The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2012

The Top 10 Best Hit Songs of 2012

In the following few paragraphs, I look at the most overrated year - but still a very good year - of the 2010s for the Hot 100 and look at why people really liked this year.

Hello guys! Welcome back to Fire’s Flaming Hot Takes! It’s time for a list I look forward to making, the top 10 best hit songs of 2012!

2012 is a year that I’ve dubbed as the most overrated year of the 2010s for the Hot 100, up there with 2019 definitely. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great year for the Hot 100, and definitely in the top half when it comes to year-end lists for the 2010s, but I wouldn’t say it’s better than 2011, 2015, or 2017.

I definitely see why 2012 is looked at so fondly by so many critics, and when going through the year-end list, there’s a lot to like about it. Pop was still riding out the club boom’s last spurts to a pretty solid bit of success. Country was still in its earliest seeds of bro-country and that subgenre still hadn’t fully taken over the country scene. And hip hop was in an awkward transitional year from the club boom to the trap sounds that would define the rest of the decade, yeah okay not a very good year there but overall this year was still very likeable. I imagine, though, the reason that the 2012 year-end is so fondly looked back upon is the indie boom. Indie music is the obvious critic bait, but honestly, I’m not biting. Don’t get me wrong, it still delivered some awesome quality to the charts and some of that will be reflected in this list, but I’ve never really understood why critics just swoon over indie music so much, is it because of the absence of rock in the 2010s and critics were just willing to turn to the best alternative possible? Either way, I can see another factor of the 2012 charts being so great was, well, remember back then when everyone was scared that the world was gonna end in 2012? In a grim situation, I imagine that people were just turning to the most joyous and fun songs to lighten up the mood, and that’s definitely a theme on this year-end list, a lot of songs just have a very happy mood to them.

Anyway, there ended up being 66 songs on the year-end list for 2012 - including 2011 repeats - that fell into my “decent tier” or higher. That is a damn great showing. So why am I calling this year overrated? Well, its lows were horrendous, there are a few songs that haven’t aged as well, as I said I’m not just gonna automatically bite the indie boom bait, and I just have a stronger liking towards those three years I just mentioned. But we got plenty of great songs to go through, so as a reminder of the rule, the songs had to debut on the year-end Hot 100 list in 2012 in order to qualify, so let’s untangle the best songs of this year, starting with our honorable mentions, shall we?

HM #1: Cher Lloyd - Want U Back (YE: #55, PEAK: #12)

Starting off with a hot take already, wow. But I honestly really like “Want U Back” for many of the same reasons that I really liked “What The Hell” by Avril Lavigne. It’s obviously a very toxic and at times obnoxious song, it’s about trying to get an ex back with her, acting in the most manipulative way ever. But damn it, the production just kicks all amounts of ass, it’s so fun. The electropop beat, the incredibly gummy synth, and the guitar sounds really good. Then Cher Lloyd’s super fun and sassy delivery, she has a lot of energy that really makes this song work well. I guess this is a guilty pleasure for me, but it works way better than it should.

HM #2: Drake f/Rihanna - Take Care (YE: #23, PEAK: #7)

Man, I miss when Drake used to have charisma in his songs. Seriously, “Take Care” is definitely up there as one of his best ever songs. It’s definitely a more vibe-like club song, which makes the song pretty simple. But the song’s simplicity is why it works. Both Drake and Rihanna show a lot of restraint in their delivery and they both sound really good here. The guitar and piano provide a really beautiful melody, and this overall came together incredibly well. Drake, I await the day you return to making songs like these, I know it’ll be great.

HM #3: Neon Trees - Everybody Talks (YE: #22, PEAK: #6)

And now, we got the Neon Trees, scoring their second hit in 2012, and while both their hits are great, “Everybody Talks” has always clicked much more for me than “Animal”. With the gleaming guitars that build up into that hook that deliver such a fantastic melody, and Tyler Glenn’s goofy yet incredibly sincere delivery, I just wish this song was longer honestly!! Great song, definitely worth a revisit.

HM #4: Pitbull f/Chris Brown - International Love (YE: #48, PEAK: #13)

Oh boy, Chris Brown making another one of my honorable mentions lists, really wasn’t expecting that to happen. But really, “International Love” is a standard club boom song that really hits all of my weak spots. Pitbull’s fun energy, Chris Brown’s startlingly awesome hook, the synths and pulsating beat that really give this song a nice groove and just sound generally awesome, they all add up and create a genuinely amazing song. Definitely love this more than I likely want to admit.

