JUMP TO: 100-81 II 80-61 II 60-41 II 40-21 II 20-1
Even in a year that hasn't been the best for new music, the top 20 songs on my annual chart are a pretty solid list. Let's start counting down to the inevitable (and no, I don't mean Ed Sheeran)...
It'd been a few years since we'd heard music from (as opposed to remixes by) Monsieur Adi, the French DJ/producer who featured in my year-end top 100s for 2013 and 2014. Then, at the tail end of 2016, he returned with "Bad Habits", but it was this year's "Stay Up Late", featuring a thrilling vocal by Red (aka former The X Factor contestant Nicole Simpson), that proved he was back on form.
I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled when I discovered "Neon Blue" was picked as the third single from Steps's comeback album, Tears On The Dancefloor - I would've chosen a song we'll see in a little while. To me, it felt like it could've been released in 1999, while many of the songs on the new album sound more current. But as its placement here suggests, I came around in the end. It's classic Steps - on a par with, say, "Better Best Forgotten" or "Here And Now" - although one thing that does distinguish it from their previous hits is that Lee gets a decent solo.
Here's another song that sounds like it could've come out years ago. The second single from Automaton, "Cloud 9" has a similar vibe to 2005's "Seven Days In Sunny June" - a breezy disco ballad with a killer melody.
Up until a month or so ago, this UK chart-topper and ARIA chart number 2 hit didn't make my top 100. I understood the appeal of the song and its music video, but I just found the melody a bit underwhelming, especially after "Hotter Than Hell". But it's amazing what a bit of '80s production can do for my interest in a song. Inspired by Stacey Q's "Two Of Hearts", Japanese producer Initial Talk created an unofficial remix of "New Rules" that made it the aerobics soundtrack it never was - and then, to her credit, Dua gave an official release the green light.
One good '80s remix deserves another - and there are few remixers who can capture that moment in time better than Pete Hammond, the former PWL staffer responsible for countless mixes in the late '80s, and more recent throwback remixes for Kylie Minogue, Mini Viva, Alphabeat and Parralox. This year, he teamed up with the latter again to transform this single from the Subculture album into a glorious burst of nostalgic synthpop.
Three years after "Hideaway" and its one-shot music video, Kiesza returned at the very start of 2017 with brand new track "Dearly Beloved". The seemingly buoyant song was actually inspired by the death of her friend, musician Alicia Lemke, whose white guitar the Canadian singer plays in the music video.
Unlike the track we saw from them in Part 1, this most recent single from Chase & Status is very much what I would expect from the duo behind "Lost And Not Found" and "Count On Me". It's also not a million miles away from Emeli Sandé's "Heaven", making me think the collaboration would've been massive five years ago. In 2017, unfortunately, it wasn't the hit it deserved to be.
Here's the Tears On The Dancefloor track I would've released as third single - Steps' version of Lara Fabian's English-language debut from 2000. A minor hit in Australia and a flop in the UK for the Belgian singer, "I Will Love Again" was a great choice for a remake.
Just when it looked like Rita Ora was going to pull a Samantha Mumba and abandon her music career in favour of exploring opportunities in Hollywood, the singer/actress/reality TV host returned in 2017 with a pair of pop hits (and a feature on an Avicii track that's just outside my top 100). "Your Song" was good (and also just missed by top 100), but "Anywhere" put her back in "I Will Never Let You Down" territory.
Proof that even the biggest artists in the world can hit a speed bump in their career, Katy Perry's fifth album, Witness, faced mixed reviews, singles under-performing and sales well below what she'd come to expect. And yet, it contained the best song she's ever released as far as I'm concerned.
The original was one of the biggest singles of En Vogue's career and 21 years later, the moody R&B track was transformed into a veritable banger courtesy of British DJ/producer James Hype and singer Kelli-Leigh Henry-Davilla, who actually received a credit for her work, unlike on previous hits she'd performed on by Duke Dumont and Secondcity.
