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2013 Music Hits: Top Songs, Radio Favorites, and Pop Classics

2013 music was a wild mix of pop, EDM, hip-hop, country crossover, alternative rock, viral novelty songs, and big emotional ballads. Robin Thicke, Pitbull, Kesha, Icona Pop, OneRepublic, Daft Punk, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Avicii, Lorde, and Rihanna helped define a year where radio, YouTube, downloads, and early streaming culture were all pushing hits in different directions.

This PopCultureMadness guide starts with the Top 10 songs of 2013, then groups more 2013 music hits by style so you can browse the year by sound, mood, and memory. It was the year of Harlem Shake, The Fox, Thrift Shop, EDM drops, emotional piano ballads, and enough “whoa-oh” choruses to power a medium-sized music festival.

Quick Answer: What Music Was Popular in 2013?

Popular music in 2013 included pop, EDM, hip-hop, alternative rock, country-pop, R&B, viral novelty songs, and movie soundtrack favorites. Songs like Blurred Lines, Timber, I Love It, Counting Stars, Get Lucky, Radioactive, Roar, and Wake Me Up helped define the music of 2013.

Top 10 Songs of 2013

  1. Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell
  2. Timber – Pitbull featuring Kesha
  3. I Love It – Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
  4. Counting Stars – OneRepublic
  5. Get Lucky – Daft Punk
  6. Safe and Sound – Capital Cities
  7. Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
  8. Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
  9. Roar – Katy Perry
  10. I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift

More 2013 Music Hits by Style

Beyond the Top 10, 2013 music gets more useful when grouped by style. The year had huge pop records, rap breakthroughs, EDM festival hits, alternative radio anthems, country-pop crossovers, emotional ballads, viral YouTube songs, and soundtrack moments that became part of the larger pop culture memory.

2013 Pop, Dance-Pop, and Big Radio Hits

Pop music in 2013 was loud, colorful, and built around giant choruses. Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Avril Lavigne, and Justin Timberlake helped keep radio packed with bright hooks and dramatic singles. This was pop with glitter, confidence, heartbreak, and a very busy download button.

Roar – Katy Perry
I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
Daylight – Maroon 5
Best Song Ever – One Direction
22 – Taylor Swift
Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
Applause – Lady Gaga
Treasure – Bruno Mars
Brave – Sara Bareilles
Dark Horse – Katy Perry featuring Juicy J
Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z
Just Give Me a Reason – Pink featuring Nate Ruess
People Like Us – Kelly Clarkson
We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus
Come and Get It – Selena Gomez
When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
#Beautiful – Mariah Carey featuring Miguel
Here’s to Never Growing Up – Avril Lavigne
Catch My Breath – Kelly Clarkson
The Way – Ariana Grande featuring Mac Miller
Mirrors – Justin Timberlake
Heart Attack – Demi Lovato
Unconditionally – Katy Perry
Take Back the Night – Justin Timberlake
Crazy Kids – Kesha featuring will.i.am
True Love – Pink featuring Lily Allen
Slow Down – Selena Gomez

2013 EDM, Dance, Club, and Electronic Hits

EDM and dance-pop were everywhere in 2013. Avicii, Zedd, Swedish House Mafia, Calvin Harris, Martin Garrix, Daft Punk, Krewella, Pitbull, and Icona Pop helped define the year’s festival-ready sound. This was the era when a pop song could start as a chorus and then launch into a drop like it had somewhere urgent to be.

Timber – Pitbull featuring Kesha
I Love It – Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
Get Lucky – Daft Punk
Safe and Sound – Capital Cities
Wake Me Up – Avicii
Scream & Shout – will.i.am & Britney Spears
Harlem Shake – Baauer
C’Mon – Kesha
Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia
Stay the Night – Zedd featuring Hayley Williams
Animals – Martin Garrix
Clarity – Zedd featuring Foxes
I Need Your Love – Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
Alive – Krewella
I Cry – Flo Rida
Closer – Tegan and Sara
Sweet Nothing – Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch

2013 Hip-Hop, Rap, and Pop-Rap Favorites

Hip-hop and pop-rap had a strong 2013, especially through Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Drake, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Future, will.i.am, Pitbull, and French Montana-adjacent party rap trends. The year’s rap hits moved through radio, downloads, YouTube, clubs, and viral culture. Some tracks were serious, some were funny, and some wore a thrift-store coat like armor.

Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell
Scream & Shout – will.i.am & Britney Spears
Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z
Started from the Bottom – Drake
Hold On, We’re Going Home – Drake featuring Majid Jordan
Holy Grail – Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake
Pour It Up – Rihanna
Feel This Moment – Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera
Same Love – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
Do What U Want – Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly

2013 Alternative, Indie Pop, and Modern Rock Hits

Alternative and indie-pop had a huge year in 2013. Imagine Dragons, OneRepublic, Bastille, Capital Cities, AWOLNATION, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Mumford & Sons, Vampire Weekend, The Fray, and Walk Off the Earth helped keep rock-adjacent music alive on mainstream radio. This was the sound of big drums, big choruses, and bands trying very hard to fit into pop playlists without losing their jackets.

Counting Stars – OneRepublic
Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
Pompeii – Bastille
Demons – Imagine Dragons
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) – Fall Out Boy
Still Into You – Paramore
Gone, Gone, Gone – Phillip Phillips
Sail – AWOLNATION
It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
Hall of Fame – The Script featuring will.i.am
Love Don’t Die – The Fray
I Will Wait – Mumford & Sons
Unbelievers – Vampire Weekend
Our Song – Matchbox Twenty
Red Hands – Walk Off the Earth
Lego House – Ed Sheeran

2013 R&B, Soul-Pop, and Emotional Ballads

R&B and emotional pop gave 2013 some of its biggest slower songs. Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Miguel, Mariah Carey, Drake, Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Emeli Sandé, and Passenger helped balance the year’s EDM and party records with smoother, more reflective songs. This is where the year took a breath, turned down the lights, and got dramatic on purpose.

Stay – Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko
Diamonds – Rihanna
Let Her Go – Passenger
When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
#Beautiful – Mariah Carey featuring Miguel
Next to Me – Emeli Sandé
Gorilla – Bruno Mars
Hold On, We’re Going Home – Drake featuring Majid Jordan
Adorn – Miguel
Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) – Ne-Yo
Between the Raindrops – Lifehouse featuring Natasha Bedingfield

2013 Country and Country-Pop Hits

Country and country-pop crossed into the broader conversation in 2013. Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, and Florida Georgia Line’s remix with Nelly helped country reach pop audiences in a big way. Nashville was not just hanging around country radio; it was knocking on pop’s door with a truck, a hook, and a remix.

Cruise – Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly
Wanted – Hunter Hayes
Follow Your Arrow – Kacey Musgraves
Mama’s Broken Heart – Miranda Lambert

2013 Movie, Soundtrack, and Pop Culture Favorites

Soundtracks and pop culture moments had a real place in 2013 music. Cups came from Pitch Perfect, while viral YouTube culture pushed songs like Harlem Shake and The Fox far beyond normal radio paths. This section is where 2013 became less like a chart and more like the internet got a vote.

Cups – Anna Kendrick
The Fox – Ylvis
Harlem Shake – Baauer
Best Song Ever – One Direction
Beauty and a Beat – Justin Bieber featuring Nicki Minaj

2013 Viral Hits, Novelty Songs, and Internet Favorites

Viral music was a major part of 2013. Harlem Shake became a video craze, The Fox turned absurdity into a global joke-song moment, and Thrift Shop mixed comedy, personality, and a great hook into one of the year’s biggest surprises. The internet did not just help songs in 2013; it occasionally grabbed the steering wheel.

Harlem Shake – Baauer
The Fox – Ylvis
Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
Cups – Anna Kendrick
I Love It – Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
C’Mon – Kesha
Crazy Kids – Kesha featuring will.i.am

How PopCultureMadness Looks at 2013 Music

PopCultureMadness looks at 2013 music through chart activity, radio presence, downloads, streaming momentum, YouTube impact, soundtrack importance, cultural memory, and long-term trivia value. Some songs dominated official charts, some became viral jokes, some became festival anthems, and some simply captured the bright, loud, internet-powered sound of 2013.

