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.

Emblem3 - Spaghetti

"Everything's gonna be alright"

Even though I sometimes liked them/sometimes didn't on the last season of US X-Factor, I've been rooting for Emblem3 to do well post show. That's partly because the show desperately needs someone to be successful, and partly because their debut single Chloe has quietly sneaked up to become one of my favorite songs of the summer. And on first listen, the album seems to be more of the same. There's something very late 90's about these guys. It's like a little bit of Sugar Ray, a little bit of LFO and of course a fair amount of teen pop. It's refreshing in that it doesn't sound much like what other groups are doing right now. For the next single, I'd vote for Spaghetti. It has such a carefree, backyard BBQ feel to it.



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