It's that time of year again: The snow falls and Christmas trees light up, uncles get embarrassingly drunk on eggnog and Fuse rolls out our annual best-of lists. Next up: The Fuse Staff's 40 Best Songs of 2013. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, herein lies your go-to list of the essential tracks from the past 12 months, from punk to pop, rock to R&B and beyond. 

All your favorites artists—Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Vampire Weekend, Miley Cyrus, Kings of Leon and many, many more—are all included. Plus, there are other lesser-known gems ripe for discovery, like "On Blue Mountain" by Los Angeles' '60s-lovin' youngsters Foxygen, "Avant Gardener" by Aussie psych-folk troubadour/CMJ favorite Courtney Barnett and "Sister Cities" by Philly indie rockers Hop Along.

Listen to each track here and read why these 40 tracks are our favorite from 2013.

Want more Best of 2013 stories? Of course you do! Check out The 9 Ugliest Hip Hop Beefs, The 25 Best Live Performance Photos and The 8 Craziest Music Memes from 2013. And check back to Fuse.tv for more in the coming weeks!

"Bow Down," the gangsta-inspired joint Beyonce dropped in March, turned into "***Flawless" when she unleashed her self-titled fifth album out of nowhere in December. While the "worship my supremacy" vibe is still in full effect, this tweaked version of the song smartly (and uncharacteristically) humanizes Queen Bey. It begins and ends with audio snippets of a Young Miss Knowles competing on Star Search, reminding us there was a time when she struggled for her dreams.

"***Flawless" also taps acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for a spoken word screed against sexism that just might be the most empowering message from a pop song in 2013.

—Joe Lynch, Staff Writer / Coney Island Baby

Legal misadventures aside, 2013 was a solid year for indie pop it-girl Sky Ferreira, whose long-awaited debut LP, Night Time, My Time, in turn helped make it a solid year for us too. In particular, the sleeper hit "24 Hours" is a more perfectly-executed pop song than nearly anything we heard on the radio in 2013, but it would surely have dominated the #1 spot in 1985. Devastatingly dreamy both sonically and lyrically, this gem sounds like it ought to play over the credits for your favorite John Hughes movie. 

—Ariel LeBeau, Photo Editor / Directioner

A$AP Rocky's studio debut was a mix of alternately stunning and satisfying tracks, but after repeated listens, the collaboration between dubstep poster boy Skrillex and the Harlem rapper is the most durable banger after "F—kin' Problems." It hits hard and makes the argument that EDM and hip hop might have a mainstream future together.  

—Joe Lynch, Staff Writer / Coney Island Baby

While "feminist" was no longer a dirty word in music circles in 2013—Lorde, Chvrches' Lauren Mayberry, James Brooks and the Miley-Sinead contretemps all prompted dialogues over the term—the most powerful all-woman outfit around resisted being reduced to the tag "feminist band." To be sure, London-based Savages' debut album Silence Yourself delves into many ideas. But the post-punk quartet's mere existence--to paraphrase Jay Z—qualified as activism. That and this most memorable single from the album. Not only did guitarist Gemma Thompson give us the year's raddest riff, but Savages' audacious French frontwoman Jehnny Beth is in full-bore ferocious, spitting about an especially in-your-face female: "She will enter the room / She will enter the bed /  She will talk like a friend / She will kiss like a man." If the pile-driving "She Will" isn't feminism, I don't know what is. 

—John Norris, Supervising Producer / Left-handed Socialist Pisces

Chicago quartet Fall Out Boy may sound more "pop" than "pop-punk" these days, but they pulled a truly badass move in 2013 by naming their comeback LP Save Rock and Roll. And the boys have came to accomplish just that. Especially frontman Patrick Stump, who shines on one of FOB’s few true ballads. Immortal legend Elton John even guests on piano and vocals on this heartfelt anthem, and the two sound immediately natural together, like they've been collaborating for years. But travel back in time to 2003 to tell the Take This To Your Grave-era FOB that they'd be joined by Elton John a decade later, and they'd have laughed you right out of their dingy tour van. 

