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

As is pretty common for me, I recently fell down a YouTube spiral. This specific spiral, I found myself binge-watching Todd in the Shadows videos. I'll embed a relevant video of his below so you get a feel for what his content is like. 

Namely, I found myself binging his lists of the best and worst hit songs from each year, going all the way back to 2009 (I think, lol). And, as someone who loves listing and ranking everything, I found myself wondering which songs I would include in my own personal ranking. And thus, this idea was born. My plan is to cover every decade of the 2010s, listing my favorite hit songs of the year. For simplicity, I'll be using essentially the same criteria as Todd-- all of my songs come from Billboard's end-of-year hot 100 list. So, I'm not taking every single pop song from the year into consideration, just the top 100. Because this is just for fun and I'm nowhere near devoted enough to this to parse through *every* pop song from *every* year of the decade. 

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! 

For reference, 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 2010, I was 15/16 & in 10th/11th grade, 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 15 for this specific list, because I didn't have the heart to cut it down to 10, 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 2010 instead of 2020. Because why not?

Without further ado, onto the list! 

15. The Black Eyed Peas- I Gotta Feeling

Possibly the most difficult part of this list was choosing which song would get the 15th spot. I had a list of ~10 songs that I liked pretty equally, and eventually, I just picked this one because I think it's one that has stood the test of time decently well. It's one of The Black Eyed Peas' most well-loved songs, and for a good reason. It's one of those universally appealing songs that pretty much anyone can enjoy. I'll list some of the other options at the end, but I'm really content with this one as my choice.  

14. Kesha- Take It Off

My best friend used to LOVE Kesha, and I think that love grew on me a bit as well. A lot of her songs end up blending together for me, but in the back of my mind, I always remembered that I really liked one of her songs-- I just couldn't remember which one. Surprise! It's Take It Off lol. This is due almost exclusively to the melody in the chorus. It's one of those melodies that gets stuck in my mind and refuses to leave, and that's why I first loved it in 2010, and why I still really enjoy it today. 

 

13. Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars- Billionaire

I remember when I first heard this, my first thought was "oh, it's the guy from Gym Class Heros and...some other guy?" Little did I know that "some other guy" would become my favorite American pop artist of the decade and Gym Class Heroes would be all but forgotten in a few years' time lol. This is definitely one I thought was just alright back in 2010, but has definitely grown on me over the past decade. 

12. Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg- California Gurls

Although it's not my favorite Katy Perry song (nowhere near it, actually!) I'd be lying if I said this weren't one of the biggest, most defining songs of my teenage years and of the decade. When I hear this song, I'm instantly transported back to a very specific moment in time-- it's the summer of 2010, I'm in my friend's Beetle, and we're blasting the song while driving to go see a movie (Eclipse? Despicable Me? Inception? idk). It's such a stereotypical high school moment, but this song is just so evocative of that time in my life that I can't help but love it and have fond memories of it. 

11. Miley Cyrus- Party in the U.S.A.

I HATED this song in high school. And by that, I mean that I lied to myself and everyone around me and convinced myself that I hated it, even though I quite obviously begrudgingly loved it. And that sentiment has kinda stuck around for the entire decade. I hate to admit that I like it, but I still do. It's another that's just so evocative of that time in my life and despite "hating" it at the time, I find myself still really enjoying it whenever I hear it today. 

10. Adam Lambert- Whataya Want from Me

It's been 11 years since Adam Lambert lost American Idol, and I'm still offended by the fact that he lost. I was rooting for him the entire time and was so angry when he lost. I haven't followed his music career very closely since then, but this first(?) song was definitely a great one. It was written by Pink, which makes a lot of sense, because it sounds like a Pink song, and I also love Pink. Adam's vocals really get a chance to shine, especially near the emotional climax of the song. It's the type of pop song I'm naturally inclined to love, because it has a bit of a rock flair, and that always gets bonus points from me. 

9. Orianthi- According to You

Full disclosure, I 100% forgot this song existed. But while going through the hot 100 list, seeing this song there was like a huge nostalgic punch to the face. If I remember correctly, this was the iTunes free single one week, and that's why I downloaded it. And I quickly fell in love with it. It's very reminiscent of Avril, who I've always enjoyed, and as I already mentioned with the last song, I like rock-infused pop music. So, despite literally completely forgetting this song existed, I couldn't help but put it on here. 

