best of Red's Best of 2017 (Top 40 Albums 40-36, Page 4)

[Vxspertine]

Great picks so far  Childish Gambino WON.

[Red]

On 12/13/2017 at 6:07 PM, Remmy said:

Starboy  It's never been one of my favorites from the album. I'd probably put it at #6 or #7.
24K Magic "24K Magic" is basically the diet "Uptown Funk" Love both but this is kinda accurate
Something In the Way You Move But the Delirium slander has to STOP! Everyone always bashes ha

I don't hate the album, I just think that she's capable of much more and that she's squandering her potential.

 

On 12/13/2017 at 6:18 PM, prézli said:

The Deichmann commercial made me hate that Ellie song.

 

Foo Fighters are GODS. The EP was better than the actual album imo. Wondering if there will be some Weezer. I find 1975 overrated everywhere. And I always like some Red Hot Chili Peppers (not in my mouth, tho ddddddd)

There might be...

 

On 12/13/2017 at 6:20 PM, Tom Vercetti said:

Redbone 

 

This choice is fair.

 

On 12/13/2017 at 6:46 PM, potent said:

24k, TSOS, Somebody Else 

 

Stop Desire is good but not near as great as Closer

Well, yeah, but that's an unfair comparison for "Stop Desire". "Closer" is one of the big pop highlights this decade. Another song of theirs IS comparable, though...

 

On 12/13/2017 at 11:10 PM, Lazuli said:

SITWYM was an immediate standout  

Somebody Else was my #1 last year  

24K Magic is one of my least favourite from Bruno 

Stop Desire is a bop! 

Its ranking for me in 2017 might be comparable...

 

On 12/14/2017 at 0:02 AM, Lovesong said:

Amazing list! Makes me wanna re-listen Korn songs, which I haven't done since high school graduation 5 years ago!

 

Go Robot, False Alarm 

 

How you doin? 

I fell out of love with Korn in the way that I used to love them a few years ago, but I do think that their most recent album is, objectively, their best in a long time. I wish it had been released five years ago, I probably would have adored it.

 

On 12/14/2017 at 0:47 AM, Mr.Link said:

Lol as I was reading your list I was like this song is so 2016, and this one too, and this one aswell...but now I see you're posting the 2016 list first 

 

The Sound of Silence and Take It From Me are both great songs. The former has actually stuck with me for a while, even after its peak.

Yeah, we needed to take care of some unfinished business first.

 

On 12/14/2017 at 4:50 AM, Pedro said:

Well, of course "Something in The way you move" was stuck in your head, that song sticks like glue!

It does, absolutely. I wish the rest of the album would have done that.

 

On 12/14/2017 at 8:24 AM, Sunderland 4ever said:

Come on, you're halfway there!

And I'm about to be 3/4 of the way there!

 

On 12/14/2017 at 2:46 PM, Dom said:

starboy, 24k magic are both great, but aren't they fro 2016 ,wottice sis.?

you here making me feel younger now.

 

Ellie's song was cute, deichman queen.

Yes...yes, they are. Hence why it's a 2016 list.

 

52 minutes ago, Dom said:

update?

Coming shortly. Very shortly.

[K$Ellie]

Stop Desire was cute as far as I remember  False Alarm >>> Starboy

Something In The Way You Move is amazing  I hate her for letting it flop

When We Were Young is a lot better than Hello

[Red]

50-26

 

50

The Moth & The Flame - Red Flag

Oh, look, a song whose love was directly influenced by a video game! Red being influenced by a video game soundtrack? NO WAY! From the NBA 2K17 soundtrack comes "Red Flag", a song that I still like quite a bit more than the first song I liked from them, "Young & Unafraid". It's just more immediate and has more of a punch to it than "Young & Unafraid" does. Without NBA 2K17, there's a decent chance this song would have been forgotten about.

 

49

Green Day - Bang Bang

We'll talk about Green Day some more when we get to the 2017 Top 100, but man, Revolution Radio did not stick with me much. "Bang Bang", thankfully, has, and I'd consider ranking it even higher with a re-ranking. A strong comeback single, "Bang Bang" showed everyone that Green Day still has what it takes to create a strong first single, at the very least.

 

48

Joywave - Destruction

Another band that we're going to talk about more later (though not on the 2017 Top 100), Joywave's 2015 album How Do You Feel Now? continued to impact me well into 2016, especially "Somebody New", but "Destruction" was a strong single choice, as well. Punchy, catchy, and a little odd, "Destruction" is a pretty good starting point, if you're wanting to jump into Joywave's music. If you like this, you'll probably like their other songs.

 

47

The Naked and Famous - Higher

 I hate comparing this to "Hearts Like Ours", which, at this point, is another of my favorite songs of this decade, but it's kind of difficult not to compare "Higher" to that Naked and Famous song, when they seemingly have a similar structure and tone. I really like "Higher", don't get me wrong, and it would do well in a re-ranking...but I can't shake how this just feels like "Hearts Like Ours" 2.0.

 

46

Grimes - Kill V. Maim

GRIMEY MCGRIMES! One of the YECA darlings of 2015 continued her reign in 2016 with two songs making this particular top 100, "Kill V. Maim" being the first (and the only one to not be a repeat). In comparison to the other Grimes single that I fell in love with, "Kill V. Maim" is much more frenetic and chaotic, but that's what really helps to put "Kill V. Maim" over the top. It's all over the place, but it's all over the place in a way that's by design, a stylistic choice, as opposed to being all over the place because the production is terrible.

