1. Leave Your Lover – Sam Smith – Smith’s absolute and final and timeless masterpiece of thwarted romantic desire, plays like a gorgeous nightmare in the back of your head while Sam’s falsetto reaches forward in desire and sadness. one of the great songs of our time.
2. Head – Lydia Loveless – I was disappointed to learn it isn’t about receiving cunnilingus, though it will still get you off
3. Rather Be – Clean Bandit – Walter Murphy would approve
4. Longer Than You’ve Been Alive – Old 97’s – Seeped in big truths about life in a rock
5. Thinking About You – Ed Sheeran – Full blown romantic ballad
6. Sour Times – The Civil Wars – The cover of the year
7. Problem – Ariana Grande – Song of the summer is a royal kiss off
8. Stay With Me – Sam Smith – His second best song
9. Platinum – Miranda Lambert – Funny stuff
10. Child’s Play – SZA – Gorgeous moody music plus one of the best rapeprs around, Chance The Rapper
11. NSA Man – Peter Stampfel – Stampfel isn’t even being paranoid, “Who reads everything you post on Twitter, Who has drones to watch you on the shitter…”
12. Once Upon A Dream – Lana Del Rey -Or nightmare, much better than the movie it sold.
13. Make It Look Good – Mariah Carey – Stevie Wonder wannabe
14. Good Kisser – Usher – Nice deep beat
15. Zigzagging Toward The Light – Conor Oberst – Catchy as anything Conor has ever done
16. As Long As I Got You – Lily Allen – Zydeco based story of life in 2014 for Lily
17. Emotions – Katy B – The album was a bit of a disappointment but this is a strong electronic ballad
18. XO – Beyonce – Her masterpiece
19. Fever On The Bayou – Rodney Crowell – John Fogerty would approve
20. Play “God Only Knows” At My Funeral – Fireworks – Top emo song
21. Fancy – Iggy Azalea – The other hit of the summer
22. Hi-Five – Angel Olsen – Surprise breakthrough for the electonic singer/songwriter
23. Who Needs You – The Orwells – Killed it on Letterman and dissed it on Arctic Monkeys
24. A Tribe Called Red – Angel Haze – Adds on native American vibe
26 Unconditional Love – Against Me! – The only kind worth having