8. Maroon 5- Misery

After watching all of those Todd in the Shadows videos, I feel almost obligated to dislike Maroon 5 songs because of how vehemently he complains about them, but at least for the first half of the decade, I still find myself really enjoying them. Maybe it's the nostalgia factor because of how much I liked the band/ Adam Levine at the time, maybe it's the songs themselves, maybe it's all of the above. Regardless, this is a song I still find myself really enjoying. It's one of those songs that really gets stuck in my head and refuses to leave, and somehow doesn't totally annoy me in the process, which is rare!

7. The Script- Breakeven

I know that I have/had a tendency (especially at the beginning of the decade) to enjoy what some might dub boring white-guy-with-guitar music, and there are certainly a few of those on this list. This might possibly be the epitome of that. Tbh, if I made this list in 2010, it might be entirely composed of those songs, especially a certain heavily overplayed song about a soul sister. Regardless, this is one of those songs that I still find myself enjoying all these years later. It's a song that I think aged really well-- although I don't listen to it that often anymore, when it comes on, it maintains a certain level of freshness instead of feeling old and overplayed (see: the aforementioned Train song lmao).

6. B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams- Airplanes

Some songs are way overplayed at the time and then eventually once the hype has died down, they end up in a way freeing themselves from that aspect. This is one of those songs for me. I liked it at first, and then got really, really sick of it, and then once it was no longer on the radio every 5 seconds, that initial enjoyment of it returned and has remained ever since. Plus, Hayley Williams is always a plus on any song!

5. Paramore- The Only Exception

Speaking of Hayley Williams, here she is again! I was tempted to put this even higher simply because it's Paramore and I've always loved them, but if I'm being honest with myself, this has never been one of my absolute favorite Paramore songs. Sure, I really, really enjoy it-- that's why it's on this list! But I could name a handful of Paramore songs- just from the same album!- that I prefer over this one. I tend to gravitate toward more uptempo songs, and this is certainly not that. Nonetheless, it's a really beautiful song with deep emotional lyrics, and it's Paramore, and I really enjoy it. (but also listen to Playing God from the same album, it's one of my favorite Paramore songs of all time)

4. B.o.B feat. Rivers Cuomo- Magic

If I'd made this list in 2010, this would be nowhere near the list because I'd literally never heard it. I listened to the radio quite a bit in 2010 so I'm not sure how I missed it, but I did. When did I finally hear it? When it was covered in a little movie called Pitch Perfect. ... yeah. Anyway, I liked the song in the movie, looked it up, and the rest is history. You know when you hear a song and you feel like it's from somewhere else? Like you're convinced it's a sample of an older song, but it's not?  That's what this song is for me. The chorus of Magic is so perfectly constructed that it sounds like they must be sampling an older song, because there's no way this could be brand new-- it feels too familiar. And yet, it is brand new. Overall, this is just a really catchy, really fun song that demands that I enjoy it.

3. Bruno Mars- Just the Way You Are

When I discussed Airplanes, I talked about how some songs are able to shed the weight of how overplayed they were when they were popular. Unfortunately, this song has never been able to manage that for me. This song was ubiquitous in 2010. It wasn't even "that song" that got overplayed, it was "that song" x10. It was inescapable. And as much as I still enjoy it in spite of that, I can't bring myself to move it up the list for that reason alone. Fortunately for Bruno, though, he released many more hits throughout the 2010s, and at least a few of them will place higher than this, because as I mentioned-- he's my favorite American pop artist of the last decade. Full stop. 

2. Kris Allen- Live Like We're Dying

To the average person who's just stumbled across this post, much of this list probably feels random, because I've left off many songs that others would deem iconic. But this might be simultaneously my most random-seeming choice and my most "boring white guy" choice. Yes, despite believing Adam Lambert should've won American Idol, I've still placed Kris Allen's song higher. I really don't know how to explain myself here. This is just one of those songs that grabbed me on first listen and does so again and again any time I return to it. Sometimes, you just enjoy things without knowing why you do, and this is one of those times. But I will reiterate, #TeamAdam!

1. Neon Trees- Animal

When I sat down to make this list, I never would've thought this would be #1 solely for the fact that I forgot how much it broke through into the mainstream pop scene. I used to watch this music channel (fuse, maybe?) that did top 10 lists weekly for different genres, and I think the first time I heard this was on the alternative top 10, as it was growing in popularity. Unfortunately, I only have kinda vague memories of when I got into their music, but at some point I downloaded their album, and I actually preferred 1983 (the follow-up single, I think?) to Animal. Nonetheless, Animal is the song on the list, and a really fun one at that. When going through this list, this was an easy choice for #1 because this is still that song of all of these that makes my heart swell and gets me hyped up. And honestly, I think the song is even more in-line with my taste in music now than it was in 2010, so I appreciate it even more now 10 years later. 

