2013

The Top 150 Hits of… 2013

Let’s Talk About “Harlem Shake.”

According to Billboard, “Harlem Shake” was the #4 song of the year, primarily on the strength of its Youtube views. I have a problem with this.

Streaming data from a number of online sites and services was added to the Hot 100 the week of Mar. 2, 2013. Now there were 3 ways a song could accumulate points, from airplay, sales, and streaming. Since streaming is essentially an on-demand radio service, its inclusion makes sense. “Harlem Shake” exploded on Youtube that very week. Sort of. If you don’t know what a Harlem Shake video is, go to Youtube and do a search, it’s a little hard to explain. There were thousands upon thousands of them, many of them getting millions of hits, and all of those hits added to the song’s streaming points. It was #1 for five weeks. Its point total on the scale I use puts it about 300 points further down the year-end list from where Billboard puts it, so during those 5 weeks at #1, it’s weekly point total must have been astronomically higher than that of every other song. The problem I have is that all of those Youtube views have little to do with anyone wanting to hear the song and everything to do with the crazy videos, which only use the first 30 seconds of the song. However, the sales points of the complete song, in its first week, would have put it at #15 in the March 2 issue. Clearly it belongs here somewhere. If the year-end list read “(The first 30 seconds of) Harlem Shake,” I wouldn’t have as much of an issue with it being #4. But since we’re talking about the whole song, I put it where its point total indicated it should be at #40. Although I’ve yet to meet anyone other than myself who likes listening to all 3½ minutes.

I’m a little unsure about the placement of #’s 1 & 2. “Blurred Lines” was #1 for 12 weeks and was on the chart a total of 48 weeks. You wouldn’t think any other song would have a chance at #1, until you learn that “Radioactive” set a record for most weeks on the chart at 87! That’s a difference of 39 weeks between the two songs. The latter also got 89 more points on my scale. But how far ahead was the former during those 12 weeks at #1, enough to bridge the gaps in points and time? Maybe, maybe not, so if you feel the need to switch the top 2 for yourself, feel free.

1. Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke feat. T.I. + Pharrell
2. Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
3. Royals – Lorde
4. Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz
5. Wake Me Up – Avicii
6. Locked Out of Heaven – Bruno Mars
7. Ho Hey – The Lumineers
8. Roar – Katy Perry
9. Can’t Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton
10. Mirrors – Justin Timberlake
11. Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
12. Just Give Me a Reason – Pink feat. Nate Ruess
13. When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
14. I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
15. Diamonds – Rihanna
16. Stay – Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko
17. Get Lucky – Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams
18. Home – Phillip Phillips
19. Sail – AWOLNATION
20. Hold On, We’re Going Home – Drake
21. Holy Grail – Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
22. We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus
23. Cruise – Florida Georgia Line feat. Nelly
24. Safe and Sound – Capital Cities
25. Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake feat. Jay-Z
26. Cups (Pitch Perfect’s When I’m Gone) – Anna Kendrick
27. Scream & Shout – will.i.am feat. Britney Spears
28. Die Young – Ke$ha
29. Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia feat. John Martin
30. Applause – Lady Gaga
31. It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
32. Clarity – Zedd feat. Foxes
33. I Love It – Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX
34. Treasure – Bruno Mars
35. Beauty and a Beat – Justin Bieber feat. Nicki Minaj
36. The Way – Ariana Grande feat. Mac Miller
37. Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys feat. Nicki Minaj
38. Started from the Bottom – Drake feat. Majid Jordan
39. Come & Get It – Selena Gomez
40. Harlem Shake – Baauer
41. I Will Wait – Mumford & Sons
42. I Cry – Flo Rida
43. Daylight – Maroon 5
44. Feel This Moment – Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera
45. Summertime Sadness – Lana del Rey & Cedric Gervais
46. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
47. Adorn – Miguel
48. Love Me – Lil Wayne feat. Drake & Future
49. F***in Problems – A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chains & Kendrick Lamar
50. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) – Fall Out Boy
51. Same Love – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert
52. Sweet Nothing – Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch
53. Power Trip – J. Cole feat. Miguel
54. Try – Pink
55. The A Team – Ed Sheeran
56. Heart Attack – Demi Lovato
57. Love Somebody – Maroon 5
58. Swimming Pools (Drank) – Kendrick Lamar
59. Wagon Wheel – Darius Rucker
60. I Need Your Love – Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding
61. Berzerk – Eminem
62. Bad – Wale feat. Tiara Thomas or Rihanna
63. Boys ‘Round Here – Blake Shelton feat. Pistol Annies & Friends
64. Gone, Gone, Gone – Phillip Phillips
65. That’s My Kind of Night – Luke Bryan
66. Love More – Chris Brown feat. Nicki Minaj
67. Catch My Breath – Kelly Clarkson
68. The Other Side – Jason Derulo
69. Hall of Fame – The Script feat. will.i.am
70. Gas Pedal – Sage the Gemini feat. Iamsu!
71. The Fox – Ylvis
72. Crash My Party – Luke Bryan
73. 22 – Taylor Swift
74. Best Song Ever – One Direction
75. Pour It Up – Rihanna
76. I Want Crazy – Hunter Hayes
77. Carry On – fun.
78. Highway Don’t Care – Tim McGraw with Taylor Swift
79. Body Party – Ciara
80. Still Into You – Paramore
81. Sure Be Cool If You Did – Blake Shelton
82. #Beautiful – Mariah Carey feat. Miguel
83. It Goes Like This – Thomas Rhett
84. Troublemaker – Olly Murs
85. U.O.E.N.O. – Rocko feat. Future & Rick Ross
86. Better Dig Two – The Band Perry
87. Don’t Stop the Party – Pitbull feat. TJR
88. Bandz a Make Her Dance – Juicy J feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chains
89. Crooked Smile – J. Cole feat. TLC
90. Round Here – Florida Georgia Line
91. Madness – Muse
92. Runnin’ Outta Moonlight – Randy Houser
93. I’m Different – 2 Chains
94. Next to Me – Emeli Sande
95. Mama’s Broken Heart – Miranda Lambert
96. Bugatti – Ace Hood feat. Future & Rick Ross
97. Downtown – Lady Antebellum
98. Get Your Shine On – Florida Georgia Line
99. Poetic Justice – Kendrick Lamar feat. Drake
100. Slow Down – Selena Gomez
101. #Thatpower – will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber
102. Redneck Crazy – Tyler Farr
103. Night Train – Jason Aldean
104. No Worries – Lil Wayne feat. Detail
105. Rich as F**K – Lil Wayne feat. 2 Chains
106. Va Va Voom – Nicki Minaj
107. Mine Would Be You – Blake Shelton
108. Everything Has Changed – Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran
109. Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain) – Gary Allan
110. Don’t Ya – Brett Eldredge
111. Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe – Kendrick Lamar
112. Beware – Big Sean feat. Lil Wayne & Jhene Aiko
113. We Were Us – Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert
114. Alive – Krewella
115. Red – Taylor Swift
116. All Gold Everything – Trinidad James
117. Hey Girl – Billy Currington
118. DONE. – The Band Perry
119. See You Again – Carrie Underwood
120. Little Bit of Everything – Keith Urban
121. Here’s to Never Growing Up – Avril Lavigne
122. Two Black Cadillacs – Carrie Underwood
123. Southern Girl – Tim McGraw
124. Gorilla – Bruno Mars
125. No New Friends (SFTB remix) – DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
126. Somebody's Heartbreak – Hunter Hayes
127. Gentleman – Psy
128. Red Nose – Sage the Gemini
129. One of Those Nights – Tim McGraw
130. Tapout – Rich Gang feat. Lil Wayne, Birdman, Future, Mack Maine, Nicki Minaj
131. Replay – Zendaya
132. The Only Way I Know – Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan & Eric Church
133. Tom Ford – Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake
134. Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding
135. I Luv This Sh*t – August Alsina feat. Trinidad James
136. Type of Way – Rich Homie Quan
137. Tornado – Little Big Town
138. Aw Naw – Chris Young
139. C’mon – Ke$ha
140. Headband – B.o.B. feat. 2 Chains
141. Wicked Games – The Weeknd
142. TKO – Justin Timberlake
143. How Country Feels – Randy Houser
144. Little Things – One Direction
145. Sunny and 75 – Joe Nichols
146. Goodbye in Her Eyes – Zac Brown Band
147. All Over the Road – Easton Corbin
148. I Drive Your Truck – Lee Brice
149. Beat This Summer – Brad Paisley
150. Young and Beautiful – Lana Del Rey