Top 100 songs of 2014

These are my top 100 favourite songs of 2014. It's been a very good year overall but the top 12 here in particular are my absolute favourites. I've included links to every song in the top 20.

100. Public Service Broadcasting - Night Mail
99. Klangkarussell - Symmetry
98. Ella Henderson - Yours
97. Blonde feat Melissa Steel - I Loved You
96. Conchita Wurst - Rise Like A Phoenix
95. Meadowlark - Family Tree
94. The Common Linnets - When Love Was King
93. Alcazar - Good Lovin
92. A. G. Cook - Beautiful
91. Paul McCartney - Hope For the Future
90. Kölsch feat Gregor Schwellenbach - Cassiopeia
89. Firelight - Coming Home
88. The Veronicas - If You Love Someone
87. Pharrell Williams - Happy
86. Cheryl Cole feat Tinie Tempah - Crazy Stupid Love
85. Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again
84. Delta Goodrem - Love Thy Will Be Done
83. Nádine - Skildery
82. Tove Lo - Not On Drugs
81. Andriette & Adam Tas - Ek Sal
80. Sophia Del Carmen feat Pitbull - Lipstick
79. Manda - Glow
78. Sheppard - Let Me Down Easy
77. Colbie Caillat - If You Love Me Let Me Go
76. The Veronicas - Born Bob Dylan
75. Shakira - Empire
74. Burial - Come Down To Us
73. Vance Joy - Riptide
72. Maroon 5 - Feelings
71. Ed Sheeran - Sing
70. Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
69. The Saturdays - What Are You Waiting For?
68. Agnes - Instant Repeater
67. Fox Stevenson - Tico
66. Charli XCX - Boom Clap
65. Madonna - Rebel Heart
64. Public Service Broadcasting - Spitfire
63. Taylor Swift - Out Of The Woods
62. Clean Bandit & Jess Glynne - Real Love
61. Sweet California - This Is the Life
60. Tove Styrke - Ego
59. Helena Paparizou - Survivor
58. Sheppard - Shine My Way
57. Cash Cash feat Bebe Rexha - Take Me Home
56. A Great Big World feat Christina Aguilera - Say Something
55. Rae Morris feat Fryars - Cold
54. Sanna Nielsen - Trouble
53. Goldfish - Moonwalk Away (Moonlanding Mix)
52. Ace Wilder - Busy Doin' Nothin'
51. Martin Garrix & Firebeatz - Helicopter
50. Seinabo Sey - Younger
49. Kylie Minogue - Into the Blue
48. Sia - Chandelier
47. Tove Styrke - Borderline
46. Professor Green feat Tori Kelly - Lullaby
45. Minx feat Hannah Joy - Hold On
44. Martin Tungevaag - Wicked Wonderland
43. Route 94 feat Jess Glynne - My Love
42. Coldplay - A Sky Full of Stars
41. Tom Odell - Real Love
40. The Common Linnets - Lovers & Liars
39. Marble Sounds - Leave A Light On
38. Ryan Hemsworth feat Tomggg - Cream Soda
37. Mark Ronson feat Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
36. Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang
35. Sheppard - Something's Missing
34. Mr Probz - Waves (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)
33. Duke Dumont feat Jax Jones - I Got U
32. Pamela Myburgh - Fool
31. Lilly Wood & The Prick and Robin Schulz - Prayer In C (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)
30. The Madden Brothers - We Are Done
29. Nádine - Juvenile
28. Ed Sheeran - Don't
27. The Common Linnets - Give Me A Reason
26. Ella Henderson - Ghost
25. Idina Menzel - Let It Go
24. Tove Lo - Timebomb
23. Sheppard - Lingering
22. Colbie Caillat - Try
21. Katy B - Crying for No Reason
20. Sigma - Nobody to Love
19. Shakira feat Rihanna - Can't Remember To Forget You
18. Rae Morris - Do You Even Know?
17. Andreas Bourani - Auf Uns
16. Pitbull feat Ke$ha - Timber
15. John Martin - Anywhere For You
14. Walk The Moon - Shut Up and Dance
13. Safari - I Need You
12. Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud
11. Alcazar - Blame It On The Disco
10. RAM & Susana - RAMelia (Tribute To Amelia)
9. Helene Fischer - Atemlos Durch Die Nacht
8. The Common Linnets - Calm After The Storm
7. Molly - Children Of The Universe
6. Take That - These Days
5. Clean Bandit feat Jess Glynne - Rather Be
4. Sheppard - Geronimo
3. The Veronicas - You Ruin Me
2. Sanna Nielsen - Undo
1. Sheppard - A Grade Playa

The first time I listened to Sheppard's album Bombs Away, A Grade Playa hugely stood out to me. I'd assumed that George Sheppard was the Australian band's only main singer but this track made me realise that his green-haired sister Amy is just as capable of fronting a really great tune.

The lyrics of a woman scorned, and clearly not to be messed with, are married up to a really powerful pop-rock production, my favourite part of which is without a doubt the harmonies which are just one of many areas where Sheppard really excel as a band. 

George joins in for the excellent 'go on, go on, go on, go on, be gone!' post-chorus before Amy jumps back into the second verse with great lyrics such as 'if there were a medal for the biggest sleaze, there wouldn't be any other nominees, I'm guessing all your lies are a blessing in disguise for me'.

The bassline kicks in harder for the second chorus before the sublime harmonies make an emphatic return. The music slows down for a delicately sung line from Amy after the middle eight before a wonderfully unexpected key changes powers through. 

The production becomes almost dubstep-like at this point, with the punching bassline adding yet another layer to a brilliantly complex pop song. And then the final 25 seconds, a reprise of the 'go on, go on, go on, go on, be gone' harmonies, make for a perfect outro.

Elsewhere in my top ten of the year are three Eurovision entries; Sanna Nielsen's powerful and dramatic piano ballad Undo, which came third for Sweden (#2), Molly's Children Of The Universe, which finished 17th for the UK (#7) and Calm After The Storm by The Common Linnets, which finished second for The Netherlands (#8).

UK #1's are represented by Clean Bandit and their massive dance hit, the unique and brilliant Rather Be (#5), and Take That's excellent comeback single These Days (#6). Elsewhere there's more from Sheppard, with the infectious Australian chart topper Geronimo (#4) and another piano ballad, and indeed another Australian #1 single, in the form of You Ruin Me by The Veronicas (#3).

German schlager singer Helene Fischer's huge domestic hit Atemlos Durch Die Nacht is at #9 while Dutch trance producer RAM's beautiful RAMelia (Tribute To Amelia), a touching piano ballad meets trance tribute to his wife who passed away last year, finishes at #10.

Many other big smash hits also make the top 40 including Ed Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud (#12), Pitbull and Ke$ha's Timber (#16), Sigma's Nobody To Love (#20), Idina Menzel's Frozen anthem Let It Go (#25), Ella Henderson's Ghost (#26), Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj's Bang Bang (#36), Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars (#37) and the two huge hits remixed by Robin Schulz; Prayer In C by Lilly Wood & The Prick (#31) and Waves by Mr Probz (#34).