Alright, now that the list is complete, let's discuss some of the songs that didn't make the list.

Firstly, the ones 2010 Kristen would've 100% included:

- Fireflies by Owl City-- I unabashedly loved this, even when it was overplayed. Not so much now.

- Hey Soul Sister by Train-- ditto the above, I'm ashamed to admit. I think we all regret stanning this song as much as we did lol

- Use Somebody by Kings of Leon-- almost made the list regardless, I still like it.

- Just Haven't Met You Yet by Michael Buble-- yep, more boring white guy music. 

And finally, the ones 2020 Kristen nearly put on the list:

- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry-- very solid song from Katy, but not an all-time fave

- Your Love Is My Drug by Kesha-- I like most Kesha songs, but I don't love many of them.

- Bad Romance by Lady Gaga-- again, love Gaga, but her best songs were in other years IMO

- Tik Tok by Kesha-- didn't love my first introduction to Kesha, but it's become iconic

- Not Afraid by Eminem-- definitely not one I would've enjoyed at the time, but has grown on me a lot.

- Telephone by Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé-- again, not my fave from either, but enjoyable nonetheless

- Dynamite by Taio Cruz-- maybe Stockholm Syndrome from how much this was played, but definitely one that stands out as enjoyable & memorable.

- Nothin' on You by B.o.B feat. Bruno Mars-- I have 2 Bruno songs & 2 B.o.B songs on my list, but their collab didn't make it. This one suffered from overplay for me, but otherwise, I enjoyed it. 

So, that's the list! As I mentioned, I hope to do one of these for each year of the 2010s. As seen by other series on my blog, I'm horribly inconsistent and incapable of completing a series, so we'll see how this goes.

As much as part of me would like to do least favorite lists for each of these years too, I don't think I will, mostly because I don't really have a ton each year that I actively dislike. If anything, my opinions toward most of the songs on these lists, all these years later, is just a mere *shrug.* Looking through the 2010 list, the only 3 that jumped out as least favorites were Baby by Justin Bieber, Imma Be by The Black Eyed Peas, and Like a G6 by Far East Movement. So there's my list, I guess lol. 

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2011 list!

Paramore- Brand New Eyes

Hey, y'all! It's time for me to talk about another CD on my shelf! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Release Date: September 29, 2009

Genre: Pop punk, Alternative

When I bought the CD: If I remember correctly, I got it when it came out.

Track Listing

1. Careful
2. Ignorance
3. Playing God
4. Brick by Boring Brick
5. Turn It Off
6. The Only Exception
7. Feeling Sorry
8. Looking Up
9. Where the Lines Overlap
10. Misguided Ghosts
11. All I Wanted

Paramore lineup on this CD:
Hayley Williams- vocals, keyboards
Josh Farro- lead guitar
Taylor York- rhythm guitar
Jeremy Davis- bass
Zac Farro- drums, percussion

L-R: Taylor, Josh, Hayley, Zac, and Jeremy

About Paramore: 
Paramore has been a band since 2004. So far, they've released 4 CDs: All We Know Is Falling in 2005, Riot! in 2007, Brand New Eyes in 2009, and Paramore in 2013. The band has gone through several lineup changes. I mean seriously, their Wikipedia page has an actual TIMELINE showing the changes:

However, the timeline is partially inaccurate, because Hunter Lamb did NOT play on Riot!, and Taylor York didn't join Paramore until later, and I believe it was 2009. Josh Farro played all the guitar parts on Riot!, and Taylor was a touring member until just before Brand New Eyes.

My Opinion about Paramore:
Paramore was the first alternative band I got into, and they're actually what caused me to begin listening to alternative music. In the gap between Brand New Eyes and Paramore, I didn't listen to them quite as much and they fell down a bit on my list of favorite bands, but they've always been among my top 10 bands, and have been a staple in my ever-changing list of favorites.

About the CD:  

This was the first Paramore CD with Taylor York, and the last one with the Farro brothers. Some of the songs were actually part of the reason that they left the band. Hayley and Josh had dated and broken up, causing Hayley to write songs about it as well as writing some songs that the brothers didn't really agree with. It caused a lot of tension, and with other factors, eventually caused them to leave. Which, as we know, was very traumatic to Paramore fans everywhere.

IMHO: 
I don't think I'd call this one of my favorite Paramore CDs. It's one of those CDs with some really amazing songs, and then some songs that I've maybe listened to 5 times ever. If that. And pretty much every song on the CD falls into one of those two categories.

