Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 40-36

40. Girls Aloud - Something New



A poptastic comeback from a poptastic band. They showed us yet again that there is no other group out there like Girls Aloud.

39. Carly Rae Jepsen - This Kiss



This was never going to be as big as her breakthrough, but kudos to her for going with such a kitschy 80's retro sound.

38. Muse - Survival



The most deliriously over the top single in a discography filled with them. Sure, it's silly and a bit stupid, but that's what makes it fun.

37. Reece Mastin - Shut Up And Kiss Me



A blitzkrieg of teen pop/punk with a surprisingly sticky hook. A great way to break the X-Factor mold.

36. Samantha Jade - What You've Done To me 



The best winner's single ever to be released from a singing competition (okay, I guess that doesn't mean all that much), expect this to smash even further in 2013.

Girls Aloud - Something New

"We're the leaders of the pack"

Any pop blogger worth their salt will tell you that Girls Aloud were (are) one of the most explosive, creative and enduring acts in modern pop music. They'll forever be tied to production team Xenomania and luckily have turned again to them for their comeback after several years away. It wasn't until I heard this song that I realized how much I'd missed the group. There really isn't anybody else out their like them. Nobody else could've gotten away with a track so cheesy-weird or meandering in melody and made it sound so good. On first listen, I thought parts of Something New were a little overdone and cringeworthy (I'm talking about you, intro), but then I realized that this track includes everything I've loved about the girls throughout their career. It's ballsy and brash and crammed with ideas, so much so that you've gotta give it a few listens before you realize how wonderfully it all connects.



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

Countdown to the Countdowns: An Alienhits Christmas!

Next week kicks off my annual year-end countdowns. Top 20 Albums and Top 50 Singles, here we come! But first, I've got a week-long countdown to my countdown, starting with this requested feature on Christmas music!

While Christmas is definitely one of my most favorite times of the year, when it comes to music I'm more of a Halloween songs kind of guy. Still, there are quite a few of lesser known tracks that I love to listen to around the holidays. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them:

Darren Hayes - Last Christmas
My favorite version of this track, captured during his Savage Garden days. It ups the tempo and pretty much perfects an already perfect pop song.

Melody Club - I Don’t Believe In Angels
The kind of Christmas track I could (and do) listen to all year long. It's got everything: bells, cheesy lyrics, a singalong chorus and that indelible Melody Club charm.

Girls Aloud - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (or anything off their EP)
Leave it to Girls Aloud to camp up Christmas. This is them at the height of their powers.

The Who - Christmas
From the best rock opera ever, Tommy, it's not the happiest of tracks, but it's freaking brilliant. I've gotta say, though, I prefer the movie version to the Who's version.

Aqua - Spin me a Christmas
Christmas the euro-pop way! Aqua 2.0 basically can do no wrong, and this follows suit.

Lady Gaga - Christmas Tree
She may have a new, more traditional Christmas EP out now, but I prefer this smutty oldie recorded back when she was still hungry for fame.

Sparks - Thank God It’s Not Christmas
An epic song anyway you shake it, this is just ridiculous bombast. Not the cheeriest of lyrics, but they're amazing anyway.

Hurts - All I Want for Christmas is New Year’s Day
It's about as downbeat as you'd expect from these guys, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The bells make it.

Billy Elliot Soundtrack - Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher
From the absolute best modern stage musical, this is the show's catchiest track. I listen to it all year, but it's especially festive (in a vitriolic, down-with-Thatcher way) this time of year.

Pikko - The Ghost of Christmas Future
An icy electro track by one of my favorite indie Swedish artists. It's not high on melody, but has a sound that compliments the chilly season.

The Darkness - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)
Pretty much what you'd expect from a Christmas song by the Darkness. It's got everything stuffed into it. And it's highly melodic to boot.

And some songs that sample Christmas. Can you tell which classics these tracks use?

Prozzak - It's Not Me It's You
The Mo - Rats on the Radio
JLS - Do You Feel What I Feel