The Top 20 Best Songs of 2014- Billboard Hot 100 Edition

 

The end of 2014 is just about upon is. According to the folks at Billboard, it ended on December 11, when they posted their official Year-End Hot 100. While I have never liked their decision to make up their own calendar, I have no choice but to play by their rules, so let’s take a look at the best 20 hits of the year (decided, as always, by me and only me).

As a reminder, these are all songs selected from within Billboard’s year-end list. Believe me, I wish I could expand the selection pool a little this year- never have I faced a bleaker list of underwhelming choices than in 2014. Ultimately, though, these 20 aren’t so bad, they just pale in comparison to the stronger choices I’ve had in the last few years I’ve been doing this list. Never fear, though, let’s dive into the countdown!

What Happened to Pop Music in 2014?

Surprise midsummer check-in! I recently took some time to examine the pool of songs from which I’ll be choosing my Top 20 Hits of 2014 list later this year. Usually, by the end of the year, I have trouble whittling the list down to just 20 songs I liked, because there are so many great, or at least solid, hits that year.

Well, this year, through the end of July, we are way, way short on actually enjoyable songs. I’ll keep it a secret for now, but there only 6 or 7 songs that I find even remotely palatable in the pool so far.  Unless we get a landslide of great pop songs in the late summer and fall, I may have to switch up my formula or change the title to “The 20 Tolerable Pop Songs of 2014,” which would really shake the foundations of this blog, since it’s supposed to be a celebration of pop music.

So, the question is, what’s happened to pop music this year that has made it less enjoyable? Am I just getting older and finally aging out of the genre, or has the music changed somehow?

There is no easy answer to this question. Truthfully, it’s probably a little of both. We tend to enjoy pop music because it travels with us wherever we go; therefore, we like a song more if we associate it with something happy. As I’ve gone out and joined the “real world” (or tried to, anyway), I’ve had fewer happy interactions with pop songs where I could have created positive connections with them. Nonetheless, I think this goes beyond my own personal experiences.

For instance, here is a partial list of hit songs released in 2014 that can in no way be considered “music:”

Belated Personal Favorites of 2013

*This illustration doesn't really apply to me, yet...but I'm feeling old today, so just go with it.

To all my devoted readers, I apologize for the lateness of this post for the second year in a row. I've been exceptionally busy, so even though I've had the list ready to go, I haven't had time to put it into blog form until right now. But here it is- my personal favorite songs that were released in 2013. These are not ranked; rather, they are grouped roughly by genre. Also, they don't include any songs that were on my Best Hot 100 Hits of 2013. So these are more deep cuts, if you will.  I know you all value my opinion, and have been waiting patiently to find out what you should be listening to, so here you go: