As we wave goodbye to the year that has been tonight, it’s time to take a look back to what we were loving in 2013. iTunes has released its best of 2013 lists — an encapsulation of what we couldn’t get enough of this year. Books, movies, music, television shows and more show that, frankly, we have pretty great taste Australia! Without further ado, what we couldn’t get enough of this year:
Music
Breakthrough Artist and Album of the Year: Lorde, Pure Heroine
Australia (and the rest of the world) couldn’t get enough of Lorde this year, with the supremely talented seventeen year old becoming the first female to top the American Billboard charts in seventeen years. The edgy teen has been nominated for four Grammy’s, with her offbeat brand of indie crossed with hip-hop winning fans the world over.
Song of the Year: Get Lucky, Daft Punk
The world had been waiting with bated breath to see what the futuristic Frenchmen would deliver next; rather than predicting what we’ll be listening to in a few years, they threw back to seventies disco and gave every club night its catch phrase for the rest of the year.
Australian Artist: Flume
Another teenager hitting the big time, Sydney’s very own Flume wasn’t far behind Lorde in international popularity. Bringing electronic music back to the masses, Flume proved that Australia has much more to offer the world in music than pub-rock bands and former Australian Idol stars!
Movies
Best Thriller: Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron
Definitely the film most likely to cause high blood pressure, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was widely lauded for its completely original idea and the tension it managed to build. And we must say, Sandra Bullock does an incredible job of carrying the film as pretty much the only character.
Best Independent: Blue Jasmine, Woody Allen
Who doesn’t love a Woody Allen film? Blue Jasmine was definitely one of Woody’s more harrowing creations, as we watched Jasmine (a brilliant Cate Blanchett) straddle the divide between her former glamorous life and slowly going mad. Hilariously brutal.
Best Romance: Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper took the world by storm in Silver Linings Playbook, a film that had critics and audiences alike applauding the realism with which the film approached mental illness. Funny and heartbreaking in equal measures.
Best Kids and Family: Despicable Me 2, Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
The follow-up to one of the most adored children’s films in the past few years didn’t fail to disappoint. One of those rare movies that kids and parents adore in equal measure.
TV Shows
Best Debut: House of Cards, Season One
This political thriller had audiences hoping that the ruthless world of the White House this show portrays was just an over-exaggeration. As much as we hate the brutal characters, we can’t get enough of House of Cards.
Best Series Finale: Breaking Bad, The Final Season
We won’t ruin the ending. But wow.
Best Mini-Series: Top of the Lake, Season One
Jane Campion’s Top of the Lake is just the latest television show to prove that film no longer has a stranglehold on brilliant content.
Best Breakthrough: Scandal, Season Two
Another political drama we couldn’t tear ourselves away from, Scandal was written by one of George W. Bush’s former press aides — so you know it’s going to be juicy!
Apps
iPhone App of the Year: Duolingo Learn Languages for Free, Duolingo
There are so many language apps out there it’s enough to make our heads spin. Duolingo is the pick of the bunch, with an independent study finding that it is actually better than university-based language courses.
iPhone Game of the Year: Ridiculous Fishing, A Game of Redemption, Vlambeer
iTunes describes this app as “a handcrafted game about fishing with guns, chainsaws and toasters.” We’re, um, hooked.
iPad App of the Year: Disney Animated, Disney
We’ve all grown up with Disney films, and this frankly amazing app takes us behind the scenes of all the greatest hits. From the classic Snow White to their latest, Frozen, get a peek behind the animations and production of these magical movies.
iPad Game of the Year: BADLAND, Frogmind
A classic arcade-style game for the iPad, BADLANDS is just plain addictive.
Books
Book of the Year: Burial Rites, Hannah Kent
Focusing on the final year in the life of the last woman to be publicly executed in Iceland, Burial Rites gives new meaning to the word ‘gripping.’
Best Australian Book: The Husband’s Secret, Liane Moriarty
Everyone has secrets, but what if your husband is keeping a secret so dark that it will affect the lives of everyone you know? Liane Moriarty has delivered yet another novel perfect for beach-side reading.
Best Non-Fiction: Murder in Mississipi, John Safran
Is Australian broadcaster John Safran the new Truman Capote? Here the controversial Triple J host covers the trials of one of America’s most notorious white supremacists.
Best Breakout Book: Saving Wishes, GJ Walker-Smith
Many people can relate to not quite feeling comfortable in the lives we’re living, and newbie GJ Walker-Smith explores this with elegance and wit.
Podcasts
Best Classic Audio Podcast: TOFOP, Wil Anderson and Charlie Clausen
Wil Anderson is one of Australia’s best-loved comics, and has joined forces with actor Charlie Clausen to create TOFOP, a laugh-packed podcast about everything from Underbelly to eggnog.
Best Classic Video Podcast: Good Game, ABC TV
Never miss another games review with ABC’s Good Game podcast. You’ll never be stuck for a game to play again!
Best New Audio Podcast: Welcome to Night Vale, Commonplace Books
A fictional bi-weekly community update for the fictional town of Night Vale, where strange events are afoot.
Best New Video Podcast: BrainStuff, Test Tube
Brain Stuff answers every question about every random thing you’ve ever wanted to know about. Every wondered how lock picking works? Or how lava lamps are so…lava-ey? This is your godsend!
Images: Zimbio
