http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/laleh-somedieyoung.jpg 28. Laleh - Some Die Young [#2]

 

From one BJSC discovery to another. At #28 it's Laleh who stormed my chart back in March/April with 'Some Die Young' peaking at #2 in what was at the time an all BJSC top 3. My entry 'Take You Higher' was #3 and the #1 was the track I wanted to enter into BJSC but missed out on thanks to that pesky Dandy* opening confirmations so early!!! :lol:

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/lanadelrey-sumsad.jpg 27. Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness [#1]

 

She's back!!! :magic: Here is Lana Del Rey with her third appearance in my Chart of 2012 with the sublime 'Summertime Sadness'. Despite not getting an official UK release, this was released across Europe becoming a big hit and is still proving popular in countries like Lithuania and Poland (some info for the Eurochart fanatics amoung us :P ). It topped my chart for one week back in September.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/rihanna-whyb.jpg 26. Rihanna - Where Have You Been [#2]

 

If there's one thing you can guarantee each year, it's a new album from Rihanna. Rihanna has emerged as one of the most successful female artists in recent years and the success kept coming in 2012. Following the epic 'We Found Love' (#1 of 2011), it was 'Where Have You Been' that saw Rihanna back in my top 10. 'You Da One' really was a piss poor single choice in retrospect and even I only charted a remix of the track.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/owlcity-goodtime.jpg 25. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time [#2]

 

Up next at #25 is Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen with 'Good Time'. By the time this entered my chart, both acts had scored a #1 in my chart. As for 'Good Time', when the lyric video was released to YouTube on first listen I was actually unimpressed. Yet it's cheesey charm eventually won me over and I found myself enjoying this for what it is - an unashamed pop song about having a good time (shocker!!!) :D

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/pink-try.jpg 24. Pink - Try [#1]

 

The most recent chart topper to feature in my Chart of 2012 is Pink 'Try' which is still riding high in my chart this week. There was a discussion in the iTunes thread (I think it was) about how Pink has continued to remain successful over such a long period of time yet doesn't feel as big in the UK as other female acts like Rihanna/Katy Perry/Beyonce. My reply there was that releasing great singles is always key to keeping your career going. 'Blow Me (One Last Kiss)' is typically Pink. There really isn't any other female artist who could release that song, maybe Madonna but that's questionable these days too. The beauty with Pink is her ability to then release an even better single as the follow up. In this case 'Try' which is by far one the best singles Pink has released in the last 12 years imo since she made her debut. Stunning track with an exceptional video to boot. No doubt it'll continue doing well into 2013 - well, except for the UK where the track is already slipping down. :(

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/asafavidan-oneday.jpg 23. Asaf Avidan & The Mojos - One Day/Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix) [#2]

 

Tom Kay ELATED once more. *.* After Cazzi Opeia sneaks in at #40, Asaf Avidan is comfortably inside my Chart of 2012 at #23. I had seen this track climbing up iTunes in Germany and was intrigued by the song. On first listen I was sat on the fence and didn't really know what I thought. The more I listened to the track, the more it grew to the point I even considered entering this into BJSC. Sadly Tom Kay beat me to it and scored yet another BJSC hit. That bassline throughout the song is incredibly lush and whilst some might find Asaf's vocals at the end of the track to be quite awkward to listen to, for me it's the perfect way to end the track.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/kellyclarkson-stronger.jpg 22. Kelly Clarkson - What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) [#2]

 

When Kelly Clarkson returned in 2011 with 'Mr. Know It All' I didn't exactly champion the song. I thought it sounded too similar to 'Just The Way You Are' (a few songs did this in 2011 which bugged me slightly :P ). Prior to 2012 Kelly Clarkson's biggest hit in my chart was 'Since U Been Gone', a #2 in my chart in 2005. However, that all changed in January when 'What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)' was released as the second single from her fifth studio album 'Stronger'.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/rudimental-feelthelove.jpg 21. Rudimental feat. John Newman - Feel The Love [#2]

 

