The Top 100 Songs From 2012

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What a year 2012 was, the music style that was about to define the decade was kicking in, so let’s take a look at the billboard top 100 from 2012.

Oh, and, seeing as Christmas is just around the corner – why not learn some easy Christmas tunes for guitar? Don’t worry, we have you covered.

The Top 100 Songs From 2012

  1. Someone That I used to Know – Gotye feat. Kimbra
    This song was everywhere back in 2012. And not just in 2012, it was constantly playing on the radio for years. You couldn’t get 5 minutes away from this song. No, seriously. Each store you’d go into – had this playing on the radio, each bar. Hell, even your auto mechanic had it playing in his shop. Sadly, this turned out to be one of those “one-hit wonder” songs, because after this song Gotye completely disappeared from the public view and has yet to reappear.
  2. Call me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen 
    The 2nd most popular song of 2012 was Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. I remember, everyone was singing this one: Girls, boys, your grandparents, maybe even your dog? It was that catchy! Even if you give it a listen today, it still sounds great… and it’s still catchy! You’d be going somewhere and you’d start humming the melody of this song because it was stuck in your head.
  3. We Are Young – Fun feat. Janelle Monae
    I’ll be honest. I don’t really remember this song from that era. The other tracks were always catchier than this one. Still, it’s a good tune. Definitely earning its spot.
  4. Payphone – Maroon 5 feat. Wiza Khalifa
    The first rock song on this list. Well, “rock” song. That is if you’re willing to accept that pop-rock is a valid genre of rock, of course. I remember a lot of my friends who are also musicians were singing this to their girlfriends… ah, teenage years.
  5. Lights – Ellie Goulding 
    This one was a club hit back in 2012. You couldn’t go into a nightclub that didn’t have this song playing at least once in the course of the night. Understandable though, as it’s a pretty catchy tune, reminiscent of the previous decade – while also ushering in the sound of the current decade. Honestly, one of the more influential songs of the era.
  6. Glad You Came – The Wanted 
    This song was what the summer sounded like in 2012. It really makes you reminisce of happier times at the beach, enjoying the company of your friends and a refreshing drink in hand. A cool tune all around.
  7. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson 
    Stronger is an anthem for everyone who’s been downtrodden in life by someone else. It can be an abusive partner or a toxic relationship in general. Even if you struggled with yourself in the past, this song is for you. Motivational and uplifting, deserving its spot definitely.
  8. We Found Love – Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris 
    Another song on this list that lasted for years. This song had quite a long lifespan, being the subject of many remixes, covers, etc. You could hear it being played and circulating years down the line.
  9. Starships – Nicky Minaj 
    One of Nicky’s earliest hits. It’s a song that gave us a taste of what’s about to come from Nicky’s later career. It’s no wonder Nicky was the queen of rap in the 2010s – and it’s also no wonder why she’s still going strong. Quality lasts.
  10. What Makes you Beautiful – One Direction
    One Direction was the boy band of the decade. They were everywhere, and so was this song. It kept circulating the radio waves for months on at an end, which is surprising why the Billboards top 100s put them at the 10th spot. Personally, I believe it should have been higher. It’s a tune that perfectly captures the era.
  11. Wild Ones – Flo Rida Feat. Sia
  12. Set Fire to the Rain – Adele
  13. Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO
  14. Some Nights – Fun
  15. Wide Awake – Katy Perry
  16. Good Feeling – Flo Rida
  17. Whistle – Flo Rida
  18. One More Night – Maroon 5
  19. Drive By – Train
  20. The Motto – Drake feat. Lil Wayne
  21. Where Have You Been – Rihanna
  22. Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
  23. Take Care – Drake feat. Rihanna
  24. Titanium – David Guetta feat. Sia
