A couple of artists like Pharrell and Pitbull proved once again they deserve the title of international stars, while other artists like Sam Smith and Meghan Trainor found their place on the burgeoning pop scene of 2014. These are the top pop songs you could still hear today on the radio, although they’ve been played all year long.

1. John Legend – All of Me

The piano power ballad created in 2013 is related to Legend’s fiancée, Chrissy Teigen. ‘All of Me’ is the third single from “Love in the Future”, but critics say it is the best example of Legend’s both soothing vocal range and his creative touch of keys.

2. One Republic – Counting Stars

One Republic hasn’t managed to come up with such a successful song since ‘Apologize’, which was released seven years ago. Although it hasn’t reached number one in the Billboard Hot 100, ‘Counting Stars’ spent an impressive 25 consecutive weeks in top 10. Reaching no 1 in the same week when Pitbull’s new single is a direct competitor seems quite of a challenge.

3. Pharrell Williams – Happy

Pharrell hit the jackpot once again. Without a doubt, ‘Happy’ was the song of the summer. After reaching the top, ‘Happy’ stayed among the first ten positions for almost half a year. The success makes sense, as ‘Happy’ was recorded in roughly the same period of 2013 as ‘Get Lucky’.

4. Katy Perry feat Juicy J – Dark Horse

Together, Perry and Juicy J wrote the lyrics to what turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the year. Reaching number one in February, ‘Dark Horse’ stayed in top ten for an impressive 22 weeks. From one point of view, the ‘Southern rap-techno mashup’ is a side of a mature Katy Perry.

5. Sia – Chandelier

This is Sia’s highest ranked song ever, although the Australian artist gradually climbed the stairs of success. Since working with Zero 7 in the early 2000’s, Sia wrote songs for Beyonce, Rihanna and many others. But ‘Chandelier’, a powerful, yet melancholic, electropop piece, showed that Sia is one of the most complex artists of the moment. So no surprises here, as Sia got everything right.

6. Pitbull feat Ke$ha – Timber

Talking about top pop songs without mentioning Pitbull would be a sacrilege. Whatever Pitbull touches, it turns into gold. ‘Timber’ reached no 1 in January and spent 17 weeks in top 10. Although Pitbull uses the same winning formula, this time he adds a touch of country and folk to get another thing going strong.

7. Iggy Azalea feat Charlie XCX – Fancy

This kind of full on chemistry between the two singers was a well-received surprise by both critics and larger audiences. In June, ‘Fancy’ enjoyed the first position in Billboard Hot 100. Overall, Azalea’s and Charli XCX’s biggest hit stayed in top ten for no less than 17 weeks.

8. Taylor Swift – Shake it Off

‘Shake it Off’ is Taylor Swift saying good-bye to country-pop, the style that made her famous. Along with its fifth album at just 24, Swift turns into a mature international music star. The uptempo pop hit spiced up with a sassy sax conquered the top in September. Now it’s still in the first 10 hottest hits.

9.  Sam Smith – Stay With Me

Critics stated that ‘Stay with Me’ is an instant classic. Sam Smith’s pop ballad highly benefits from its gospel themed chorus, which makes it stand out among other dramatic songs. ‘Stay with Me’ hadn’t managed to attain the first position, although it spent 21 weeks in top ten. The soul themed hit reached no. 2 in August.

10. Meghan Trainor – All About that Bass

Trainor conquered the top in September with this feminist anthem which still stands among the first 10 positions. Eighteen weeks and still going strong because the bubblegum pop retro piece ‘All About that Bass’ is incredibly catchy. There you have it, these are our choices for best pop songs of 2014!