The Top 100 Songs of 2014: 70-61

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2014 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

70. Tuesday - I LOVE MAKONNEN feat. Drake



Peak: 12 (November 29); Weeks on chart: 12; December 27 position: 16

This is surprisingly one of my jams right now, partially so I can mock the way the chorus is sung and partially because it has an enjoyable beat. "Tuesday" wrapped up 2014 with seven straight weeks in the Top 30 and held steady at No. 16 for the final three weeks of the year.

69. Shower - Becky G

Peak: 16 (August 9); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

"Shower" was the ultimate guilty pleasure song of 2014, which makes sense because guilty pleasure songs are typically the ones we sing in the shower. Becky G appears to be just another dime-a-dozen, cookie-cutter pop star whose 15 minutes came and went with this summer jam. "Shower" spent nine weeks in the Top 30.

68. Me And My Broken Heart - Rixton



Peak: 14 (May 17); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

"Me And My Broken Heart" earned my first ever "Best Song That Sounds Like A Maroon 5 Song But It Isn't" Award when it took me approximately a month to realize that this was not, in fact, a Maroon 5 track. This song also provided one of the best covers of 2014. The Rixton version of the song had a 10-week run in the Top 30 during the first half of the summer. The band's second single "Wait On Me" - which also could have been a Maroon 5 song - failed to live up to its predecessor's success, not reaching the Top 30 at all this year.

67. Love Runs Out - OneRepublic


Peak: 15 (July 12); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

OneRepublic's follow-up hit to the massively successful "Counting Stars" fell short of the former's lofty No. 2 peak, but was a mildly popular song during the summer months. With a music video that looks about 15 years old in quality, "Love Runs Out" spent 10 weeks in the Top 30, remaining in the Top 20 for a month and a half. "I Lived" is the next single to have been released from the band's album Native; expect it to be one of the better hits to begin 2015.

66. I Don't F**k With You - Big Sean feat. E-40

Peak: 11 (December 6); Weeks on chart: 12; December 27 position: 14

Perhaps the hottest hip-hop song at year's end, this Big Sean hit spent the last six weeks of 2014 as one of the 15 biggest songs in America. The whiny, expletive-ridden lyric stays true to form for most current rap hits.

65. Uptown Funk! - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars



Peak: 3 (December 27); Weeks on chart: 5; December 27 position: 3

Ronson and Mars burst onto the scene late in 2014 with this hot track. "Funk" has a vintage Michael Jackson sound with the closest modern voice to that of Pop's King. This could easily become Bruno Mars's next No. 1 hit. It closed out the year with five straight weeks of chart ascension; after debuting in November at No. 65, "Funk" jumped to No. 18 in December's first chart followed by appearances at 8, 5 and its No. 3 peak to close out the year.

64. Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus

Peak: 1 (3 weeks in 2013); Weeks on chart: 32; December 27 position: NR

Miley's emotional follow-up to "We Can't Stop" was one of the biggest hits at the end of 2013 and had respectable holdover success into the start of 2014. "Wrecking Ball" started this year at No. 9 and remained in the Top 30 until March. The song is undoubtedly Cyrus' most successful to date and will likely remain so for a long time.

63. Hey Brother - Avicii

Peak: 16 (April 12-19, May 3); Weeks on chart: 23; December 27 position: NR

Avicii's folksy EDM mix "Hey Brother" is truly a class of its own. The song never cracked the Top 15 in any weekly Hot 100 but had seven Top 20 weeks and 12 straight Top 30 positions. This song was a favorite of mine this year, mostly because of the potential for a third harmony that was not included in the track.

62. Jealous - Nick Jonas

Peak: 8 (December 6); Weeks on chart: 14; December 27 position: 11

Disney's boy band heart throb is all grown up, with the signature single from his eponymous second album spending the last five weeks of 2014 jumping in and out of the Top 10. If you think the song sounds too pop-y, just listen to his acoustic performance for What's Trending and become Nick's newest fan.

61. This Is How We Roll - Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan

Peak: 15 (June 21); Weeks on chart: 28; December 27 position: NR

Florida Georgia Line's follow-up to their breakout hit "Cruise" entered the Hot 100 in December 2013. The song cracked the Top 30 on the January 18 list and remained there through the end of June, making "This Is How We Roll" the top country hit of the first half of 2014. A hip-hop remix with Jason Derulo did not gain the traction that the "Cruise" remix with Nelly gained last year.

