The Hits Radio's Top 10 Singles of 2012!

Featuring One Direction, Justin Bieber, The Wanted and more!

Top 10
Published 20th Dec 2012

We're very proud to present the 10 best singles of 2012! Have your say about the countdown in the comments section below! ! 10. Justin Bieber ‘Beauty and a Beat’ Not only did the Biebster release the greatest album of his career with ‘Believe’ this year, he also unleashed a string of totes amazeballs singles. Showcasing his musical maturity, ‘Beauty and a Beat’ is a slick-as-hell electropop stormer that’s bolstered by a guest spot from Queen Barbz herself Nicki Minaj! Beauty And a Beat (feat. Nicki Minaj) - Believe</a>

! 9. James Arthur ‘Impossible’ Throughout The X Factor live shows, James Arthur consistently proved he was one of the most talented and musically diverse artists EVER on the show – from rock to Motown to pop, he absolutely nailed it week after week! Showing off his more sensitive and melodic side, his choice of winners single was a cover of Shontelle’s emotionally driving ‘Impossible’. As we’ve come to expect from James, the result was stunning! Impossible - Single - James Arthur</a>

! 8. Rudimental ft John Newman ‘Feel The Love’ Drum and Bass quartet Rudimental and incredibly soulful 21-year-old Yorkshire singer John Newman lit up the charts this summer with the totally electric ‘Feel The Love’. One of the defining dance anthems of past 12 months, it’s anthemic, soulful, off-the-wall crazy and an adrenaline rush from start to finish. Feel the Love (feat. John Newman) [Remixes] - EP - Rudimental</a>

! 7. Labrinth ft Emeli Sande ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ One of the most eclectic pop stars in music right now, Labrinth has already given us a breezy summer anthem (‘Let The Sun Shine’) and crunching electro-grime (‘Earthquake’) and his stripped back love song ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ was just as brilliant. Featuring the amazing Emeli Sandé, the ballad perfectly brings the pair’s vocal talents and is perhaps the most beautiful song of the entire year. Stunning is an understatement. Beneath Your Beautiful (feat. Emeli Sande) - Electronic Earth (Deluxe Edition)</a>

! 6. PSY ‘Gangnam Style’ Undoubtedly the biggest song of 2012 - everyone from the age of one to 91 just loves PSY’s bonkers K-Pop anthem ‘Gangnam Style’! From its “hey sexy lady” chorus to its euphoric tongue-in-cheek cheesy dance beats to PSY’s inimitable horse gallop dance, ‘Gangnam Style’ is a true global phenomenon. Currently the most viewed song of all time on YouTube with a billion views… the only big question is how will PSY follow this up?! Gangnam Style (강남스타일) - Single - PSY</a>

! 5. The Wanted ‘I Found You’ With One Direction taking over their mantle as the biggest British boyband, The Wanted dug deep in 2012 and came out fighting (literally in the video) with ‘I Found You’. Opening with an earworm of an accordion line, the song soon kicks into gear with an infectious Eurodance beat and melodic vocals from the lads. Sublime stuff – their upcoming new album ‘Third Strike’ really can’t come soon enough! I Found You - EP - The Wanted</a>

! 4. Olly Murs ft. Flo Rida ‘Troublemaker’ Lifted from his brilliant album ‘Right Place Right Time’, Olly’s collaboration with hip-hop beefcake Flo Rida is arguably his best single yet! Funky, insanely chirpy and packed with enough to catchy pop hooks to knock out a heavyweight boxer, pop music doesn’t get much addictive than this. Not just a cheeky Essex chap who once sang on The X Factor, Olly is now a fully-fledged pop superstar. Troublemaker [feat. Flo Rida] - EP - Olly Murs</a>

! 3. Rihanna ‘Diamonds’ Apart from her amazing talent and smoking hot image, one of the reasons Rihanna is such a formidable pop star is that she surrounds herself with some of the best songwriters on the planet. Penned by Sia Furler (David Guetta’s ‘Titanium’) and delivered in RiRi’s unique style, ‘Diamonds’ is sultry, soulful, seductive and without a doubt one of the greatest songs of 2012. Diamonds - Unapologetic</a>


! 2. One Direction ‘Live While We're Young’ Already true global superstars with millions of fans, sold-out tours worldwide and a transatlantic chart-topping debut album, the pressure was on One Direction to deliver with their new material in 2012. Within seconds of hearing ‘Live While We’re Young’ we knew it was wrong to worry! Fun, upbeat and unbelievably feel-good, it’s a slice of pop magic that has cemented 1D’s status as the biggest boyband on the planet! Live While We're Young - EP - One Direction</a>

! 1. Carly Rae Jepsen ‘Call Me Maybe’ At the start of 2012, Carly Rae Jepsen was a relative unknown who’d finished third on Canadian Idol four years earlier. Then one track changed not just her world but also the pop landscape forever – the fantabulous ‘Call Me Maybe’. The perfect pop song, it fuses sweeping disco strings, cheeky lyrics and breezy feel-good melodies to startling effect. We really couldn’t get enough of it!! Call Me Maybe - EP - Carly Rae Jepsen</a>