—Thomas Nassiff, Web Content Manager / Punk Rock Princess 

Grammy nominations were just announced—and Janelle Monae was robbed! Her sexy duet with Miguel—whose Kaleidoscope Dream landed in Fuse's Best Albums of 2012 list—is my favorite cut off Monae's impressive sophomore album The Electric Lady. It's the stuff of R&B wet dreams: two of the genre's most innovative new stars proving that, while neither is afraid of pushing the boundaries, they're also skilled enough to deliver a track that sounds so damn classic. The gorgeous video was just icing on the cake. 

—Mark Sundstrom, Web Content Manager / R&B Connoisseur 

Ezra Koenig never had a problem with erudite, clever wordplay—three Vampire Weekend albums are proof enough of that. But lyrical warmth? Not so much. That changed with the band's excellent latest effort, Modern Vampires of the City, nowhere more so than on the wistful "Step," The song repurposes two hip hop tracks: YZ's "Who's That Girl" and "Step To My Girl" by Souls Of Mischief, even down to the opening line, "Back, back, way back I used to front…" But the indie rock A-listers make it their own, with Koenig getting mature ("I'm ready for the house"), vulnerable ("I can't do it alone") and reflective: "Wisdom's a gift but you'd trade it for youth," sings a man not yet 30. He can still be plenty inscrutable—"The gloves are off, the wisdom teeth are out"—what you on about indeed, Ezra? But married to the beats and Rostam Batmanglij's piano and harpsichord, "Step" absolutely sparkles. 

—John Norris, Supervising Producer / Left-handed Socialist Pisces

The most famous example of English electropop star Charli XCX's talent is "I Love It," the massive hit she co-wrote for Icona Pop. But my personal favorite is "You (Ha Ha Ha)" from Charli's major label debut, True Romance. U.K. producer Gold Panda's "You" becomes the backing track for another love-gone-wrong song that, like "I Love It," is somehow equal parts party jam and breakup anthem. Flawless.

—Samantha Vincenty, Social Media Editor/Volunteer Bulldog Masseuse

Choosing a favorite from Foxygen's remarkable debut We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic is a little like picking a favorite child--it's damn near impossible. The batty, lilting "San Francisco" was certainly my most-played song of the first quarter of 2013. But I went with the rollicker "On Blue Mountain," as no track on 21st Century more encapsulates the shambolic sensation that is Foxygen. Like a train that leaves a station, picks up steam and careens down the tracks, it stops, starts, and changes time so often that your head spins, along the way tossing classic rock references into one thrilling, batsh-t stew:  some Velvets here, Doors there, and a hook that recalls Elvis' "Suspicious Minds." There's even backing girls! At the center of it all is woozy, manic frontman Sam France, whose wild ways earned him a seriously broken leg during a live show over the summer, and sidelined the band for months. It's finally healed, and word is there is a new album in the works. Let's hope it's soon. The world is just a better place with Foxygen in it. 

—John Norris, Supervising Producer / Left-handed Socialist Pisces

Minimal drum'n'bass. Clunky electro-pop. Fierce rapping. Soaring diva vocals. Drastic tempo changes. Xylophones: This K-pop confection has something for every music fan out there. With a sing-along chorus and slick production that gracefully blends all these disparate sounds together, it's a shame a proper Western push was never utilized—Girls' Generation could be global superstars.

—Jeff Benjamin, Staff Writer / International Music Fan

As of 2013, disco is no longer a dirty word. Following Daft Punk's instant-classic genre foray "Get Lucky," Arcade Fire—with some heavy assistance from dance floor guru/LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy—dropped this seven-minute single. Reminiscent of the "mutant disco" ZE Records produced in the early '80s New York club underground, "Reflektor" is a warped, ass-shaking delight. 

—Joe Lynch, Staff Writer / Coney Island Baby

Overplayed as it may be, I still refuse to skip this song when it comes up on shuffle. I'm not well-versed in EDM, but throw in a pop star guest—in this case, London songstress Foxes—and I'm sold. While there's a lot going on with vocals, bass, choir and instrumentals, the giant mish-mash helps make Russian-German DJ-producer Zedd's "Clarity" an extremely versatile track. Blast it at the gym, rock out to it at a club or belt it in the shower. 

