Summer Music Recap: Hits, Misses, the Reign of Iggy Azalea

As the fall season draws near, the music of summer plays on into its final weeks. Following previous years’ smash hits like “California Gurls” or “Call Me Maybe,” artists put their best material forward in hopes of claiming the “song of the summer” title. The following is Summer 2014’s recap from the hits to the misses.

HITS		MISSES

Hit #10: “Classic” - MKTO: Former Nickelodeon actors Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller brought back the rap/sung collaboration that has done well in past years. (67,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #10: “Maps” - Maroon 5: Following the success of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger,” the band released “Maps,” a track entirely too busy and overproduced. (37,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #9: “Am I Wrong” - Nico & Vinz: From Norway, the first song of many overseas imports, “Am I Wrong” delivers a pounding downbeat guitar line featured on many of the summer’s biggest hits. (128,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #9: “Magic” - Coldplay: Lead single “Magic” showcases an unnecessarily depressing and artistic style that doesn’t fit within the band’s wheelhouse. (99,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #8: “Love Runs Out” - OneRepublic: With frontman Ryan Tedder taking over lyrics, melody and production by himself, the band releases the perfect track to usher out its “Native” era. (28,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #8: “This is How We Roll (Remix)” - Florida Georgia Line (feat. Jason Derulo and Luke Bryan): Though Florida Georgia Line remixed the former hit to market it to more audiences, Jason Derulo essentially ruins the track. (1,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #7: “Summer” - Calvin Harris: DJ Calvin Harris held his own with another dance hit about nothing else but summer itself. (145,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #7: “Ride” - SoMo: Songs about sex normally do well over the summer, but SoMo’s oddly direct approach and not-so-family-friendly lyrics push the envelope a little too far. (14,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #6: “Bang Bang” - Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj: The return of Jessie J was strong as she and fellow pop superstars produced a track that brings back memories of 2001’s “Lady Marmalade.” (8,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #6: “Raging Fire” - Phillip Phillips: The problem with this track is the fact that it sounds exactly like Phillips’ former hit “Home.” (3,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #5: “Stay With Me” - Sam Smith: British newcomer Smith raced out of the gate with the choir-backed “Stay With Me.” (57,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #5: “Sight of the Sun” - fun.: Nate Ruess and the band have fallen into a slump with this single. (1,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #4: “She Looks So Perfect” - 5 Seconds of Summer: The Australian anti-boy band made it clear they are not the new One Direction with this punk rock inspired ear worm. (47,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #4: “Wiggle” - Jason Derulo (feat. Snoop Dogg): Derulo continues to work his new bad-boy angle on another track. (80,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #3: “Rude” - MAGIC!: Bringing back reggae is a daunting task, yet Canadian band MAGIC! managed to do so, with this beach-ready tune. (74,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #3: “Anaconda” - Nicki Minaj: Since Minaj has been forced to borrow the melody, hook and bridge of “Baby Got Back” on her new material, safely assume she has run out of ideas. (1,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #2: “Problem” - Ariana Grande (feat. Iggy Azalea): The saxophone was prominent throughout the summer, but none more than on Grande’s “Problem.” (101,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #2: “Me and My Broken Heart” - Rixton: Never has a band taken the quality sound and style of bands like Maroon 5 and made it into a whiny, obnoxious mess quite like Rixton. (39,000,000+ plays on Spotify)
Hit #1: “Fancy” - Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli XCX): Australian ex-model Iggy Azalea was the clear breakout star of Summer 2014. “Fancy” has grossed more than $4.1 million and served as the summer’s largest crossover hit. (105,000,000+ plays on Spotify)		Miss #1: “All About That Bass” - Meghan Trainor: For a track that preaches loving your size, it naturally shames skinny people and essentially throws the hate that larger people have been given right back at the thinner community. (11,000,000+ plays on Spotify)

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