Top Songs of 2021

 

Once again, our top 100 songs (limit one song per artist) of 2021, along with AppleMusic and Spotify playlists.

Artist “Song Name” (** = number of appearances by artist on an ATHoM list)

1.      Future Islands “Peach” (*******) ¹

2.      Little Simz “Point and Kill” (***)
3.      Valerie June “Where the Bright Stars Glow” (***)
4.      Bleachers “How Dare You Want More” (***) 

5.      Katy Kirby “Cool Dry Place” (rookie)

¹ 2021 and death was in season. But there was life in this tunnel too. We are almost 20 years into this list-making exercise and Future Islands becomes the first artist to get a second #1 (and, also for the second time, it is for a song that didn't make one of their albums). 

6.      Lord Huron “Not Dead Yet” (***)

7.      Bo Burnham “All Eyes on Me (Song Only)” (rookie) ⁷

8.      Sturgill Simpson “You Can Have the Crown” (***) ⁸
9.      Halsey “I Am Not a Woman, I Am a God” (rookie)

10.   Wild Pink “Oversharers Anonymous” (rookie) ¹⁰

⁷ Picking a song from Inside wasn't an easy choice. The album/movie is full of almost malicious earworms that ran on repeat in our head throughout the year. Burnham's use of non-chorus, chanted lines at the end of songs ("we were overdue / but it'll be over soon", "my stupid friends are having stupid children", "all of it was perfectly lawful, just not very thoughtful", "can I interest you in everything / all of the time?", etc.) is a trick that works -- for us at least -- every single time.   

⁸ This song has two strikes against it: it was technically released in mid Dec 2020 (that's basically 2021, plus The Ballad of Dood & Juanita was boring) and it is a cover of Sturgill's own 2013 song (this version is better). But hey, we're king turd here and if you want it...

¹⁰ "you're a fucking baby / but you're pain is valid too"

11.   The War on Drugs “Change” (*****)

12.   Lucia and the Best Boys “City of Angels” (rookie) 

13.   Wilderado “The Window” (**)
14.   Kanye West “Jail Pt 2 ” (*********) ¹⁴
15.   Rostam “From the Back of a Cab” (****)

¹⁴  Very glad Pt 2 made the album since the DaBaby verse is infinitely better than the lazy Jay-Z verse on Pt 1. If we couldn't separate the man from the music we wouldn't have so many Kanye stars in the first place. 

16.   Angel Olsen “Forever Young (Alphaville Cover)” (**) ¹⁶
17.   Clap Your Hands Say Yeah “Innocent Weight” (*********)
18.   Hiss Golden Messenger “Sanctuary” (rookie)
19.   Twin Shadow “Get Closer” (******)
20.   Big Thief “Change” (****)

¹⁶ Official ATHoM same-title-different-song rankings for "Forever Young" are Alphaville  / Bob Dylan /  Rod Stewart in that order. But we're good with all three. 

21.   Michael Franti & Spearhead “You Will Always Hear My Echo” (**)
22.   Taylor Swift “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” (**)
23.   Paul McCartney & Dominic Fike “The Kiss of Venus” (** each for Sir Paul and Fike) ²³
24.   David Shaw “Heavy Soul” (rookie)
25.   Billie Eilish “Happier Than Ever” (***)

²³  Dominic Fike took a dull latter day McCartney tune and flipped it into a bizarre remix/rework that is a little bit Sgt Pepper and a little bit Tally Hall. The power of production. 

26.   Alex Cameron “Sara Jo” (rookie) ²⁶
27.   Alex Lahey “On My Way” (**)
28.   LP “Angels” (rookie)

29.   CHVRCHES “Asking For a Friend” (*****)
30.   Big Red Machine  “Brycie” (**, plus a whole lot of The National & Bon Iver) ³⁰

²⁶ "who pulled the curtains? / who broke the screen? / who told my brother than his kids are going to die from this vaccine?"

³⁰ Highlighting how personal music tastes are, this is the track from How Long Do You Think It's Gonna Last? with the least Spotify plays. 

