Mike's Top 100 of 2015 Countdown (Completed!)

[Libra]

#27

This song was posted here to Pulse last year about halfway through the summer, and I fell in love with it almost immediately. But then, a horrible thing happened - I was forced to take a hiatus from my chart for the remainder of the year. It was a real shame, but this was one of the few songs that I was still listening to off and on when I could. So, that's why it was one of the few specific holdovers that I put on my chart when I started it back up again this year. At first, I was ready to let it die off to free up its space on the chart - but then, I was reminded of just how good this was, and I wasn't content to let it go without giving it a proper chart run. The end result: It went on to spend three weeks at #2 back in March, and for the year, it ranks at #27. Here are Switzerland's Cyril Hahn and Canada's Rochelle Jordan with that too-good-to-let-go smash:

Cyril Hahn featuring Rochelle Jordan - Slow

Peak: #2
Weeks charted: 17
Inverse total: 486 points (#30)
Pyramid total: 7841 points (#24)

[Libra]

An amazing fusion of Electronic Dance and R&B that you just don't find too often these days...#27 for 2015, Cyril Hahn with Rochelle Jordan and "Slow".

#26

This next song in the year's Top 100 is a very recent #1 smash - it just spent 3 weeks at the top earlier in December. It blazed up the chart into the Top 10 in just 7 weeks' time, and managed to spend the last 10 weeks of the year up there.

Yeah, the song is just that good.

It's the first of two #1 hits in the Top 100 for Troye Sivan. At #26 for the year:

Troye Sivan - Wild

Peak: #1 (3 weeks)
Weeks charted: 16 to date
Inverse total: 464 points (#37)
Pyramid total: 8250 points (#12)

[Libra]

Madonna may be the year's Top Artist, but nobody had a bigger second half of the year than Troye Sivan did, scoring his first #1 "Papercut", which we'll hear a little bit later on, in September, and this one, "Wild", just a few weeks ago. It ranks as the 26th biggest song of 2015.

#25

Well, among the year's biggest surprises had to be none other than Miss Janet Jackson making her grand return to the music world. Unfortunately, she hasn't really had a prolific history on my chart, but with her album Unbreakable, it looks as though she'll be able to make up for some lost time. What better way to start than with the song that ranks as the 25th biggest song of the year?:

Janet Jackson - No Sleeep

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 22
Inverse total: 503 points (#22)
Pyramid total: 7686 points (#27)

[Libra]

She took that song to #1 on Halloween weekend...for the year, it's at #25. Janet Jackson, and "No Sleeep".

And next, is a song that followed Janet to #1 a couple of weeks later:

#24

It's another case of "if at first you don't succeed". Singer A*M*E provided the vocals on Duke Dumont's #2 hit from last year, called "Need U (100%)". This year, she did the favor for another English producer, Embody, and this time struck it rich - with the song that ranks at #24 in the year's Top 100. Talking about:

Embody featuring A*M*E - Give Me Your Love

https%3A//soundcloud.com/iamembody/embody-feat-ame-give-me-your-love-radio-mix

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 21
Inverse total: 502 points (#24)
Pyramid total: 7717 points (#26)

[Libra]

"Give Me Your Love" by Embody, featuring A*M*E. The 24th biggest song of 2015.

Unfortunately, I have to interrupt this part of the countdown, because I'm being called away from my laptop for a little bit. I'll continue on with #23 as soon as I can!

[Libra]

I do so hate having this interrupted.

Tell y'all what. Give a listen to songs #27, #26, #25, and #24 once again, then we'll pick the countdown back up with #23. OK?

[Libra]

It may be New Year's Day today, but we're not quite through looking back on the old year. There's still 23 hits to go in my countdown of the 100 biggest songs of 2015 on Mike's Top 40.

#23

We're up to a song now with, kind of an odd story behind it. Back in April, I was checking and compiling a list of present-day American Top 40 CHR affiliates (since their website isn't always known to be reliable). In the process, I heard this song in the countdown a number of times. I actually hadn't listened to it yet by that point, but from hearing it so often in such a short timespan, it grew on me quite rapidly. It hit my chart, and took off running - ran all the way up to #2, in fact. This surprise smash is at #23 in the year's Top 100:

Tove Lo - Talking Body

Peak: #2
Weeks charted: 18
Inverse total: 498 points (#26)
Pyramid total: 7862 points (#23)

[Libra]

#23 for 2015, the Swedish songstress who wants you to give her your "love", so to speak, for life - Tove Lo, with "Talking Body".

