Zebra's Year End Charts - 2014

[Albie]

"Stay With Me", "Come With Me Now" and "Ain't It Fun" in the top 40 yay!!!

[Zeebz]

I'm really thankful for the continued feedback, guys. <3

Jan 3, 2015 18:39:24 GMT -5 Albie said:

Ok, literally yes to all of this. Beating this countdown to the floor Zebra.!   

So glad to see that you're loving all of these. Thanks, Albie! <3

Jan 3, 2015 18:59:17 GMT -5 H. said:

Midnight
I Got U
Gooey

So glad that you love all of those. They're perfect imo. Thanks for following, Shoosh!

Jan 3, 2015 20:13:29 GMT -5 Rocky said:

PEOPLE HELP THE PEOPLE > life

Seriously, one of my favorite piano ballads ever.

SAME. I love it sooooo much. Thanks for following, Rocky! <3

Jan 4, 2015 4:15:32 GMT -5 surfy said:

Heaven, Stay With Me, Come With Me Now, and Ain't It Fun!!! <3

Glad to see you enjoy those, Surf! Thanks for commenting! :)

Jan 4, 2015 4:39:12 GMT -5 Flip said:

Good to see Birdy,Jess Glynne and Paramore :)

Great batch there, Flip! So glad you're enjoying. Thanks. :)

Jan 4, 2015 9:32:13 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

39. “Heaven” – Beyoncé

I think this is my least favorite from the album. but it's still a beautiful song.

Yes at the love for "Heaven", even if it is your least favorite from the album. It was initially my least favorite too, but it' definitely grown on me over repeated listens. I just love the whole albu, haha. Thanks for following along, Mario! :)

Jan 4, 2015 11:48:58 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

hmmm...definitely a few that I haven't heard in these latest bunches but still at least a few that I definitely know and enjoy!

44.) "I Got U" = glad to see this one popping up on so many countdowns, even though it was (sadly) never a US/Hot 100 hit. as you've said, those steel drums definitely give off a massive summery/island vibe, and the use of the sample is pretty brilliant
39.) "Heaven" = as others have said, this one is definitely beautiful, but too sad for me to listen to too often
38.) "Stay With Me" = nice to see you prefer IMTOO to this too. I actually enjoy a few of his other songs more than this ("Restart", "Like I Can"), but I'm still glad that he managed to score such a massive hit with this. although I enjoy his material on its own merits, it's also really encouraging and exciting to see an openly gay male act smashing so hard (especially in the US) with both his songs + album sales
36.) "Ain't It Fun" = I'd prolly pick "Still Into You" over this, but this was definitely a hit on my chart too. gotta love the sarcasm, and its plenty catchy too

Hmm. Glad you're enjoying some of these!

Re: "I Got U" - I so wished this would've smashed. And I definitely love the sample, so I'm glad that you mentioned it. 
Re: "Heaven" - Glad you agree on the fact that it's beautiful, and it's definitely a sad listen. 
Re: "Stay With Me" - Me too, regarding "Restart" and "Like I Can". I didn't include those because I haven't charted them, but they're great. And that last statement is so true. 
Re: "Ain't It Fun" - I suppose it depends on the day. "Still Into You" is one of my favorites from 2013.

Thanks for the continued feedback, Paul! :)

Jan 4, 2015 13:47:06 GMT -5 hitseeker. said:

Right Here yasss, love that song!

Heaven and Stay With Me, also! I also thought he/the song were a bit overrated at first but then couldn't resist either. Oh, and I could never get into Ain't It Fun sadly

Love love love "Right Here". Oh, and glad to see that you enjoy those too and that we share similar views on "Stay With Me". And that's a shame. Thanks for commenting, Hitseeker!

Jan 5, 2015 0:31:12 GMT -5 Albie said:

"Stay With Me", "Come With Me Now" and "Ain't It Fun" in the top 40 yay!!!

Hi again! So good to see that you approve of those placements. They're all outstanding. Thanks for stopping by yet again, Albie! :)

Jan 5, 2015 2:49:48 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

Love "Ain't It Fun"! That song is aptly titled because that track is nothing but pure fun. It's very catchy and quirky and I really enjoyed that one a lot, though I preferred "Still Into You" (the chorus to that one was just too good and it kinda gave me an Avril Lavigne vibe, and she's one of my fave pop artists).

I didn't know "Heaven," but I'm checking it out now and it's a beautiful song. Definitely a bit of a slower, subdued tune, but the vocal is spot-on and it's a pretty track. I've been needing to get the Beyonce album because I still haven't gotten it yet. I'm kinda glad I waited though because she re-released it with new tracks so I'll have to look into that and see where/when I can get it.

ETA: oop I'm late. I posted right when you got a new set posted, lol. Anyway..... from the new set, I love "All of Me." Such a mesmerizing vocal and the lyrics and production are beautiful as well. Definitely one of my favorite pop smashes from 2014.

Definitely agree on "Ain't It Fun". Always manages to make me smile. Now that you mention "Still Into You" I'm really seeing the Avril vibe. Interesting. They're both fantastic, though.

"Heaven". <3 So good that you're checking it out now. So beautiful. And yes, you should definitely listen to Beyoncé. It's my favorite from her. Oh, and I recommend the version with the videos. They're fantastic.

You're not really late, haha. If anything you have great timing! Just caught my latest batch, I see. I agree with everything that you've said about "All Of Me". Such a worthy hit.

