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!

Top 15 Hit Songs of 2011 [Top Pop of the 2010s]

A few days 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 2nd post in this new series, and I'd recommend checking out the 2010 list, which is the first one. Because today, we're moving on to 2011.

Todd's 2011 Best Hits List

The same simple rule applies: all of these songs come from Billboard's end-of-2011 hot 100 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. We don't need even more Just the Way You Are.

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 2011, I was 16/17 & in 11th/12th 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 2011 instead of 2020. Because why not? Also, as much as I enjoyed the songs on the 2010 list, this list is even stronger, with some of my absolute faves of the entire decade.

Without further ado, onto the list! 

15- Katy Perry- Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

I think I mentioned in my previous ranking that my favorite Katy Perry songs were yet to come, and we still haven't gotten there yet, but Last Friday Night is definitely a solid entry in her discography. This is the only one of her songs that made it onto the list, but pretty much everything she released this year was in contention, because she's still in her golden years at this point. 

 

14- Lady Gaga- The Edge of Glory

On the flip side of Katy Perry, all of Lady Gaga's songs that made the hot 100 for 2011 also made my own personal top 15. Admittedly, at the time I was not a Gaga fan. Lots of complex things going on there, but I've learned and grown a lot throughout the decade and now appreciate and respect Gaga, her music, and how much she pushed the boundaries at the time. Also a moment of silence for that sax solo that just intensified the late 80s/early 90s vibes of this song. BLESS.  

13- OneRepublic- Good Life

Ah yes, more of the boring white guy music. And honestly, true to that label, I've really never had very strong opinions on OneRepublic as a whole. Pretty much all of their songs are just... there. They're fine, but it's like they exist just to fill time. I know for a fact that I have some of their music on my iTunes and that I know many of their songs but I can't name a single one of them off the top of my head apart from this one. This placing here is honestly largely nostalgia, because it was one of the omnipresent songs that I actually liked around the time I got my first car, so I heard it a lot when I first had the freedom of having both a car and license.

12- Foster the People- Pumped Up Kicks

Honestly, any time a band or indie artist song becomes a hit, it's likely to be one of my favorites. Because it's already in my musical wheelhouse, which many of these songs can't say. This is definitely more of a mellow sound than I usually enjoy, but like with Paramore's The Only Exception, it was one of my favorite songs on mainstream pop stations at the time solely on the basis that it was an indie band. Or at least sounds like one-- I know nothing about Foster the People lol. I try to curb my impulses now, but in 2011 I was in peak hipster mode.  

11- Selena Gomez & the Scene- Who Says

I love that I say 2011 was peak hipster Kristen and then immediately put essentially a Disney song on this list. This is this list's obligatory "I hate that I like this song but sometimes my ears like a song without my brain's consent" song. I really hope that makes sense and other people have songs like this too lol. This song is so cheesy and so upfront with its message of positivity, and like I said, it feels very Disney. And I begrudgingly enjoyed it at the time and feel the same now. I think it really just has the perfect combination of catchy melodies and the exact type of instrumentation I enjoy (aka actual/simulated(?) instruments and even some strings).  

10- LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock- Party Rock Anthem

I love that this is only the second list and I already have archetypes of songs. This one is, of course, the song I HATED at the time, and by hated, I mean that I was lying to myself and everyone around me, because no, I wasn't listening to it ironically, I was listening to it and lowkey enjoying every second of it. I like to think I've grown in the years since 2011, but at the time I was very susceptible to hating the current hatable song of the moment, even if I lowkey liked it and didn't want to admit it. I think it was because it was electronic music? But that's ridiculous, because at the time I was also jamming to Cash Cash, who were... wait for it... also an electronic band. (side note: totally forgot about Cash Cash until writing this but apparently I still know every single word to Party in Your Bedroom lol)

 

9- Bruno Mars- Grenade

Of all of Bruno's singles/hit songs, this is one of my least favorites. And yet, here it still is. For the longest time, I kinda disregarded it, at least in terms of his songs specifically. But there's a very distinct and clear power behind his vocals in this song that just won't be denied, just like I couldn't deny it a spot on the list. I don't have a ton to say about it because I see it as a really good, solid song, that while not my favorite from him, has definitely stood the test of time.

8- Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera- Moves Like Jagger

I didn't go to parties in 2011 because I was a nerdy high schooler, but if I had, my party trick definitely would've been whistling the main hook of Moves Like Jagger. Apparently that's impressive, because every time I did it in front of my friends, they thought I was cool for once. Regardless, that hook is one of those earworms where you hear it once and it's stuck in your head for the rest of eternity. Which was probably really frustrating for people who hated this song. Thankfully, I liked it even more at the time (again, I really liked Adam Levine), so this was one earworm I gladly accepted.  

7- Pink- F**kin' Perfect

Finally, some Pink! I love Pink's music. She's an extremely skilled vocalist, performer, and songwriter, and I honestly can't think of a song she's released that I didn't like. And, as seen here, she released one of the rare songs that I love more because of the lyrics than the music. You might have noticed (I generally don't lol) that when I talk about songs on here, it's mostly about the music because... that's what I care about, generally. The lyrics are secondary to me. But this song makes you stop and listen. It means something and makes you feel something. It takes a really powerful song to have that level of emotional impact for me, and this is that kind of powerful song.

6- Bruno Mars- The Lazy Song

And now we go from one really meaningful, emotional song to just a really silly, relatable song. As someone who's a serial procrastinator and "lazy" person, this one hits me on a very different emotional level from the last one lol. Perhaps I'm even using this post and series as a whole to avoid doing my real work? Who can say?! (me, I can say that, because it's very true). Anyway, honestly there's really not much I can say about this one. It's silly, it's fun, I like that about it.  

5- Lady Gaga- Born This Way

I flip-flopped these next two on the list so many times. In the end, they're essentially tied, because I love them both and have trouble picking favorites when it comes to some of my favorite artists. Lady Gaga has released a lot of big hits throughout her career, but this one is less of a hit than it is an anthem. Of all of her songs, I truly believe this one will be the one that endures the longest and becomes the biggest iconic classic, because of the impact it's had on so many people. I can't imagine the number of lives Gaga has touched with this song alone. The number is probably staggering. 

4- Lady Gaga - Yoü and I

There's just something about You and I. Even back when I didn't like Gaga, there was just something about this song that was really compelling to me. And when I finally started liking her, it was the first one I downloaded. There's just something about it that my ear really loves, and if I'm honest, it's probably my favorite of her songs. I mean it's probably the guitars and the fact that it's largely real instruments, because I'm really predictable. 

3- Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levine - Stereo Hearts

On the 2010 list, I referenced Gym Class Heroes, and now here they are on the 2011 list! Back in 2011, I still rarely downloaded single songs from iTunes-- I tended to either get actual CDs or download a full album from iTunes. I was a pretty band-loyal person, so downloading a random one-off song by an artist I didn't listen to often was something I only did for really special songs. You get where I'm going with this. This was one of those songs, and I don't even want to know how many plays this had on my high school iTunes, because it's probably an obscene number. Per usual, the chorus is what made me really love it, but I think I'm also discovering now that I also just really like Travie McCoy. I guess I need to go back and listen to more Gym Class Heroes lol. 

2- Hot Chelle Rae- Tonight Tonight

I was such an obnoxious hipster about this song. I was bumping their first album and single (I Like to Dance) back in 2010, and these mainstream losers are just now discovering them in 2011? Pshhh, I loved them before they were popular. In hindsight, I really understand why I wasn't cool as a teen. It's because I was really, really annoying. Anyway, although my obnoxious hipsterness about this song is thankfully long gone (replaced somewhat by the feeling that the radio ruined this song by overplaying it), this song still makes me happy from the second it comes on. It's catchy and fun, and is still a bop to this day, even if Todd in the Shadows named it his worst song of the year lol.

1- Pink- Raise Your Glass

Yeah, no other songs realistically even stood a chance at getting this spot, because this is one of those songs I could listen to 10,000 times in a row and not get sick of. It's one of those songs that's the best of both worlds-- it conveys a meaningful message, while still being a fun, uptempo song to jam to. This, my friends, is an anthem. It's an anthem for anyone who's felt like the weirdo, outcast, underdog (aka most of us, honestly). And it's a message that can come across as cheesy, but coming from someone like Pink, who's been that rebellious weirdo of pop music for her entire career, it feels very authentic, from one weirdo to millions of others. It's a meaningful song wrapped up in a lighthearted and fun package, which is what makes it the total package for me.

