The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 46 of 50, #50-#41

#50 Bleeding Rainbow - "Waking Dream" from "Yeah Right" - The coolest band name in the countdown this year. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL2uSm19aEU

#49 Jack White - "Sixteen Saltines" from "Blunderbuss" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsixWMdScUI

#48 Garbage - "Blood For Poppies" from "Not Your Kind Of People" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OdTBCgqRt4

#47 Chairlift - "I Belong In Your Arms" from "Something" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e8Ql9qFA2o

#46 Team Genius - "Everything's Alright" from "Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist" - The craziest mixture of Sex Pistols style punk and harmonica solos that's ever existed. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQc2sg_4dg

#45 Alex Winston - "Sister Wife" from "King Con" - This song was also on the 2011 list. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzObsfboaJ0

#44 Regina Spektor - "Don't Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas)" from "What We Saw From The Cheap Seats" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWXWivwhi14

#43 Muse - "Survival" from "The 2nd Law" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66molzUEkWI

#42 Soundgarden - "Been Away Too Long" from "King Animal" - You certainly have.  Welcome back. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeBjhpw_Ee0

#41 Tame Impala - "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" from "Lonerism" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wycjnCCgUes

The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 45 of 50, #60-#51

#60 The Avett Brothers - "Live And Die" from "The Carpenter" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5CMDmxtpbc

#59 Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band - "Rocky Ground" from "Wrecking Ball" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPmIIXXv0d8

#58 The Rolling Stones - "Doom And Gloom" from "Grrr!" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPFGWVKXxm0

#57 Muse - "Madness" from "The 2nd Law" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek0SgwWmF9w

#56 Icona Pop - "Manners" from "Icona Pop" - This is probably the first song to appear on my countdowns twice in the same year, though only the chorus of this song is used in the Chiddy Bang song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY-dKxGpBLg

#55 Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T And 2 Chainz - "Mercy" from "Kanye West Presents Good Music Cruel Summer" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dqgr0wNyPo

#54 Lana Del Rey - "National Anthem" from "Born To Die" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7daxzs-EK2A

#53 Alicia Keys (feat. Nicki Minaj) - "Girl On Fire" from "Girl On Fire" - The strangest thing about this song is that it's not affiliated with "The Hunger Games" in any way, though the song came out shortly after the movie. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J91ti_MpdHA

#52 Benjamin Gibbard (feat. Aimee Mann) - "Bigger Than Love" from "Former Lives" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGivmFgR3_w

#51 Jukebox The Ghost - "Somebody" from "Safe Travels" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U6exHZVbQE

The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 44 of 50, #70-#61

#70 The Decemberists - "One Engine" from "The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond" - There's always an exception to the rule.  The Decemberists sound exactly like they always do on this album... awesome. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48sjXcaeZJI

#69 Frank Ocean - "Thinkin' Bout You" from "channel ORANGE" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F15IjgyHd60

#68 The Vaccines - "Teenage Icon" from "Come Of Age" - This song could have been released at almost any time in the rock era. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFUKrsDDChE

#67 El-P - "The Full Retard" from "Cancer 4 Cure" - Does the fact that the song title is a reference to "Tropic Thunder" make it less offensive or more offensive? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZptOs8Gu9k

#66 Phillip Phillips - "Gone, Gone, Gone" from "The World From The Side Of The Moon" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oozQ4yV__Vw

#65 Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra - "Massachusetts Avenue" from "Theatre Is Evil" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cYbFZpbwgg

#64 Cher Lloyd - "Want U Back" from "Sticks And Stones" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPgvNlrBfb0

#63 Santigold - "Go!" from "Master Of My Make-Believe" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJos7KTLue4

#62 Grimes - "Oblivion" from "Visions" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtH68PJIQLE

#61 Cherri Bomb - "Better This Way" from "This Is The End Of Control" - Easily the most surprising song in my top 100.  This usually isn't the kind of song I prefer, but something about it stood out to me. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu5FOwIiBYk

The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 43 of 50, #80-#71

#80 Santigold - "The Keepers" from "Master Of My Make-Believe" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZoHSce004M

#79 The Menzingers - "I Can't Seem To Tell" from "On The Impossible Past" - An excellent throwback to the days of grunge and angst. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJyTAV-PKKo

#78 Metallica - "Just A Bullet Away (Shine)" from "Beyond Magnetic EP" - One of two songs from Metallica's B-Side EP to tide us over during the eons they take to release new albums. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNX-Uu1EynA

#77 Carrie Underwood - "Blown Away" from "Blown Away" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJgoHgpsb9I

#76 John Legend - "Who Did That To You" from "Django Unchained Soundtrack" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34I2dCO8U8A

#75 Mumford And Sons - "Lover Of The Light" from "Babel" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMJUbZrNnA8

