2014 in Pop

It's beyond a joke, I know I know - I haven't updated my blog at all in 2014. This is a new low - looking at the "Previous Posts" section on the right-hand column above I can see that there have been at least a few posts every year, even in the post-blog Twitter era (although that 169 for 2006 will never be repeated).

But at least I have come crawling back, at the turn of the year, to record for posterity and for the enjoyment of my reader, a rundown of the top pop singles of the year.

I haven't fully fact-checked this, so indulge me if I'm wrong, but - I am pretty sure that in 2014 more live music was consumed by me (and Mark) than in any other year:

Mel C, Lindsay Dracass, Sophie Ellis-Bextor (three times), Taylor Swift (a concert that moved me from meh to wow supremely effectively), Chvrches (twice), The Wanted (RIP), McBusted, Katy Perry, Pet Shop Boys, One Direction, BrightLightBrightLight, The Saturdays, Kylie Minogue (four times), A1/5ive/others, Lady Gaga (twice), the Mercury Prize (!), Tina Arena, La Roux, and Foxes.

And already there's a lot on the board in 2015!

The usual rules apply in picking out top singles of the year: it's a Eurovision/Melodifestvalen-free zone, because there's plenty of opportunity for me to rave about my favourites in that part of the world (but massively honourable mentions go to Conchita for hitting the UK Top 10 and Sanna for being in the Top 40 - brilliant that the Radio 1 Chart Show was playing a Melodifestivalen winner!). And all songs have to have been "singles", which I appreciate is an increasingly vague concept. In short - promoted as separate releases, and charted in the UK in 2014.

The bit that changes from year-to-year is the number and this year I am back at the "15 outsiders and a Top 5" formula. I'm not sure that the top 5 is ranked... so I've put them in alphabetical order by title. Draw your own conclusions.

You can see all 20 (top 5 first and then the rest) on this YouTube playlist. Right, here goes:

My top 5:

Boom Clap - Charli XCX
Great song in all forms but I've pretty much exclusively listened to the Cahill Mix this year, so here it is.


Chandelier - Sia
Yes, me and everyone else in the world have this at the top of their list... rightly.



Ghost - Ella Henderson
Will she ever release a song as good as this?



Into the Blue - Kylie
It would be Kiss Me Once if the rules allowed. And it could've been I Was Gonna Cancel, principally as it was the song of the Mykonos holiday.



Let It Go (Dave Aude Remix) - Idina Menzel
Yes, yes, a massive breaking of the rules - this was out in 2013, and I've chosen the remix specifically. But, sod it. 2014 was the year of Let It Go, and it's not been out of the charts all year, so it counts.


and, in alphabetical order also, the outside 15:

• Blank Space - Taylor Swift [because Out of the Woods isn't eligible for this rundown, otherwise clearly that would've been it]
• Break Free - Ariana Grande (feat Zedd)
• Crying for No Reason - Katy B
• Do It Again - Royksopp and Robyn
• Hideaway - Kiesza  [yes, the video helps and, yes, it took me ages to finally watch it]
• I Don't Care - Cheryl [the clean version, natch - not that I can find it on YouTube so filth it is]
• I Will Never Let You Down - Rita "Kia" Ora
• Me and My Broken Heart - Rixton
• Messiah - Prides [I confess to to not having heard it until the Commonwealth Games]
• Steal My Girl - One Direction [It could've been Night Changes but I went upbeat. Well, less downbeat]
• Something I Need - Ben Haenow [YEAH SO SHOOT ME]
• These Days - Take That
• Wild Heart - The Vamps [Can We Dance is an amazing song but falls firmly into 2013 and was missed off last year's slightly rushed rundown so what can you do?]
• What Are You Waiting For? (The Alias Club Mix) - The Saturdays [Original's good but it's this mix that makes it]

I'm bound to have missed off something really bloody obvious and amazing, haven't I?

Happy 2015 people!