Not a lot of changes from last week’s chart, with the top four songs remaining in place. “Don’t Bring Me Down” by my favorite artist Two Feet is #1 for a fourth week, while Adele’s “Easy On Me” is #2 for a third week. Entering the top 10 are Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”, which jumps 12 spots from #19 to #7 (the song fell from #1 to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100), and Kacey Musgraves’ “Justified”, which nods at #10. The two new debut songs this week are both by British bands: “U&ME” by alt-J, which enters at #29, and “One and the Same” by Future Theory, which enters at #30.
DON’T BRING ME DOWN – Two Feet (1) 4th week at #1
EASY ON ME – Adele (2)
I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (3)
BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (4)
I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs ft. Lucius (7)
LOVE LOVE LOVE – My Morning Jacket (8)
ALL TOO WELL (10 Minute Version) – Taylor Swift (19)
NEVER LOOKED BACK – The Zangwills (6)
TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (5)
JUSTIFIED – Kacey Musgraves (12)
LOVE IN OCTOBER – Ships Have Sailed (13)
GOOD FRIEND – dwi (14)
SURVIVOR – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (11)
Two Feet maintains a firm grip on the #1 spot for a third week with his darkly beautiful and brooding “Don’t Bring Me Down”, while Adele’s poignant “Easy on Me” holds at #2 for a second week. Glass Animals climb two spots to third place with their buoyant “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)”, and My Morning Jacket’s “Love Love Love” enters the top 10 at #8.
As we enter the final month of 2021, a whopping six new songs (well, five new and one refashioned) debut this week. Taylor Swift’s epic 10 minute and 13 seconds long “All Too Well” – which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 – enters my chart at #19 (I’m old school about music charts, and have a problem with songs debuting at #1). The five other new entries are “I See the Sun” by British psychedelic pop/rock band Solar Eyes, “Two Car Family” by British electro-rock band Apollo Junction, “Left Behind” by Chicago post-punk band a million rich daughters, “Kaleidoscope” by Tacoma psychedelic power pop artist Soda Cracker Jesus, and the enchanting “Journeyman’s Ballet” by Brooklyn singer-songwriter Sam Rappaport.
DON’T BRING ME DOWN – Two Feet (1)
EASY ON ME – Adele (2)
I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (5)
BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (6)
TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (3)
NEVER LOOKED BACK – The Zangwills (4)
I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs ft. Lucius (10)
LOVE LOVE LOVE – My Morning Jacket (11)
CAN YOU HANDLE MY LOVE?? – WALK THE MOON (8)
MINE FOREVER – Lord Huron (7)
SURVIVOR – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (9)
JUSTIFIED – Kacey Musgraves (14)
LOVE IN OCTOBER – Ships Have Sailed (15)
GOOD FRIEND – dwi (16)
COLORADO – Milky Chance (13)
WRECKED – Imagine Dragons (12)
STARTS WITH YOU – Shimmer Johnson (19)
TIME IN DISGUISE – Kings of Leon (24)
ALL TOO WELL (10 Minute Version) – Taylor Swift (N)
Not a lot of changes from last week’s list. Two Feet remains on top for a second week with his smoldering gem “Don’t Bring Me Down”, while Adele’s heartstrings-tugging “Easy on Me” climbs two spots to #2. The War on Drugs enter the top 10 with “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” and Band of Horses are the lone debut this week with “Crutch”, their first new music in five years.
DON’T BRING ME DOWN – Two Feet (1)
EASY ON ME – Adele (4)
TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (3)
NEVER LOOKED BACK – The Zangwills (2)
I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (6)
BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (10)
MINE FOREVER – Lord Huron (5)
CAN YOU HANDLE MY LOVE?? – WALK THE MOON (8)
SURVIVOR – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (9)
I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs ft. Lucius (11)
It was inevitable that Two Feet’s darkly beautiful and mesmerizing “Don’t Bring Me Down” would ascend to the top of my Weekly Top 30. It’s his 4th song to reach #1 on my chart this year, and his 8th in total, beginning with his monster hit “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” in the summer of 2018. He’s one of the finest guitarists around today, with a soulful and sultry music style unlike anyone else, and highlighted by bluesy guitar work and deep floor-rattling bass grooves. I love every single recording he’s released, and have seen him perform live twice, in November 2018 and again this past May. He engages regularly with his followers on social media, which has earned him an incredibly loyal and passionate base of fans, me included. I deeply love and respect this man as both a musician and human, and he’s my favorite artist in the world right now.
