Wumbo's Top 100 Songs of 2012

[Wumbo]

Well, that was fast!

I don't like to say it, being an apologist of new music and all, but 2012 marks my least favourite year in music. There's just too much crap out there nowadays. However, the year wasn't a total​ wash, or else this list wouldn't exist. New, innovative music still played on the radio stations. You just gotta weed out the crap to get to the good, which I hope I did.

Let's get the ball rolling. 10 every day.

100. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith

You sir, do not have a pair of testicles if you don't at least appreciate this song as a joke. And that's really what it is. Even Toby Keith himself admitted it. There's no hidden meaning, it's just a song about a cup. But it's a damn funny song at that. And some of the rhymes are actually pretty clever.

A red solo cup is cheap and disposable

And in 14 years they are decomposable

And unlike my home, they are not foreclosable

Come on, guys. This is poetry in motion here.

99. Strangers - My Name is Kay ft. Pusha T

Get ready for a lot of Canadian music that you've probably never heard of, guys (and possibly some that you have). This is a pretty catchy song, with an especially catchy hook. The lyrics aren't amazing, but c'est la pop music.

98. This Kiss - Carly Rae Jepsen

I'm sorry, but Call Me Maybe did not make the list. It's a sensation, a phenomenon... an annoying song. This song, however, is halfway decent. Carly Rae Jepsen's cutesy and everything, but this is as far as she goes on this list (as a main artist, anyway).

97​. Spirit Indestructible - Nelly Furtado

Man, what happened to Nelly Furtado this year? One minute, she had massive hits like "Promiscuous" and "Say it Right". Now, she's coming out with crappy songs like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjvXmpOTtdQ. But she did have an okay song in Spirit Indestructible. Not great enough to crack the Top 95, but, well, it made the list.

96. Go Crazy - Mia Martina ft. Adrian Sina

Hey, fun fact: 4 out of 5 of these artists have been Canadian. Or maybe it's not that fun of a fact. Whatever. This is a decent enough techno song, and with Skrillex, decent = good enough for this list.

95. Good Time - Owl City ft. Carly Rae Jepsen

"Doesn't matter when, it's always a good time," this song proclaimed. And for what it's worth, it's a good party song. My favourite thing Carly Rae's done this year, and given my dislike for Owl City, I think it's great that they made it.

94. Time Bomb - Kylie Minogue

In the early 2000s, Kylie made a song that you just Can't Get Out of Your Head. And now we have this, another catchy song.

93. We Take Care of Our Own - Bruce Springsteen

I admire The Boss for still coming out with new stuff and not sounding the least bit dated (coughZZTopcough). In retrospect, I probably should have ranked this a little higher.

92. Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding

For some reason, even though I've "cheated" with several songs on here, I just couldn't bring myself to put Lights on here. I think the reason is that it's too recognizable as a 2011 song, even though it peaked in 2012. This is the lesser Goulding song of the year, but still made the list because she's got quite the angelic voice, even though it does get a little annoying at parts.

91. Where Have You Been - Rihanna

In general, I don't like Rihanna. She's a massively overrated artist, and a terrible role model. But this song was good enough to make the list, even though it does have crappy beats at points (what's with the buzzing mosquito sound?)

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

The rapper named after a state... I think.

The guy that brought us YOLO... but not the song.

An artist that many Youtubers claim to be homosexual, a girl, and prepubescent.

NICKI MINAJ??

[Webizoid]

I know all of the hints except for one (the top one). I can't wait for more!!!

[Wumbo]

Ah, but can you name the songs?

(If you actually can, please keep it to yourself. )

[Amphibia]

i love how you add some Canadian songs to your list, Wumbo

[Wumbo]

i love how you add some Canadian songs to your list, Wumbo

Well, it wouldn't be right to leave them out.

90. Ho Hey - The Lumineers

This is a simple song, but it works. The bouncy chorus and the punctuations of "ho" and "hey" after each verse (protip: better than UGH, Cher Lloyd!) sell the song for me. I only wish it had a better name, but at least it's fitting.

89. You and I - Anjulie

Anjulie's one of those Canadian pop artists that are just kind of "eh" to me. But she impressed me with this one. Great vocal performance.