 

45

Killswitch Engage - Hate by Design

This song actually proved to be a bit of a precursor to the year that would follow. I've always liked Killswitch Engage, and I still do, but 2017 would prove to be a year where I REALLY went into overdrive on music like this. Kind of fitting that "Hate by Design" made the 2016 year end list, alongside Norma Jean's "Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else", as both of those songs wound up playing a surprisingly big role in the way my music taste changed the following year. "Hate by Design" is still great, a song that would have no trouble making my top 50 in a re-do, but it's actually more important now as a song that helped lead to a bigger music revolution for me.

 

44

Thrice - Blood on the San

Thrice's album from last year, To Be Everywhere is To Be Nowhere, was the rare instance of an album from 2016 that actually stuck with me that wasn't in my top ten, and that was mostly because of the single choices for that album. We'll talk about one of them in the 2017 Top 100, but the single releases from that album were on point, and it starts with "Blood on the Sand"...though I would say that it's, probably, the weakest of the songs released as singles.

 

43

Chevelle - Door to Door Cannibals

The North Corridor, meanwhile, didn't really stick with me, outside of a couple of songs. One is higher up on this top 100, and another wasn't released as a single, though I was practically begging for it in 2017 (HI, "PUNCHLINE"!) "Door to Door Cannibals" isn't one of those songs, unfortunately, as it's a little bit TOO derivative of Tool for me to continue to stick around beyond a few more listens this year. It's still a good song, don't get me wrong, but this is one of the songs that would probably fall decently hard on a re-ranking.

 

42

K.Flay - Blood in the Cut

Out of all of the songs in this top 100 that I thought would fall off hard in 2017, "Blood in the Cut" may have been the most obvious. It's not normally a song that I would enjoy all that much, honestly, and it's DEFINITELY the kind of song that would wear off on me pretty quickly. Jump forward twelve months, and, honestly, I think I may like it a little more than I did last year. I'm not sure how it really happened, either, but something about this song rises above other, similar songs for me. It may be K. Flay herself, who is a great presence and helps keep the song afloat when the backdrop gets to be a little too minimalistic. Or it could just be how it builds to the conclusion, easily my favorite part of the song. The ending is all too short, but it still rules.

 

41

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree

I had completely forgotten that I ranked "Skeleton Tree" as high as I did. Don't get me wrong, I really like the song, but this isn't the song that I associate Nick Cave's heartbreaking Skeleton Tree with these days. That honor goes to the still amazing "Girl in Amber". Again, though, the title track of that album remains a really good song, and one that I likely would have ranked around the same position as I did this time last year. It's no "Girl in Amber", though.

 

40

CHVRCHES - Clearest Blue

Obvious pick is obvious. Do I really need to elaborate more on this song? IT'S CHVRCHES. IT'S LAUREN MAYBERRY. THANK YOU, AND GOOD NIGHT.

 

(We still have another fourteen songs to go.)

 

39

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown - Loaded Dice & Buried Money

Oh man, that fuzz at the beginning of "Loaded Dice & Buried Money" still gets me everytime. Even when I listened to this song for this very blurb one year later, I found myself getting excited all over again, as if I was listening to the song for the first time. Admittedly,  this is one song that I kind of forgot about, but I really wish that I hadn't, because it remains as strong as it was a year ago. This is just a fantastic rock song with one hell of a massive guitar riff and a passionate vocal performance from Tyler Bryant. It's not that hard to make a good rock song, everyone. It really isn't.

 

38

Blaqk Audio - Anointed

For most of 2017, I actually forgot about "Anointed". Not that I suddenly thought that it was a bad song or anything along those lines...I just focused on newer music instead. I revisited the song around a month ago, and all of the reasons that I fell in love with "Anointed" in the first place came to light again. I'd even go as far as to say that this is much better than anything on the latest AFI album. (And no, we won't be talking about that album later, as a heads up. There's no quicker way for me to avoid talking about you than to disappoint me.)

 

37

Barns Courtney - Fire

Speaking of songs that I thought would burn on me quickly in 2017 that wound up exceeding expecations, hello there, Barns Courtney. What is it about "Fire" that other, similar songs don't seem to grasp? Well, it could be that the title of this song is accurate. The song actually lives up to the title, especially on the chorus, which was, I won't lie to you, the sole reason this song made the top 40. It's one of the best choruses of 2016, and an instance of a chorus carrying the rest of the song (which is good, but not great) to another level.

 

36

The Kills - Heart of a Dog

I really, really, REALLY got into the two "big" singles from The Kills' Ash & Ice last year, with "Heart of a Dog" being the "lesser" of the two singles, but it was still a big part of my playlist last year with its tight groove and the fire vocal performance from the 2016 Red Crush MVP, Alison Mosshart. This ticks off so many of my boxes that it might as well have a flashing sign above it saying, "THIS IS A SONG THAT RED WOULD PROBABLY LIKE QUITE A BIT!" And guess what? I do! I like the song quite a bit.

 

35

Alter Bridge - Show Me a Leader

If I'm not mistaken, I ranked this song and "Cry of Achilles" in around the same spot in their respective Top 100 rankings. This was a mistake, though moreso in the case of "Cry of Achilles", which would be MUCH higher today in a 2014 re-ranking. This is not meant to be a slight to "Show Me a Leader", which is still a really damn fine rock song, but I find myself comparing this song to "Cry of Achilles" often, as both are great epic rock songs, and that's just not a matchup that "Show Me a Leader" can hope to win. On its own, though, it's great and worth a listen, to be sure.

