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Aren't you glad 2014 kicked things off with an awesome movie like The Lego Movie. In the film, this song was used to keep everyone in line, but when it sounds this fun, you can appreciate totalitarianism. (Judging from all the positivity heard in pop music last year, maybe this song was trying to warn us that we are being subliminally pacified through our mass media.)
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And then we were forced to listen to this song for a month as we geared up for the Oscars. Another upbeat piece, but this time, we're encouraged to break away from the confines of society. Mixed messages much? (And the background music for this song keeps giving me déjà vu for some reason. Have we heard it before somewhere?)
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Speaking of mandatory fun, that was the theme of Weird Al's latest album. While I don't feel it was his strongest offering, I did love this grammar stickler song. Not only was it clever and funny, but it also allowed us to appreciate the melody of "Blurred Lines" without ever having to listen to that song again.
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With this song and "Come with Me Now," I'm happy that Kongos was finally discovered (were finally discovered?). Finally, someone has captured the hardcore intensity of joking with someone.
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This is one of those songs that I enjoy just because of how it sounds. It reminds me of an instrumental piece that I'll share later this year, but it's something about that unnerving beat that makes you feel like you're living inside a video game that draws me to this song.
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I just like that popular music is continuing to break down gender barriers. Also, it was always welcome to listen to after whatever my latest relationship drama was.
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This! It kept reminding me of the Flight of the Conchords theme song every time it came on, which drew me in. Then it hit me with it's lyrics. Big dances are the best and worst thing in life. So when the next big dance of my life was coming up, I listened to this song to calm my nerves. We don't need to talk about it.
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Remember how U2 just gave everyone a free new album? It just showed up one day like a present from Santa (or it appeared like a cold sore if you aren't a fan of U2). I was in the former category. However, this was the only song I found myself coming back to with any regularity. It just sounded so different from their usual sound and I appreciated the experiment.
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As with "Girls Chase Boys," we have another popular alternative love song. Here we focus on the conflict between rigid beliefs and natural feelings. For all the current problems in the world, at least we still get works of art like this out to a wide audience.
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Colbie Caillat is pretty hit or miss with me. Fortunately, she hit with this one. Like Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" before it, we have another positive self image anthem. It may be cliche in all the wrong ways, and the message may get muddled at times, it's the thought that counts. And I appreciate that.
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Is it sad that one of the best songs of the year was just a minute and a half South Park parody? Those creators have always been musical geniuses, and this centerpiece of the best episode of the season stuck with me. Although the conceit is that Lorde is actually Stan's father using autotune, Sia provided her voice for this inspirational song that encourages people to be themselves and fight through the struggles of sitting in a bathroom stall. Help me unload the car.
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While all of the Smash Mouth mashups on Mouth Sounds were fantastic, Neil Cicierega really showed is mashup skills on Mouth Silence. I was so impressed that he could use music (and music only) in a comedic fashion. Every song was great, but this one was "Best."
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I kind of had to fudge my rules a bit to get this on the 2014 mix. Yes, it charted in 2013, but it was so omnipresent last year. And it was a perfect way to cap the Year of Positivity when, especially that one day towards the end of the year when I was literally on top of the world.
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