31.   Elliphant “Notorious” (**) ³¹
32.   Morray “Can't Use Me” (rookie)
33.   G Flip “Boys & Girls” (**)
34.   Low “Days Like These” (rookie) 

35.   Margo Price “Sweet Revenge (John Prine cover)” (rookie)

³¹ Has any song ever been made better by the inclusion of a spoken word interlude? Perhaps "Are You Lonesome Tonight" due mostly to the comedic value? Certainly this one isn't. 

36.   girl in red “Serotonin” (rookie) 
37.   Tune-Yards “hold yourself.” (***) 

38.   Bruiser Wolf “I'm a Instrument (feat. Danny Brown)” (rookie) ³⁸
39.   Bad Boy Chiller Crew “Don't You Worry About Me” (**)
40.   Lucy Dacus “Hot & Heavy” (***)

³⁸  Bruiser Wolf and Danny Brown could easily be an unlistenable combo but this one works because their notable delivery styles are precisely the point (they've got their own sound x 2).

41.  Caroline Polachek “Bunny is a Rider” (rookie)
42.   FLETCHER & Hayley Kiyoko “Cherry” (rookies)
43.   Noname “Rainforest” (rookie)
44.   Mother Mother “Forgotten Souls” (***)
45.   Lily Konigsberg “Proud Home” (rookie) ⁴⁵

^{45  As good a first 30 seconds as any track this year, especially when the very 1990's guitar kicks in at the 0:13 mark.} 

46.   Baby Queen “These Drugs” (rookie)
47.   Wet Leg “Wet Dreams” (rookie) ⁴⁷

48.   Brett Dennen “Kumbaya, Life Rolls On” (rookie)
49.   Beach Bunny “Blame Game” (**)
50.   Fast Talking, Slow Walking “The Rolling Stones” (**) ⁵⁰

⁴⁷  "baby do you want to come with me? / I've got Buffalo 66 on DVD" 

⁵⁰  RIP Charlie Watts

51.   Liz Phair “Spanish Doors” (**)

52.   Kacey Musgraves “breadwinner” (**)  
53.   Liz Stringer “Dangerous” (rookie)
54.   Latto “Big Energy” (rookie)
55.   Natalie Bergman “Talk to the Lord” (rookie) ⁵⁵

⁵⁵ Good chance ours is the only 2021 music list with "Big Energy" and "Talk to the Lord" back to back. 

56.   Ruen Brothers “The Storm in You” (rookie) ⁵⁶ 

57.   ROSALÍA “LA FAMA (feat. The Weeknd)” (**)  
58.   MUNA “Silk Chiffon (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” (**)
59.   MØ “Kindness” (*****)
60.   Baio “What Do You Say When I'm Not There?” (****)

⁵⁶ "You sure this song is from 2021 and not 1921" said beloved daughter #1

61.   Trace Mountains “EYES ON THE ROAD” (rookie) 
62.   Glass Animals “I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)” (**)  
63.   Morgan Wade “Wilder Days” (rookie)
64.   Islands “Islomania” (******) 

65.   Tierra Whack “Millions” (***) 

⁶⁵ "Fancy restaurant / we eating zucchini" is about as Tierra Whack as it gets. 

66.   Remi Wolf “Grumpy Old Man” (**)  
67.   Weezer “Grapes of Wrath” (**) ⁶⁷  

68.   Indigo De Souza “Hold U” (rookie)
69.   Tkay Maidza “Where is My Mind (Pixies cover)” (rookie)
70.   MARINA “Venus Fly Trap” (***)

⁶⁷ If anyone was going to write a song about listening to audiobook versions of literary classics.... 