#74 Walk The Moon - "Anna Sun" from "I Want! I Want!" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDVW81bXo0s

#73 And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - "Open Doors Standard" from "Lost Songs" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozesdd-sf3I

#72 Glen Hansard - "Take The Heartland" from "The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond" - Much like "The Crow" Soundtrack, "The Hunger Games" Soundtrack is notable not only for being backed with great songs, but also with songs from famous artists recording songs outside of their usual wheelhouse.  Glen Hansard usually sings slow ballads like his hit "Falling Slowly", not alt folk ragers like this song. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CyDyJxRe_Y

#71 Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band - "American Land" from "Wrecking Ball" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjxlRNly3Dw

The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 42 of 50, #90-#81

#90 Cat Power - "3.6.9." from "Sun" - The best counting song since Feist's "1234". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqlZXpbJrMo

#89 Christina Perri (feat. Steve Kazee) - "A Thousand Years, Pt. 2" from "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2 Soundtrack" - A terrible series of movies, but the source of a massive amount of great music on the soundtracks. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RbcR_KSRB8

#88 The National - "The Rains Of Castamere" from "Game Of Thrones Season 2 Soundtrack" - Yes, it's the song from Game of Thrones.  The song is that awesome and so is the band that's playing it, Leonard Cohen style. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozVcbIc5yWI

#87 Ryan Bingham - "Beg For Broken Legs" from "Tomorrowland" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CllihtDTTE0

#86 The Coup - "Your Parent's Cocaine" from "Sorry To Bother You" - A song so weird it sounds like Rage Against The Machine being performed by the Muppets. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJtbSixXGgM

#85 Green Day - "Let Yourself Go" from "Uno" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKepg6zw2_k

#84 The Beach Boys - "That's Why God Made The Radio" from "That's Why God Made The Radio" - How strange is it that the 2013 countdown features both the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAmk-Wk2pNA

#83 Bruno Mars - "Locked Out Of Heaven" from "Unorthodox Jukebox" - Since this song's wikipedia page mentions it about a dozen times, I'll also point out that this song sounds like a lost track from The Police. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

#82 Carrie Underwood - "Good Girl" from "Blown Away" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-uothzTaaQ

#81 Regina Spektor - "All The Rowboats" from "What We Saw From The Cheap Seats" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CZ8ossU4pc

The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 41 of 50, #100-#91

#100 Turtle Giant - "We Were Kids" from "All Hidden Places EP" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccUKqCT02O4

#99 Usher - "Climax" from "Looking 4 Myself" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNTyfVh3nmU

#98 Maroon 5 (feat. Wiz Khalifa) - "Payphone" from "Overexposed" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRaWnd3LJfs

#97 Nicki Minaj - "Pound The Alarm" from "Pink Friday Roman Reloaded" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdrqA93sW-8

#96 Phedre - "In Decay" from "Blalock's Indie Rock Playlist" - Definitely the gothiest song on the countdown this year.  Almost certainly the only good thing to appear in "Hemlock Grove". - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unrn-wf4cDg

#95 Diamond Rings - "I'm Just Me" from "Free Dimensional" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpqZw8OHDHk

#94 Jessie Ware - "Wildest Moments" from "Devotion" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMJkddvJ4L4

#93 The Cult - "The Wolf" from "Choice Of Weapon" - The continued excellence of The Cult isn't quite as shocking as the continued quality of Asia's albums, but 2012 was a great year for this alt. metal band that most people have mistakenly written off. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQwRBd_EqR0

#92 Taylor Swift - "I Knew You Were Trouble" from "Red" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNoKguSdy4Y

#91 The Mark Lanegan Band - "The Gravedigger's Song" from "Blues Funeral" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP5GWYXp4d0

The Top 500 Songs Of 2012 - Part 40 of 50, #110-#101

#110 The Dirty Projectors - "About To Die" from "Swing Lo Magellan" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlvKLNghq6Y

#109 Django Django - "Wor" from "Django Django" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojVsXB12zC8

#108 Fun. - "All Alone" from "Some Nights" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5v_aEO7pSk

#107 Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band - "Wrecking Ball" from "Wrecking Ball" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2KNqxwt4Qg

#106 Regina Spektor - "Small Town Moon" from "What We Saw From The Cheap Seats" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQnC-h36hM8

#105 Fanfarlo - "Shiny Things" from "Rooms Filled With Light" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26_J5vaoXVU

#104 Amy MacDonald - "Slow It Down" from "Life In A Beautiful Light" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGwXzrW5mFc

#103 MeWithoutYou - "All Circles" from "Ten Stories" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydHShCRfhxQ

#102 Lupe Fiasco - "Unforgiveable Youth" from "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Vol. 1" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpzDvotZalg

#101 Ryan Bingham - "Heart Of Rhythm" from "Tomorrowland" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz5SNppHRxc