In other chart highlights this week, Roadkeeper’s politically relevant “Take the L” moves up to #3, followed by Adele’s heartfelt “Easy on Me”. Glass Animals’ delightful “I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)” moves up a notch to #6, and Måneskin’s saucy “Beggin'” enters the top 10. Leaping 10 spots each are The War on Drugs’ “I Don’t Live Here Anymore” and My Morning Jacket’s ebullient “Love Love Love”, which climb to #11 and #12, respectively. Debuting this week are “Time in Disguise” by Kings of Leon, “Smile” by Wolf Alice and “The Tipping Point” by the legendary Tears For Fears.
Fun fact: In addition to Two Feet, I’ve also seen three other acts on this list in concert: twenty øne piløts, Coldplay and Tears For Fears.
DON’T BRING ME DOWN – Two Feet (2)
NEVER LOOKED BACK – The Zangwills (1)
TAKE THE L – Roadkeeper (4)
EASY ON ME – Adele (6)
MINE FOREVER – Lord Huron (3)
I DON’T WANNA TALK (I JUST WANNA DANCE) – Glass Animals (7)
WRECKED – Imagine Dragons (5)
CAN YOU HANDLE MY LOVE?? – WALK THE MOON (8)
SURVIVOR – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (10)
BEGGIN’ – Måneskin (12)
I DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – The War on Drugs ft. Lucius (21)
One of my favorite albums of all time is Songs From the Big Chair by British band Tears For Fears. Released in February 1985, it was their second album and also their most successful from both a critical and commercial standpoint. Even though it contains only eight tracks, with five of them running more than five minutes long it feels almost monumental in scope. Every track is brilliant in its own right, and there isn’t one wasted second on the entire album. The band released five of the tracks as singles, including the massive worldwide hits “Shout”, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head Over Heels”.
I’d first learned about Tears For Fears two years earlier when I heard their song “Change”, one of the singles from their excellent 1983 debut album The Hurting, on the radio. I really liked that song, but shockingly, never heard “Mad World” until years later. That song was a huge hit in Britain, but received practically zero airplay in the U.S. where I live. Two years would pass before I would hear another song by them, and when “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” hit my eardrums, it was love at first listen. The song was actually the third single from Songs From the Big Chair to be released (after “Mothers Talk” and “Shout”), but the first to receive radio airplay in the U.S. in the spring of 1985.
In the creation of Songs From the Big Chair, Tears For Fears moved away from the predominantly synthpop feel of The Hurting, and toward a more sophisticated and fuller orchestral sound that would become their signature style – a style of music that I dearly love. In addition to band front men Roland Orzabal on guitar and lead vocals and Curt Smith on bass and backing vocals, other working members included Ian Stanley on keyboards and backing vocals, and Manny Elias on drums and percussion. Under the guidance of producer Chris Hughes, the new Tears for Fears sound helped make Songs from the Big Chair become one of the biggest-selling albums worldwide in 1985, as well as receive near-unanimous critical acclaim.
The album was originally to be titled The Working Hour, but Orzabal fought to change it to Songs From the Big Chair, inspired by the 1976 television film Sybil starring Sally Field, about a woman with multiple personality disorder who feels safe only when she’s sitting in her analyst’s “big chair”. Orzabal and Smith have both stated that they feel each of the album’s songs had it’s own distinct personality.
The album opens with “Shout”, a bombastic protest anthem that makes you want to stomp your feet and pump your fists in the air. The song was a stylistic departure for Tears For Fears, with explosive percussion, screaming synths and a lengthy killer guitar solo that propelled it straight to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. I love how the song builds to a spectacular crescendo, and it’s arguably one of the most musically and lyrically satisfying songs ever recorded. Next up is the brilliant “Working Hour”, a gorgeous and dramatic song with jazzy overtones courtesy of the soulful wailing saxophone, accompanied by incredible guitar work, sweeping synths and resounding percussion that send chills up and down my spine. Orzabal passionately sings about being a slave to one’s work: “This is the working hour. We are paid by those who learn by our mistakes.”
