Top 100 of 2014 (2-1)

2. Victoria Duffield - More Than Friends PEAK: #1 (3 weeks)

While it was a fairly close battle between the top two, they were far ahead of the pack this year! In a very strong runner-up spot we have the then-teenage Canadian singer Victoria Duffield, now 20 years old, who got her big break on "The Next Star", a Canadian reality show on YTV searching for the most talented child singers. (Also appearing on said show was Alyssa Reid, who has also had a strong hit streak). At age 16, she released her debut album, which had four hit singles on my chart... yet the best was yet to come. This past year, I had anticipated new music from her... but what I heard really blew me away. What I heard was a fun, flirty, bubblegum pop song that reminded me of all the vintage teen pop I charted in my chart's early days, particularly early Britney Spears music, and a video that matched the song well. It made a quick rise into my top 10, and reached the #1 spot for three weeks back in May, quickly becoming my favourite from her to date. It then stuck around for 21 weeks in my top 10, and 37 weeks in my top 100. In any other year, this would have been enough for the #1 song of the year, but there was one other song that was so strong that Victoria Duffield had to settle for second best of 2014!


1. Lauren Winans - Better At Breaking PEAK: #1 (4 weeks)

It always takes a very strong song to get my #1 of the year... and this was one song that had "hit" all over it for me, it really seems like it was made for me to really enjoy it! This tale of heartbreak by the very fashionable singer originally from West Virginia, Lauren Winans, became an instant favourite of mine, as the catchy melody, heartfelt lyrics and cute voice all resonated for me immediately. In an unheard of move for a previously unknown artist, she managed to hit #1 in just three weeks and stay there for the next four weeks back in March, showing a very strong power that would last 21 weeks in the top 10 and 38 weeks total in the top 100... and that was enough for my #1 song of the year. And with the follow-up single "Wicked Game" also reaching #1 and ranking in my year-end top 20 as well... the future is only looking up for her as I await an eventual album release from her.

However... that wasn't all.

In the world of social media, artists are now more interactive than ever before with their fans. And, as far as I'm aware, Lauren Winans has become the first artist ever in my chart's 16-year history to publicly acknowledge reaching #1 on my chart, which she did in her second week at #1! So I just want to say... Lauren, if you are reading this, thank you for recording such a brilliant song in "Better At Breaking". You have found yourself in elite company as you have my #1 song of the entire year 2014!