If I like a song, I’m going to listen to it a lot. It’s part of how my brain works. I like deconstructing music and figuring out how it ticks. The best songs hold up under such deconstruction.

I can’t say there were many songs in 2012 that held up to such scrutiny, but I can say these 12 did, no problem. It’s a good blend of indie and mainstream, with a little YouTube humor thrown in for flavoring.

Here are the Best Songs of 2012. You can jump to the fourth page for a YouTube playlist of all the songs.

Honorable Mentions:

bestsongsof2012honorablementions Best Songs of 2012

  • Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra, “Bottomfeeder”
  • Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”
  • Fiona Apple, “Hot Knife”
  • MIA, “Bad Girls”
  • Reformed Whores, “Rush Limbaugh Calls Sandra Fluke a Slut: Response”
  • Willam Belli featuring Detox and Vicky Vox, “Chow Down (At Chik-fil-A)”