88. C'mon Let Me Ride - Skylar Grey ft. Eminem

As a Weird Al fan, I'm a fan of song parodies. While this isn't a parody of any song in particular, it satirizes the pop music today in general, with the awkward sex innuendos and the overuse of Autotune. It's good for a laugh or two.

87. Wild Ones - Flo Rida ft. Sia

Speaking of awkward sex innuendos... here's the guy that brought us "can you blow my whistle" this year. Yeah, Flo Rida will be Flo Rida. But once in a blue moon, he does show the capacity to make a halfway decent song (admittedly, it may involve a guest vocalist or two). Sia sells herself a little short here, but it is a Flo Rida song. And for what it's worth, it's not bad.

86. Beauty and a Beat - Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj

Oh, look. It's Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj in the same song. Music nostalgics, ready your weapons!

Okay, okay. I'm really not a fan of either artist. In fact, Nicki Minaj still fails to impress me in this one (why does she want to "hit" Justin "with the ether"?) But Justin's performance is good enough and catchy enough to warrant a spot on this list, though not any higher than 86. As in someone should probably 86 these artists, because one good song every 20 songs can't save you from my wrath.

85. The Fighter - Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder

I love it when two good artists collaborate. Gym Class Heroes have been in my good books ever since their late 2011 collaboration with Adam Levine. And Ryan Tedder? Well, there's no denying he has a voice.

84. Take Care - Drake ft. Rihanna

It's Drake's birthday, and he'll get high if he wants to. Anything to forget that he introduced "YOLO" to the brain-dead masses. When you take away most of his songs, Drake is a decent artist (man, I suck at giving compliments sometimes). Take this song, for example. It's a nice break from Drake's usual "Cash money hoes YOLO" shtick, and I tihnk it works. Even Rihanna comes in to add a good vocal performance. It all comes together to make a worthy song of my Top 100.

83. Va Va Voom - Nicki Minaj

Well... given my dislike for Nicki Minaj, this is rather awkward. First I have a song FEATURING her, now I have a song BY her! Either a demon possessed me, or Minaj is actually capable of good music at points. Given that my mom hasn't invited a priest in my house to exorcise me yet, I'll have to go with the latter.

All right, this is a catchy song. Even Nicki Minaj haters can't deny that. (Hell, "Super Bass" is catchy, even though it sucks). When there's no "Roman voice" or lamenting about stupid hoes, Nicki Minaj can pack 'em in. Which she did here.

82. Talk Me Down - Alyssa Reid

After her duet with P. Reign, Alyssa Reid was pretty much forgotten in the non-Canadian mainstream. And it's a shame, because for a winner of some kiddie reality show, she does have talent. Although I don't really agree with the video (if you're going to do a "don't bully" video, make it relevant to the song beyond one lyric), the song is good.

81. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) - Ne-Yo

This is the song with the longest title on my list, so there's an accomplishment right off the bat. It's what One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful should have been, basically.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

A Black Eyed Peas alumnus

A couple of pop princesses

Some more Canadian music for the soul

[Wumbo]

80. This is Love - will.i.am ft. Eva Simons

If you feel it, say hell yeah! will.i.am's pretty off and on as a solo artist for me (anyone remember http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjIwmJMqrco?) but when he's good, he's great. Or at least better than the current Black Eyed Peas. This collaboration with Eva Simons is particularly good. I don't mind Autotune when it's used judiciously and tastefully, like here.

79. Scream - Usher

Usher, baby. He did it again. And this time, he probably made girls around the world scream with this song. It's a song about sex. Let's just clarify that right now. But at least it doesn't have any awkward sex metaphors, and it's decently catchy.

78. So Close - Shawn Hook

Even as a Canadian artist, I'm not really sure what Shawn Hook's role in the music industry is supposed to be. My best supposing comes up with "pretty boy named Shawn who plays the guitar". And you know what? He's pretty good at what he does.

77. Part of Me - Katy Perry

Throw your sticks and stones, your bombs and your blows, but you're not gonna break her soul. Seriously, YouTube haters. GTFO. Multi-platinum artists just don't care. Anyway, the song. It's a really good, catchy song, and I like the "girl power!" motif of the song and video.

76. Mirror - Lil Wayne ft. Bruno Mars

Maybe I am cracking up just a little. First Nicki Minaj, now Lil Wayne. Well, I think this is actually a great song. Bruno Mars was just perfect to sing the chorus, and the lyrics actually make sense and mean something. They're even - dare I say it? - cleverly written. Of course, there are also lulzy parts where he just yells "ANY QUESTIONS?" to the top left corner, but it's still a damn good song, especially for Lil Wayne.

