We conclude our Most Rated Countdown of 2012 by looking at the very biggest tracks of the past year.
Covering numbers 16 - 1 as mirrored in this week's Defected In The House Radio Show, this final part wraps up our comprehensive retrospective of a year in house.
16. Tensnake featuring Syron - Mainline (Main)
A hooky, bass-driven house anthem of the very highest order, featuring the assured vocal performance from the acclaimed Rudimental collaborator and Radio 1 Xtra favourite Syron. You couldn’t help but like this uplifting, 90s inspired cut; guaranteed to put a smile of your face and a spring in your step.
15. Finnebassen - Touching Me
Soft, pulsing chords, a wandering bassline and a sultrily emotional vocal combined to ensure this one of the very finest sing-along anthems of Ibiza 2012. Finnebassen did a lot this year, but nothing was better executed than Touching Me.
14. Adam F – Circles (Eats Everything Remix)
East Everything was one of the stand-out artist of 2012. Hailed as one of the very finest DJs out there by Pete Tong, he also impressed with his lively and unpredictable productions. Attempting to remix a seminal record if always going to be a hard job, with detractors lining the streets ready to take you down if you put a foot wrong; that they were a near-silent minority in this instance should tell you everything you need to know.
13. Nick Curly – Underground (Dennis Ferrer Remix)
Despite rumours of Dennis himself not being entirely happy with this remix, it’s hard to argue with a remix this assured. Taking Nick Curly’s introspective original and pumping it up out of all recognition, it’s those chords in the final stages that really get you; an out and out club anthem.
12. Jessie Ware - Jessie Ware - Running (Disclosure Remix)
Two of the very biggest success stories of 2012 unite. Jessie Ware’s debut album was lauded by pretty much everyone who listened to it, while Disclosure’s rocket-like rise has been well documented. Cue garage-swing, re-pitched vocals and a shitload of bouncing dancefloors.
11. Hot Natured - Benediction (Main Vocal)
Any deep house record that makes it into the UK Top 40 is ok by us, and while Jamie Jones and co may have had to silence some ‘sell-out’ crying critics, there’s no disputing the quality of this record. Reportedly nearly a decade in the making, this is Hot Natured at the very height of their powers.
10. Bicep - Vision Of Love
The Bicep guys are vinyl warriors and releasing Vision of Love on wax only didn’t stop this becoming one of the biggest records of the year for us. Awesome nods back to the roots of house, combined with modern production meant that crowds lapped it up and begged for more.
9. Pirupa - Party Non Stop (Original Mix)
You know a record is big when it’s crowned Record of the Season by the Ibiza Music Awards. Pirupa’s record did exactly what it said on the tin and partied non-stop from its original release on Loco Dice’s Desolat label towards the start of the year all the way through the summer.
8. Infinity Ink - Infinity (Original Mix)
Luca C has had an amazing year as a quarter of Hot Natured, his partnership with Brigante and of course his Infinity Ink project with Ali Love. Infinity came out in the summer and blew our minds with its insanely hooky bassline and stunningly layered vocals in the chorus. We can see this record getting bigger and potentially bothering the pop charts next year.
7. Storm Queen - Let's Make Mistakes (Club Vox)
We are huge fans of Morgan Geist’s Storm Queen project here at Defected and this record is arguably his best yet. The production is exceptional and Damon C Scott just blesses this record with his trademark heartfelt vocals and takes it to the next level.
6. Flashmob - Need In Me
Flashmob had been making waves on the underground for a year or so but it was need in me that broke them out to a wider audience. This record just took hold and was arguably the biggest tune in Ibiza for the first half of the season and is still a sure fire floor filler now.
5. Julio Bashmore - Au Seve (Original Mix)
Julio Bashmore destroyed 2011 with Battle For Middle You so expectations were high for his follow up record; thankfully he didn’t disappoint. Incredibly simple, but so effective and had crowds all over the world singing “Oh Baby”. You know a record is big when you are getting daytime Radio 1 plays on an instrumental dance record.
4. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
A total no brainer for any top 10 this year, even though it came out right at the start of the year. Todd Terje’s incredible anthem has been a firm fixture in countless DJs boxes for the last 12 months. Disco and funk groove worked to perfection and then THAT moment halfway through, amazing.
3. Candi Staton - Hallelujah Anyway (Larse Vocal)
Candi is – of course – a legend already, but she retains an amazing ability to constantly produce stunning new records. The original version of this is a gospel record but one of our favourite producers of the year Larse just stripped everything back to just the vocal and worked his magic on the backing track. Quality always shines through and the record just got bigger and bigger over the summer and is still growing now.
2. Rudimental - Spoons feat. MNEK & Syron (Original Mix)
Rudimental have a had an incredible year, storming to No1 in the pop charts with Feel the Love but for us at Defected it was all about Spoons. This record showed that London can still turn out incredible underground records and introduced us to the talents of MNEK and Syron who are both gonna blow sky high in 2013.
1. Ben Pearce - What I Might Do (Club Edit)
Bubbled all summer with across the board support from all the key DJs, with Solomun and the rest of the Diynamic crew especially getting behind it during their spectacular season. Amazing use of an old record Anthony Hamilton record, hit Beatport No.1 and an absolute crowd favourite. For us, a more than worthy Most Rated track of 2012.
Defected presents Most Rated 2013 is out now
Defected In The House hits Electric Brixton, London with Dennis Ferrer, Deetron, Noir, Copyright, Simon Dunmore and Sam Divine. Full event info and tickets here.