—Tina Xu, Web Content Manager / Wine & Drake Enthusiast 

All due respect to Lorde, but there's another teenage wunderkind who dominated our earholes this year. When this breakthrough single from 19-year-old Archy Marshall, aka King Krule, oozes into your brain, good luck getting it out. So perfect it doesn't even need percussion, "Easy Easy" relies on Archy's feathery, Pixies-esque guitar work and his arresting English drawl to make one of the most uncannily catchy songs we've heard in a long time. Simply brilliant.

—Ariel LeBeau, Photo Editor / Directioner

"#Beautiful" was Mariah Carey's biggest hit in four years—and it was definitely one of the songs of Summer 2013. With Motown-esque production and catchy-as-hell hooks, the single was embraced by Carey fans, who saw newcomer Miguel's lead vocal on the duet as Mimi's way of reminding the music world that R&B isn't a thing of the past, but the future. 

—Mark Sundstrom, Web Content Manager / R&B Connoisseur 

Talk about dreamy: "It All Feels Right," from Georgia native Ernest Greene's second album as Washed Out, 2013's Paracosm, takes the career-launching, ambient chillwave sound from his buzzworthy 2011 debut Within and Without and gives it a polished, tropical vibe. It's like a sun-drenched, psychedelic dream sequence set in one of iconic impressionist painter Paul Gauguin's famous works of the South Pacific. And its video, complete with colorful animated blooming flowers, completes the circle (watch above). Where his debut was heavy on samples, Greene's new LP—and this track in particular—layers programmed drums and synths with tropicalia-esque live instrumentation and field recordings of nature sounds, like birdcalls. It's escapist. It's breezy and woozy. It's the soundtrack to your personal cruise under the sun, the blue ocean at your feet, and yes, it all feels right.

—William Goodman, News Editor / Gnar Specialist 

It'd be hard to find another song from 2013 with as many hooks as this intergalactic ARTPOP banger from Mother Monster. The opening futuristic bass warps and four-on-the-floor drums soon fluidly transform into another hooky section, then another, another and then—BAM!—Gaga hits you with yet another glossy hook, all delivered with increasing infectiousness. Plus, the theatrical lyrics—"Uranus / Don't you know my ass is famous?"—are too fun to not shout along with. It's distilled Gaga.

—Jeff Benjamin, Staff Writer / International Music Fan

Totally gutted, and utterly gorgeous. On Muchacho, his sixth album as Phosphorescent, singer-songwriter Matthew Houck created his magnum opus—a six-minute ode to a lost love and a breakup so devastating that it left its protagonist's heart closed off. "Some say love is a burning thing / That it makes a fiery ring," sings Houck, echoing Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire." But this man-in-not-so-much-black sees it as a fading, disfiguring thing, a "caging" thing and a killer. Musically "Song For Zula" is simple enough: a drum track, swelling strings, and Houck's voice, first broken, momentarily empowered, and by the end, seething, as he proclaims to the outside world, "I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free." It's chilling and tortured, but if this look at the flip side of love won Phosphorescent some latter-day converts, it's a happy song after all. 

—John Norris, Supervising Producer / Left-handed Socialist Pisces

When Rihanna's uptempo "Where Have You Been" landed on Fuse's Best Songs of 2012 list, Senior Writer Jason Newman noted that Rih's career could survive solely on dance jams. What a difference a year makes. The hitmaker premiered the piano ballad (off 2012's Unapologetic) last November with a moving, unusually subtle performance on SNL. It was officially released in early 2013, and fans and reluctant non-fans fell in love. Fun fact: This November is the first in four years that Rihanna hasn't released a new album. With "Stay" still racking up plays on my iPod, I'm not mad about it. 

