Top 100 Songs of 2019
As I was compiling all these wonderful tracks, I realized how much better the year was in singles than in albums.
My Top 25 Albums of 2019 is pretty much complete (and will be released next week!), but I had difficulty choosing a favorite album. Nothing really hit that #1 spot. Most years, the #1 album is a totally obvious answer. Last year’s Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves, Frank Ocean’s Blonde from 2016, and Tame Impala’s 2015 Currents. But this year, not so much.
While I didn’t have a clear cut favorite track of the year coming into compiling these tracks, there were a ton of songs that could have been #1 to me. A ton of new artists creating layers upon layers of sound.
After consideration, Denzel Curry’s “Zuu” is worthy of the crown. It’s unlike any rap song I’ve heard. Listen to this song in a car - and LOUD - and you’ll hear the wailing synth almost declaring a warning on all who listen, which builds up to the energy and viciousness of the beat drop: “Carol City n**** boy I’m coming out the…ZUU” (BOOOOOOM!!! as the drums come in).
What a beginning before Curry comes in and establishes himself as an up and comer with some serious talent.
Some other musings on the rest of the Top 100:
The guitar in “You Seemed So Happy” sounds straight from an early Dashboard Confessional song, a little vibrant acoustic guitar.
“Hallelujah” is a BEAUTIFUL song that makes the Haim sisters that much cooler. A love song to each other.
“Ghostride” wins the award for the weirdest and most unique track, and Crumb’s album was an awesome listen. They have that Little Dragon type of weirdness that is hard to replicate.
I wanted to put “Was It Something I Said” at #1, but cooler heads prevailed. I don’t know why, but I LOVE the vocals, instruments, and of course, the chorus!
Okay, so “Not” was on A LOT of different music websites lists as #1 track of the year or something close to it. I had to listen to it again because I hadn't thought it was all that great. BUT the last three minutes of this song, the band just fuckin’ goes OFF. The whole song builds up to it, and it’s a level of angst and loudness that is truly something. This song is really amazing. Maybe it should have been #1?
Taylor Swift at #7 with “False God.” While her performance of this song on SNL showed she can’t carry the tune (though I know SNL is unforgiving with sound), this song is a perfect ballad to me. It’s not overly produced, it’s got a sexy tempo, and her vocals have feeling behind it. “I know heaven’s a thing, I go there when you touch me, honey, hell is when I fight with you.” It may be a weary love song to New York City, but it’s universal. I also considered this track to be #1.
My man, Rex Orange County, wins the only artist I’ve ever been able to compare to Frank Ocean. He has a pop sensibility with his songs, but he’s got his own sound that gives me hints of Ocean. I may be the only one who hears it. Rex and Denzel Curry are my favorite new artists of 2019.
I LOVE HARRY STYLES. This guy is really talented. His second album has shown that his debut was not a fluke, this dude has serious chops! “Lights Up” and “Adore Me” are phenomenally catchy songs. Many men just can’t jump on the bandwagon because they’re too insecure that he was in One Direction. But just listen to his music, damnit!
Is there a more consistent band of the past decade than Vampire Weekend? I don’t think so. The only other two I can think of are Tame Impala and Bon Iver, though I did not like Bon Iver’s recent album and I’ve loved all of Vampires while Tame Impala only has three albums (fourth coming in 2020!!). Even after Ezra Koenig lost his other songwriter in the band, Rostam, he still made a marvelous album with tracks like “Harmony Hall,” a song that no other band could write.
“Morbid Stuff” wins the award for the best first line (sorry, Lana, you get second and third and probably fourth place): “I was bored as fuck. Sitting around and thinking all this morbid stuff.” PUP released my favorite album of the year, an unapologetically loud, aggressive, and somehow melodic album. All of their songs feel real like they just want to slam on all of their instruments and scream some shit into the microphone. I love these guys.
“Georgia” by the Alabama Shakes’ vocalist/guitarist, Brittany Howard, is a song that swims way into the deep end. It’s very similar to what happens in “Gemini,” a slow burner of a song the Shakes wrote for their last album that also takes a deep dive into psychedelia and feedback.
I still don’t know what to make of FKA twigs, she is beloved by fans and critics, yet I can’t totally dig in. Nonetheless, “Cellophane” is easily the most haunting song of this year. That piano is straight out of a horror movie yet it’s turned delicate and desolate.
There’s a lot of electro-pop on this playlist, and “Lack of Love” wins the best of them all. Carly Rae Jepsen, Caribou, Holy Ghost!, and Two Door Cinema Club all receive honorable mentions for kick ass songs too.
Let’s talk a little bit about Lana Del Rey. Her 2019 album, Norman fucking Rockwell, was adored by critics. She won album of the year numerous places, and I didn’t read one critical piece on this album that wasn’t gushing. Which is interesting because she’s always been pretty divisive. I hadn’t even given the album much thought since I’m not a huge fan of hers, but I had to listen after all the praise, and it is a really great album packed with phenomenal tracks and scathing lyrics. While most people thought “The greatest,” an ode to this past decade, was the best track, my favorites were the title track and the looooong track (9:37), “Venice Bitch.”
