2020 has been a dumpster fire of a year in many ways for sure, and music was not immune from the sheer disaster. Still, thankfully, I was able to find solace in 120+ songs that rose to the top of/for my annual favorite songs list. (Note: I'm not counting down here; I went right for the top spot starting at #1.) Full playlist on YouTube at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBb3Ab6s-otRGqxZ6zC0wRvrxiZb2kLG-.
1. “Arch Enemy” – Everything Everything
2. “Masonic Temple Microdose #1” – Blitzen Trapper
3. “Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus” – the Strokes
4. “This Heat” – Deeper
5. “Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing but You)” – Bombay
Bicycle Club
6. “Bad Decisions” – the Strokes
7. “Time Moves On” – Phantom Planet
8. “Dance of The Clairvoyants” – Pearl Jam
9. “Against the Day” – Wolf Parade
10. “Falling Thunder” – Rolling Blackouts Coastal
Fever
11. “Ego” – Moaning
12. “I’m Only Going to Hurt You” – the Ninth Wave
13. “On Division Street” – Nation of Language
14. “Spirits” – Dad Bod
15. “I Don’t Wanna” – Pet Shop Boys
16. “Case of the Mondays” – Pomplamoose
17. “Uh-huh” – Litany
18. “Open Relations” – Heartbones
19. “Martin” – Car Seat Headrest
20. “Lightning Riders” – AWOLNATION
21. “Love Spells” – poorstacy
22. “how will i rest in peace if I’m buried by ahighway” – KennyHoopla
23. “So Much Love” – Nada Surf
24. “Heat Death (Hold Me Here)” – Sister Species
25. “Rusty Nail” – Peter Bjorn and John
26. “The Great Divide” – the Shins
27. “What I Do” – Taylor Janzen
28. “Власть (Power)” – Ploho
29. “Friend Machine” – Nation of Language
30. “I Feel the Transition” – the Zolas
31. “You’reNot Alone” – Semisonic
32. “Cheap Regrets” – the Districts
33. “I’m No Artist” – Catholic Action
34. “Van Horn” – Saint Motel
35. “Magical Thinking” – Blitzen Trapper
36. “Cloud Nein” – Man Man
37. “Goliath” – Woodkid
38. “She’s Walking Out” – Faded Paper Figures
39. “Circle the Drain” – Soccer Mommy
40. “Hollow World” – Elephant Stone
41. “The Ceiling” – Lewis Del Mar
42. “The Only Thing” – Travis featuring Susanna Hoffs
43. “Pastime” – Samantha Crain
44. “One of Us” – Catholic Action
45. “The Adults Are Talking” – the Strokes
46. “Leave a Little Light on” – Phantom Planet
47. “No Rain” – Drab Majesty
48. “Planets” – Everything Everything
49. “Lake Song” – Deeper
50. “Obsidian Oblivion” – Say Hi
51. “Dying to Believe” – the Beths
52. “What D’ya Got to Lose” – Brett Newski
53. “Orange and Blue” – Sarah Jarosz
54. “Sainthood Is Not in Your Future” – Sparks
55. “Future Peg” – Man Man
56. “Another Name for Loneliness” – Catholic Action
57. “Never Stop the Dance” – MT Foyer
58. “Deleter” – Grouplove
59. “The Steps” – Haim
60. “Daybreak” – Sweet and Loney
61. “Spirals” – Django Django
62. “Holy Smokes Future Jokes” – Blitzen Trapper
63. “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” – Bombay
Bicycle Club
64. “Care” - beabadoobee
65. “Can I Believe You” – Fleet Foxes
66. “Good Bad Times” - Hinds
67. “Bones” – Faded Paper Figures
68. “It Might Be Time” – Tame Impala
69. “Endless Reruns” – Peter Bjorn and John
70. “Violent Sun” – Everything Everything
71. “Impossible Weight” – Deep Sea Diver featuring
Sharon Van Etten
72. “Valentine” – Travis
73. “Eternal Summer” – the Strokes
74. “The Godfather” – Are We Static
75. “Stranger” – Moaning
76. “Like Breaking Glass” – Cut/Copy
77. “Used to Like” – Neon Trees
78. “Fuzzybrain” – Dayglow
79. “Burn Too Bright” – Laura Veirs
80. “Pacific Standard Time” – Sparks
81. “Carousel” – Clock Opera
82. “Tiger Unicorn” – Say Hi
83. “Velour and Velcro” – the Districts
84. “My Own Soul’s Warning” – the Killers
85. “Waving at the Window” – Travis
86. “The Motorist” – Nation of Language
87. “Tattered and Torn” – Eli Gardiner
88. “Jump Rope Gazers” – the Beths
89. “In a Spiral” – Phantogram
90. “Deadlines (Thoughtful)” – Car Seat Headrest
91. “Young Buck” – Braids
92. “Come Down Forever” – the Ninth Wave
93. “Hear You Calling” – Gully Boys
94. “Running into You” – the Cribs
95. “So Handsome Hello” – Woodkid
96. “Rush and Fever” – Nation of Language
97. “A Ghost” – Travis
98. “Lost Powers” – Everything Everything
99. “Love Is All We Share” – Cut/Copy
100. “Connect the Dots” – Moaning
101. “Bardo’s Light (Ouija, Ouija)” – Blitzen Trapper
102. “Club Zero” – the Go-Go’s
103. “With That Face” – Green/Blue
104. “The Existential Threat” – Sparks
105. “Out of Nowhere” – Peter Bjorn and John
106. “Sons and Unwed Mothers” – Blitzen Trapper
107. “Do You Want Me Now” – the Beths
108. “Out of Control” – Wolf Parade
109. “Footnotes” – Land of Talk
110. “Caution” – the Killers
111. “My Resolve” – Bruce Hornsby and James Mercer
112. “Wreck Beach/Totem Park” – the Zolas
113. “Unreal City” – M. Ward
114. “Valleys” – Working Men’s Club
115. “Sleep” – House of Heaven
116. “Winona” – Miloe
117. “Televised Mind” – Fontaines D.C.
118. “Spray Paint” - Deeper
119. “Pale Yellow” – Woodkid
120. “Lawnmower” – Sparks
121. “September Again” – Nation of Language
122. “Kisser (Stripped)” – Step Rockets
123. “Private Lives” – Low Cut Connie
124. “I Fall in Love Every Night” – Born Ruffians
125. “Undecided Voters” – Kiwi Jr.
126. “Love Is not Enough” – Lydia Loveless