As always, eligible songs for this list NEED TO HAVE A MUSIC VIDEO (apologies to "Top Picks For You" by Injury Reserve)
Here were the nine hardest songs for me to cut out from the Top 40 this go-round...
Countdown Contenders
Everyone You Know - When The Sun Comes Up
Genesis Owusu - Gold Chains
Little Simz - I Love You, I Hate You
Lucy Dacus - Brando
Magdalena Bay - Chaeri
Olivia Rodrigo - Brutal
Remi Wolf - Street You Live On
Wet Leg - Too Late Now
Wolf Alice - The Last Man On Earth
#40. Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar "Family Ties"
The first taste of Baby Keem for me was early 2020's "Hooligan". The video was captivating, the beat was intoxicating and Keem made it known that he was a face to watch so, I bought the hypothetical music stock and added it to my 2020s Playlist, a playlist that hopes to capture what is most noteworthy yet not quite countdown-worthy from every month over the decade. There was radio silence on the Keem front for just over a year and then the quick teaser for the "Family Ties" video and song were posted with little warning and much hype as it included Keem's cousin, Kendrick Lamar. Lamar, a countdown veteran, has not had a single drop in just about four years which may as well be an eternity for a rapper in the modern era. Like many others, I don't know what the hell is going on in this song other than some extremely well-delivered flexing and even more pre-album hype from the game's brightest light of delivering every time in Lamar. The horns blasting in the introduction is one of the most instantly recognizable moments for music in 2021 and the mid-song beat changeup to fit Kendrick's cameo is truly going Sicko Mode (Is still okay to say things like that after what happened at Astro World?) to the maximum. The Melodic Blue has some real moments of incredible promise despite still sounding like a debut album for the 21-year old and "Family Ties" sticks out, especially due to another wildly creative music video.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Amazing, Brother"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1 (Baby Keem) & 10 (Kendrick Lamar)
"Red Room" is one of the more chill "vibing" songs I've ever included on my end-of-year lists. The quieted, somewhat nauseous instrumentals never really build up to anything beyond background noise, creating an ASMR-like quality behind one of the more easily digestible vocal performances of lead singer Nai Palm's career. The tricks, runs and cracks in her voice all compliment each other accross the highlight of the experimental jazz/funk outfit Hiatus Kaiyote's third album, Mood Valiant. I was never fully prepared to give this band anything more than a passing glance until I heard "Red Room" and now, I'm so on board with wherever they go.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The first taste of a louder falsetto from Nai Palm at just over two minutes in. That's when shit starts to get really good and the listener knows things are about to go overboard/potentially off the rails. Thankfully, everything stays pretty formulaic and the band just excels in a way that can sometimes be buried by the expanded universes of their more off-the-wall stuff.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
It's right there in the lyrics, man. This song is like a hopeless romantic's anthem. Conan Gray comes from the Lorde/Taylor Swift school of singer/songwriters and after the success of 2020's Kid Krow that featured a minor hit in "Heather" and the superior, #36 song of 2020 "The Story", the 23-year old could have just layed low and worked on the follow-up to the biggest solo debut album of the previous year. Instead, Gray busted out the pen, opened up his heart for us to all bear witness to again and wrote one of the more relatable songs of anybody traveling solo in an environment full of people. Granted, that was happening less than usual in 2021 but it's another notch in the belt of a young artist who my father thought was Harry Styles' younger brother? I'm not sure about that one but, he's probably got the general teen heartthrob thing going in his favor too. If you're a fan of this song, you'd probably also be into his slightly more over-dramatic (that's just my opinion, it's still a very good song) "Astronomy", Gray's other loose single to come out in early '21.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Cut people out like tags on my clothing"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2
