Top 50 Singles of 2014: 35-31

35. Conchita Wurst - Rise Like A Phoenix



The most deserving Eurovision winner in years, and an epic James Bond-ian torch ballad at that. The vocals and theatricality on this are still so impressive.

34. The Fooo Conspiracy - All Over The World



The first entry from Sweden's best boyband. I like to call think of them as Scandinavian's answer to K-Pop. A dance group that sings, complimented by herky jerky beats and hooks for days.

33. Crayon Pop - Uh-ee



An unusual mix of electro and traditional Korean trot music, this will certainly be one of the more polarizing tracks (and groups) on the countdown. But whatever you think, you can't deny that bonkers hook.

32. Robin - Onnellinen 



The brilliant piano line will get you first, and then you'll be won over by that dramatic, soaring chorus that gets better every time it repeats.

31. Epik High - Born Hater (ft. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, B.I., Mino and Bobby) 



By far the "hardest" hip-hop track on the list, it's a veritable who's who of YG Entertainment's formidable tribe of rappers. What's more important, though, is that it boasts one of the year's best beats.

Don't forget, if you'd like to listen to the Top 50 Singles Countdown in full, download the audio version!

Top 20 Albums of 2014: 18-17

18. Shinee - I'm Your Boy



Another release that may just as well have been a Japanese compilation of singles, the factor that elevates this album slightly is the inclusion of several new tracks -- all of them brilliant. Honestly, I probably would have ranked it higher had I not been familiar with so many of the songs already through single and b-side releases. Still, the album stands as an exclamation mark to the group's jaw-droppingly prolific and awesome 2013.

17. Epik High - Shoebox



I'm usually not much for straight up rap, and this album is much more of that genre than Epik High's last release, but the tracks here have a poetic, character-filled flow to them. The cavalcade of guest vocalists definitely helps give the album a more diverse feel, though the tempo is usually firmly in the "mid," save for a few bursts of energy here and there. It's a great late Fall/early Winter album.

Epik High - Born Hater (ft. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, B.I., Mino & Bobby)

A new release from YG Entertainment is always something to celebrate. And even though rap group Epik High are not among my more favorite artists on the company's roster, I was surprised at how much I fell in love with their pre-release single, Born Hater. It helps that the track features a small army of guest rappers. Of the bunch, Ikon's B.I. and Bobby completely steal the show. B.I. offers the track's only real hook, which appears a scant two times in the five minutes. It's so catchy and awesome, though, that you wait for it each time. Other than that, this track is all about the beat. It's a beat so instantly amazing that you can't help but fall in love with the rap verse after rap verse that accompanies it -- even if you can't understand 95% of it. (Though if you really want to know, the gist of it is these guys slamming their internet haters). I wish there was more uptempo stuff like this on the album, but I'm definitely happy settling for this unexpected October highlight. I'll leave the video here, since I think it's pretty memorable and innovative.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.