Hits the right note
local hero bulldozing the box he was in. Written with underground team Damn Moroda, they turn out a pocket-size epic as powerful as Silverchair in full flight.
7.
– Adele She had you at Hello. Hello could have been released 30 years ago or in 30 years, timeless is timeless for a reason. Respect for the entire marketing campaign being based on music and making a new album an event again. And you just know this is the song you’re going to hear on every reality music show on TV next year, all done in an inferior manner because Adele. 8. – Florence & the Machine
Flo jangled like the Church or the Go-Betweens in the ’80s. She doesn’t always collide with big pop melodies, but on moments like this she’s unstoppable. 9. – Justin Bieber
Redemption story of the year. Bieber got roasted, got his dong out, said sorry repeatedly (even in song) and most importantly, came up with killer songs that got more attention for his talent than his douchery. What Do You Mean is so simple it’s one of those songs that does so much with so little, including making the pan pipe cool. Not even Enya managed that. 10. – Delta Goodrem
Dancefloor Delta! Wings finds the sweet spot between Calvin Harris and Stevie Nicks, but those sky-high euphoric vocals and classical piano flourishes were pure Delta. Even commercial radio remembered she’s one of our most successful pop artists for good reason. This will either start or close Delta concerts for years to come, it’s that kind of tune. 11. – Years & Years
Some songs are so good they transcend being flogged to death on an ad. Years & Years is an ’80s inspired synth gem that we didn’t get on the last La Roux album.
12. – Disclosure ft. Lorde
This is the best thing that both did this year. Luckily for Lorde, she didn’t make her crucial follow up album this year though. Our first real taste of Lorde working without Joel Little, she proved just how dominant she is. Some Disclosure vocalists get lost in the mix, she made this song her own.