71.   Matt Berninger “Let It Be” (************, including The National and EL VY) ⁷¹  

72.   Mdou Moctar “Afrique Victime (edit)” (rookie) ⁷²   

73.   SUSTO “Summertime” (**) ⁷³ 
74.   Charli XCX “Good Ones” (**)
75.   Strand of Oaks “Somewhere in Chicago” (***)

⁷¹ Not a Beatles cover (fortunately)

⁷² Edit version is necessary. Love the central melody but the original version has a brutally indulgent instrumental that runs the last four minutes

⁷³ Not a DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince cover (unfortunately)

76.   KC Lights “Cold Light (feat. Leo Stannard)” (rookie)  
77.   Big Piig “Lavender” (rookie)  
78.   Pa Salieu “Glidin’ (feat. slowthai)” (rookie)
79.   Noah Kahan “Godlight” (***)
80.   Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats “Face Down in the Moment” (***)  

81.   Adele “Easy on Me” (***) ⁸¹

82.   Quinn XCII “My Wife & 2 Dogs” (***)  

83.   Japanese Breakfast “Be Sweet” (rookie)

84.   TK & The Holy Know-Nothings “Serenity Prayer” (rookie) ⁸⁴

85.   Young Thug “Love You More (with Nate Ruess, Gunna & Jeff Bhasker)” (****)

⁸¹ Adele rounds out the superstar female singers on the list singing breakup songs, and she is the only one that doesn't brand her ex as a gold digger (Musgraves), internet troll (Eilish) or a scarf fetishist (Swift).

⁸⁴ "we're on a twelve step program / one two step at a time"

86.   A. G. Cook, Sarah Bonito & Hannah Diamond “The Darkness (remix)” (** for Hannah)  
87.   Satsang “From and I Go” (rookie)  
88.   Mariah the Scientist “2 You” (rookie)
89.   Fruit Bats “As I Rise” (rookie)
90.   mazie “dumb dumb” (rookie)

91.   The Weather Station “Tried to Tell You” (rookie)  
92.   Courtney Barnett “Write a List of Things to Look Forward To” (****)  
93.   Turnstile “MYSTERY” (rookie)
94.   Generationals “Tryin' to Reach Ya (feat. Sarah Jaffe)” (****)
95.   Selena Gomez & Camilo “999” (** for Selena)

96.   chloe moriondo “Favorite Band” (rookie)  
97.   Jessie Ware “Please (Single Edit)” (*****)  
98.   Fred Again.. “Tate (How I Feel)” (rookie)
99.   Judah & The Lion “Find Another Reason Why” (**)
100.Joe Strummer “Junco Partner (Acoustic)” (**)

Top Songs of 2020

10 years into this blog’s existence and the medium itself has become the basis for a “he’s so old...” punch line. And we are that old. However, this year we’ll acknowledge the passing of time by just getting right to the music and dispensing with the countdown, commentary (mostly) and lyrics. Our top 100 songs of a very strange year are below, along with AppleMusic and Spotify playlists.

 

Artist “Song Name” (** = number of appearances by artist on an ATHoM list)

1.      Dinner Party “Freeze Tag” (rookie) ¹

2.      Mac Miller “Good News” (rookie)
3.      Perfume Genius “On the Floor” (*****)
4.      Taylor Swift “exile (feat. Bon Iver)” (rookie!) ⁴
5.      Yumi Zouma “Cool for a Second” (rookie) 

¹ The top slot was a real challenge this year. Most of the top 10 was under consideration at some point and we vacillated between things that screamed 2020 (“exile”, “I Know Alone”) and something light that felt like a refuge from the drama of the year (“Wonderful”, “450”). In the end, Freeze Tag” straddles both worlds with lyrics that evoke racial injustice and a groove to soundtrack a carefree summer cookout (as it does in the video)
⁴ Yes it is lame that Taylor Swift makes a “dad-rock indie” album produced by Dessner and featuring Justin Vernon (over a dozen combined appearances on these lists!) and lands on the list not just for the first time but near the top. To quote someone: in my defense I have none.   

