Top 20 Albums Of 2012: 2-1

2. One Direction - Take Me Home



In the blogger world, it's not cool to be a One Direction fan. Not that I care, but if we're all being honest with ourselves, you cannot be a pop music fan (or more specifically, power pop) and not enjoy this album. Their production team and (credit where credit is due) the band have upped their game since last year, as this second album is really Big Pop Moment after Big Pop Moment. Thoughts on the teeny-bopper culture surrounding them aside, it's the music that counts. They could have easily followed current trends, but instead they've gone for a slightly 80's, classic pop/rock sound that emphasizes huge choruses and hook after hook. Well, that criteria pretty much describes this blog, doesn't it?

1. Foxy Shazam - The Church Of Rock And Roll



Swinging wildly in another direction, nobody can say my tastes aren't varied! Foxy Shazam earns their second number one placement (their 2010 album was also at the top that year), by being one of the only artists this year that crafted what felt like a classic, proper rock album. This is a band with their own voice, not worried about fitting easily in one genre or another. Throughout the length of the album, they move from gargantuan glam rock anthems to soft coffeehouse warbling to anthemic power balladry. The album has something for everyone, and should have conquered the world in 2012. They sound like the biggest rock band on the planet.

Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 5-1

5. Studio Killers - Eros & Apollo



I didn't think Studio Killers could trump their last effort, but with this sly, lushly electronic warning about guys who seem to good to be true, they did it. Now bring on the album!

4. Darin - Nobody Knows



Darin at his most bombastic. Though he's had plenty of tracks I've liked in the past, this was a new pinnacle for him. It's huge. Just mammoth in sound.

3. EXO-K - Mama



Speaking of "mammoth in sound"! In my world, there is no such thing as "overproduced," and this track has it all. Choirs, strings, guitar, shout-rapping, dance breaks. It's like an entire album in one song.

2. Loreen - Euphoria



No title in 2012 better described the sound of its accompanying song. This really is pure euphoria. It's so deceptively simple, yet somehow gets better every single time you play it.

1. Bigbang - Monster 



I cannot think of a better song this year. Everything just clicks, from the orchestral production to the gorgeous, sweeping melody, to the flawless, motion-picture-quality music video. It defies language, though the English hook assures that the meaning is clear. Utterly affecting, and a dynamite pop song to boot.

Top 20 Albums Of 2012: 4-3

4. Bigbang - Alive



The K-Pop album to rule them all in 2012. There are so many iterations of this particular release, but when you take all eleven tracks from the various re-releases, you end up with an album that's impressive in its scope and sheer consistency. The number of genres these guys tackle--and master--is amazing. If executives are looking to forge a new pop group, this is exactly the template they should be following.

3. Mika - The Origin Of Love



A surprising return to form after I (and quite a few others) had written him off. This is his most cohesive and personal album, and it really feels like an artist maturing. There's nothing better than thoughtful, mature pop, but Mika doesn't forget to pile on the hooks and production flourishes, either. More than that, the album doesn't just feel like a collection of songs. The listening experience is like a story, each part integral to the whole.

Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 10-6

10. Foxy Shazam - Holy Touch



Carrying on the best of glam rock, this is the kind of over-the-top, stirringly produced single that doesn't come around much these days.

9. Icona Pop - I Love It



They came out of what seemed like nowhere to deliver one of the strongest musical statements of the year. A blistering assault.

8. Jedward - Waterline



Pure cheese, in the absolute best way possible. This is Jedward as good as they will ever be, with a song that you may want to dislike, but won't be able to.

7. Scissor Sisters - Let's Have A Kiki



In an off-year for the Sisters, it's amazing that they were still able to deliver a career highlight. Silly fun, yes, but sometimes that's just what you need.

6. Matt Cardle - It's Only Love (7th Heaven Radio Edit) 



I would've laughed hysterically if anyone told me a Matt Cardle song would have been on my list, especially in the top ten. But, this is a Matt Cardle remix, and it's perfect. The Delays song they never recorded.

Top 20 Albums Of 2012: 6-5

6. Fun. - Some Nights



Probably the album that grew on me the most this year. I was initially unimpressed (save for a few tracks) when it was released back in February, but as the band surged in popularity, I kept returning to it and finding that it's an indie pop/rock album with a lot of the hallmarks that I find desperately needed in today's music. The heart-on-their-sleeve theatricality goes a long way, even in the less memorable songs.

5. Donkeyboy - Silver Moon



A criminally overlooked Scandinavian pop album, and honestly the best full-length that the region produced this year. I love it when bands experiment, and Donkeyboy definitely took a risk by giving their sound an added dance-pop oomph. The results were an unqualified success, as this is basically Big Pop Song after Big Pop Song without a weak link in the bunch.

Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 15-11

15. Mika - Celebrate



The most celebratory (obviously) single of Mika's career. It's him at his simple, melody-driven best.

14. EXO-K - History



One of the funkiest beats of the year, and a melody written by the always reliable Thomas Troelsen.

13. Diviney - You're So Cool



Went straight from Short Stack to 80's, INXS-style funk-pop. Totally irresistible.

12. Bigbang - Fantastic Baby



If only people knew that there was a 2012 K-Pop single with even more bombastic, earth-shaking dance beats than Gangnam Style...

11. Fun. - Some Nights 



Fun.'s masterpiece, and what I hope will be the template for every track from here on.

Top 20 Albums Of 2012: 8-7

8. Carly Rae Jepsen - Kiss



Undoubtedly the poppiest on my pop countdown, I'm almost surprised an album this bubblegum was released by a bestselling artist. That's not at all a complaint, because the indelible melodies and expensive, expansive production make this a definite "guilty pleasure." Call Me Maybe was only the tip of the iceberg.

7. EXO-K - Mama



Worthy of its place if just for the opening three tracks, which span multiple genres but are uniformly awesome. The most exciting new K-Pop act of the year, mostly in the way the group's been packaged. I've professed my love for sci-fi influences in music before. Exo's image certainly fits the bill. Luckily, they've got more to offer than just style.

Top 50 Singles Of The Year: 20-16

20. One Direction - One Thing



A pop song manufactured by factory, in the best way possible. Each note is precision-calibrated for massive effect.

19. Justin Bieber - As Long As You Love Me



His coolest, most interesting track. It was the moment I started thinking he could outlast his teen idol status.

18. G-Dragon - Crayon



The most demented, funhouse-crazy single of the year. Took me awhile to warm up to it, but once I did, I couldn't stop returning.

17. Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe



Ubiquitous song #1. Think back to before it was everywhere and how amazing that sugar-coated hook was.

16. PSY - Gangnam Style 



Ubiquitous song #2. Surpasses its novelty status with that massive instrumental dance hook. Infinitely remixable.

Top 20 Albums Of 2012: 10-9

10. Robbie Williams - Take The Crown



The consummate performer, Williams has been churning out albums pretty regularly for the last decade. This is quite likely his best in many years. It's got the experimentalism and fun of Rudebox with the melodicism of Reality Killed The Video Star. He found the perfect hybrid. And really, the one-two punch of the opening pair of tracks is unbeatable.

9. G-Dragon - One Of A Kind



In my mind, he's the MVP of pop this year. I can't think of any other male artist with more charisma or style. Listening to this EP is like listening to a million ideas thrown together at once. You never quite know what's coming next. I'd love to see even more international attention given to him, because I think he's primed for a worldwide breakthrough if he wants it.