After appearing on one of the biggest singles in ARIA chart history (The Chainsmokers' "Closer") in 2016, Halsey's second album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, was one of the most anticipated of 2017. And one of its most buzzed about tracks was "Strangers", the promotional single featuring Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui that delved into a relationship between two women that's gone sour.
Solidifying his status as the best Jonas brother, Nick Jonas released his best single yet in "Find You". The acoustic guitar-meets-dance track was co-written and produced by Swedes Svante Halldin and Jakob Hazell (aka Jack & Coke), who were behind my 2012 number 1, "Euphoria" by Loreen.
While Nick Jonas traipses around the desert in the video for "Find You", Dutch DJ/producer Julian Jordan shot his clip in - and got inspiration for "Say Love" from - the freezing landscape of Iceland. The tender electronic track is a departure from Julian's normally harder club-oriented sound.
Twenty-year-old American singer Grace Mitchell has been busy in 2017, releasing upwards of half a dozen singles that span a variety of genres. Naturally, since it appears here, "Now" is the poppiest of those songs - a hand-clapping, big chorused celebration of being in the now.
Just when I'd given up hope that 2017 had anything else brilliant to offer, this Scandipop gem from Swedish singer Anni Bernhard (who goes by Full Of Keys professionally) sneaked out at the end of November. With one of the biggest choruses of the year, "Don't Look Back" was her first new song in over a year-and-a-half.
Thank goodness for Carly Rae Jepsen and her dedication to big pop moments. While many of her contemporaries do their downright best to avoid anything remotely approaching a melody, the Canadian singer continues to release uplifting, exuberant music, like "Cut To The Feeling", which was recorded during the sessions for the Emotion album but only ended up seeing the light of day after it was used in animated film Ballerina.
Of course not all pop needs to be happy, as this angst-ridden single from PVRIS proves. The second appearance on this list by the electro-rock trio comprised of singer Lynn Gunn, guitarist Alex Babinski and bass player Brian MacDonald, "What's Wrong" is big on energy, emotion and hooks.
Separately, they've been incredibly consistent performers the past few years, with a combined tally of nine singles in my year-end top 100s between 2013 and 2016. Clearly more powerful together than they've ever been apart, dance acts Duke Dumont and Gorgon City both achieve their highest rank in 2017 with "Real Life", a '90s piano house-influenced track with vocals handled by NAATIONS (the Australian duo comprised of Nat Dunn and Van She's Nicholas Routledge).
If you've flicked through my year-end charts from 1998 to 2001, this should really come as no surprise. Steps took out my number 1 spot in the first three of those years (and were at number 4 in 2001), and given "Scared Of The Dark" didn't venture too far away from their brand of perky pop, it was always going to be odds-on favourite to end up as my favourite song for 2017. And so here it is, with all the elements you'd expect - a slow-to-fast intro, a soaring chorus, nods to ABBA, a key change and the obligatory join-in-at-home dance routine. The best of turn-of-the-millennium pop wrapped in 2017 pop/dance production. Welcome back, Steps.
My top 170 for 2017 in full:
Yep, only 170 songs on the full list this year - let's hope 2018 has more to offer. And you can listen to them all here:
My 25 Years Ago... recaps return on January 10, with the first chart of 1993. If I have time, I'll sneak something else in before then.
