For the last month you have been voting for your inaugural favourite hit that missed that top 20 last year and we now have our results! :cheer:

 

Thanks to all 38 participants who voted in this final round (and to all others whom may have voted in preceding rounds).

 

Full final results:

 

1. Lorde - Team [150]

2. HAIM - If I Could Change Your Mind [130]

3. Lana Del Rey - West Coast [118]

4. Milky Chance - Stolen Dance [113]

5. Years & Years - Desire [111]

6. Beyoncé - XO [107]

7. Charli XCX - Break The Rules [101]

8. London Grammar - Hey Now [94]

9. Kiesza - No Enemiesz [94]

10. Katy Perry - This Is How We Do [94]

11. Saturdays - What Are You Waiting For? [89]

12. Jessie Ware - Tough Love [85]

13. Molly - Children Of The Universe [84]

14. Chase & Status (feat. Jacob Banks) - Alive [78]

15. Fifth Harmony - BO$$ [77]

16. Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me [76]

17. Shift K3Y - I Know [70]

18. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. ScHoolboy Q & Hollis) - White Walls [65]

19. DJ Snake & Lil Jon - Turn Down For What [64]

20. Chris Malinchak - If U Got It [62]

21. David Guetta & Showtek (feat. Vassy) - Bad [62]

22. Vic Mensa - Down On My Luck [57]

23. Raleigh Ritchie - Stronger Than Ever [55]

24. Nicki Minaj - Pills N Potions [54]

Edited February 8, 201510 yr by Dobbo

24. Nicki Minaj - Pills N Potions

 

Score: 54

 

 

Peak: 31

Top 40 weeks: 2

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 13

Highest score: +10 - darkstar79

 

Average score per voter: 4.15 (23rd)

Average score overall: 1.42

 

 

So out first it's Nicki Minaj with lead single from third album The Pinkprint. This was a bit of a change in direction for her after her previous era but it's a decent track and was nice to hear something different, though I did much prefer her Roman Reloaded singles. I'm a bit surprised this finished last here (albeit only just) but it did come through its group in 7th place and faced much sterner opposition this time.

Edited February 7, 201510 yr by Dobbo

Great to see Pills N Potions in the top 24 :cheer: must better than the abomination that is Anaconda :drama:

West Coast to win :cheer:

23. Raleigh Ritchie - Stronger Than Ever

 

Score: 55

 

 

Peak: 30

Top 40 weeks: 2

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 15

Highest score: +8 - RobinJuanPersie

 

Average score per voter: 3.67 (24th)

Average score overall: 1.45

 

 

Just avoiding last place it's singer & actor Raleigh Ritchie with debut single Stronger Than Ever. I was surprised to see this take off and make an impact on the top 40, most likely due to fans of the Game Of Thrones series. It's an alright track for what it's worth but not something I'd personally want to rush back into listening again. This was one of only two tracks to not receive a higher vote than +8 but it did manage 15 votes in total, hinting that a lot of people like it but not completely love love love it. It gives it the lowest average score per voter but the extra couple of votes it did get just edged it ahead of Pills N Potions in terms of overall score.

Glad Raleigh avoided last place. Pills N Potions is rather forgettable, though clearly the wooden spoon should've gone to Bo$$ or This is How We Do :puke:

 

Think the winner might be either Lana or The Saturdays, though I'm not certain really~

22. Vic Mensa - Down On My Luck

 

Score: 57

 

 

Peak: 37

Top 40 weeks: 1

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 9

Highest score: +10 - Abdul Fareek, ETH▲N & SevenSeize

 

Average score per voter: 6.33 (4th)

Average score overall: 1.5

 

 

Up next it's American artist Vic Mensa with debut release Down On My Luck. I remember this being reasonably well hyped (particularly on here) pre-release but it ultimately limped in just inside the top 40 for a solitary week. This is one of the few songs in this final I don't see the appeal for at all sadly. The production is good and the track has a nice flow to it but the annoying stop-starty vocals in the verses put me right off it. It received the fewest number of votes of all the tracks here but given its average score per voter ranked it as high as 4th overall shows that the ones that did vote for it rated it very highly. Additionally, only two songs received more +10's than this one.