Triumphant post-breakup songs always lift the spirit a little whether the listener can instantly relate or just wants to hear someone crawl out from whatever darkness now lays in their past. On "I Don't Live Here Anymore", The War On Drugs' lead singer Adam Granduciel comes off as Bob Dylan covering a song written by Phoebe Bridgers. What an ironic twist as at one point, Granduciel looks back in retrospect with fondness at a time where he and his partner danced to Dylan's 1965 track "Desolation Road". The influences are clear as day with the throwback rock band as the eighties-style production, mumbled delivery of a more cleanly recorded Dylan and hook that Springsteen and the E Street Band would have gladly added to their most recent album. The War On Drugs are total dad rock and much like the occasional dad bod, sometimes dads are just in style and it works. I'm glad I put this song on here because even if their contribution seems minimal or underwhelming based on the fact they're listed as a feature, Lucius and TWOD are both acts I have buildt a fondness for over the past decade and it's about time they both happened to pop up on an end-of-year list.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Is life just dying in slow motion? I'm getting stronger everyday"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1 & 1
If somebody doesn't at least enjoy one track by Jungle, they don't know how to have fun. Look at the dancers in this music video and try not to become encompassed by their every single move, showcasing their own personalities through their profession as the opener to Jungle's third album, Loving In Stereo increases the funk of their previous two albums a notch higher. Maybe it's the heaviness in the usage of bass guitar that gets me going to this song or maybe it's just the fact that a really fun act switched up their novelty sound by adding more depth with pre-recorded choir vocals from a church basement adding a sample-like quality to this killer dance track. Reminiscent of The Avalanches, the UK-based band made their best song to date in the process. The entirety of their third album has accompanying videos that star some of the most skilled choreographed dancers I've ever seen not behind a major pop act and this video's direction is out of this world as the camera flies willy-nilly from room to room, showcasing at least 20 different dancers doing moves that would not look nearly as cool if the neo-soul/funk duo attempted them themselves.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The "background" singers' vocal recording that loops for nearly the entire 3-minute track.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2, oddly enough the other one being titled "Time" from 2014.
The world isn't exactly comatose on Jorja Smith but there's just enough people out there still asleep on one of the most talented singers around in 2021 that I feel obligated to mention just how underrated she is. 2018's "Blue Lights" showed us the more socially conscious side of Smith while "Addicted" sees her dip into a more lovelorn fare for just under four minutes. It's a very relaxed alternative R&B track that sees Smith searching for a significant other to reciprocate the intensity to which she loves them and instead, there's truly a disconnection in the relationship. The lone guitar swirling in and out prior to the chorus and throughout the song really nail home the emotion that Smith's vocals could have carried on their own. Add those two elements together and the song just hits so hard at the right time with the worst emotions.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The drums really kicking in at two minutes in.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2
A Chaise Longue, in case one was unaware, is one of those long fainting/resting chairs that you only see in one-percenter households in 2021 that have no armrests nor any purpose (seemingly). This indie post-punk band decided to make their debut to the world (at least, their debut through mass media promotional means) via this sugary nonsensical song that just makes them sound straight-up too cool to give a fuck about how divisive a track like this with limited singing actually gets received. Luckily for them, it's one of the catchiest hooks you'll hear all year and it's most memorable lyric happens about twenty seconds in, ripped straight out of the 2004 movie Mean Girls. If this is how polished and weird they sound on their debut song, I can't imagine what April 8th will bring with the release of their self-titled debut album.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
Two of the dominant female voices in indie music of the 2010s decided to collaborate on a random throwaway track, attached to no projects from either artist and made a song worthy of closing Van Etten's 2021 Pitchfork Festival set. Granted, it was the cameo by Olsen that made the song a big enough deal to close out Van Etten's set but even without one of the two singers present, this song could close out a concert with either one of them singing by themselves, it is just that perfectly structured. "Like I Used To" challenged both artists to think back to a time where they were just starting out, trying to recapture the feelings of being young up-and-comers with no expectations. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, they bought into the idea behind the song simply by working with each other as neither is known for their duets or features despite both contributing to some wonderful deepcuts of other artists over the years. Sharon even possibly references Michael Jordan in this one by singing "The ceiling is the roof", it's a really quirky lyric that most artists tend to not be able to pull off or sell after a decade in the critical eye.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The harmonizing on the chorus, of course.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2 (Sharon Van Etten) & 5 (Angel Olsen)