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is a truly exceptional song, and perfection from start to finish. It’s also very likely their most catchy, radio-friendly song, though the lyrics deal with a rather dark subject. Smith has stated “It’s about everybody wanting power, about warfare and the misery it causes.” Interestingly, Orzabal and Smith were ambivalent about the song, and initially didn’t want to include it on the album. They felt it’s syncopated shuffle beat wouldn’t fit in with the timing and feel of the rest of the album. That said, I think Orzabal’s intricate guitar work is absolutely fantastic, and I love the powerful driving rhythms and both his and Smith’s impassioned vocals. It’s become Tears For Fears’ signature song, as well as one of the most beloved songs of the past 40 years. It ranks among my top 10 favorite songs of all time, and I never tire of hearing it.
“Mothers Talk” has a progressive rock feel, with an intense galloping beat as a foundation, over which the band layers a fusillade of cinematic synths, along with a lively mix of jangly and chiming guitars, and lots of unusual sounds. They slow things down on the mysterious and jazzy “I Believe”, a live recording of their song about primal therapy. The highlights here are the haunting piano work and gorgeous sax played by Will Gregory, their touring saxophonist at that time.
Tracks 6 & 7, “Broken” and “Head Over Heels”, play like one long continuous song, with “Broken” serving as both a dramatic introduction and ending to “Head over Heels”, which is essentially a love song. Taken together, they’re a musical masterpiece as far as I’m concerned. The piano riff at the beginning of “Head Over Heels” is magnificent, and the synths, strings, guitars and percussion are all glorious. The official video they made for the song is really charming, and god, weren’t they adorable back then!
The song segues into “Listen”, an epic, nearly seven minute-long track of such incredible beauty it almost makes my heart ache. The lush instrumentals and cinematic synths are spectacular, then calm to a peaceful interlude as Curt Smith softly croons the hopeful lyrics “Mother Russia badly burned. Your children lick your wounds, your wounds. / Pilgrim father sailed away. Found a brave new world, new world. Listen…” The song ends with Orzabal and guest vocalist Marilyn Davis chanting the lines “Cumpleaños chica, no hay que ocuparse”, which roughly translates to “birthday girl, don’t worry”. They seem to be telling us that everything will work out alright (though now, some 35 years later, I’m not so sure.)
Songs From the Big Chair is one of the most beautiful and flawlessly-produced albums I’ve ever heard, and is a true masterpiece on every level. Tears For Fears also released a deluxe version of the album featuring a total of 33 tracks, some of them additional songs and others remixes or edits of the eight original songs, as well as a seven and a half minute long interview with Orzabal and Smith discussing various aspects of the album.
I saw Tears For Fears in concert on their Seeds of Love Tour in 1990 (with Debbie Harry opening), and it remains one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.
1. ONE FOOT – WALK THE MOON (1)
2. LIVE IN THE MOMENT – Portugal.The Man (3)
3. PAIN – The War on Drugs (8)
4. KINKY – Oli Barton & the Movement (2)
5. SOBER UP – AJR ft. Rivers Cuomo (7)
6. I ONLY LIE WHEN I LOVE YOU – Royal Blood (9)
7. WITHOUT YOU – Disciples of Babylon (4)
8. SAFARI SONG – Greta Van Fleet (11)
9. RX(MEDICATE) – THEORY (5)
10. ANGELA – The Lumineers (6)
11. PASSION – AWOLNATION (12)
12. SCARY LOVE – The Neighbourhood (13)
13. LOS AGELESS – St. Vincent (15)
14. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People (10) 20th week on list
15. TWO HIGH – Moon Taxi (17)
16. ALL ON MY MIND – Anderson East (18)
17. NO ROOTS – Alice Merton (14)
18. HAPPY HOUR – Weezer (19)
19. WORLD GONE MAD – Bastille (20)
