Top 10 Songs of 2013: #8 Ra Ra Riot - Dance With Me 

Ra Ra Riot - “Dance With Me”

You know, I didn’t like the new Ra Ra Riot album at first. I loved the string-infused pop sound from their first couple of albums, and I loved their live shows.

This album is so synth. The strings are down in the mix on most of the songs. It wasn’t what I expected.

And then, unexpectedly, it started catching on. It’s still super poppy, hooky music (and by now, you’ve probably noticed that trend in my picks). Like “Crazy”, this song is damn near all hook. It’s a ton of fun. You can almost hear the fun coming through your speakers. When you see the song live, it’s probably the bounciest thing you’ll ever see.

I think that why I ended up putting it on my list. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve heard it, it never feels tired. Every time it builds up to the chorus and you hear the little “ahhhhhh” in the background, it makes me smile. That gets you on the list.

(And, the fun poppy songs at this end of the list will offset some of the darker stuff you’re going to hear shortly …)