6.      The Weeknd “In Your Eyes” (***)

7.      Burna Boy “Wonderful” (****)
8.      Grimes “You'll miss me when I'm not around” (****)
9.      Bad Boy Chiller Crew “450 (feat. S Dog)” (rookie) ⁹
10.   HAIM “I Know Alone” (****) ¹⁰

⁹ Vengaboys meet Snatch-era Guy Ritchie
¹⁰ Even though quarantine kept PTA from directing and the sisters from walking the streets of L.A., there is still the tight choreography we’ve come to expect (now socially distanced) in the video

11.   Patrice Roberts “Tender” (rookie)

12.   Sada Baby “Whole Lotta Choppas (Remix) (feat. Nicki Minaj)” (rookie, but Niki has ****) ¹²
13.   Tierra Whack “Dora” (***)
14.   Tom Petty “There Goes Angela (Dream Away)” (**) ¹⁴
15.   Pure Bathing Culture “Midnight Minutes” (****)

¹² “WAP” appeared in the top 5 of almost every mainstream music list we saw this year but it won’t appear here. We’ll take pace and flow with our overly sexual lyrics please.
¹⁴  It speaks to the strength of Wildflowers that this outtake is so good and yet perhaps should still have been left off the album (though personally we’d swap it with “House in the Woods” which gets moved to the She’s the One soundtrack).

16.   CHIKA “My Power” (rookie)
17.   Ela Minus “dominique” (rookie)
18.   Big Thief “Love in Mine” (***)
19.   U.S. Girls “4 American Dollars” (rookie)
20.   Ella Vos “Dreaming, Backwards” (**)

21.   Josh Ritter “Waiting on You” (********)
22.   070 Shake “Flight319” (rookie, though she appeared on the #1 song of 2018)
23.   Waxahatchee “Fire” (*****)
24.   The Go! Team “Cookie Scene” (****)
25.   Beach Bunny “Rearview” (rookie)

26.   Glass Animals “Your Love (déjà vu)” (rookie)
27.   Adia Victoria “South Gotta Change” (rookie)
28.   Billie Eilish “Therefore I Am” (**) ²⁸
29.   of Montreal “You’ve Had me Everywhere” UR FUN (***)
30.   Powfu “death bed (feat. Beabadoobee)” (rookie)

²⁸ Samantha’s (9 years old) favorite song on this list

31.   SAINt JHN “Roses (Imanbek Remix)” (rookie) ³¹
32.   Brian Fallon “21 Days” (rookie, though Gaslight Anthem hit the list in 2008)
33.   Little Simz “you should call mum” (**)
34.   Eve Owen “Lone Swan” (rookie) ³⁴
35.   The Growlers “Dream World” (**)

³¹ Lizzy’s (12 years old) favorite song on this list
³⁴ One of two daughters-of-actors on the list this year (joining Elle King)

36.   Koffee “Lockdown” (rookie, though she shows up again as a guest this year) ³⁶
37.   G Flip “2 Million (live with choir)” (rookie) ³⁷
38.   Childish Gambino “35.31” (***)
39.   The 1975 “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” (**)
40.   Christine and the Queens “People I’ve Been Sad” (****)

³⁶ “where will we go / when the quarantine ting done and everybody touch road?”

³⁷ We missed this one in 2019, so while we prefer the studio version, we’ll settle for the 2020 live version

41.  Bleachers “Chinatown (feat. Bruce Springsteen)” (**)
42.   J Hus “Repeat (feat. Koffee)” (rookie)
43.   Phoebe Bridgers “Garden Song” (rookie, made the list as half of Better Living Community Center)
44.   The Chicks “Texas Man” (rookie)
45.   Frances Quinlan “Your Reply” (***, including as lead singer in Hop Along)

46.   Woods “Light of Day” (*******)
47.   Fiona Apple “I Want You To Love Me” (**) ⁴⁷
48.   Kurt Vile “Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (John Prine cover)” (*****)
49.   Alanis Morrissette “Ablaze” (rookie)
50.   Frazey Ford “Golden” (**, including as lead singer in The Be Good Tanyas)

⁴⁷ That dolphin noise garbage at the end is worth a 25-slot penalty in the rankings

