I quite like ready for your love and holding onto heaven is stunning, definitely my favourite foxes song :wub:

Also if I go is amazing, Ella so deserves to break out :wub:

'Holding Onto Heaven' and 'If I Go' really are highlights of the year, aren't they? :heart: Amazing quality countdown so far, can't wait to see more soon!

Thanks Math! I'll be sure to check out yours as well :D

 

Ready For Your Love is LUSH :heart: glad it really smashed, if only Real/Here For You were massive chart hits too :( can't get everyting my way i guess.

 

I love Ella Eyre's voice but her songs don't do too much for me sadly.

 

Holding Onto Heaven (and Let Go For 2nite as well) were quite disappointing efforts from Foxes especially following from Youth and of course the stunning Clarity.

 

Lover Not A Fighter is really poor by Tinie's standards :no: I even muted it on the chart show a few times oops, mostly due to Labrinth's chorus being annoying tbh.

 

Will stay tuned and hope for some more banging tunes~

Doesn't seem like we've a huge amount of common taste but it's always interesting to get different takes on songs and hopefully there'll be a bit more overlap down the line!

 

FOXES! Omfg, she made it :yahoo:, my favorite track from her definitely. One of the best songs this year for me and vastly under-appreciated :(

 

If I go :wub: stunning as well! I really hope Ella can crack success next year (although top 20 singles aren't awful :) )

Yeah definitely not but I'd love to see her get a genuine hit as I love her voice :heart:

 

Looking forward to the rest of this, such high quality already including 'Ready for Your Love' :wub: Loving the commentaries, you articulate everything so well!

 

CFNR to win :cheer:

Appreciate that - it definitely doesn't come naturally and I've struggled a bit to articulate the appeal of certain songs so that's great to hear! CFNR may be in with fighting chance so stay tuned :o

 

Sweet, can't wait to see how much overlap we have! So far Foxes and Aloe Blacc are potentials. They'd end up pretty low for me too, but love 'em both!

 

Hard Work :wub: Very glad you linked me to that. I'm shocked that you've grown tired of Graveyard Whistling!

 

Awesome start :D

Interesting - looking through my list, I'd imagine there's a fair bit of overlap to come :o

 

And yeah, I wouldn't say I'm tired yet of 'Graveyard Whistling' but it unfortunately doesn't have the same appeal it once did due to excessive hammering :/

 

I quite like ready for your love and holding onto heaven is stunning, definitely my favourite foxes song :wub:

Also if I go is amazing, Ella so deserves to break out :wub:

I'm a bit surprised yourself and a few others regard 'Holding Onto Heaven' so highly as I thought it'd be a more unpopular inclusion but that's great to hear!

#90 | Luke James | Dancing In The Dark

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

I have Bal to thank for bringing 'Dancing In The Dark' to my attention, after he entered the sensual R&B jam into BJSC a few months ago. Luke James' layered, breathy vocals and falsetto help to create a warm, atmospheric track exploring the theme of late-night ~dancing~ (SHAGGING). Being in a separate semi-final to D'yermak'er in that particular contest, I made the mistake of listening to the track when I was unable to vote for it and found that it overshadowed and distracted me from almost everything I was supposed to be evaluating :drama:. Anyway, having subsequently been impressed by further songs of his, Luke James will most definitely be an artist I’ll be following closely in 2015.

 

 

#89 | Coldplay | A Sky Full Of Stars

 

UK | 09

Ire | 03

 

The second single from Coldplay’s sixth studio album 'Ghost Stories', 'A Sky Full Of Stars' sees the four-piece in an unlikely collaboration with Swedish supastardeejay, Avicii. As a casual Coldplay fan, I was intrigued by the partnership but initially found it disappointing, dismissing it as generic, trend-chasing and a track which was clearly shoehorned onto an otherwise cohesive album in order to increase its commercial appeal. While I haven’t exactly done a 180° on that verdict, I found that it grew immeasurably on me via passive re-listening over several months, with it gradually revealing its euphoric beauty and eventually cementing itself among the band’s best material.

