2012: Singles
INTRO:
The most successful single of the year went to Gotye's “Somebody That I Used To Know” (shifting nearly 1.5 million copies). The most successful track actually released in 2012 (and the year's 2nd most successful single) was “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepson which gas gone on to become one of the most streamed tracks over the years. Emeli Sande's “Our Version Of Events” (2012) was the top album (shifting closer to 2 million copies). Although then-modern acts like Adele & Ed Sheeran dominated the Brit Awards, the Jubilee and Olympc concerts interestingly looked to older acts, with Blur, Duran Duran, New Order, and the Specials taking centre stage.
Top 10 Contenders:
Carly Rae Jepson “Call Me Maybe”
Arguable the most ‘iconic’ track of 2012
David Guetta & Sia “Titanium”
James Arthur “Impossible”
PSY “Gangnam Style”
Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa “Payphone”
Flo Rida ^ Sia “Wild Ones”
Rihanna “Diamonds”
Labrinth & Emeli Sandé “Beneath You're Beautiful”
Swedish House Mafia & John Martin “Don't You Worry Child”
Emeli Sandé “Next To Me”
Flo Rida “Whistle”
Rudimental & John Newman “Feel The Love”
Calvin Harris & Florence and the Machine “Spectrum”
The Script & will.i.am “Hall Of Fame”
Robbie Williams “Candy”
Train “Drive By”
DJ Fresh & Rita Ora “Hot Right Now”
Stooshe “Black Heart”
Olly Murs & Flo Rida “Troublemaker”
Cheryl “Under The Sun”
Kelly Clarkson “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You”
Little Mix “Wings”
Palma Faith “Picking Up The Pieces”
TOP 3:
3. Coldplay & Rihanna “Princess Of China”
I wasn’t sure about Rihanna turning up on a Coldplay album at first – (at that time, Coldplay hadn’t delved into collabs) – but I became obsessed with the “Mylo Xyloto” (2011) album and this track is a pivotal moment of that record. In a way, the track is even more interesting as a ‘single’ outside of the album’s context. IT merges rock, electronica, R&B, and its melodic composition leans into oriental scales, particularly with its Asiatic-leaning guitar riff. It’s various atmospheric layers give it a real dramatic effect that we would probably associate more with the guest Rihanna than Coldplay.
2. Nicki Minaj “Starships”
This may be a surprise coming from me. But, I do love it, it’s got attitude, pizzazz and a fairly decent melody in the chorus. What really sells it for me is that bit after each chorus that seemingly goes into an entirely different tonal domain. It’s not all that distant from any identifiable tonal centre of the song on very close analysis but it is a bit of a jolt. Its a simple ‘throw off’ technique – but it fascinates me every time I listen.
1. fun & Janelle Monáe “We Are Young”
Once I’d got over the borrowing of a Franz Ferdinand trait (a tract suddenly becoming an entirely different track a a minute or so in) I loved this track. And this was in 2012 – a time when I was actively disliking as much up-to-date pop music as I could. I couldn’t deny this one. The stays fairly firmly in F-major throughout despite the notable tempo, texture, dynamic and style shift . It intro has a sparse with light piano backed by march-like percussion and fast story-telling folk-like vocalisation. This unexpectedly gives way to a slow heavy driving drum loop, a big synth backdrop, string arrangements, heavy piano chords, and massive bass drums and timpani-like sounds and a distorted guitar-like to create a very dense texture. It was the 3rd most successful single of 2012 and probably a contender for my #1 track of the 2010s.
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