HM #5: Ellie Goulding - Lights (YE: #5, PEAK: #2)

“Whistle” by Flo Rida blocked this song from hitting #1. That is all. Okay but seriously, while “Lights” isn’t Ellie’s best song at all, it’s still up there. The twinkling synths, the fantastic synth work, the tight bass, it’s an incredibly well crafted song that doesn’t have a lot of burn rate. The reason this isn’t on the list proper? Well, this song doesn’t really exemplify Ellie’s full potential, “Burn”, “Love Me Like You Do”, “Something In The Way You Move”, “Still Falling For You”, and “Sixteen” just to name a few are all songs I would honestly place above this. That said, “Lights” is an amazing song, and I’m eternally grateful that it was the breakout hit for someone who would become one of my favorite artists of all time, terrific song.

HM #6: Phillip Phillips - Home (YE: #49, PEAK: #6)

One of the artists that really took off as a result of the indie boom was Phillip Phillips, who produced 2 hits early in the decade. And while I always found “Gone, Gone, Gone” to be a bit mediocre, I’ve always loved “Home”. Admittedly, this is more on nostalgia, but the song is honestly really well put together. Phillip Phillips’ hopeful delivery really makes the warm acoustic guitars work so well, and it just reminds me of when my teacher put together a slideshow of all the best moments we had together when I was in 6th grade, and whenever I hear this song, I can’t help but think of that time. Such a fantastic song.

HM #7: Jason Mraz - I Won’t Give Up (YE: #25, PEAK: #8)

I’m gonna preface this by saying that I never really liked Jason Mraz. His song “I’m Yours” is truly one I absolutely despise and I consider it one of the worst hit songs of the 2000s. And most of his songs were generally just adult contemporary fodder that never did anything for me. That said, he did put out three songs that I liked, and one of them was “I Won’t Give Up”. And let me get this straight, this song works this well because of Jason Mraz’s sincerity, it would be nowhere near as good if it weren’t for that. The acoustic guitar honestly has a really pretty melody, and it honestly feels sort of hopeful, the feeling of not wanting to give up on something and to keep looking up. It’s a really nice song, and while “I’m Yours” is still an atrocity, this is incredibly poignant, and definitely works.

Huh, that was a way better start than I was expecting...even with the knowledge that while the 2012 year-end chart is overrated it is still great. But anyway, time for the true gems this year...

10...It goes without saying that the Teenage Dream era of Katy Perry was her best era, not only commercially but quality-wise as well. And this isn’t even the best song from the era, not even her best song this year - we’ll get to that - but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna just ignore this...

10. Katy Perry - Wide Awake (YE: #15, PEAK: #2)

“Wide Awake” is one of those incredibly ethereal songs that you manage to forget how truly amazing it is until you give it a listen and it all comes rushing back. The synthesizers really add a lot of power to the song and Katy Perry adds a lot of vulnerability in the song. And the lyrics are honestly really well written. The song is about Katy Perry’s divorce with Russell Brand, and man these lyrics really paint that feeling really well that even as someone who has never gone through a breakup I can clearly imagine how it feels. The repetition of “I’m wide awake” in the verses, it’s that realization that it’s time to move on. Katy’s falling from Cloud 9, but she’s letting everything go tonight, she is coming out of the lion’s den, there are plenty more examples to add to this. And when you add that intensity from Katy’s vocals that I talked about earlier along with the incredibly anthemic synthesizers, “Wide Awake” is terrific.

9...The club boom had definitely lost a bit of prominence this year. It still was getting a fair amount of success, but not nearly as much as it did in 2010 and 2011. But it still allowed America’s trashiest party girl to score another hit, and it’s possibly her best club boom hit...

9. Kesha - Die Young (YE: #85, PEAK: #2)

A track that nearly was killed off entirely thanks to Sandy Hook in late 2012, 9 years away from it, I’d say “Die Young” is a phenomenal song that has probably aged the best out of all Kesha’s club boom hits. The acoustic guitar melody, the synths that aren’t overblown yet have a lot of power and add a lot of groove to this song, and Kesha’s incredibly fun energy, this song is just awesome. The lyrics are nothing special and they don’t really stand out from the rest of the club boom - about partying and just having the last few moments of your life just explode with fun. And I associate this a lot with the end of the club boom. It feels like one last party before this period of music ultimately ends and we start to transition into more dark sounds that would define the rest of the decade. This is definitely not the last club boom hit of the 2010s - I’d say that goes to “Time Of Our Lives” by Pitbull and Ne-Yo in 2015 - but it’s definitely a last hurrah that is definitely a song to go out with a bang to. What a banger.

