Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 40-36

40. One Direction - Kiss You



Their best single from an album filled with tracks that should have been singles. Sometimes all you want is a well-executed piece of radio pop fluff.

39. The Preatures - Is This How You Feel



Undeniably funky track from Down Under. Takes the best of early 80's Prince, performed by a band that sounds very little like him.

38. Darin - Check You Out



Darin's hookiest original song this year, which should have been the single to launch the somewhat bungled promotion for his latest album.

37. Emblem 3 - Chloe (You're The One I Want) 



A surprise summer hit for me, these guys found a sound that hearkened back to the best of late 90's/early 00's sunny radio rock.

36. Ben Ivory - The Righteous Ones 



A statement of intent if there ever was one, tied into an aggressive, smart dance track that deserved more recognition than it got.

Ben Ivory - The Righteous Ones

"You can close your eyes if you want to"

Who would've thought that Germany would be the country to watch this Eurovision season? Straight off of yesterday's track, I've got another non-Eurovision sounding song that competed to represent Germany in the contest. This time it's from Ben Ivory, who's constructed a biting, dark (yet ultra catchy) anthem for the freaks and weirdos. This kind of dark electronic music is the exact style I'd expect from Germany, yet it has the rock 'n' roll melody to give it wider appeal. The full album isn't released until March, but I'm hoping that this is a harbinger of the type of thing we'll hear from him. Artistic, yet mainstream. Unusual, but incredibly well produced and easy to sing along with. Think Patrick Wolf meets Depeche Mode.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.