Edited February 7, 201510 yr by Dobbo

21. David Guetta & Showtek (feat. Vassy) - Bad

 

Score: 62

 

 

Peak: 22

Top 40 weeks: 5

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 13

Highest score: +9 - ► ▲ N & Dobbo

 

Average score per voter: 4.77 (19th)

Average score overall: 1.63

 

 

Just missing the top 20 (although level on points with 20th) it's David Guetta with good friends Showtek & vocalist Vassy and their collaboration Bad. It served as the second single from Guetta's album Listen following Shot Me Down. Although it just missed out on the top 20 it did have a respectably long run in the top 75 thereafter. Now I really love this track, understandably it has its critics with the "typical" Guetta drop and the chipmunk-like, auto-tuned vocals but it's an absolute stormer in the clubs and I personally love the impactful breakdown in this. Showtek's touch is always a strong aspect on any track and they've also collaborated with Guetta on two other tracks on Listen (I'd recommend a "Listen" to Sun Goes Down :)). I'm quite surprised this made the final at all though so it's a bonus to see it avoiding the bottom 3. P.S. if anyone wanted a more accurate representation of Vassy's vocals go and listen to Today by Scooter :D

Edited February 7, 201510 yr by Dobbo

20. Chris Malinchak - If U Got It

 

Score: 62

 

 

Peak: 23

Top 40 weeks: 1

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 10

Highest score: +10 - ► ▲ N

 

Average score per voter: 6.2 (6th)

Average score overall: 1.63

 

 

Kicking off the top 20 we have Chris Malinchak with his follow-up to massive 2013 #2 debut smash So Good To Me. This track is pleasant enough and I like the laid-back approach but for me it leans a little on the boring side and is just a much weaker version of said debut single. That said, it removed his one-hit wonder tag and he was then to be denied a third top 40 single later in the year due to streaming. Much like Down On My Luck this didn't receive many votes (the second lowest number of) but had a high average per those that did vote for it so it struck a strong chord with several voters.

 

Note: Finishes above Bad due to receiving a +10 score.

19. DJ Snake & Lil Jon - Turn Down For What

 

Score: 64

 

 

Peak: 23

Top 40 weeks: 7

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 15

Highest score: +8 - Riser

 

Average score per voter: 4.27 (22nd)

Average score overall: 1.68

 

 

Continuing the run of dance tracks out next it's DJ Snake & Lil Jon which the much more in-your-face Turn Down For What. This had a slow rise to success on both sides of the Atlantic and had one of the highest number of weeks top 40 of all the tracks in this final. A very marmitey record for sure but I fall much more on the "love" side. It's just a banger and a thoroughly enjoyable tune (particularly when "slightly" intoxicated :lol:). Looking past Lil Jon's rather uninhibited vocals this is actually a very well produced trap song, helping to bring the sub-genre to a more mainstream light. This was also co-produced by Tchami (who is now having chart smashes of his own). This was the only other track along with Stronger Than Ever to not pick up a higher vote than +8, but with 15 votes in total it had quite a few fans.

Bad and If U Got It are far too low :angry:

 

Bad in particular missing the top 20 was quite strange especially after Shot Me Down going to #4, although the great chart run made up for that.

Raleigh's track is pretty good :D

I quite liked Down On My Luck at first, but it wore of soon after :mellow:

Bad isn't bad (:kink:) but Guetta has done better in previous years. I hope he returns to his NBTB era style again :please:

I have an odd love for If U Got It :cheer: even though it's nothing special, I think it's really good and pleasant to hear :unsure:

And being a fan of electronic music, I quite like Turn Down For What :cheer:

I cannot believe how low Vic Mensa, David Guetta, Chris Malinchak & DJ Snake are... disaster! :angry:

18. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (feat. ScHoolboy Q & Hollis) - White Walls

 

Score: 65

 

 

Peak: 26

Top 40 weeks: 4

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 12

Highest score: +10 - Riser

 

Average score per voter: 5.42 (15th)

Average score overall: 1.71

 

 

In 18th place it's Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with fourth release from their collaborative album The Heist. After 3 top tens they couldn't quite extend the run with this track. This is easily my least favourite track in the final, it just does nothing for me. Hollis' vocals are incredibly irritating on this as well which doesn't help things considering they serve as the hook. Their four hits have been up and down so far for me (in that specific order too). Interestingly this finished well below Turn Down For What in terms of points in the Group stages but comes out ahead of it here.

