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2012 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

2012 music was a huge year for viral hits, dance-pop, EDM, country crossover, indie-folk, hip-hop, and big emotional ballads. PSY, Carly Rae Jepsen, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, One Direction, fun., Rihanna, Adele, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Gotye, Kimbra, and David Guetta helped define a year where radio, YouTube, downloads, and social media were all shaping the hits.

This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 2012, then groups more 2012 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was the year Gangnam Style galloped across the internet, Call Me Maybe became unavoidable, and pop music fully embraced the idea that a hook could become a meme before lunch.

Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 2012?

Popular music in 2012 included dance-pop, EDM, hip-hop, country-pop, indie-folk, pop-rock, R&B, and viral novelty songs. Songs like Gangnam Style, Call Me Maybe, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Starships, What Makes You Beautiful, We Are Young, and Somebody That I Used to Know helped define 2012 music.

Top 10 Songs of 2012

  1. Gangnam Style – PSY
  2. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
  3. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
  4. Starships – Nicki Minaj
  5. What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
  6. Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO
  7. We Are Young – fun.
  8. Domino – Jessie J
  9. We Found Love – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
  10. Some Nights – fun.

More 2012 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 2012 music gets more useful when grouped by style. The year had glossy pop, club-ready EDM, big ballads, indie-folk breakthroughs, country crossover, hip-hop hits, movie songs, and viral internet tracks that made the charts feel louder, faster, and a little sillier.

2012 Pop, Dance-Pop, and Big Radio Hits

Pop music in 2012 was bright, catchy, and built for massive radio repetition. Carly Rae Jepsen, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, One Direction, Jessie J, Rihanna, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, and Selena Gomez helped give the year its biggest hooks. This was pop with handclaps, breakup lines, dance beats, and choruses that refused to leave politely.

Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
Starships – Nicki Minaj
What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
Domino – Jessie J
Glad You Came – The Wanted
Brokenhearted – Karmin
Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
Payphone – Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa
Die Young – Kesha
Drive By – Train
As Long as You Love Me – Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean
Love You Like a Love Song – Selena Gomez & The Scene
Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
The One That Got Away – Katy Perry
Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
One Thing – One Direction
Part of Me – Katy Perry
Blow Me (One Last Kiss) – Pink
How We Do (Party) – Rita Ora
Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
Give Your Heart a Break – Demi Lovato
Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson
Diamonds – Rihanna
Want U Back – Cher Lloyd
Try – Pink
One More Night – Maroon 5
Wide Awake – Katy Perry
Boyfriend – Justin Bieber
Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys

2012 EDM, Dance, Club, and Electronic Hits

EDM and club-pop were everywhere in 2012. David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Avicii, Flo Rida, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Usher, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, and Swedish-style dance production helped make the year feel like one long glow-stick workout. If a song had a synth drop, a huge chorus, or a beat that sounded like it came with lasers, 2012 probably had room for it.

We Found Love – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO
Titanium – David Guetta featuring Sia
Without You – David Guetta featuring Usher
Good Feeling – Flo Rida
Lights – Ellie Goulding
Whistle – Flo Rida
Too Close – Alex Clare
Turn Me On – David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj
Scream – Usher
Wild Ones – Flo Rida featuring Sia
Where Have You Been – Rihanna
Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
Dance Again – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
Let’s Go – Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
Don’t Wake Me Up – Chris Brown
Back in Time – Pitbull
Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) – Ne-Yo
Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj
Levels – Avicii
In the Dark – Dev

2012 Hip-Hop, Rap, and Pop-Rap Favorites

Hip-hop and pop-rap had a strong presence in 2012, often blending into pop and EDM. Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida, Drake, Rihanna, Pitbull, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, and Gym Class Heroes helped keep rap features and pop-rap hooks in heavy rotation. The featured-artist line was doing a lot of lifting that year — probably needed a spotter.

