From #putoutyourbats to Mario Balotelli, via the photo-bombing Queen, Rihanna, Sepp Blatter and much more
The playlist: the best Middle Eastern and North African music of 2014, with Noura Mint Seymali
From Saudi metal to Egyptian electro, here are some of the very best tracks of the last year from the Middle East and North Africa
The best TV shows of 2014 – readers' picks
After our critics chose their favourite TV of the year, it’s time to give voice to the readers, who had a clear number one – and nominated a very interesting top 10
Weird and wonderful: the most popular science stories of 2014
From a tapeworm that made its home in a man’s brain to a dinosaur dubbed the chicken from hell, it’s been a bumper year for bizarre science
2014 in music: the year's big stories in interactive form
From U2 forcing music on you, to Ed Sheeran conquering the world, to Taylormania – here are the year’s biggest music stories. Just click on a month to see what happened …
The playlist: The best indie of 2014, with Ariel Pink and Cate Le Bon
Our favourite music features of 2014: 1D's weird world, YouTube pop stars, Britpop backlash and more
