Another stellar year for electronic/dance/pop music (in the main) and a disproportionate amount of flame-haired females.

 

Here goes...

ooops sorry this is in the wrong forum, I apologise, please feel free to move to the end of year charts forum!

40_KOVE/MELISSA STEEL_THE WAY WE ARE

No thrills slab of chunky retro house and fronted by a one-to-watch for 2015.

 

 

39_TINKARA KORAV_ROUND AND ROUND

Eurovision '14 was an avalanche of injustice (more of them later...), this Balkan beauty lacked the pyros and bravado of Conchita but this is one of the growers of the contest I kept going back to again and again after the month of May.

 

 

38_REDLIGHT_90'S BABY

And another 90s pastiche, this time stripping out the treble and whacking up the bass to shake a small town. Blindin!

 

 

37_DUKE DUMONT_WON'T LOOK BACK

Black Box "Ride On Time" given a makeover for 2014. Not quite as chart-hogging as it's inspiration, but a worthy number two hit for the London-based house maestro.

 

 

36_ED SHEERAN_THINKING OUT LOUD (ALEX ADAIR MIX)

Summer-tinged laid back house grooves backdropped 2014. Here, Alex Adairs mix turns a predictable Sheeran sickly snooze-fest into something you can listen to without vomiting.

 

 

35_GORGON CITY FEATURING ZAK ABEL_UNMISSABLE

Zak Abel is skinny lad but with not the lungs to match. Combining the songwriting wizardry of Jimmy Napes and Gorgon Citys' irresistable production made this just a little unmissable.

 

 

34_HOT NATURED_BENEDICTION

So technically this is 2012 but the ongoing revival of the 90s house saw this get a well deserved second bite of the chart cherry.

 

 

33_PALOMA FAITH_CAN'T RELY ON YOU (MK REMIX)

OK Paloma, how about making a whole album of house anthems? MK's dub-like vocals and nagging piano loop turned an already fine track into a barrage of piano house yummy-ness.

 

 

32_MEI FINEGOLD_SAME HEART

This will mean absolutely nothing to those outside the Eurovision bubble (or otherwise known as normal, rational people). When the feisty Mei failed to make the finals, the entire gay community of Europe combusted.

 

 

31_FKA TWIGS_TWO WEEKS

From Eurovision failures to Mercury Music Prize nominations. And who said I wasn't eclectic? Perhaps the most intriguing artist of the year.

 

Edited January 1, 201510 yr by ScottyEm

30_GORGON CITY FEATURING MNEK_READY FOR YOUR LOVE

Two of the emerging talents of 2014 get together for one of house musics most hedonistic house anthems - and a Top 5 hit to boot.

 

 

29_HELENA PAPARIZOU_SURVIVOR

Not content with Eurovision Semi Finals, hows about National Finals? Sweden's 6 week running national final to find their Eurovision entry (yes, really) hurled a gem in the shape of Euro veteran, the very Swedish sounding Miss Paparizou. So far removed from 2014, but so catchy.

 

 

28_SHIFT K3Y_TOUCH

It wasn't just the early 90s piano house that was dusted off for a new generation, the speed garage sound of the late 90s was revitalised by a london based Teenager. If only he could come close to matching this...

 

 

27_GORGON CITY FEATURING LAURA WELSH_HERE FOR YOU

Few tracks captured the sound of summer like "Here For You". Equally beautiful video to match too.

 

 

26_JESS GLYNNE_RIGHT HERE (ORIGINAL/SKREAM MIX)

One of the voices of 2014 for sure. The original is a breezy retro jam which pays homage to Acid Jazz, on the flipside was the menacing Skream remix which takes "Right Here" into a completely different stratosphere.

 

 

25_JAMIE XX_GIRL

One half of The XX goes it alone. Using a snippet of 80s electro classic IOU from Freeez and laying over a dark, hypnotic groove which I kept going back to for more.

 

 

24_DISCLOSURE FEATURING FRIEND WITHIN_THE MECHANISM

While we all sit and wait patiently for the second album, "The Mechanism" was a lovely, squelchy, noisy distraction. Thinking Mr Oizo beefed up for 2014.

 

 

23_CHRIS MALINCHAK FEATURING MIKKY EKKO_STRANGER

May I ask, why wasn't this absolutely huge? Honestly...

 

 

22_MOLLY_CHILDREN OF THE UNIVERSE

Here we go, the sporting injustice of 2014 people. BBC gave one this year and sent unknown songstress Molly with the compelling "Children Of The Universe". 17th place and I'm still searching for answers on the result, but at least we could wave the UK flag with pride in the knowledge we secretly had the best song this year.

 

 

21_DUKE DUMONT FEATURING JAX JONES_I GOT U

And I thought the chunky house groove of 100% could not be beaten, Dumont outstrips it with the Whitney-sampling I Got U. Summer had arrived.

 

 

20-11 coming soon...

We have a separate forum for these, so moving this for you :D

ta muchly ^_^

20_CALVIN HARRIS FEATURING JOHN NEWMAN_BLAME

If "Summer" proved disappointing, Harris quickly salvaged the trashy season-themed hit with the guitar bending "Blame".

 

 

19_TIEKS FEATURING CELESTE_SING THAT SONG

And so the 90s house revival continued. Radio 1 playtime and a Tesco advert couldn't convince enough of joe public to dump this high in the Top 40, but for me it gets a well deserved place in my end of year top 40.