Starships – Nicki Minaj
Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
Payphone – Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa
As Long as You Love Me – Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean
International Love – Pitbull featuring Chris Brown
Turn Me On – David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj
I Cry – Flo Rida
Wild Ones – Flo Rida featuring Sia
Take Care – Drake featuring Rihanna
Back in Time – Pitbull
Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj

2012 Rock, Alternative, Indie, and Pop-Rock Hits

Alternative and pop-rock gave 2012 a strong band-driven side. fun., The Lumineers, Imagine Dragons, Muse, Linkin Park, The Black Keys, Grouplove, Foster the People, Coldplay, Florence + The Machine, and Of Monsters and Men helped balance the year’s dance-pop explosion. This was the lane for big drums, stomp-clap choruses, dramatic guitars, and songs that sounded ready for festival wristbands.

We Are Young – fun.
Some Nights – fun.
Ho Hey – The Lumineers
Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
She’s So Mean – Matchbox Twenty
Madness – Muse
Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls) – Foster the People
Burn It Down – Linkin Park
It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
Feel Again – OneRepublic
Blackout – Breathe Carolina
Tongue Tied – Grouplove
Heartbeat – The Fray
Gold on the Ceiling – The Black Keys
Hall of Fame – The Script featuring will.i.am
Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
When We Stand Together – Nickelback
Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine
Paradise – Coldplay

2012 R&B, Soul-Pop, and Big Ballads

Ballads and R&B-leaning pop were a major part of 2012. Adele, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Jason Mraz, Christina Perri, Ed Sheeran, and Drake helped bring emotional weight to a year full of club tracks and novelty hits. These songs were for headphones, movie trailers, weddings, breakups, and people who definitely were not crying — they just had something in their eye.

Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye featuring Kimbra
Locked Out of Heaven – Bruno Mars
Set Fire to the Rain – Adele
Not Over You – Gavin DeGraw
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
The A Team – Ed Sheeran
Home – Phillip Phillips
Diamonds – Rihanna
I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
Skyfall – Adele
Take Care – Drake featuring Rihanna

2012 Country and Country-Pop Hits

Country and country-pop had a strong year in 2012, with Toby Keith, Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, and crossover-friendly country sounds moving into the broader pop conversation. The year’s country lane had drinking songs, romantic ballads, and enough big hooks to sit comfortably beside mainstream pop. Nashville did not need to shout; it brought a red cup and got noticed.

Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
Just a Kiss – Lady Antebellum
Wanted – Hunter Hayes

2012 Movie, Soundtrack, and Pop Culture Favorites

Movie and pop culture songs helped shape 2012’s memory. Adele’s Skyfall became tied to the James Bond film of the same name, Christina Perri’s A Thousand Years stayed linked to the Twilight era, and Pitbull’s Back in Time brought pop-rap energy to Men in Black 3. Some 2012 songs were hits because they were everywhere; others had a movie ticket attached.

Skyfall – Adele
A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
Back in Time – Pitbull
Eyes Open – Taylor Swift
It Will Rain – Bruno Mars

2012 Viral Hits, Novelty Songs, and Internet Favorites

Viral music was a defining part of 2012. Gangnam Style became a global YouTube phenomenon, Call Me Maybe turned into a singalong meme, and Sexy and I Know It kept the novelty-party lane alive. This was the year the internet stopped politely helping songs and started launching them like rockets.

Gangnam Style – PSY
Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO
Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith
Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
Tonight Is the Night – Outasight

How PopCultureMadness Looks at 2012 Music

PopCultureMadness looks at 2012 music through chart activity, radio presence, downloads, YouTube impact, early streaming momentum, soundtrack importance, cultural memory, and long-term trivia value. Some songs were chart leaders, some were viral moments, some came from movies, and some captured the exact sound of a year when pop music and internet culture became much harder to separate.