Thanks for stopping by, Indulge! <3

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top 100 Songs Of 2014: 35-31

35. “Don’t Run” – Mr. Little Jeans

Peak: 42
Album: Pocketknife
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Sever it soft and slowly"

I fell in love with Mr. Little Jeans last year after hearing “Oh Sailor”. This year, however, I wasn’t too impressed with either “Good Mistake” or this on first listen. “Good Mistake” grew on me rather quickly though whereas this became a sleeper hit. It peaked dreadfully low, but I love it more and more upon each listen. I love the claps, the pulsing beat, the drums, her vocals, and just this in general. It’s quirky bliss. I might even enjoy this more than “Oh Sailor”. I still need to listen to Pocketknife in full.

34. “Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix)” – Lilly Wood & the Prick

Peak: 5
Album: Invincible Friends (original), Prayer (Robin Schulz Mix)
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Ya, you never said a word, you didn't send me no letter, don't think I could forgive you"

Robin Schulz has had a really big year, both on my chart and off. “Waves” and “Sun Goes Down” (both narrowly missed my list) are both great, but this is easily my favorite thing that I’ve heard from him so far. I credit that to both his production and the original song, which I also enjoy. The remix just gives the original an extra spark. It became a big hit in early fall, peaking at number 5. I’m still not sick of it, and I’m so glad that this was such a colossal hit worldwide.

33. “All Of Me” – John Legend

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Love In the Future
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you"

First off, I’m so glad that John has had a breakthrough this year. He truly deserves it. I fell in love with “All Of Me” as soon as I heard it. I couldn’t stop replaying it, either. I love the tenderness of it. Overplay and an association with my ex caused me to ignore this as soon as it dropped off my chart, but I re-listened to it again before compiling this list and I decided I couldn’t leave it off. Love his vocals and the piano. I'm not too big on the Tiesto remix, though. His other singles from Love In The Future are also great. 

32. “My Love” – Route 94 ft. Jess Glynne

Peak: 2
Album: n/a
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Love, stay close to me"

Easily my favorite thing that involves Glynne, and considering how much I enjoy “Rather Be” and “Right Here” that is no easy feat. It was another instant love. House has quickly become one of my favorite genres and this definitely doesn't disappoint. I'm eager to see what comes next from both artists. It peaked at number 2 in late spring, but it had really great longevity. It still sounds as fresh as when I first heard it. Interesting video.

31. “Rollercoaster” – Bleachers

Peak: 4
Album: Strange Desire
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "You were such a rollercoaster, and a killer queen you are"

And here we have Bleachers again. Between Bleachers and fun, I'm really loving Jack Antonoff's work. “Rollercoaster” was actually my introduction to Bleachers, and boy was I hooked. I love how upbeat it is. I definitely sing along every time this comes on. It always puts me in a really good mood. Most of the rest of Strange Desire does, too. It’s currently decending down the chart after peaking at number 4. I suspect that it’ll have great longevity.

---

So close to the end! I plan to post my top thirty in increments of ten a day, but they'll be split into groups of five for 30-21, and either posted individually or in groups of five until the top ten, in which each song will get its own post. I'll likely post 3 artists each of those days as well to finish that up. Finally, I'll post an album list without much commentary during one of those days. 

Thanks for following, as always. :)

[.indulgecountry]

Love "Ain't It Fun"! That song is aptly titled because that track is nothing but pure fun. It's very catchy and quirky and I really enjoyed that one a lot, though I preferred "Still Into You" (the chorus to that one was just too good and it kinda gave me an Avril Lavigne vibe, and she's one of my fave pop artists).

I didn't know "Heaven," but I'm checking it out now and it's a beautiful song. Definitely a bit of a slower, subdued tune, but the vocal is spot-on and it's a pretty track. I've been needing to get the Beyonce album because I still haven't gotten it yet. I'm kinda glad I waited though because she re-released it with new tracks so I'll have to look into that and see where/when I can get it.

ETA: oop I'm late. I posted right when you got a new set posted, lol. Anyway..... from the new set, I love "All of Me." Such a mesmerizing vocal and the lyrics and production are beautiful as well. Definitely one of my favorite pop smashes from 2014.

[horchata]

I'll try to keep it minimal and comment more so with the next set on, but....

Re: (Bubbling Under) "Not On Drugs", "Digital Witness", "Can't Rely On You", "A Sky Full Of Stars", "If I Could Change Your Mind", "Extraordinary", "Waiting All Night", "Things We Lost In the Fire","We Remain", "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)", "Somethin' Bad","Here For You", "Dare (La La La)", "Waiting Game", "First Love", "Fall In Love", "Am I Wrong, "Move","Cool Kids","Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?", "Feelin' Myself", "Gypsy", "Do It Again", "Bridges", "Latch", "Raging Fire",,"Happy Little Pill", "Lies", "Pumpin' Blood", "If I Go", "Bo$$", "Look Right Through (MK Remix)", "Beating Heart" , "Wrapped Up", "My Kind Of Love", "Magic" , "Into the Blue", "Don't", "Love Me Again"

Top 100 (so far): "Rollercoaster","My Love", "Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix)", "Ain't It Fun", "Heaven", "Falling", "Midnight", "Right Here", "Gooey", "I Got U", "Rather Be", "Jubel", "Of The Night", "Uptown Funk", "Drunk In Love", "Ultraviolence", "Addicted To You","Summer", "Ready For Your Love", "Say You Love Me", "High", "I Wanna Get Better", "Instant Crush", "Girl In A Country Song", "7/11", "Benediction", "Blank Space", "Giant In My Heart", "Chandelier", "Blame","5 AM", "I Want It All", "All About You", "Beggin' For Thread", "Haunted" (!!!), "Heavy Metal and Reflective", "Stolen Dance", "Bang Bang", "Hideaway", "Snap Out Of It", "Faded", "Kisses For Breakfast", "***Flawless", "You Haunt Me", "Day Drinking"

.... are among my favorite songs so far. Great diversity as expected and even this list is leading me to needing to check out some unfamiliar stuff too. Oh and reminding me that I need to check out Gooey Animal's album in full so thanks for that. 

