As 2014 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on a stellar musical year.To do so, we’ve rounded up the top 50 songs of the year. In developing this list we weighed each track against the following criteria: overall song quality, impact and popularity, and support (blogs, charts, DJs, etc.). We’re counting down 10 songs per day and today we’re breaking down tracks numbered 40-31. Don’t forget to sound off in the comments below and look out for the rest of the list this week.
40. Drek Martinez – No LOve LOst
New York’s Drek Martinez may be the best under-the-radar producer right now. Combining moving vocals with unconventional low end drops and atmospheric soundscapes, ‘No LOve LOst’ creates a level of emotion seldom felt in electronic music. You probably didn’t hear this at any festivals or in live sets but it did gain support from one of electronic music’s biggest tastemakers: Djemba Djemba. Like a fine wine (or Jennifer Aniston) this track gets better with time. 7 months after its release it’s still ahead of it’s time.
39. Flying Lotus – Never Catch Me (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
‘Never Catch Me’ is a spastic example of Flying Lotus production style: quick bursts and changes, jazz rhythms, and thick Thundercat bass lines. The only thing moving quicker is Kendrick’s verse, a diarrhea of words that are translated straight from his character’s thoughts. Though slightly unsure of himself in the beginning, his confidence improves as the track moves forward, his voice building in volume and emotion. When his vocals fade into the outro, we’re left knowing for sure that the song title is truth: neither FlyLo nor Kendrick will ever be caught alive.
38. Future – I Won (Eloq Remix)
This track will transport you to a tropical oasis with the girl of your dreams. You can say what you want about the original but this Eloq remix is stunning. The Danish producer strips out the misogyny and creates a lovely torrent of summer synths. This rework makes Future sound smooth as ever and Kanye’s “I want to dip that ass in gold” seem more endearing than a quote from Shakespeare. This held the summer down.
37. The Weekend – Often
The Weeknd was on a roll this year after dropping remixes to some of the year’s previous favourites. All this happened before he released his own single ‘Often’. Treating the fans to some new music before hitting the road for his “King of the Fall” tour, ‘Often’ is a sexy tune that received a crazy amount of spins on the radio. A perfect jam for the bedroom, you could hear ‘Often’ almost anywhere. The track also received a bunch of love from other producers who took their time to remix the joint.
36. Zeds Dead – Lost You
Classic Zeds Dead bass and dubstep sounds link with Twin Shadow’s smooth vocal delivery in this song about someone longing for love. While a lot of productions lack smooth transitions and flow, ‘Lost You’ is a perfect example of computer produced music that moves from part to part so smoothly that it sounds as tight as a band recorded live in studio. There is no wonder why this song gained so much attention from top 40 radio stations and DJs alike.
35. Hudson Mohawke – Chimes
The lead single from his EP of the same name dropped about 4 months ago but has some of the best production we’ve seen this year. Hudson Mohawke’s Chimes features heavy bass and big horns that scream “epic”. This big sound meshes perfectly with the light melodious chimes. The track got its own remix featuring Pusha T, Future, French Montana and Travis Scott and was also featured in an Apple commercial.
34. J. Cole – Revenge of the Dreamers
This is J. Cole at his finest. No catchy hook, no grandiose production, just a simple looped beat and Cole spilling his consciousness. The song tackles a wide range of topics and themes. From fighting survivors guilt, to the ongoing issue of police killing the youth, “Cause see a war’s goin’ on outside, I ’bout cried, when that boy that the cops shot died, my mouth wide open from shock sick and tired of hopin’ it’ll stop.” The track drifts between heavy and comedic with Cole also dropping some smirk inducing lines, “Your new chick, that’s my ex-bitch, homie, in fact I’m still logged in her Netflix, homie.” The wide range of emotions put on display are what makes Cole one of the greatest of our time.
33. Jeezy – Seen It All (feat. Jay Z)
This year, the Snowman dropped his seventh studio album and the title track comes in at number 33. With a soulful sample, smooth drums and a couple dope verses this is easily one of the best track of 2014. If the two dope verses from Jeezy weren’t enough, Jay Z comes in and drops some knowledge on the uninitiated and lets them know that he has truly seen it all. One of the biggest reasons why this track is one of the best from this year is the storytelling that both artists do so well. Hear it all below.
32. Kid Ink – Sunset (Dugong Jr Remix)
I’ve never listened to Kid Ink before but thanks to Dugong Jr. I’ve rapped this entire track bar for bar more times than I can count. The vivid descriptions of rolling through Hollywood as the sun sets, combined with the impossible to resist melodies and slapping bass made this a certified summer anthem. This track rolls the beauty and warmth of California and Australia together perfectly. Even if you’re cruising through wintery Wisconsin in a beat up whip, this track will make you feel like you’re rollin’ through the hills in a drop-top Bentley. This tune is the summer.
31. DJ Snake x Dillon Francis – Get Low
“G,g,g,get low when the whistle go!” The long awaited collaboration from Dillon Francis and DJ Snake bared exotic fruit that was ripe for the picking. With support from all of their big name friends this was one the biggest club killers of the year. If you didn’t get low when whistle went, you weren’t really living.