17. Shift K3Y - I Know

 

Score: 70

 

 

Peak: 25

Top 40 weeks: 2

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 12

Highest score: +9 - scratchy23

 

Average score per voter: 5.83 (11th)

Average score overall: 1.84

 

 

Another dance track next, Shift K3Y with his second release following debut & #3 single Touch. This is a really great track and although I loved both his releases last year, this one just edged it for me. Touch in itself did surprisingly well (and it was great to hear some garage back in the charts) so I was expecting something similar in terms of performance from this record but sadly it didn't reach the level of its predecessor. Only 12 voters for this but it managed a respectable 70 points so there were a few other fans of this gem :D

Another two great songs there :music:

16. Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me

 

Score: 76

 

 

Peak: 22

Top 40 weeks: 3

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 16

Highest score: +10 - AaronTM

 

Average score per voter: 4.75 (20th)

Average score overall: 2

 

 

After a long run of lead male artists up next it's Jessie Ware with second release from her second album Tough Love. She is the only act with two songs in this final (with title track yet to come). For me this is far superior to Tough Love (the track) and its chart performance rightly reflected that. Co-written with Ed Sheeran (see, he can do some good stuff!) this is a strong ballad and was critically lauded upon release. This track had the highest number of votes we've seen so far so there were fans with varying degrees of love for it.

15. Fifth Harmony - BO$$

 

Score: 77

 

 

Peak: 21

Top 40 weeks: 1

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 13

Highest score: +10 - RobinJuanPersie

 

Average score per voter: 5.92 (9th)

Average score overall: 2.03

 

 

Kicking off the top 15 it's US girl group Fifth Harmony with lead single from debut major release Reflection. This rose to prominence here from their performance on the X Factor which saw it surge into the charts, ultimately to be denied a top 20 hit due to streaming. This is a really catchy track with a feisty beat and strong hook, definitely aiming for a "remember us" statement. That remains to be seen (at least on British soil) which is a shame as follow up song Sledgehammer was even better in my opinion but failed to make the top 100. It received numerous comparisons to Little Mix's Salute and its lyrical content in particular certainly reinforced those claims. Considering this "just" scraped through its Group it has done considerably well here amassing 13 total votes, just over a third of all total participants.

14. Chase & Status (feat. Jacob Banks) - Alive

 

Score: 78

 

 

Peak: 21

Top 40 weeks: 6

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 14

Highest score: +10 - FleetSeb

 

Average score per voter: 5.57 (14th)

Average score overall: 2.05

 

 

Another #21 record now, it's Chase & Status who returned in a big way in 2013 with two top ten smashes and a third hit in the form of Alive from their widely-acclaimed third album Brand New Machine. This is wonderful record, brilliantly produced and with superb vocals from the featured Jacob Banks. Plus it's always a pleasure to see some drum and bass in the charts :) This was a surprise winner in its Group so I'm slightly disappointed it didn't even make the top half in the final. It's also one of few records to rank in the same position both overall and in the average score per voter category, a consistent performer!

13. Molly - Children Of The Universe

 

Score: 84

 

 

Peak: 23

Top 40 weeks: 2

 

Stats:

Number of votes: 16

Highest score: +10 - Rob S

 

Average score per voter: 5.25 (17th)

Average score overall: 2.21

 

 

Just missing out on the top half we have Molly with Children Of The Universe. This of course was the UK's entrant into last years' Eurovision Song Contest where it finished a rather low-key 17th, so it has at least performed slightly better in this particular countdown. I actually really like this, it's a lot different to the usual dross that we often send and her raspy vocals mixed with the anthemic feel to the song worked very well together & it's my favourite UK entry for a VERY long time. It also managed to make the top 40 which had escaped its equivalents the previous few years. It remains to be seen whether she can add to her hit tally (not forgetting her top ten single as a member of Stunt in 2008 with Raindrops (Encore Une Fois).