Lykke Li - Been a fan of hers since "I Follow Rivers" (literally my number one song of 2010) came into existence and haven't looked back since really. All of her albums are pretty great. Can't say "No Rest For The Wicked" has surpassed IFR or quite a few of her other songs on a personal level, but still is a great song without question.

Sir Sly - "You Haunt Me" is pretty good. Not overly familiar with their work but should change that if YHM is anything to judge by.

Calvin Harris - Sigh. I really had high hopes for Motion, but as a whole it was just a no go sadly. Half of it is pretty great, but the rest? Kind of missed the mark. I still appreciate him for his first two albums so much and most of 18 Months though.

Charli XCX - Ngl never have to hear "Boom Clap" ever again. It's not bad or anything, but simply too oversaturated for me at this stage. Still need to listen to Sucker in full as well since I have a copy of it, but from the few tracks I have heard "Doing It" is awesome. For now her best song for me still remains as "Stay Away" generally speaking. I'm still not over that masterpiece quite yet.

Paloma Faith - Yes! One of my favorite artists ever. When Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? was released I was pretty much on board. She's been awfully consistent with putting out some quality albums. Glad to see her on this list.

Sam Smith - Haha so true about "Money On My Mind" I actually think it's one of his worst songs and abhorrently cheesy. Pretty spot on about the comments about his voice as well. He just has this ability to evoke a shit ton of emotion, but I like when that emotion is put mostly to uptempos and midtempos from him which lacked a bit with In the Lonely Hour.

[#LisaRinna]

"All of Me" is a nice song, but I don't really like it. And I wish something else got the attention it got from his album (i.e. "Made to Love")

[crystalphnx]

33.) "All Of Me" = for me, the original got pretty stale pretty fast, so I actually prefer the Tiesto Mix. still, it was definitely nice to see an act like John Legend, who's been around for a while but never had a real crossover smash, do so well for once
32.) "My Love" = this one's pretty nice. the video concept is definitely cool (though it would've been nice to see him shirtless in regular lighting too...)

[Flip]

Prayer in C & My Love

[Web]

okay, a lot of catching up to do...

out of the songs, Turn Down For What (not sure why I like this song as much as I do, but oh well), Summer, Uptown Funk , Of The Night, Rather Be, I Got U, Gooey, Come With Me Now and Rollercoaster are the ones I'm glad to see got such a high ranking.  Also happy to see Sir Sly in the artists category (did I say that already? I'm too lazy to check but if I did consider it a double compliment).

Looking forward to the end of the countdown!

[surfy]

All of Me and My Love!!! <3

I discovered My Love really late, so I didn't bother charting it, but I still revisit that amazing song!!!

[WotUNeed]

Glad to see "I Got U", "Midnight", "Falling", "Come with Me Now", "Prayer in C", "All of Me", and "Rollercoaster" all charting so well!

"People Help the People" is a beautifully written song, but give me the Cherry Ghost version every time.

"Gooey" is quite cool! Hadn't heard this before. Same holds for "Don't Run".

[H.]

Great to see Prayer and Rollercoaster charting.

[Zeebz]

Thanks for the likes/comments/views! Greatly appreciated.

Jan 5, 2015 4:08:57 GMT -5 horchata said:

I'll try to keep it minimal and comment more so with the next set on, but....

Re: (Bubbling Under) "Not On Drugs", "Digital Witness", "Can't Rely On You", "A Sky Full Of Stars", "If I Could Change Your Mind", "Extraordinary", "Waiting All Night", "Things We Lost In the Fire","We Remain", "Netzwerk (Falls Like Rain)", "Somethin' Bad","Here For You", "Dare (La La La)", "Waiting Game", "First Love", "Fall In Love", "Am I Wrong, "Move","Cool Kids","Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?", "Feelin' Myself", "Gypsy", "Do It Again", "Bridges", "Latch", "Raging Fire",,"Happy Little Pill", "Lies", "Pumpin' Blood", "If I Go", "Bo$$", "Look Right Through (MK Remix)", "Beating Heart" , "Wrapped Up", "My Kind Of Love", "Magic" , "Into the Blue", "Don't", "Love Me Again"

Top 100 (so far): "Rollercoaster","My Love", "Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Remix)", "Ain't It Fun", "Heaven", "Falling", "Midnight", "Right Here", "Gooey", "I Got U", "Rather Be", "Jubel", "Of The Night", "Uptown Funk", "Drunk In Love", "Ultraviolence", "Addicted To You","Summer", "Ready For Your Love", "Say You Love Me", "High", "I Wanna Get Better", "Instant Crush", "Girl In A Country Song", "7/11", "Benediction", "Blank Space", "Giant In My Heart", "Chandelier", "Blame","5 AM", "I Want It All", "All About You", "Beggin' For Thread", "Haunted" (!!!), "Heavy Metal and Reflective", "Stolen Dance", "Bang Bang", "Hideaway", "Snap Out Of It", "Faded", "Kisses For Breakfast", "***Flawless", "You Haunt Me", "Day Drinking"

.... are among my favorite songs so far. Great diversity as expected and even this list is leading me to needing to check out some unfamiliar stuff too. Oh and reminding me that I need to check out Gooey Animal's album in full so thanks for that. 