Just missing out on a place in my Chart of 2012 top 20 is 'Feel The Love' by Rudimental featuring vocalist John Newman. This song seemed to come from absolutely nowhere when it topped the iTunes chart (it overtook Loreen and Buzzjack crashed - literally!!! :lol: ). Having never heard the song, I checked out the video on YouTube and at first thought it was alright but nothing more. For a few weeks I found myself liking this song more and more and it got very close to topping my chart. One of the best surprise hits of the year for me but I did find follow up single 'Not Giving Up' really underwhelming in comparison. :(

 

Coming up...THE TOP 20!!! :dance:

** RECAP 21-40 **

21. Rudimental feat. John Newman - Feel The Love
22. Kelly Clarkson - What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)
23. Asaf Avidan & The Mojos - One Day/Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix)
24. Pink - Try
25. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time
26. Rihanna - Where Have You Been
27. Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness
28. Laleh - Some Die Young
29. Still Corners - Fireflies
30. fun. - Some Nights
31. Foxes - Youth
32. Flo Rida feat. Sia - Wild Ones
33. Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans
34. Reverend & The Makers - Bassline
35. Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child
36. David Guetta feat. Sia - She Wolf (Falling To Pieces)
37. Alex Clare - Too Close
38. Lana Del Rey - Ride
39. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull - Dance Again
40. Cazzi Opeia - My Heart In 2

It's time to count down the top 20 biggest hits in my chart from 2012. To start us off...

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/rihanna-diamonds.jpg 20. Rihanna - Diamonds [#2]

...it's Rihanna. 'Diamonds' was given an international release in September following a similar release pattern to 'Only Girl (In The World)' and 'We Found Love' in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Whist the track shot to #1 in the UK it missed out here entering at #2.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/donkeyboy-cityboy.jpg 19. Donkeyboy - City Boy [#2]

 

Donkeyboy were already firm favourites on Buzzjack after they released 'Ambitions' in 2009. It was a track that didn't impact me at all - even less so when X Factor winner Joe McElderry released his version of the track. Back in January Donkeyboy released 'City Boy', the lead single from their second album 'Silver Moon' which caught my attention thanks to its success in Norway and Denmark. It's extremely catchy with bizzare lyrics "underneath my skin is an eagle" but yet it has a Pet Shop Boys 1987-esque sound about the track which I found endearing. It remains their only hit in my top 40 so far but for a few weeks at the start of 2012, I really liked this song.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/djfresh-hotrightnow.jpg 18. DJ Fresh feat. Rita Ora - Hot Right Now [#2]

 

DJ Fresh scored a massive hit in my chart with 'Louder' in 2011 - a track that stayed at #1 for four weeks. Fast forward to February, 'Hot Right Now' on paper seemed like an obvious chart topper for me. DJ Fresh delivering the goods whilst relatively unknown singer Rita Ora got credited with her first UK #1. In the end, 'Hot Right Now' missed out on my no. 1 spot peaking at #2 but safe to say this is by far Rita Ora's most successful single in my chart. Having heard new single 'Radioactive', that's unlikely to change anytime soon.

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/littlemix-dna.jpg 17. Little Mix - DNA [#1]

 

Now, be honest! When Little Mix won The X Factor 2011 and released 'Cannonball' as their winners single, did anyone expect them to return with such strong material? Whilst the once called Rhythmix or "little muffins" were one of the better acts in X Factor 2011, I thought Misha B was going to win. Until they decided to bring back Amelia Lily then it threw the script out of the window. Little Mix became only the second X Factor winner to score two #1 hits in my chart. The first obviously being Leona Lewis. New single 'Change Your Life' was performed on Children In Need and got the Hits seal of approval too. Here are the girls at #17 with 'DNA', their most recent chart topper for me. Yes, it sounds like 'E.T.' by Katy Perry but for me, this is the far superior track.

DJ Fresh scored a massive hit in my chart with 'Louder' in 2001 - a track that stayed at #1 for four weeks.

 

2001?!?

