Top 15 Hit Songs of 2012 [Top Pop of the 2010s]

Many, many months ago, inspired by Todd in the Shadows' videos, I embarked on the task of ranking my favorite hit songs of each year of the 2010s. This is the 3rd post in this series, and I'd recommend checking out the 2010 and 2011 lists, which is the first one. Because today, we're moving on to 2012.

The same simple rule applies: all of these songs come from Billboard's end-of-2012 hot 100 list (like Todd did for his 2012 list, I'm also expanding to include any song that placed in the top 20 throughout the year, but it didn't impact this year's list). I'm not taking every single pop song of the year into consideration, because this is just a fun little hobby project. I'm not dedicated enough to this to parse through every pop song from every year of the 2010s. Way too much work. The only additional rule this time is that if it made an appearance on my list previously, I can't include it again.

Obviously, these are just my personal choices, I'm not trying to say that these are the best, but rather that these are my favorites. I'm well aware that to many people, I have trash taste. I'm cool with that! 

Obligatory background on me and my taste for context:

• Currently I'm a sucker for anything with a catchy melody, my favorite genres are alternative (especially pop punk) and KPop (not relevant for this list lol), and I tend to really dig songs featuring real or simulated instruments-- guitar/brass/drum kit/etc.
• Also, to date myself, in 2012, I was 17/18 & in 12th grade/my freshman year of college, depending on the time of year, and although I didn't dislike pop music, my one true love was pop punk/pop rock/alternative (favorite bands at the time: McFly, All Time Low, The Academy Is... & The Audition). 

I've decided on 18 for this specific list, which is more than the previous lists because 2012 had a ton of great songs to choose from. By far the best year out of the 3 I've covered so far. And, at the end I'll also be discussing honorable mentions as well as some songs that would've made the list if I'd made it in 2012 instead of 2020. Because why not? 

Without further ado, onto the list! 

18. Coldplay- Paradise

This was a song I quite liked back in 2012 and still enjoy now. It's not one that I really listen to much (hence it being this low) but when I do hear it, it's still one I enjoy. Coldplay is one of those bands you'd think I'd like because they're an alternative band, but this and Viva la Vida are the only songs by them I really like. Otherwise, my opinion on them is basically nonexistent. Not much to say about this one, it's just one from this year that I like that's still memorable to me. 

17. The Lumineers- Ho Hey

This song would've been very high on my list if I made it in 2012, and it just barely made the cut in 2020. I grew up listening to country music, and spent most of my teen years trying to eschew the genre. But then this hipstery singer-songwriter folk music started becoming really popular and I found myself really enjoying it. This wasn't my favorite song on the album, but I did really enjoy it. Current day Kristen has a lot of nostalgia for this song, but I don't think I'd have strong feelings on it if I heard it for the first time today.

16. Phillip Phillips- Home

Although it's definitely not in the folk realm like The Lumineers, this is definitely in the same vein-- this type of singer-songwriter music was something I really enjoyed at the time and therefore now I have a good deal of nostalgia for it. That said, my enjoyment of this song was almost exclusively due to me being a fan of PhilPhil (oof, that's really what we called him, huh?) on American Idol.

15. Bruno Mars- It Will Rain

It's never been my favorite song by him, or anywhere near my favorite. But it's a Bruno Mars song, and I'm stupidly biased and always going to prefer a lesser-fave Bruno song over the vast majority of other random songs that pop up in the Billboard Hot 100. *shrug*

14. Jessie J- Domino

And now we've got the exact opposite of the previous songs. I barely paid this song any mind back in 2012, but now I really like it. Honestly, name any of Jessie J's most popular songs and I probably really enjoy it. This one's not my absolute fave from her (that one's coming in a couple years) but this one's just one of those songs that's simply a really strong, well-written pop song, and I really like Jessie's voice. 