PCM’s 2012 Top 100 Music Hits Chart

  1. Gangnam Style – PSY
  2. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
  3. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together – Taylor Swift
  4. Starships – Nicki Minaj
  5. What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
  6. Sexy and I Know It – LMFAO
  7. We Are Young – fun.
  8. Domino – Jessie J
  9. We Found Love – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
  10. Some Nights – fun.
  11. Glad You Came – The Wanted
  12. Brokenhearted – Karmin
  13. Moves Like Jagger – Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera
  14. Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye featuring Kimbra
  15. Stereo Hearts – Gym Class Heroes featuring Adam Levine
  16. Locked Out of Heaven – Bruno Mars
  17. Payphone – Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa
  18. Die Young – Kesha
  19. Drive By – Train
  20. As Long as You Love Me – Justin Bieber featuring Big Sean
  21. Titanium – David Guetta featuring Sia
  22. Love You Like a Love Song – Selena Gomez & The Scene
  23. Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
  24. Without You – David Guetta featuring Usher
  25. Ho Hey – The Lumineers
  26. Good Feeling – Flo Rida
  27. Lights – Ellie Goulding
  28. The One That Got Away – Katy Perry
  29. I Like It Like That – Hot Chelle Rae
  30. Good Time – Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen
  31. One Thing – One Direction
  32. Part of Me – Katy Perry
  33. Whistle – Flo Rida
  34. Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith
  35. Too Close – Alex Clare
  36. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) – Pink
  37. How We Do (Party) – Rita Ora
  38. Rumour Has It – Adele
  39. She’s So Mean – Matchbox Twenty
  40. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
  41. International Love – Pitbull featuring Chris Brown
  42. Set Fire to the Rain – Adele
  43. 50 Ways to Say Goodbye – Train
  44. Not Over You – Gavin DeGraw
  45. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
  46. Turn Me On – David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj
  47. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
  48. Give Your Heart a Break – Demi Lovato
  49. Mr. Know It All – Kelly Clarkson
  50. Scream – Usher
  51. The A Team – Ed Sheeran
  52. Wild Ones – Flo Rida featuring Sia
  53. Home – Phillip Phillips
  54. Diamonds – Rihanna
  55. Madness – Muse
  56. Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls) – Foster the People
  57. You and I – Lady Gaga
  58. Fine by Me – Andy Grammer
  59. Crawling Back to You – Daughtry
  60. Where Have You Been – Rihanna
  61. I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz
  62. Burn It Down – Linkin Park
  63. It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
  64. Eyes Open – Taylor Swift
  65. Want U Back – Cher Lloyd
  66. Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
  67. Dance Again – Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull
  68. Try – Pink
  69. One More Night – Maroon 5
  70. Wide Awake – Katy Perry
  71. Tonight Is the Night – Outasight
  72. Finally Found You – Enrique Iglesias
  73. Boyfriend – Justin Bieber
  74. Just a Kiss – Lady Antebellum
  75. Feel Again – OneRepublic
  76. What Could Have Been Love – Aerosmith
  77. Girl on Fire – Alicia Keys
  78. Blackout – Breathe Carolina
  79. Let’s Go – Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
  80. Don’t Wake Me Up – Chris Brown
  81. Vision of Love – Kris Allen
  82. Back in Time – Pitbull
  83. Tongue Tied – Grouplove
  84. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) – Ne-Yo
  85. Watching You Watch Him – Eric Hutchinson
  86. Dark Side – Kelly Clarkson
  87. Free – Graffiti6
  88. Heartbeat – The Fray
  89. Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj
  90. Skyfall – Adele
  91. Gold on the Ceiling – The Black Keys
  92. Levels – Avicii
  93. Hall of Fame – The Script featuring will.i.am
  94. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men
  95. When We Stand Together – Nickelback
  96. Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat
  97. In the Dark – Dev
  98. Take Care – Drake featuring Rihanna
  99. Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine
  100. Paradise – Coldplay