.

Re: "Hideaway" - Same. I enjoy it more now than I did then, though.
Re: "Bang Bang" - Same. [2] Agreed on the female collabos. Let's not neglect "Beautiful Liar" here. This proved to be slightly better, though, so I use it. I'd have liked to have seen it become a no. 1 too, mainly just because of the utter annoyance of having the same two songs in those positions for months.
Re: "Haunted" - Definitely agree. The video was really interesting. Memorable to say the least.
Re: "All About You" - I love this one far more than "Chasing the Sun", but that one was nice. It just struck me as a little bland. I do wish she'd scored a hit with it. 
Re: "Blank Space" - Me too. The video is great. Looking forward to it. :)
Re: "Talk Dirty" - Agreed, especially after his last era was underwhelming (quality and chart success wise - I still really like "Breathing" though). And you're right, that line was a close second haha.

Thanks for the feedback! :)

Dec 31, 2014 19:17:23 GMT -5 Juan Carlos said:

Good to see "Instant Crush", "No Mediocre", "I Wanna Get Better" and "High" so far, as well as Charli XCX, Paloma Faith and Sam Smith.

Glad you like all of those, Juan Carlos! Thanks for all of the feedback. <3

Dec 31, 2014 20:12:14 GMT -5 sbp17 said:

I had never heard of High so I just listened to it. Great song. (And after watching the video, I'm guessing whoever produced it was 'high'. lol)

So good to hear that you were able to find something new! And probably, lmao.

Dec 31, 2014 20:18:39 GMT -5 sbp17 said:

Oh wait....I just listened to Say You Love Me. Wow. Awesome song and vocalist. I'll definitely check out more of her stuff.

[2]. Love it and her. She's definitely a new favorite of mine. I recommend both Devotion (her debut) and Tough Love (current album). Both are incredible. Thanks for the commentary, sbp17! :)

[Zeebz]

Dec 31, 2014 20:49:12 GMT -5 H. said:

Great to see Dangerous, Stolen Dance, I Wanna Get Better, Instant Crush, Blame, Talk Dirty, Blank Space, and Giant in my heart charting.
Also great to see Charli and Sam on your artists list.
Fantastic list.  :)

So glad that you enjoy all of those! They're all fantastic, imo. ;) Thanks, Shoosh! I really appreciate it. :)

Jan 1, 2015 21:37:39 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

More good stuff here!

Particularly glad to see "Chandelier", "Dangerous" (such an amazing song), "Blank Space", "Benediction" (agreed on the production), "Instant Crush" (very rare I dislike something with Casablancas involvement), "Amnesia", "I Wanna Get Better", and "Let It Go"!

"Under Control" is a good song but I couldn't help but feel the talent involved should have been able to come up with something even better than that. "Girl in a Country Song" is another one I hadn't listened to before going through Pulse's year-end countdowns; clever song. Checked out the Mary Lambert song; not what I was expecting. Quirky. Kinda fun. Had been meaning to check out "No Mediocre" and never got around to it; nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable enough. LOL, you weren't kidding about soulful vocals on "You Are My Pride"... Marvin f**king Gaye. Interesting use of his song but I like it. "Rollercoaster" I like a lot! Hadn't heard of it or her. (I'm assuming solo artist as opposed to group?)

Thanks for continuing this!

Yay! Glad you think so. <3

Glad you enjoy all of those. Agreed on "Dangerous", it's spectacular. Definitely need to listen to more from Casablancas. 

Thanks for taking the time to listen, as always! "Under Control" did feel a little underwhelming, as you said. "Girl In A Country Song" is brilliant, so glad you agree. Lambert's song was totally different from everything else that I had heard from her up to that point, but definitely in a good way. Definitely quirky. Lol. "No Mediocre" was mainly good for mindless listening, but agreed on the fact that it's nothing special really. I know we've discussed "Pride", but so glad you like it. Also, thanks again for confirming that it was indeed Gaye. Thought it was. I really enjoy "Rollercoaster" too. And I believe Bean is a solo artist, and I hadn't heard of her until this year either. I like what I've heard so far, though. 

No problem! Thanks for continuing your commentary!

Jan 1, 2015 22:41:31 GMT -5 Web said:

Glad to see Dangerous, Stolen Dance, Talk Dirty, Instant Crush, I Wanna Get Better, and Blame included on the list!

Looking forward to the rest of your countdown, looks great so far :)

Webinator! So good to see that you stopped by and enjoyed all of those. Major thanks for those comments. I really appreciate them.

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Last but not least, thanks to everyone who liked or took the time to view this. Definitely means a lot. :)