 

 

18_CLEAN BANDIT FEATURING JESS GLYNNE_RATHER BE

When one million music buyers get it so right. "Rather Be" was one of those rare instances when we unite in the belief of one song. Penned by Jimmy Napes (him again), this will easily see him into retirement before the age of 35. But let's not talk about those follow up singles eh?

 

 

17_YEARS AND YEARS_DESIRE

Electronic hipster outfit Years and Years off to a flyer with this melancholic fuzzy electro gem. A lot resting on this inevitable 2015 album.

 

 

16_MICHAEL JACKSON FEATURING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE_LOVE NEVER SO GOOD

Post-humous recordings are, at best, average. And given said artist has made anything decent for a considerable amount of years, this retro-speckled single was surprisingly like something straight from the "Off The Wall" album. Sublime.

 

 

15_JESSIE WARE_TOUGH LOVE

A tough follow up, actually. "Tough Love" doesn't intend to live up to anything from her amazing Devotion album, but instead gets on it with it. Here is a wonderful introducer to her impressive second album, a bit like Cyndi Lauper and Princes' lovechild.

 

 

14_MNEK-WROTE A SONG ABOUT YOU

At the tender age of 19, MNEK has also secured two penned number one hits. Here is his solo offering, sounding like it was made in 1992 (two years before his birth, bizarrely). A bit of Jon Secado, Ce Ce Peniston and Lisa Stansfield blended in, if you please, make a slick, chunky soulful house track which really deserved far more recognition.

 

 

13_SAM SMITH_LIKE I CAN

I vividly remember saying how by the end of 2014, we'll be suffering from Sam Smith fatigue. Well... ;)

"In The Lonely Hour" is so dripped in emotion, it can warm up even the coolest of hearts. "Like I Can" is the money shot, with its knock-out vocal and soaring chorus.

 

 

12_INDIANA_SOLO DANCING

Little Boots, I hope you're taking notes.

 

 

11_WANKELMUT FEATURING EMMA LOUISE_MY HEAD IS A JUNGLE (MK REMIX)

Sounding like it was made in 1993, MK does another Storm Queen and takes a very unsuspected Emma Louise kicking and screaming to the white isle. Granted, "...Jungle" has been doing the rounds for a while, but 2014 finally saw this quirky piano house gem dumped high in the charts.

 

 

 

And the final ten...

 

 

10_JESSIE WARE_SAY YOU LOVE ME

Fond memories seeing her live at Manchester Cathedral. Co-written by Ed Sheeran, Ware takes centre-stage. No vocal reverbs or production gimmicks - Say You Love Me is almost completely acoustic. Gorgon City also do a sterling job on the remixing front too.

 

 

09_KIESZA_NO ENEMIEZ

Ah-Woooooooh! Here we get taken back to 1993 (we've rarely left this year actually), for a sonic-fuelled barrage of hooks, bleepy keyboards and a breakdown to die for.

 

 

08_BECKY HILL_LOSING

Paying her dues as guest vocalist, Miss Hill goes it alone. "Losing" was the big hit that never was. The Top 40 is a very elusive place for which Becky will know only too well.

 

 

07_TENSNAKE/NILE ROGERS_LOVE SUBLIME

Incase "Get Lucky" grated after a few listens (it did), "Love Sublime" was another opportunity to hear Nile and his disco swagger. This is what Chic would've sounded like in 2014. Sublime, indeed.

 

 

06_ROUTE 94 FEATURING JESS GLYNNE_MY LOVE

The deep house revival last year was on the brink of rupturing to the surface and here arrived it's queen - "My Love" gets under your skin and refuses to leave. By the end of March, Jess had already bagged two number one hits. Wowzers!

 

 

05_KIESZA_GIANT IN MY HEART

The nightmare scenario of following up something as monumental as Hideaway was borderline impossible. Thankfully, "Giant In My Heart" doesn't hold back on the 90s revival sound, taking inspiration from Crystal Waters 91 hit "Gypsy Woman" and creating one of the heartbreak anthems of the year.

 

 

04_GORGON CITY FEATURING JENNIFER HUDSON_GO ALL NIGHT

A barrage of pianos, diva vocals and a hook big enough to hang a disco ball on. Why hasn't Miss Hudson hasn't lended her thick soulful vocals on a house track before? She may have found her niche.

 

 

03_TOVE LO_HABITS (STAY HIGH) (HIPPIE SABOTAGE REMIX)

Remember when Robyn unleashed "With Every Heartbeat"? "Habits (Stay High)" rekindled that feeling again - an icy, nordic ballad rinsed in heartbreak and emotion which never fails to get the hairs on the neck upright.

 

 

02_KATY B_CRYING FOR NO REASON

Katy B has always been great. No bravado, diva-style antics - all about the music. Hot on heels of the ace "5am", "Crying For No Reason" is a complete departure of early morning clubbing, but instead this is heartbreak for the dancefloor. CFNR builds and builds and when you can't think it can get much better, THAT outro at the end. In any other year, this would've clinched my track of the year, however, another red head proved to be a one hurdle too much...

 

 

01_KIESZA_HIDEAWAY

So, no major surprise really. The rundown has been a catalogue of 90s-style house anthems and to top it off with "Hideaway" seemed so right. I'll never forget seeing the video for the first time - slightly odd on first glance. But then after five listens, I was hooked. Tune of the year, video of the year, artist of the year etc etc and whoever invented that bassline deserves every award going. Given the relative commercial failure of everything else that followed, but "Hideaway" will forever capture the sound of 2014.