Before I start there were two songs I wasn't too sure where to put, but I think should be mentioned:
Fancy by Iggy Azalea, because I can't tell if I actually like the song or not. I remember liking at the time, but over the years Iggy has just kept releasing terrible music nonstop and I think maybe that's changed my opinion of this song. It definitely feels like a fluke, but I can't take away how HUGE this song was in 2014.
Bang Bang by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj. A really catchy song with amazing vocals, but some of the dumbest lyrics of the year. To be fair Jessie J lyrics are always pretty dumb, and she still has some decent songs out there. This one just barely missed my good list but was beaten out by this song...
BEST: Imagine Dragons "Radioactive"
This one barely made the list, to be honest. This song was so awesome back in 2014 because of how different it was from anything else. Imagine Dragons have shown over the years that they will probably never make another song this epic and different, but instead will make generic pop-rock tracks for the radio/advertisements. That being said, this song is still really cool and different. It feels epic with its explosive drum sounds and screaming vocals in the chorus. The music has a lot of little details in it with the guitar and synth sounds in the background behind the giant drum explosions. It really feels like it takes place in some post-apocalyptic world.
WORST: MAGIC! "Rude"
This pop-reggae song really popped out of nowhere in 2014 and became an instant hit. MAGIC!'s frontman Nasri had been writing songs for big pop stars for years before he decided to start his own project. That lead to this song about a man who wants to marry the love of his life, but can't seem to get her father's approval (understandable). He then goes on to complain about how rude he is for nearly 4 minutes. To me, this song hasn't really aged that well over the years. At one point I was a fan of this band and even bought the album, which I thought was actually a decent album. This song though (Rude) just kind of annoys me now, and I can't fully explain why. Maybe it's the overplay it got for an entire year or maybe it's the annoying lyrics and how whiny it comes across. I think maybe this song really isn't THAT bad, but on a personal level, it just annoys me. Musically it's fine, pretty simple reggae-lite beat with a pretty nice bassline. Reggae has been a huge part of this decade though, as it has been used in plenty of pop songs throughout these last 10 years. I think I'll eventually come back around on this song after some time passes, but for now, it's not a song I like very much.
BEST: Coldplay "A Sky Full of Stars"
This song is like joy personified. The reason I love this song is how it just slowly builds throughout the verse and hook to the big musical explosion that's honestly pretty amazing. The moment feels earned because of the lyrics and music that lead up to it work so well together to get you pumped. You can feel the big musical climax coming and it actually pays off because of the music working so well together. It's one of those few songs that I feel like I could listen to just to feel better. It's no secret that this album was inspired by Chris Martin's divorce and the fact that a song like this came out of that is pretty cool. It's so full of hope and inspiration through just the music, even without the few lyrics this song has I think it could work with the music alone. But the music does give some context to the joy the music expresses and that's important too.
WORST: John Legend "All of Me"
This song is like boredom personified. The reason I hate this song is that it puts me to sleep and doesn't give me a single emotion. This might be one of the most boring love songs ever written, it feels so emotionless and passionless as he describes his love for the poor woman he's with. If anything this song makes me not want to ever fall in love, because it doesn't seem very exciting. I know I'm being really overdramatic, which this song could have used some of that, but this song really does bore me. It's just a piano playing some normal chords with nothing else going on. John Legend has great vocals and I know he's a very talented piano player, but this song doesn't show any of that off. Instead, it's a song that desperately needs some more detail in the music and lyrics.
BEST: Pharell Williams "H A P P Y"
It's the NUMBER ONE SONG of 2014! Speaking of emotion, this song is literally named after one (kind of?). When you name a song Happy, the song better be freaking happy and thankfully this one totally is. Pharell knows how to write a catchy song, but this one is a little more than that. His vocals are soulful and smooth and along with the music really gives off a fun vibe the song is clearly aiming for. Later in the song, a chorus backs him up and really helps the song feel a little different from the first half. It's got an old-school feeling to it that makes it a nice throwback, but with enough modern elements in the production also give it a fresh feeling. Overall a fun neo-soul song that's pretty hard not to get into.
WORST: Katy Perry "Dark Horse"
Getting the obvious part out of the way, Katy Perry doesn't know what a Dark Horse is. In this song, Katy Perry tries her best to seem dark, mysterious and powerful. Katy Perry is none of those things as an artist and this song proves that she can't really pull that off. Katy Perry is usually at her best when she's singing power anthems that are more inspirational or fun not whatever this is. The music feels like it belongs more in the early 2000s than in 2014, which I guess might explain why Juicy J is the guest rapper here. He doesn't really make much sense to the rest of the song, just kinda rapping about sex or something. I think this song was the start of Katy Perry's decline in good music because after this song it didn't get much better. Although she does have a new album coming out soon, so maybe that will be good?