As always, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

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Careful- 7.5/10. This is one of the only songs that falls somewhere in the middle for me. I thought it was one of my least favorites on the CD, but as I listen to it again, I realize that it's pretty middle of the pack. It's not great, but not as forgettable as some other songs on this CD.

Ignorance- 10/10. First off, the music on this is just really awesome. Hayley's vocals are awesome as always, and the lyrics are really great too. It's just a really great combination of everything.

Playing God- 10/10. This is possibly my all-time favorite Paramore song. I haven't really thought too seriously about what my favorite Paramore song is, but I know that this would be in my top 5, if not right at #1. The lyrics in this song are so phenomenal. There are so many lines that I absolutely love.

Brick by Boring Brick- 10/10. Hayley's vocals are just really cool on this one. I really love the lyrics on this one as well, especially in the chorus. I don't often think about lyrics in a song (typical instrumentalist) but I've mentioned Hayley's lyrics 3 times already. Hayley writes great lyrics.

Turn It Off- 8/10. Honestly, Hayley's vocals and lyrics in the chorus are what I really like about this song. It's not my favorite on the CD, but it's better than most of them.

The Only Exception- 9/10. I think this song had a little too much hype as a single. Everyone seemed completely enthralled with it. I really enjoyed it too, but I felt like everyone made a bigger deal of it than they needed to. It's beautifully simple, and I really like that.  And of course, Hayley's vocals and lyrics are on-point.

Feeling Sorry- 7/10. I get this one and Looking Up confused constantly. The entire song feels like it's going nowhere. It does have a nice high point, but the rest of the song seems pretty flat.

Looking Up- 7/10. I get this and Feeling Sorry confused, and they have the same problems as well. I just feel like most of this song is flat. Once again, there are a few seconds near the end that are nice, but overall, meh.

Where the Lines Overlap- 6/10. If I were to describe this song in one word, it would be boring. I can never remember how the song goes until I listen to it. It's forgettable and boring.

Misguided Ghosts- 6.5/10. Like with Where the Lines Overlap, I always forget what this song sounds like. I gave it a slightly higher rating because I like it better than Where the Lines Overlap, but they have basically the same problems.

All I Wanted- 10/10. Those lyrics. Those vocals. Wow. I have nothing else to say about this song. Just wow.

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Favorite Songs: Playing God, All I Wanted, Brick by Boring Brick, Ignorance

Least Favorite Songs: Where the Lines Overlap and Misguided Ghosts

Video! 

Playing God music video

All I Wanted video

Rating: 8.5/10. It makes me really sad that this CD has so many really amazing songs, but so many not-so-great songs mixed in with it.

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Have any questions? Do you like Paramore? Let me know in the comments!

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Paramore- Paramore

Hey, y'all! Welcome to the first CDs On Our Shelf post of 2014! As always, I put my iTunes on shuffle, and the CD containing the first song that played is the one I'll be talking about!

Release Date: April 5, 2013

Genre: Alternative, Pop-Punk

Track Listing

1. Fast in My Car
2. Now
3. Grow Up
4. Daydreaming
5. Interlude: Moving On
6. Ain't It Fun
7. Part II
8. Last Hope
9. Still Into You
10. Anklebiters
11. Interlude: Holiday
12. Proof
13. Hate to See Your Heart Break
14. (One of Those) Crazy Girls
15. Interlude:I'm Not Angry Anymore
16. Be Alone
17. Future

Paramore lineup on this CD:
Hayley Williams- vocals, keyboards, piano
Jeremy Davis- bass, backup vocals, keyboards
Taylor York- guitar, drums, percussion

Paramore, L to R: Jeremy, Hayley, Taylor

About Paramore: 
Paramore has been a band since 2004. So far, they've released 4 CDs: All We Know Is Falling in 2005, Riot! in 2007, Brand New Eyes in 2009, and Paramore in 2013. The band has gone through several lineup changes. I mean seriously, their Wikipedia page has an actual TIMELINE showing the changes:

However, the timeline is partially inaccurate, because Hunter Lamb did NOT play on Riot!, and Taylor York didn't join Paramore until later, and I believe it was 2009. Josh Farro played all the guitar parts on Riot!, and Taylor was a touring member until just before Brand New Eyes.

My Opinion about Paramore:
Paramore was the first alternative band I got into, and they're actually what caused me to begin listening to alternative music. In the gap between Brand New Eyes and Paramore, I didn't listen to them quite as much and they fell down a bit on my list of favorite bands, but they've always been among my top 10 bands, and have been a staple in my ever-changing list of favorites.

About the CD:  
This is Paramore's newest CD. It's the first CD they've released since the Farro brothers left the band, and it's a bit of a different direction for Paramore. They've deviated from their typical just pop punk sound, and have incorporated many different styles and genres into making their self-titled CD.