20. I LOVE YOU BUT I’M LOST – Tears For Fears (16)
1. ONE FOOT – WALK THE MOON (3)
2. KINKY – Oli Barton & the Movement (1)
3. LIVE IN THE MOMENT – Portugal.The Man (4)
4. WITHOUT YOU – Disciples of Babylon (2)
5. RX(MEDICATE) – Theory of a Deadman (6)
6. ANGELA – The Lumineers (7)
7. SOBER UP – AJR ft. Rivers Cuomo (9)
8. PAIN – The War on Drugs (14)
9. I ONLY LIE WHEN I LOVE YOU – Royal Blood (10)
10. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People (5)
11. SAFARI SONG – Greta Van Fleet (12)
12. PASSION – AWOLNATION (13)
13. SCARY LOVE – The Neighbourhood (15)
14. NO ROOTS – Alice Merton (8)
15. LOS AGELESS – St. Vincent (20)
16. I LOVE YOU BUT I’M LOST – Tears For Fears (11)
17. TWO HIGH – Moon Taxi (N)
18. ALL ON MY MIND – Anderson East (N)
19. HAPPY HOUR – Weezer (N)
20. WORLD GONE MAD – Bastille (N)
1. KINKY – Oli Barton & the Movement (2)
2. WITHOUT YOU – Disciples of Babylon (1)
3. ONE FOOT – WALK THE MOON (3)
4. LIVE IN THE MOMENT – Portugal.The Man (6)
5. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People (4)
6. RX(MEDICATE) – Theory of a Deadman (7)
7. ANGELA – The Lumineers (8)
8. NO ROOTS – Alice Merton (9)
9. SOBER UP – AJR ft. Rivers Cuomo (10)
10. I ONLY LIE WHEN I LOVE YOU – Royal Blood (15)
11. I LOVE YOU BUT I’M LOST – Tears For Fears (5)
12. SAFARI SONG – Greta Van Fleet (17)
13. PASSION – AWOLNATION (16)
14. PAIN – The War on Drugs (N)
15. SCARY LOVE – The Neighbourhood (20)
16. LOVING YOU IS SO EASY – Wide Eyed Boy (11) 20th week on list
17. LAY ME DOWN – Candid (12)
18. DEVIL IN THE DETAILS – VERIS (13)
19. THE SKY IS A NEIGHBORHOOD – Foo Fighters (14)
20. LOS AGELESS – St. Vincent (N)
1. WITHOUT YOU – Disciples of Babylon (1)
2. KINKY – Oli Barton & the Movement (3)
3. ONE FOOT – WALK THE MOON (5)
4. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People (2)
5. I LOVE YOU BUT I’M LOST – Tears For Fears (4)
6. LIVE IN THE MOMENT – Portugal.The Man (11)
7. RX(MEDICATE) – Theory of a Deadman (10)
8. ANGELA – The Lumineers (12)
9. NO ROOTS – Alice Merton (13)
10. SOBER UP – AJR ft. Rivers Cuomo (14)
11. LOVING YOU IS SO EASY – Wide Eyed Boy (6) 19th week on list
12. LAY ME DOWN – Candid (8)
13. DEVIL IN THE DETAILS – VERIS (9)
14. THE SKY IS A NEIGHBORHOOD – Foo Fighters (7)
15. I ONLY LIE WHEN I LOVE YOU – Royal Blood (17)
16. PASSION – AWOLNATION (18)
17. SAFARI SONG – Greta Van Fleet (20)
18. HIGHWAY TUNE – Greta Van Fleet (15)
19. SO TIED UP – Cold War Kids, Bishop Briggs (16) 19th week on list
20. SCARY LOVE – The Neighbourhood (N)
2017 was an especially emotional year in music, due to the tragic suicides of two of rock’s most important and beloved artists: Chris Cornell, front man of Soundgarden and Audioslave, as well as a successful solo artist, and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. I, along with millions of their collective fans, are still heartbroken over their untimely deaths. Other notable passings include the legendary Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Al Jarreau, Gregg Allman, J. Geils, Tom Petty, Glen Campbell, Malcolm Young, Prodigy, David Cassidy, Della Reese, Mel Tillis and Keely Smith.
As with every year, a number of new or breakthrough artists emerged on the music scene, and two of my favorites were Greta Van Fleet and Liverpool, UK foursome Wide Eyed Boy. Other good ones who finally had huge breakout hits include Portugal. The Man, Highly Suspect, Sir Sly, MISSIO and Mondo Cozmo to name but a few. There were a great many albums released, and there was no way I could listen to them all, but I sure gave it my best! A few standouts for me were A Deeper Understanding by The War on Drugs, Hot Thoughts by Spoon, Villains by Queens of the Stone Age, LA DIVINE by Cold War Kids, Sacred Hearts Club by Foster the People, The Rise and Fall of Babylon by Disciples of Babylon, and Into the Back Room by Oli Barton & the Movement. I also recognize the artistic and cultural significance of Kendrick Lamar’s highly-acclaimed DAMN..
