2012 was the first year that I — 15 years old at the time — really kept up with current music. My iPod at the time was full of music made well before my time, and by the end of 2012, a lot of the music you’ll see on this list had found its way into the rotation. Beach House, Chromatics, and Tame Impala expanded my horizons on what guitar music should sound like; Todd Terje, Burial, and TNGHT showed how electronic music can be as captivating as any other genre; Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and Carly Rae Jepsen convinced me that pop music wasn’t shallow and obnoxious; Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and Fiona Apple proved that albums can be released in my lifetime that rival the best of any era. Most of these 75 songs I can remember hearing for the first time in 2012; some came a bit later. Either way, they represent the best of what music had to offer just 10 years ago.
75. DIIV – “How Long Have You Known”
74. Rick Ross (ft. Drake & French Montana) – “Stay Schemin”
73. Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents”
72. Cat Power – “Ruin”
71. Danny Brown – “Grown Up”
70. Tegan and Sara – “Closer”
69. Kanye West (ft. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz) – “Mercy”
68. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Only in My Dreams”
67. A$AP Rocky (ft. Drake, 2 Chainz & Kendrick Lamar) – “F**kin’ Problems”
66. Lower Dens – “Brains”
65. Miguel – “Do You…”
64. Liars – “No. 1 Against the Rush”
63. Hot Chip – “Flutes”
62. Cloud Nothings – “Stay Useless”
61. Major Lazer (ft. Amber Coffman) – “Get Free”
60. Andy Stott – “Numb”
59. Savages – “Husbands”
58. Passion Pit – “Constant Conversations”
57. Parquet Courts – “Stoned and Starving”
56. Purity Ring – “Fineshrine”
55. Kendrick Lamar (ft. MC Eiht) – “m.A.A.d. city”
54. Father John Misty – “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”
53. CHVRCHES – “The Mother We Share”
52. Grizzly Bear – “Sleeping Ute”
51. Earl Sweatshirt – “Chum”
50. Nicki Minaj (ft. 2 Chainz) – “Beez in the Trap”
49. Jessie Ware – “Running (Disclosure Remix)”
48. Dirty Projectors – “Swing Lo Magellan”
47. ScHoolboy Q – “There He Go”
46. Rhye – “The Fall”
45. Ab-Soul – “The Book of Soul”
44. Fiona Apple – “Werewolf”
43. Chief Keef – “Love Sosa”
42. Burial – “Kindred”
41. Jeremih – “773 Love”
40. Rich Kidz (ft. Waka Flocka Flame) – “My Life”
39. Killer Mike (ft. Bun B, T.I. & Trouble) – “Big Beast”
38. Chairlift – “I Belong in Your Arms”
37. Tame Impala – “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
36. Future – “Turn on the Lights”
35. Taylor Swift – “Red”
34. Andrés – “New for U”
33. Lana Del Rey – “Summertime Sadness”
32. Usher – “Climax”
31. Grimes – “Genesis”
30. Odd Future – “Oldie”
29. Nicki Minaj – “Come on a Cone”
28. Jessie Ware – “If You’re Never Gonna Move”
27. Chromatics – “Kill for Love”
26. Kendrick Lamar – “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
25. TNGHT – “Higher Ground”
24. Japandroids – “The House That Heaven Built”
23. Icona Pop (ft. Charli XCX) – “I Love It”
22. Tame Impala – “Apocalypse Dreams”
21. Jai Paul – “Jasmine”
20. Blawan – “Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?”
19. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
18. Death Grips – “I’ve Seen Footage”
17. Meek Mill – “Dreams and Nightmares“
16. Beach House – “Myth”
15. Mac DeMarco – “Ode to Viceroy”
14. M.I.A. – “Bad Girls”
13. Bat for Lashes – “Laura”
12. Disclosure (ft. Sam Smith) – “Latch”
11. Frank Ocean – “Pyramids”
10. Taylor Swift – “All Too Well”
9. Todd Terje – “Inspector Norse”
8. Miguel – “Adorn”
7. Solange – “Losing You”
6. Fiona Apple – “Every Single Night”
5. Kendrick Lamar – “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”
4. Chief Keef (ft. Lil Reese) – “I Don’t Like”
3. Frank Ocean – “Thinkin Bout You”
2. Sky Ferreira – “Everything Is Embarrassing”
1. Grimes – “Oblivion”
Bitter Melodies 