Hot Flash Heat Wave wins best Tame Impala-sounding band.
Toro y Moi DOES NOT GET THE RESPECT HE DESERVES. The man has been crafting fantastic songs and cohesive albums since 2010. Give him some love, all!
If it wasn’t for Kendrick, I think Vince Staples might be the best rapper around. “So What” is such a sick song and Staples can rap over any beat.
I saw Spiderman Welcome to the Spiderverse, and the kid in the movie is singing “Sunflower,” and I was like, damn, that’s a catchy song. And of course Post Malone was on it, Spotify’s most streamed artist of 2019. Got nothing but love for Posty.
“Jello on my Mind” wins the award for “I’m assuming ‘jello’ is some sort of drug you’re referring to, and if not, then you were probably;y just really high writing about jello when this came about” song.
There’s so much more to explore on this playlist. Enjoy!!
Top 100 Songs of 2019
ZUU – Denzel Curry
You Seemed so Happy – The Japanese House
Hallelujah – HAIM
Ghostride – Crumb
Was It Something I Said – MyKey
Not – Big Thief
False God – Taylor Swift
Face To Face – Rex Orange County
Lights Up – Harry Styles
Harmony Hall – Vampire Weekend
Morbid Stuff – PUP
RNP (feat. Anderson .Paak) – YBN Cordae
Lack Of Love – Friendly Fires
Softly – Clairo
Georgia – Brittany Howard
Hey, Ma – Bon Iver
Carry Me Away – John Mayer
Cellophane – FKA twigs
You and I – Caribou
Norman fucking Rockwell – Lana Del Rey
Adore You – Harry Styles
It Gets Better – Rex Orange County
Lovestained – Hope Tala
Julien – Carly Rae Jepsen
Escape From Los Angeles – Holy Ghost!
Talk – Two Door Cinema Club
Sky So Blue – Hot Flash Heat Wave
Megaton Mile – Local Natives
Pigeon – Faye Webster
AUTOMATIC – Denzel Curry, Tay Keith
Freelance – Toro y Moi
Tempo (feat. Missy Elliott) – Lizzo
So What? - Episode 01 – Vince Staples
Bags – Clairo
In My Room – Frank Ocean
Kids – PUP
I Am a Very Rude Person – Thom Yorke
Sunflower - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – Post Malone, Swae Lee
Lions (feat. Vivian Wang) – Jenny Hval
Gimme – BANKS
Offline (with Friend Within) – Friendly Fires\
Dumb – Alpine
Time To Give – White Lies
Give A Little – Maggie Rogers
Addiction (feat. Lil Wayne & Saweetie) – Big K.R.I.T
Jello on my Mind – Half Moon Run
A List of the Virtues – Generationals
In Your Head – Nilüfer Yanya
Lo/Hi – The Black Keys
Big Softy – Middle Kids
Curls – Bibio
Hope – (Sandy) Alex G
a lot – 21 Savage
Nighttime Drive – Jay Som
the view – Oso Oso
Unbearably White – Vampire Weekend
Melody of Love – Hot Chip
Venice Bitch – Lana Del Rey
City of Sound – Big Wild
Real Long Time – White Reaper
POP STAR (feat. Kevin Gates) – DaBaby
Wow – Beach Baby
Prophet – King Princess
Jumpin on a Jet – Future
Last Century – Susto
Fuck The Rain – Ryan Adams
The London (feat. J. Cole & Travis Scott) – Young Thug
Love Is Everywhere (Beware) – Wilco
Summer Girl – HAIM
Pop Out (feat. Lil Tjay) – Polo G
Pressure – Little Simz, Little Dragon
Stop Thinking (About Me) – Alfie Templeman
Dance Through It – Twin Peaks
Bullet From A Gun – Skepta
Hell N Back – Bakar
Andromeda – Weyes Blood
Selfish – Little Simz, Cleo Sol
Exits – Foals
Me Denny & Darryl – Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Cappadonna
Hard to Kill – Bleached
Running Wild – Palace
Renegade – Dylan LeBlanc
Took A Fall – Golden Daze
Marigold – Night School
Bloodless – Andrew Bird
The Barrel – Aldous Harding
Deep End – Gender Roles
Only Child – Tierra Whack
Kickback – Omar Apollo
1 4 Me – Electric Guest
Spongebob – billy woods, Kenny Segal
Drastic Measures – Bayonne
Rudebwoy (feat. Joey Bada$$) – CJ Fly
Comeback Kid – Sharon Van Etten
Aphotic Waters – Diamond Thug
Black Balloons Reprise – Flying Lotus, Denzel Curry
Impossible – C Duncan
What Happens to People? – Deerhunter
Giving Up – Whitney
Fail Safe – William Tyler