Calvin Harris
“I Need Your Love” – Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding
“Any time two amazing artists collaborate, it’s sure to be pure bliss. This is exactly what happened when Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding came together to produce ‘I Need Your Love.’ This song starts out with Ellie’s beautiful voice and lyrics, and Calvin Harris comes in and throws down a beat that makes you go crazy. I’ve never had so much fun dancing to a song with lyrics that actually meant something to me. The combination is an instant hit and for that, it is one of my favorite songs of 2012.” – Monica
“I Will Wait”- Mumford and Sons
“’I Will Wait’ is one of my favorite songs off of Mumford and Sons’ new album Babel. Though Marcus Mumford (lead vocalist) sounds incredible no matter what he sings, ‘I Will Wait’ really moved me. The lyrics are simple, yet wonderful. It’s a song about waiting for the one you love.” – Atisha
“King For A Day”- Pierce The Veil feat. Kellin Quinn
“This song reminds me of summer. The numerous times I caught PTV’s set at Warped and the few times Kellin came out for it were great. I’m still bitter I missed their fall tour to see this song performed live
at the Electric Factory, but that’s another story for another day. This song brought together two powerhouses in the ‘alternative-rock-punk’ genre, and I definitely think that’s why it was such a huge success.” – Sam
“I Am A Child” – Dieter Schaaf.
“Another hip-hop tune that’s slightly different; here, Schaaf released a mixtape which erred on the side of personal rather than ostentatious, intimate rather than isolating. ‘I Am A Child’ is a different kind of hip-hop; one more about nostalgic reminiscing than ‘look at my Rolls and Rolexes and hos’. I like it. A lot.” – Nate G.
“We Are Young” – fun.
“’We Are Young’ by fun. is basically THE teenager anthem. It’s a total sing-a-long song that you can just belt out without being judged. It was number one on multiple charts for a while, and it might be considered ‘old’ and ‘over-played’ now, but when it comes on now you can’t help but sing along anyway!” – Jenna
“Mercy” – GOOD Music
“‘Mercy’ is the best song of 2012 because it took the hip-hop world by absolute storm. ‘Mercy’ is the highlight of Cruel Summer, which is saying something, considering the talent on that album. Whether it was the creepy screaming in the beginning, Big Sean’s ability to put ‘ass’ in every line possible, the mixed up beat during Kanye’s verse, or 2 Chainz stealing the spotlight, the song had something for everybody. It’s impossible to turn on the radio, go to a club, or go to a party without hearing ‘Mercy’, and the song is guaranteed to make the crowd go wild. RL Grime and Salva’s remix of ‘Mercy’ transformed it into a trap anthem that can be heard in almost any DJ set anywhere. After dominating 2011 with ‘Ni**as in Paris’, Kanye found a way to take over 2012 with ‘Mercy’.” – Mikal
“Super Rich Kids” – Frank Ocean feat. Earl Sweatshirt
“When Frank Ocean released Channel Orange we all knew it was going to be great. When we finally heard it though, we realized it was incredible. ‘Super Rich Kids’ is all about the struggles of today’s kids. Earl Sweatshirt has an great verse to bring the track together.” – Mike R.
“Breezeblocks” – Alt J
“If Sigur Ros and Arcade Fire had babies, this is what they would sound like. The raw guitar riffs with an electronic atmosphere makes this song a must listen from 2012.” – Karanjit
“Lonely Gun” – Minus The Bear
“I love this song because it’s a testament to Minus The Bear’s ability to branch out and renew their musical stylings. It still the supreme musical composition and amazing production that the group is known for, but it’s a more driven sound. It strays away from their usual indie semi-trippy styling’s and moves towards the rock genre, an interesting direction for such an outside the box band.” – Topher
“Two Year Plan” – Such Gold
“Such Gold have been a growing band with each release they have put out. They were finally able to come out with a debut full length, Misadventures, that has both pop punk and hardcore influences combined into one fierce album. The track that hits me the most is ‘Two Year Plan’ (which is the first one of the record), because it has a guitar riff that rings throughout the song with feisty lyrics and drumming. Towards the end, a somewhat impressive solo closes the song out. This song is an all around jam that will not disappoint as well as the whole record itself.” – Ryan