As 2024 rapidly draws to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on the past decade and revisiting some of the standout songs from 2014—still beloved by fans today. This list brings together artists like Lana Del Rey, TV on the Radio, and Spoon, each offering a unique snapshot of that era. While a few albums have been included as personal favorites that I couldn’t leave off, the overall collection is a tribute to a time we all remember well, in no particular order.
Whether you were shaped by your Tumblr feed, begging Alex from Target to notice you, or watching YouTubers like PewDiePie and StampyLongHead top the charts, the background music of 2014 either haunts us or sets a precedent for the industry’s future. There is something for everybody.
This list should serve as a comfort. Time passes, and we can lose sight of what used to shape us into who we are today. This music will always comfort us in times of change and uncertainty.
Here is the curated collection of 10 indie songs from 2014 that continue to resonate in both the music world and our personal soundtracks. Each album on this list has left an indelible mark. So, without further ado, here are some songs from 2014 that are still echoing in our playlists today.
- “Rent I Pay” – Spoon
Album details:
- Title: They Want My Soul
- Released: August 5, 2014
- Duration: 10 song, 37 min 37 sec
“Out amongst the stars and the stones // Every kinda fortune gets old // Every kinda line is gonna come back to me // Just as I go // But that’s the rent I pay // Like my brother say it // That’s the rent I pay”
“Rent I Pay” made it on this list because it is one of my favorite openings to an album and because the message will continually ring true for listeners. It’s raw, gritty, and a perfectly distorted, classic, mid-tempo rock song that forms this wall of sound, ensuring you’ll listen on. The song is relatable, as Spoon frontman Britt Daniel is expressing the “rent” he pays for simply living his life. I can’t help but think of it as a superstitious or karmic anthem.
2. “Next of Kin” – Alvvays
Album details:
- Title: Alvvays
- Released: July 22, 2014
- Duration: 9 song, 32 min 53 sec
3. “Cruel World” – Lana Del Rey
Album details:
- Title: Ultraviolence
- Released: January 1, 2014
- Duration: 14 songs, 1 hr 5 min
“Got my little red party dress on // Everybody knows that I’m the best // I’m crazy, yeah yeah // Get a little bit of Bourbon in ‘ya // Get a little bit suburban // And go crazy, yeah yeah”
Why’d I choose it? The title says it all. A sonic, ’70s-inspired, guitar-heavy, breakup song that makes you want to break down, let your mascara run, and sway around. As you wrap your arms around yourself, you finally collapse to the ground. Dramatic, right? Sometimes you need one of those moments, and nowadays, who can blame you? Her whaling and whining between the contrasting wild relationship she is in (in the song) is intense and liberating. She knows he’s crazy, but he’s crazy for her, so the cycle prevails. This album was my Lana Del Rey awakening, and it makes the list because it is simply timeless.
4. “Ben’s My Friend” – Sun Kil Moon
Album details:
- Title: Benji
- Released: August 19, 2014
- Duration: 11 songs, 1 hr 1 min
“Thought of Ben when I met him, in 2000 // At a festival in Spain, he was on a small stage then // And I didn’t know his name // Now he’s singing at the Greek and he’s busting moves // And my legs were hurt and then my feet were, too // I called him after, said, ‘I’ll skip the backstage hi/bye // But thanks for the nice music and all the exercise”
I couldn’t tell you how I first stumbled upon this song, but I know it was random, and then everlasting. Looking into it now, I (finally) learn that it’s about the friendship between singer Mark Kozelek and Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard. If my research serves me right, the “meltdown” from this track is from observing Gibbard become much more successful over time, and that Kozelek was becoming overly competitive.
We learn this as he counts back memories that come crashing down while at a show by The Postal Service at the Greek, “It’s a middle aged thing.” I digress. Kozelek is a fantastic storyteller – just go and read the whole song, you’re right there as he picks out a “$350 pair of lampshades.” It’s a folky, slow rock song that just hits you in the chest every time that saxophone blows. Worth a listen back.