My music tastes, while eclectic, lean toward Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Folk-Rock, Punk, R&B and Pop-Rock, so my Top 100 song choices generally reflect those genres. Followers of my blog know I publish a Weekly Top 20, and how songs ranked on those weekly lists, as well as how long they spent in the top 20, generally helps determine their year-end ranking. I invariably come across some great songs late in the year that I somehow missed earlier, and thus never appeared on my Weekly Top 20, so I’ve included those. There were so many fantastic songs in 2017, and it frustrated me to have to cut my favorites down to only 100. All the songs on this list could easily be in the top 40.
Some of the year’s most popular hits – the ubiquitous “Despacito” by Luis Fonsi, et. al., the horrific “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B, or many of the other shitty rap, hip hop, pop and bro country songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100 Chart – will not be found on my list.
Many bloggers and critics list songs in the year they were released, while Billboard and other charts generally place them in the year they were ‘hits,’ which is what I prefer. Most of the songs on this list were released in 2017, however, a number of them were released in 2016, and Lord Huron’s “The Night We Met” is from 2015, but didn’t chart until 2017. Because there are always a few songs that overlap from one year to the next, I always wrestle with how to rank them, as well as whether to list them in only one year or two. It seems the fairest thing to do is include those songs on lists for both years if they spent enough time on the charts in each year, although it can diminish their ranking on each list. For example, The Weeknd’s “Starboy” spent the last two weeks of 2016 and the first week of 2017 at #1, so how to rank it on each list is a dilemma, and I’m seldom pleased with the outcome. The songs in this Top 100 that also appeared on the list for 2016 are indicated with an *
OK, I’ve rambled on long enough, so let’s get to the songs already!
1. FEEL IT STILL – Portugal. The Man
“Feel It Still” is one of those songs that virtually everyone loves, thanks to an irresistibly catchy retro dance beat and deep bass line, that awesome little guitar riff, and lead singer John Gourley’s delightful falsetto. It’s a short track, only 2 minutes and 43 seconds long, but was a massive hit for Portugal. The Man, spending an astonishing 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Chart, as well as many weeks at #1 on the Adult Alternative and Adult Pop charts. The band, now based in Portland, Oregon (they refer to themselves as ‘Lords of Portland’) is originally from Wasilla, Alaska. They released a number of albums since forming in 2004, but “Feel It Still,” from their album Woodstock, was their breakthrough single. It’s a fantastic song and an instant classic.
2. MY NAME IS HUMAN – Highly Suspect
I fucking love this song! “My Name is Human” features some of the best guitar work of any song on this list (after Metallica’s “Atlas, Rise!”). The heavy, gravelly bass riff at the opening sends shivers down my spine, then spooky guitars, percussion and otherworldly synths enter along with Johnny Stevens’ intense, breathtaking vocals that go from seductive to wailing, adding goosebumps to the ones already covering my body. The track is perfection from start to finish. It was released in September 2016 in advance of release of their superb album The Boy Who Died Wolf, and debuted on my Weekly Top 20 at the end of November, but peaked at #1 in late January-early February, so lands on my Top 100 of 2017. The song’s brilliant video showing a human being built by robots and then given finishing touches by Stevens is a little creepy, yet stylish and riveting.
3. THE MAN – The Killers
I’m a huge fan of The Killers, so was thrilled when they released “The Man,” in advance of their first studio album in over five years Wonderful, Wonderful. Though it received mixed reviews from critics and bloggers, I love it, and it spent five weeks at #1 on my Weekly Top 20. I love how the song winds up at the beginning, then explodes into a pounding dance beat courtesy of Ronnie Vannucci’s power drums. Throw in a sturdy bass line, sweeping synths and Brandon Flowers’ soaring tenor vocals, and you’ve got a fun, exhilarating track. I also love when Flowers pays homage to David Bowie late in the song with the line “headed for the hall of…FAME!” The fantastically entertaining video shows Flowers playing several different characters who are full of themselves, all thinking they’re ‘the man’.
4. THE SYSTEM ONLY DREAMS IN TOTAL DARKNESS – The National
From their critically acclaimed seventh studio album Sleep Well Beast, “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” is a gorgeous song by The National. The piano and gnarly guitar riffs, accompanied by an urgent drumbeat, are captivating, and when combined with singer Matt Berninger’s stunning, heartfelt baritone vocals, The National deliver a truly phenomenal track.
