Around this time every December since 2007, DJ Earworm has amassed the current year’s 25 biggest pop songs and corrals them into one seamlessly energetic single aptly dubbed “United States of Pop.” The results are always something special to be admired, and speaks volumes to the styles of music popular in such a fleeting trip-around-the-sun moment.

Around this time every December since 2007, DJ Earworm has amassed the current year’s 25 biggest pop songs and corrals them into one seamlessly energetic single aptly dubbed “United States of Pop.” The results are always something special to be admired, and speaks volumes to the styles of music popular in such a fleeting trip-around-the-sun moment.

At first glance, the process seems painstakingly difficult. But after reading some of what Earworm had to say to Billboard.com about the release … it seems all that much more arduous a task.

“The thing that has been most notable in the past two or three years is the decline of EDM,” he says. “The ‘United State of Pop’ became this dance track from ’09 to ’12, and then starting last year, there just wasn’t enough in that genre to fully support it, so I went down-tempo. And this year, ‘Timber,’ which was popular in January, is the only popular dance track I’m dealing with. It’s definitely down-tempo, so you have to decide, how is this going to go? How am I going to maintain the energy levels while being true to the sound of the year?”

We’ll leave the hard stuff like making 1 tune out of 25 to him this year and maybe go clean out our desk or something before the calendar turns as our annual duty. Or maybe not, there’s always 2016 …

Full alphabetical track listing:

A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera – “Say Something”
Ariana Grande feat. Iggy Azalea – “Problem”
Bastille – “Pompeii”
Dj Snake & Lil Jon – “Turn Down For What”
Hozier – “Take Me to Church”
Idina Menzel – “Let It Go”
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX – “Fancy”
Iggy Azalea feat. Rita Ora – “Black Widow”
Jason Derulo feat. 2 Chainz – “Talk Dirty”
Jeremih feat. YG – “Don't Tell 'Em”
Jessie J feat. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj – “Bang Bang “
John Legend – “All Of Me”
Katy Perry feat. Juicy J – “Dark Horse”
Lorde – “Team”
Magic! – “Rude”
Maroon 5 – “Animals”
Meghan Trainor – “All About That Bass”
Nico & Vinz – “Am I Wrong”
One Direction – “Story of My Life”
Passenger – “Let Her Go”
Pharrell Williams – “Happy”
Pitbull feat. Ke$ha – “Timber”
Sam Smith – “Stay With Me”
Taylor Swift – “Shake It Off”
Tove Lo – “Habits”