As opposed to the Van Etten/Olsen combo, there was never a world in which Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars' teaming up to form a super-group of sorts in Silk Sonic was not going to work. Once "Leave The Door Open" dropped, it took over mainstream radio stations accross the globe. Not only can Mars sing and pull off the confidence of a rapper, not only can .Paak rap and kind of sing but, BOTH can sell the hell out of the throwback characters they played on An Evening With Silk Sonic. "Leave The Door Open" is a fun, sexy song that could have been a hit in any decade since Motown's inception as it takes influence from The Isley Brothers, the Philadelphia Soul movement of the sixties and seventies plus the boy-band slow jams made even more popular with the delivery and interplay of a Color Me Badd song. It's every mom's favorite song of 2021 and the kids dig it too, even though nobody says "dig it" anymore without a hint of irony.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The call-and-response interaction where one of the two sings, the other ad libs and vice-versa.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1 (Anderson .Paak) & 5 (Bruno Mars)
Wolf Alice have picked up an interesting and sometimes frustrating tactic over their first three records where lead singer Ellie Rowsell's vocals seem to be tuned so low in the mix that the listener really needs to scope out her lyrics through the rising tide of rock music being played by the rest of the band. There is no such conflict in the 31st best song of 2021 however, as the quiet singing only amplifies the delicate beauty being delivered through so much of their awesome 2021 album, Blue Weekend. Along with the improvement in Rowsell's vocals comes the story of a young woman trying to make it big in Hollywood while coming into direct contact with all the ways others could possibly take advantage of her ambitions along the way. It's a sad story that is all too common in LA, written by a band from London.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The genuinely surprising falsetto moment at the end.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2
2021 was quite the year for Michelle Zauner AKA: Japanese Breakfast. Not only did she write the second-best selling non-fiction book in America for her debut, Crying In H Mart's first week available to the public but, she also gets her first single onto my end of the year Top 40 countdown with "Be Sweet". The lead single from her third album Jubilee is easily her most commercially successful to date, I mean... I heard this played between innings at a Milwaukee Brewers game so that's all the validation I neeed for this to be a certified hit. This thing is a sweet throwback treat of 80's new wave that was the perfect choice to kick off the hype cycle for Jubilee, Zauner's most optimistic project to date as she still sings about dreaming of her partner leaving her but hey, at least it sounds happier than 2017's "Boyish" or "Road Head".
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: T
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
It was an odd numbered year so of course, Lana Del Rey had to drop another masterpiece of an album in Chemtrails Over The Country Club. She wasn't done working either but, that's for another post on another day. "White Dress" was the highlight of her seventh studio album as Lana's unique vocal delivery on the chorus was very hit-or-miss for even the diehards. The album opener sees Del Rey wondering if there were a way to achieve her current level of fame while maintaining a purer public image than the "gangster Nancy Sinatra" that's been fetishizing toxic relationships the entirety of her post-Lizzy Grant career. She even wonders if she wants the fame at all or if she ultimately would have just been better off as a waitress. I have no idea why she chose THAT strained whisper voice for this song but, it adds just enough of a quirk to the song that it is the highlight from a busy year for the singer/songwriter as she continues to tinker with some very minor shifts to her sound as she heads into her second decade in the public eye.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Downatthemeninmusicbusiness conference"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 8