 

34

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dark Necessities

The Red Hot Chili Peppers single we all needed to hear. I'm With You led off with "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie", a fine song, but not a first single. "Dark Necessities"...now HERE is a first single. This song is a statement of intent, showing off the new partnership with Danger Mouse about as well as could possibly be hoped for. Honestly, it was the best possible way 11to ease us all into this new era of RHCP, and it didn't hurt that Flea remains the Bass God. Good lord, that bass.

 

33

BØRNS - 10,000 Emerald Pools

I have a bit of an odd relationship with BØRNS. I want to really fall in love with his music, but something keeps holding me back, and I can't quite put me finger on it. "Electric Love" is a prime example of my iffy relationship with BØRNS. I want to love that song, but something pushes me away about it. I have no such issues with "10,000 Emerald Pools". Out of every BØRNS song I have ever heard, "10,000 Emerald Pools" is the only one that I have zero reservations about enjoying. Maybe 2016 should have been about the year of the bass, because the bass groove on this song is fantastic, too.

 

32

Weezer - King of the World

Well, one of you was wondering if Weezer would show up...how ya doin', prez? Weezer's White Album took me by surprise, mostly because I thought that "Thank God for Girls" was (and still is) their worst song. The rest of the album more than made up for it, including single choice "King of the World", which was actually the song that really convinced me that everything was going to be okay. 2017...was not as kind to Weezer, but we'll always have 2016, at least.

 

31

Kings of Leon - Waste a Moment

No, YOU waste a moment! Okay, that old (kind of) meme out of the way, Kings of Leon had a pretty good 2016, and the best part of it was "Waste a Moment", one of the best singles Kings of Leon have ever released. It wound up being an Alt #1 hit, years after they had last sniffed that kind of success, but "Waste a Moment" was a song that deserved every bit of success that it received.

 

30

The Struts - Kiss This

Around 1/5 of the songs in the top 30 are songs that were also in the 2015 Top 100. I am nothing if not willing to let some songs have success in multiple years on my top 100 Singles lists. Interestingly, of the songs in the top 30 that were on the 2015 Top 100, "Kiss This" might have grown off of me the most, which is surprising, because with the staying power that it had going from 2015 to 2016, I thought it would continue into this year. I guess you can blame the sub-standard single release "One Night Only" this year for that. Sorry, "Kiss This", it's not your fault.

 

29

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Limerent Death

*sniff* I'm going to miss DEP, man. They were a staple of the YECA, a band that just seemed to put out quality release after quality release. I could always count on The Dillinger Escape Plan, and that continued with "Limerent Death". I can't begin to count the number of times where my head would start involuntarily banging with around thirty seconds to go in the song, because I knew what was coming at the end, and the breakdown at said end remains as badass as it was last year. You were too good for this world, DEP.

 

28

Deftones - Phantom Bride

I've been wanting to avoid talking about this song...or, more accurately, I've been wanting to avoid talking about Gore, the album that I ranked as the third best album of 2016. Honestly, and I can't believe that I'm saying this...Gore didn't really have a lot of staying power for me outside of a couple of songs. I don't even really revisit songs like "Prayers/Triangles" or "Phantom Bride" as much as you would think, given their single status. The only songs that I still listen to somewhat regularly are "Hearts/Wires" and the title track, both of which remain incredible songs. A song like "Phantom Bride" is still great, too, don't get me wrong...but the album, as a whole, is one that I don't revisit a lot, and "Phantom Bride" is one of the songs I just don't revisit as much as you'd think. Jerry Cantrell is still immaculate on this song, though.

 

27

Kaleo - Way Down We Go

I'm still kind of baffled that I fell in love with "Way Down We Go" as much as I did. It's not really the kind of song that I immediately fall head over heels in love with, but I did fall in love with this song immediately and never really stopped loving it, even after it crossed over and became a minor hit outside of rock circles and started to really get overplayed. I think that Kaleo are capable of better songs, but I'm not sure if I'll connect to them in the same way as I did "Way Down We Go".

 

26

Metallica - Hardwired

This comeback single should not have worked as well as it did. It was conceived because Metallica needed to add a song to the album to kickstart the album, a "short, fast opener". They composed "Hardwired" in almost a week. And, against all odds, it RULES. Metallica didn't re-invent the wheel on "Hardwired", they didn't try to add anything too complicated. On "Hardwired", all they do is kick ass and take names in three minutes. It's not the best song on the record, or even close, really, but given that this song should have just felt like a throwaway track, for it to actually be a great song speaks volumes about Metallica's ability as musicians.

 

 

Three 2016 sets down, just one to go. In the next update, we finally tackle my top 25 singles of 2016. A couple of bands and artists make multiple appearances, we see three songs that made the 2015 Top 100 make appearances here, we see dead people, and we see the closest #1 battle since 2012. I'm not kidding about that, either: This #1 battle is one that I still think about a year later. Did I get it right? I'm not sure, but you'll see for yourself which two songs battled it out for the top spot...let's say tomorrow, hopefully. Fingers crossed.

[potent]

Waste a Moment, Dark Necessities, Blood in the Cut

 

I think American Money is my favorite BORNS song to date.