#22

Next in the year's Top 100 is a Summer smash that had a long and steady climb to get to #1. It debuted on Memorial Day weekend (May 23), but didn't make it to #1 until the week after Labor Day (September 12). When your song is as enduring as this one is, though, sometimes patience really is the ultimate virtue. At #22 for the year:

Tinie Tempah featuring Jess Glynne - Not Letting Go

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 23
Inverse total: 518 points (#19)
Pyramid total: 7773 points (#25)

[Libra]

Tinie Tempah and Jess Glynne with "Not Letting Go", the Summer smash that ranks as the 22nd biggest song of 2015.

#21

And this next song merely sounds like it'd be best suited for Summer...but that wasn't when it hit its chart heights! It debuted on the week of July 18, and marched its way steadily up the chart until it planted itself at the summit on the week of November 7. But you know...if you were to have told me back in 2012 that one of the acts behind this patient #1 smash would in fact be back on my chart to do just that, I might've told you that you were crazy! As you may or may not remember, Breathe Carolina did once have a Pop hit in early 2012 - they took their song "Blackout" into the Top 20. On my own still-Top 20 chart, it lasted for three months but never rose higher than #14. For 2015, their surprising comeback hit ranks at a high of #21. Teaming up with producer APEK, here is that comeback hit:

Breathe Carolina & APEK - Anywhere But Home

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 22
Inverse total: 508 points (#20)
Pyramid total: 7879 points (#22)

[Libra]

#21 in the year's Top 100 belongs to "Anywhere But Home" by Breathe Carolina & APEK.

And, you know...I have an omen, that up next, we'll hear the biggest song of the year for Disclosure!

[Libra]

Libra Mike here, counting down my 100 biggest songs of 2015. And we're up into the Top 20 now!

#20

The song that breaks open the 20 biggest songs of the year, is the third and final appearance in the Top 100 for Disclosure. It's also the second chart single for Sam Smith. Now, both of Sam Smith's chart appearances have come while paired with Disclosure, and so far that's done pretty well for him. Last year, they took "Latch" all the way to #2. This year, they managed to do one better - taking this song all the way to the top a little over a month ago. At #20 for the year:

Disclosure featuring Sam Smith - Omen

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 21 to date
Inverse total: 507 points (#21)
Pyramid total: 7892 points (#21)

[Libra]

#20 in the year's Top 100, Disclosure and Sam Smith with "Omen". Now I mentioned earlier that 15 artists this year were acts who'd hit my chart previously, but never made it to #1. Then they charted this year, and this time did take a song to #1. "Omen" is the only such song in the Top 100 to feature two such acts doing that together.

#19

And the song it knocked out of that #1 spot, is the song that's up next in my Top 100. Much like "Anywhere But Home" which we just heard a little bit ago, this song is also a very Summer-sounding song that still found chart success outside of the Summer season. When your song is that good...sometimes the season just doesn't seem to matter. At #19 in the Top 100:

Zara Larsson - Lush Life

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 22 to date
Inverse total: 522 points (#17)
Pyramid total: 7957 points (#19)

[Libra]

Sweden's Zara Larsson, with "Lush Life" - my 19th biggest song for 2015.

#18

Next in the Top 100, we have the longest song ever to not only reach my chart, but go all the way to #1 as well! It clocks in at 7 minutes, and 23 seconds long. Now, I don't usually go for songs of such length - I tend to find that most of them have a hard time keeping me invested for the full duration. That isn't to say that I arbitrarily prefer shorter songs, just that when they get extremely long, it's easier to find a weak spot that drags the song down too much. Well, to say that this song sure defied that expectation would be an understatement - in fact, it's the only song I've listened to from Zedd's True Colors album that I've liked well enough to chart. And chart it did - well enough to make it the 18th biggest song of 2015. Here is that long-playing smash:

Zedd featuring Troye Sivan - Papercut

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 23
Inverse total: 527 points (#15)
Pyramid total: 7949 points (#20)

[Libra]

We heard Troye Sivan back at #26 with his second song to hit #1 on my chart. Now here at #18 was the song he did it with first - singing on Zedd's "Papercut".

Up next: We've heard from not one, but two Swedes in this hour. Now, we'll hear from a third!

[Libra]

We're getting closer and closer now as we cruise in towards my biggest song of 2015.