IMHO: 
It's really funny, I actually just talked about this CD on my list of the top 10 CDs of 2013 (Link HERE if you'd like to check it out). Although I hadn't been listening to Paramore a lot when this CD came out, I decided to go ahead and get it and give it a go. I instantly fell in love. There are so many great songs on this CD. However, as I said in the top 10 CDs of 2013, all the songs on this CDs are either ones I really love, or ones I don't care about.

Just as I did on the last CDs On My Shelf post, I'm going to give each song a rating out of 10 and then give a brief explanation of why it got that rating. 

Fast in My Car- 9.5/10. This one is really fun and unique and a great opener.
Now- 9/10. While I don't think it was the best first single, I think it's a really good song.
Grow Up- 10/10. Hayley's vocals on the chorus are just great.
Daydreaming- 9.5/10. Once again, the chorus is just great.
Interlude: Moving On- 8/10. These interludes are not quite as successful as the rest of the songs.
Ain't It Fun- 10/10. The choir in it and the instrumentation make it very unique, as well as something very different for Paramore
Part II- 8.5/10. This is supposed to be Let The Flames Begin part 2, but I feel like it doesn't quite live up to the original.
Last Hope- 7/10. My least favorite on the CD. I honestly can't ever remember what it sounds like until I go listen to it again.
Still Into You- 10/10. Such a great jam song! And the meaning behind it is really cute as well.
Anklebiters- 10/10. I like that this one is one of the more rock songs on the CD, and that it's a bit of the typical Paramore sound thrown into a pretty atypical Paramore CD.
Interlude: Holiday- 7.5/10. The least successful interlude, in my opinion.
Proof- 7.5/10. Not a bad song, just very forgettable for me.
Hate to See Your Heart Break- 9/10. Hayley's vocals are really pretty on this one, and it's a really good slower song, which hasn't been seen yet on this CD.
(One of Those) Crazy Girls- 9/10. This song draws a very fine line between creepy and cute, and it bounces back and forth in a very interesting and cool way.
Interlude:I'm Not Angry Anymore- 8.5/10. This song is so clearly about the Farro brothers leaving, which they should stop harping on, but I really appreciate the humor in this song.
Be Alone- 8.5/10. Another typical Paramore song, but not quite as successful.
Future- 7.5/10. Again, forgettable! The main complaint I have with nearly all the lower scorers is that I feel like with 17 songs on the CD, they don't stand out enough and get lost!

Favorite Songs: Still Into You, Ain't It Fun, Grow Up, Anklebiters, Daydreaming, Fast In My Car, and Now. These songs are just so insanely strong, and some of the best songs Paramore has released.

Least Favorite Songs: Last Hope, Interlude: Holiday, Future, and Proof. As I said above, these songs aren't bad, they're just very forgettable and with a whopping 17 songs on the CD, they get completely lost!

Video! 

Still Into You music video

Anklebiters music video

Rating: 8.5/10. The average was around 8.7, so this is a little lower, but I'd say it was an 8.5 CD rather than a 9. There are enough forgettable songs that I can't quite push it up to a grade A CD, as much as I enjoy the top-scoring songs. As I said earlier, there's not a huge middle ground: either I love the song, or I don't!

Hope you liked my newest "The CDs on my Shelf" post! Do you like the changes I made to the format? Have any questions? What did you think of Paramore? Let me know all of this in the comments. If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow, because it lets me know y'all are liking them! Hope you enjoyed! Comment, comment, comment! I love feedback! Thanks for reading!

Top 10 CDs/Songs of 2013

Hey, y'all! So, a couple days ago, I did the New Years Challenge (link HERE if you haven't checked it out and would like to) and one of the questions asked what my top 5 songs of the year were. I started thinking about which CDs I enjoyed the most in 2013, and that's how we got here! I'll be listing my top 10 CDs, as well as my top 10 songs.

Also, since this isn't actually a CDs On My Shelf post, I'll try to stay away from full-out reviewing the CDs, because I will probably have a post on each one at some point (and in some cases, I already have!). So this is just going to be my opinion on the CDs, as well as my top few songs to check out on each one.

This year hasn't been the best for music, in my opinion. Although several of my favorite artists released new music, several of those releases went in totally different directions and were disappointing. Several long-anticipated releases failed to impress, and a few gems were total surprises.That being said, let's dive right in! 