[JGibson]

18/25

 

Bang Bang + Way Down We Go + Hardwired + Dark Necessities + Phantom Bride + Blood In The Cut + Waste A Moment + Kiss This + King Of The World + Fire + Destruction 

[Topmaster 2]

2 hours ago, Red said:

45

Killswitch Engage - Hate by Design

This song actually proved to be a bit of a precursor to the year that would follow. I've always liked Killswitch Engage, and I still do, but 2017 would prove to be a year where I REALLY went into overdrive on music like this. Kind of fitting that "Hate by Design" made the 2016 year end list, alongside Norma Jean's "Everyone Talking Over Everyone Else", as both of those songs wound up playing a surprisingly big role in the way my music taste changed the following year. "Hate by Design" is still great, a song that would have no trouble making my top 50 in a re-do, but it's actually more important now as a song that helped lead to a bigger music revolution for me.

Killswitch are returning next year for more music and I can't wait to hear the new stuff  

About Deftones, Gore is a good album but it's kinda weak compared to others. 

[Remmy]

Blood In the Cut is good  Heard it on the radio and even live (she opened for Imagine Dragons) but never downloaded it.

Agree with Waste a Moment being one of KOL's best singles  They grabbed my attention back with that one.

[Lazuli]

Higher was cute but they were trying to replicate Young Blood too much imo

Kill v. Maim  Clearest Blue  

Waste a Moment was nice too  

[TRF.]

Blood in the Cut... I still don't really know what to make of that track tbh  like... it's a good song but it's also kinda grating? idk

 

Kill V Maim and Clearest Blue most definitely aren't though! Oh look! A Lauren gif! Will at least one gif be enough?

 

 

Ah ok lol.

[Mr.Link]

Waste a Moment is the song that finally made me get into KOL's discography it's that good.

Clearest Blue is so catchy, can't say the same about KOTW, I guess it was okay last year but it has aged like milk for me. Weezer needs to find a new sound and stick with it until they've mastered it, they're kinda lost this decade.

[prézli]

10 hours ago, Red said:

Well, one of you was wondering if Weezer would show up...how ya doin', prez?

 

 

I love Thank God for Girls.   Their new album is a pure trash, tho. I couldn't even finish it.

[TayRianaPH]

Living for Green Day!  BoBD still slays me to date 

comment on my c/d

[Dom]

grime is cute, I guess.

[Red]

18 hours ago, potent said:

Waste a Moment, Dark Necessities, Blood in the Cut

 

I think American Money is my favorite BORNS song to date.

You know, I really should like "American Money" more than I do, but I just can't get into it all that much. Maybe I'll revisit it soon, though.

 

16 hours ago, Topmaster 2 said:

Killswitch are returning next year for more music and I can't wait to hear the new stuff  

About Deftones, Gore is a good album but it's kinda weak compared to others. 

Are they? Awesome. Especially with how my taste in music evolved this year, I'm really excited to hear new stuff from Killswitch.

 

14 hours ago, Lazuli said:

Higher was cute but they were trying to replicate Young Blood too much imo

Kill v. Maim  Clearest Blue  

Waste a Moment was nice too  

Now that you mention "Young Blood", it's almost like "Higher" is a mix of "Young Blood" and "Hearts Like Ours", instead of just being "Hearts Like Ours" 2.0. It simply can't stand on its own, though.

 

13 hours ago, TRF. said:

Blood in the Cut... I still don't really know what to make of that track tbh  like... it's a good song but it's also kinda grating? idk

 

Kill V Maim and Clearest Blue most definitely aren't though! Oh look! A Lauren gif! Will at least one gif be enough?

 

 

Ah ok lol.

It's never enough...but one will always work.

 

8 hours ago, prézli said:

 

 

I love Thank God for Girls.   Their new album is a pure trash, tho. I couldn't even finish it.

How dare you.  No, really, that's fine, I was just never able to get into it, even after the album release. The new album...we shall not speak about that one.

 

As for the final 2016 Top 100 update, I'm not sure when, exactly, it will be posted. It certainly won't be "shortly"...but I'm pushing for today, at least.

[bluth]

kill v maim aka the best song of the decade. it's what she deserves.gif 

[jose168]

Hardwired is great postprime Metallica, they still got it sometimes, deftones, grimes and killswitch songs too  

[madonnas]

I'm going to be honest, Kill V Maim is too low.  It's the best song of the decade. 

[ColdKeane]

20 | 25

 

Clearest Blue was my #1 of 2016   

 

Phantom Bride   

[Red]

23 hours ago, bluth said:

kill v maim aka the best song of the decade. it's what she deserves.gif 

 

21 hours ago, madonnas said:

I'm going to be honest, Kill V Maim is too low.  It's the best song of the decade. 

I mean, it's really good, I'm not disputing that, but...HEY, LOOK OVER THERE!

Red dives behind a couch. 

 

Top 25

 

25

Silversun Pickups - Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)

It's not like Nikki Monninger hasn't sung lead vocals on a Silversun Pickups song before. It's like people forget about "Little Lover's So Polite". But even with that song in mind, I'm still amazed that I like this song as much as I do, because I've never been the biggest fan of "Little Lover". "Circadian Rhythm" stands out where that song doesn't with its strong instrumental surrounding the dueling vocals of Monninger and Brian Aubert. We'll be talking about Silversun Pickups yet again come the 2017 Top 100, but "Circadian Rhythm" was a definite highlight off of Better Nature.

 

24

David Bowie - I Can't Give Everything Away

Alright, everyone, stand back...it's Bowie time. First, we have to deal with the final song on Bowie's final album, the final sendoff of the Starman. People have already talked at length about why "I Can't Give Everything Away" is such a good song, so it's almost a bit of a fruitless exercise to try and add more to the conversation beyond my own personal experiences with the song. As for those personal experiences, I remember just being in awe and feeling quite emotional after the last 1-2 punch of "Dollar Days" and this song, both among the best of Bowie's recent material. I think that "Dollar Days" has stuck with me a little more, but "I Can't Give Everything Away" is still incredible, too.