(Sorry guys, Tyga did not make the cut.)

75. Give Your Heart a Break - Demi Lovato

drama aside, Demi Lovato's a good artist. Whether she uses Autotune or not, this is still a good song. Give the girl a break.

74. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

Neon Trees had their big break in 2010 with "Animal", but I feel like they were still going strong in 2012 with this song, which was actually more popular than their first single, reaching #6 on the charts ("Animal" reached #13). Anyway, if this is where rock is headed, count me in.

73. Animal - Kristina Maria ft. JC Chasez

Speaking of songs named "Animal"... well. This is a pretty good song, and I definitely watch the video to hear it. Definitely. Some people have accused the video of being a rip-off of Britney Spears' "I'm a Slave 4 U". Watch

and see what you think. While I think it's definitely reminiscent of the Spears video, I wouldn't say it's a rip-off at all. My biggest problem is some of the rhymes get a little cheesy ("Baby you're the hottest, I'm just being honest"). But it made the Top 75, so hooray.

72. The Hangover - Classified ft. Kayo and Jim Cuddy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf0Di2-dHWI

You know what's annoying? Searching up this song and getting a bunch of movie trailers. Anyway, I think putting Jim Cuddy in this song was a stroke of genius. He added just the right amount of soul to the song, and the verses just bring it to sheer perfection. I may have underrated this one, but there's still plenty of great music to come, so we'll see.

71. Good Girl - Carrie Underwood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-uothzTaaQ

Carrie Underwood is probably my favourite solo country artist, which isn't saying much, given my dislike of the genre. But Carrie is a better artist than her genre gives her credit for. If that made any sort of sense, please keep reading. Carrie Underwood knows how to walk right up to that country/rock line and give her songs that extra twang. Which she does here. Immaculately, might I add.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

90's alumni

70's alumni

Technically, one of the biggest songs of the year

The number 69

Transformers of Music: Rise of the DJs

[Wumbo]

70. Sweet Nothing - Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch

I remember giving Calvin Harris a hard time for his song "Feel So Close" because I found it boring. But the man does have talent (and good taste in vocalists). Florence Welch absolutely delivers here, and the beats really complement the singing.

69. Settle Down - No Doubt

What's your 20? Do you copy? Well, I'm probably over here listening to this great new No Doubt song. Man, their 2012 album Push and Shove came out a decade​ after their previous album. And Gwen Stefani still looks as youthful as ever. The others? Well... at least it sounds good.

68. Take a Walk - Passion Pit

Great song with an interesting video. I've always wanted to follow the life of a physically impossibly bouncing ball.

67. I Can Only Imagine - David Guetta ft. Chris Brown and Lil Wayne

Man, I must have gone back and forth on this one and

about a million and one times (give or take). This one won out for me because it was slightly catchier, and it really surprised me that a song with three artists I hate could be this good. That's all.

66. One More Night - Maroon 5

Technically, this tied with "Call Me Maybe" as the biggest song on the Billboard charts of 2012, each spending 9 weeks at #1. And I must say, I was surprised at first that this became a bigger hit than Payphone. But looking back at it, I can see why. It's catchier, more upbeat. There's a certain science to these things. Still love Payphone, but this song wins #66 in my Top 100.

65. Chalk Outline - Three Days Grace

Unlike their Canadian musical brothers Theory of a Deadman who I think have sufficiently http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmBE9Z1hW3A, Three Days Grace came back this year stronger than ever. Unfortunately, lead singer Adam Gontier has now left the band, which I view as a huge loss. Hopefully they get back together soon, but at least they found a decent replacement.

64. Body Work - Morgan Page ft. Tegan and Sara

Didn't I tell you it was the rise of the DJs? Morgan Page has actually been active and clubbin' since 1999. Since then, he has been nominated for many International Dance Music awards, but sadly never won. Teaming up with Tegan and Sara was a smart move, because it led to the production of his 2012 album In the Air, and also this song.

63. Legendary Child - Aerosmith

You know, as long as Aerosmith keeps making hits, I shall be here to recognize them. We all know Aerosmith, they've been around since the 70's. But I don't think many people knew about this song, as it's been on YouTube for about half a year and not even cracked 2 million views. Yet "Baby" has over 800 million. Sigh.