Top 10 CDs of 2013

#10) Fashionably Late (Deluxe Edition)- Falling In Reverse

Notice that I didn't say these CDs were necessarily the BEST CDs of the year. And that's definitely true for this one. Everyone has their "trash" music that they know is absolutely terrible, but they still enjoy it and jam to it. That's Falling In Reverse for me. Though many people don't like them, I thought their first CD was pretty good. Great music, but very mediocre lyrics ("sexy, please text me. I'm ready for you" REALLY? A chimp could write that!). This CD, however, is just funny. Ronnie thinks he can rap, so there's rap, his characteristic not-so great lyrics, and a random country song thrown in. It's such a hodge-podge but somehow I actually enjoy it.

The songs I'd say are the ones I like the most are Bad Girl's Club and Drifter. Bad Girl's Club is really catchy and oh so cheesy and bad, but a total jam song. Drifter is the country song, and strangely, I really like it!

#9) Overnight- Parachute

I avoided listening to this CD for quite a while, because Parachute is one of my absolute favorite bands, and upon hearing the singles, I was very disappointed with the direction they were taking their music. Parachute veers more on the pop side, and their music has always been very chill, relaxing, pop rock. Like so many bands like them, Parachute caved to the electronic pop sound, and I miss the old sound. However, this is still a good CD. It still sounds like them, just a more electronic version. I'm sure I would like this CD more if I wasn't so attached to their original sound. You can tell it's a slow year in music when this is the best thing I can say about my #9 CD of the year.

The songs I'd recommend from this one are Overnight and The Other Side. Out of all the songs, I feel like Overnight has the most similarities to their old sound. The Other Side is a really chill song, and it has a really nice beat to it.

#8) Melophobia- Cage The Elephant

Cage The Elephant is one of the most unique bands I listen to. Matt Shultz has a very distinct voice, and their music has a very distinct sound. They've definitely set themselves apart from the other bands in the industry, but I haven't seen a ton of buzz around them since "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" and "In One Ear" were popular back in about 2009. Melophobia isn't a huge deviation from their sound in previous CDs. I guess the only thing that really disappointed me was that they've had a bit less than 3 years since their last CD, and we only get 10 songs, and most of those songs are really mellow. There's nothing wrong with mellow- CTE does mellow really well- but it would be nice to have more excitement in the CD.

The songs I'd recommend the most from Melophobia are Come A Little Closer and Teeth. Come A Little Closer is probably the most mainstream friendly song. CTE is a very oddball band, and much of their music would leave 'normal' people scratching their heads. This one is one that would probably appeal to a fairly sizable audience. Teeth is the exact opposite. Teeth is the excitement I wanted out of this CD. It's full, oddball, in your face CTE, and I love it. 

#7) Sunflower- Never Shout Never

Never Shout Never (or more specifically, frontman Christofer Drew, who was the sole member of Never Shout Never for a very long time) is one of those bands that goes though endless phases of musical styles. NSN started as a uke/acoustic guitar based pop rock band, ventured into a folksy phase, into a more electric phase, into a more bluesy/ soft rock sound, and then to this. Sunflower is a mix of a couple of the band's phases. Quite a bit of it is rather bluesy, a couple are more of the acoustic sound, and a couple even have the folk in them. Some sounds are more successful than others, but overall, I feel like they've hit their stride by mixing the different sounds, and have bounced back from a couple of CDs that I didn't think were that outstanding.

For me, the best songs on the CD are New Sound and Wild Child. Both are more of the bluesy sound. New Sound has a really fun groove to it, and was a great choice for the first track. Wild Child is my favorite on the album. It's a really unique song, and I'm not sure what else to say about it except that I really like it!

#6) The Pioneer Sessions- William Beckett

We now arrive at the CD I've already talked about on CDs On My Shelf (You can click HERE if you'd like to check it out). William Beckett was the lead singer of The Academy Is... until they broke up in 2011. In 2012, he began releasing a series of EPs, and at the beginning of 2013, he released The Pioneer Sessions, which is basically the acoustic, stripped down versions of the songs on the EPs. Some of them, I actually enjoy the acoustic version more than the pop one, because I really miss him doing alternative music. That being said, this is a CD I really enjoy, and listen to on a regular basis. 

My two favorite songs on the CD would have to be Compromising Me and Dear Life. These are both songs where I really enjoy both the normal and acoustic versions. Compromising Me is a really interesting song, possibly more interesting in the normal version, but I love it either way. Dear Life stuck out at me the first time I heard the normal version, but I think the acoustic might be better. I really like the way the music and vocals mesh together.

