Best of 2013: Top 30 Songs

My favorite songs from 2013. I limited my selections to a maximum of two songs per artist (one artist technically appears on this list three times, but once as part of a collaboration, so I made an exception), lest this list be made up almost entirely of songs from Tegan and Sara, Chvrches and Dessa.

Honerable Mention: Bo Burnham, "Repeat Stuff"
It's hard to judge satirical songs with the same gauge as normal music, but I wanted to include this nice evisceration of pop artists on my list. Burnham is a talented comedian, and this song is a good compliment to his previous take-down of the genre, 2010's "Art is Dead".

30. The Joy Formidable, "Silent Treatment (William Orbit mix)"
While the acoustic album version of this track is also good, legendary producer William Orbit knows a thing or two about sprucing up even already-good songs.

29. Sleigh Bells, "Sugarcane"
Good melodic noise.

28. The 1975, "Sex"
A song about mutual attraction with a girl who, unfortunately, already has a boyfriend.

27. Her Royal Harness, "Unseen"
The two members of Her Royal Harness met on a message board when they got into an argument about a band. Eventually they realized their sensibilities were complimentary, and I'm glad they did.

26. Skylar Grey, "Slowly Freaking Out"
Holly Brook failed to find success with her first album. So she renamed herself Skylar Grey, and Skylar's debut album hit #8 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. So, it worked, I guess.

25. The Killers, "Just Another Girl"
This appears as a bonus track on the band's first Greatest Hits album.

24. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Sacrilege"
Karen O can do no wrong by me.

23. Regina Spektor, "You've Got Time"
This is used as the opening theme for Netflix's hit series Orange is the New Black.

22. The Julie Ruin, "Ha Ha Ha"
Former Bikini Kill and Le Tigre frontwoman/punk-pop-icon Kathleen Hanna revived her old Julie Ruin project this year.

21. Lissie, "The Habit"
Lissie's new album is not as good as her first, but this song fits right in with her best.

20. Lady Gaga, "Applause"
Lady Gaga's latest album is mostly filled with misses, as she struggles in which direction to go, artistically-speaking. But this song looks backwards instead of ahead, and would fit in quite nicely with tracks on her debut album, "The Fame".

19. Marina and the Diamonds & Charli XCX, "Just Desserts"
Marina Diamandis and Charli XCX spent much of the past year touring together. Along the way they hopped into the studio together and recorded this track, which they then released for free as a gift to their fans.

18. VNV Nation, "Retaliate"
VNV Nation's songs tend to sound the same, but I never get sick of them.

17. Charli XCX, "SuperLove"
The first single off of her eventual second album is a reassuring sign of things to come from this talented pop star.

16. Yuna, "Rescue"
Yuna deserves to be a star.

15. Grouplove, "Ways to Go"
This band always sound like they're just having fun.

14. Sleigh Bells, "Young Legends"
This is the most melodic song the duo have released since their breakout hit, "Rill Rill".

13. Charli XCX, "Nuclear Seasons"
A solid opening track on what was one of my favorite pop records of the year.

12. Haim, "The Wire"
This three-sister band got a lot of well-deserved buzz this year.

11. The Joy Formidable, "This Ladder is Ours"
The serene orchestral opening soon gives way to what the band does best: big guitar sounds and Ritzy Bryan's assured vocals.

10. The 1975, "Chocolate"
One of the hookiest guitar lines of the year.

9. Dessa, "Warsaw"
I want to adopt the line "Pray for rain, but brace for whiskey" as a life philosophy.

8. Esben and the Witch, "Deathwaltz"
This trio gets better with each new record.

7. Chvrches, "We Sink"
"We Sink" pulls off the tricky perspective of describing being in a failing relationship, but one that still has hope left in it, if only the couple at its center can get their shit together.

6. Tegan and Sara, "How Come You Don't Want Me"
I'm always slightly drawn to self-loathing post-breakup songs, and this may be the best I've heard yet.

5. The Naked and Famous, "Hearts Like Ours"
An even better single than their breakout, the ubiquitous "Young Blood".

4. Oh Land, "Renaissance Girls"
Oh Land is another imported pop star that deserves to be a far bigger success in the US than she currently is.

3. Chvrches, "Tether"
A song divided: the first half of the track covers a dependent relationship, then a quiet moment in the middle where she finds the strength to let go, and the song's latter half rejoices. It's an emotional journey crammed into less than five minutes.

2. Dessa, "Call Off Your Ghost"
The closest that Dessa has come to a pop song. If this is any indication, the genre would be stronger if she became a part of it.

1. Tegan and Sara, "Drove Me Wild"
This would have felt right at home on the pops charts in 1987. The catchiest song I've heard all year. And also ever.