  25. I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
  26. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
  27. Mercy – Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chains
  28. Boyfriend – Justin Bieber
  29. Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett and GoonRock
  30. Too Close – Alex Clare
  31. Part of Me – Katy Perry
  32. Young, Wild & Free – Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa feat. Bruno Mars
  33. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
  34. As Long as You Love Me – Justin Bieber feat. Big Sean
  35. Turn Me on – Davin Guetta feat. Nicky Minaj
  36. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
  37. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) – Pink
  38. Good Time – Own City  and Carly Rae Jepsen
  39. Give Your Heart a Break – Demi Lovato
  40. Niggas in Paris – Jay-Z and Kanye West
  41. The One That Got Away – Katy Perry
  42. Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
  43. Someone Like You – Adele
  44. Scream – Usher
  45. Rack City – Tyga
  46. Domino – Jessie J
  47. Gangnam Style – Psy
  48. International Love – Pitbull feat. Chris Brown
  49. Home – Phillip Phillips
  50. Without You – David Guetta feat. Usher
  51. Ass Back Home – Gym Class Heroes feat. Neon Hitch
  52. Wanted – Hunter Hayes
  53. Drunk on You – Luke Bryan
  54. No Lie – 2 Chains feat. Drake
  55. Want U Back – Cher Lloyd
  56. Don’t Wake Me Up – Christ Brown
  57. Dance (A$$) – Bean Sean feat. Nicky Minaj
  58. Springsteen – Eric Church
  59. Brokenhearted  – Karmin
  60. Not Over You – Gavin DeGraw
  61. Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Heroes Feat. Adam Levine
  62. Back in Time – Pitbull
  63. Work Out – J. Cole
  64. Rumor Has It – Adele
  65. Let’s Go – Calvin Harris feat. Ne-Yo
  66. Good Girl – Carrie Underwood
  67. Pontoon – Little Big Town
  68. Ho Hey – The Lumineers
  69. Paradise – Coldplay
  70. Blown Away – Carrie Underwood
  71. Rolling in the Deep – Adele
  72. Climax – Usher
  73. Work Hard, Play Hard – Wiz Khalifa
  74. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) – Ne-Yo
  75. Pound the Alarm – Nicky Minaj
  76. Come Over – Kenny Chesney
  77. Heart Attack – Trey Songs
  78. Drink in My Cup – Kirko Bangz
  79. Birthday Cake – Rihanna feat. Chris Brown
  80. So Good – B.o.B
  81. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye – Train
  82. Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith
  83. Love You Like a Love Song – Selena Gomez & the Scene
  84. Turn Up the Music – Christ Brown
  85. Die Young – Kesha
  86. 5 O’Clock – T-Pain feat. Wiz Khalifa and Lily Allen
  87. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
  88. Take a Little Ride – Jason Aldean
  89. You da One – Rihanna
  90. We Run the Night – Havana Brown feat. Pitbull
  91. It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
  92. Cashin’ Out – Cash Out
  93. I Don’t Want This Night to End – Luke Bryan
  94. Diamonds – Rihanna
  95. Hard to Love – Lee Brice
  96. Somethin’ Bout a Truck – Kip Moore
  97. Adorn – Miguel
  98. Fly Over States – Jason Aldean
  99. Even If It Breaks Your Heart – Eli Young Band
  100. Burn it Down – Linkin Park

Finishing Comments

That’s the list. A lot of certified classics definitely, and even more surprises. One that even got me was “Gangnam Style” being placed so low. That song influenced the world so much in 2012 and later on, it opened the gates for K-Pop to enter the world scene in the years to come. Quite literally, Psy walked, so that BTS could run.

Another surprise for me was LMFAO being placed so low, that one was definitely unexpected. LMFAO was “the thing” back in the day. Real shame how they ended up. That’s what family drama does after all.

On the topic of 100s. If you’re a guitarist, you might want to check out our list of 100 easy rock songs for guitar, you just might be inspired to learn one of the songs.

Oh, and if you’ve ever wondered how Billboard figures out which songs belong on the annual top 100 list. This is how. They calculate the information they get from Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems and from SoundScan. And at the end of the year, they sum all of that up in a handy list of 100 tracks.

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