Lykke Li - Been a fan of hers since "I Follow Rivers" (literally my number one song of 2010) came into existence and haven't looked back since really. All of her albums are pretty great. Can't say "No Rest For The Wicked" has surpassed IFR or quite a few of her other songs on a personal level, but still is a great song without question.

Sir Sly - "You Haunt Me" is pretty good. Not overly familiar with their work but should change that if YHM is anything to judge by.

Calvin Harris - Sigh. I really had high hopes for Motion, but as a whole it was just a no go sadly. Half of it is pretty great, but the rest? Kind of missed the mark. I still appreciate him for his first two albums so much and most of 18 Months though.

Charli XCX - Ngl never have to hear "Boom Clap" ever again. It's not bad or anything, but simply too oversaturated for me at this stage. Still need to listen to Sucker in full as well since I have a copy of it, but from the few tracks I have heard "Doing It" is awesome. For now her best song for me still remains as "Stay Away" generally speaking. I'm still not over that masterpiece quite yet.

Paloma Faith - Yes! One of my favorite artists ever. When Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? was released I was pretty much on board. She's been awfully consistent with putting out some quality albums. Glad to see her on this list.

Sam Smith - Haha so true about "Money On My Mind" I actually think it's one of his worst songs and abhorrently cheesy. Pretty spot on about the comments about his voice as well. He just has this ability to evoke a s**t ton of emotion, but I like when that emotion is put mostly to uptempos and midtempos from him which lacked a bit with In the Lonely Hour.

Elle! Thanks for going through and highlighting everything that you enjoy (so many!!!). I really appreciate it, and that fact that you're following along in general. I noticed the (!!!) besides "Haunted", so I'm especially glad that you're enjoying that selection. It was too good to pass up. Glad I could remind you to listen to Zaba, although I need to listen to that one as well. 

Re: Lykke Li - "I Follow Rivers" is fantastic. Loving the fact that it was your number one song of 2010. "I Follow Rivers" made me a fan too, despite the fact that I didn't actually hear it until 2011. And that's fair. She's already delivered so much quality material that it's going to be damn near impossible to top most of it. I go back and forth between "Rivers" and "Wicked" as my favorite. 

Re: Sir Sly - I've heard slightly more than "You Haunt Me", but unfortunately I'm not as familiar as I would like to be with them. I'll definitely have to change that, though, and glad to see that you;ll have to do the same.

Re: Calvin Harris - I enjoyed Motion as a whole, but I can definitely agree that there were some clunkers on it. I felt underwhelmed by a few, but I suppose the ones I really liked were able to make up for it. Good to see that you still maintain an appreciation for him, though, and for good reasons too. I love his first three.

Re: Charli XCX - Understandable. I never tired of "Boom Clap", but to each their own. I hadn't heard "Doing It" or "Stay Away" yet, but I'm so glad that you've brought them to my attention. "Stay Away" especially. I enjoy it more than everything else I've heard from her with the exception of "Boom Clap". I just need to listen to True Romance in general, haha.

Re: Paloma Faith - So, so glad to see the love for her. Her consistency is remarkable. Definitely couldn't neglect her.

Re: Sam Smith - Spot on with "Money On My Mind", haha. It's terrible. I love his ability to evoke a ton of emotion through his voice, though. Honestly from the mid to uptempos that I've heard from him I'm inclined to agree with you. They're great. Definitely wish there had been more on In the Lonely Hour. I found it generally bland upon first listen due to the prevalence of slower tracks. It's grown on me significantly, haha Don't get me wrong, I love his ballads (he has two of them here, lol), but more diversity on his album would have been greatly appreciated.

Thanks again! <3

Jan 5, 2015 6:26:28 GMT -5 #LisaRinna said:

"All of Me" is a nice song, but I don't really like it. And I wish something else got the attention it got from his album (i.e. "Made to Love")

Eh, to each their own. I loved it. I can agree with part of your last statement, though. "Made To Love" should've definitely been a big hit. I was late to discovering it, but I really enjoy it now. Thanks for following, Mario! :)

Jan 5, 2015 12:53:48 GMT -5 crystalphnx said:

33.) "All Of Me" = for me, the original got pretty stale pretty fast, so I actually prefer the Tiesto Mix. still, it was definitely nice to see an act like John Legend, who's been around for a while but never had a real crossover smash, do so well for once
32.) "My Love" = this one's pretty nice. the video concept is definitely cool (though it would've been nice to see him shirtless in regular lighting too...)

Re: "All Of Me" - Understandable. The original didn't tire on me until it was in the midst of its reign on the Hot 100 and then I just didn't care for either version. Couldn't bear to listen to it for a while, but it's grown on me again. Dunno why, but the Tiesto mix never did it for me. ia on your last statement though.
Re: "My Love" - Glad you enjoy it! And lol! 