13. Demi Lovato- Give Your Heart a Break

It's really unfortunate that Demi came up and out of Disney at the same time as powerhouses like Miley and Selena, because I feel like she kinda got lost in the shuffle. And then on top of that, she's dealt with a lot of mental health and drug problems that have led to her IMO being underrated compared to her peers. But IMO, she also has the strongest music of them all and this is just one example of that, and not even anywhere near my favorite of hers. 

12. Kelly Clarkson- Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)

Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway album was iconic in the early 00s, and although her brief comeback at the beginning of the '10s wasn't quite as fantastic, it gave us several really great singles. Stronger might be my favorite of those. I tend to think of Kelly Clarkson songs as being in the same realm as Pink songs-- they're really powerful, strong songs with a slight pop rock tinge, and that's pretty much my favorite brand of pop music.  

11. Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa- Payphone

Listen... I just really like early '10s Maroon 5 songs. Kinda like Kelly Clarkson, I feel like they had some iconic songs in the early '00s with Songs About Jane & then had a bit of a resurgence in the early '10s. Payphone isn't currently near the top of my list in comparison to their other songs at the time, but it was one of my favorites at the time. 

10. Kesha- Die Young

I mentioned in my first post that my best friend used to LOVE Kesha, and I also said that I like most of her songs, but that they blend together. And I somehow just totally forgot this one existed. But when I saw it on the list, I immediately was like YES. This was one of the Kesha songs that I really enjoyed more than the rest. Honestly, of her most popular songs, I think this one might be the best on a technical level. There are so many great, tight melodies that keep it fun and catchy. I really enjoy it.  

9. Gotye feat Kimbra- Somebody That I Used to Know

The absolute biggest one-hit wonder of the 2010s! Honestly, I have no idea what Gotye or Kimbra have been up to since this was released, and I haven't really tried to figure it out, nor do I really care. Unsurprisingly, this is another song by an indie artist that got really popular, and that's a recipe for songs that I tend to really like. The minimalist track for this one is really iconic at this point-- it's instantly recognizable.

8. Pink- Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

Like I mentioned earlier in the post, I think of Pink and Kelly Clarkson songs in the same realm. Similarly, this is just a really solid pop song. It's not some groundbreaking, unique, fresh pop song, but it's got strong melodies, is well written, has a pop rock tinge and is just overall a really all-around solid song. And I really like songs like that. 

7. fun. feat. Janelle Monáe-  We Are Young

One of the unfortunate things that has become a relic of the early '10s is fun. At the time, I was more of a casual pop listener and was more into alternative music, and although I usually enjoyed when alternative artists went mainstream, this was an exception. This was released in late 2011 and by the end of the year it was already so overplayed that I was already sick of it. I quickly turned around on it (for reasons we'll see later in this post) but I originally wasn't a huge fan. Now, although it's not my favorite song of the year, it's a definite standout. Nate's voice is instantly recognizable, and this is probably still to this day fun.'s most memorable song.

6. Taylor Swift- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

I hated this song. I hated this song so much. From the very first listen. Except... I didn't. This is one of those songs I wanted to hate so badly. It was cheesy and grating and childish, and yet I found myself really liking it. I'M SORRY. I'm just such a sucker for catchy melodies. And then my enjoyment of this song was just bolstered by the fact that it was released mere weeks before the end of my most significant relationship I'd had up to that point. So I found myself listening to this song a lot. Maybe it's stockholm syndrome, IDK. But this still holds a lot of nostalgia for me. 

5. Maroon 5- One More Night

Although I don't keep up with Maroon 5 anymore, the early '10s were peak Maroon 5 for me. I liked their older stuff (Harder to Breathe remains my favorite Maroon 5 song of all time!), but every new single they released hit perfectly for me, and was on constant repeat until a new one was released. Or even past the next one, in this case, because this was one of my absolute faves. I'm always really weak for a song that's really rhythmically driven, while still having catchy hooks, and that's One More Night to a T. I'm not sure how much longer Maroon 5 will keep finding a place on this list, because this feels like we're about at their peak before their decline for me, but if this is the peak, at least it's a really great one. 