BEST: Sia "Chandelier"
I believe Chandelier was Sia's first official solo hit. A few years before this she was featured on two pretty big songs in "Wild Ones" by Flo Rida and "Titanium" by David Guetta. This song (Chandelier) is almost like a showcase for how much of a powerhouse vocalist Sia really is. She is the star of this song and she owns it with her ability. The music does a good job of keeping up with her though. It's crazy to think she didn't actually get a number one hit until 2016 with "Cheap Thrills", which I don't think is anywhere near as good as this song. I think the song is about the dangers of party life and possibly addiction. When you can't stop yourself from doing something and it feels great at first, but in reality, you're hanging on for dear life trying not to fall and crash.
WORST: Meghan Trainor "All About That Bass"
"All About That Bass". A song that was literally everywhere for a few months and introduced the world to Meghan Trainor. I've never been a fan of Meghan Trainor, especially now that she's released a lot more terrible music. This was the one that really kicked off her career though, it reached number one and even knocked Taylor Swift's big new hit "Shake It Off" out of the number one spot for eight whole weeks. "All About That Bass" is a doo-wop style song that's meant to be a body-positive anthem for girls with big butts. It was also kind of controversial at the time for skinny-shaming, with a specific line in the song calling out skinny girls, which she immediately tries to step back on anyway. I'm not sure if the world really needed a song about how great big butts are though since big butts have been the topic of many songs over the past decade and more (mostly rap songs). It's also strange that a song that's about "bass" doesn't really feature a heavy bass sound in the music. It's kind of a catchy song, but it's also annoying because Meghan Trainor just has that quality to her music.
BEST: Charli XCX "Boom Clap"
Charli had a big year in 2014, mainly from her strong showing in one of the top songs of the year "Fancy". She did manage to get a hit on her own though, and it was a much-deserved one. Charli's vocals are very unique and she's got a lot of personality behind her vocals, the kind of voice you recognize instantly. Charli's proven herself as a show-stealer on other songs and here on her own, she brings it too. I really like the energy in this song a lot, the music never takes away from her vocals.
WORST: Imagine Dragons "Demons"
This was Imagine Dragon's third big hit from their first album, showing that they weren't going to be going away anytime soon. This was the first big letdown for me as someone who was pretty interested in this band early on. This song is a pretty boring song compared to what they had released so far. This song lacked the energy or uniqueness of their two previous hits and just felt like a step in the wrong direction. It's supposed to be a more serious song about keeping secrets and the things we hide from most people. An interesting topic for sure, but the song doesn't really tackle it very well. The music is pretty boring, along with the vocals, it just drags along at a slow and boring pace. It's disappointing because I do feel like the song it actually trying to say something, but the music just isn't interesting enough for me to really dive into the meanings.
BEST: Clean Bandit "Rather Be"
I've always had an interest in European dance/club music like the one Clean Bandit present here. This song has a lot of layers to its sound and Jess Glynne's vocals fit so perfectly. The mix of the strings, keys, and electronic work so well together and each give little details throughout the song that are really cool. This song just feels really unique even five years later after it's release. Sadly, I don't think Clean Bandit will ever have a hit as big as this one in America. Thankfully though, they have plenty of success outside of the USA.
WORST: Chris Brown/Tyga/Lil Wayne "Loyal"
These guys make up the trinity of sleaziness. Three guys that probably have enough restraining orders between them to populate an entire city. Three guys who are so insecure they have to constantly remind you how much women love them. Anyway, this song is just... gross and awful. Here are some great lyrics that are actually in the song to show you:
Actually no, I don't feel comfortable writing any of the lyrics in this song on here. Basically, it's just these three "men" talking about having sex with girls that are already in relationships and then calling them hoes. Chris Brown is one of the most unlikable artists in the world. Also, I'm pretty sure this beat was ripped from another Chris Brown song or vice versa.
BEST: Paramore "Ain't It Fun"
This is still Paramore's biggest hit to date, reaching number ten back in May of 2014. The song definitely has some good qualities to it, mainly the interesting guitar and bass work that work very well together throughout the whole song. Hayley's vocals are good as they usually are and the lyrics are pretty interesting too. The song has kind of a sarcastic tone, poking fun at the cliches that older people tell new adults that are going on their own for the first time in their lives. It works on multiple levels and I really enjoy the end where the song has multiple vocals going over each other and the guitar and bass just kinda jamming out over them.
WORST: Jason Derulo "Wiggle"
Proving that the world is definitely not short on songs appreciating big butts (Meghan Trainor). This song is just so incredibly stupid, and not in a funny way like it thinks it is. It's just incredibly lame and has no redeeming qualities. The lyrics don't really make any sense, for the most part, as he even compares someone's butt to two planets. Like her butt is so big, it's the size of two planets? O K A Y.
