Welcome back, BU! It’s been quite the summer for hit singles, new releases and superstar collaborations. This summer Pharrell ruled the charts, Justin and Jay Z teamed up for an incredible tour and Miley Cyrus made headlines while coming of age in the spotlight. All the while great music was being made and played with the windows down and the volume turned all the way up.
For my first Monday Music Notes of the school year I’ve created a master list of what I think were the hits of summer 2013. Plus, I’ve also compiled a (much shorter!) list of my six favorite albums of this past summer and why you should take a listen to them all. Also, “sorry but not sorry” to the fans of One Direction for not including “Best Song Ever” on this list…but contrary to what VMA voters decided I do not think that was the song of the summer. Although, yes, those boys are definitely swoon-worthy! Replay your favorite moments of the summer with the following playlist and gear up for some more Monday Music Notes!
Summer’s Hit Singles:
- Robin Thicke ft. T.I. & Pharrell- “Blurred Lines”
- Miley Cyrus- “We Can’t Stop”
- Ariana Grande ft. Mac Miller- “The Way”
- Jason Derulo- “The Other Side”
- Fantasia ft. Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliott- “Without Me”
- J. Cole ft. TLC- “Crooked Smile”
- Imagine Dragons- “Radioactive”
- Maroon 5- “Love Somebody”
- Selena Gomez- “Come And Get It”
- Bruno Mars- “Treasure”
- Mario ft. Nicki Minaj- “Somebody Else”
- Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding- “I Need Your Love”
- Justin Timberlake- “Take Back The Night”
- Kanye West- “New Slaves”
- Daft Punk ft. Pharrell- “Get Lucky”
- Miguel- “How Many Drinks?”
- Demi Lovato- “Made In The USA”
- P!nk ft. Nate Ruess- “Just Give Me A Reason”
- Ciara ft. Nicki Minaj- “I’m Out”
- Justin Timberlake- “Mirrors”
- Miguel ft. Mariah Carey- “#Beautiful”
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Mary Lambert- “Same Love”
- Imagine Dragons- “Demons”
- Drake- “Started From The Bottom”
- Rihanna ft. David Guetta- “Right Now”
- J. Cole ft. Miguel- “Power Trip”
- Maroon 5- “Daylight”
- Demi Lovato- “Heart Attack”
- B.o.B ft. 2 Chainz- “Headband”
- Jay Z ft. Justin Timberlake- “Holy Grail”
Best Albums of Summer 2013:
Jay Z- Magna Carta… Holy Grail
- You know: “Holy Grail,” “Tom Ford”
- You need to know: “Part II (On The Run) [Feat. Beyoncé],” “F*ckWithMeYouKnowIGotIt (feat. Rick Ross)”
Justin Timberlake- The 20/20 Experience
- You know: “Suit & Tie,” “Mirrors”
- You need to know: “Pusher Love Girl,” “Tunnel Vision”
Kanye West- Yeezus
- You know: “Blood On The Leaves,” “New Slaves”
- You need to know: “Bound 2,” “Send It Up”
J. Cole- Born Sinner
- You know: “Power Trip,” “Crooked Smile”
- You need to know: “New York Times,” “Sparks Will Fly”
Demi Lovato- Demi
- You know: “Heart Attack,” “Made In The USA”
- You need to know: “Warrior,” “Really Don’t Care”
Selena Gomez- Stars Dance
- You know: “Come & Get It,” “Slow Down”
- You need to know: “Birthday,” “Save The Day”
New Music:
- Lady Gaga- “Applause”
- Eminem- “Bezerk”
- Drake ft. Majid Jordan- “Hold On We’re Going Home”
- Bruno Mars- “Gorilla”
- Lorde- “Royals”
- Katy Perry- “Roar”
- Robin Thicke ft. Kendrick Lamar & 2 Chainz- “Give It 2 U (Remix)”
- Chris Brown ft. Nicki Minaj- “Love More”
- John Legend- “All of Me”
- Miley Cyrus- “Wrecking Ball”