#5) Feel- Sleeping With Sirens

Here's another one that I talked about on CDs On My Shelf (link HERE if you'd like to read it). Sleeping With Sirens is one of my favorite bands, and although I'm of the opinion that this CD isn't quite as good as their last release, it's still really strong. I'm not even upset that they collaborated with a rapper on Alone, because I think it sounds really cool. They made some really smart choices with collabs on this CD. In my opinion, the best thing this band has going for them is Kellin Quinn's unique voice. Honestly, I've never heard anyone with a voice like Kellin's. Sure, some people think he and Vic Fuentes (from Pierce The Veil) sound similar, but they each have very distinct voices.

There are so many great songs to mention on this CD. Free Now, a song about Kellin's broken family and how he wants to be a good father to his daughter, Copeland, is really sweet. Alone, feat. MGK, is different for them because of the rap, and I think it works really well. Congratulations, feat. Matty Mullins, is definitely a jam song, as is Deja Vu.

#4) PTX Vol. II- Pentatonix

Pentatonix is an a cappella group that I was introduced to this year. I've completely fallen in love. Each member brings something unique to the group. Kevin is an excellent beatboxer/ rhythm section, Avi has a KILLER bass range, Scott has an insanely amazing and soulful voice, Mitch has a great voice with an amazing range, and Kirstie supplies the necessary female voice. They do great arrangements, and their original music is also really good. PTX Vol. 2 falls just the smallest bit shy of the bar that PTX Vol. 1 set, but that bar was set really high, so it would be nearly impossible for them to do better than that.

My favorite songs on the CD are Can't Hold Us (A Macklemore cover) and Daft Punk (a medley of Daft Punk songs). I really liked the original Can't Hold Us, and Pentatonix just improved upon it. Having Scott, Mitch, and Kirstie take sections of it was great. The arrangement of Daft Punk is great and the bass kills me every time. It's just awesome. 

#3) Save Rock and Roll- Fall Out Boy

Believe it or not, I wasn't a huge fan of this CD when it came out. I'd already listened to My Songs Know and Phoenix, so I was a bit worried about the direction of the CD. And I've since realized that yes, it's a different direction for them, but I really, really like it. There were (and still are) some songs that I don't enjoy as much, but there are quite a few songs that I can listen to on repeat. My only complaint is that this is one of those CDs where a song either falls into the like or dislike pile. There're no middle ground where songs are just ok.

There are several really great ones on here. Save Rock and Roll is one of those songs where I'll be out driving with my windows rolled down, loudly singing along. Young Volcanoes is surprisingly fun for FOB, and I really enjoy it. The Mighty Fall is also another good one, and the only thing I'm not a fan of is the rap on it. It detracts from the song just a little, but Patrick's parts are amazing. The Phoenix is another I like to blast while driving. The cello intro is spot on!

#2) Paramore- Paramore

I really wasn't sure what to expect out of this CD. I hadn't listened to Paramore much since the Farro brothers left the band, and I really wasn't sure where their music was headed. But still, I decided to pick up their CD when it came out, trusting it would at least be decent. It really exceeded expectations. So many of the songs on this CD are standout songs, and have become some of my favorite Paramore songs. I went back and forth over whether this or Save Rock and Roll should be higher, but in the end, Paramore won because of the sheer number of tracks that I absolutely love. However, like Save Rock and Roll, nearly all the songs fall into either a like or dislike pile. There are several that are good, but I just don't care about them in comparison to the outstanding songs.

There are so many amazing songs that it's hard to not talk about them all. Fast In My Car is an amazing combo of music and lyrics. Great opener. Now is especially good because of Hayley's vocals. Grow Up is another great one. I especially love Hayley's vocals in the chorus. Daydreaming is also really fun. Ain't It Fun has a cool sound, with the choir to back it up. Still Into You is such a catchy and fun song. Anklebiters is a really fun, harder song. (One of Those) Crazy Girls is kinda creepy but cool.

Before I continue... My two favorite CDs that came out this year both seemed like cop-outs to put as the #1 CD of the year, because one is the deluxe edition of a CD released last year, and the other is a live CD. Since I couldn't decide which is better, and thought each was a bit of a cop out, I figured I should just put them both as #1... which makes it an even bigger cop out, but whatever!

#1) TIE

10th Anniversary Concert- Royal Albert Hall (Live)- McFly

McFly has been my favorite band for quite some time now, and this CD is really special because it's from their 10th anniversary concert. Also, Busted, a band who broke up in 2005 and is friends with McFly, came back together and performed with McFly. Since they only did shows in Royal Albert Hall, I was unable to go, but this CD makes it a little better.