 

23

M83 - Do It, Try It

Was Junk a bit of a disappointment? I'm not the right person to ask about that, to be honest, as I listened to 3/4 of the album and then never got around to finishing it. But man, when that album hit, it hit hard. "Solitude" remains one of my songs of the year from last year, and "Do It, Try It" remains a strong first single, even if it was one that proved to be divisive upon its original release. Maybe people were just expecting another "Midnight City", when all I wanted was a good song to listen to. Fair play if you were expecting another one of the songs of the decade so far, but what I got was still great. (Then again, if it's because of the single art and the audio video for the song on YouTube...I get it.)

 

22

Run River North - Run or Hide

This is what "alternative rock" is capable of. "Run or Hide" provides all of the right peaks of the genre without also providing any of the pitfalls that other bands in the genre always fall victim to. "Run or Hide" works because it's both melodic AND forceful, a pendulum of a song that is able to find the right balance and uses it to a great advantage. Better yet, "Run or Hide" is an example of how backwards alternative radio still is in the US, because this wonder of a tune bombed on that format, while other...unsavory songs performed better on Alt radio. I don't know, maybe I'm just getting too old for this ****...or maybe Alt radio just sucks. It could be either or!

 

21

Grimes - Flesh Without Blood

Grimey McGrimes, welcome back. As it turns out, "Flesh Without Blood" continued to stick with me through all of 2016, though it didn't hit quite as hard as it did when I first listened to it. It would do really well on a re-ranking, still likely a top 25 song, though I think that my ranking of "Flesh Without Blood" here is pretty accurate. "Flesh Without Blood" remains the highlight of Art Angels for me, a pop song that rises above merely being a "pop song" and becomes something more from nearly the moment the song begins. It's the kind of song that, theoretically, should have shifted my taste in music. It didn't QUITE do that, but it still had a profound impact on me in multiple years, which is always something to appreciate.

 

20

Chevelle - Joyride (Omen)

Look, Chevelle could release a song with nothing but white noise in it as their lead single, and I'd still consider placing it in my top 100, because I'm sure Chevelle would do something interesting with the white noise to make it listenable. "Joyride" doesn't reinvent the wheel. "Joyride" isn't a radical departure for Chevelle. (At this point, why on Earth would anyone think a "radical departure" should be expected out of the band? There WAS a "radical departure" on their latest album, but it sure wasn't "Joyride".) But it does one thing that so many other Chevelle songs do so well: It kicks ass and kicks ass consistently. I will readily admit that I'm not asking for Chevelle to do a lot of new and innovative things. I just want them to be Chevelle. On "Joyride", they are Chevelle.

 

19

Radiohead - Daydreaming

Okay, so I completely forgot that I ranked this song as high as I did last year. My initial reaction when I saw where I ranked "Daydreaming" was, "Really? I mean, I know that I really liked A Moon Shaped Pool, but...ahead of some of the songs just below it?" But when I went back to listen to it for the purpose of doing this blurb, I rediscovered everything that made me fall in love with this song in the first place. Would I say that it's one of the three best songs on A Moon Shaped Pool? Probably not, not when "Burn the Witch", "Ful Stop", and "True Love Waits" all exist. But "Daydreaming" holds a special place in my heart, too, beautiful in its wallowing depression.

 

18

Agent Fresco - Howls

Oh, hell yes, I'm ALWAYS looking for a chance to open more eyes to Agent Fresco, and "Howls" is one of my favorite songs to use to introduce the band to new ears. One of their most accessible songs, "Howls" is such an alive-feeling song and a pleasant listen, especially when compared to some of the other songs I adore from them. ("See Hell", as much as I love the song, is not what I would call a "pleasant listen".) That ending remains one of my favorite parts of that album. It doesn't linger, it doesn't wear out its welcome. It comes to the perfect conclusion, stopping exactly at the right point. Over the years, I've learned that ending a song correctly is not something that's a given in a song, because there are so many ways to screw up an ending. Agent Fresco, thankfully, do not have issues with this dilemma.

 

17

Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better

Originally, I think that I pegged "The Less I Know the Better" for my top 40, a song that I would really like, but fall out of love with enough for other, newer songs to take its place. Imagine my surprise when this song continues to stick with me...and stick with me...and stick with me...and, by the end of the year, it's one of my 20 favorite singles of 2016. Go figure. Tame Impala just tend to have that kind of an impact on me, where I like a song of theirs at first and then grow to adore it. "Let It Happen" is a much more extreme case of this happening, but "The Less I Know the Better" also saw this phenomenon happen. Hell, this same thing happened with "Elephant"! Tame Impala: The band Red always comes back to and regrets not liking their songs more on first listen.

 

16

Foals - Mountain At My Gates

Let's revisit my 2015 blurb for this song, shall we?

 

 

Quote

This would have, easily, been my biggest miss of the year had I not encountered certain other songs that leaped past it in that regard. I'm trying to atone for it now, though I'm not even certain if top 40 is good enough, because "Mountain At My Gates" is quickly becoming my favorite song right now, or close to it. And yet, as I say that, I can't really say exactly WHY that is the case. (Seems to be happening more and more with me lately. Huh.) Maybe it's the wailing vocals of Yannis Philippakis (incredible name, by the way), or maybe it's because it's a surprising earworm. But I like to believe it's because of how it's building toward an unbelievable climax at the end from the first second. The ending of this song is easily one of my favorites of 2015, if not THE favorite.

