Let's face it, 2016 kinda sucked. We lost several great artists like Prince and David Bowie, among others. And let's not forget the 2016 election. Oh, wait, I'd really like to forget that. Ugh. Despite all that, I found 120 songs I liked enough to rank in a rough order as per my tradition.
1. “Amerika” – Wintersleep
2. “Water” – Ra Ra Riot
3. “Get Out” – Frightened Rabbit
4. “10,000 Emerald Pools” – BØRNS
5. “Top” – Hoonch
6. “Spirits” – the Strumbellas
7. “Animal” – Fast Romantics
8. “Blind” – Holy White Hounds
9. “Woke Up Hurting” – Frightened Rabbit
10. “I Am Chemistry” – Yeasayer
11. “Dead Alive” – the Shins
12. “Fountain of Youth” – Local Natives
13. “Cold Light” – Operators
14. “Quiet Americans” – Shearwater
15. “Hands That Held Me Back” – Alert the Medic
16. “Critical Mistakes” – 888
17. “Rebel Heart” – the Shelters
18. “Sweet Disaster” – Dreamers
19. “Good Grief” – Bastille
20. “All We Ever Knew” – the Head and the Heart
21. “An Otherwise Disappointing Life” – Frightened Rabbit
22. “Brazil” – Declan McKenna
23. “Shine a Light” – Banners
24. “American Money” – BØRNS
25. “Bad Decisions” - Two Door Cinema Club
26. “Breakin’ Point” – Peter Bjorn and John
27. “Excuse Me” – Nothing But Thieves
28. “Used” – Strangers You Know
29. “Nothing Personal” – Night Riots
30. “The Heart of Me” – Miike Snow
31. “Dark Necessities” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
32. “Kiss This” – the Struts
33. ”Joik #3” – Blind Pilot
34. “Color” – Finish Ticket
35. “Going the Distance” – Zipper Club
36. “Life Itself” – Glass Animals
37. “No Hard Feelings” – the Avett Brothers
38. “Unsteady” – X Ambassadors
39. “When the Tequila Runs Out” – Dawes
40. “Run or Hide” – Run River North
41. “Not Easy” – Alex Da Kid featuring X Ambassadors and Elle King
42. “I Don’t Know My Name” – Grace VanderWaal
43. “So Real” – Bloc Party
44. “Talk Too Much” - Coin
45. “What Am I Becoming?” – POP ETC
46. “Hello I’m a Ghost” – Wussy
47. “Tearing Me Up” – Bob Moses
48. “Move” – Saint Motel
49. “Doing It to Death” – the Kills
50. “Liar” – the Shelters
51. “Love Is What You Want” – Peter Bjorn and John
52. “Disappointing” – John Grant
53. “Five Minutes” – Her
54. “Flesh Without Blood” – Grimes
55. “Empty” - Garbage
56. “Ophelia” – the Lumineers
57. “False Alarm” – the Head and the Heart
58. “Umpqua Rushing” – Blind Pilot
59. “Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)” – Silversun Pickups
60. “These Words” – the Lemon Twigs
61. “The Good News” – Bloc Party
62. “Fool for Love” – Lord Huron
63. “Lipstick Coffee” – Leagues
64. “High & Low” – Empire of the Sun
65. “Soundcheck” – Catfish and the Bottlemen
66. “Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
67. “Wake Up Call” – Nothing But Thieves
68. “Love Is…” – Dinosaur Jr.
69. “Go Robot” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
70. “1973” – Beth Orton
71. “Loud(y)” – Lewis Del Mar
72. “Talk” – Bob Moses
73. “Way We Won’t” - Grandaddy
74. “Do-Si-Do” – Peter Bjorn and John
75. “Saltwater” – Geowulf
76. “Bleeding Heart” – Regina Spektor
77. “One of Us” - Dawes
78. “Under the Sun” - DIIV
79. “Cocoon” – Milky Chance
80. “Light the Sky” – Grace VanderWaal
81. “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” – Phantogram
82. “You Are Killing Me” – the Dandy Warhols
83. “Disappointed” – Field Music
84. “Sure and Certain” – Jimmy Eat World
85. “Shut Up Kiss Me” – Angel Olsen
86. “Wish I Knew You” – the Revivalists
87. “Electric Indigo”- Paper Kites
88. “Do the Best We Can” - Fialta
89. “Don’t Doubt” – Blind Pilot
90. “Alone Together” – Leagues
91. “Past Lives” – Local Natives
92. “Higher” – the Naked and Famous
93. “Latchkey Kids” – Silversun Pickups
94. “Two Vines” – Empire of the Sun
95. “Shooting Shadows” - Dreamers
96. “Switchblade” – Holy White Hounds
97. “Young and Dumb” – Jared and the Mill
98. “Red Earth and Pouring Rain” – Bear’s Den
99. “More Than” - Wintersleep
100. “Fell in Love with New York” – the Zolas
101. “2AM” – Bear Hands
102. “Calm Me Down” – Future Unlimited
103. “Take It From Me” – Kongos
104. “I Wish I Was Sober” – Frightened Rabbit
105. “Backchannels” – Shearwater
106. “heavydirtysoul” – Twenty One Pilots
107. “We Don’t Know” – the Strumbellas
108. “Cold Water” – Blue Sky Miners
109. “Out of Control” - Lush
110. “Cold to See Clear” – Nada Surf
111. “Masters” – Local Natives
112. “Start a Riot” - Banners
113. “My Trigger” – Miike Snow
114. “Something to Believe in” – Young the Giant
115. “The Less I Know the Better” – Tame Impala
116. “Seven” – Catfish and the Bottlemen
117. “Young Lovers” – Leagues
118. “Somebody Else” – the 1975
119. “X-Communicate” – Kristin Kontrol
120. “Blackstar” – David Bowie
