I’m quite fond of reflecting on the year that’s gone by at this time of the year, and my favourite way of doing so is by looking back on the music I’ve added to my library over the past twelve months. These tunes have provided the soundtrack to my year, whether they’ve been omnipresent on the radio or I’ve listened to them a lot on my iPod, so I quite enjoy listening to a playlist of the best of them in the week between Christmas and New Year.
I’ve made a top forty list for four years now; you can find my lists for 2010, 2011 and 2012 elsewhere on the blog, but without quite the explanations as you’ll find here.
The list includes some songs that weren’t released in the last year, but I’ve only added to my iTunes library this year, and are ‘new’ to me. The list is based in part on how many times I’ve played the song and when I added it to my library; so that songs that I added to my library near the end of the year still have a chance. In saying that, some songs that I added to my library (like CHVRCHES’ new album) will appear on next year’s list instead of this year’s, to give them a chance to show how good they are.
So without much further ado, here are my top forty songs of 2013 in reverse order:
40. Bakermat – “Leven” (2012)
A pretty obscure song from a Belgian producer, it’s a great feel good song that belongs to montages at the end of summer events, like Glastonbury or Wimbledon. A brilliant horn melody, and a simply soothing sound make it a great track to listen to.
39. Chairlift – “I Belong In Your Arms” (2012)
The first I’d heard of Chairlift was a few years ago, when I was introduced to the beautiful “Bruises”, but hadn’t heard anything from them until this song late last year. A simple love song, with beautiful vocals and a catchy, synthy background beat as well.
38. Brodinski – “Dance Like Machines” (2012)
“Dance Like Machines” channels Brodinski’s natural flair for creating beats that are catchy and dancey, whilst including vocals to keep your attention through the song. It’s drop, coupled with the lyrics “Robots and androids, dance like machines”, will get stuck in your head for weeks.
37. Kid Cudi vs. The Crookers – “Day ‘n’ Nite” (2008)
I wasn’t a big fan of this song first time round, but due to an interest in both Kid Cudi and The Crookers via other songs, I felt this song was due another spin – and I’m glad I did. It’s a simple mix of Cudi’s down to earth rhymes with The Crookers’ brand of house, and it works very well.
36. Martha and the Muffins – “Echo Beach” (1980)
A song that came on practically every day on MFR Two, which was the radio station of choice at work this summer – it’s a song that’s about getting through work by remembering a special place. I found it resonated more whilst at uni, and it’s catchy chorus and refrain makes it a song I like a lot.
35. Hardwell – “Spaceman” (2012)
A simple, if overlong, dance song – “Spaceman” has one of the hardest, simplest and most recognisable drops you will hear. As a song for a night out, it’s a standard to which others should be held.
34. Katy Perry – “Roar” (2013)
Probably the best song off of her latest album, “Roar” is a Katy Perry song with a bit more fight to it than her usual candy land tunes. It’s simple; it’s good and comes with a great video. What’s more to be said?
33. The Prodigy – “Warrior’s Dance” (2009)
A classic Prodigy song that I didn’t identify to them until this year, “Warrior’s Dance” has that refrain that I’m sure most dance music fans will know well. The drops are tinny and perfectly 90s. It’s a song I should have heard long before I did.
32. Porter Robinson – “Language” (2012)
I don’t know how this song does it, but it’s simultaneously beautiful and an EDM song. It’s got the typical dubstep growls of Robinson’s other songs, like the brilliant “Unison”, but also a gentle, contemplative melody throughout. This song is a brilliant example of what dance music can be.
31. Nero – “Promises” (2011)
Apparently a number 1 in 2011, I’d never heard this great song until a few months ago. It’s got a relentless pounding bass, and keeps a high tempo whilst Nero’s ever-present singer Alana Watson sings of a frayed relationship. The drop manages to be great and keep the emotion at the same time, and makes it a fantastic song because of it.
30. Jordy Dazz – “Claymore” (2013)
“Claymore” is an identikit house song built around two great drops. There’s not much to the song, and perhaps not as good as other songs even earlier on the list, but its’ sheer appeal to play over and over again, it deserves its’ top 30 place.
29. George Barnett – “Get Lucky” (2013)
Although perhaps not the version that everyone is accustomed to, George Barnett’s cover of “Get Lucky” was better than the original in my opinion – and as a hit of 2013, well worth a spot on this list. Daft Punk’s song lacks a certain emotion and intensity that Barnett’s does, and with a great beat and catchy lyrics, it’s on to a winner.
28. The Killers – “Shot At the Night” (2013)
A surprise release from the Killers this year, and a damn good one at that. “Shot at the Night” channels the energy of the 80s, particularly the song “Higher Love” by Steve Winwood, mainly through the lens of producers M83. As I said in my review of the Direct Hits album, it’s a great dramatic Killers song that fits with their newer stuff really well.