The Top 100 Songs of 2014: 80-71

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2014 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

80. Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

Peak: 14 (December 28, 2013); Weeks on chart: 37; December 27 position: NR

The Neighbourhood's breakout single had holdover success from last year, earning Top 30 positioning for the first six weeks of 2014. The song's chill vibe and winter-themed lyrics made it a perfect fit for the early-winter timeframe in which it peaked. We haven't heard anything from The Neighbourhood since "Sweater Weather" left the Hot 100; as of now they are a one-hit wonder.

79. No Type - Rae Sremmurd

Peak: 16 (December 6); Weeks on chart: 12; December 27 position: 22

Rap music is currently in a horrific state. In most modern rap, one-hit acts whose names sound like a person mumbling moan incoherently about drugs, violence and (quite possibly non-consensual) sex. A prime example is the Rae Sremmurd hit "No Type", which is currently in its seventh consecutive week in the Top 30. The group moans about liking their women "bad," with no other concern for how they look or act. The sad part is that this isn't the only such song on this list.

78. My Hitta - YG feat. Jeezy and Rich Homie Quan

Peak: 19 (March 15); Weeks on chart: 28; December 27 position: NR

Somehow I avoided having to hear this song while researching the Top 100 songs of 2014, but suffice it to say that "Hitta" was not the word used in the album version of this single. "Hitta" entered the chart in 2013, but remained in the Top 30 through April 5. By the beginning of May "My Hitta" dropped out of the Hot 100 entirely.

77. The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez

Peak: 6 (December 13); Weeks on chart: 6; December 27 position: 13

I personally love this new song from the former "Wizards of Waverly Place" star. Gomez has the voice for electro-pop music, which is a genre I got into quite a bit this year. "Heart" debuted on the November 22 chart as the No. 25 song in America; less then a month later the song was on the cusp of breaking the Top Five. Since peaking, Selena has fallen back out of the Top 10. 

76. Blame - Calvin Harris feat. John Newman



Peak: 19 (November 15); Weeks on chart: 14; December 27 position: 21

"Blame" spent the last nine weeks of 2014 in the Top 30 and will likely spend some more time there as 2015 rolls around. The EDM hit is slowly trending back up the Hot 100 after dropping a short way to 23 from its mid-November peak. The song is a collaboration between one of the world's hottest DJs and a powerful new voice in John Newman, whose song "Love Me Again" gained massive success overseas and a modest reception in the United States.

75. Dirt - Florida Georgia Line



Peak: 11 (July 26); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

After reaching major crossover success with "Cruise" and "This Is How We Roll", Florida Georgia Line returned to a more country-heavy sound with their second charting single of 2014. "Dirt" debuted in July at No. 11; its first 14 Hot 100 weeks existed within the Top 30. The song remained in the Hot 100 through the first week of December; it was still the No. 21 single on the Hot Country chart on December 27, where it peaked as the No. 1 song.

74. Birthday - Katy Perry

Peak: 17 (June 7-14); Weeks on chart: 18; December 27 position: NR

Super Bowl XLIX halftime performer Katy Perry had quite the 2014; five Perry songs spent at least one week on the Hot 100 this year and three of her singles made the year-end Top 100 list. One of the hits of the summer, "Birthday" was the lowest-performing of Perry's three Top 100 singles. Perhaps it only peaked at 17 because the entire song was a not-so-well-disguised euphemism ("It's time to bring out the big balloons?" I wonder what she could possibly be talking about). Regardless, "Birthday" continued the success of KP's multi-platinum album PRISM through a sizable chunk of 2014.

73. Lifestyle - Rich Gang feat. Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan

Peak: 16 (November 15); Weeks on chart: 22; December 27 position: 33

Rich Gang is a supergroup of today's biggest names in rap (i.e. Lil Wayne, Tyga and Ace Hood, among many others) and still "Lifestyle" is difficult to understand even with a lyric sheet in front of you. The chorus is whined rather than sung, similar to that of "No Type". Before falling to No. 33 in the December 20 chart, the track spent nearly three months in the Top 30.

72. Hold On, We're Going Home - Drake feat. Majid Jordan



Peak: 4 (October 12, 2013); Weeks on chart: 33; December 27 position: NR

One of the few bright stars in modern rap/R&B is Drake, whose rapping and singing are both understandable and easy on the ears. "Hold On," the biggest hit off of Drake's 2013 album Nothing Was The Same, shows off the former "Degrassi" star's singing chops. Although it found its biggest success last fall, "Hold On" had 14 Hot 100 weeks in 2014, including eight weeks in the Top 30. The song began this year at No. 13 after falling out of the Top 10 for good the previous week.