#17

We're up to a high-energy EDM hit on my chart now. Had plenty of lasting energy as well: It spent 10 weeks in the Top 10, getting as high as #2. At #17 for the year is Swedish producer Lars Allertz:

Allertz - Don't You Get It

Peak: #2
Weeks charted: 21
Inverse total: 520 points (#18)
Pyramid total: 8025 points (#18)

[Libra]

"Don't You Get It" by Allertz, the 17th biggest song of 2015. And that's the biggest song of the year that didn't make it to #1 on my chart. So from here on in, we have only songs that did make it to #1.

#16

And this next song in the Top 100 is the second song that made it to #1 this year for Taylor Swift. Back at #33, we heard "Out of the Woods" - now here at #16, is her second and biggest song this year:

Taylor Swift - Style

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 18
Inverse total: 503 points (#23)
Pyramid total: 8203 points (#14)

[Libra]

Taylor Swift's "Style", her second and biggest #1 song this year for me, and the 16th biggest song of the year overall.

#15

We go now from a Country girl gone Pop to a Country girl who...may have gone even more Country, if that's possible. It's well-known by now that Kacey Musgraves has not exactly been a Country radio darling, though given some of what does pass for Country darlings these days, one has to wonder how much music isn't seeing radio play now because it's so true to Country. Look no further than this song that barely scratched Country airplay charts, but when stacked up against all the other genres represented on my own chart, held up just fine. Fine enough to rank as my 15th biggest song of 2015:

Kacey Musgraves - Dime Store Cowgirl

Peak: #1 (2 weeks)
Weeks charted: 22
Inverse total: 523 points (#16)
Pyramid total: 8060 points (#17)

[Libra]

Kacey Musgraves at #15 for the year with "Dime Store Cowgirl". She spent two weeks at #1 with that one, and you know...on her second week at the top spot, hers was the only Country song on the entire chart! This despite two other acts that were also charting that same week who'd had recent or not-so-recent Country success, but whose then-current songs were Pop. How about that?

6 hours (days) on the books now for my special presentation of my 100 biggest songs of 2015...and that means we've only got one hour (day) left to go! Check back here tomorrow to find out the cream of the crop, the 14 biggest songs of my year.

[Libra]

What are my biggest and best songs of 2015? The suspense will end beginning at 9 PM EST.

[Libra]

We're headed into the homestretch now in this presentation of my 100 biggest songs of 2015.

Still left on our plate in this final hour are: The biggest songs of the year by solo men, women, and by groups, as well as the biggest from the Top Artist of the Year. We still have more 80s throwbacks to come along with plenty of modern hits and more - so, let's move out!

@jakelmmrs44 Juan Carlos yuh yuh Mikey josh Kurt Daryl the Beryl Rocky ♛ The Manticore ☯ @drag27 Zeebz surfy Rose Wintur Flip Sean Albie ry4n Au$tin ★Disco★ sbp17 Jazzy sadchild

[Libra]

#14

We kick off this final hour with another of the 15 acts who hit #1 this year on their later-go-rounds - and this one, has his own unique distinction. This is his first solo hit to reach my chart, but it's not his first overall trip. Ten years back, his band The Killers took "Mr. Brightside" all the way up to #2. This year, he managed to conquer the chart's summit all on his own. And the song this man did it with is at #14 for the year:

Brandon Flowers - Can't Deny My Love

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 21
Inverse total: 528 points (#14)
Pyramid total: 8088 points (#16)

[Libra]

80s-tastic indeed - Brandon Flowers at #14 in the year's Top 100, with "Can't Deny My Love".

#13

Next in the Top 100 is the third and final appearance by the year's Top Artist. She also set a chart record with this song - her last trip to #1 was back in 2006 with the song "Jump". By hitting the top with this song, it marked a gap of over 9 years between #1 appearances - longer than anyone else has ever had between two #1 songs on my chart. At #13:

Madonna - Ghosttown

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 22
Inverse total: 532 points (#12)
Pyramid total: 8108 points (#15)

[Libra]

Madonna's "Ghosttown" - her third appearance in the year's Top 100, and her biggest. Went all the way to #1 back in August, and it ranks as the 13th biggest song of the year.

