Welcome back to Consider Me
Named! The year 2013 is just about over, and according to the
calendar-illiterate folks over at Billboard, it ended on December 13, when
their year-end Hot 100 chart came out.
I still don’t know why they can’t just follow the same rules as the rest
of society when it comes to determining what constitutes a year, but hey, at
least it allows me to get the list up before we turn the calendar to the new
year.
As always, this is the entirely
unbiased list of the Best Songs of 2013. All songs here appeared on the
aforementioned Billboard Year-End Hot 100 (topped this year by Macklemore’s
“Thrift Shop”). It was a big year for Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Jay Z,
and Robin Thicke (among others), but you won’t find them on this list, because
it’s my list and I get to make it as I see fit. And believe me, they were not
even close to being fit enough for my Top 20. The following songs, however, were:
20. Pitbull feat. Kesha- “Timber”:
You have to admit this much about
Pitbull: he knows how to get people dancing, and he knows how to stay on trend
musically. The idea of Pitbull making a song and video with a Wild
West/Americana theme is laughable to me, given his Miami/Cuban roots. And the
video’s juxtaposition of an Old West saloon with Pitbull frolicking on the
beach with product-placed vodka is bafflingly hilarious. But, just a few months
ago, Avicii released an album (and single) that showed us that folk/country and
dance music can coexist and sound pretty damn good at the same time. So,
naturally, Pitbull has followed suit and found the top of the charts, yet
again. Get ready for this type of sound to be ubiquitous in pop music in 2014.
19. Rocko featuring Future & Rick Ross- "U.O.E.N.O.”:
My intention when I included this
song on the Top 20 was to discuss the controversy it caused when Rick Ross
rapped about drugging a girl and having his way with her. I was going to
discuss how odd it was that people were offended by that line (he was forced to
deliver an official apology, was dropped on later versions of the song, and
lost quite a few endorsements) when celebrations of murder, drug dealing,
and gang violence are also featured throughout this song, and many others, and
no one bats an eyelash. And I was going to discuss how this probably featured
the best hip-hop beat of 2013. But all of that took a backseat when I came upon
this music video. For a song whose lyrics are all about being richer and
tougher than you, the listener, could possibly know, it’s pretty fantastic that
the video is about as low-budget and cartoonish as possible. I mean, it
literally is a cartoon, and probably cost about $1,000 to make. Way to go,
Rocko. You’ve really convinced us of how rich you are.
18. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert- “Same
Love”:
If the last song was all about
supposedly taking rap to new lows in terms of subject matter in 2013, this one
certainly has to be a story of redemption, and hope for the direction of the
future of rap, and of America in general. The song is beautiful, the video is
tremendous, and the message is truly stunning given how improbable it would
have seemed just a few short years ago. I told this to anyone who would listen
this year: “Same Love” will do more to usher in support of gay rights than any
speech by any politician or activist campaign could ever possibly hope to do.
This song being in heavy rotation nationwide, by a well-regarded and immensely
popular artist, will, and has, absolutely opened people’s minds and ensured
that we are headed toward a future of inclusion and mutual understanding. There
is no doubt in my mind that this was the most “important” song of 2013. Props
to you, Macklemore.
17. Baauer- "Harlem Shake":
Obviously, you all know this
song. I’m a little disappointed we never got an official music video full of
artist-approved, handpicked Harlem Shakers, but that’s okay, the Internet gave us
enough unofficial 30-second music
videos to last us a lifetime. The best one, though, is the one that I appeared in (you can’t ever see me, but trust me, I participated).
16. Lorde- "Royals":
I think this song got as big as
it did because of its message. Lorde wanted so badly to rebel, to be different,
from the mainstream. Not in any big way, mostly just to say: “Hey, I’m normal,
and I don’t feel any pressure to be glamorous. I’m gonna live out my life and not
be too bothered by or jealous of what I see in the media.” But, as it turns
out, people really flocked to that message, and now Lorde is a superstar. This, of course, creates an interesting
scenario, where someone who proclaims to want to be different by not striving
for glamour or attention, is now a huge superstar and will have all sorts of
pressure on her to be glamorous and remain successful. Meanwhile, she’s still
just a 17-year-old, albeit an immensely talented one. So, I’ll be curious to
see what becomes of Lorde in 2014.