62. Burn it Down - Linkin Park

After hearing Mike Shinoda take a backseat (on Minutes to Midnight ​especially), it's nice to have a new single out where he's back in front and center, alongside Chester. This is just another great Linkin Park song, using the electronic music of today to their advantage.

61. It's Time - Imagine Dragons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENM2wA_FTg

It took 4 years for Imagine Dragons to make a breakthrough, but they did it with aplomb. This is a great song that has been performed on pretty much every late show out there (except Letterman), and helped rise Imagine Dragons to the top. Billboard Magazine called them one of 2012's Brightest New Stars. Can't argue with that.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

Some Canadian rap

Some American rap

Some Canadian rock

Some American rock

[Wumbo]

Just a heads-up, this entry has the most Canadian music you've probably never heard of. So, brace yourselves.

60. Albatross - Big Wreck

Something I noticed this year: a multitude of 90's bands coming back for another album. Big Wreck was one of those bands. After their moderately successful album In Loving Memory Of... in 1997, they released only one other album in 2001 before their comeback in 2012. This is the title track of their newest album, and it's a damn good tune.

59. Tattoo - Van Halen

Not only 90's bands, but also a couple 70's bands came back for an encore this year. David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen reunited for another studio album this year, entitled A Different Kind of Truth. It became their 14th consecutive Top 10 album in the United States, debuting at #2. This is the lead-off single from that album, and IMO, they don't sound aged at all. I could listen to this and Van Halen II back to back and barely hear a difference.

58. Don't Turn the Lights Out - D-Sisive ft. Neverending White Lights

Two very unique artists from Canada combine for a masterpiece of a song. D-Sisive is a Canadian rapper who started in the late 90's and has overcome tragedies such as his parents dying and has battled with bouts of depression. Yet he's been consistently releasing albums and EPs since 1997. Neverending White Lights is less a band and more a music collaboration project. Fronted by Daniel Victor, who performs all the instruments, it usually features a guest singer. I don't know quite that much about the band, but I think that might be Daniel Victor singing this time. Whatever. Whoever's singing, it's still a great song.

57. Reach for the Sky - Maestro ft. Classified

Maestro is actually Maestro Fresh-Wes, one of the most prolific Canadian rappers of the late 1980's, and maybe of all time. His collaboration with current rapper Classified shined this year, featuring samples from the Blue Rodeo song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkMaBy6EX0w.

56. Home - Phillip Phillips

All right, here's a song you should have heard of. Winning the 11th season of American Idol, Phillips' debut single is probably one of the best-selling of any American Idol winner. Here's hoping Phillips can keep it up, because I really like his style.

55. Heartbreak Coverup - Jesse Labelle ft. Alyssa Reid

You know how you can tell you haven't made it into the mainstream? When Wikipedia doesn't have an article on you. Sorry, Jesse Labelle. But hey, you made my countdown.

54. Gangnam Style - PSY

Let me just take this moment to say this: My Top 10 of 2012 was rushed and not well thought out. This is why this song, which was once number 10, has dropped to number 54. You have to admire how it somehow captivated an American audience, and surpassed Justin Bieber's "Baby" in number of views. But beyond that and the ha-larious video, it's really not Top 10-worthy. Don't get me wrong. It's still catchy, and the video really helps the goofy song. But this is as far as it'll go.

53. Youth Without Youth - Metric

Okay, last Canadian artist for this installment, I swear. Metric's a great indie rock band from Toronto Ontario. They've been around since 1998, and their 2012 album Synthetica was their fifth. This was the first single from that album, and it's a great song, if you like this sort of thing. Some people find it repetitive. I find it poetic.

52. Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz

God, this song is funny. Catchy, too. It's probably the most popular song in my circle of friends at this moment. I love rapping along to it, especially this line:

Probably shoulda washed this, smells like R. Kelly's sheets

(Piiisssssss)

But shit, it was ninety-nine cents!

