Let's hop back in with
Number 97:
Miguel - Adorn
When I first heard Miguel on the radio (back in 2011) I didn't really like him. Sure Thing and Quickie weren't my cup of tea. Adorn is a much better track. I think his singing is better than it was 2 years ago. Adorn is nothing special on the lyrical front, but it's refreshing to have a song that is about celebrating your woman, even telling her that you will defend her if push comes to shove. I wouldn't say this is among my favorite songs of the year, but I can add this to the "wouldn't skip it" list.
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Number 96:
Kip Moore - Somethin' 'Bout A Truck
Before starting the song, it was clear this was going to be a stereotypical pop-country crap record. A truck, a farm, a beer, and a girl. This is the country song that people make up in their head when they make fun of country music.
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Number 95:
Lee Brice - Hard to Love
Another country song? A song of contrition that is a few word changes away from the contemporary Christian charts. I think my issue with contemporary country music is that it sounds so over produced and clean. Compare this and the prior country songs on this chart to even Johnny Cash's cover songs, and there's this edge and grit missing. Current country songs study a song writing playbook, throw in a few buzz words, and make their money. They didn't live anything worth talking about. In pop music, that's expected and acceptable, but in country music you need a story. This crap doesn't cut it on a quality level.
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Number 94:
Rihanna - Diamonds
The first of many appearances on this chart by Rihanna. There's a reason this one
is so low on the list. Slow and dull, Diamonds is just boring, truly showing Rihanna's merely so-so voice. Personally, the pronunciation on the "shine bright like a diamond" portion just bugs me, and it's repeated over and over. To make it extra worse, listen to the remix with Kanye West. His douchiness is on exemplary display.
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Number 93:
Luke Bryan - I Don't Want This Night To End
More pop country, though this singer sounds a little different than the previous pop singers on this list. He's such a rebel too! Listen to him telling the girl she looks "so damn hot"... oh my! The chorus is pretty bad, and the singer looks to be another pretty boy pop country singer. It's not terrible, but it's just so generic. I'll give it one point of credit though, at least it's not about beer!
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Number 92:
Ca$h Out - Cashin' Out
This song helped bring me out of semi-retirement. Prior to these Billboard entries, this was one of three posts in 2012. I think I adequately covered it here.
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Number 91:
Imagine Dragons - It's Time
I've seen Twitter rumblings about this song, but this is my first spin of this single. Initial reactions are good. A kind of bouncy, interesting track sound, which contrasts nicely with the vocal style of the lead singer. The track gives off a very Killers vibe, while retaining a unique enough style. The band name sounds like it should belong to a fantasy metal band. This is easily my favorite track of the 9 I've listened to so far at the bottom of the Billboard list.
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Number 90:
Havana Brown - We Run the Night (feat. Pitbull)
Here in a featured appearance is Pitbull. I don't know of anyone who actually likes this guy, and yet he appears on mega popular records constantly. With his DJ Khaled-esque shouts over the top of the track, we're launched into a crappy techno/trance beat and non-descript from Havana Brown, an artist who I'm sure we'll never see again, a forgettable one and done, who will only be remembered for helping Pitbull show up on the charts one more time in 2012.
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