My Favorite Songs of 2014

If I really wanted to, I could come up with some post about the New Year and making resolutions and goal setting and stuff. I’m all for those things, but to be honest, there’s already a lot written out there by people who are far wiser than myself.

So let’s not do that. Let’s talk about something we all love: music.There’s no musically talented bone in my body, but I love music. If you ever pass me on the road, there’s a 98.35% chance you’ll see me jamming out to something and looking ridiculous in the process.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll hear a song you haven’t heard in a while and you’re instantly transported back in time to whenever you first heard it. It’s funny how what we hear can be so closely linked with our memory.

That’s one of the biggest reasons that I love music. It stores up our experiences and captures new ones. Before you know it, you have your own personal life soundtrack.

So what did you listen to in 2014? What were your favorites? Here are just a few of mine:

 

Ba55 – Switchfoot

“I want a fire that can burn me clean.”

This song has one of the most infectious bass lines you will ever hear. It sounds nothing like anything Switchfoot has ever done before, and it fits well on their latest album Fading West. I listened to this song quite a bit back in the spring.

 

This is How We Roll – Florida Georgia Line

“Windows tinted hard to see doe. How fresh my baby is in the shotgun seat-o.”

Before you write me off as a redneck with no musical taste whatsoever, hear me out! My roommates and I love to make fun of this song. The lyrics are ridiculous and they’ve created a lot of inside jokes between us. When we’re all in a car together, we turn it up and obnoxiously sing at the top of our lungs. We even make snapchat stories of it sometimes.

 

Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan

“Nobody’s ever taught you how to live out on the street and now you’re gonna have to get used to it.”

Yes, I know I’m about 50 years late on this one. This past year I went on a 60s kick- particularly the Beatles and Bob Dylan. This song is listed by Rolling Stone magazine as the #1 song of all time. I can see why. For it’s time, song writing like this was groundbreaking. Not to mention the entire song, every instrument and vocal, was recorded in one single take. With no auto-tune or multi-track recording, it took legitimate talent to make it big back then.

 

No One Higher – Seth Condrey

“Let my life forever praise the glory of your name.”

I enjoy pretty much every worship song out there, but this one is a major stand out for me. I’m not really sure why. Perhaps because it’s simply a song of praise- being amazed and astounded.

 

Say I Won’t – Lecrae (feat. Andy Mineo)

“I might do it just to show you.”

Lecrae dropped his latest album, Anomaly, this past year and it’s awesome. I really love this song, in particular. Lyrically, it’s half-humor, half-serious and has a sweet bass kick. It’s a song about being different and intentionally not fitting in. Living out your purpose, taking risks, and embracing the awkwardness. It’s my favorite song to get swagged out to. (Yeah, I just said “get swagged out”)

 

Burn – Ellie Goulding

“We don’t wanna leave, we just wanna be right now.”

I listen to a decent amount of pop radio, but there aren’t many songs that I really care for. This is one of the few exceptions. The line above gets me thinking about how short college really is. We often think so much about the future and graduation that we forget to be faithful with what we have and where we are right now. If we’re gonna make an impact, we have to be fully present right here and now.  Much like “Wake Me Up”, “Royals”, and “Radioactive”, this will be one of those pop songs I will listen to in 20 years and be instantly taken back to my college days.

 

Stars in the Night – Tenth Avenue North

“Desires are at war. We want that final shore.”

For me, this is one of the few songs in which every single line hits home. This song speaks nothing but truth, and has become my favorite from Tenth Avenue North, which is no small order.

 

When We Come Alive – Switchfoot

“We light the sky when we ignite.”

This song was, without a doubt, my favorite song I listened to in 2014. If my life was a TV show, this might be the theme song. It’s all about the idea of being fully alive. All it takes is a spark to ignite a fire.

 

What did you listen to in 2014?