Thanks for the continued feedback, Paul! :)

Jan 5, 2015 13:57:46 GMT -5 Flip said:

Prayer in C & My Love

So good to see that you're enjoying those, Flip. Also good to see you following along. Thanks! :)

Jan 5, 2015 15:36:29 GMT -5 Web said:

okay, a lot of catching up to do...

out of the songs, Turn Down For What (not sure why I like this song as much as I do, but oh well), Summer, Uptown Funk , Of The Night, Rather Be, I Got U, Gooey, Come With Me Now and Rollercoaster are the ones I'm glad to see got such a high ranking.  Also happy to see Sir Sly in the artists category (did I say that already? I'm too lazy to check but if I did consider it a double compliment).

Looking forward to the end of the countdown!

Webinator! Glad to see you've caught up! All of the songs you highlighted are so good imo. And I don't recall, but the sentiment is appreciated either way. Hope you'll enjoy the end! Thanks for commenting! :)    

Jan 7, 2015 23:29:38 GMT -5 surfy said:

All of Me and My Love!!! <3

I discovered My Love really late, so I didn't bother charting it, but I still revisit that amazing song!!!

Glad you enjoy those, Surf! Better late than never, haha. Glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for commenting. :)

Jan 8, 2015 10:42:20 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Glad to see "I Got U", "Midnight", "Falling", "Come with Me Now", "Prayer in C", "All of Me", and "Rollercoaster" all charting so well!

"People Help the People" is a beautifully written song, but give me the Cherry Ghost version every time.

"Gooey" is quite cool! Hadn't heard this before. Same holds for "Don't Run".

Good to see that you're enjoying those, especially considering how high those are. I had always known it was a cover, but I wasn't quite sure of who the original artist was. I was listening to the Cherry Ghost version for the first time while I was writing that review and it was solid on first listen. For now I'll stick with Birdy, but glad to see that you enjoy the song (even if it isn't the version that's here). Oh, and glad to see that you enjoy both "Gooey" and "Don't Run". Thanks for the continued commentary, Andrew! Really appreciate it. :)

Jan 8, 2015 15:29:41 GMT -5 H. said:

Great to see Prayer and Rollercoaster charting.

Glad you enjoy those, Shoosh! Thanks for commenting! :)

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top 100 Songs Of 2014: 30-26

30. “Night Changes” – One Direction 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Four
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Even when the night changes, it will never change me and you"

I’ll be honest here. Before this, I really didn’t like One Direction at all. Sure, I had enjoyed “What Makes You Beautiful”, “Little Things”, and “Story Of My Life”, but most of the rest of their singles were misses for me. This was a pleasant surprise, though. It’s quite easily my favorite thing from them ever. Not really sure why, but I’ve always preferred their slower singles. I'm still not that much of a fan of theirs, but I can definitely appreciate some of their work.

29. “The Heart Wants What It Wants” – Selena Gomez 

Peak: 1 (2)
Album: For You
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Save your advice 'cause I won't hear. You might be right but I don't care"

Possibly my favorite single from her as well. Only “Slow Down” really challenges it. Once I first heard this I was hooked. Couldn’t stop playing it. I guess I just really like the change of pace from her. It definitely has me excited for what she's going to do next. I enjoy the lyrics most of all. She sings of a relationship that she should end but she can’t because ‘the heart wants what it wants’. It hit no. 1 for two weeks. Due to high airplay, however, it’s burned on me.

28. “Come To Me” – Goo Goo Dolls 

Peak: 4
Album: Magnetic
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "When we're old and near the end, we'll go home and start again"

“Come To Me” is a holdover from 2013 that managed to peak at number 4 early this year. I discovered this from a local AC station and I was hooked. It had a feel good vibe that I just loved. The fact that it’s managed to hold up so well after so many listens just proves how nonexistent its burn rate is. Definitely a staple in my playlists.

27. “Changes” – Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau 

Peak: 1 (3)
Album: n/a
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Baby, I don't know, just why I love you so"

Of all of the deep house hits that dominated my chart this summer, “Changes” is easily my favorite. Love everything about it. Possibly the first thing I noticed about it was the sample. This samples Pnau’s “Baby”, whose chorus is sung by a children’s choir. That, plus the saxophone and piano domainted instrumental really help this one to stand out. It dethroned “Fancy” and went on to rule for three weeks in June. It also blocked “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” from no. 1, which is noteworthy because it ranks higher on this list.

26. “Problem” – Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: My Everything
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I've got one less problem without ya"

I never would’ve guessed that Ariana would’ve had such a breakthrough this year. I figured that she’d have another “The Way” sized hit, but she has definitely surpassed my expectations. With a hit like “Problem” it’s not hard to see why. It’s catchy, it’s fun, and for a while I just couldn’t get enough of it. I mainly credit that to Big Sean’s breathy vocals on the chorus. They had me hooked, lol. I enjoyed Ariana’s vocals for the most part, but I could definitely do without Iggy here. She just felt kind of there. I really loved the sax though. Anyways, this dethroned “Changes” in late June. I can’t listen to it as much as I once could, but I still enjoy it nonetheless.

---

Zebra's Top Artists Of 2014: 9-7

09. Ariana Grande 

Ariana has had a huge year, both on and off my chart. She struck gold with “Problem”, “Bang Bang”, and “Love Me Harder”, all of which were big hits and made/make this countdown. “Break Free” also hit the top ten but it’s generic as s**t and honestly kind of annoying nowadays. My Everything was a solid album as a whole, but “Problem”, “Love Me Harder”, “Hands On Me”, “Be My Baby”, and “Best Mistake” are the standouts for me. Others on the album just don’t do that much for me.