 

Yeah, the song feeling like it's building up to the climax from the very beginning is the reason why I love "Mountain At My Gates" as much as I do. I wouldn't go as far as to say its my favorite ending of any song in 2015 ("Let It Happen" has taken over that claim, honestly), but second or third or fourth? Yeah, I can roll with it being in the top five, absolutely.

 

15

Broods - Free

Here's the thing about my musical relationship with Broods: The normal Broods sound...I mean, it's fine, but it doesn't really impact me all that much. They make good songs that others love way more than I do. "Bridges", "Mother & Father", "Heartlines", "Are You Home", "Freak of Nature"...all good songs, but none that REALLY leave an impression on me, outside of, maybe, "Mother & Father". "Free" was different. "Free" was in your face, it was pounding, and it was immediate. These are three terms that I would not have used to describe Broods before, but Georgia and Caleb Nott are up to the task of matching those accolades here. Georgia Nott, in particular, sounds like a star on "Free". Her vocal performance here was one of my favorites of 2016, a tour de force of power that I was not prepared for on first listen. If "Free" was more representative of Broods' sound, I would sing their praises as one of my favorite acts in music right now. Instead, "Free" was a tantalizing one-off, a glimpse of what could have been...or what could still be.

 

14

Tegan and Sara - Boyfriend

TC's twins, you've done it. You've finally created the song you've been destined to make your entire lives. Instead of playing around with guitars and indie riffs, you settled in, took the lessons of "Closer" and Heartthrob to...well, to heart, and you elaborated on those lessons...and you gave us something wonderful. In "Boyfriend", Tegan and Sara have created the pop single of 2016, a song that will go down in history as a classic...hopefully. It also shares a bit of a depressing note: It was this year's "Song That Should Have Been Way Bigger Than It Was", joining co-winners "Run Away With Me" and "Body Talk" last year. The public doesn't know what it wants, man, I swear...

 

(2017 NOTE: This is still fantastic, and I'm still annoyed that songs like these continue to not perform all that well.)

 

13

Highly Suspect - My Name Is Human

When I talked about Highly Suspect in 2015, I remember thinking that, with all luck, Highly Suspect would continue to be a big deal in the future. I cannot say that I was also prepared for a new Highly Suspect album ONE YEAR LATER, but it happened, and with it came the band's biggest radio hit to date. Is it also their best? Well, they did release "Lydia" in 2015, but "My Name Is Human" gets mighty, MIGHTY close to reaching those lofty heights. If "Lydia" was a song of fury and fiery passion, "My Name Is Human" is much more grandiose and far-reaching, a song aiming for a much higher plane than most of us can hope to attain. When that chorus hits, it sounds like Johnny Stevens and his bandmates are trying desperately to take you on that high with them. It's crazy to think about, but Highly Suspect may very well be the ones completing the path that Royal Blood began.

 

(2017 NOTE: "My Name Is Human" is one of the main songs from this list that I still listen to regularly in 2017. Then again, I could say that about just about every song in my top 20.)

 

12

Thrice - Black Honey

Thrice got very, VERY angry on their latest album. There may have been angrier moments than "Black Honey" ("Death From Above" immediately stands out, in that regard), but it's entirely possible that "Black Honey" is the angriest (and, on a related note, the most powerful) song on said Thrice album. It doesn't overwhelm one with anger like "Death From Above" or "Blood on the Sand" does. Instead, "Black Honey" tries to find a balance between the tremendous anger in Dustin Kensrue's voice and a simmering, brooding instrumental that lies beneath said vocals. Moreso than "Blood on the Sand", perhaps moreso than "Death From Above", "Black Honey" succeeds because the anger, instead of flying off the rails, is more precise, more of a sneering jab than a haymaker. Sometimes, that jab can be more effective.

 

(2017 NOTE: Case in point, "Black Honey". In fact, I may listen to this one more than "My Name Is Human".)

 

11

The Kills - Doing It To Death

In many ways, 2016 was the Year of the Kickass Female for me. I mean, sure, 2016 was also "The Year That Death Decided To Kick All Of Us In The Balls", but there was a not insiginificant amount of female singers kicking righteous ass in 2016. Nowhere did those female singers kick more ass and offer more swagger than on The Kills' "Doing It To Death". Backed by a dirty and raw musical backdrop, Alison Mosshart swaggers her way through my favorite vocal performance of hers yet, matching the coolness of the instrumental with her natural charisma to create a tune unlike any other in 2016. It's also entirely possible that "Doing It To Death" may be my "I Want To Kick Someone's Ass" anthem of 2016, so...kudos, Alison and Jamie Hince! You guys are definitely doing something right.

 

(2017 NOTE: This...surprisingly didn't stick with me as much as I thought it would, but it still would be high in a re-do, no question.)

 

10

Radiohead - Burn the Witch

I cannot totally explain the excitement levels that I had when Radiohead, out of nowhere, unleashed the bomb that was "Burn the Witch". Radiohead had been gone for five years. Their last release before "Burn the Witch", The King of Limbs, was an album that greatly disappointed me. The last Radiohead release to excite me in the way that "Burn the Witch" did? "Nude". And "Nude" very quickly become one of my all-time favorite songs, so comparing those two songs is no small feat for Radiohead's return single. "Burn the Witch", almost single-handedly, erased my worries and fears of a new Radiohead record. It reminded me that Radiohead could still be as enthralling and as lovely as ever, and hit home in ways that few artists ever could. "Burn the Witch" gave me back the Radiohead that I truly adore, and it may be a more "important" song for me, personally, than any other in 2016.

