Twostepcub's Best of 2012: Part Two - #90-#81...

Hey gang, I'm back with part two of the biggest hits on my personal chart this year - you can check out part one here.

#90 - Luke Bryan - "Drunk On You"
          from the album Tailgates & Tanlines (2011)
         Twostepcubchart peak: #19 (two weeks)
         Weeks in the chart: 16

Bryan's second hit on my year-end chart owes a lot of its charm to his alliteration thoughout, with the "boom boom"s and "blue moon"s painting a sweet relaxing night-time picture that goes with the pinings of love in the song.

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 #89 - The Zac Brown Band - "No Hurry"
           from the album You Get What You Give (2010)
           Twostepcubchart peak: #24 (two weeks)
           Weeks in the chart: 17

The fifth single from the best country-jam band in the land, "No Hurry" is exactly what it promises, a laid-back reflective song with no deep thoughts and no regrets. And man is the violin solo a welcome thing.

#88 - Estelle - "Thank You"
          from the album All Of Me (2012)
         Twostepcubchart peak: #30 (two weeks)
         Weeks in the chart: 20

The British soul singer who brought us the flawless "American Boy" had a hard time following that up, but after six stalled singles, Estelle got her groove back with this sad, haunting number that reminds me of Sade in a good way, but maybe more street-level?

#87 - Lee Brice - "Hard To Love"
          from the album Hard 2 Love (2012)
         Twostepcubchart peak: #14 (three weeks)
         Weeks in the chart: 15

One of the hunkiest guys in current country brings the 90s pop/rock element into his world-weary yet hook-laden ode to the woman to sticks around.

#86 - Adele - "Skyfall"
         from the single 
         Twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
         Weeks in the chart: 10

It's always a crapshoot when you enlist the top artist of the year for a movie co-op, but when that particular artist is Adele, and she writes the song with her 21 collaborator Paul Epworth, then you've got a safe bet. This rivals the best Bond theme of all (I still rank "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Goldfinger" above it), but I can't think how this particular performance or song could be any better, and to boot it's probably the most "British" of the Bond themes...only quibble, why couldn't you all work to get this on the soundtrack?

#85 - Keith Urban - "For You"
          from the album Act Of Valor: The Album (Soundtrack) (2012)
          Twostepcubchart peak: #30 (three weeks)
          Weeks in the chart: 17

The second movie song on my list, this one's from a movie/military recuitment film that as much as I have no desire to see, it provided the best country soundtrack of the year. Urban's "For You" is more soft-rock than country but wins because it's honest and heroic without being chest-thumpingly jingoistic.

#84 - Carrie Underwood - "Blown Away"
          from the album Blown Away (2012)
          Twostepcubchart peak: #15 (three weeks)
          Weeks in the chart: 15

The American Idol winner tackled the tough subject of child abuse with this barn-burner that was her first pop crossover that didn't seem like a re-write of "Before He Cheats". There was a big uproar from fans when this song was kept from going to #1 on Billboard's "Country Songs" chart when a change in rules leapfrogged Taylor Swift's pop song "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" to the top, but ironically this is not much "more" country with its (still-good) guitar-laden thrust.

#83 - The Band Perry - "All Your Life"
          from the album The Band Perry (2010)
          Twostepcubchart peak: #8 (six weeks)
          Weeks in the chart (in 2012): 11

I truly think the sibling trio have taken over the niche of country music previously relinquished by the Dixie Chicks when they went on hiatus, and this easygoing midtempo hit by the group was a nice refreshing break from their more emotional "If I Die Young", which dominated both country and pop radio last year.

#82 - Toby Keith - "Beers Ago"
          from the album Clancy's Tavern (2011)
          Twostepcubchart peak: #11 (one week)
          Weeks in the chart: 15

Toby Keith has become more of a franchise than an artist, with a revolving door of odes to beer, girls, and America, and this is one of those interchangable tracks of his, but at least it was good at what it was, and at least a little more on the subtle humor side.

#81 - Dierks Bentley - "5-1-5-0"
          from the album Home (2011)
          Twostepcubchart peak: #6 (two weeks)
          Weeks in the chart: 13

Dierks (still an awesome name) takes a hint from Van Halen with his most fun song since "What Was I Thinkin'". Great background guitar work in this.

Well that's a wrap on part two...I'll be back tomorrow with another ten, including a hopefully returning quiet storm superstar, and the coolest or most annoying song this year, depending on who you ask.