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

Firstly, the ones 2011 Kristen would've 100% included:

I grew up on country music & by 2011 I wasn't really listening to it anymore apart from when in the car with my parents, but I still heard & liked a lot of them this year (and don't like them anymore).

- Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owen-- honestly might've been my #1 at the time. I had a weird obsession with it. 

- Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum-- I liked most of their songs at the time.

- Don't You Wanna Stay by Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson-- Kelly Clarkson is the redeeming factor of this song.

- Knee Deep by Zac Brown Band feat Jimmy Buffett-- for some reason, I really liked this band.

- Remind Me by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood-- even in 2011, Carrie Underwood was still one of my favorite artists-- my family has loved her since American Idol.

- Take a Back Road by Rodney Atkins-- another random song that I really liked for some reason.

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

- Forget You by CeeLo Green-- it was thisclose to making the list, because it's iconic.

- Lighters by Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars-- almost entirely due to my love of Bruno lol.

- Super Bass by Nicki Minaj-- I don't have strong opinions on Nicki in general-- her music isn't really my thing-- but I do like this one quite a bit.

- Price Tag by Jessie J feat. B.o.B-- There's only one Jessie J song I love but I like pretty much all of them.

- We R Who We R & Blow by Kesha-- like I said, her songs blend together a bit for me, but I like all of them.

- Teenage Dream by Katy Perry-- yet another solid Katy Perry song. 

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.

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 2011. So I'll just say... anything with Pitbull. Lol I don't think I've ever liked a song by him, or one he was on.  

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I'll be back soon with my 2012 list!

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!

Top 5 Albums of 2015

Hey, y'all! This is the eighth post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

If this list looks familiar, it's probably because it is. Somehow, my list of my favorite albums didn't change over the past year, so I essentially copied and pasted my list from last year. I wish I had something to change here, but I really don't.

#5: Magazines or Novels [Deluxe] by Andy Grammer

Now, you might consider this cheating because the original of this CD came out in 2014. However, it totally wasn't on my radar at its release and didn't make it on to the list last year because of that. I'm really not sure how I missed its release, because I checked multiple times to see if there was new Andy Grammer music, but somehow I didn't realize that this CD existed until hearing "Honey, I'm Good" on the radio in the spring. Regardless, I immediately downloaded the CD and I've listened to it regularly ever since. And the deluxe edition just has even more songs to love, including Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah), which has definitely become one of my favorite songs on the album. That aside, the songs on this CD fall into either the "endless repeat" category or the "rarely listen" category, which is why this is at the bottom of the list.

Best songs: Honey I'm Good, Back Home, Forever, Holding Out, and Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)

#4: Astoria by Marianas Trench

Marianas Trench is one of my favorite bands, so getting this CD was a no-brainer. There are a lot of really great songs on this one, but much like Andy Grammer's CD, all the songs on this CD fall under either "endless repeat" or "rarely listen." The reason this one got higher is because A) I prefer Marianas Trench to Andy Grammer and B) Even though I prefer a handful of the songs over the others, I still really enjoy the others that I don't listen to as much. Overall, this definitely isn't my favorite Marianas Trench album, but I'm pretty sure that it will begin to grow on me very soon just like all their other albums have.

Best songs: Shut Up and Kiss Me, This Means War, Yesterday, and Burning Up.

#3: Future Hearts by All Time Low

An All Time Low album only made it to #3 for the year?!?! Yep, unfortunately, that's exactly where this one belongs. If I were to rank this one among all of the other All Time Low albums, this one would be above only Dirty Work, which is most ATL fans' least favorite ATL album- for MANY reasons. This one has some really great ones, a couple not-so-great ones, and then a lot of average ones. And while in general, I do really enjoy this CD, it's not up to the standard that a lot of other ATL albums set. Despite that, it's still a really good CD.

Best songs: Old Scars/Future Hearts, Dancing With a Wolf, and Don't You Go

#2: Blurryface by Twenty One Pilots

2015 was the first year where I really started listening to Twenty One Pilots. I'd heard their music before, but I didn't really have strong feelings one way or another. Then, I gave them another chance this year (I don't totally remember what prompted that) and really just fell in love, especially with this album. The album overall is just really solid, but on top of that there are also several standout songs on top of the rest of the really solid CD.

Best songs: Stressed Out, Lane Boy, Tear In My Heart, and Ride.