 

(2017 NOTE: I still love "Burn the Witch", and you cannot tell me otherwise!  )

 

9

Ghost - Square Hammer

Okay, Ghost, I get it. You're awesome. You did not need to convince me any further in 2016...and yet, here we are, and you have two singles in my top 10, joining a select group of artists to have accomplished that feat. In fact, Ghost is only the second non-Muse artist to accomplish the feat, joining CHVRCHES in 2014 ("Recover" and "The Mother We Share") in that regard. Yeah, Ghost has had a pretty damn good last couple of years, and "Square Hammer" just further cements that fact. Ghost have definitely made some catchy music in these last couple of years, but not even their catchiest songs have matched how much of an earworm "Square Hammer" is. Good luck not humming the main instrumental or randomly singing, "Are you on the square? Are you on the level?" I also did not think that I would be thinking the sentence, "Ghost have made the catchiest song of 2016" a year ago (mostly because I didn't think they'd actually release any new material this year, admittedly), but...here we are.

 

(2017 NOTE: Still the catchiest song released last year. I'm still amazed by that fact, too.)

 

8

Bob Moses - Tearing Me Up

I racked my brain to think about certain titles to give certain songs this year. The most badass song of 2016 is probably "Square Hammer", for example; the catchiest...probably "Boyfriend"; the most beautiful...well, that might still be coming. All of these titles are not a 100% certainty. There may be catchier songs, more beautiful songs, more badass songs that I listened to for the first time in 2016...but I can guarantee you that no song sounded "cooler" than "Tearing Me Up". "Tearing Me Up" almost exudes an aura of arrogance, because it knows it's a damn good song with a catchy as all hell beat. It almost feels like the song has a swagger to it that so many other songs that tried to have swagger attempted and failed in 2016. There's no hint of a lack of authenticity with "Tearing Me Up". It is the real deal, as cool as the other side of a pillow.

 

(2017 NOTE: I don't know if I necessarily have anything more to add to these last eight songs, other than, maybe, #1...so you may not see any more of these notes until that point.)

 

7

Deftones - Prayers/Triangles

"Classic Deftones". This is a statement that I was not expecting to use in 2016, but that's exactly what Deftones provided with "Prayers/Triangles". It's not the kind of Deftones tune that's going to reinvent the wheel, but it does represent their sound better than just about any other first single of theirs. If I were to point to a single song and say, "Yeah, that's Deftones in a nutshell", I'd probably go with "Diamond Eyes"...and then "Prayers/Triangles". Both of those songs have moments of beauty surrounding moments of terror and uncertainty. Despite "Prayers/Triangles" being one of my favorite singles of 2016, I wouldn't say that it's one of the best of {B]Deftones[/B]' singles, let alone songs. It's not "Deftones-lite", because Deftones don't do "lite" (except for "Back to School (Mini Maggit)"), but it's not going to enter the pantheon of Deftones singles, either. "Prayers/Triangles" is what it is: An unmistakably Deftones song. And given how much I've grown to love them over the years, you better believe that's enough for a spot in the top 10.

 

6

Metallica - Moth Into Flame

"Hardwired" was the three minute teaser that warned us that Metallica were not playing around. "Moth Into Flame" was the roaring realization that Metallica were still as awesome as ever. I talked about how two songs dominated Hardwired...To Self-Destruct, for me, and I was not kidding when I said that "Moth" was a "melodic masterpiece", one that stands out even amongst Metallica's storied discography. Seemingly a callback to the Master of Puppets-era, including replicating, almost note for note, the "Disposable Heroes" solo, "Moth Into Flame" plays out like a tribute to Metallica's past, honoring both their thrash roots and the more melodic side that really started to rear its head around the Black Album. If you're a fan of Metallica and have not listened to "Moth" yet...I mean, where have you been? LISTEN TO IT.

 

5

Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker

At his strongest, Leonard Cohen commands attention with his gravelly voice, his way with words, and a composition behind both of these elements that is strong enough to compliment without overwhelming the voice and the words. "You Want It Darker" is a prime example of what happens when Cohen gets everything exactly right. The mood is pitch perfect, the tone is pitch perfect, Cohen's performance is on point, and the lyrics...the lyrics are, probably, my favorite set of lyrics in any song released in 2016. On "You Want It Darker", Cohen accepts that his time is running out and that it is truly time for his soul to leave this mortal coil, done in a cynical, grim way that only Cohen can accomplish, even as he nears death's door. This is not a song that is immediate. This is a song that gnaws at you, rips and claws at you, for days and weeks and even months, until you can't help but succumb to its power. That is "You Want It Darker".

 

4

The Dear Hunter - Gloria

Dammit, Dear Hunter, you can't just go one year without releasing something special, can you? Last year, it was the nine-minute thrill ride "A Night on the Town". In 2016, it was the shorter, but still enthralling, "Gloria". The Dear Hunter is best experienced within the context of their albums, but a couple of their songs find a way to be enjoyable even without the context of the albums that they are placed on, and "Gloria" is one of those songs. It's not hard to appreciate how sweeping and how alive a song like "Gloria" is. It's lively to the point of nearly being overbearing, but Casey Crescenzo and the gang are able to reign everything in just enough to not go off the rails. In lesser hands, maybe a song like "Gloria" would have been overwrought, overdone...but these are not lesser hands. The Dear Hunter do not play games. They simply make damn good songs.

