twostepcubchart's Best of 2013: Part Six - #50-#41...

We're crossing the halfway point of my rundown of the 100 biggest songs on my personal chart in 2013. You can check out the previous recaps by clicking here...

#50 - The Band Perry - "DONE."
from the album Pioneer (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #4 (three weeks)
weeks on the chart: 18

The first of the Band Perry's two songs on my recap is an awesome kiss-off from the trio to her about to be dumped lover. Kimberly definitely showed a different and feisty side with this record, and it a great counterpoint to the song coming up soon.

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#49 - Lana Del Rey vs. Cedric Gervais - "Summertime Sadness"
from the single (2013)
original version from the album Born To Die (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #5 (one week)
weeks on the chart: 22

Until this year, Lana was a media curiosity of a pop singer who, like Katy Perry, transformed her image to emerge a different type of artist, though Del Rey's work was more appreciated overseas than in America. That changed with the remix of her dirgeful album track from her Born To Die set that was the weirdest combo of depression and elation that somehow caught the clubs on fire, and crossed over to give her a bona fide pop hit.

#48 - Atlas Genius - "Trojans"
from the album When It Was Now (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #14 (three weeks)
weeks on the chart: 20 (in 2013)

Australians had a great year in rock music, and this alternative rock hit about condoms and young lust got them their big break at the beginning of the year.

#47 - Lady Gaga - "Applause"
from the album ARTPOP (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #5 (three weeks)
weeks on the chart: 17 (so far in 2013)

This was definitely the year for Gaga-bashing, and although she didn't help her cause at times, she at least rose over the cacaphony of pop tarts to attempt to offer something different, and tied it together with this anthemic ode to her fans that lingered in the top-10 on the pop chart for months without reaching #1.

#46 - The Band Perry - "Better Dig Two"
from the album Pioneer (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #2 (one week)
weeks on the chart: 17

It's only fitting that the highest-placed country song on my year-end chart would be from the group that took a risk with their second album, releasing a sparse, bluegrass-tinged march of a song as the lead-off single to the set. Forgoing any mention of trucks, boys, dirt roads, or the effing "C" word ("Country"), the family band had the most powerful mainstream country single of the year by far.

#45 - Ed Sheeran - "Lego House"
from the album + (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #2 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 18 (in 2013)

British singer/songwriter Sheeran (who was #16 on last year's list with "The A Team") followed that track up in America with this ultra-sweet song that had a hilarious video featuring look-alike Rupert Grint from the Harry Potter movies...

#44 - Bastille - "Pompeii"
from the album Bad Blood (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #1 (three weeks so far in 2013)
weeks on the chart: 25 (so far in 2013)

The band formed by modern rock musician Dan Smith met a better fate than the city the song is named after, originally appearing on my chart in the spring as it was a hit in his native Britain, then finally making big waves in America at the end of the year, being the last #1 on my chart in 2013...

#43 - Mumford & Sons - "Lover Of The Light"
from the album Babel (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #5 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 19

The British folk-rock heroes released the spiritual climax of their Babel album as the second single. Absolutely beautiful, and worthy of the cathartic video featuring actor Idris Elba....

#42 - Anna Kendrick - "Cups (When I'm Gone)"
from the album More From Pitch Perfect (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #7 (one week)
weeks on the chart: 24

I was one of those who discovered the awesomeness of Pitch Perfect when it came out on DVD, and Anna's reworking of a YouTube meme cover of an old folk song wouldn't let go of the American consciousness, prompting a radio-friendly remix to lengthen and strengthen the original just-over-a-minute film version...

#41 - OneRepublic - "Counting Stars"
from the album Native (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #4 (four weeks)
weeks on the chart: 23 (so far in 2013)

The Denver pop/rock group was within striking distance of last year's list with the first single from their third album Native, "Feel Again". They made up for it in droves with their biggest hit in quite awhile, reaching #1 around the world and reaching in the top-10 in America..

I'll return on Thursday with ten more, including a band who got famous for covering the biggest song of last year, EDM's biggest stars' swan song, two hits from a colorful singer, and more...