PS- One of the first times I
heard this song, I thought that a tremendous parody opportunity existed, if
minor league players in the Kansas City Royals farm system were to make their
own version claiming they’ll “never be Royals.” As it turns out, Lorde claims
her inspiration for the song was from a picture she saw of famous Royal George
Brett signing baseballs, so I guess the song is already more closely linked to
the team than I would have guessed!
15. Lady Gaga- "Applause":
I can’t say I was tremendously
hopeful for Gaga’s newest album, Artpop, to come out this year. I expected it
to be further out there and weirder than her previous work, and thus less
palatable to mainstream tastes like mine. But then “Applause” was released as
the lead single and it was actually catchy as hell. It was so good, in fact, that it winds up at #15 on this
list and continues to grow on me to this day. But, the rest of the album was
still largely a disappointment, and it becomes the first Gaga album to not wind
up in my collection. At least there was one bright spot.
14. Zedd featuring Foxes- "Clarity":
I’m really not sure what to say
about “Clarity.” It’s just a solidly good song that I never minded hearing no
matter how many times I heard it this year (and there were many). Zedd toned
down the hard electro beats for this one, in favor of piano melodies, and got
tons of backing from his record label, and scored a huge crossover hit. The
acoustic performance on Letterman was yet another somewhat watershed moment for
EDM in America, and definitely helped launch the song to lofty heights. Props,
I guess.
13. Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly- "Cruise":
I know I’ve talked at length
before, to anyone who would listen, that contemporary country and rap were
either on parallel courses, or a collision course. Similar subject matter,
similar themes, etc. Well, in 2013, that collision course reached its ground
zero. Florida Georgia Line and Nelly, together, sing-rapping about hot girls
and cars. I guess it’s happened before once or twice, but there can be no doubt
now that country and rap are just the same thing for different types of people.
Look for more crossover collaborations in 2014 as it becomes clear how
palatable this type of music can be to a wide audience.
12. Selena Gomez- "Come & Get It":
Selena Gomez has gone full J-Lo
on us. She’s a superstar, and this song helped solidify her place in pop’s
highest echelon in 2013. In this song, she sounds more like Rihanna (a major
plus) but she looks and acts more like Jennifer Lopez, an idol to a new
generation of Latina girls (and all girls) and a pinup to men worldwide. I
don’t know what her current relationship status is regarding Justin Bieber, but
he’d better watch his back, because his ex could soon be bigger than he is. Oh,
and the song? Massive jam, from the minute I heard it, to right now, and far into
the future.
11. Drake featuring Majid Jordan- "Hold On, We're Going
Home":
Well, I did not expect this song
to be accompanied by a 7-minute ‘80s gangland shootout video, starring Drake
with multiple kill shots. Geez, you just never know what you’re going to get
with this dude anymore. Makes a tender, sweet, R&B love song and decides to
back it up with a Miami mafia video. Probably makes a gangsta rap song and
backs it up with him cuddling kittens for 4 minutes. What an enigma. Great
song, though. Almost the best hip-hop hit of the year, but not quite...
10. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz- "Thrift
Shop":
What is there to say about
Macklemore, and this song, that hasn’t already been said? It’s a novelty song,
sure, but it’s got a real message behind it, and it’s expertly done, right down
to the last detail. It’s a success story that has reached the absolute
pinnacle- the Billboard #1 song of 2013. It only reaches the tenth spot
here, but that’s still good enough to make it the best hip-hop hit of the year.
You can hate all you want, but Macklemore ran the world in 2013, and I couldn’t
have been happier.
9. Taylor Swift- "22”:
Put it this way. What are the
chances that, in the year that I am 22 years old, one of music’s biggest stars
makes a hit song called “22,” about being 22? And, what are the chances that
that song absolutely rocks, and becomes an anthem for every 22-year-old in the
country, whether they like it or not? I’m feelin’ 22, people, and Taylor Swift
comes in at #9. It really should be higher on the list, honestly. I’m gonna
move on before I second-guess myself and move this song up the list. At the
very least, it’s the pure-pop jam of the year, by a wide margin.
8. Swedish House Mafia featuring John Martin- "Don't You
Worry Child":
Swedish House Mafia figured it out, more than maybe anyone else ever has: if you make yourself epic, and larger-than-life, people will believe it, because people want to be part of something bigger than them. SHM decided to go for a musical sound that encouraged this, and adapted a persona that fit that image as well. And declaring a farewell tour in the prime of their careers? Genius move. Get people thinking this is their last chance to see such a massive performance, and the hype hypes itself. Basically, they convinced everyone they were a big deal, and thus, they became a big deal. And so far, they’ve honored their “farewell,” and haven’t gotten back together. But you know it’s coming sooner or later, and the "reunion" tour will be even bigger. I’m jealous, I wish I’d thought of it first.
