Top Songs of 2012

The Godfather of Soul lends a helping hand to two of hip-hop's main players on 'Gotta Have It.' Over interspersed snippets of James Brown's vocals (from 'My Thang,' 'Don’t Tell a Lie About Me and I Won’t Tell the Truth About You,' and 'People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul'), Kanye West and Jay-Z trade verses alongside a menacing, complex beat. The music is filled with hand claps, grinding kazoo-like sounds, and a looping Eastern melody as Yeezy spits, “'Ello, 'ello, 'ello, hello white America, assassinate my character / Money matrimony, yeah they tryna break the marriage up.”

Coldplay and Rihanna deliver an epic track with 'Princess of China,' which incorporates heavy synth, hip-hop with rock inspired sounds, and a Sigur Ros sample. Both Chris Martin and Rihanna take turns crooning in hair-raising falsetto tones about a romance gone awry. The chorus has a lot of pop sensibility, while the verses and hook carry a weightier tone — at points, it sounds like an entire orchestra is performing rather than just four guys from the United Kingdom.

For her lead single off of 'Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded,' the Harajuku Barbie strays from her hip-hop roots with the house-inspired track 'Starships,' which is one our Top Songs of 2012 thus far. The dancey, Europop track is one of Minaj's favorite from her second studio LP, and has already dominated airwaves across the world thanks to its upbeat, frothy lyrics (“I'm on the floor, floor / I love to dance / So give me more, more, 'till I can't stand“), wild post-chorus breakdown, and emphatic reggae-rap tone that Minaj implements throughout the verses.

Unlike her first 'Unbroken' single 'Skyscraper,' which is a slower emotive ballad about finding inner strength, Demi Lovato's second single 'Give Your Heart a Break' is a more uptempo dance-pop tune about letting love in. The track starts with a classically-influenced string section before the pounding drums kick in to add a punchy layer to the beat. On 'Give Your Heart a Break,' Lovato shows off her amazing pipes and even more astounding vocal range. 'Give Your Heart a Break' is the perfect example of how Lovato is growing as an artist, making it No. 7 on our Top Songs of 2012 list.

Madonna is back and ready to conquer as the queen of pop with her 2012 album 'MDNA' and its intoxicating second single 'Girl Gone Wild.' This pulsating, building dance floor anthem was produced by Benny Benassi and boasts a heavy electropop sound that makes you wanna cut loose in the club. Reminiscent of past Madge hits like 'Hung Up,' 'Girl Gone Wild' is an undeniably catchy and groove-inducing tune, with Madge speak-singing the infectious opening verse, “It's so hypnotic / The way he pulls on me / It's like the force of gravity / Right up under my feet,” before the sing-along chorus.

This is Katy Perry's angriest song to date. In this kiss-off anthem — part of her special edition of ‘Teenage Dream' — Perry trades in her lighthearted lyrical fare for some shots towards her soon-to-be-ex-husband Russell Brand: “So you can keep the diamond ring / It don’t mean nothing anyway / In fact you can keep everything / Except for me..” Damn girl! With a synth-driven bass beat, this track has us dancing along to her self-empowering message, which was clearly reworked since demos first leaked two years ago.

Chris Brown is bringing his fans to the dancefloor with his new single 'Turn Up the Music.' Sitting at No. 4 on our Top Songs of 2012 list, this club banger features whirring, vibrating synth and pulsating drums. During the hook of “woah's,” after Breezy urges all of the sexy people to put their hands in the air, the percussion takes on a heavier, almost tribal feel as urgent siren-esque blips find their way into the music. While it might not be the most original song, it is definitely one that will have you hitting the dancefloor and getting pumped to party it up.

Coming in at No. 3 on our Top Songs of 2012 recap (so far) is Kelly Clarkson with her upbeat and inspiring single 'Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You).' It's clear that Clarkson wants all of her fans to feel empowered: Her vocals feel like a rush of adrenaline on this post-breakup song as she sings, “What doesn't kill you makes you stronger / stand a little taller / Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone.” Like 'Since U Been Gone,' this track is a liberating anthem for anybody who comes out of a breakup with a tougher skin.

Justin is all grown up on his 2012 track 'Boyfriend,' which is definitely one of Bieber's best songs to date. With a clear Justin Timberlake influence (this song sounds like it could've been considered as a potential 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' track), the Biebs gets his “swaggie” on with a whispery rap intro before heading into the falsetto range on the incredibly catchy, R&B-twinged verses. Bieber also lays down a smooth chorus that has fans all over the world swooning as he sexily sings, “If I was your boyfriend, never let you go / Keep you on my arm girl, you'd never be alone.”

For her fourth single off of '21,' Adele gets caught up in a world of gossip and false accusations on 'Rumour Has It.' Over a frenzy of loud, pounding drums and hand claps, Adele belts it out, letting everyone know how she's sick of getting caught up in relationship drama and rumors. Adele sends chills up our spines as she wails, “Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds / You made a fool out of me / And, boy, you're bringing me down,” before bringing it home on the chorus with her backup singers. This one could very well become the 'Rolling in the Deep' of 2012, and is our top song of the year thus far.