This a throwback reference that nobody else will get but back in season four of American Idol, the eventual runner-up (to winner Carrie Underwood) Bo Bice performed a song acapella and it really should have worked for me then and still doesn't to this date. Why? Well, on Cleopatrick's "2008" there is very minimal being contributed by the rookie duo's guitar in unison with lead singer Luke Gruntz's rough vocals but, the gradual growth in intensity in both the honesty of the lyrics and the volume of guitar coalesce into something tremendously moving. It's a wholly unique song off their debut album, Bummer (ironic, right?) as it is a rare moment for the moshpits at their eventually packed shows to take a breather and let the feels flow through them.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The defeated closing words of "If you give a fuck, just let me know"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
"Industy Baby" is a song of pure joy and motivational greatness. After two rappers came onto the scene with viral megahits like "Old Town Road (Remix)" and "What's Poppin'?", there was considerable doubt over whether not Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow were anything more than just flash-in-the-pan success stories. The one thing that the third single off Lil Nas's debut album Montero does in the grand scheme of things is solidify them both as stars in the hip-hop universe (which is essentially popular music right now as the most chart-dominant genre) going forward. It's a victory lap for both artists with Lil Nas directly addressing his sexuality and milestones up to this point that prove he and his voice have a presence in a previously gated community of straight bros and the occassional female rapper that blows up (which is also thankfully far more common of an anomaly since Cardi B dropped Invasion Of Privacy). Jack Harlow's bars actually enhance the song rather than take away like many strictly-rap features do on these poppier hits and it all adds up to one of the more fun songs of the year and Kanye West's most commercially successful production since the 2000s.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The Jack Harlow feature has no right to completely outshine the most charismatic "new" voice in hip hop but alas, he left his hand prints all over this song and an ass cheek.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1 & 1
Annie Clark continues to operate at a whole other level compared to the rest of us humans out here. Back in March, when I first heard the opening piano keys to the eventual album opener "Pay Your Way In Pain", I thought "Oh cool, she's going for a stripped-back Masseducation vibe over the alt stripper music of Masseduction". That zig was immediately turned into a zag as the piano turns into a heavily synthesized keyboard and the swampy textures of both the music video and vocal mixing make this song a delightfully messy curveball that introduces us to a 1970s' style persona that Clark carries accross the length of her sixth studio album, Daddy's Home. With the assistance of Donny Hathaway's daughter Kenya on backing vocals, the acclaimed alt-rocker transitions into funk effortlessly to the surprise of us all.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The elongated "I wanna be looooooooooved" that ends the track on a typical Annie Clark "off" note.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 8
Speaking of funky seventies throwbacks, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak went a much more chill but still with thrills route than St. Vincent by going even harder into a throwback sound, without trying to create their own sound that is unlike anything else around today or fifty years ago. No, this song is completely indebted to the Philadelphia Soul movement of producers Bunny Sigler and Gamble and Huff and it's a wonderful shoutout to the artists of the past that brings a smile to the listener's face with it's playful lyricism. Again doing a call-and-response routine, Mars and .Paak lament over the hard times they're having with their significant others, who sound like they're taking advantage of the two performers' fames along the way. Without being the bad guys and breaking up the relationship, these two instead find some sort of escape by smoking but only out of the window as I'm sure the Mrs. would not let them smoke indoors.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Got her bad ass kids runnin' round my crib like it's Chuck E. Cheese"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2 (.Paak) & 6 (Mars), 2 as Silk Sonic.
In case the #31 song of 2021 was not enough to convince people of Ellie Rowsell's improved vocals, I present the following evidence to the courtroom in Blue Weekend's highlight track "How Can I Make It Ok?". A far more anthemic song than the band's best work (still 2017's "Don't Delete The Kisses, my #3 song of that year), the UK group is putting together quite the catalog of bangers for whenever they are able to tour again. I feel like this song would be an absolute killer moment for the crowd to belt out a chorus and dance together. "How Can I Make It Ok?" also took on deeper meaning in a year where a whole lot of people were probably still asking themselves that very question as the future has not seemed quite this uncertain in the digital era.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "How can I Make It Ok? Nothing else is as important as that to me."