I love all of the songs! More specifically, though... McFly the Musical is a song written specifically for the concert, and it's all about McFly in the last 10 years. Tom hit the nail on the head writing this one. It's perfect. Five Colours In Her Hair was their first ever single, and to this day, it's still one of their best, and certainly their most recognizable song.

Don't Panic: It's Longer Now- All Time Low

All Time Low is my other favorite band. Just like I can't choose between these two CDs, I can't choose between these two bands. They're both amazing in their own ways. Don't Panic was released in late 2012, and not only did it become my favorite All Time Low CD, but it made its way into my top 2 CDs of all time. Seriously, it's that good. That's why I was so excited to hear they were re-releasing it with extra songs. Although if I were to give each song a rating and then average it out to get an album rating, the rating of It's Longer Now would be lower than the original Don't Panic, the added songs are all really good. 

I'll just choose from the new songs for this, because the old songs are ALL perfect. A Love Like War is really great, and features Vic Fuentes as a guest vocalist, which elevates it even higher. I also really enjoy Canals, because it has a really cool beat to it. But, if you wanna talk about the original songs, my top songs would have to be: So Long, Soldier, Backseat Serenade, Paint You Wings, The Reckless and the Brave, The Irony of Choking on a Lifesaver, and Outlines. Also, I just listed half of the CD, and there are more I wanted to list, but it's just too many. 

Honorable Mentions: 

LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS by 30 Seconds to Mars

Wild & Free by A Rocket To The Moon

Night Visions by Imagine Dragons

Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! by Panic! At The Disco

Hunter Hayes (Encore) by Hunter Hayes

Top 10 Songs of 2013

I gave myself a couple extra rules on this one. The main, and most complicated rule, has to do with when it was released. Obviously, the song has to have been released in 2013. However, if the CD it was on was released before 2013, and the song was released as a single in 2013, it's fair game.

I chose mostly singles (or songs that I know for sure will be a single). I'm keeping it to one song per artist/CD because if I didn't, you'd see the same artists multiple times.

I couldn't put them in a specific order, but I did divide them a bit. I like the top 6 songs evenly, so they're separate from the other 4.

7-10

• Come A Little Closer by Cage The Elephant. Of all of the songs on Melophobia, this is the one I was immediately drawn to. It's very Cage The Elephant, and very chill.
• This Is Gospel by Panic! At The Disco. I enjoyed several songs on Panic!'s 2013 CD, but I thought this one was the most musically interesting. The beginning has a really cool sound to it, and I especially love the chorus.
• Do Or Die by 30 Seconds To Mars. 30 Seconds To Mars is a band I listen to fairly casually. Closer To The Edge is one of my all time favorites, but I just don't listen to the band a ton. But I really liked this song. It's very 30STM, and the chorus is really interesting.
• Benny & Joon by William Beckett. The lead single off of his summer 2013 release. Unfortunately, I couldn't include the songs from Pioneer Sessions because they were released in 2012, but this was the best song on this CD by far. 

Top 6

• Still Into You by Paramore. This was the hardest to choose, because there are so many tracks from their album that I love. It was between this, Grow Up, Ain't It Fun, and Anklebiters. This one had literally one more play than the other 3, so I chose this one. 
• Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy Feat. Elton John. Technically, this isn't a single. But Fall Out Boy will be doing a video for all of the songs on Save Rock and Roll, so I allowed it. I went back and forth on which track from their album to choose. It was between this one, Young Volcanoes, and The Mighty Fall. In the end, this one has been on repeat for the longest. I love it.
• A Love Like War by All Time Low Feat. Vic Fuentes (of Pierce The Veil). This is such a great song, and I love Vic Fuentes. Having him on there just makes it that much better.
• Can't Hold Us by Pentatonix. PTX Vol. II came out this year, and I've been greatly enjoying it. All the songs are great, but this one is a big standout for me.
• Love Is On The Radio by McFly. The latest single by my favorite band. It's been playing on repeat ever since it was released.
• Congratulations by Sleeping With Sirens. It took forever to choose a song from this CD, but I ended up picking this one because of the especially strong vocal performance by both Kellin and Matty.

Honorable Mentions:

Daft Punk by Pentatonix

Ain't It Fun and Grow Up by Paramore

Young Volcanoes and The Mighty Fall by Fall Out Boy

Alone by Sleeping With Sirens
Backseat Serenade and Somewhere In Neverland by All Time Low

Hope you enjoyed my lists for the top 10 CDs and songs of 2013! Let me know in the comments what your favorite CDs and songs were, as well as what you thought of my choices! Also, reminder: the prologue of The Secret Lightning Scar [A Harry Potter Fanfic] will be posted TOMORROW, so don't forget to check that out!