—Mark Sundstrom, Web Content Manager / R&B Connoisseur

It feels unfair to name the closing track from the Philly sextet's latest LP, The Greatest Generation, my favorite song of 2013. It has an advantage: It's a near-eight-minute epic that spans tempos and moods and repurposes riffs, rhythms and lyrics from many other TGG tracks into a solid, all-new song. But "Funeral" wouldn't be special if it were just a medley. It's special because even if you removed that entire middle section of rewritten material, it's still one of the best tracks to date from The Wonder Years. The final verse is among frontman Dan Campbell's best, too: "There's no devil on my shoulder / He's got rocking chair on my front porch, but I won’t let him in / ‘Cause I’m sick of seeing ghosts and I know how it’s all gonna end / There’s no triumph waiting, there’s no sunset to ride off in / We all want to be great men and there’s nothing romantic about it / I just want to know that I did all I could with what I was given."

It's the most emotionally exhausting song from a band praised for its emotionally exhausting songs, and it's proof-positive that The Wonder Years have more substance than the typical pop-punk act. If they ever get around to playing it live, it'll be a wrecking ball of a closer. 

—Thomas Nassiff, Web Content Manager/Punk Rock Princess 

Alternating between a bombastic chorus—it's basically a sledgehammer to your ears—and gentle, wounded verses, Miley's No. 1 hit is neither subtle nor graceful. And it's all the better for it: Her musical mish-mash was one of this year's unexpected thrills. 

—Joe Lynch, Staff Writer / Coney Island Baby

Regardless of your preferred genres, if you make it through 2013 without familiarizing yourself with this band, you'll have done yourself a major disservice. But worry not—if you school yourself now, you can still say you were ahead of the curve when Hop Along become the hottest band of 2014. Although this is the only song the Philadelphia indie rock outfit released this year, we replayed it so many times that we hardly could have felt shortchanged. FYI, if frontwoman Frances Quinlan's harrowingly beautiful voice alone doesn't give you chills, you might not be completely human. 

—Ariel LeBeau, Photo Editor / Directioner

David Bowie/Diana Ross/Duran Duran producer Nile Rodgers has been an unsung music biz MVP and dance music pioneer since the late '70s, so it's fitting that spiritual followers Daft Punk & Pharrell teamed with him on a 2013 single. But "Get Lucky" was no mere throwback: Its sprightly guitar riff, flawless production and instantly addictive chorus prove disco never died—it just morphed into our pop DNA. 

—Joe Lynch, Staff Writer / Coney Island Baby

The left-field winner from 2013's batch of new indie gems was a psych-folk jam about suffering an anaphylactic panic-attack while gardening: "All of a sudden, I'm having trouble breathing in," Courtney Barnett—one of Fuse's must-see CMJ artists—coos over chiming guitars in a Stephen Malkmus-influenced, Gen X-whatever vocal drone. Barnett's story continues with a striking conversation with an ambulance driver, taking a "hit from an asthma puffer" and the revelation that she's not all that great at smoking weed from bongs. If you like '60s folkies like Bob Dylan, Donovan and the Byrds and/or '90s slackers like Pavement and Beck, then you'll love it.

—William Goodman, News Editor / Gnar Specialist 

Full disclosure: I've never considered myself much of a Justin Timberlake fan. So "Suit & Tie" landing on a list of my favorite songs of 2013 isn't to be taken lightly, especially after my initial reaction to JT's comeback single. After all the hype and mysterious (and numerous) countdowns, I felt let down. But not for long. As a Jay Z stan, I found my way in via Hov's verse. Then, as a Timbaland fan, I warmed to the song's production and arrangement. Finally, as an R&B fan, I came to appreciate JT's confident and sleek vocal performance. The beautiful David Fincher-directed music video sealed the deal, and I finally gave in and bought The 20/20 Experience. You win this round, Timberlake. 

—Mark Sunderstrom, Web Content Manager / R&B Connoisseur

All hail the sisters HAIM for bringing guitar-pop back in 2013. Their debut album, Days Are Gone, is named on nearly every best-of list of the year (including ours), and standout track "The Wire" is a completely addictive clap-along jam. 