 

 

#88 | Lana Del Rey | Ultraviolence

 

UK | 105

Ire | -

 

'Ultraviolence', the title track and second UK single from the much–anticipated follow-up to Lana Del Rey's 'Born To Die', is one of those songs that washes over me without really capturing my attention, despite its heavy subject matter. As such, the questionable lyrics, which some critics have said glorify domestic violence, are pretty much irrelevant to my enjoyment of the song. As a whole, I find it mellow, haunting, eerie and somewhat other-worldly, which results in a relaxing and very pleasant listening experience. ^_^

 

 

#87 | Beyoncé | Partition

 

UK | 74

Ire | 57

 

Yo 'Drunk In Love', I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish but 'Partition' is definitely the best single released from Beyoncé's self-titled album (and possibly the best track on the album but I wouldn't know as I still haven’t heard it in full :drama:). The song is about Yoncé politely requesting a bit of privacy from her driver so she can partake in some backseat ~award show preparation~ (SHAGGING). Like 'A Sky Full Of Stars', this took its time to grow on me but I fully appreciate it now for the jam that it is, helped considerably by the excellent video. :o

 

 

#86 | Josef Salvat | Shoot And Run

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

Josef Salvat, possibly my favourite 'new' artist of the year, was introduced to me by Math (who deservedly won BJSC with the singer's 'Open Season', which [*SPOILER* omg] won’t appear in this countdown for another while yet :o). Longtime Salvat fan Bal then led me to the 'In Your Prime' EP, which features the absolutely wonderful 'Shoot And Run'. Similar in many ways to typical Lana Del Rey fare, the track is dark and dramatic throughout, utilises hip-hop beats/instrumentation and begins with a somewhat detached, understated vocal delivery. The highlight for me is definitely the post-chorus 'she shoots and...she shoots and...she...shoots...and...she.........RU-uH-UH-uH-UH-uH-UH...'etc. (anyone who's heard it will hopefully know what I’m talking about cos I can’t describe it any other way!) :unsure:

Edited December 18, 201410 yr by Mistletoahspike

Partition is good but a sky full of stars is horrible :puke2:

 

However Ultraviolence is perfect and definitely one of my favourites this year, it is just so beautiful and stunning :wub:

#85 | Charli XCX | Boom Clap

 

UK | 06

Ire | 08

 

Capitalising on the mainstream success she achieved with her feature on one of the most surprising smash hits of the year, Charli XCX was quick to release solo offering 'Boom Clap', a song which was conveniently part of the soundtrack to the high-profile film adaptaion of 'The Fault In Our Stars'. Despite liking it on first listen, I remember thinking the track was quite dated and amateurish with its Avril Lavigne-esque cheerleader chorus and I assumed it wouldn't do too much commercially. Obviously I was wrong as it turned into a genuinely big hit, helped considerably by its association with the film but also on its own merits as a simple and expressive anthem of young love.

 

 

#84 | Nothing But Thieves | Lover, Please Stay

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

The second and final entry on this countdown from Nothing But Thieves is the stark acoustic ballad 'Lover, Please Stay', a song still without a traceable studio version :arrr:. This is one of the most emotional songs of the year for me – in fact I may have even shed a tear one of the many times I've listened to it :o. Accompanied by a solitary guitar, the band’s lead singer Conor Mason's fragile, quivering vocal in the opening verses gradually develops into a loud, intense cry of desperation for his loved one before returning to a whisper in the song's final moments. I'd imagine this song would destroy you if you’re feeling heartbroken. </3

 

 

#83 | Professor Green ft. Tori Kelly | Lullaby

 

UK | 04

Ire | 58

 

I never thought I'd be counting a Professor Green track as one of the year's best but then his contribution to my enjoyment of 'Lullaby' is minimal. I've always disliked his rapping style and whiny delivery and I pretty much zone out for his verses in this track (although strangely they don't bother me at all) but my attention is definitely captured by Tori Kelly's angelic vocal in the chorus. I was glad to see this do well in the charts (even though it's highly formulaic, structurally uninspired and belongs in 2010) as it's a stunning song and Professor Green seems like a nice enough fella, despite his incessant whining. ^_^

 

 

#82 | One Direction | Night Changes

 

UK | 07

Ire | 14

 

As the second single from One Direction's fourth album, 'Night Changes' is very much representative of the new, matured, soft rock-esque sound of the world-conquering boyb[r]and. A stripped-back ballad with beautiful harmonies throughout, it is lyrically and sonically a cut above the majority of their back-catalogue for me. The video is also very enjoyable if you keep watching beyond the first couple of minutes :o. As an aside, I’m somewhat concerned that I've found myself slowly but surely morphing into a Directioner with the ‘FOUR’ era. :drama:

 

 