Man, I don't know. Somehow it captivated us. Keep on poppin' tags, Macklemore. (Fun fact: he and I share a birthday. )

51. Hall of Fame - The Script ft. will.i.am

"Yeah, you can be the greatest. You can be the best. You can be the King Kong, bangin' on your chest." Awesome opening to a song. My favourite will.i.am collaboration of the year.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

A fitting song for #50

A fun song

Another song that was originally in my Top 10

[Wumbo]

50. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye - Train

I swear on my great grandmother's grave that I did not do this on purpose. It just worked out this way as a happy coincidence, after much deliberation. Anyway, Train is a great band who released their California 37 album in early 2012. This single came out mid-June and was my favourite from the album so far. The video has it all. David Hasselhoff, a rabbi, a mariachi band? You can't ask for much more than that. Plus, it's a really catchy and fun song.

49. Take it on Faith - Matt Mays

Love this guy. This is the only song I've heard by him, but his voice reminds me of Tom Petty and I just love the melody of this song.

48. We Are Young - fun. ft. Janelle Monae

Give me a second, I need to get my story straight. One of the biggest hits of 2012... was actually released in 2011. Scandal-maker that I am, I put it in the list anyway. Why? Because let's get real here. How many of you have even heard of fun., let alone this song, before 2012? Yeah. That's what I thought. This song only became popular after Glee did a cover for it (finally, that show's actually good for something!) and was subsequently featured in a Chevrolet Sonic commercial. It's a damn good song, with both artists delivering a knockout performance, becoming one of the top anthems of 2012.

47. The Fight of My Life - Colin Munroe ft. Pusha T

I'll be honest, I'm not really sure why this song appeals to me so much. It just has that certain X factor. Sorry guys, there's no profound reason. It's just Wumbo being all Canadian again.

46. Change the Record - Melanie Fiona ft. B.O.B.

Conversely, I know exactly why this song appeals to me. It's catchy, it features one of my favourite present-day rappers, and it's lyrically interesting.

45. Royalty - Down With Webster

I've sung my praises about these Canadian homeboys before, but most of my favourite songs by them came out in 2011. No matter. They still had this song left over from their Time to Win Vol. II album. Released in 2012, it qualifies for the list in more ways than just that.

44. She's So Mean - Matchbox Twenty

So many bands from the 90's coming back, so little spots on the Top 100. Matchbox 20 managed to sneak into the Top 50 due to their ability to show their fun side a little, while still maintaining their usual sound.

43. Charlie Brown - Coldplay

Coldplay gets a lot of flak for being boring, and lately, I've almost agreed with the flak-givers. Both songs by them that reached the mainstream in 2011 ("Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" and "Paradise") seriously underwhelmed me. It made me think, "Come on, Coldplay. You can do better than this." Thankfully, with "Charlie Brown", they finally listened. While still a pretty slow song, it manages to be upbeat as well.

42. Sixteen Saltines - Jack White

Man, Jack White is such a talented artist. Everything he touches turns to gold. No exception with his 2012 release Blunderbuss. It had three stellar singles, but I could only pick one to retain the integrity of this countdown. So, sorry "Love Interruption" and "Freedom at 21", but "Sixteen Saltines" won out for being the most upbeat of the bunch. By the way, I can handle a slow song. But I associate songs like this with Jack White more closely than slower songs.

41. Days Go By - The Offspring

As much as 2012 kind of blew at times, it was interesting (and pleasant) to see so many older bands come back. Like The Offspring. The guitar lick actually reminds me a lot of Foo Fighters' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhzmNRtIp8k, and if y'all know how much I love the Foos, that's a great compliment.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

Another one of the most popular songs of the year... released in 2011.

A song that I underrated severely in my Knee-Jerk Opinions thread

[Wumbo]

40. Guardian - Alanis Morissette

Probably the angriest female singer of the 90's with her smash hit "You Oughta Know", Alanis is back in 2012 to take on a more calmer persona, writing a song about her new life as a mother. More power to her, this song is great.

39. It - Rich Aucoin

Rich didn't leave this song all in his head. Instead, he released it, and it became a great start to the music of 2012.

38. Summer Paradise - Simple Plan ft. Sean Paul

SP, by SP ft. SP. They probably did that on purpose. Whatever. This was one of the biggest summer songs of 2012, and for good reason. It pretty much captures the feel of a summer paradise, both the song and the video.

37. Come Over - Kenny Chesney

For all those who know the basics of my music taste, this would probably be the most surprising song to make the list. It's true, country fan I am not. But I'm willing to give nearly everything a try, and I'm glad I did with this song. It's absolutely wonderful.