51.   Sault “Wildfires” (rookie)
52.   Best Coast “For the First Time” (**)  
53.   Florence + the Machine “Light of Love” (****)
54.   Run The Jewels “out of sight (feat. 2 Chainz)” (***)
55.   CHAI “Ready Pretty Cheeky” (rookie) ⁵⁵

⁵⁵ Mileage will vary on this one but the booming synth (and not the cutesy vocals) are the reason it is here

56.   Anderson.Paak and Justin Timberlake “Don’t Slack” (**** and **, respectively) ⁵⁶
57.   Adrianne Lenker “anything” (****, including as lead singer in Big Thief)  
58.   Remi Wolf “Woo!” (rookie)
59.   Loud Luxury “Cold Feet” (rookie)
60.   Young T and Bugsey “Don’t Rush (feat. Headie One)” (rookie)

⁵⁶ Lest our #1 choice this year be accused of politics over music, we would note that Anderson.Paak also had a thoughtful song about racial injustice (“Lockdown”). We instead went with the song from a  kids’ movie based on a Hasbro toy

61.   BENEE “Supalonely (feat. Gus Dapperton)” (rookie)  
62.   Matt Berninger “One More Second” (*********, including as lead singer in The National)  
63.   Romy “Lifetime” (rookie)
64.   Hinds “Spanish Bombs (The Clash cover)” (****) ⁶⁴
65.   Olivia Dean “The Hardest Part” (rookie)

⁶⁴ I’m sure there is overlap between fans of The Clash and fans of Hinds, but hearing our favorite madrileñas sing about the “days of 39” feels like it was made solely for our enjoyment.

66.   Mondo Cozmo “Kicks (Positively Montauk)” (**)  
67.   Sylvan Esso “Ferris Wheel” (***)  
68.   Elliphant “Had Enough” (rookie)
69.   Sia “Together” (*****)
70.   The Derevolutions “One More Chance With You” (****)

71.   Georgia “Till I Own It” (**)  
72.   Will Butler “Close My Eyes” (*****, including as a member of Arcade Fire)  
73.   Misterwives “whywhywhy” (**)
74.   ZZ Ward “The Dark” (rookie)
75.   Doja Cat “Boss Bitch” (rookie)

76.   Kid Cudi “Another Day” (*******)  
77.   Wolf Parade “Julia Take Your Man Home” (*****)  
78.   Dua Lipa “Break My Heart” (rookie)
79.   Weezer “Hero” (rookie!)
80.   Pogo “Horrorland” (rookie) ⁸⁰ 

⁸⁰ First time on the list, but we’ve been a fan of his vocal remixes since “Upular” in 2009

81.   I Break Horses “Silence” (rookie)

82.   Elle King “The Only One” (**)  

83.   Jeezy “Back (feat. Yo Gotti)” (**)

84.   Car Seat Headrest “There Must Be More Than Blood” (*****)

85.   Buddy Ross “Bored Again (feat. Gabriel Delicious)” (rookie)

86.   The Heavy Hours “Don’t Walk Away” (rookie)  
87.   Westerman “Blue Comanche” (rookie)  
88.   The Avalanches “Interstellar Love (feat. Leon Bridges)” (**)
89.   Sam Hunt “Hard to Forget” (rookie)
90.   Jessie Ware “What’s Your Pleasure” (****)

91.   Hayley Williams “Simmer” (rookie)  
92.   Future Islands “For Sure” (******)  
93.   The Strokes “Bad Decisions” (***)
94.   Phoebe Ryan “Ryan” (****)
95.   Dizzee Rascal & Ocean Wisdom “Don’t be Dumb” (rookies)

96.   Kygo and Kim Petras “Broken Glass” (*** and **, respectively)  
97.   Ryann “Opinions” (rookie)  
98.   Born Ruffians “The Poet (Can’t Jam)” (***)
99.   My Morning Jacket “Magic Bullet” (***)
100.Sufjan Stevens “The Ascension” (*******)