When it comes to compiling these end of year lists it’s often easy to leave out some of the biggest ear worms of the year. Most of those songs are loved by the whole world and yet are ignored in most lists, probably because they’re ridiculous and have a use by date of about two months.
Despite this, we feel it’s worth celebrating these songs that dominated the airwaves and your brain capacity. Here are our top ten guilty pleasures of 2014. If you really like lists, why don't you also check out our top 30 songs of 2014?
Ariana Grande- Break Free
Zedd contributed a little bit to Lady Gaga’s Artpop and ultimately failed but he’s redeemed himself here with this Ariana banger. For the most part, Ariana Grande was channeling RnB in 2014 but for this one she went out all guns blazing, going vocally wild in the chorus like Whitney would’ve had she had the chance to dabble in EDM. The video is even goofy in the same way that Nikki Webster’s Strawberry Kisses was and we’re all into it.
Sam Smith- Stay With Me
This is a guilty pleasure in the way that many people would’ve had a cry on their couch with ice-cream dripping down their chin singing to this. No shame in that. Stay With Me is the type of ballad we’ve been missing since the days of Whitney and Mariah. Sam Smith is the success story of 2014. Hand the man his Grammy’s and let him get to work on the next James Bond theme song.
One Direction- Steal My Girl
This inclusion is mostly because Danny DeVito is in the video and it made us trawl through Matilda videos for two hours proceeding, but the songs also one of the best from One Direction. It’s slightly confusing that they all seem to be talking about the same girl but the logistics of that is not for us to worry about. A particular highlight is when Harry takes the high notes on the final chorus, just like Mel C would’ve for the Spice Girls.
G.R.L- Ugly Heart
Simone Battles' death earlier this year is a horrible shame not only because she was so young but because G.R.L are one of the best girl groups to come out of the USA since, eh, Destiny’s Child. Or Danity Kane. Let’s go with Danity Kane. Ugly Heart was championed by Dr. Luke and had all the necessary ingredients of a pop masterpiece. It had stomping bass, a strumming acoustic guitar (ooft) and a video that saw the girls locked up in prison. There’s actually something extremely freeing about this song which is worrying for me as a male who’s never romantically encountered a boy with an ugly heart.
Becky G- Shower
Unbelievably this song was not written for a Pantine commercial. It was in fact written by Becky G and hit-maker Dr. Luke for Becky G. It’s a sort of rap-song that has a chorus that definitely isn’t a rap-song chorus, so we’re finding it all a bit difficult to place it anyway. As a pop song, it’s genius though. There’s handclaps, layered vocals and a bridge that makes the chorus sound bigger than Ben Hur. It’s a national crime that this song peaked just outside the top ten.
Taylor Swift- Blank Space
Is Taylor Swift even a guilty pleasure anymore? She’s sold so many records that it seems everybody in the world has accepted that we will all just be honest with our love for Tay Tay. Blank Space was Taylor Swift’s “I’m a mess in a dress” song that saw her do crazy about as convincingly as Enya doing social. What is convincing though is the melody. It just slips through you like butter and adds a little white-girl rap in at the end for good measure.
Nico & Vinz- Am I Wrong
I’m not sure why Am I Wrong doesn’t have a question mark after it, but perhaps it’s because Norwegian newcomers Nico & Vinz don’t want a response. Am I Wrong has the feeling of Toto’s Africa combined with Phil Collins’ Tarzan soundtrack which is an enviable sound to have. It’s all about ambition and striving to be your best which is a bit sickening but who cares when the melody is as delectable as it is.
Mark Ronson- Uptown Funk (Feat. Bruno Mars)
This is the first time that Mark Ronson has really teamed up with a pop superstar for his own solo work. Naturally, the song has gone number one around the world in a matter of days but it feels like it’s on the strength of the song rather than Bruno Mars’ inclusion. It’s a disco-heralding, Chic throwback which actually makes Mars seem slightly less annoying. Expect to be extremely sick of this song by at least March 2015, but for now just enjoy the funk.
Iggy Azalea- Fancy (Feat. Charli XCX)
“First things first I’m the realest” may just be the most awkward conversation starter of 2014 but it was also the greatest beginning to a pop song in 2014. Fancy started things for both Iggy and Charli XCX who have both had stellar years this year. It’s because it targeted everybody's nostalgia. From the aesthetic references to Gwen and Eve’s Blow Your Mind to the ‘90s-coated, Clueless video, Fancy had ‘90s kids swooning and kids who weren’t born in the ‘90s wishing they were. Little do they know, they would’ve had to deal with dial-up internet.
Nick Jonas- Jealous
On the awful scale this year, Nick Jonas rated about an 11 with his crotch-grabbing photos etc. He told Good Morning America that he thought it was important that we started a conversation on jealousy, thus this song’s existence. Thank goodness he’s started the conversation because this is pure pop cold. From the falsetto to the clumsy lyrics like “It’s my right to be hellish”, Jonas nails it showing that he’s successfully made his transformation from family boyband member to hellish badboy himself.