08. Ella Eyre 

One of my favorite new discoveries of 2014. Ella has a ton of talent and I would love to see her breakthrough more than she already has. Her feature on “Waiting All Night” had me intrigued, but once I saw the thread created for her on here I discovered “If I Go” and I was sold. So, so good. “Comeback” took that newfound love to a whole new level. It’s amazing, but I’ll save the commentary for it until it comes up shortly. Can’t wait to hear more from her.

07. Katy B 

I’ve been on board with Katy since “Katy On A Mission”, but Little Red really helped me to appreciate her. It’s easily in my top ten albums for the year and “Crying For No Reason” is one of my favorite songs of 2014. “5 AM”, “What Love Is Made Of”, and “Still” were great singles too. I hope that Katy can keep enjoying the success and the acclaim that she is having because lbr she is the superior Katy. She consistently delivers.

[Zeebz]

Zebra's Top 100 Songs Of 2014: 25-21

25. “Sonnentanz (Sun Don’t Shine)” – Klangkarussell ft. Will Heard 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Netzwerk
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I just wanted to let you know, I love you, don't ever let go"

Definitely a contender for the title of weirdest chart run. It had previously entered in the fall of 2013 but fell out quickly with a peak of no. 25. It randomly grew on me over the spring and thus I decided to re-enter it. It quickly ascended to number one. It’s just a really chill deep house song. I especially appreciate Heard’s vocals. This would be much higher if both of its runs were combined in a single year and if I didn’t feel like it was so old.

24. “Gold” – Sir Sly 

Peak: 11
Album: Gold
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I don't owe you a single thing, I don't owe you anything"

“Gold” is the highest ranking song that hasn’t peaked in my top ten. Another song had that honor for a while, but I’ve since re-entered it. Anyways, “Gold” was one of the first new songs I had discovered via the ‘music you should check out’ playlist, and it definitely set the bar high. I loved it immediately, but it had a relatively slow climb to number 11. I’m kicking myself for not at least placing this at number 10 that week, but it was a competitive frame so it’s understandable. It’s had amazing longevity, though. If I had to pick a favorite thing about “Gold”, it would probably be the production. It’s dark and aggressive. And I just found out that “Gold” was actually released in 2013. Oops. Whatever, still great, still worthy.

23. “Shut Up and Dance” – Walk the Moon 

Peak: 2
Album: Talking Is Hard
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Oh don't you dare hold back, just keep your eyes on me"

I’m admittedly not familiar with Walk the Moon’s older material (other than “Anna Sun” and “Tightrope”), but I’ve loved what I’ve heard from Talking Is Hard thus far. “Shut Up and Dance” is brilliant. It’s just pure fun and it caught me on first listen. “Dance” definitely manages to improve my mood whenever I hear it. Quite simply put, it just makes me want to dance. It hasn’t peaked at number one yet, but it’s currently at number 2 and looking to take number one as early as next week. I really hope this is a big hit for them in 2015. It’s too good not to be.

22. “Boom Clap” – Charli XCX 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Sucker
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "The beat goes on and on and on and on and boom clap"

Charli had previously made a positive impact with me due to her features on “I Love It” and “Fancy” but it was “Boom Clap” that really caused me to appreciate her. It’s fun, lighthearted, sweet, and one of my absolute favorite hits this year. It also never burned on me despite its overexposure. “Boom Clap” ended up having one of the longest runs of the entire year and it even snuck a week in at no. 1.

21. “Solo Dancing” – Indiana 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: No Romeo
Standout Lyric (Listen!): I go dancin' it's so intense, I will dance to the bitter end"

I discovered “Solo Dancing” as it debuted on the UK singles chart one week and I was hooked. So, so good. ”Solo Dancing” is reminiscent of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” in its theme and to a lesser extent its sound. It talks about dancing alone to avoid the pain of an ended relationship and just to express the pain in a way she enjoys. The lyrics weren’t what hooked me originally, though. It was the pulsing production. It had endless replay value over the summer and that sent it straight to number one. 

---

Starting back up a tad later than I had initially wanted, but better late than never I suppose. There's only 20 songs left, 6 artists, and my albums countdown. I'll probably wrap this all up within the next two days. 

[Albie]

Oh where have I been? Ok, 35-31 are perfect. Spot on regarding Jess Glynne on "My Love". As minimal as her part is lyrically, its just enough for perfection.

I like 30-26 also. Particularly "Changes", "Come To Me" and "Problem". I'm surprised at how high THWWIW placed for a later release.

25-21, again, are perfect. Big fan of Sir Sly and Walk The Moon. I only recently discovered Indiana and I am really liking what I'm hearing so far. "Solo Dancing" is nice. Do you like "Only the Lonely"? I've been listening to the KANT remix which is blissfully good.

Can't wait for the rest Z!

[sadchild]

I keep seeing Bleachers on a lot of lists (including this one!). They'll be on mine 3x. I should probably grab that whole album!