PCM’s 2013 Top 100 Music Hits Chart

  1. Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell
  2. Timber – Pitbull featuring Kesha
  3. I Love It – Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX
  4. Counting Stars – OneRepublic
  5. Get Lucky – Daft Punk
  6. Safe and Sound – Capital Cities
  7. Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton
  8. Radioactive – Imagine Dragons
  9. Roar – Katy Perry
  10. I Knew You Were Trouble – Taylor Swift
  11. Daylight – Maroon 5
  12. Cups – Anna Kendrick
  13. Wake Me Up – Avicii
  14. Pompeii – Bastille
  15. Thrift Shop – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz
  16. Best Song Ever – One Direction
  17. 22 – Taylor Swift
  18. Wrecking Ball – Miley Cyrus
  19. The Fox – Ylvis
  20. Applause – Lady Gaga
  21. Treasure – Bruno Mars
  22. Brave – Sara Bareilles
  23. Demons – Imagine Dragons
  24. Dark Horse – Katy Perry featuring Juicy J
  25. Royals – Lorde
  26. Scream & Shout – will.i.am & Britney Spears
  27. Harlem Shake – Baauer
  28. C’Mon – Kesha
  29. Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
  30. Suit & Tie – Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z
  31. Team – Lorde
  32. Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish House Mafia
  33. Just Give Me a Reason – Pink featuring Nate Ruess
  34. Stay – Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko
  35. Cruise – Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly
  36. One More Night – Maroon 5
  37. My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) – Fall Out Boy
  38. Stay the Night – Zedd featuring Hayley Williams
  39. Let Her Go – Passenger
  40. People Like Us – Kelly Clarkson
  41. Animals – Martin Garrix
  42. Clarity – Zedd featuring Foxes
  43. We Can’t Stop – Miley Cyrus
  44. I Need Your Love – Calvin Harris featuring Ellie Goulding
  45. Diamonds – Rihanna
  46. Still Into You – Paramore
  47. Gone, Gone, Gone – Phillip Phillips
  48. Sail – AWOLNATION
  49. The Way – Ariana Grande featuring Mac Miller
  50. Love Somebody – Maroon 5
  51. Feel This Moment – Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera
  52. It’s Time – Imagine Dragons
  53. Come and Get It – Selena Gomez
  54. Pour It Up – Rihanna
  55. When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars
  56. #Beautiful – Mariah Carey featuring Miguel
  57. Hall of Fame – The Script featuring will.i.am
  58. Alive – Krewella
  59. Here’s to Never Growing Up – Avril Lavigne
  60. Love Don’t Die – The Fray
  61. Wanted – Hunter Hayes
  62. I Cry – Flo Rida
  63. Next to Me – Emeli Sandé
  64. Gorilla – Bruno Mars
  65. Catch My Breath – Kelly Clarkson
  66. Same Love – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert
  67. Closer – Tegan and Sara
  68. Hold On, We’re Going Home – Drake featuring Majid Jordan
  69. I Will Wait – Mumford & Sons
  70. Marry Me – Jason Derulo
  71. Mirrors – Justin Timberlake
  72. Troublemaker – Olly Murs
  73. Everything Has Changed – Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran
  74. Do What U Want – Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly
  75. Heart Attack – Demi Lovato
  76. Follow Your Arrow – Kacey Musgraves
  77. Beauty and a Beat – Justin Bieber featuring Nicki Minaj
  78. Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) – Ne-Yo
  79. Unconditionally – Katy Perry
  80. Between the Raindrops – Lifehouse featuring Natasha Bedingfield
  81. Holy Grail – Jay-Z featuring Justin Timberlake
  82. Sweet Nothing – Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch
  83. Take Back the Night – Justin Timberlake
  84. Crazy Kids – Kesha featuring will.i.am
  85. True Love – Pink featuring Lily Allen
  86. Bruises – Train featuring Ashley Monroe
  87. Work Bitch – Britney Spears
  88. Our Song – Matchbox Twenty
  89. Started from the Bottom – Drake
  90. Chloe – Emblem3
  91. Slow Down – Selena Gomez
  92. What If – Five for Fighting
  93. Love Me Again – John Newman
  94. Get the Girl Back – Hanson
  95. The Other Side – Jason Derulo
  96. Mama’s Broken Heart – Miranda Lambert
  97. Red Hands – Walk Off the Earth
  98. Adorn – Miguel
  99. Remember When (Push Rewind) – Chris Wallace
  100. Lego House – Ed Sheeran