In fact, we seem to be hitting a run of August #1 songs, because that's when this next song went to the top as well:

#12

It's a sort of techno-esque EDM song that was ideal for the Summer in which it hit - so it's no wonder that it went all the way to #1. At #12 in the year's Top 100:

Krewella - Somewhere to Run

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 21
Inverse total: 529 points (#13)
Pyramid total: 8374 points (#10)

[Libra]

One of two sister pairs in the year's Top 100 - later on in this hour, we'll hear from the other pair, Say Lou Lou. Right here at #12 is the first, Krewella with "Somewhere to Run".

#11

At #11 in my year-end survey is a song that seemed to live up to its name and its premise. The song is called "Memories", and singer Cara Salimando sings about memories of late-night parties and other good times. Now, while I myself haven't had so many late-night wild times, the song did still make me think back on the good times that I did have back in college. What definitely helped was the melody being so well-suited for the mood. At #11 for the year:

New World Punx featuring Cara Salimando - Memories

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 23
Inverse total: 547 points (#10)
Pyramid total: 8242 points (#13)

[Libra]

Back at #52, we heard Markus Schulz's own contribution, "Destiny". Now, at #11 in the year's Top 100, he's teamed with Ferry Corsten to form New World Punx. Their song is "Memories", and it too went to #1 in August, right inbetween the two songs we just heard from Madonna and Krewella.

Up next: We'll crack open my Top 10 biggest songs of the year!

[Libra]

Well, we've spent the week scaling the mountain of my 100 biggest songs of 2015 - and we're closing in on the summit! We're up now to the year's 10 biggest.

#10

And at #10 is the last of the songs that were once iTunes Free Singles of the Week to appear in the Top 100. It's by a pair of twin sisters whose music has frequently been described as, "dream Pop". Well, their brand of dream Pop sure has some intensity behind it! But then again, that intense sound is what drew me to this song so strongly. Strong enough to make it #1 for two weeks in late Summer. At #10 for the year are Swedish-Australian twin sisters Elektra and Miranda Kilbey-Jansson, better known as:

Say Lou Lou - Nothing But a Heartbeat

Peak: #1 (2 weeks)
Weeks charted: 23
Inverse total: 550 points (#8)
Pyramid total: 8257 points (#11)

[Libra]

The 10th biggest song of 2015 is "Nothing But a Heartbeat" by Say Lou Lou.

#9

We keep the intensity going for this next song in the Top 100. It's a very hard-hitting ballad. I've said many times before that I'm a sucker for big, deep ballads - this one spent three weeks atop my chart back in May. At #9:

Emily Hearn - Volcano

https%3A//soundcloud.com/emilyhearn/volcano

Peak: #1 (3 weeks)
Weeks charted: 21
Inverse total: 548 points (#9)
Pyramid total: 8738 points (#9)

[Libra]

Erupting as the 9th biggest song of 2015 is Emily Hearn's "Volcano".

#8

Next in the Top 100 is another act who...wouldn't have been likely to see success on my chart this year, to say the least. Her biggest general hit was a song that I absolutely hated, and still do. But she hadn't really done much music-making for a couple of years since then. Well, surprise surprise, she came back this year. She may not have been able to land a hit with this song, but she did land a #1 smash with it on my chart. Too good to be denied...and it ranks as the 8th biggest song of 2015. With a hook that fits how I feel about this song, here is:

Carly Rae Jepsen - I Really Like You

Peak: #1 (1 week)
Weeks charted: 20
Inverse total: 551 points (#7)
Pyramid total: 8878 points (#8)

[Libra]

The second and biggest song in the Top 100 for Carly Rae Jepsen...at #8 for the year, her #1 song "I Really Like You".

#7

You know, I can't help but wonder just what good songs I'd be missing if I hadn't finally decided to dive back into non-crossover Country music last year. There's been four Country songs in the year's Top 100 so far, and we're up now to the fifth. It's a song that's a bit loud in the production, but tells an emotional story so very well. And the woman who sings it, has become known for her exceptional story songs - like the one that spent three weeks at #1 on my chart during the Winter. At #7 for 2015:

Carrie Underwood - Little Toy Guns

Peak: #1 (3 weeks)
Weeks charted: 18
Inverse total: 537 points (#11)
Pyramid total: 9348 points (#5)

[Libra]

Carrie Underwood with "Little Toy Guns", at #7 the year's Top 100. It's the 5th Country song in the survey - and we've got one more, still to come!

Up next: The woman who maybe best epitomizes the saying of "if at first you don't succeed, try try again" this year.