[crystalphnx]

30.) "Night Changes" = woah, glad to see that this song finally got you into 1D (well, at least somewhat, anyway.) I wouldn't rank it among my all-time-absolute-favorite 1D tracks, but it's definitely one of several enjoyable moments on Four
29.) "The Heart Wants What It Wants" = this one is nice, but I definitely preferred Selena with The Scene. none of the solo stuff I've heard from her rivals brilliant moments like "Naturally", "Love You Like A Love Song", "Who Says", etc.
28.) "Problem" = I too was definitely glad to see this become a mega-smash; I love "Problem" on its own merits, and I also thought that her debut era deserved to produce more (and bigger) hits, so it was nice to see her finally take off in a really big way. really love her, really love this song
22.) "Boom Clap" = I like this one, but I wasn't into it enough last year for it to make my Top 50. it would've been close, though: somewhere in the No. 56 - No. 60 range (Bubbling Under the Bubbling Under batch) ;)

[hitseeker.]

Prayer In C
All Of Me
The Heart Wants It Wants
Problem
Sonnentanz
Boom Clap

The flawlessness continues and the slew of songs for me to check as well!! <33

[H.]

Great to see Changes, Sonnentantz, Boom Clap, and Shut Up and Dance charting.

[.indulgecountry]

Awesome to see "Night Changes" and "The Heart Wants What It Wants" on here! Those are two of my very favorite songs to come out of 2014. <3 I'm glad you liked the 1D single especially considering you aren't much for them, so it's nice that you can at least find the occasional gem from them. ;)

"Problem" and "Boom Clap" are decent, too. "Problem" has great verses imo, but the song kinda falls apart for me w/ the chorus being uneventful. And the opposite is true of "Boom Clap," because the verses do nothing for me and that song is literally all about that chorus. Both were overplayed as hell and overrated though. I vastly prefer "Break the Rules" and the second/third releases from My Everything to those two.

[surfy]

Night Changes, The Heart Wants What It Wants, PROBLEM, Shut Up and Dance, and Boom Clap!!! <3

[Zeebz]

Next batch. I'll respond to your feedback before the next set.

Zebra's Top 100 Songs Of 2014: 20-16

20. “Love Runs Out” – OneRepublic 

Peak: 1 (2)
Album: Native
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I got my mind made up, man, I can't let go"

This should’ve been a “Counting Stars”-sized hit imo. I enjoy “Counting Stars” more, but I found “Love Runs Out” to be a more than worthy follow-up (in the US, at least). I love how explosive it gets when it hits the chorus and I love the production. It makes me want to tap my feet and dance every time, haha. It hit no. 1 for two weeks after “Boom Clap” and had really nice longevity.

19. “Ice Princess” – Azealia Banks 

Peak: 1 (1)
Album: Broke With Expensive Taste
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "I don't see no limits so I strive and I shine twice"

Broke With Expensive Taste is such a great album. It was well worth the wait. “Ice Princess” might be my favorite song off of the album. So much so, it turns out, that I let it chart. It debuted in the top ten and quickly hit no. 1. “Ice Princess” is having great longevity so far, having only just now dropping out of the top ten. I just love everything about it. I’m convinced that it has absolutely no burn rate. It definitely has a shot of becoming my most played song on last.fm. The sample of Morgan Page’s “In the Air” really works well here in a nice juxtaposition to her slick verses. Oh, and every time I read the title of the song I think about Frozen.

18. “Comeback” – Ella Eyre 

Peak: 1 (4)
Album: Feline
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Just take that pain and let that motherf**ker burn

Here’s Ella again! I discovered “Comeback” right as the beginning of this last semester and it’s stuck with me since. I would find myself having “let that motherf**ker burn” stuck in my head at the most random times. I just love the energy she pours into this. I can’t help but sing along to the explosive chorus. “Comeback” also has one of my favorite videos of 2014. They basically just trash this guy’s house and it’s hilarious. I imagine that it was fun to film. “Comeback” is tied for the second longest run at number one in 2014, with only “Fancy” (5) and “XO” (4) surpassing or matching it. Definitely dominated, haha. Ella is quickly becoming one of my favorite artists., and I'm greatly anticipating Feline when it comes out this May.

17. “You Don’t Know What To Do” – Mariah Carey ft. Wale  

Peak: 4
Album: Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Can't even help yourself from playing the fool each night"

The true follow-up to “#Beautiful”. “You Don’t Know What To Do” should’ve been the follow-up to “#Beautiful” or vice versa. It really is a wasted opportunity for a hit. It’s easily my favorite single from her since “We Belong Together” and I would place it near the top of her singles discography. Her vocals are top notch here. The intro didn’t grab me at first (although she sounds good there), but once the disco infused production kicked in I was hooked. It was perfect for the summer. It still sounds so fresh. It’s hard for me to listen to this without dancing or singing out loud, so I suppose that’s a fitting testament to how much I love it. Wale’s feature is even nice. It peaked at no. 4 in late summer with decent longevity. I enjoy it more now than I did, though. It also inspired me to give the whole album a listen and it’s her strongest in years.

16. “West Coast” – Lana Del Rey 

Peak: 3
Album: Ultraviolence
Standout Lyric (Listen!): "Down on the West Coast, they got a sayin', 'If you're not drinkin', then you're not playin'

My most anticipated release of the entire year, bar none. The remixes of “Summertime Sadness” and “Young and Beautiful” did a fine job of keeping my thirst for new Lana music at bay, but once I found out she had a new album coming out (after a rumored hiatus) I was ecstatic. “West Coast” ended up being a tad disappointing at first, but once it clicked it clicked. It debuted straight in the top ten and stayed there for a good portion of the summer. In retrospect it probably should’ve been a number one, but it is what it is. I love how different it is from Born To Die and how she chose to go with her own sound and not one that was chasing radio trends. My favorite part of the song would probably have to be the opening drums. I get so excited every time I hear those. Love her vocals too. The whole song is just so chill. “West Coast” is firmly in my top ten Lana songs period.