8...I’ll just say it, when it comes to hip hop in the early 2010s, this is a classic, yes I’m going that far...

8. Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa f/Bruno Mars - Young, Wild, & Free (YE: #32, PEAK: #7)

The reason this song works is the vibe of nostalgia and carefree that this song gives off. Even when not thinking about the fact that it’s a stoner anthem, it’s just super nostalgic and carefree that it honestly allows the song to resonate with me so much. The piano loop sounds amazing, Bruno’s hook is utter bliss, both Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa trade bars effortlessly, and all three of our artists sound like they are having a fun time here. Yeah, I would’ve rather had the coughing in the final chorus to be left out, but the carefree vibe this song creates just makes this song work so well. Definitely love this song, and very underappreciated, check this out if you haven’t heard it in a while.

7...oh boy, how am I gonna explain this one?

7. One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful (YE: #10, PEAK: #4)

I’ve never been an absolute fan of One Direction, but I have liked a nice chunk of their songs, “What Makes You Beautiful” included, which is one of the boy band’s most hated singles. And yeah, on the surface, this song’s central message is a bit questionable, it could come across as a bit condescending. But the reasons that I love “What Makes You Beautiful” are enough to overshadow it. For starters, this song is less focused on this girl’s insecurities and more on the love and appreciation of the girl, and yeah, it’s cheesy, but definitely not condescending, at least to me. And I really love the instrumental on this song, the tight guitar riff, the synths, the melody, everything about the song’s production really works for me. I really can’t deny that I love this song at all, and it’s super sweet, and definitely a fantastic song.

6...So recall when talking about “Wide Awake”, I said it wasn’t even my favorite song from the era. Well here is not only my favorite song from the era, but probably my favorite song from her ever...

6. Katy Perry - The One That Got Away (YE: #41, PEAK: #3)

Yes, I said it. “The One That Got Away” is Katy’s best song to date. An incredibly melancholic yet catchy as hell production, Katy showing even more vulnerability in this song than she did in “Wide Awake” - and that’s saying something - and those incredibly well-written lyrics. The percussion is really tight, the piano progression gives an excellent melody, and they are a very hidden detail, but the strings that appear in the final chorus just sound really good. Then the lyrics...okay maybe I’m being too generous to them after I watched the music video for this song, but they entail a breakup where Katy wishes she was still with this guy. The storytelling of what Katy and this guy did that summer after high school, it’s a lot of little details that make it work so well. Then Katy herself. In the final chorus especially, she sings with immense vulnerability and emotion, she sounds genuinely fantastic. Definitely a song that has unfairly been forgotten compared to songs like “Firework” and “Roar”, but this is a gem worth revisiting, because this is a damn excellent song.

5...Man, I really miss the days back when these guys made music like this...

5. Imagine Dragons - It’s Time (YE: #91, PEAK: #15)

And here we got one of the artists that greatly benefitted from the indie boom. Although it wasn’t as big at the time, “It’s Time” has honestly aged way better in comparison to Imagine Dragons’ other songs like “Radioactive” and “Believer”. And let me just say, this is one of their best ever songs, probably only beaten by “Demons”. For starters, Dan Reynolds is singing in his most comfortable range for the entire song instead of screaming like in so much of their most recent output. The lyrics are about overcoming any obstacles life throws at you and not changing who you are. And the instrumental is fantastic. The mandolin’s melody line, the subtle keyboard line, the incredibly catchy beat, everything about this song works. Imagine Dragons recently released a new song called “Wrecked”, and I really hope this is an indication that they are going back to this sound, because I think we’d all be better off if so.

4...One of my favorite songs of all time as a kid, it’s one of those songs that I have an immense nostalgic soft spot for...

4. Rihanna - Diamonds (YE: #94, PEAK: #1)

Definitely a song that doesn’t sound like something to come from Rihanna at all, but it’s an enormously welcome change. Sia originally wrote it, and you can definitely tell in this song, even in Rihanna’s delivery honestly. Rihanna is singing in a more vulnerable tone, and god she really shines on this song. In her most comfortable range, she’s allowing herself to express more emotion, she sounds superb on this. Then the instrumental - the 80s-style keyboard, the strings, the simple drum beat, the synthesizers, they are all amazing. And this song is all about being blinded by love, and everything I had just mentioned help create the perfect atmosphere for this song. Possibly the best song Rihanna has ever made, and I’m standing by that assertion firmly.