#81 | The Magician ft. Years & Years | Sunlight

 

UK | 07

Ire | -

 

The Magician's 'Sunlight', the first of three Years & Years-related tracks to feature in this countdown, was first brought to my attention by the song's noted enthusiast on Buzzjack, SevenSeize, when he entered it into BJSC several months ago. Although I was a fan of it at the time for its effortlessly summery, feel-good production and superb, soaring vocals, it wasn't until it charted in the top 10 in October that it really hit me cos chart validation. It really is quite a ~sick~ tune. :music:

Noah don't turn to the dark side re: 1D :drama:

 

Sunlight is v banging tho and gets the Thermo seal of approval http://s8.postimg.org/kbc3q49sx/seal_of_approval_by_magnaen_d5oa99s.jpg

Sunlight is great (I adore the vocals) and Harry's part on night changes is amazing. I also adore Boom clap, definitely one of my favourite songs from a movie this year :wub:

Night Changes is STUNNING and easily one of my favourite 1D tracks :heart: The whole FOUR album is absolutely wonderful.

Lullaby is easily my favourite of Prof Green's, I've also never been too much of a fan in the past but I cannot deny Tori Kelly's beautiful vocals (and Prof isn't too bad on it either tbf)

 

Excellent chart so far Noah!

:hi: Noah. Catching up ~

 

Very lovely description of 'Dancing in the Dark'. I am glad you were won over by it in such a way, hearing things like that makes BJSC feel SO worthwhile. I too will be keeping an eye out for him next year (aside: a bit of showbiz goss, he is dating Jessie J! Who knew~ :o :mellow:) Yay for Josef Salvat too ofc!

 

'Boom Clap' is still so fab. I have not let my disdain for the album affect my view on it :funky: And finally it's good to see you warming to One Direction (or even looning!), 'FOUR' is a very solid album and the two singles in particular are big highlights. Hope they can keep it coming because i'm a fan too :D

 

 

boom clap is fantastic, i remember being enticed by the first second and kept repeating it for ages. i love the video for some reason too although nothing really happens..

 

sunlight is v nice too, wasn't really keen at all on the ~8 hour version seven sent to bjsc but the radio version really got me dancin'. shame it wasn't released a few months earlier 'cause it would've been one of my summer tunes but instead it felt a bit odd.

 

1d have turned me on their side this era too, i've hated some of their previous stuff namely best song ever and live while we're young but thye've strayed from that and made some very good songs and album. hope they continue with this style

Noah don't turn to the dark side re: 1D :drama:

Gahhh I think it's too late. :blink:

 

(Thanks for the seal :o)

 

Sunlight is great (I adore the vocals) and Harry's part on night changes is amazing. I also adore Boom clap, definitely one of my favourite songs from a movie this year :wub:

Wow, looks like that section got the all-important Ultra-v seal of approval. :yahoo:

 

Night Changes is STUNNING and easily one of my favourite 1D tracks :heart: The whole FOUR album is absolutely wonderful.

 

Excellent chart so far Noah!

Thanks Joseph! Agreed on 'FOUR' - it really surprised me how good it is. If I get around to making an album countdown, it's sure to feature.

 

Very lovely description of 'Dancing in the Dark'. I am glad you were won over by it in such a way, hearing things like that makes BJSC feel SO worthwhile. I too will be keeping an eye out for him next year (aside: a bit of showbiz goss, he is dating Jessie J! Who knew~ :o :mellow:) Yay for Josef Salvat too ofc!

Yeah I'm very glad I joined BJSC for all the great discoveries, many of which were provided by yourself! Re: Jessie J, let's hope he doesn't go to her for musical advice. :drama:

 

boom clap is fantastic, i remember being enticed by the first second and kept repeating it for ages. i love the video for some reason too although nothing really happens..

 

sunlight is v nice too, wasn't really keen at all on the ~8 hour version seven sent to bjsc but the radio version really got me dancin'. shame it wasn't released a few months earlier 'cause it would've been one of my summer tunes but instead it felt a bit odd.

 

1d have turned me on their side this era too, i've hated some of their previous stuff namely best song ever and live while we're young but thye've strayed from that and made some very good songs and album. hope they continue with this style

It appears I'm not alone and there are many recent 1D converts on here :o. Cheers for your comments!