5. HUMAN – Rag’n’Bone Man
A magnificent, powerfully moving song with a gospel feel, “Human” was a huge, breakout hit for UK singer/songwriter Rag’n’Bone Man (born Rory Charles Graham). The song was released in July 2016, but didn’t chart in the U.S. until early 2017. It reached #1 in many countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Poland and Slovakia, as well as the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative charts. (Shockingly, it peaked at only #74 on the Billboard Hot 100 – a chart that’s been taken over by mostly hip-hop, country and bad pop, and thus now irrelevant to me.)
6. HIGHWAY TUNE – Greta Van Fleet
Greta Van Fleet literally blast through the speakers like an atom bomb with “Highway Tune.” ‘Wow, just wow!’ was my – and apparently everyone else’s – reaction upon first hearing this explosive head-banger from the young Michigan foursome. The band consists of the three Kiszka brothers Josh, Jake and Sam (Josh and Jake are twins), and drummer Danny Wagner, all of whom are in their late teens or early twenties. Despite their youth, these guys are highly skilled musicians, and lead vocalist Josh – a diminutive guy with a gargantuan bluesy voice – sounds disarmingly like an early Robert Plant. These guys are destined for greatness! Take a listen:
7. HIGH – Sir Sly
There are a lot of humans and ‘H’ songs in my top 10, and another is the exuberant “High” by L.A. band Sir Sly. Led by a dominant buzzing bass line, the track lives up to its title, bopping along with a snappy dance beat and a cascade of jangly guitars. I love this gem, and the delightfully trippy video is my absolute favorite of 2017. How can anyone not like this band and song after watching them dancing about like marionettes channeling Cirque du Soleil! It’s all so deliriously upbeat, leaving us feeling – well, ‘high’.
8. SO TIED UP – Cold War Kids featuring Bishop Briggs
Cold War Kids are another one of my favorite bands, and Bishop Briggs is pretty awesome too, with a distinctive, powerhouse voice. So, combining her passionate vocals with those of Cold War Kids lead singer Nathan Willett results in auditory fireworks to match the biting lyrics about a destructive co-dependent relationship you can’t escape. I loved this hard-hitting song at first listen and never tired of hearing it.
9. HOLDING ON – The War on Drugs
I fell in love with the music of The War on Drugs a few years ago after I heard their mesmerizing song “Red Eyes.” So it was natural that I’d love their gorgeous epic track “Holding On” from their outstanding album A Deeper Understanding. Having six band members, including two guitarists, two keyboardists – one of whom also plays sax, a bassist and a drummer, gives their music a lush, full sound. The piano, guitar and synths on “Holding On” are stunning, and singer Adam Granduciel’s sublime vocals bear a striking resemblance to Bob Dylan.
10. SIGN OF THE TIMES – Harry Styles
Since the breakup of One Direction, each of the individual members have released their own material, some of it fairly respectable. But to me, the greatest single by far has been “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles. The deeply moving anthem aims straight for the heartstrings, and blew me away the moment I first heard it. The song gives ample proof of Styles’ singing talent, and how much he’s grown as an artist, both vocally and stylistically. The song starts off with a somber piano movement then, with tremendous emotion in his voice, Harry begins to sing “Just stop you’re crying, it’s a sign of the times. Welcome to the final show. Hope you’re wearing your best clothes.” He may be admonishing us to not cry, but boy it’s hard not to! His voice rises to a tender falsetto before the song bursts open with sweeping orchestration. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Harry explained that “Sign of the Times” is from the point of view of a mother giving birth to a child, but there’s a complication whereby the child is fine, but she’s not going to make it. “The mother has five minutes to tell the child, Go forth and conquer.”
I really thought that given the immense popularity of One Direction and each of the individual members, this song would spend many weeks at #1, but I was wrong. It debuted on the Hot 100 Chart at #4, then quickly dropped off, which shocked and disappointed me. I guess it just didn’t click with very many of the young teens whose tastes dominate the charts, and seem to prefer bad pop and hip hop over quality songs with thoughtful lyrics.