The music is also pretty worthless, as the drop just sounds like it's being played on a crappy recorder.
Here's a picture of Jason Derulo in the upcoming "Cats" movie for no reason whatsoever. Good luck sleeping tonight.
BEST: Ed Sheeran "Don't"
Sometimes the more personal you get with your music the better it sounds, at least that's the case with this song. The song is very likely to be about Sheeran's relationship with artist Ellie Goulding, but that's never really been confirmed. Either way, it's about Sheeran being in a relationship with a woman. They grow closer throughout the months and he feels like it's something serious and is really into her. Later he finds out that she was playing him the whole time and has been seeing another man, even in the same hotel they were both staying at. The music is pretty simple, playing the same four chords throughout the whole song, but it works pretty well. The main focus of the song is the lyrics and Sheeran's delivery of the lyrics. He does a great job with the melody and the speed of his delivery that's impressive and really catchy. Still one of Sheeran's best songs.
WORST: Maroon 5 "Animals"
Adam Levine, dear god what have you done. Any song that features Adam Levine howling like a wolf is gonna be terrible no matter what. Also hearing Adam Levine comparing his sex life to animals is pretty weird too. This song is just really creepy and offputting, to say the least. The only reason a song like this could be popular has to be because of how attractive Adam Levine is because anyone else trying to sing this song would probably be put in prison. This is still one of the worst Maroon 5 songs out there and it's gotta be the worst Adam Levine has ever sounded on a song. The way he squeals the falsetto in the chorus is just horrendous. Never again.
BEST?: The Neighborhood "Sweater Weather
Honestly, I only put this song here because I'm certain it's what I'm supposed to do. I mean this is a great song, right?
I've never loved this song much, even though I felt like I should have because of the genre and similarities to other bands/songs I really like. I still like it though, it's better than a lot of other pop songs from 2014 and it's also different in an interesting way. I just find it a bit too boring and a song I find myself not want to come back to very often it at all. This was the band's only big hit back in December of 2013 and a good chunk of early 2014. They have some decent songs in their catalog, but nothing I've ever felt strongly about. This is a decent song, good enough to put it in the list here.
*UPDATE: Okay I think I totally get it now. It's got a really cool chill vibe that fits in with a specific kind of mood. It probably works better as a song you might listen to with a specific someone, probably someone you're in a relationship with.
WORST: Iggy Azalea/Rita Ora "Black Widow"
What. A. Mess. Iggy didn't take very long to show that her big hit "Fancy" was just a big fluke with this awful song. Terrible music, bad lyrics, and Rita Ora are all a recipe for a really bad song. All the charm that Iggy showed in "Fancy" is completely gone here, instead, we get the clunky Iggy who isn't very convincing as a rapper. This was her last song to reach the top 10, peaking at number three in October of 2014. It's been pretty downhill for Iggy ever since this song, not getting any songs past the top 20 since this song. Her last big single in 2019 peaked at 62 back in March.
DA BEST: Bastille "Pompeii"
Every year at least one song from a relatively unknown band randomly jumps up the charts and starts playing everywhere. In 2014 one of those bands was Bastille with their huge breakout hit "Pompeii". It took a while for me to fully appreciate this song, but over time this song has become one of my favorites and this band has really grown on me. I enjoy pretty much all their music starting from this first album. Technically this was Bastille's only hit as a band, though they had another big hit recently tied to big-name producer Marshmello called "Happier". "Pompeii" quickly begs for attention as soon as it starts with its unique choir intro. The rest of the song is going back to the city of Pompeii before and during the disaster that befell it all those years ago. It's a really cool idea for a song and the choir makes sense alongside it, something that maybe you would've heard in ancient Rome. Over the years this song has held up and I still like going back to it pretty often.
DA WORST: Rich Gang/Young Thug "Lifestyle"
This is one of the most unintentional hilarious songs I've probably ever heard. It's like the movie "The Room" where all the actors are trying their best and it's so bad you can't help but laugh at them. The beat is pretty bad and all of the rappers make absolutely no sense at all. Half the song sounds like gibberish because nobody knows how to correctly pronounce words or sound like a human. I do admit I put this song on pretty often when I just need a good laugh. Congralaturations on great being song, a winner is you!
AND that is 2014! A year where lots of artists found their first big success and would continue to make hits over the next five years. Overall a decent year for pop music. Now all that's left for me to cover is 2015 before the end of the year where I can talk about 2019 and the entire decade as a whole. I'm working on a playlist with 200 great songs from this decade, a mix of mainstream and indie songs from the 2010s because 100 wasn't nearly enough as I found out. I'm basically already done with it, but there might be some good songs in the next two months that could be added.
Special thanks to you, the person who is reading this! These posts take a decent amount of time to make and I appreciate you taking the time to read my amateur thoughts on music and movies. You da numba one.
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