2012 Billboard Hot 100: Best and Worst Podcast

Every year, my good friend Brendan comes out of hiding to look at the year in pop music with me. We scour the Billboard Hot 100 to praise the best of the best and damn the worst of the worst. Two things made this year particularly special. First, it was a great year in pop music. 64 of the 100 songs on the list averaged a three star rating or higher among the three of us who went through and listened to the list from top to bottom, which is staggeringly high given what often makes the list. Oh, yeah, the second is that my girlfriend, Victoria, finally makes her premiere on the blog! This can only mean awesome things, so click more to listen to our Pop Music Review: Best and Worst of 2012 Podcast.
To see what Brendan and I thought of the Year in Pop Music in 2011, click here.

For convenience, I’ve gathered everyone’s Best and Worst Ten List below. That said, you’d definitely be missing out if you don’t listen to the podcast, as that’s where all our reasoning will be.

Worst Songs of 2012

Chase (MaristPlayBoy)
10. One More Night – Maroon 5
9. Work Hard, Play Hard – Wiz Khalifa
8. A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
7. Wanted – Hunter Hayes
6. Rack City – Tyga
5. Back In Time – Pitbull
4. Whistle – Flo Rida
3. Drive By – Train
2. Want U Back – Cher Lloyd
1. Birthday Cake – Rihanna Ft. Chris Brown

Brendan
10. Home – Phillip Phillips
9. Ca$hin Out – Ca$h Out
8. No Lie – 2 Chainz Ft. Drake
7. Dance (A$$) – Big Sean Ft. Nicki Minaj
6. Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith
5. Mercy – Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, & 2 Chainz
4. Boyfriend – Justin Bieber
3. Want U Back – Cher Lloyd
2. Whistle – Flo Rida
1. Rack City – Tyga

Victoria
10. It Will Rain – Bruno Mars
9. Mercy – Kanye West feat. Big Sean, Pusha T, & 2 Chainz
8. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
7. International Love – Pitbull ft. Chris Brown
6. Ca$hin Out – Ca$h Out
5. Hard to Love – Lee Brice
4. Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson
3. 5 O’Clock – T-Pain Ft. Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen
2. Drive By – Train
1. Whistle – Flo Rida

Best Songs of 2012

Chase (MaristPlayBoy)
10. Rumour Has It – Adele
9. Part of Me – Katy Perry
8. Gangnam Style – PSY
7. We Run the Night – Havana Brown Ft. Pitbull
6. Somebody That I Used to Know – Gotye
5. Niggas in Paris – Kanye West/Jay Z
4. Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
3. Lights – Ellie Goulding
2. Some Nights – fun.
1. Everybody Talks – Neon Trees

Brendan
10. Scream – Usher
9. We Run the Night – Havana Brown Ft. Pitbull
8. Feel So Close – Calvin Harris
7. Everybody Talks – Neon Trees
6. Part of Me – Katy Perry
5. Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
4. Climax – Usher
3. Turn Me On – David Guetta Ft. Nicki Minaj
2. Where Have You Been – Rihanna
1. Titanium – David Guetta Ft. Sia

Victoria
10. Pound the Alarm – Nicki Minaj
9. Dance (A$$) – Big Sean Ft. Nicki Minaj
8. Home – Phillip Phillips
7. Good Girl – Carrie Underwood
6. One More Night – Maroon 5
5. Niggas in Paris – Jay Z/Kanye West
4. Turn Up the Music – Chris Brown Ft. Rihanna
3. Take Care – Drake Ft. Rihanna
2. Lights – Ellie Goulding
1. Some Nights – fun.

RSC 2012 Song Rankings (Highly recommend making it full screen)
Songs in bold were included on either Brendan or Chase’s Best/Worst of 2011 List
Songs in italics were not eligible for anyone’s top/bottom ten, as they are likely to peak next year.
Songs were rated on a 5 Star scale by each person, then added for a cumulative total. All ties went to highest ranking on the Billboard Hot 100 (ex. Both Niggas in Paris and Part of Me got 15 stars overall, but since Part of Me was higher on the Billboard Hot 100, it is ranked above Niggas in Paris).

Some final fun facts about our final rankings:
Number of songs that received a perfect rating from at least one person – 35
Highest ranked song that didn’t make any individual top ten (and was eligible) – As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber (18)
Lowest ranked song that didn’t make any individual bottom ten – I Don’t Want This Night to End by Luke Bryan (92)
Song we can’t wait to put on next year’s top ten list – Die Young by Ke$ha
Personal Biggest Oversight: So Good by B.o.B. should have been high on my list. That it’s not ON my list is a travesty. I missed it while making my list. Just know it would have been #6, with everything else moving down. Great song with a fun chorus by a talented rapper.
Weirdest stat: No song made every individual top ten list despite five eligible songs getting perfect scores across the board.
Whistle by Flo Rida is the only song that made every individual bottom ten list. It had the lowest overall rating earns the title of RSC Worst Song of 2012.