3...So the first name that comes to mind when I think of the indie boom is fun. While artists like Imagine Dragons were the ones that have actually stuck around, fun. produced some of the biggest hit songs of the entire decade, and all three of their hits are incredible. So let’s highlight one of them right now...

3. fun. f/Janelle Monae - We Are Young (YE: #3, PEAK: #1)

fun. produced some of the best hit songs of the 2010s, and “We Are Young” is no exception at all. While yeah, I do wish Janelle Monae had done more on the song, there are so many aspects of this song that are absolutely ascending in terms of quality that it completely overshadows that. The verses start with a pretty quick-paced drum beat and piano notes, before the song starts to slow down for the pre-chorus - where the song then only has those piano notes - before completely exploding for the chorus. The bass that grows heavy, the guitar, the synths, it just gives such an anthemic vibe to the song. It really makes one feel so much bigger, helped by Nate Ruess’s incredibly potent vocals. It sounds fantastic. And then we get to the outro, where everything fades back to the piano notes. And that piano outro is incredible, and it might seem odd, but that outro is really what makes this song perfect for me.

2...But yet “We Are Young” wasn’t fun.’s best hit song, as they would score another hit this year, that was somehow...better?

2. fun. - Some Nights (YE: #14, PEAK: #3)

If any song from the 2010s were to become a classic, it would be “Some Nights”, the best of fun.’s three big hits, which is saying a lot, considering they have all made a best list of mine! And both “We Are Young” and “Some Nights” are genuinely some of my favorite songs of all time, but “Some Nights” is ever so slightly better. Both songs are heavily influenced by Queen, and Nate Ruess absolutely kills it in his vocal delivery. The frequent vocal layering, the autotune use that actually works in this song’s favor, his thunderingly potent vocals, it’s absolutely fascinating. And the production is phenomenal. The electric guitar, the thundering percussion, the keyboard, everything about this song is absolutely immaculate. It’s an absolute adrenaline rush, it’s incredible how everything in this song just works so well together. Yeah, “Some Nights” is pop perfection, a phenomenal song, and there could only be one song that could possibly be better than this...

1...This might be a bit of an odd pick for #1. But I knew this would snag my #1 spot the very moment I started making this list. As I have said so many times before, nostalgia will always play a huge role in my best lists, and for this to be one of my most nostalgic songs ever, and one that really resonates with me in so many ways, yeah, this is a genuinely perfect song.

1. Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time (YE: #38, PEAK: #8)

Owl City managing to score a second hit three years after “Fireflies” was a hit was certainly something I don’t think anyone would’ve expected. But, in 2012, he dropped “Good Time”, a collaboration with Carly Rae Jepsen who had released “Call Me Maybe” the same year. And, well, “Call Me Maybe” is still quite good honestly, but it’s definitely not indicative of Carly’s true strengths, especially when she would release “Run Away With Me” in 2015 and blow pretty much every critic away. If you want the song that was the first showing of how truly talented Carly Rae Jepsen could be, it would be “Good Time”. She brings in her subtle charisma to the table and has fantastic chemistry with Owl City. It’s an incredibly silly song that both Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen clearly are loving, they are definitely dragging in the listener for this good time! Oh yeah and the production is incredible too. The gummy synths that really ramp up in the pre-chorus, the incredibly solid beat, the keyboard melody, it’s all such complete summer fun and the song is clearly not trying to be serious. It’s the silliest and most upbeat song that really makes even the worst of days so much better. Yeah, “Good Time” by Owl City and Carly Rae Jepsen is the best hit song of 2012, and both of these artists deserve more to be 2-hit wonders. Seriously, if you haven’t done so already, check out “Run Away With Me”, it’s an amazing song - hell I’m actually gonna choose that song for next Friday’s Chill Pick! Still, this is still always a good time 9 years later.

...wow. Maybe I shouldn’t have called 2012 an overrated year, because it delivered immense quality. Anyway that’s the list, I just have one more year to wrap up the decade, and I’ve been saving the one I’ve been looking forward to reviewing the most for last - 2017!! And boy, do I have a lot of great things to say about 2017. Those lists should hopefully come out by the end of the month, but until then, take care.