twostepcubchart's Best of 2013: Part Eight - #30-#21...

We're getting closer to the top of my 2013 recap of the biggest songs to make my personal chart. You can check out the rest of the recap so far by clicking here...

#30 - Maroon 5 - "Love Somebody"
from the album Overexposed (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #9 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 25

People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" and his bandmates doused themselves in paint for their fourth straight top-ten hit on my chart from their fourth album. No one complained.


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 #29 - Bruno Mars - "When I Was Your Man"
from the album Unorthodox Jukebox (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #4 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 23

Like Rihanna's "Stay", this ballad was clearly inspired by the success of Adele's "Someone Like You", with nothing but a Bruno at his piano, but luckily he can carry it off handily, with longing for what was but not too much to sound desperate.

#28 - Bruno Mars - "Locked Out Of Heaven"
from the album Unorthodox Jukebox (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #1 (four weeks)
weeks on the chart: 20 (in 2013)

The third of Bruno's songs on my 2013 recap was the #1 song of the first week of the year, and the Sting-emulating was close to making the bottom end of the top-100 last year. The opening shot of a refreshingly diverse sophomore effort from the singer/songwriter.

#27 - Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX - "I Love It"
from the album This Is...Icona Pop (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #5 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 32

The Swedish electro-pop duo first conquered Europe, then the US, then Britain with this shout-along clubfiller. At Prides everywhere, this was the song getting people up, not "Blurred Lines" or "Get Lucky". (BTW Charli XCX is a "featured" artist only in the fact that she wrote the song).

#26 - Muse - "Madness"
from the album The 2nd Law (2012)
twostepcubchart peak in 2013: #2 (one week)
weeks on the chart: 22 (in 2013)

This song made #42 on my 2012 year-end list, when it hit #1 on my list, but this sleeper hit really had legs, and really stands out as one of the best modern rock hits of this millenium, period.

#25 - Miguel - "Adorn"
from the album Kaleidoscope Dream (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #5 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 33 (in 2013)

The final one of the six songs here that appeared on the top 100 of 2012, Miguel's "Adorn" seemed destined to never let go the #1 spot on the R&B airplay charts, and stayed in the top-5 for over half this year. Of course in 2013 he was more recognized for jumping onto two women at the Billboard Music Awards than any other thing he's done.

#24 - The Lumineers - "Stubborn Love"
from the album The Lumineers (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #10 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 24 (in 2013)

The second entry from the folk-rock trio on my list, with one of the lines of the year "the opposite of love is the need for it". As always with their debut, great use of space and silence in the song.

#23 - Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch - "Sweet Nothing"
from the album 18 Months (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
weeks on the chart: 22 (in 2013)

One of eight songs from Harris' album to make my chart, this one by far had the strongest vocal performance from the de facto leader of Florence + The Machine, while she channeled Annie Lennox in her androgynous take in the video.

#22 - Emeli Sande' - "Next To Me"
from the album Our Version Of Events (2012)
twostepcubchart peak: #1 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 23 (in 2013)

The "big pop moment" of the biggest-selling album in the UK (well, unless Robbie Williams topples her at the last moment), "Next To Me" brought the acclaimed Scottish singer to American shores, the year after most saw her first when she performed at the London Olympics.

#21 - Avicii - "Wake Me Up!"
from the album True (2013)
twostepcubchart peak: #1 (two weeks)
weeks on the chart: 22 (in 2013)

The Swedish DJ and producer (also showing up at #90) overcame the same-same that infected EDM (electronic dance music) this year by offering a fusion of dance and folk/country, and this anthem featuring vocals from fave Aloe Blacc was the first shot across the bow of club music. I do have to say the product placement of a music video is simply horrid.

that's all for today's part of the recap...tomorrow we'll enter the top-20 with an idol, a troublemaker, and the most fun of bargain buyers.