27. Swedish House Mafia – “Save The World” (Knife Party Remix) (2011)
Kicking off the Knife Party songs in this list is their remix of Swedish’s “Save the World”. I’m not much of a fan of SHM, but this remix makes a so-so song into a belter. It gets a bit repetitive after a while, but can you never have too much of a good thing?
26. Iggy Azalea – “Bounce” (2013)
Perhaps playing off Azealia Banks’ rap success of last year, “Bounce” is a song I really liked. She can rap, although the lyrics are pretty standard pop fare, and the beat of the song is quick enough to show it. Its appeal lies in its’ catchiness, with “Shake it, break it, make it bounce” getting stuck in your head so easily.
25. Icona Pop – “I Love It” (feat. Charlie XCX) (2012)
Yeah, this got shouted a lot over summer. It’s a perfect feel good song, with a bit of a dancey feel to it and a simple repetition that makes the song instantly memorable. A great pop song.
24. T. Rex – “Hot Love” (1971)
It’s one of those songs I’d heard different bits of before, but never connected them up. With verses that rhyme so simply and with a bit of humour, it’s a catchy song. Then the last half of the song is literally repeating “la la la la la la la” over and over again. It’s got a great groove though that keeps you interested well into the song.
23. AWOLNATION – “Sail” (2011)
The atmosphere on this song is electric. With the screams from the singer and the crashing cymbals and simple piano in the background – it’s a song of despair that is hard to escape when you hear it.
22. Metric – “Monster Hospital” (MSTRKRFT Remix) (2006)
Heard first during the PlayStation 4 Reveal, the song is a great mix of a dance song that’s good and vocals that are great. The lead singer is almost Hayley Williams-esque, but singing of being trapped and with a lack of clarity that makes the song almost have a story. Really liked this song.
21. Metro Area – “Atmosphrique” (1999)
James Murphy introduced me to this song via one of his interviews, and what a song it is. It’s so good that I made it my ringtone and alarm song, and I still like it after it wakes me up at 7am. A brilliantly simple rhythm and synth masterpiece – it’s easy to see that it helped shape the LCD Soundsystem mould of song at least a little, and so of course I’m going to like it.
20. Azealia Banks – “1991” (2012)
Despite finding and admiring Azealia Banks’ tunes last year, so much so that “212” was my favourite of 2012, it’s a shock that I didn’t find this great song. It’s a song that evolves as it goes on, from being a simple rap at the start to being almost a TLC song at the end. It’s perhaps the most complete Azealia Banks song out there, and I like it.
19. Bastille – “Pompeii” (2013)
It’s on the sombre side of the songs on this list, but it’s a great one. The lead singer carries the song well, and the chanting in the background make the song have an atmosphere that few songs this year matched. A song about thinking back to earlier, simpler days is always going to strike a chord, as well.
18. Knife Party – “EDM Death Machine” (2013)
A song that calls out other fads in EDM, such as the “Harlem Shake” and Steve Aoki’s cake antics, and then sets out its’ own vision of a robotic future. Some would say it’s the best song on Knife Party’s Haunted House, as you will see though; I rank it a little lower.
17. Steve Miller Band – “Jet Airliner” (1977)
I liked the Steve Miller Band before, with “The Joker” making a previous top 40, but this song came to me by being featured heavily in an episode of The West Wing, which is a show that helped define my first year of university. And then it was the song over the Anchorman 2 credits. It’s a song of homesickness, but completely upbeat and fun, and it’s one I related with heavily.
16. Robin Thicke ft. Pharrell Williams & T.I. – “Blurred Lines” (2013)
Perhaps the pop hit of the year, it needs little introduction. I first heard “Blurred Lines” whilst out in Inverness, and its groove was inescapable. Yes, it’s been “overplayed” like all other summer hits are, but this is one that I still enjoy. It’s simple, it’s fun, it’s catchy – what’s not to like. It’s a song that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and gives a smile every time you hear it.
15. Talking Heads – “Life During Wartime” (1979)
An apocalyptic song with a beat that’s so simple and repetitive and good, it’s hard not to smile when listening to this song. There’s just something about the disjointed, stream of consciousness in the song that makes it great to listen to. It’s fun and a joy to listen to.
14. Mystikal – “Hit Me” (2012)
Rap generally isn’t my thing, especially when it’s someone constantly talking themselves up, but this song shouts with swagger and makes me laugh at the same time, so I make an exception for this one.
13. Disclosure – “Latch” (feat. Sam Smith) (2012)
“Latch” is a brilliant ethereal song from Disclosure. Sam Smith’s vocals are a great accompaniment to the building verses and then shriek along with a great deep house drop. It’s hard not to like this song.
