It's nearly December, and you know what that means? That's right, it's time for my 7th annual list of my top 50 songs of the year, which in this instance is 2014. Which song will find it's place on the wall of fame, joining my favourite songs of the past few years? Past list toppers have been:

 

2008. Vampire Weekend - A Punk

2009. Empire of the Sun - Walking on a Dream

2010. French Horn Rebellion vs Database - Beaches & Friends.

2011. The Vaccines - Norgaard

2012. The Asteroid's Galaxy Tour - Heart Attack

2013. Public Service Broadcasting - Signal 30

 

And last year, the top 10 went a little bit like this:

1. Public Service Broadcasting - Signal 30
2. We Were Evergreen - Leeway
3. Suede - It Starts and Ends With You
4. Swim Deep - King City
5. John Grant - Black Belt
6. London Grammar - Strong
7. Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
8. Kodaline - High Hopes
9. A Plastic Rose - This Side of Winter
10. Step Rockets - Kisser

And to satiate your appetite, here's a few hints as to who will feature in this countdown:

- 1 song topped the UK chart

- 11 songs are from artists from Northern Ireland

- 11 songs made the UK top 75 (but only one of them didn't breach the top 40)

- 12 artists featured have appeared in at least one end-of-year countdown since records began in 2008. Two of them are making the list for the 4th year, equaling the record set by Vampire Weekend last year.

 

So stay tunes to see what will top this year's Best of Brett.

#50

Rather Be

Clean Bandit ft Jess Glynne

 

 

Album: New Eyes

 

Kicking off the top 50 is our only chart-topper, but it’s a real doozy. When Clean Bandit released the bizarre dance-meets-orchestral “Mozarts House” back in 2013, it seemed quite bizarre to think that they’d release one of the biggest selling singles of the next year. Yet “Rather Be” did that, with a more accessible sound (whilst still keeping the strings), and great guest vocals from Jesse Glynne, who’s gone on to have lots of other hits this year with CB, other artists, and under her own name. It might have got somewhat monotonous giving its near ubiquity in the chart this year, but it’s still a class, class single.

 

Previous chart positions:

2013 Mozart’s House (Clean Bandit only) - #45

 

#49

Let’s Dance (Yak Inek Unek)

Ibibio Sound Machine

 

 

Album: Ibibio Sound Machine

 

Ibibio Sound Machine mix Nigerian folk music with Western funk and dance sensibilities, the best demonstrator of this being their single “Let’s Dance (Yak Inek Unek)", which is sung in both English and Ibibio (a language native to Nigeria). Not the more instant song you’ll hear all year, but lovely all the same.

 

Rather Be was good but not Clem Bandits best I don't think and for me I'm sure that stems from how commercial it seemed after Mozart's House. Real Love is gorgeous though!

#48

After The Storm

Andrew Montgomery

 

 

Album: Ruled By Dreams

 

Ex-frontman of Britpop also-rans Geneva, Andrew Montgomery finally gave us his long awaited debut solo album in 2014, and taken from it was “After The Storm”, a song that shows that even after all these years, his voice is as fresh and emotional and ever, only needing minimal backing to ascend over us all.

 

Rather be is so good. Jess vocals and Bandits production is fantastic :wub:

#47

Gimme Chocolate!!

BABYMETAL

 

 

Album: Babymetal

 

For years, I’ve been crying out for a band that mixes the sweetness of J-pop with the harshness of death metal, and in 2014 my prayers were answered in the form of Japanese trio Babymetal. Their song “Gimme Chocolate!!” picked up a lot of Radio 1 love, despite it being the most gloriously bonkers song to be committed to record in 2014.

oh this is a brilliant start! two former #1s on my chart with 'Rather Be' and 'Gimme Chocolate!!' and the great 'Let's Dance' <3

 

#46

Blud

Soak

 

 

Album: N/A (yet)

 

Derry lass Bridie Monds-Watson, aka Soak, has been Northern Ireland’s shining star since we fell in love with her back in 2012, and 2014 is when the rest of the world started to sit up and take notice of her. It all started with “Blud”, which was released on Chvrches’ record label, which saw Soak sing about teenage angst so succinctly and wonderfully. If she’s not a global sensation in 2015, I will be a very sad panda.