—Nicole James, Staff Writer / #ForeverTeen

Punk legend Kathleen Hanna's return with her new band The Julie Ruin was easily one of the year's highlights, and it couldn't have sounded more triumphant than on "Oh Come On," the album-opening single from their debut LP, Run Fast. Punchy and powerfully poppy, the track sounds like the fuzzed-out 1960s garage band of our dreams, led by the unmistakable chides and chants of Hanna, whose lacerating delivery sounds better than ever. 

—Ariel LeBeau, Photo Editor / Directioner

The much-anticipated sequel to "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" finally arrived via Jay Z's Magna Carta... Holy Grail. Featuring wifey Queen Bey on vocals and Timbaland on production, "Part II (On the Run)" is, without a doubt, the album's standout track. Depicting the next chapter of the power couple's love story, the R&B-rap ballad feels futuristic yet throwback, sounding almost dream-like as it glides along piano keys and heavy synths. But even more appealing than the song's production is its concept—"an outlaw chick" who's "Dangerously In Love" with a guy whose "past ain't pretty" but will always have his lady by his side. Ride or die. Plus, let's be real here: who doesn't love Hov's sensitive side? 

—Tina Xu, Web Content Manager / Wine & Drake Enthusiast 

Like Pixies, Nirvana, Weezer and many more before him, San Francisco garage rocker Mikal Cronin—who got his start working with Ty Segall—has a knack for melding sweet, Beatles-esque pop smarts with fuzz-toned guitar squall. His second album, 2013's MCII, is a beautiful demonstration of this oft-tricky balance, and LP gem "Weight" is its absolutely pinnacle. With the ever-catchy loud-soft-loud pop formula intact, the track builds from tender piano and acoustic guitar strums to a wall of guitar crunch as Cronin fears his potential collapse under the weight of life as he grows up. It's that rare song you can listen to over and over and over, forever, that aims straight for the heart of listeners.

—William Goodman, News Editor / Gnar Specialist 

R&B songstress Jhené Aiko shines on this soulful J. Cole collaboration, as the duo paints the struggles and realities of a trying relationship. The opening bars set up Aiko’s instantly recognizable tender tone, with Cole intermittently singing along in the background. As exhausting and uncertain as his situation may seem, Cole hopes his lady is strong enough to fight for him—"Love is war, end up on the floor / But, baby, you only lose when you don't swing back." If there's one track that makes the deluxe version of J. Cole's Born Sinner worth your money, it's this one. 

—Tina Xu, Web Content Manager / Wine & Drake Enthusiast 

There's a dearth of old-fashioned, sh*t-kickin' garage rock bands, with the prolific Thee Oh Sees becoming a bellwether for crunchy guitars and beer swillin'. "Toe Cutter/Thumb Buster," taken from their excellent Floating Coffin album, adds a tinge of indie sugar pop to their sound, but remains the perfect soundtrack to randomly punch your friend in the face. 

—Jason Newman, Senior Writer / Street-Walking Cheetah

Sampling the classic R&B bass jam "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJ's is borderline manipulative, not unlike the practice using James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)" in movie trailers to trick peoples' brains into equating that movie with having a good time. But I can't stay mad at Ciara and producer Mike Will Made It, especially after the sample got sped back up on "Body Party Remix." The all-out "My Boo" callback and verses from B.o.B and Ciara’s fiancé Future turn the remix into an actual party.  

—Samantha Vincenty, Social Media Editor / Volunteer Bulldog Masseuse

After the massive success of their albums Because of the Times and Only by the Night—especially the latter's hit singles "Use Somebody" and "Sex on Fire"—Kings of Leon chased critical acclaim with 2010's rootsy and down-home Come Around Sundown. It didn't really work. But with "Supersoaker," the first single from their new LP Mechanical Bull, the Followills struck rock-pop gold. It combines the gritty but twinkling rock guitars of their fan-favorite early albums, like Aha Shake Heartbreak (which earned their "The Southern Strokes" title), with the anthemic quality of their later studio-slick chart-toppers. It's a catchy-as-all-hell gem with sentiment (a KoL speciality), and perhaps the Nashville band's best track ... ever? Cheers boys! 