4. Neon Trees- Everybody Talks

Given that Animal was my #1 pick for the 2010 list, you had to know this would be making an appearance, right? While Everybody Talks was never quite able to live up to the standard set by Animal, it was a really great follow-up, even if it did sound like knockoff Animal. I loved it the first time, so I liked it the second time. Unfortunately, apart from Animal, its follow-up 1983, and Everybody Talks, none of their songs really stuck for me, and I never really kept up with their career past these releases.

3. Katy Perry- Wide Awake

Wide Awake has always been one of Katy Perry's most perplexing singles for me. Among all of her mega-hits like Roar, Dark Horse, Teenage Dream, California Gurls, etc, Wide Awake has really faded into the background and seems like it was quickly forgotten about at the time, carrying forward to present day. But to me, it remains one of her best songs to date, and that's coming from someone who'll almost always take an up-tempo hype song over something more mid-tempo and vocally driven. It's just a really solid pop song, and one I wish had become one of her bigger hits in place of some of the other ones (although idk what I'm complaining about, it's hard to find a Katy Perry single I dislike from the early '10s)

2. Gavin DeGraw- Not Over You

No matter how much my music horizons expand throughout the years, and how much my taste in music shifts wildly, I think I'll always have a soft spot for these singer-songwriter white-guy-with-guitar type songs. In a way, I hate that, but I can't deny that I love this song just as much now as I did back then. This, I Don't Want to Be, and In Love With a Girl are probably the only songs by him I've ever listened to, but I love all of them, and this is probably my favorite of the three.

1. fun.-  Some Nights

Based on the 2012 charts, I was falling in love with Some Nights at the same time that the rest of the country was falling in love with We Are Young (I remember WAY getting big in Dec. '11, but it apparently was charting high in spring '12? idk). Either way, I first heard Some Nights right before I took a trip over Spring Break, and it was practically the only thing I listened to the entire week. It was one of those songs where I heard it once, fell in love, and listened to it over and over and over on repeat. Not even until I was sick of it, because I truly never got sick of it. Some Nights is big. It's bold. It's powerful. And I love every single second of it. The harmonies, that pounding, stomping rhythm, everything. It's fantastic, and nearly 9 years later, I still love it just as much as I did the first time.

As always, let's jump into some of the songs that didn't make the list!

Songs 2012 Kristen 100% would've included:

- Drive By by Train- yeah... I liked Train. yikes. We all make mistakes.

- I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz- I prefer I'm Yours, but this one is still... fine. 

- Wanted by Hunter Hayes- I LOVED Hunter Hayes at the time, but this was one of my least favorite songs on his debut album. 

- Drunk on You by Luke Bryan- I hated how much I loved this song, but I loved it

- Good Girl & Blown Away by Carrie Underwood-- I don't love her as much now, but Carrie Underwood was one of my favorite singers for a very long time.

- Pontoon by Little Big Town- I hate how much I loved this song. Oof.

And finally, the songs 2021 Kristen nearly included:

- Starships by Nicki Minaj-- tbh, the Pentatonix version is what made me first like it, but that's happened for a lot of songs now lol.

- What Makes You Beautiful and Live While We're Young by One Direction- At the time, I was a whole alt music snob, but I lowkey liked One Direction, and I still kinda do. Although these aren't my favorite songs by them... we'll get there soon. 

- It's Time by Imagine Dragons- I have mixed feelings about Imagine Dragons, but I enjoyed this one. 

So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen already, it's been months since the last time I made one of these. So... we'll see when I make the next one. Although, the 2013 list looks really promising, so... you'll probably see me again soon.

On the last one, I listed a few of my least favorite songs of the year here at the very end, and tbh there really aren't any that stand out to me as ones I really disliked in 2012, apart from Boyfriend. But we all hate Boyfriend. So... am I really saying much there? Thought not lol.   

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2013 list!