Albums of the Year - #15: Daft Punk - "Random Access Memories"

Rating: 7.4/10

Today, I'm beginning the countdown of my top albums of 2013, starting at number fifteen and working all the way up to my favorite record of the year. The first entry on the list is Daft Punk's highly successful dance-pop monster Random Access Memories. The album had plenty of hype surrounding it pre-release, with the group hinting at the upcoming CD in a commercial during SNL before officially announcing the album to much fanfare.

The most instantly recognizable track off Random Access Memories is lead single "Get Lucky," a summertime smash hit which featured Pharrell Williams on vocals. Built around a funky guitar riff and Pharell's falsetto, the single went triple platinum in the United States and sold over seven million copies worldwide. However, unlike other recent chart-toppers, "Get Lucky" had critics raving, and the so-called "return of disco" was declared perhaps over-optimistically.