71. Waves (Robin Schulz Remix) - Mr. Probz




Peak: 14 (December 6); Weeks on chart: 17; December 27 position: 18

"Waves" spent the last nine weeks of 2014 in the Top 30. The laid-back EDM track broke onto the Hot 100 in September and rolled through the charts through the last four months of the year. The song reached its crest in December, when water in some parts of the United States typically is freezing over. I think I've exhausted all my ocean- and water-based puns for this song.

The Top 100 Songs of 2014: 90-81

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2014 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

90. Stay The Night - Zedd feat. Hayley Williams



Peak: 18 (January 25); Weeks on chart: 22; December 27 position: NR

Although Zedd's follow-up to the hugely successful "Clarity" spent more time on the Hot 100 in 2013, it peaked in 2014, where it enjoyed seven of its 12 Top-30 weeks. Featuring Paramore leading lady Hayley Williams singing the vocal, the catchy track was one of the hottest songs of the winter. One of the leading names in EDM paired up with perhaps the most recognized alternative singer; what followed was a hit with respectable pop success.

89. #SELFIE - The Chainsmokers

Peak: 16 (April 5); Weeks on chart: 11; December 27 position: NR

"#SELFIE" was arguably the most viral hit of the year. The ode to one of the newest official words in the English language had five Top 30 weeks and was off the chart completely by June. The only musical quality to the song - term loosely applied - was in the electronic beat and synths supporting the dialogue common between twenty-something girls on a night out. "#SELFIE" proved that teenage/young adult slang mixed into an infectious dance beat had a market, a concept that launched "Turn Down For What" into massive success later in the year.

88. Bottoms Up - Brantley Gilbert

Peak: 20 (April 26); Weeks on chart: 25; December 27 position: NR

Brantley Gilbert's biggest hit of 2014 spent the first half of the year on the Hot 100, including 11 weeks just inside the Top 30 ("Bottoms Up" was the No. 30 song in America three different weeks during that stretch). This is my least favorite of the six country songs to make the year-end Top 100; I am somewhat hopeful that "Bottoms Up" will make Gilbert a one-hit wonder in the world of pop music.

87. Na Na - Trey Songz

Peak: 21 (July 19); Weeks on chart: 28; December 27 position: NR

"Na Na" spent an exceptional amount of time riding the Top 30 border in 2014; in a 19-week stretch, the Trey Songz hit was in the Top 30 11 times and in the No. 31-35 section of the Hot 100 eight times. It peaked on the July 19 chart; the previous week "Na Na" was ranked No. 31. Therefore this is perhaps one of the more underrated hip-hop tracks in the 2014 Top 100.

86. White Walls - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Schoolboy Q and Hollis

Peak: 15 (December 28, 2013); Weeks on chart: 22; December 27 position: NR

Despite peaking at the end of 2013, "White Walls" had enough early-2014 success to snag a spot in the Top 100 songs of this year. The independent duo's ode to the Cadillac spent seven weeks of 2014 in the Top 30. "White Walls" had neither the unique subject material of "Thrift Shop", the epic anthem of "Can't Hold Us" nor the sociopolitical message of "Same Love", so is one of the more forgettable singles of the group's breakout album The Heist.

85. Animals - Martin Garrix



Peak: 21 (April 26); Weeks on chart: 34; December 27 position: NR

I had forgotten this techno hit existed in the six months between its disappearance from the Hot 100 and the time I began working on this list. Of its 34 weeks in the chart, "Animals" only spent eight weeks in the Top 30; four weeks after it peaked, the song was off the chart completely. Garrix, a Dutch DJ, enjoyed his most success with this song overseas; "Animals" was one of the top 100 songs in both France and Germany for over a year and was the top song in Belgium for nine weeks in 2013. Compared to its European success, "Animals" was a flop in the United States.

84. Lips Are Movin - Meghan Trainor



Peak: 4 (December 27); Weeks on chart: 8; December 27 position: 4

As I recently purchased a Hewlett-Packard computer - which I am currently using to type this post - I feel obligated to mention that HP sponsored the video for this song, which is cool so go support HP (read: "please pay me corporate sponsor"). "Lips Are Movin" is the hottest trending song as of the last chart of 2014, so Meghan Trainor's sophomore hit should reach the top spot in at least one of January's Hot 100 weeks. I have a hard time believing it will live up to the long-running success of Trainor's breakout "All About That Bass", although "Lips" is arguably the more catchy of the two songs.

