It's hard to process 2014's music without acknowledging the shadow cast by the previous year: Until Taylor Swift's album rolled out in its waning months, 2014's least escapable chart hits (Pharrell's "Happy," John Legend's "All Of Me," Idina Menzel's take on "Let It Go" from Frozen) were carried over from 2013. Even the year's grandest and most enduring pop juggernaut — see No. 2, below — was sneaked out online in mid-December, much to the chagrin of certain year-end list makers with early deadlines.
Still, 2014 spawned many winners of its own. As reiterated year in and year out, this is nothing but a list of personal favorites — chosen capriciously as a snapshot of what one guy loved the most as of early December. It's by no means definitive, we're all unique and special snowflakes, and so on.
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