—William Goodman, News Editor / Gnar Specialist 

One of the more conventionally poppy songs on One Direction's decidedly Mumford-ized third album, Midnight Memories, "Diana" might sound on the surface like a song about unrequited affection for a girl. But if the consensus among their fanbase is to be believed, it's really an allegory for the band's relationship with their devoted Directioners. With lyrics like, "I wanna reach out for you / I wanna break these walls / I speak a different language, but I still hear you call," we feel inclined to agree, and totally admire the sentiment. 

—Ariel LeBeau, Photo Editor/Directioner

After her incredibly successful sophomore album Teenage Dream broke records left and right, Katy Perry loaded up on the heavy artillery for her comeback single "Roar"—top-notch songwriters and a killer PR strategy. And she didn't disappoint. The "Cotton Candy Katy" chapter of her book might be closed, but the Prism lead single is still a delicious piece of pop candy. 

—Nicole James, Staff Writer / #ForeverTeen

It's the hardest, artiest beat I've heard in contemporary hip hop: Pusha T's "Numbers on the Board," co-produced and co-written by Kanye and featured on Push's 2013 LP My Name Is My Name (executive produced by 'Ye), has a pounding deep bass line and skittering, click-clacking sound effect that'd be at home on a Nine Inch Nails track. This is hip hop experimentalism at its finest and proves that Kanye—who threw a pro-Pusha rant at a New York City listening party for My Name—is entirely correct: "Everything is Pusha T," 'Ye screamed. Amen. So will 'Ye produce Pusha's next LP, King Push? We'll see.

—William Goodman, News Editor / Gnar Specialist 

The Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter's new album, Unorthodox Jukebox, was a tip of the fedora to Mars' beloved sounds of the '70s, and no other LP track hits the mark like "When I Was Your Man." Like an amalgam of piano ballads by Stevie Wonder or Harry Nilsson, "When I Was Your Man" has the hallmarks of the decade's best: the angelic melodies, masterful songwriting, spare piano chords and pleading lyrics of heartbreak. You can almost see Mars at home alone at the piano, emotionally and physically wrecked from a shattered relationship and the boozy nights that numbed it, like Nilsson working out the arrangement for his chart- and heart-crushing piano ballad "Without You."

—William Goodman, News Editors / Gnar Specialist

From the lyrics to the visuals, to the aggressively industrial sound of the song itself, when Kanye West premiered his track "New Slaves" (via projections at various locations around the world), we were reminded why he calls himself Yeezus. Kayne seemed to reach an unprecedented level of outrage on the song—"Y'all throwing contracts at me / You know that n-ggas can't read"— we had no problem getting out of the way and listening. 

—Nicole James, Staff Writer / #ForeverTeen

Vocalist Sam Smith and Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers team up with the British duo to create one of the slinkiest tracks of the year, anchored by a porn-funk filtered bass line and Rodgers' restrained bedroom-ready riff. Related: There is no better opening (pick-up) line this year than "Kiss my lips and taste the sauvignon." Press play and f-ck. 

—Jason Newman, Senior Writer / Street-Walking Cheetah

You were forgiven for being skeptical of the line "Drake goes New Wave" until you actually heard the irresistible collaboration with Canadian production duo Majid Jordan. Drake said he wanted to write a song that would be "played at weddings in 10 years." He succeeded. The pop track has been covered by everyone from Blood Orange to Arctic Monkeys to Lissie. 

—Jason Newman, Senior Writer / Street-Walking Cheetah

Disclosure were one of the most exciting musical acts to arrive in 2013, and the opening track on their debut album Settle, "When a Fire Starts to Burn," perfectly captures their intensity. The UK electronic duo have the art of the earworm down, and any song that samples a soulful sermon alongside traditional house beats gets a vote in my book. 

—Nicole James, Staff Writer / #ForeverTeen

After nearly a decade in the game Paramore's self-titled fourth album finally scored the Tennessee trio a No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200. The band took a lot of risks on this album, experimenting more with the "pop" part of their "pop-punk" title. Their funk, soul and gospel-inspired track "Ain't It Fun" is a surprising standout. 

—Nicole James, Staff Writer / #ForeverTeen