70. “Free” – Haley Reinhart
Sublime pop, spiked with an unusual maturity about breakups.
69. “Partition” – Beyoncé
All of your burning questions — like “What happens to a beat when Beyoncé sneezes on it?” — finally answered.
68. “I Want the World to Stop” – Belle & Sebastian
Maelstrom of indie pop, powered by evocative lyrics.
67. “Tell ‘Em” – Sleigh Bells
Blistering opening salvo from my favorite album of the last five years.
66. “Settle Down” – Kimbra
I, too, want to raise a child and call her Nebraska. I think that would be the coolest thing.
65. “Bangarang” – Skrillex featuring Sirah
The dubstep juggernaut with nostalgic affection for the movie Hook that I never could have guessed I needed.
64. “Berzerk” – Eminem
Shady back at the top of his game, with challenging rhythms and a sense of humor to leaven the egotism.
63. “She Looks So Perfect” – 5 Seconds of Summer
I missed the 1D train completely, and then this song came out of nowhere to put the boy band ethos back on my radar.
62. “If I Die Young” – The Band Perry
Achingly beautiful, modest country song, the best I’ve heard in quite a while.
61. “Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars
John Paul White and Joy Williams’ vigorously harmonized folk fatalism.