#1: Pentatonix by Pentatonix

This. Album. I have no idea how many times I blasted this album on repeat, and I'm not really sure that I want to know. I'm still listening to this on repeat more than 3 months later. It's just so good. I pre-ordered this one, and I remember getting an iTunes alert at about 11 PM the day before its release that said the album was available for download. My roommate and I freaked out and immediately downloaded it and began blasting it and were so, so impressed. This is definitely their best original music to date (except, maybe, On My Way Home, which was my favorite song released last year) and overall, it's just a really awesome album and it was definitely my favorite of 2015.

Best songs: Sing, Na Na Na, Ref, Cracked, and Lean On

So, those are my top 5 album releases of 2015. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the CDs on this list, and what some of your favorite releases of 2015 were!

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Top 9 Favorite Songs

Hey, y'all! This is the fifth post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

This is the only list that is unranked. I've never attempted a favorite list for songs before because of how ridiculously impossible it is. Ranking bands or albums is a bit easier because there are less of them that you listen to on a daily basis, but there are so many songs that you know and love that it's hard to narrow it down at all. However, there are a few songs that are like the ULTIMATE faves, which I'll save for last. The rest of the songs are listed in alphabetical order.

Also, last thing before I jump into the list, this was originally going to be a top 10 list, but I just simply couldn't figure out what song to put in the 10th slot. Not that I didn't have a stack of about 20 songs lined up to consider- it's just that each of them was too this or too that, and none of them were ones I could make a definitive decision on. So in lieu of those slots, I have an honorable mentions list before jumping into the official top 9.

Honorable Mentions:

Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots (love it, but too recent)
Lane Boy by Twenty One Pilots (again, love it but too recent)
Thrift Shop by Macklemore (love it but can't quite commit. Not sure why)

Playing God by Paramore (again, love it but can't commit for some reason)

Black Mamba by The Academy Is...

This has been my favorite song by The Academy Is... for quite a while, and I've counted it among my favorite songs for quite a while, but it wasn't until I narrowed down this list that I realized how much I really love this song. It was written in response to some negative reviews of TAI's debut EP and is essentially saying "who cares, I didn't write this music for you" and I love that about it.

Here's To The Zeros by Marianas Trench

When I first heard this song, I liked it, but I didn't think it was anything special. But over the past year, it's grown on me like crazy. Right now, it's my ultimate jam song. Whenever I really want to just turn on a song and drive and sing along, this is the one that I go to. Is it super deep? Nah. But it's a great anthem and I love it.

Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute

Now, I'm not super sappy and don't really connect too much to the meaning behind the lyrics, but when the song begins to play and I hear those opening piano notes, my heart swells and I immediately fall in love with it all over again. I love the way that the music and lyrics sound together, but I don't necessarily care about the meaning behind the lyrics, if that makes sense. But don't allow that to downgrade my love of the song, because I do absolutely love it a lot.

Lies by McFly

This is super straight-forward. It's my favorite song by my favorite band. It's an awesome song, and I love everything about it. That's basically the long and short of it. It's great.

On My Way Home by Pentatonix

I'll never forget the first time I heard this song. It was a few days before PTX Vol. III was released, and I was trying to find leaked versions of the songs (I know, I'm awful, but I love PTX and I wanted to listen to it so badly and I'd already pre-ordered the EP so I didn't feel bad). And this was the one I came across. I started listening and was somewhere in between frozen enthrallment and heart-pumping excitement. I was obsessed. I fell completely in love with it. And I'm still in love with it. It's beautiful.

So Long Soldier by All Time Low

When I first listened to Don't Panic, this one was actually one of my least favorite songs on the album. And then I gave it some more chances and it grew on me. It quickly became my favorite song on the album, and one of my favorite songs of all time. It's got some awesome music combined with some awesome lines and I love it.

Ultimate Favorites
(Also in alphabetical order... I can't rank these)

Closer to the Edge by 30 Seconds to Mars

I've long called this one my second favorite song, but like I said, I really can't rank them at this point. I absolutely love the music and the lyrics and the way they combine into this beautiful, beautiful song, And I really like the music video too. This is another one that I just like to blast when driving. 

In One Ear by Cage The Elephant

When I thought of making this list, this was the first song that came to mind. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite song, but it is definitely one of the ones that I think of the quickest when thinking of my favorite songs. I love the lyrics. A lot. The meaning behind them is super cool, and I love the pseudo rap style of it. And I love the big instrumental chunks as well. It's a really cool combo of sing-along-ability and more complex music.