 

I'm enjoying this chart :D

 

17. Little Mix - DNA

18. DJ Fresh feat. Rita Ora - Hot Right Now

19. Donkeyboy - City Boy

20. Rihanna - Diamonds

21. Rudimental feat. John Newman - Feel The Love

22. Kelly Clarkson - What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)

23. Asaf Avidan & The Mojos - One Day/Reckoning Song (Wankelmut Remix)

24. Pink - Try

25. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time

26. Rihanna - Where Have You Been

28. Laleh - Some Die Young

30. fun. - Some Nights

31. Foxes - Youth

32. Flo Rida feat. Sia - Wild Ones

33. Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

35. Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin - Don't You Worry Child

36. David Guetta feat. Sia - She Wolf (Falling To Pieces)

37. Alex Clare - Too Close

38. Lana Del Rey - Ride

39. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull - Dance Again

 

So far the top 20 is amazing!!

 

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/omam-littletalks.jpg 16. Of Monsters And Men - Little Talks [#1]

 

When 'Little Talks' was entered into BJSC towards the end of 2011, it made no impact on me whatsoever and I quickly forgot the song altogether. Then it started to smash in central Europe which caught my attention. After giving the song a second chance, it ended up entering my chart at no. 40 expecting the track to either drop out again, or barely make progress. How wrong I was!!! :lol: It somehow went from being the song I forgot in BJSC to one of my played songs around August time. So much so that it progressed all the way to #1 in my chart. Now I think 'Little Talks' is a fantastic track, completely different to the opinion I had 12 months ago.

2001?!?

 

I'm enjoying this chart :D

 

So far the top 20 is amazing!!

 

Oops!!! :lol: Serves me right for typing too quickly and not checking for spelling mistakes. :D

 

Glad to see you're enjoying this rundown. I think the whole top 40 is amazing, but then I would. :lol:

 

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/studiokillers-ottb.jpg 15. Studio Killers - Ode To The Bouncer [#1]

 

Let's go back to January 2012. BJSC was starting all over again for another year and Batidas entered 'Ode To The Bouncer' by Studio Killers into the competition. Whilst the track had been around for a good six months, it was the success in The Netherlands in late 2011 that brought this song to my attention. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised that this never took off in the UK. Perhaps it was a bit too kitsch for the UK market of 2012. Still as annoyingly catchy today as it was when I first heard it. :lol:

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/emmahewitt-colours.jpg 14. Emma Hewitt - Colours [#1]

 

Referring back to my comment about Laleh, it was 'Colours' by Emma Hewitt that I had wanted to enter into BJSC in February this year. By the time I got round to confirming the track, it had already been confirmed by Botanikka and yes, I was a tad gutted about that. :lol: Nonetheless, the song went on to win BJSC although it was a closely fought battle. Had I entered Emma Hewitt, the success of 'Colours' would've depended on how many points Botannika might've given the track. I guess that's fate for you. :lol:

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/littlemix-wings.jpg 13. Little Mix - Wings [#1]

 

Massive congratulations to Little Mix who score themselves two entries into my Chart of 2012 - both inside the top 20. 'Wings' was not what I expected from a Little Mix single. Especially after 'Cannanball' which didn't even make the tracklist on their debut album. Looking at how previous winners had done, I'd automatically expected some average track to be given them and just hope for the best. What we got instead was 'Wings', an absolute gem of a pop song and a top 3 hit in Australia too. Leona remains the most successful X Factor winner in my chart so it'll be interesting to see how well Little Mix fare over the next couple of years.

PSY has yet to come! Get that Top 10 EOY Hitstastic smash! :wub:

http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa129/Hitstastic/2012/kimbra-warrior.jpg 12. Kimbra feat. Mark Foster & A-Trak - Warrior [#1]

 

I first discovered Kimbra when she was entered into BJSC 34 - the contest I hosted in April 2011 with the track 'Cameo Lover'. However, it was that song with Gotye that changed everything. Earlier this year, Kimbra teamed up with Mark Foster (of Foster The People fame) and Canadian DJ/producer A-Trak and wrote 'Warrior' for the "Three Artists, One Song" series by Converse. It was actually West's personal chart where I first came across this track and entered 'Warrior' into BJSC. It might not have been one of Batidas' most successful entries this year but personally I really like this track. Apparently this was even iTunes free download of the week a few months back but I completely missed that one. :drama:

Warrior and Ode to the Bouncer ruining what would've been a perfect top 20 :P I never got into those in BJSC. I was very disapointed about Warrior considering it had A-Trak co-producing it (yes the same A-Trak who remixed Heads Will Roll and co-produced Barbra Streisand :wub:)