 

3

Ghost - From The Pinnacle to The Pit

For pretty much the entirety of 2016, two songs ruled over this top 100. For that same stretch, Ghost never could seem to get over the hump and had to settle for second. Now, they settle for third, but the fact that "From The Pinnacle to The Pit" was able to survive all of 2016 as one of my three favorite singles of the year is one hell of an accomplishment, one only matched (and surpassed) by The War on Drugs being in the top two in consecutive years. This song remains as badass as it was in 2015, a truly immense song that continues to be one of the best starting points if you want to jump into the world of Ghost, along with "Cirice" and, now, "Square Hammer". But even compared to those two songs, "Pinnacle" is still untouchable in its power and its ability to make one lose their **** and bang their head rhythmically, like a mad man. This was a major part of my soundtrack in 2016, even moreso than it was last year.

 

2

Muse - Reapers

For the first eleven months of 2016, there was no doubt in my mind what the #1 single of 2016 would be. Hell, the narrative was right there for the taking: It was to be Muse reclaiming their throne as the king of the YECA Singles list, a list they have not topped since 2010, despite being the Red-proclaimed Kings of the YECA. It was my favorite band taking back their rightful place at the top of the mountain, with a song as world-conquering as their reputation suggests. "Reapers" was my favorite song released in 2015, featuring a raw power that I was not accustomed to with Muse in recent years. Don't get me wrong, I've loved pretty much every Muse album, but there's no denying that the Muse of pre-Resistance was dormant, lying in wait. "Reapers" (and, to a lesser extent, "The Handler") was that particular Muse, the band of the numerous epics, roaring back to life: Matt Bellamy's falsetto, the unmistakable bass line of Chris Wolstenholme, the pounding drums of Dom Howard, a piercing guitar riff, and a surprisingly heavy breakdown at the end that had me gasping for air the first time that I listened to it because of how excited I was. This is Muse at their very best, no question. Those who believe that the Muse they know has died have been wrong the entire time...they've just been waiting for the right moment to strike all over again.

 

1

David Bowie - Lazarus

 

 I was not expecting this. For most of the year, "Reapers" ruled over the 2016 top 100 with an iron fist. Even its closest competitor for much of the year, "From The Pinnacle to The Pit", was destined to finish slightly behind it. This was going to be the year Muse got their revenge and took back the Singles #1. A funny thing happened, though: As the rest of the year progressed, I found myself coming back to David Bowie's epitath, "Lazarus", more and more. By the end of the year, I had fallen for "Lazarus" so much that the battle for #1 became a dead heat between the recently deceased legend and the long-time rulers of the YECA. Make no mistake, this is the closest #1 battle since Muse found themselves up against "Midnight City" in 2012 (a decision I STILL agonize over today, by the way). But, just like in 2012, Muse found themselves, ever so slightly, nudged out at the end. And, unlike in 2012, a tie wasn't considered. "Lazarus" is the better song and won the race...if just barely.

 

What a hell of a way for David Bowie to go out. It's not like he NEEDED to release one of the best songs of his career on his death bed. Bowie's legacy was secure. He was destined to go down as one of the all-time greats, regardless of what was to come with Blackstar. What followed...well, you all know how much I love Blackstar, of course, but I was most enamored with "Lazarus". Almost sounding like the Starman's last will and testament, "Lazarus" immediately stood out as a master work, one that only grew in estimation after his death.  It's the fitting send off that most artists would love to have, but only few could dare to achieve...a final farewell that lives up to the hype and even surpasses it. There was so much great music released in 2016, with some titans of both the music industry and the YECA releasing fine, fine music, and a seemingly destined return to the top of the Singles mountain for Muse...but nothing captured my attention more than a dying man taking one last bow before riding off into the sunset. "Ain't that just like me", indeed.

 

(2017 NOTE: It's still close...but I would still put "Lazarus" over "Reapers" today. I feel like I made the right choice, as difficult as it was, because "Lazarus" hit me in a way that "Reapers" never could, even with the latter being from my favorite band.)

 

 

And that...is finally that for 2016. It took a full year, but the Top 100 Singles list is done and dusted, complete with blurbs for EVERY song. Of course, now we get to the really fun part, as we get to look at this year's best music, at least from my perspective. First up: The (new yearly high) Top 40 Albums of 2017. We'll start with albums 40-36, including a couple of albums that I've already seen mentioned at least once, one album that will surprise me if anyone else on ATRL mentions it, and an album that had me expecting much more after its lead single. Until next time...which, hopefully, isn't a week from today. 

[Dom]

tegan and sara still make music, color me surprised, I thought they were over after closer became semi hit.

david bowie slaying. He would be proud of u.

[bluth]

flesh without blood <3 the less i know the better kinda sneaked up and might be my fave song on currents rn. lazarus def was an amazing statement - like, who else could pull a stunt like that - so it's definitely a good #1!

[madonnas]

Lazarus is a masterpiece (well not really but very good).  So a good #1!  Also love the Boyfriend placement.   It's better than Closer

[SoSickOfThatSOL]

King of the World and Bang Bang  

Edited December 16, 2017 by SoSickOfThatSOL

[Remmy]

The Less I Know the Better
Yesss at Free being the 2nd Broods song to chart, and it's really high  Amazing album opener.