7. Bruno Mars- "Treasure":
Disco came back in 2013 (hint:
there’s more disco coming up very soon), and Bruno Mars got in on the act in a
big way with “Treasure.” This song is just infectious, and timeless, as
evidenced by the throwback video. This one is way better than his Sting homage
off the same album. Can’t wait to see it performed live at the Super Bowl in
February 2014.
6. Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams- "Get Lucky":
As promised, here is the 2013
disco song to end all 2013 disco songs. No song, or album, caused more
excitement and endless discussion than “Get Lucky” or Daft Punk’s Random Access
Memories this year. This one never got old for me, no matter how many times I
heard it (and I’ve definitely heard it hundreds of times by now). It’s genuine,
authentic, good-time fun. The album as a whole had some ups and downs, but this
was just an undeniable smash. It’s hard to find anyone who didn’t like it,
really. I just wish it had a real video to go along with this cheap one. It was the song of the summer, and it comes in as the 6th
best song of the year in my book.
5. Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais- "Summertime Sadness":
Everyone knows Lana Del Rey songs
lend themselves exceptionally well to mega remixes. They’re also pretty good on
their own, as more and more people are coming to realize. But for a pop
audience, they need to be a little more mega to get people excited. This one
was sufficiently large enough to shoot way up the charts. Its summer themes
made it a big hit in a certain season (should be pretty easy to guess which
one), and its sultry melodies and massive beat made it a personal favorite of
mine, good enough for 5th on the year-end list.
4. Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko- "Stay":
It just wouldn’t be a Consider Me Named year-end
chart without at least one Rihanna appearance near the top of it. She
was due for a good ballad, and this one absolutely knocked it out of the park.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that she is the most versatile pop
performer in the world right now. The video is a little slow, but that’s okay
because the song is obviously geared for something like that. This song really
stood out from the pack in 2013, and further cemented the thought in my mind
that Rihanna can do no wrong. She will always have at least a few outstanding
tracks in any new album, making her new releases the most reliable ones to look
forward to pretty much every year. Can’t wait to see what she’s got in store
for 2014.
3. Imagine Dragons- "Radioactive":
I said last year to look out for
this song this year, and sure enough, here it is, all the way up at number 3.
It’s also a strong contender for video of the year, maybe rivaled only by A$AP
Rocky & Skrillex’s “Wild For The Night” (although other suggestions are welcome). I have a
hard time seeing how anyone could dislike this song. And the video is just
laugh-out-loud perfect. Pure perfection, all the way around.
2. Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch- "Sweet
Nothing":
Calvin Harris has made a lot of
great music over the last few years, but none of it (except maybe “Thinking About You”) has been better than this. This was more of a 2012 release, sort of
like “Radioactive,” but due to chart rules, it winds up in the 2013 list, where
it unfortunately ran into a juggernaut that kept it out of the #1 spot. But it
would have been number 1 in most years. Just pure, infectious,
play-it-again-and-again dance-pop from Scotland’s Finest. There’s a good reason
the only live show I attended this year was Calvin Harris, and there’s a good
reason this song was the highlight of the show. Can’t wait to see more of him
in 2014.
1. Avicii- "Wake Me Up":
2013 was the Year of Avicii. In
my book, at least. It started when he released a Promo Mix back in April for
his new album. It continued when he released this as the lead single over the
summer, it heated up when this hit #1, and it peaked when the album, called
True, was finally released in September. After repeated, constant listening, I
came to the conclusion that the record execs got it right- this was the best
song on the album, and the right one to make the lead single. But there are
multiple other fantastic tracks that I hope get released to heavy rotation at
some point. Either way, “Wake Me Up” is the best hit song of the year, and
that’s not in doubt. An undeniable jam, literally every time it ever gets
played. Almost impossibly catchy. It’s ushering in a new genre of music, or at
the very least, humanizing the EDM movement with a more folksy feel, and it’s
cemented Avicii’s place as the premier composer in the entire world, if you’re
into the sort of music I am. What a year, what a song, what a list, can’t wait
for 2014. Have a happy new year, everybody.
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