This time last year, two tunes sat deadlocked in the battle to achieve the coveted "song of the summer" title: "Blurred Lines" [11] by Robin Thicke, T.I. and Pharrell and "Get Lucky" [12] by Daft Punk, Nile Rogers and Pharrell. Though both utilized undeniably catchy hooks and leg-shaking rhythms, "Get Lucky" emerged the clear winner, especially given Thicke's unfortunately misogynistic way with words. (The real winner, of course, was Pharrell himelf.)
Our 2014 song of the summer, though, was clear right from the middle of May when it began blowing up. Whether you call it trendy, swanky or just plain fun, it's important to call it what it is — fancy.
While the rest of these picks didn't clinch the top spot, they're all worthy in their own ways. Just give a listen to find out why.
5. "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone
Yes, this song came out in 1974, but 2014 saw it creep back into the pop culture parlance thanks to a little space dance by Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy [13]. Quill's mixtape was stuffed with '70s pop gold, but none capture the essence of summer quite like "Come and Get Your Love." Just try to deny the call-and-response "hey" vocals and the bouncy, singalong chorus. No, seriously; try it. That's right. You can't.
4. "Do You" by Spoon
Spoon [14] came back with a vengeance this summer after a four-year absence. Nowhere is this more evident than on "Do You," the propulsive fourth track from the band's excellent new LP, They Want My Soul. Complaints about not being able to dance to this song are just plain wrong. In fact, "Do You" harkens back to the age of jukebox rock 'n' roll where this was the only thing you could dance to. Shake your hips, shimmy your shoulders and enjoy.
3. "Can't Do Without You" by Caribou
You might sleep through the early part of this song, and it would be understandable. But you'll want to wake up around the three-minute mark to hear the way Caribou [15]'s Dan Snaith resolves his mess of warbled, loopy vocals into a grand neon carousel of Day-Glo club fury. "Can't Do Without You" is like so many lazy summers spent sloppily on the couch, procrastinating until late August when school's imminent approach beckons you to cram an entire season of fun into a few days. Doesn't that always make for some lasting memories?
2. "Seasons (Waiting on You)" by Future Islands
Released in snowy winter and now comfortably receding into autumn, "Seasons" is as time-spanning as its title suggests. The song hit its highest peak after a spirited March appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, but the band rode that wave well into July. Synth pop today has better practitioners, though few have made the passing of time sound as funky and fun as Future Islands [16]. Samuel T. Herring repeatedly sings, "I've been waiting on you," but it was really us that were waiting on a song like this.
1. "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX
Cultural appropriation aside, what self-respecting music fan can resist Ms. Azalea [17]'s jumbo jet-sized swagger? At first, the blonde Aussie's urban dialect seems to make her a paradox. The song, however, speaks for itself. Booming bass, resounding title hook, invincible attitude — the ingredients are all here. Let's give props where props are due and say "Fancy" wouldn't strike as hard without Charli XCX [18]'s astounding chorus delivery. But I-G-G-Y delivers the goods in the verses, landing punch after punch of the kind of hip-hop hubris typically reserved for the boys (Nicki Minaj aside). Cher Horowitz would be proud.
We realize that our ultimate windows-down tunes might be totally different than yours. So, tell us: What was your favorite song of summer 2014?