11. CLEOPATRA – The Lumineers
12. CAN I SIT NEXT TO YOU – Spoon
13. LOVING YOU IS SO EASY – Wide Eyed Boy
14. SHINE – Mondo Cozmo
15. LOVE ON THE BRAIN – Rihanna
16. ON HOLD – The xx
17. WOLVES – Wide Eyed Boy
18. HOT THOUGHTS – Spoon
19. 24K MAGIC – Bruno Mars *
20. SIT NEXT TO ME – Foster the People
21. UNFORGETTABLE – French Montana ft. Swae Lee
22. RUN – Foo Fighters
23. THE NIGHT WE MET – Lord Huron
24. BELIEVER – Imagine Dragons
25. FEELS LIKE SUMMER – Weezer
26. WITHOUT YOU – Disciples of Babylon
27. THE WAY YOU USED TO DO – Queens of the Stone Age
28. ATLAS, RISE! – Metallica
29. STILL BREATHING – Green Day
30. HEAVYDIRTYSOUL – twenty øne piløts
31. LOVE IS MYSTICAL – Cold War Kids
32. EVERYTHING NOW – Arcade Fire
33. STARBOY – The Weeknd, Daft Punk * (#17 song of 2016)
34. BOTTOM OF THE DEEP BLUE SEA – MISSIO
35. SUIT AND JACKET – Judah & the Lion
36. DOING IT FOR THE MONEY – Foster the People
37. LITTLE ONE – Highly Suspect
38. SHAPE OF YOU – Ed Sheeran
39. BLOOD IN THE CUT – K.Flay
40. SQUARE HAMMER – Ghost
41. LOST ON YOU – LP
42. THE SKY IS A NEIGHBORHOOD – Foo Fighters
43. J-BOY – Phoenix
44. BLAME – Bastille
45. DON’T TAKE THE MONEY – Bleachers
46. I LOVE YOU BUT I’M LOST – Tears For Fears
47. GREEN LIGHT – Lorde
48. HOW DID YOU LOVE – Shinedown
49. DON’T WANNA KNOW – Maroon 5 ft. Kendrick Lamar
50. SOMETHING JUST LIKE THIS – The Chainsmokers, Coldplay
51. SCARS TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL – Alessia Cara
52. WALK ON WATER – 30 Seconds to Mars
53. MONSTER – Starset
54. BLACK BEATLES – Rae Sremmurd w/Gucci Mane
55. RUST TO GOLD – Council
56. I NEED A LIGHT – Run With It
57. TAKE IT ALL BACK – Judah & the Lion
58. COLD COLD COLD – Cage the Elephant
59. IN COLD BLOOD – alt-J
60. MIDDLE FINGERS – MISSIO
61. WISH I KNEW YOU – The Revivalists *
62. LIGHTS OUT – Royal Blood
63. 7 – Catfish and the Bottlemen
64. KINKY – Oli Barton & the Movement
65. ONE FOOT – WALK THE MOON
66. ONE OF US – New Politics
67. REDBONE – Childish Gambino
68. UP ALL NIGHT – Beck
69. SILENT SUN – Morning Fuzz
70. NO ROOTS – Alice Merton
71. BEFORE THE END – Fiction Peaks
72. NO SLEEP – Vox Eagle
73. LAY ME DOWN – Candid
74. CALIFORNIA DREAMING – Hollywood Undead
75. REVEREND – Kings of Leon
76. DIG DOWN – Muse
77. DEVIL IN THE DETAILS – VERIS
78. SHINE ON ME – Dan Auerbach
79. COLD LITTLE HEART – Michael Kiwanuka
80. WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE – Adele
81. WHO’S GONNA SAVE US NOW – Crystal Cities
82. XXX. FEAT. U2 – Kendrick Lamar ft. U2
83. GIVE ME REASON TO DIE – Dyslexic Postcards
84. SONG #3 – Stone Sour
85. JUDAS – Fozzy
86. THAT’S WHAT I LIKE – Bruno Mars
87. NOT JUST YOU – The Puss Puss Band
88. IT’S A TRIP! – Joywave
89. WHAT ABOUT US – P!nk
90. COME OVER – Vox Eagle
91. ENTER THE DREAMLAND – Meresha
92. LAY IT ON ME – Vance Joy
93. THE VIOLENCE – Rise Against
94. THUNDER – Imagine Dragons
95. GOSPEL – Raker
96. SIK’ HELLISH US – Cold Revive
97. SMOKE AND MIRRORS – Morosity
98. I FEEL IT COMING – The Weeknd, Daft Punk
99. SWEET DISASTER – Dreamers
100. THE ONE I WANT – The Trims
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 