83. Love Never Felt So Good - Michael Jackson feat. Justin Timberlake

Peak: 9 (May 31); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

Five after the death of Michael Jackson rocked the music world, The King of Pop was back with a posthumous album. Among these "lost tracks" was a tune which was remastered and reinforced with MJ's heir apparent adding guest vocals. "Love Never Felt So Good" was then released; with the smash success of Timberlake's 20/20 Experience still fresh in our memories and Jackson as missed as ever, the song made a top-20 debut on the May 17 Hot 100. After the novelty wore off, "Love's" success quickly diminished; the hit only spent six weeks in the Top 30. The new track did invoke enough MJ nostalgia that his classic hit "Beat It" re-entered the Hot 100 at No. 14 for one week.

82. Do What U Want - Lady Gaga feat. R. Kelly

Peak: 13 (November 9, 2013); Weeks on chart: 19; December 27 position: NR

The ever-eccentric Lady Gaga is now singing jazz duets with Tony Bennett, but it was a pop duet with R. Kelly that gave Gaga her biggest 2014 hit. Debuting and peaking in 2013, "Do What U Want" spent six weeks in the top 30 to begin this year. After "Do What U Want" faded and the pop icon double-dipped as host and musical guest for Saturday Night Live, Gaga stayed out of the public eye for most of 2014 before returning from obscurity to drop her aforementioned jazz CD. You keep doing you, Lady G. You're certainly one of a kind.

81. A Sky Full Of Stars - Coldplay



Peak: 10 (May 17); Weeks on chart: 26; December 27 position: NR

After its Hot 100 debut and peak in May, Coldplay's biggest hit of the year dropped from the top 30 for three solid months before returning to No. 28 on August 30. "Sky Full" spent the subsequent seven weeks in the top 30. Its late-summer success salvaged a year-end Top 100 spot for one of our generation's premiere rock bands this year.

The Top 100 Songs of 2014: 100-91

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2014 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

100. Steal My Girl - One Direction


Peak: 13 (October 18); Weeks on chart: 11; December 27 position: 70

With just three weeks in the Top 30, "Steal My Girl" barely scratches the 2014 list. The song is One Direction's latest hit, although it will not go down in history as the band's most memorable song. I only recently have found this song tolerable; incidentally, I began enjoying "Steal My Girl" once its popularity began declining.

99. 2 On - Tinashe ft. Schoolboy Q



Peak: 24 (August 9); Weeks on chart: 24; December 27 position: NR

"2 On" was one of the many songs that put DJ Mustard on the map in 2014. The song is Tinashe's first Hot 100 single as well. It spent seven weeks between Nos. 20 and 30, reaching its peak in the second August chart. "2 On" has an infectious beat and Tinashe's voice is easy on the ears. One of the more underrated songs of 2014, "2 On" will perhaps become the beginning of a successful music career for Tinashe.

98. Adore You - Miley Cyrus

Peak: 21 (March 1); Weeks on chart: 18; December 27 position: NR

"Adore You" first reached the Hot 100 in 2013; it entered the Top 30 in the January 11 chart. Miley's massive success with "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" overshadowed her third single from Bangerz; nonetheless, "Adore You" spent eight weeks inside the Top 30. This song certainly was nowhere near as memorable as the other two Bangerz hits, but thanks to Miley Cyrus' superstardom it was able to secure a 2014 Top 100 spot.

97. 7/11 - Beyonce

Peak: 13 (December 20); Weeks on chart: 3; December 27 position: 20

"7/11" is the third single from Beyonce's self-titled album to reach the Top 30 and is her second-best performing single from the album thus far. Debuting at No. 18 on the December 13 chart, the music video for "7/11" features Beyonce unwrapping Christmas presents, among other things. The song and its lyrics certainly do not come across as family-friendly for the holiday season; the superstar was better off when she actually sang her songs instead of faux-rapping them.

96. The Hanging Tree - James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence

Peak: 12 (December 13); Weeks on chart: 3; December 27 position: 23

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay song debuted high enough on the chart in December to garner a year-end Top 100 spot, but its steady decline from No. 12 to No. 15 to No. 23 suggests "The Hanging Tree" will not have much consideration for the 2015 year-end Top 100. One of Hollywood's most recognizable young stars sings a haunting lyric over an eerie instrumental; "Hanging Tree" certainly is one of 2014's most unique songs.

95. American Kids - Kenny Chesney



Peak: 23 (August 2); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

"American Kids" stayed on the weekly charts throughout most of the latter half of 2014, spending nine weeks in the Top 30 during July, August and September. It is a fun, laid back song by one of my all-time favorite country music artists and one of just six country tracks to make the 2014 Top 100.