5. “Francis Forever” – Mitski
Album details:
- Title: Bury Me At Makeout Creek
- Released: November 11, 2014
- Duration: 10 songs, 30 min 18 sec
A beautiful song of bittersweet longing and an even more beautiful gut-wrenching collection of lyrics. Another goodie to reminisce about, although Mitski is not someone we look back on a lot, as she and this album are still played a lot today — especially during the height of seasonal depression, amiright? Are these sections becoming increasingly more depressing? Maybe! But so are the seasons as we slowly creep towards the new year. So put on your wired earbuds and creep on, listening to Bury Me At Makeout Creek!
6. “Happy Idiot” – TV on the Radio
Album details:
- Title: Seeds
- Released: November 17, 2014
- Duration: 12 songs, 52 min 49 sec
“What you don’t know won’t hurt you, yeah // Ignorance is bliss // I’m a happy idiot // Waving at cars // I’m gonna bang my head to the wall // ‘Til I feel like nothing at all // I’m a happy idiot // To keep my mind off you //Stuck in a daze and I’ve lost my mind // I don’t wanna stay // Where the blame’s all mine”
Now get up and dance! But not really. It’s another song about a happiness facade! Convincing yourself that you’re okay, even when you’re really not, is something we unfortunately are all in tune with. Again, it makes the list because TV On The Radio needs to reach new audiences, so go get to know this album and more. Getting to listen back and still feel like we can relate to themes like these is concerning yet comforting! Good to know we’ll never really change – heh.
7. “Every Time the Sun Comes Up” – Sharon Van Etten
Album details:
- Title: Are We There
- Released: May 27, 2014
- Duration: 11 songs, 47 min 2 sec
This song feels like a slow train chugging down the tracks, with no destination in sight. Sharon Van Etten’s voice sounds like she’s in pain, singing and dragging out each word until its end. The repetition draws the emotions out of your chest. I imagine it happening how a dementor is eating someone’s soul, in the best way possible.
But, it turns out, according to SVE, it’s supposed to kind of be a joke of a song. I think that sense of humor is where that last line above comes in. She came up with the lyrics on a whim while recording this track and I tossed it on this list to admire its range of emotion of silliness and trying to take ourselves less serious.
8. “Red Eyes” – The War on Drugs
Album details:
- Title: Lost In The Dream
- Released: March 18, 2014
- Duration: 10 songs, 1 hr
“Come and ride away // It’s easier to stick to the old // Surrounded by the night // Surrounded by the night, and you don’t give in // But you abuse my faith // Losing every time but I don’t know where // You’re on my side again // So ride the heat wherever it goes // I’ll be the one to care, woo!”
Finally, a song about breaking free and loosening the chains of the boundaries that keep us locked up within ourselves. Very abstract. It’s my interpretation, but the song is actually about frontman Adam Granduciel’s faith. It isn’t straight up his faith in any certain thing, but the aura of faith in general. The War On Drugs’ music is like astral projecting. This album is amazing to revisit while trying to disconnect from the world. Listen front to back, no skips — it’s all one great, big, amazing blessing for your ears. Embrace it. And then go read my concert review on them and The National’s Zen Diagram tour.
9. “From Eden” – Hozier
Album details:
- Title: Hozier
- Released: September 19, 2014
- Duration: 15 songs, 1 hr 3 min
10. “Louise” – TV Girl
Album details:
- Title: French Exit
- Released: June 5, 2014
- Duration: 12 songs, 40 min 43 sec
“Louise, she just wasn’t thinking // When she climbed into his bed // She only wanted to lie beside him // To hell with his best friend // She woke him up and she whispered // But the answer wasn’t good // “Whatever made you think I would ever love you // Even if I could?'”
I feel like TV Girl is the unsuspected storyteller. I always admire how a lot of this album plays out chronologically. Regarding the track “Louise,” here’s the deeper meaning, “It recounts lead vocalist Brad Petering’s memory of a brief interaction with a French exchange student named Louise at a house party. Louise, who had come to Los Angeles from Chicago, had been embroiled in a love triangle between two best friends that ultimately ended in her being rejected by both.”
It’s listed because I personally think that because “Lovers Rock” is on this album, many songs become underdogs. And who doesn’t love a love triangle? This is just a great example of revisiting an album to remind us that the hidden gems do exist and are worth your attention (at least for 3 mins and 15 sec).