36. Never Gonna Let You Go - Esthero

Maybe this is a contender for most delightfully weird video of 2012. But 36 is where it stands on this list. Not like that's a bad thing. After all, it did beat out the massive hit "We Are Young".

35. Kiss You Inside Out - Hedley

Hedley's probably the most prominent pop rock Canadian band out there today. They just keep on charting with hit after hit, and unlike certain other hitmakers, their songs are consistently good.

34. The Veldt - deadmau5 ft. Chris James

deadmau5's one of the most talented DJs out there today (He's Canadian, surprise surprise. ) This is not only a great song, but an amazing video.

33. Somebody That I Used to Know - Gotye ft. Kimbra

There's many reasons for this song's popularity, but I think that the biggest reason of them all is that it's a great breakup song. Gotye and Kimbra both deliver here with shining performances, highlighting the brilliant lyrics. The perfect song for anyone who's been through a rough breakup.

Get this though; it's technically another 2011 song. But it was only released in certain countries in that year, and came to the US in 2012. So, it counts.

32. Girl on Fire - Alicia Keys ft. Nicki Minaj

Far and away my favourite Minaj performance of the year. It makes me think that Alicia Keys is the duct tape of the music industry. If you can fix Nicki Minaj, you definitely deserve that title. Originally going to be on The Hunger Games soundtrack, the timing just didn't work out. But you can definitely see why it could have been on there. Alicia Keys is on fire.

31. Don't You Worry Child - Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin

I rated this song as rather mediocre in my Knee-Jerk Opinions thread. But as you know, they are knee-jerk opinions. After several listens, this song really grew on me.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

The worst band in the world

Somebody proving that gingers do have soul

[Wumbo]

30. Let it Go - Dragonette

Dragonette is a Canadian electronic music band from Toronto, Ontario that formed in 2005. Their music's been kind of off and on for me, but this song is great.

29. Lego House - Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's now a quintuple platinum artists in the United Kingdom with his 2011 album +. One of the singles off of that album was this one, which I think is slightly better than "The 'A' Team", and that's saying a lot.

28. Feel Again - OneRepublic

Yet another song I underrated criminally in my Knee-Jerk Opinions thread. I think I mentioned that I wanted them to "make me feel something again". Upon re-listen, they did.

27. Surprise Surprise - Billy Talent

I can't explain the pig-man video, but this song rocks. Billy Talent never grows old for me. I could match up this song with any one from 10 years ago and it would sound as great.

26. Too Close - Alex Clare

You know, I'm not one to break promises. But this is another song that I felt just wasn't quiiiite Top 10-worthy. But hey, it's nearly in the top quarter of my list. Surely to God that counts for something. Anyway, like I've said before, great song. Poor Alex, getting friendzoned like that. 3:

25. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) - Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire are probably some of the most innovative and creative artists out there today. There's no way there's a song out there like this. It's a work of art.

24. Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars

I've always been a fan of Bruno Mars. But this year, with his Unorthodox Jukebox album, he went above and beyond my expectations. There's no way the Bruno Mars of 2010 would have made a song like this. It's so great to see him evolving as an artist. Plus, this sounds so much like a Police song it's scary (and that's a compliment, not an accusation).

23. Lullaby - Nickelback

You know, I'm probably going to die never understanding the Nickelback hatred. Especially with songs and videos like this. I mean, come on​. If they're not your cup of tea, that's fine, but they suffer way too much hate. I thought I'd make up for it by slipping them into the Top 25.

22. Blue Jeans - Lana Del Rey

This is a really infectious work of art. Let it soothe your soul with its delicious aura... what? I was just reading a label off this candy bar wrapper. Back to the song. I'm a Lana Del Rey fan, and I feel that this song was her greatest.

21. Catch My Breath - Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson will probably always be the best American Idol winner. Her vocal talent knocks it out of the park with each song she sings. This is a great song in particular because it's about her journey from American Idol to where she is today. She keeps doing everything right with this songs. More power to Kelly!

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

A lot of rock

[Wumbo]

20. Live to Rise - Soundgarden

Pretty much the best song they could have put on the Avengers soundtrack. Soundgarden have proven themselves once again.

19. True Colors - Artists Against Bullying

Great collaboration by a bunch of young Canadian artists... against bullying.