12. Passion Pit – “I’ve Got Your Number” (2008)
One of the love songs on Passion Pit’s first EP, it’s a song that I loved to hear whilst on the move, with the song chugging along beautifully with the vocals almost working against it. It’s got the signature falsetto chorus and catchy lyrics, and shows that Passion Pit have been good right from the start. Worth saying as well that I’ve had a Passion Pit song on each of my top 40 lists so far. That goes to show how good a band they are.
11. OutKast – “B.O.B.” (2000)
Another one that I should have heard before but hadn’t, “B.O.B.” is considered by some to be OutKast’s best song. The pace is super-fast in the song, but keeps the fun of the more commercial hits, like “Hey Ya!”, intact. It’s a great song to motivate you to move.
10. Far East Movement ft. Cover Drive – “Turn Up the Love” (2012)
I absolutely hated “Like a G6” but when I first heard this song on an advert I was converted. With a great upbeat chorus it’s a happy song, then there’s the breakdown and rap that takes dance music to a level as slow as it will go. It manages it effortlessly.
9. Zedd – “Stay the Night” (feat. Hayley Williams) (2013)
In a year with a new Paramore album, it’s almost a shame that this is my favourite Hayley Williams song of 2013 – but what a great song it is. It’s about spending one last night before breaking up with someone, and the emotion that Hayley puts into what is, essentially, just another club track, is amazing. The drop is pretty good too, and with someone like Hayley Williams singing over it – it’s an instant win in my book.
8. Justice – “Phantom” (2007)
Justice’s † is one of my favourite albums, but by finding the album’s songs individually, I didn’t come across “Phantom” (Pt. I) until this year. It’s an ultimate Justice song, with a brilliant beat and a minimalist atmosphere that builds brilliantly into the more grandeur Part II. Probably my favourite Justice song now.
7. E.L.O. – “Hold On Tight” (1981)
An unrelenting piano accompanies what could be E.L.O.’s most upbeat song, even more so than “Mr Blue Sky”. With a great message about sticking with things, delivered with sing-song brilliance, and even a verse in French, this song is the most cheery song I can think of, and I love it.
6. Altered Images – “I Could Be Happy” (1982)
Listening to this is a weird experience, because you can be happy and sad at the same time. Clare Grogan’s bubble-gum voice is beautiful and cheery, but the song is about escaping from somewhere where you are unhappy, with the guitars almost crying for help in the background. It’s a go-to song for me if I’m ever having an off-day, but good at other times too.
5. Knife Party – “LRAD” (2013)
“LRAD” was Knife Party’s most successful single off their latest EP Haunted House, and it was a great song. It’s not quite as epic, in either sense, as some other Knife Party tracks, but its two minimalist drops are great at getting people to move. The second one, in particular, has a beat that is memorable.
4. Disclosure – “White Noise” (ft. AlunaGeorge) (2013)
A perfect marriage of two of 2013’s new stars of UK music, “White Noise” is a song that toes the line between dance and hip hop beautifully. That background rhythm will last in everyone’s minds far past this year, and the simple chorus make it a brilliant personification of 2013 in music. A great song.
3. Young Empires – “Rain of Gold” (2010)
Lord knows what this song is about, but it’s really good. From the second those drums kick in, it’s a rhythmical masterpiece. There are so many different melodies going on that overload your musical senses in a good way. Another example of a great song from a FIFA soundtrack, it’s a song that I’ll never get sick of hearing.
2. Le Tigre – “Deceptacon” (DFA Remix) (2006)
I really don’t expect anyone else to like this song, but there’s something about it that I love. The singer shrieks over the entire song’s jerky rhythm, and there’s just something about the way the two work together that make it an irresistible combination. DFA remixes are generally good, and this is the pick of the bunch.
1. Knife Party – “Power Glove” (2013)
“Power Glove” is the ultimate Knife Party song. With a first verse that bangs drums of war and a magnificent drop, followed by a carnagical breakdown – it’s fantastic if Knife Party are your thing. They may have thought they’d made the “sonic recreation of the end of the world” with Pendulum, but I think “Power Glove” is a more fitting creation by Swire and McGrillen. It’s my song of the year.
So there are the tunes that were my favourites this year. A few great songs didn’t quite make the list, for one reason or another, such as: “Y Control” and “Sacrilege” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Thrift Shop” by Macklemore, “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd and “Still Into You” by Paramore – but they are also well worth a listen and a mention in relation to this year’s finest.
Feel free to share your opinions on the list in the comments, as well as offering your favourite songs to grace the airwaves in 2013. Who knows what next year will bring music-wise? Thanks very much for reading, and I’ll leave you with a playlist of the songs from this list that you can find on Spotify:
