Twostepcub's Best of 2012: Part Ten - the Top Ten of 2012...

Hey gang, thanks for dropping by, and as it's the final day of 2012, it's the final part of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly personal chart this year. You can check out the rest of the Top-100 for 2012 by clicking here....

#10 - The Lumineers - "Ho Hey"
          from the album The Lumineers (2012)
          Twostepcubchart peak: #3 (three weeks)
          Weeks on the chart: 29

Mumford & Sons made folk-rock viable on mainstream radio last year, but it took the Denver trio to have the first big folk hit on pop radio without compromising any musical intregrity. Having exposure through soundtracking Microsoft ads didn't hurt, though.

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#9 - Maroon 5 f/Wiz Khalifa - "Payphone"
        from the album Overexposed (2012)
        Twostepcubchart peak: #2 (ten weeks)
        Weeks on the chart: 26

Adam Levine got A-list status out of his stint as judge/mentor on The Voice, and he brought his bandmates to the party with this classic pop nugget that still dares to throw an F-word in the chorus. My mom even likes this song. And dayum if he isn't hot in this video.

#8 - Jason Mraz - "I Won't Give Up"
        from the album Love Is A Four-Letter Word (2012)
       Twostepcubchart peak: #1 (two weeks)
       Weeks on the chart: 29

If there was a song this year that had me ending up in tears, it's this one. Jason puts through his most real and emotional lyrics ever with this tender love ballad to the one he needs to let go to see if they come back. Inspired by his relationship with Tristan Prettyman, he connects with anyone dealing with the struggle to figure out themselves and who they love. Flawless.

#7 - fun. - "Some Nights"
       from the album Some Nights (2012)
       Twostepcubchart peak: #1 (five weeks)
       Weeks on the chart: 26

New York indie-rock trio fun. became the music world's darlings with their sophomore album, and the title track is a giant anthem with Queen-style harmonies over a booming beat that's part African rhythm and part marching band. Also the best use of Auto-tune this year. Consider this the hipster battle-cry...

#6 - Neon Trees - "Everybody Talks"
        from the album Picture Show (2012)
        Twostepcubchart peak: #2 (one week)
        Weeks on the chart: 30

Power-pop came back in a big way this year, and this rocking song that sounds timeless and fresh at the same time. Lead singer Tyler Glenn is the second coming of Billy Idol here.

#5 - fun. featuring Jonelle Monae - "We Are Young"
       from the album Some Nights (2012)
       Twostepcubchart peak: #2 (three weeks)
       Weeks on the chart: 29

The only act with two songs in my top-10 for the year (or the top-20, for that matter), fun exploded on to the pop scene with this song that defined itself by not being like anything else on the radio. Dreamlike, regal, and gruff at the same time, "We Are Young" deserved all the accolades it's received.

#4 - Of Monsters And Men - "Little Talks"
        from the album My Head Is An Animal (2012)
        Twostepcubchart peak: #4 (three weeks)
        Weeks on the chart: 35

But when it comes to my personal favorite rock group breakthrough of the year, it's by Icelandic jangle-pop heroes Of Monsters And Men, who hail from a small southwestern town in the country, who became the biggest thing since Bjork with this awesomely fun romp in the tundra that I never tire of still now that it had crossed over from Triple-A to Modern Rock to Mainstream Rock to Adult pop to Mainstream Pop radio...

#3 - David Guetta featuring Sia - "Titanium"
        from the album Nothing But The Beat (2011)
       Twostepcubchart peak: #8 (two weeks)
        Weeks on the chart: 44

Any disparaging remarks about the sameness or simplicity of David Guetta's music can be dispelled in 3 minutes by this, the climax of his Nothing But The Beat album. It wouldn't have been as good with either Mary J. Blige or Katy Perry on vocals, so I was ecstatic that songwriter Sia Furler's dramatic take was kept on the record. It's the best soundtrack to all the It Gets Better videos out there.

#2 - Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe"
        from the album Kiss (2012)
        Twostepcubchart peak: #1 (ten weeks)
        Weeks on the chart: 28

If "Titanium" was the serious floor-filler of the year, this little ditty from the Canadian Idol non-winner is the delightfully polar opposite. There's a reason this was as huge as is was, its monolithic power-chords stick in your head like nobody's business, and the totally teen-relatable lyrics from this 27-year-old proved that you can be simple but not toss-off. If this was the only thing she'd be known for, she can still be hugely proud.

#1 - Gotye featuring Kimbra - "Somebody That I Used To Know"
        from the album Making Mirrors (2011)
        Twostepcubchart peak: #1 (eleven weeks)
       Weeks on the chart: 36

The only thing biggest that the viral video success of "Call Me Maybe" was the viral video of "Somebody That I Used To Know". While the former inspired a truckload of "lipdub" videos, Gotye's best Peter Gabriel impersonation of lost love had brought forth a legion of cover versions, some as good as the original (ahem, Walk On The Earth) while all the while proving how irrelevant broadcast radio has made itself. They wouldn't have touched this record if it wasn't for the huge groundswell of support from people passing around the "couple getting painted while singing" video. Now if only people can look deeper into his excellent Making Mirrors album to continue the Belgian-born Australian's success (Kiwi Kimbra's album is a winner as well)..

Well that covers the top-100 of the year. In the upcoming week I'll recap some hidden treasures that were some favorites that should have been big hits (or may still be). Until then, I want to thank you for checking out my little corner of the internets, and I wish you a very happy and healthy New Year. Cheers!