Edited December 20, 201410 yr by Mistletoahspike

#80 | OneRepublic | I Lived

 

UK | 29

Ire | 44

 

I'm not usually a fan of motivational, inspirational, grab-life-by-the-balls anthems but OneRepublic's 'I Lived' manages to get the carpe diem message across effectively as part of a very enjoyable track that doesn't feel in any way patronising. Ryan Teddar has proven time and time again that he knows his way around a decent melody and this song is no exception, with catchy, pounding verses leading to a euphoric, uplifting and thus thematically-fitting chorus. As soon as I heard some of the lyrics I was immediately reminded of Beyoncé's 'I Was Here' and upon discovering that Tedder had a hand in writing that song I can only conclude, dear readers, that some ~recycling~ has occurred :o. For instance, 'I Was Here' features lines such as 'I want to say I lived each day until I died' and 'I lived, I loved/I was here/I did, I've done everything that I wanted' while 'I Lived' is all 'I, I did it all/I owned every second that this world could give' etc. (I don't exactly know where I'm going with this but the similarity may be mildly interesting to someone, idk!)

 

 

#79 | will.i.am ft. Cody Wise | It’s My Birthday

 

UK | 01

Ire | 25

 

Beyhold perhaps my guiltiest and most pleasurable guilty pleasure of the year :o. This track is a bop-and-a-half and the sooner we all admit this to ourselves, the better.

 

 

#78 | Katy Perry | This Is How We Do

 

UK | 33

Ire | 31

 

Speaking of bops :banana:, the fifth (and final?) single released from Katy Perry's third album, 'Prism', is the infectious, comical and very fun 'This Is How We Do'. I remember this song sticking in my head more than any other when I checked out the album last year (and I also immediately thought it was very much 'Last Friday Night' 2.0 in a similar way to how 'Dark Horse' is a bit of a rehash of 'E.T.'). With somewhat cringe-worthy spoken ad libs, a detached vocal delivery throughout and off-beat lyrics which reference ping-pong, tacos and Mariah Carey-oke, the song clearly doesn't take itself seriously and as such, is perfectly suited for parties and celebrations. The video is perhaps my favourite of Katy's - a real feast for the eyes that's highly re-watchable.

 

 

#77 | London Grammar | Hey Now

 

UK | 37

Ire | -

 

One of my favourite British acts to emerge in the last couple of years, London Grammar continued the commercial success that they achieved with their debut album into 2014, with post-album single 'Hey Now' surprisingly reaching the Top 40 (for two whole weeks, no less :o). 'Hey Now' is lyrically sparse and, at least for me, doesn't exactly convey much as to its theme or meaning. However, the haunting, surging vocal runs of Hannah Reid are more than enough for me to appreciate the track's immense beauty and ensure I return to it again and again.

 

 

#76 | M.O | Dance On My Own

 

UK | 49

Ire | -

 

Reaching #38 in the UK sales chart in August, M.O's 'Dance On My Own' was one of the first 'victims' of streaming, having to settle for a #49 debut/peak officially. Featuring strong, feisty vocals over a ~sick~, bangin' beat, 'Dance On My Own' is throwback girl group R&B at its best. I was gutted it narrowly missed out on a Top 40 placing as it would be so refreshing to hear more tracks like this in the charts. Aside: one of the members of the group is an absolute dead ringer for Jessie Ware. :o

Edited December 20, 201410 yr by Mistletoahspike

Hmmm, contrasting songs there.

 

Not here for 'It's My Birthday' and 'This Is How We Do' should NOT have been a single, especially considering another song on the album...

 

The other three are all ones that I forgot to put in my own EOY :drama: I'm not very good with remembering to put in post-album singles and that M.O. song had vanished from my memory, I'd even forgot to chart it at the time oops! A really refreshing throwback sound.

Edited December 20, 201410 yr by Reindeer Froot

yes it's my birthday took a while to grow but it's such a jam now. love the video concept and execution too.

 

hey now is probably my favourite track from if you wait, absolutely stunning. what a voice *-*

The other three are all ones that I forgot to put in my own EOY :drama: I'm not very good with remembering to put in post-album singles and that M.O. song had vanished from my memory, I'd even forgot to chart it at the time oops! A really refreshing throwback sound.