[surfy]

All of these are ***FLAWLESS songs!!!! <3

[crystalphnx]

17.) "You Don't Know What To Do" = woah, did NOT see this coming, but it's a very pleasant surprise! I'm always glad to see Mariah gettin' some love, but especially for such a random/forgotten flop like YDKWTD. I'm definitely not as passionate about this particular song as you are, but I like it well enough, and if it inspired you to check out her full album, I'm really thankful for that! not to derail things TOO much, but what are some of your other MIAM faves?

[WotUNeed]

Nice to see "Changes", "Problem", "Sonnentanz", "Gold", "Shut Up and Dance" (would've preferred it within top twenty but close enough!), "Boom Clap", "Solo Dancing", "Love Runs Out" (though the decision to release it in the middle of releasing songs from the album still confuses me), and "West Coast"!

Hadn't heard "Come to Me" before. I think the last Goo Goo Dolls song I'd gotten big into was "Stay with You" so that was, like, a long time ago. Anyway, "Come to Me" is nice. Kinda sounds like something that could be backing a Target commercial or something, haha. But I dig it.

[Juan Carlos]

Let's make a little recap.

So good to see "Turn Down for What" (The song is weird, but I like it. Not that much, of course), "Ready for Your Love" (Gorgon City/MNEK!!!), "Summer" (YES! Calvin's vocals <3), "Addicted to You", "Drunk In Love", "Uptown Funk", "Fancy", "Of the Night", "Jubel" (too low, but yes for making an appearance here), "Rather Be", "People Help the People", "I Got You", "Right Here", "Midnight", "Falling" (HAIM!!!), "Come With Me Now", "Prayer In C" (Robin Schulz Remix) (It doesn't grow on me as much as I would want to, but it's good), "My Love" (It should have done better in my chart than it did to be honest), "Rollercoaster", "The Heart Wants What It Wants", "Changes" (Yay!), "Problem", "Sonnentanz (Sun Don't Shine)" (Yay! [2]), "Shut Up and Dance", "Boom Clap" (Not my favourite, but it has grown on me), "Love Runs Out", "Comeback" and "West Coast" so far. Surprise that the Lana track didn't make the Top 10. And yay for your artists too.

Also, I don't like "All of Me" because of the times I keep listening to it every week on the Official Charts that I can't handle it anymore. Sorry. Oh! And I kind of prefer the Tiësto remix. My local radio stations put this into rotation instead of the original and they keep mentioning that it was a Tiësto song, something like Tiësto featuring an unknown artist because they haven't mentioned that John Legend was singing on it :facepalm:

Looking forward to the rest!

[Cody]

Nov 18, 2014 17:48:30 GMT -5 Zeebz said:

Zebra's Top 100 Songs of 2014:
016 - "West Coast" - Lana Del Rey
020 - "Love Runs Out" - OneRepublic
023 - "Shut Up And Dance" - Walk the Moon
028 - "Come To Me" - Goo Goo Dolls
031 - "Rollercoaster" - Bleachers
036 - "Ain't It Fun" - Paramore
037 - "Come With Me Now" - KONGOS
038 - "Stay With Me" - Sam Smith
041 - "Midnight" - Coldplay
048 - "Of The Night" - Bastille
053 - "Ultraviolence" - Lana Del Rey
055 - "Addicted To You" - Avicii
056 - "Summer" - Calvin Harris
066 - "I Wanna Get Better" - Bleachers
070 - "Instant Crush" - Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas
078 - "Dangerous" - Big Data ft. Joywave
081 - "Blame" - Calvin Harris ft. John Newman
085 - "Beggin' For Thread" - BANKS
089 - "Stolen Dance" - Milky Chance
092 - "Snap Out Of It" - Arctic Monkeys
100 - "Love Don't Die" - The Fray

Bubbling Under:

101 - "Not On Drugs" - Tove Lo
104 - "A Sky Full Of Stars" - Coldplay
107 - "Ordinary Love" - U2
108 - "Afraid" - The Neighbourhood
110 - "Things We Lost In the Fire" - Bastille
119 - "Alone Together" - Fall Out Boy
123 - "Somewhere In My Car" - Keith Urban
125 - "The Walker" - Fitz & the Tantrums
128 - "Fever" - The Black Keys
130 - "Cool Kids" - Echosmith
131 - "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" - Arctic Monkeys
133 - "How Long Will I Love You" - Ellie Goulding
143 - "Red" - Taylor Swift
144 - "Lies" - CHVRHCES
145 - "Pumpin' Blood" - NONONO
149 - "Beating Heart" - Ellie Goulding
155 - "Magic" - Coldplay
159 - "Love Me Again" - John Newman
160 - "Dark Horse" - Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

Liking all of these so far, and I'm excited to see the top 15 I expect Tove Lo to crack the top 100 on your 2015 year end with "Not On Drugs", as I'm sure that'll be US single #3.

Also, how big do you think "Beggin' For Thread" will be in real life this year eh? That's a sleeper hit on CHR IMO, #1 prediction. I really need to start following your weekly chart, because there is alot of great stuff here!

[Albie]

20-16. Perfection? Check.

[hitseeker.]

Love Runs Out & You Don't Know What To Do <333