The Most Heard Songs of 2014

With 2014 well and truly over, it’s time to announce the Top 10 most heard artists on Australian radio.

At #10 is UK artist Sam Smith and his hit ballad Stay With Me, taken off of his debut solo album In The Lonely Hour.  The track first entered the chart in issue 984 where it debuted at #41, just breaking the Top 10 at #10 in issue 987 and peaking at #3 in issue 989. The track has yet to have fallen out of the Hot 100 and currently sits at #69 as of issue 1016.

Clean Bandit’s Rather Be featuring Jess Glynne takes #9 for 2014 after an early start, which peaked early and refused to drop. Entering at #67 in issue 970, the track was quick to hit the Top 10 after just three weeks and broke at #10 in issue 973 before finally taking the top spot from issue 978 through to 980. It should also be noted that while ranking #9 overall, this track was the most heard song of Q2 2014.

One of the more potent ear worms of the year, MAGIC!’s Rude, weighs in at #8. The single started the year already at #5 after debuting in late #2015. From there it slowly but surely climbed to its peak of #3, gaining plenty of consistent airplay along the way before a slow decline out of the Top 50. The track has yet to fall out of the chart and still floats around the higher end of the Top 90.

Mullumbimby-bred hip hop artist Iggy Azalea’s breakthrough single Fancy, featuring Charli XCX, makes #7 in the 2014 most heard list. The track only peaked at #8 on the Hot 100 but it still entered the date range in a strong position and managed to hold fast to the Top 50 for the entire duration of the date range.

Another breakthrough single rates in the Top 10, this time from German folk-pop duo Milky Chance and their single Stolen Dance. Though their time was brief in the chart, they still managed to rack up plenty of points peaking at #2 and never leaving the Top 55 after entering.

Brisbane’s Sheppard take #5 with their hit single Geronimo, which actually debuted at #87 in the first week of the date range. From there on it would climb rapidly to #1 in issue 982 where it would stay for five weeks. It fell to #2 before retaking #1 the following week. The success of Geronimo alone was enough to give MGM a ranking market share in the Hot 100 throughout much of the year.

Another duo takes one of the Top 10 accolades, this time it’s Norwegians Nico & Vinz with Am I Wrong. Although it didn't debut as early as others, it still had a strong few opening weeks, entering at #73 in issue 983 and breaking the Top 10 in 989. It hit its peak of #1 in issue 991 where it held the top position for five weeks, maintaing a steady descent down the Top 20 and below to where it currently sits at #50.

Pharrell Williams’ Happy started the year at an already strong position of  #4 and quickly ascended to #1, hitting that peak in issue 970 and maintain that for eight weeks. From there on the track had an incredibly slow decline out of the chart throughout the year and only dropped out in the last few weeks of the year.

At #2 is Sia’s Chandelier which debuted ten weeks after the opening date range at #57. In its second week it broke the Top 20 and almost made the Top 10, landing at #11. It finally hit its peak of #2 in issue 985 after weeks in the Top 10 climbing and earning points, which it then mirrored on its way out. The track now sits at #47 after weeks of back and forth during its decline, even re-entering the Top 10 at one point.

And now for the top spot. The most heard song of 2014 on Australian radio comes from Western Sydney pop-rock heart throbs 5 Seconds Of Summer with their single She Look’s So Perfect. The track entered the chart a few weeks after the start of the range, entering at #54 in issue 972. After two weeks it cracked the Top 20, the Top 10 followed a week after where slow but consistent movement was made as it creeped higher and higher - all the while earning a considerable amount of points to its year-end rating. It finally hit its peak at #3 in issue 979  where it stayed for two weeks then fell very slowly out of the Top 10, spending four weeks on the decline, even moving back up to #4 at one point. From there on it fell into the Top 20s but was reluctant to make any considerable movement down, constantly having bursts of airplay pushing it back up ever so slightly, further delaying its fall. 

1. 5 Seconds Of Summer
She Looks So Perfect
(EMI)

2. Sia

Chandelier

(INERTIA)

3. Pharrell Williams

Happy

(SME)

4. Nico & Vinz

Am I Wrong

(WMA)

5. Sheppard

Geronimo

(CHUGG/MGM)

6. Milky Chance

Stolen Dance

(NEON/UMA)

7. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

Fancy

(UMA)

8. MAGIC!

Rude

(SME)

9. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne

Rather Be

(ATL/WMA)

10. Sam Smith

Stay With Me

(EMI)