1 SCARED
OF THE DARK Steps
2 REAL
LIFE Duke Dumont x Gorgon City featuring NAATIONS
3 WHAT’S
WRONG PVRIS
4 CUT
TO THE FEELING Carly Rae Jepsen
5 DON’T
LOOK BACK Full Of Keys
6 NOW
Grace Mitchell
7 SAY
LOVE Julian Jordan x SJ
8 FIND
YOU Nick Jonas
9 STRANGERS
Halsey featuring Lauren Jauregui
10 MORE
THAN FRIENDS James Hype featuring Kelli-Leigh
11 ROULETTE
Katy Perry
12 ANYWHERE
Rita Ora
13 I WILL LOVE AGAIN Steps
14 LOVE
ME MORE Chase & Status featuring Emeli Sandé
15 DEARLY BELOVED Kiesza
16 ELECTRIC
NIGHTS / PETE HAMMOND MIX Parralox
17 NEW
RULES / INITIAL TALK REMIX Dua Lipa
18 CLOUD
9 Jamiroquai
19 NEON BLUE / ADAM TURNER MIX Steps
20 STAY
UP LATE Monsieur Adi featuring Red
21 I
FEEL ALIVE IMRI
22 MOVE
SLOW Magdalena Bay
23 DANCING
WITH A BROKEN HEART Steps
24 SET
ME OFF Magdalena Bay
25 1UL
Danny L Harle
26 BREAKING
KIND Steve Angello featuring Paul Meany
27 HAIDE
Helena Paparizou
28 GALAXY
Dannii Minogue
29 DISCONNECT Clean Bandit and Marina & The Diamonds
30 MY
CONSEQUENCE Hey Violet
31 SUN
COMES UP Rudimental featuring James Arthur
32 FEEL
THE NIGHT Luxxury
33 DO
IT Rae Morris
34 AUTOMATON
Jamiroquai
35 HOME
Joe Goddard
36 SUPERFRESH Jamiroquai
37 STRANGERS
Sigrid
38 SKELETONS
MY
39 THIS
SUMMER Sigrid Bernson
40 DON’T
TAKE THE MONEY Bleachers
41 FAKE FRIENDS Sigrid
42 WINTER
PVRIS
43 BAD
THINGS Noella Nix
44 LADY
POWERS Vera Blue
45 NOBODY
Niia
46 NO MORE SAD SONGS Little Mix
47 DARK
LOVE Miami Horror featuring Danny Pratt
48 WON’T
SAY TOO MUCH Liv Lovelle
49 BACK IN THE ROOM KLP
50 BEAUTIFUL
LIFE The Sound Of Arrows
51 BURNING
ECHOES Storme
52 OVERNIGHT
Parcels
53 MAN
IN THE MOON LCAW featuring Dagny
54 WHITE
WING DOVE Priest
55 ONE
OF US Nina
56 NEVER
STOP FM-84 featuring Ollie Wride
57 STORY OF A HEART / 7TH HEAVEN MIX Steps
58 ANYMORE
Goldfrapp
59 DON’T
WORRY The Sound Of Arrows
60 SUNROOF
courtship.
61 MOVING ON Roosevelt
62 BACK FOR ME Electric Guest
63 HOT2TOUCH
Felix Jaehn, Hight & Alex Aiono
64 SOUNDING
THE ALARM The Pigeon Detectives
65 SUPERNATURAL
Bright Sparks
66 DIVE
IN KYKO
67 READY
TO GO Hurts
68 LOS
AGELESS St Vincent
69 CLAP
YOUR HANDS Le Youth featuring Ava Max
70 LOVERS StéLouse featuring Brave
71 FEELS Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry
& Big Sean
72 BEAUTIFUL
ONES Hurts
73 CELEBRATE
Sigrid Bernson
74 THE
CURE Lady Gaga
75 EYES
WIDE OPEN Scavenger Hunt
76 ALREADY
THERE ARY
77 SOMEONE
Anna Of The North
78 LOVE
IN RUINS Gryffin featuring Sinead Harnett
79 UNPREDICTABLE
Olly Murs / Louisa Johnson
80 IN
THE WATER Nakita
81 HEAVY
Powers
82 TAKE
ME ON joan
83 CALL
ON ME / RYAN RIBACK REMIX Starley
84 HOPELESS
DREAMS Stockholm Noir
85 IS
YOUR LOVE ENOUGH? Little Mix
86 BOY
LIKE A GIRL Stockholm Noir featuring Ofelia