18. Bad Girls - M.I.A.

M.I.A.'s had her good and bad this year (anyone remember that godawful collaboration with Madonna and Nicki Minaj?) but she definitely has musical talent. My favourite part of this song is the Middle Eastern-influenced music.

17. Warrior - Mark Foster, A-Trak, and Kimbra

This is a pretty infectious song, thanks to Kimbra's voice and A-Trak's beats. And of yeah, Mark Foster.

16. Is Anybody Out There? - K'Naan ft. Nelly Furtado

This song is just perfect. K'Naan is a wildly talented artist, and so is Nelly Furtado, for the most part. The two come together to create a song that shines both lyrically and musically.

15. Better Than I Know Myself - Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert's a great artist, and it might have been better for him that he didn't win his season of American Idol (seriously, who the hell remembers Kris Allen?). Lambert became the first openly gay artist to debut at #1 on the Billboard 200 with Trespassing. This lead single is a good reason why.

14. Houdini - Foster the People

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of Foster the People when I first heard "Pumped Up Kicks". The song underwhelmed me. But then other singles were released from their debut album Torches, and I had little reason left to continue my skepticism. This is a great band.

13. Heavyweight - Our Lady Peace

Man, OLP is definitely one of my favourites. Another great 90's/early 2000s band that came back with a new album this year. While I think their previous few efforts have been on the lackluster side, Curve brings OLP back to the high standard they set in the 90's.

12. Gold on the Ceiling - The Black Keys

It's good to know that rock hasn't completely died out when bands like The Black Keys are alive and kickin'. Which reminds me, I still need to buy that El Camino album.

11. Look Around - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers will never die, even if they have a tendency to keep switching out guitarists. I think Josh Klinghoffer gets the job done. He's no Frusciante, but his sound still mixes with the rest of the band quite well, who are in top form.

Next 10 Include:

Spoiler

Sorry, no spoilers here. It's the Top 10, people!

[Wumbo]

10. So Good - B.O.B.

B.O.B., I think, is one of the best rappers out there today. Sure, he's singing about a girl, but at least he's not calling her a "hoe" or getting drunk or some shit. Nope, just a really good song.

​9. No Church in the Wild - Jay-Z & Kanye West ft. Frank Ocean and The-Dream

Every artist here absolutely knocks it out of the park with this song. Jay-Z and Kanye West are at the top of their game with their rapping (a nice change from the other shit released this year by Kanye). Frank Ocean was a perfect choice to sing the chorus. Hey, even the heavily-Autotuned The-Dream fits in well.

8. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

This song is great. I love the story behind it: It's about a couple where the husband has passed away, and the wife is still having a conversation with him. Whether she's crazy or he's actually there? That's for the jury to decide. (I believe the latter.)

7. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons

My Top 10 last time around had a severe lack of Mumford & Sons. Thankfully, I didn't make the same mistake this time. I love this band. They're so unique with their sound. I'm also a moderate fan of folk music in general, but these guys surpass any folk I've ever heard before.

​6. Desperate Measures - Marianas Trench

Marianas Trench and Hedley are probably the two most popular current Canadian bands. In Canada, anyway. It looks like Trench won the war this time. This is an infectiously catchy song, and I'm not ashamed to say this is part of the music I like.

5. Try - P!nk

I've been a fan of P!nk ever since here Just Like a Pill days, and she's still going strong today. The video, first of all, is spectacular. So much emotion was put into this dance, and the result is amazing. The song is amazing, as well.

4. Runaways - The Killers

Loved The Killers ever since Hot Fuss​, and for the first time in a while, I would rank one of their songs up with that album. This brings back, for me anyway, the older style of The Killers, which I welcome with open arms.

3. Madness - Muse

And I've been a Muse fan... okay, okay, I'll stop. Muse is an excellent band, and this may be my favourite song by them yet.

2. Oh Love - Green Day

I know I said "Kill the DJ" was the superior Green Day song of 2012, but I've changed my mind again. After all, this marks the comeback of Green Day after 3 years, and it's an excellent lead-off single. It showcases Green Day's new sound, but also shows that they've stuck to some of their old roots.

1. The Dog is Mine - k-os

As I've said before, this a a ridiculously rockin' tune, and therefore my favourite of 2012. (It helps that k-os is Canadian.) Man, k-os and his backing band just absolutely hit it out of the park with this one. Best song of 2012.

Well, I guess I'm finished. Comments appreciated!