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. “Friend Machine” – 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. "F.E.A.R." - Joywave
21. “Lightning Riders” – AWOLNATION
22. “Love Spells” – poorstacy
23. “how will i rest in peace if I’m buried by ahighway” – KennyHoopla
24. “So Much Love” – Nada Surf
25. “Blinding Lights” - the Weeknd
26. “Heat Death (Hold Me Here)” – Sister Species
27. “Rusty Nail” – Peter Bjorn and John
28. “The Great Divide” – the Shins
29. “What I Do” – Taylor Janzen
30. “Власть (Power)” – Ploho
31. “On Division Street” – Nation of Language
32. “I Feel the Transition” – the Zolas
33. “You’reNot Alone” – Semisonic
34. “Cheap Regrets” – the Districts
35. “I’m No Artist” – Catholic Action
36. “Van Horn” – Saint Motel
37. “Magical Thinking” – Blitzen Trapper
38. “Cloud Nein” – Man Man
39. “Goliath” – Woodkid
40. “She’s Walking Out” – Faded Paper Figures
41. “Circle the Drain” – Soccer Mommy
42. “Hollow World” – Elephant Stone
43. “The Ceiling” – Lewis Del Mar
44. “The Only Thing” – Travis featuring Susanna Hoffs
45. “Pastime” – Samantha Crain
46. “One of Us” – Catholic Action
47. “The Adults Are Talking” – the Strokes
48. “Leave a Little Light on” – Phantom Planet
49. “No Rain” – Drab Majesty
50. “Planets” – Everything Everything
51. “Lake Song” – Deeper
52. “Obsidian Oblivion” – Say Hi
53. “Dying to Believe” – the Beths
54. “What D’ya Got to Lose” – Brett Newski
55. “Orange and Blue” – Sarah Jarosz
56. “Sainthood Is Not in Your Future” – Sparks
57. “Future Peg” – Man Man
58. “Another Name for Loneliness” – Catholic Action
59. “Never Stop the Dance” – MT Foyer
60. “Deleter” – Grouplove
61. “The Steps” – Haim
62. “Daybreak” – Sweet and Loney
63. “Spirals” – Django Django
64. “Holy Smokes Future Jokes” – Blitzen Trapper
65. “Everything Else Has Gone Wrong” – Bombay
Bicycle Club
66. “Care” - beabadoobee
67. “Can I Believe You” – Fleet Foxes
68. “Good Bad Times” - Hinds
69. “Bones” – Faded Paper Figures
70. “It Might Be Time” – Tame Impala
71. “Endless Reruns” – Peter Bjorn and John
72. “Violent Sun” – Everything Everything
73. “Impossible Weight” – Deep Sea Diver featuring
Sharon Van Etten
74. “Valentine” – Travis
75. “Eternal Summer” – the Strokes
76. “The Godfather” – Are We Static
77. “Stranger” – Moaning
78. “Like Breaking Glass” – Cut/Copy
79. “Used to Like” – Neon Trees
80. “Fuzzybrain” – Dayglow
81. “Burn Too Bright” – Laura Veirs
82. “Pacific Standard Time” – Sparks
83. “Carousel” – Clock Opera
84. “Tiger Unicorn” – Say Hi
85. “Velour and Velcro” – the Districts
86. “My Own Soul’s Warning” – the Killers
87. “Waving at the Window” – Travis
88. “The Motorist” – Nation of Language
89. “Tattered and Torn” – Eli Gardiner
90. “Jump Rope Gazers” – the Beths
91. “In a Spiral” – Phantogram
92. “Deadlines (Thoughtful)” – Car Seat Headrest
93. “Young Buck” – Braids
94. “Come Down Forever” – the Ninth Wave
95. “Hear You Calling” – Gully Boys
96. “Running into You” – the Cribs
97. “So Handsome Hello” – Woodkid
98. “Rush and Fever” – Nation of Language
99. “A Ghost” – Travis
100. “Lost Powers” – Everything Everything
101. “Love Is All We Share” – Cut/Copy
102. “Connect the Dots” – Moaning
103. “Bardo’s Light (Ouija, Ouija)” – Blitzen Trapper
104. “Club Zero” – the Go-Go’s
105. “With That Face” – Green/Blue
106. “The Existential Threat” – Sparks
107. “Out of Nowhere” – Peter Bjorn and John
108. “Sons and Unwed Mothers” – Blitzen Trapper
109. “Do You Want Me Now” – the Beths
110. “Out of Control” – Wolf Parade
111. “Footnotes” – Land of Talk
112. “Caution” – the Killers
113. “My Resolve” – Bruce Hornsby and James Mercer
114. “Wreck Beach/Totem Park” – the Zolas
115. “Unreal City” – M. Ward
116. “Valleys” – Working Men’s Club
117. “Sleep” – House of Heaven
118. “Winona” – Miloe
119. “Televised Mind” – Fontaines D.C.
120. “Spray Paint” - Deeper
121. “Pale Yellow” – Woodkid
122. “Lawnmower” – Sparks
123. “September Again” – Nation of Language
124. “Kisser (Stripped)” – Step Rockets
125. “Private Lives” – Low Cut Connie
126. “I Fall in Love Every Night” – Born Ruffians
127. “Undecided Voters” – Kiwi Jr.
128. “Love Is not Enough” – Lydia Loveless