Weightless by All Time Low

For the longest time, I called this my favorite song, but once again, I can no longer actually rank these. I love the music, and I love the lyrics, and I love the music video. It's another one that's great to blast and sing along to. I just really love it.


So, those are my top 9 favorite songs of all time. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the songs on this list, and what some of your all-time favorite songs are!

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Top 10 Favorite Albums

Hey, y'all! This is the fourth post in a 10-post series listing some of my favorite things. The first seven posts are lists of my current all-time favorites, while the last 3 posts include only favorites of 2015.

If you want to check out the other lists/posts in this series, you can check them out here:

A Few of My Favorite Things [2015]

If this list looks familiar, it's probably because it is. Somehow, my list of my favorite albums didn't change over the past year, so I essentially copied and pasted my list from last year. I wish I had something to change here, but I really don't.

#10: The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance

I'm a big fan of concept albums, and this one is really great. Although there are a couple songs I'm not a huge fan of, the majority of them are really great, and overall it's just a really great and unique album.

#9: Hold on Tight by Hey Monday

Hey Monday's one and only full-length CD is most of the reason that I count it as one of my favorite bands-- they just barely missed out on my top 10. There are so many really great songs on this CD, and I just love Cassadee Pope's voice. I really wish the band had stayed together, because this is a really solid debut.

#8: Controversy Loves Company by The Audition

Another outstanding debut album! The Audition is another band with consistently good music, but this is the first and best of their CDs. Even my least favorite song on this CD is one of their better songs. This is just a really solid album, and I absolutely love it. 

#7: Almost Here by The Academy Is...

Oh, look! Another awesome debut! There are a couple songs I don't love on here, but I still really enjoy them and love the CD overall. Some of The Academy Is..'s strongest songs are on this CD, and it's especially impressive because this CD was released when most of the band were under 20. 

#6: American Idiot by Green Day

This one is kinda a given, right? It's a concept album, which is obviously a plus for me. It has some amazing songs on it, especially the full 10 minute long songs like Jesus of Suburbia. It has some of the strongest Green Day songs, and I could listen to it over and over and over and over. There's a reason why it's their most well-known album. 

#5: Ever After by Marianas Trench

Hey, look! Another concept album! This CD is based around a fantasy story that Josh Ramsay wrote. It's one long seamless song, divided into several tracks. And it's fantastic. Just like with their first concept album, Masterpiece Theatre, the last song is a mashup that samples all of the previous songs on the album, and it's amazing. This CD is just too great. 

#4: Losing Sleep by Parachute

Guess what? Another amazing debut! I love every single song on this CD. I used to fall asleep to this CD most nights (ironic, since it's called losing sleep) because it's just so chill. Parachute's whole vibe is just really awesome, and this CD is just the epitome of their vibe. It's so great.

#3: PTX, Vol. III by Pentatonix

This is the newest release on this list, as it was released only back in October. There are only 7 songs on this CD (technically EP, but whatever), but it's perfection. It's flawless. All of the songs are amazing, and there have been several times where I just listened to this EP over and over and over in one sitting and didn't get sick of it at all. Some of the songs on the EP are already among my top 25 most played. It's that good.

#2: Don't Panic by All Time Low

When this CD came out back in 2012, I don't think I stopped listening to it on repeat until halfway through 2013. This is one of the only albums I've ever listened to where I had to struggle to find a weak point. I'm usually really good at ranking songs from favorite to least favorite, but I found that impossible with this CD. It'll be a long-time fave for sure.

#1: Radio:ACTIVE by McFly

And, of course, my all-time favorite CD is by my all-time favorite band. This CD... it's just perfection. I've listened to it on repeat SO. MANY. TIMES. since its release in 2008, and I'm nowhere near tired of it. My list of favorite McFly songs is absolutely dominated by this CD. Up until I reset my iTunes, every single song on this CD was in my top 25 most played. That's 13/25. I love this CD. 

So, those are my top 15 favorite TV shows of all time. Let me know down in the comments what you think of the shows on this list, and what some of your all-time favorite TV shows are!

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Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, I'd really appreciate if you'd subscribe/follow so that I know you're enjoying what I'm posting! See y'all soon!