Recap: Best Singles of the Fall (So Far)

Fall seems to be making up for the downright lack of real excitement in the music industry this year. As soon as the weather cooled down, the charts got hot as some of the new era's biggest chart toppers unleashed some mega hits. Here's a list of our favorite songs this autumn, and what makes them so great. I'll even been nice and post some of the cooler videos.

"One More Night" by Maroon 5

Even though I'm disappointed in the sharp turn the band has made toward bubblegum pop, I can't be mad at them for finally finding a way to snatch up some #1 singles. I wasn't a fan of "Jagger" or "Payphone," but "One More Night" seems a little less contrived and a little more funky with an almost No Doubt-ish quality.

The song reached the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 list.

"Madness" by Muse

This is one of those songs when you hear the first five seconds and you immediately think, "what kind of iconic slayage?" Seriously, the vibrating bassline in this song alone is enough to turn a nuclear missle into dust. The beautiful vocals just add to greatness and really show a bit of one-upsmanship towards Fun, even if the harmonies are a lot shorter.

"Die Young" by Ke$ha

The anticipation for this song almost drove me to murder. I've come to expect nothing from greatness from Ke$ha, which is saying a lot, considering I once hated everything she stood for. Essentially the anti-pop starlet, Ke$ha has now solidified herself as a pop princess and "Die Young" is the inaugural speech to her Animal Kingdom.

"Va va Voom" by Nicki Minaj

I'm still upset that this wasn't released immediately after "Starships," but it's not like the song isn't destined for chart greatness and surely a new peak for Nicki Minaj on the Hot 100."Va Va Voom" is Roman Reloaded's "Superbass," with an almost identical composition, formulated with some top notch pop writing and infused with sexy underlying urban beat. Fingers cross that this becomes one of the biggest songs of the year.

"Clique" by Kanye West, Jay-Z and Big Sean

It may not be as thunderously bass-heavy or witty as "Mercy," but it's definitely the best hip-hop song on radio right now. The song uses some fun pop techniques that's helped it manage a small splash while crossing over to other charts.

"Sweet Nothing" by Calvin Harris & Florence Welch

Florence Welch is some king of vocal goddess and Calvin Harris is having a remarkable year. It's a given that a collaboration between the two would end up being one of the best dance songs of the year. What I find most interesting about this song is that I can imagine almost any other female vocalist in Florence's place; Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Sia and even Beyoncé. Though any of those artists could have potentially made the song more popular, I doubt it'd have the same soulful feeling as Florence gives. It'd just be a shouting match. Florence wins with this song.

"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift

I absolutely hate Taylor Swift... but this song fucking slays! You can't sit in your car and hear this song without closing your eyes and imagining yourself on the VMA stage with a prissy strut as you perform this song like your life depended on it. (I do not recommend anyone do that, if you do, don't blame us when you're dead.) This is just one of those undeniably great pop tunes that people will be singing for years.

"Anything Could Happen" by Ellie Goulding

Ellie Goulding is no one's pop princess, but there's something about her and her music that makes her impossible to ignore. It's been a couple of years and I still can't figure it out. I just know that I listen to this song in anticipation of her shouting, "I know it's gonna be!" a few times, and manage to catch life like it's my first time hearing it, every.Single.TIME! I wish more pop artists would record songs like this.

"Diamonds" by Rihanna

Yes, Rihanna! This is it! This is what I was hoping for during Talk That Talk. This is the kind of evolution expected from an artist who's on their 7th album. "Diamonds" is not only Rihanna's best song (exlcluding "Where Have You Been") since "What's My Name," it's one of the best singles of 2012, period.

"Gangam Style" by Psy

Dare you disagree? Looking to be the greatest one-hit-wonder in ages, "Gangam Style" is so fucking catchy that no one even notices that it's not in English. 

"Losing You" by Solange

A lot of people still sleep on Solange, and that's really unfortunate, because she proved with her Sol-Angel album that she's really found her own niche and mastered it. "Losing You" is just another notch in her belt of a catalog of songs that trump most artists attempts of a retro-90s sound. The only thing I don't get is why the single cover is a yellow square.

What are your favorite songs of fall so far? Mad Christina isn't on the list? What songs did we list that shouldn't be there? Let us know in the comments!