94. La La La - Naughty Boy feat. Sam Smith



Peak: 19 (May 10); Weeks on chart: 20; December 27 position: NR

Before Sam Smith became the phenomenon behind "Stay With Me" and "I'm Not The Only One", he was the featured vocalist in the Naughty Boy hit "La La La", a song which had its most success this spring. The song spent seven weeks in the Top 30, but was off the Hot 100 entirely just five weeks after its final Top 30 appearance in June. "La La La" perhaps foreshadowed the success of Smith in the latter half of 2014, but only barely made the year-end Top 100 list itself.

93. 23 - Mike WiLL Made-It feat. Miley Cyrus, Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J



Peak: 11 (October 5, 2013); Weeks on chart: 23; December 27 position: NR

"23" had its biggest success in 2013, but still spent 10 weeks in the Hot 100 to begin 2014. The song's 2014 peak was No. 14 in the January 11 issue, and it remained in the top 30 through February 1. A mass collaboration between one of 2013's most controversial pop stars, two of rap's biggest names and one of the genre's hottest producers of the past two years, "23" was enough of a holdover success into 2014 that it managed to sneak into this year's Top 100.

92. Can't Remember to Forget You - Shakira feat. Rihanna

Peak: 15 (February 15); Weeks on chart: 19; December 27 position: NR

Colombia's native daughter continued to prove her Hips Don't Lie in the video for "Can't Remember", a duet with Barbados-born Rihanna. This is yet another song that surprisingly did not have as much chart success as one might think, spending merely six weeks in the Top 30 during February and March and never charting higher than No. 15. Considering both women's international fame and Shakira's recent run as a judge on NBC's The Voice, "Can't Remember To Forget You" was a relatively unsuccessful single.

91. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons


Peak: 3 (four weeks in 2013); Weeks on chart: 87; December 27 position: NR

One of the biggest songs of 2013 managed to remain in the Hot 100 through May of this year, including a 2014 resurgence that saw the song rise to as high as No. 13 in the February 15 chart. "Radioactive" spent seven weeks in the Top 30 during 2014. Its continued success earned the Imagine Dragons megahit a spot in the year-end Top 100, capping an incredible run for one of the most successful singles of the decade so far.

The Top 100 Songs of 2014: An Introduction

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2014 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

Another year is coming to a close. The music of 2014 was memorable for Taylor Swift's much-acclaimed transformation into pop, the emergence of Iggy Azalea and Meghan Trainor as superstars, Pharrell Williams' infectious "Happy", the country spending the majority of the year not Letting Go of the iconic Frozen melody and much, much more.

I have compiled a list of the top 100 songs of 2014, based on the top 30 songs in each Billboard Hot 100 weekly chart dated 2014 (the chart for January 4, 2014 counted even though it was released in 2013; similarly, the January 3, 2015 chart will not be considered although its release will be in 2014).

Each song received a point value based on its position in each week's chart (the No. 1 song received 30 points, the No. 2 song received 29 and so on down to No. 30, which  received one point). I compiled 52 weeks of data as such and ranked the songs accordingly after I considered each 2014 chart.

Starting with songs 100-91 Tuesday, Dec. 22, I will reveal my 2014 Top 100 list 10 songs at a time for 10 days, including personal notes about each hit. This will conclude with the biggest 10 songs of the year - and a Spotify playlist of all 100 songs - on New Year's Eve. Check back each day around 1 p.m. (EST) for a new post.

Have a blessed holiday season, and enjoy the music!

As a bonus, here are two songs that just missed the list.

102. Centuries - Fall Out Boy


Peak: 22 (September 27); Weeks on chart: 14; December 27 position: 26

"Centuries" debuted at No. 22 before dropping out of the top 30 for seven weeks. It bounced around between 25 and 30 for the last six charts of the year, finishing two points behind the No. 100 song of the year. This is one of the better underrated songs of 2014's latter half; Fall Out Boy's pop crossovers have always been pleasant surprises and "Centuries" is no exception.

101. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran


Peak: 6 (December 27); Weeks on chart: 10; December 27 position: 6

If I do this again next year, I would expect this song to place somewhere in the 2015 Top 100. "Thinking Out Loud" entered the chart in the October 25 issue but only broke into the Top 30 in the penultimate chart of the year. Had it reached December 27's Top Five, "Thinking" would be Sheeran's third song on my year-end list. The redheaded singer-songwriter continues to show why millions have fallen in love with his music and prove that he will be a strong force in music for a long time to come.