87 UNCONDITIONAL
Sinead Harnett
88 RIVER
Adrees
89 ISLAND
Stockholm Noir
90 MAKE
YOUR MOVE Ronika
91 SAY
IT TO MY FACE Maty Noyes
92 CROSS
MY MIND A R I Z O N A featuring Kiiara
93 GONE
ionnalee
94 WATERSLIDES
Pixx
95 THIS
MOMENT Chase & Status and Blossoms
96 MOVE
YOUR BODY Sia
97 CHASING
HIGHS / ROOSEVELT MIX Alma
98 DANGEROUS
Glades
99 GAIA
Sacre
100 UNUSUAL
RAC featuring MNDR
101 LOVER
LIKE YOU Rudie Edwards
102 EMPTY
BLOCKINGS Amanda Mair
103 WOULD
YOU MIND PrettyMuch
104 YOUR
SONG Rita Ora
105 CRUEL
SUMMER Daniella Mason
106 POWER
Little Mix featuring Stormzy
107 TECHNO
PARTIES Lustgas
108 SOS
LKA
109 LONELY
TOGETHER Avicii featuring Rita Ora
110 OUT
OF MY HEAD Loote
111 ATLETICO
(THE ONLY ONE) Rae Morris
112 THERE
FOR YOU Eves Karydas
113 I
KNOW Aly & AJ
114 I
NEED YOU Luxxury
115 THE
CALL Sacre
116 GOLD
ANGEL (SAVOIR ADORE MIX) Minke
117 GOOD
TIMES KLP
118 ON
MY MIND Disciples
119 HEARTLINE
Craig David
120 TOKYO
joan
121 DON’T
YOU FEEL IT Sub Focus featuring ALMA
122 HUMAN
NATURE Paperwhite
123 YOURS
Now, Now
124 HOLD
ON Flor
125 CRYING
ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR Muna
126 TEASE
Ralph
127 CRYBABY
Paloma Faith
128 LOVE
YOU LIKE THAT Dagny
129 HIGH
ON ME Guy Sebastian
130 LOVE
SO SOFT Kelly Clarkson
131 I
CAN’T GO ON Robin Bengtsson
132 WARRIORS
Tigertown
133 WALK
AWAY Le Youth
134 JEALOUSY
Disciples
135 GRAB
THE MOMENT JOWST
136 IMPOSSIBLE
Steve Lipson featuring Avec Sans
137 RUNNING
BACK TO YOU Bright Light Bright Light with Elton John
138 WE
ARE Avec Sans
139 SWEET
DREAMS BØRNS
140 PHYSICAL
The Aces
141 WHAT
ABOUT US Pink
142 SYMPHONY
Clean Bandit featuring Zara Larsson
143 GLOW
IN THE DARK Force Major
144 CHAINED
TO THE RHYTHM Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley
145 DYING
TO KNOW Tegan & Sara
146 PLOT
TWIST Sigrid
147 CASTLE
ON THE HILL Ed Sheeran
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 THE
MAN The Killers
157 THERE’S
NOTHING HOLDIN’ ME BACK Shawn Mendes
158 HIGHER
GROUND Roland Tings featuring Nylo
159 FAKE
MAGIC Peking Duk and AlunaGeorge
160 LIONS
IN THE NIGHT Julia Bergwall
161 GREEN
LIGHT Lorde
162 17
MK
163 SILENCE
Marshmello featuring Khalid
164 GIANTS
Take That
165 BEAUTIFUL
TRAUMA Pink
166 LOST
IN YOUR LIGHT Dua Lipa featuring Miguel
167 FRIENDS
Justin Bieber and BloodPop®
168 ISSUES
Julia Michaels
169 WANT
YOU BACK Haim
170 FIRST
TIME Kygo featuring Ellie Goulding
Yep, only 170 songs on the full list this year - let's hope 2018 has more to offer. And you can listen to them all here:
My 25 Years Ago... recaps return on January 10, with the first chart of 1993. If I have time, I'll sneak something else in before then.
MY YEAR-END CHARTS
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