100 Best Songs of 2014

Remember 2014? It was that weird, middle-child year where we were all collectively pretending that the world was fine because we had high-speed data and 4G. It feels like a lifetime ago, yet the soundtrack is stuck in our brains like a piece of chewing gum you can’t quite scrape off your shoe. Check out the 100 best songs of 2014!

Jump to:

• Rewind to 2014: The Year We Traded Meaning for Melodies
• The Top 10 Songs of 2014: A Study in Collective Delusion and Heartbreak
• The Spotify Playlist
• The 2014 Billboard Year-End Hot 100
• Our Pick of 2014

Rewind to 2014: The Year We Traded Meaning for Melodies

As a lifelong chart nerd, I’ve watched years come and go, but 2014 was a neon-soaked crossroads. It was the year we stopped “owning” music and started “renting” our identity through streaming. We were in a vibrant, messy collision of pop perfection and indie gate-crashers. Looking back, we weren’t just listening to music: we were trying to figure out who the hell we were in a world that was suddenly updating every five seconds.

The Sound of a Shift: The Death of the Download

2014 was a fascinating beast because it was the beginning of the end. We were still clinging to our iTunes libraries like a security blanket, but Spotify was already moving into the guest room and eating all our snacks.

Pop was evolving. It wasn’t just sugary synths anymore: it was R&B grit and hip-hop swagger masquerading as Top 40. From the aggressive optimism of Pharrell to the “I’m over it” brooding of Lorde, the charts were a psychological melting pot. Taylor Swift finally stopped pretending she was just a country girl and claimed her throne as a pop dictator. At the same time, newcomers like Sam Smith proved that raw, unfiltered vulnerability was still the best way to get people to pay attention. It was a year where genre lines didn’t just blur: they disintegrated.

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The Top 10 Songs of 2014: A Study in Collective Delusion and Heartbreak

10. Stay With Me – Sam Smith

This wasn’t just a hit: it was a 3-minute emotional autopsy. We’ve all been in that position: it’s 2:00 AM, you’re lonely, and you’re making a trade you know you’ll regret in the morning. Smith didn’t give us a love song: they gave us a song about the lack of love and the desperate need for a warm body to fill the silence. It reminds us that at our core, we’re all just terrified of being alone with our own thoughts.

“Oh, won’t you stay with me? ‘Cause you’re all I need.”

9. Problem – Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea

This was the soundtrack to every bad decision we made that summer. It’s that classic mental gymnastics routine where you know someone is a walking disaster, yet you keep inviting them over. It was sassy, it had a saxophone hook that lived in your ears rent-free, and it perfectly captured the 2014 vibe: wanting the “problem” even while you’re bragging about having “one less” of them.

“I got one less problem without ya.”

8. All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

On the surface, it’s a catchy doo-wop throwback. Underneath, it was a massive “fuck you” to the Photoshop era. It asked the reader a question most of us were too scared to answer: Are you actually okay with yourself, or are you just waiting for someone else to tell you you’re allowed to be? It was pop music trying, and mostly succeeding, at being a self-help book you could dance to.

“Yeah, it’s pretty clear, I ain’t no size two.”

7. Rude – MAGIC!

This song is basically a case study in entitlement and persistence. You’ve got a guy asking a father for a blessing he doesn’t need, getting a “no,” and then deciding to do it anyway while complaining about how “rude” the guy is. It’s a breezy, reggae-pop jam about refusing to accept “no” as an answer. We liked it because, deep down, we all want to believe our own desires outweigh everyone else’s reality.

“Why you gotta be so rude? Don’t you know I’m human too?”

6. Talk Dirty – Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz

Let’s be honest: this song was ridiculous. It was bold and brassy, using a Balkan horn sample to tell the world that we didn’t need to talk to connect, we just needed a beat. This reminds us of those years when we felt like the world was our playground and the only thing that mattered was how the bass felt in our chest.

“Been around the world, don’t speak the language, but your booty don’t need explaining.”

5. Counting Stars – OneRepublic

This is the official anthem of the Millennial midlife crisis. It taps into that soul-crushing realization that we spend all our time working for numbers on a screen (money) while the things that actually matter (the “stars”) are passing us by. It’s a motivational power ballad that asks: When was the last time you did something because it made you feel alive, rather than because it paid the bills?

“No more counting dollars, we’ll be counting stars.”

4. Fancy – Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

The song of the “Tumblr-era.” This wasn’t about actually being fancy: it was about the performance of being fancy. It was the era of the filtered life. We were all broke, but we were all trying to look “first class” for the ‘gram. It’s a song about the confidence we manufacture until it actually becomes real.

“I’m so fancy, you already know.”

3. All Of Me – John Legend

The most honest love song of the decade. Most love songs are about the “honeymoon” phase, but Legend wrote about the “I’m choosing to love you even when you’re being a pain in the ass” phase. It’s about the trade-off. You give your “all” and you get their “all”, including the curves and the edges. It’s a reminder that real intimacy is a high-stakes gamble that requires you to put everything on the table.

“‘Cause all of me loves all of you.”

2. Dark Horse – Katy Perry ft. Juicy J

Haunting, trap-heavy, and slightly threatening. This was Katy Perry telling the world that she wasn’t just a “California Girl” anymore. It captures that moment when you realize you have power and you’re daring someone to try and handle it. It’s the sound of self-assurance pushed to the edge of arrogance, and it was absolutely addictive.

“So you wanna play with magic? Boy, you should know what you’re falling for.”

1. Happy – Pharrell Williams

If you hated this song, it’s probably because you were resentful of how simple it was. “Happy” was a global phenomenon because it stripped away the irony. In a world of cynical “cool,” Pharrell just told us to clap. It’s a reminder that happiness isn’t a destination: it’s a choice you make, even when your “roof” is missing. It was the biggest song of 2014 because, frankly, we all desperately needed a reason to smile.

“Because I’m happy, clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.”

The Spotify Playlist

The 2014 Billboard Year-End Hot 100

Our Pick of 2014

“Can’t Remember To Forget You” by Shakira feat. Rihanna

Peak Position: 15 | Weeks on Chart: 15

This wasn’t the biggest song of 2014, and that’s precisely why it matters.

“Can’t Remember To Forget You” lived in the uncomfortable space between desire and denial, a song about knowing something is toxic and choosing it anyway. It was a sonically weird collision: Latin rhythms and pop maximalism featuring two global icons in a way that felt less like a collaboration and more like a power imbalance disguised as chemistry.

In hindsight, it perfectly captured the emotional contradiction of 2014. We were overstimulated and chasing intensity over clarity. We didn’t want resolution; we wanted distraction. This song didn’t dominate the charts because it wasn’t designed to comfort; it was designed to linger. It’s unforgettable precisely because it refuses to make peace with itself.

What’s the one “guilty pleasure” song from this list that you’re still using to avoid dealing with your actual life? Drop a comment below and tell me why you’re still addicted to it. I promise I won’t judge (too much).