 

Previous chart positions

2012 Sea Creatures - #18

 

#45

Second In Line

PORTS

 

Click here for a link to the song

 

Album: Race With The Tide E.P

 

At the start of 2014, Derry quartet Little Bear were forced to change their name due to a copyright issue, and instead decided to go with the name PORTS instead (why they went for something less distinctive is anyone’s guess). Regardless, they still kept the tunes going this year, with the highlight being “Second In Line”, a track that they decided to leave off their forthcoming debut album. And if this is what isn’t on it, what is will be pure gold indeed. It’s a jaunty folksy song for people who like Mumford & Sons, but can’t bear (pun unintentional) to tell anybody.

 

Previous chart positions:

2013 Killer (as Little Bear) - #49

 

#44

My Type

Saint Motel

 

 

Album: My Type E.P

 

“My Type” by LA band Saint Motel was one of the few indie-ish songs to scrape the UK Top 40 in 2014, but it sure was a welcome one. The song rose to prominence after featuring in an advert for phones4u (who went bust whilst the ad the song featured in was running), and is a horn-led funky number which harks back to the heady days of Franz Ferdinand.

#43

Better Off As Friends

Malibu Shark Attack!

 

 

Album: Malibu Shark Attack

 

BJSC floppage time. Malibu Shark Attack is a collaboration between NI producer and former Oppenheimer member Rocky O’Reilly and American rapper Tribe One. Their song “Better Off As Friends” tackles the subject of fans who can’t let go when they favourite bands split up and go onto different projects. A bit odd, but rather brilliant, especially that dreamy chorus.

 

#42

Midsommar

The Corner Laughers

 

 

Album: N/A

 

Up next with some lovely summery indie-pop from the princess & princes of twee, California’s Corner Laughers. “Midsommar” is an ode to the pagan solstice, and is an absolutely gorgeous, sumptuous piece of music. Just listen to that double-tracked guitar solo, such brilliance.

 

#41

eez-eh

Kasabian

 

 

Album: 48:13

 

There’s always been an electronic element to Kasabian’s musical output, going all the way back to their debut album, but with the lead single for their 5th studio album, the band pushed it firmly to the forefront in lieu of the usual guitars. “eez-eh” may suffer from daft lyrics and a little inanity, but it is still a brilliant and urgent single from the band nonetheless.

 

Previous chart positions

2009 Underdog - #48

 

Oh, I'm going to have to comment for Babymetal! Beautiful, beautiful creation of a track. So very lovely to see it here, although now I think about it, not too surprised that it is. Better Off As Friends is a great and interesting track as well, some of the most well-judged lyrics of the year in there, and eez-eh and Rather Be are among the best of mainstream music this year.

Thanks to SevenSeize, Eyes, JSG, Ultraviolence and everyone else who's read/commented on the first ten in the countdown. Be assured that there's lots more quality to come in the next forty.

I adore eez-eh, one of my favourite ever Kasabian songs. My type is also really good :wub:

#40

Boom

The Wood Burning Savages

 

 

Album: Boom E.P

 

Up next we have some more quality Derry music, in this case The Wood Burning Savages. Tom Robinson has called them one of the best live bands in the country, and rightly so. Of the two singles they’ve given us this year, the highlight has been “Boom”, a face-meltingly powerful, politically charged rock track.

 

#39

Vantaag (One Day)

Bakermat

 

 

Album: N/A

 

Who would have thought that 2014 would be the year of sax-house? Of the saxophone led dance tracks to be hits this year, one of the best to emerge was Bakermat’s “Vantaag (One Day)”. Based around a vocal sample of Martin Luther King, it’s a very powerful, yet infectious track. Plus, it goes to show that spoken word tracks can still make the chart, which will bode well for Public Service Broadcasting next year (hopefully).

 

#38

We Are Chemicals

We Are Aerials

 

 

Album: Voeckler

 

This would appear to be the most obscure song in the top 50, but well deserving of its place. Conor McAteer released his 3rd album under his We Are Aerials name this year to little fanfare, even in his native Derry, which is a real pity, as “We Are Chemicals” is one of the loveliest piano ballads to be released all year. Just wonderful.