Best of 2013: Music Top 5

Everyone has different taste in music. I like to consider myself pretty open to any genre of music. I am not a Top Radio purest or a hipster who only likes bands with names like Quiet Wombats or Wind and Dust. I'm pretty sure those aren't real bands, but they sounded like some underground acoustic creation. Anyway, here is my breakdown of my favorite songs (in no particular order), including radio hits and more.

1) Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

I included the shortened version because ain't nobody got time for that long version. Many people heard this song occupy their favorite radio stations late spring and well through summer. After a while many became tired of this song. However this never came true for myself. Maybe it is because I started listening to the song before it was on the radio or the fact that I chose to listen to the song on repeat. Whatever the case, I never became weary of the great beat behind the music or nailing the harmonies during the chorus. "Vacancy that sat in my he-art" was the ultimate fulfillment when singing harmony. Regardless of whether you liked the song or not, it was everywhere and was an amazing song after a long hiatus from Justin. Therefore, it is on my list.

2) Love Somebody - Maroon 5

This song is my jam. When I need to cheer up, this is my go to song. "Love Somebody" was also on the radio, yet somehow was not as overplayed as "Mirrors". There are so many elements that make this song a treasure. The song itself has an awesome driving rhythm that just makes you want to dance. And the beat only gets better when the chorus kicks in. To add to the amazing song the video is pretty inventive. The use of blue paint and computers created a very cool effect.

3) Ed Sheeran - Lego House

This song is actually two years old, but it was released in the US in February of 2013. After the popularity of "A-Team", "Lego House" was the second single released off of his album "+". This song is simple and lovely. Ed Sheeran has a unique style and this song captures a vulnerability that is very refreshing.

4) Ho Hey (Cover) - Lennon & Maisy

Some of you may recognize the sister duo Lennon & Maisy either from their acapella cover of Robyn's "Call Your Girlfriend" or from the hit TV show Nashville. These sisters proved their talent again with their phenomenal harmonies in their cover of "Ho Hey". In my opinion this cover is better than the original. Their tight harmonies are very impressive, especially coming from such a young duo. If you haven't heard it yet, you need to push play right now.

5) Say Something - A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera

This song came out as a free download on iTunes back in October. Then A Great Big World teamed up with Christina Aguilera to reboot the song and suddenly the song catapulted into a top hit. I love the broken down vibe and simplicity including Christina's less poppy vocals. The song has such a chilling feel and definitely deserves the attention it is receiving.

This year had such a wide range in music and there are so many more wonderful songs, but these five songs I felt provided variety and were some of my favorites.