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” (*******)