Oh, I know the feeling. In fact, I was looking at your chart and realised there were songs I hadn't even considered which may well have made mine. :drama:

 

Good that there was stuff you like anyway. I've a feeling you may be a fan of #75 at least. :o

 

hey now is probably my favourite track from if you wait, absolutely stunning. what a voice *-*

Same here I think, and yeah her voice is stunning. :heart:

#75 | Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars | Uptown Funk

 

UK | 01

Ire | 01

 

Kicking off my top 75 songs of the year is a large dollop of retro FUNK in the form of Mark Ronson's Bruno Mars-featuring soon-to-be-if-not-already ubiquitous throwback comeback track 'Uptown Funk' :funky:. From the opening lines (about Michelle Pfeiffer's white gold or something??? Meh, who cares :music:), it's very clear we have a gigantic out-and-out banger on our hands. Possibly the most instantly impactful and infectious track I've heard this year, it brings all of the best sonic and lyrical elements of 70's disco funk to the present day while sounding effortlessly fresh and unique. I love when an undeniable smash hit like this comes along and seemingly manages to unite music lovers of hugely varying backgrounds. I'm also very glad I'm a fan and not nearly tired of it (yet) as I know it'll be inescapable for the next several months at the very least. :drama:

 

 

#74 | Hopium ft. Phoebe Lou | Dreamers

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

For better or worse, Hopium's 'Dreamers' has really spoken to me from the first time I heard it. The hazy, dreamy (for want of a more inspired word :arrr:) production juxtaposes Hopium's harsh, direct words for the song's subject: 'You said this would be your year/But you f***ed around, now December's here/You must be one of the dreamers'. As someone who has an unhealthy tendency toward procrastination, I actively avoided listening to 'Dreamers' in the few weeks before my uni assignment deadlines this month as it was all just a little too close to home! Anyway, now all of that's out of the way I can return to fully appreciating this gem of a song, the Unknown Sound Edit of which gave me my second hit in BJSC a couple of months ago. :D

 

 

#73 | The Script | Superheroes

 

UK | 03

Ire | 01

 

'Superheroes' is very much a case of 'if it ain't broke...', both based on its commercial performance and with regard to my personal opinion of the track. The Script returned this year with a typically ~inspirational~ lead single complete with a video featuring a touching story to pull at our heartstrings and I have no shame in saying I lapped it all up from the off! The song definitely doesn't show any musical progression on the part of the Dublin trio but as long as they continue to produce catchy, well sung, enjoyable songs like 'Superheroes', I'm not particularly bothered. Having said that, I was very surprised (despite good radio support for the song) that it stuck around high in the charts for so long and that their schtick seems to be as popular as ever. :o

 

 

#72 | Pearl | Not Enough

 

UK | -

Ire | -

 

This song is far too ~underground~ for Youtube so I've had to use a soundcloud link #hipsterlife :drama: (doesn't work quite so well following The Script but I'm gonna roll with it). In July, White Room Records released 'Open', an album credited to Pearl (an actual person or a 'project' - I'm still unsure) which features the gorgeous slow jam 'Not Enough'. This track is a thing of utter beauty, with subtle, whispery, layered vocals and harmonies creating a wonderfully relaxing, almost spiritual piece of music which I've found makes perfect listening for winding down at the end of a long day. I considered entering this into BJSC but figured it would most certainly flop which would hurt my heart too much. </3

 

 

#71 | Shakira ft. Rihanna | Can’t Remember To Forget You

 

UK | 11

Ire | 07

 

It seems the general consensus on 'Can't Remember To Forget You', one of the most anticipated collaborations of the year (with the most annoying title of forever :arrr:), was that it was a disappointment, with a particularly lacklustre and underwhelming chorus. Certainly it underperfomed in the UK charts, relative to the artist names involved, peaking at #11 and falling pretty fast (albeit with a strong boost from the duo's sex tape official music video release). I never quite got the criticism. From Shakira's indistinguishable first verse to Rihanna's 'I'd give my last arm to hold you tonight' :huh:, (I've just realised it's 'dime' but it definitely sounds like 'arm') it's all a bit of a jam really. It also led to

and for that I will always be grateful.

 

I absolutely adore Can't Remember To Forget You. Rihanna maybe could be a bit better but Shakira sounds absolutely stunning on it :wub:

Uptown Funk is amazing and so catchy, it is nice to hear such a fresh and great track :wub:

Yay for the Sunlight inclusion!

 

good placing for the v funky Uptown Funk :music:

 

good placing for the v funky Uptown Funk :music:

Not good enough -_-

good placing for the v funky Uptown Funk :music:

 

I agree, Uptown Funk is very funky :funky: