117 Songs of 2021

 

2021 was somewhat less of a dumpster fire of a year than 2020. In general, popular music continued its long slog away from melody with lyrics and more toward rhythmic chanting (but I'm an old fogey, so what do I know?). I had to work harder than I can ever remember to find more than 100 songs that rose to the top of/for my annual favorite songs list. (Remember: I'm not counting down here; I went right for the favorite starting at #1.)

YouTube playlist at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fiMPiSSIHU&list=PLBb3Ab6s-otQQxw80LX-2s9IgjvCs6Fih 

1.   “Head Rush” – Art d’Ecco

2.   “Chaise Lounge” – Wet Leg

3.   “Decoration” – TV Priest

4.   “Soft Spot” – Claud

5.   “We Are Between” – Modest Mouse

6.   “Hush” – The Marías

7.   “Age of Roaches” – Kid Dakota

8.   “The Nowhere Inn” – St. Vincent

9.   “U&ME” – alt-J

10. “Let Down” – Michigander

11. “Future Lights” – Double Mixte and Desire

12. “Deliver Me fromWondering Why” – Nation of Language

13. “On the WrongSide”– Lindsey Buckingham

14. “Seventeen GoingUnder” – Sam Fender

15. “Best Life” – Cheekface

16. “Waking Up” – Django Django feat. Charlotte Gainsbourg

17. “Destroy Us” – Beachy Head

18. “After Coffee” – Joywave

19. “Total Stranger” – Storefront Church

20. “Love U More” – ACTORS

21. “Everyone IsHorrid Except Me (and Possibly You)” – Quilloughby (w/Lisa Simpson)

22. “Mine Forever” – Lord Huron

23. “World on Fire” – the KVB

24. “Empire Builder” – Typhoon

25. “Safety Dance” – Angel Olsen

26. “How Not toDrown” – Chvrches with Robert Smith

27. “Beautiful James” – Placebo

28. “Invisible” – Duran Duran

29. “Mold” – Lunar Vacation

30. “Stay the Ride(Cast a Light)” - GusGus

31. “Jeff Goldblum” - Mattiel

32. “Go DownTogether” - Foxing

33. “Bye Bye Baby” – Requin Chagrin

34. “Why So Cruel” – Whitehorse

35. “Eat an Eraser” – Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum

36. “Wounds of Love” – Nation of Language

37. “The First Day” – Villagers

38. “Wolves” – Garbage

39. “Disassociate” – Deb Never

40. “Glowing in theDark” – Django Django

41. “New Invention” – I Don’t Know How But They Found Me

42. “Bottle Rocket” – Briston Maroney

43. “Distraction” – Beachy Head

44. “Back to Nowhere” – UV-TV

45. “Prayer fromNowhere” – Cold Cave

46. “Headstand” – Failure

47. “Desires” – Art d’Ecco

48. “Under an Oceanof Holes” – Minor Moon

49. “Uneasy” – Metronomy x Spill Tab

50. “Cloud 9” – Beach Bunny featuring Tegan and Sara

51. “Love Is Alone” – GusGus featuring John Grant

52. “Future” – the KVB

53. “Futurecide” – Kid Dakota

54. “Wet Dream” – Wet Leg

55. “How It Works” – Old Sea Brigade

56. “Traveling Light” – Bootblacks

57. “Chemtrails Overthe Country Club” – Lana Del Rey

58. “Wherever You Go” – Lola Lennox

59. “ElegantStrangers” – Atlas Genius

60. “Animal” - Lump

61. “Feels Right” – Roosevelt

62. “Warning Bell” – Beachy Head

63. “To the Island” – Crowded House

64. “I Don’t Mind” – Lindsey Buckingham

65. “Eclipse” – XIXA

66. “Shivering” – Haerts

67. “The Rusty Bull” – John Grant

68. “Sleepwalking” – Admiral Fallow

69. “Pink Elephants” – Claire George

70. “Kick the DevilOut” – Django Django

71. “White Horses” – Low

72. “It’s Good to BeBack” – Metronomy

73. “Anniversary” – Duran Duran

74. “Typhoons” – Royal Blood

75. “This FracturedMind” – Nation of Language

76. “Strong Feelings” – Dry Cleaning

77. “Projector” – Geese

78. “Oxygen” – Beach Bunny

79. “Stop MakingStupid People Famous” – Our Lady Peace featuring Pussy Riot

80. “Stargazing” – the Neighbourhood

81. “Astronaut” – Kate Toupin

82. “Day by Day” – Old Sea Brigade

83. "Elizabeth Taylor" – Pete Yorn

84. “Part of You Wants to Believe Me” – They Might Be Giants

85. “Surrender Song” – Thomas Abban

86. “The Eye That Follows Suit” – Wingtips

87. “Orion from the Street” – Field Music

88. “TV God” – Art d’Ecco

89. “Homesick” – Kid Dakota

90. “And It Never Ends!” – Fires of Denmark

91. “Unité” – the KVB

92. “Hold on to Love” – Kiss the Tiger

93. “All My Favorite Songs” – Weezer

94. “Promised Land” – Cold Cave

95. “The Underground” – Meg Myers

96. “Questions” – Middle Kids

97. “Open Up the Heavens” – Jade Bird

98. “Bad Dreams” – Cannons

99. “Ramona” – Smashing Pumpkins

100. “Armageddon Suite”– Princess Goes to the Butterfly Museum

101. “Hiddensee” – Beachy Head

102. “Stephen Hawking” – Kid Dakota

103. “May They Call Us Home” – XIXA

104. “Roots and Wings” – the Wallflowers

105. “Cluttered World” – Museum of Love

106. “Cigarette Packet” – Sorry

107. “Free from Gravity” – Django Django

108. “It’s so Fun (to Be Gay)” – Man on Man

109.  “Cold War” – Kid Dakota

110.  “Peddler” – Lunar Vacation

111.  “Happy Birthday Dark Star” – Cold Cave

112.  “Freaks” – Surf Curse

113.  “Scratched Lanyard” – Dry Cleaning

114.  “Blind” – the KVB

115.  “Listen to Your Heart. No.” – Cheekface

116.  “Space Girl” – Frances Forever

117.  “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)” – Beach Bunny

118.  “We Cannot Resist” – Lump