Few Brit-pop bands could soundtrack an NFL apparel ad, but this Brighton, England crew's pom-pom waving spirit fit one fine. The naïve exuberance underpinning their mash-up of marching-band funk, jump-rope rap chants and indie-pop could feel forced by now, but their third disc is as cute and tunefully muscular as ever. Mastermind Ian Parton dials back the globalist hip-hop of 2007's Proof of Youth for cut-and-paste pop that's more overtly songful. Best Coast's Bethany Cosentino pumps the vocals on a couple tracks, imploring "action is a strategy there's no getting round," like a giddy cheerleader, and the Team pushes through with drive that'd impress Bill Belichick.

Listen to "Buy Nothing Today":

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“The A Team”

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.