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 3 (2 in 2021)
I cannot possibly be alone in my first exposure to Spellling's music being through Anthony Fantano's yellow-flanneled 10/10 review on his theneedledrop Youtube page. "Turning Wheel" is like listening to Kate Bush covering something off of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. While it's probably not as historically significant as the two music icons I just invoked, Spellling still absolutely deserves more attention for her third studio album, The Turning Wheel as the feathery singing dancing over sweeping orchestral moments is something any generation could potentially find appealing or even as a masterpiece. Sure, the singing is going to be divisive but, there is absolutely a skill that singer Chrystia Cabral has with her voice that must be acknowledged at the very least as unique.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Baby, aren't you happy? I live underground. Attention of the people, makes me drown"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
Little Simz has been slowly bubbling up since the second-half of the 2010s and on Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, she finally crossed the line between sleeper up-and-comer to sleeper best rapper in the game? maybe?? "Woman" is the second single off of her fourth studio album and is a modern day "U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen Latifah with it's praise for women that can do just fine all by themselves without putting up with men's shit. The song literally includes shout outs to specific nationalities of women from all accross the globe so that if there's somebody in Uzbekistan or something that hears this, they might be able to think to themselves "Well... if Miss Ghana Girl can achieve her goals by her lonesome, then so can I!". The instrumental on this thing is hip-hop perfection and was probably the main reason producer Inflo got the opportunity to work on much of the new Adele album.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Brooklyn ladies, know you hustlin on the daily, Innovating just like Donna Summer in the 80s"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1 for both.
This song perfectly encapsulates that moment when you realize the night is coming to a close as the party has thinned out and it's time to hail a cab. It's certainly no coincidence that that is the exact vibe Rostam Batmanglij was going for on "From The Back Of A Cab". The acclaimed former Vampire Weekend member is not the flashiest vocalist but dammit, he knows how to write and produce some gorgeous tracks and this song is the highlight of his second solo album, Changephobia. The music video gathers some of his famous friends from New York City and beyond as they shot separate reactions to their times in the back of a cab. It's a really touching video with cameos from Haim, Charli XCX, Wallows and others.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "I'm so happy we got this hour"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2
As a fan of Angel Olsen's (Hey! I've read that name before!), I was watching her performance set at the 2018 Coachella Music & Arts Festival when, for the last song (my #2 song of 2016, "Shut Up Kiss Me") she introduced her friend Lindsey Jordan to the crowd as her backup singer for this one song. Of course, some of the really dedicated diehards in attendance knew this was Snail Mail before she even dropped her debut album but I was unaware so I decided to mark that name down in my head and store it in the 'ol mental filing cabinet for later. Deeper into 2018 she dropped her debut album, Lush to rave reviews but I still wasn't fully able to declare myself a fan as it was about as middling and somewhat shy as debut albums can sometimes tend to sound. In other words, my expectations were kind of tempered heading into this new album cycle for the 22-year old's second project, Valentine. The single and music video dropped the same day as the announcement of the second album and shit, I was not expecting such an emotional banger to come out of the same person that made Lush but, here we are at #20. The potential is limitless now and the ceiling is the roof for Jordan.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "You won't believe what just two months do, I'm older now trust me, I adore you"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
James Blake finally seems to accept his place in the singer/songwriter/super-producer stratosphere on "Say What You Will". From coming up sort of alongside Bon Iver as indie outsiders to influencing producers of today like Justin Vernon, Finneas O' Connell and more whether that's through his early work or his production for artists like Travis Scott, Frank Ocean and Beyonce', Blake has been busting his ass out here for a decade to general critical acclaim with nowhere near as many accolades to show for it as he's earned. On the lead single from his fifth studio album Friends That Break Your Heart, Blake keeps the isolated vocals and deep melancholy house music vibes that he's excelled at over the years and gives up on whatever society's perception of him as an artist is, essentially saying "Fuck it, you guys can acknowledge me or not. At the end of the day, I got Finneas to be in MY music video because I influenced HIM and he's the hottest producer in the game right now thanks to his work with Billie Eilish so does Billie Eilish happen without me? I'm gonna say no but go on, say what you will".
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The falsetto "Say What You Will" at just over three minutes in that stands out for it's length and show-stopping ability.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 4
The synth-poppy goodness of The Weeknd's 2020 album After Hours will withstand the test of time as an instant classic and "Save Your Tears" might just be the one song outside of "Blinding Lights" that will be played for decades to come. The earliest entry into my field of 2021 countdown contenders had it's music video released on January 4th amid controversy from the Grammy Awards committee completely shunning any and all nominations for the biggest artist and album of 2020. The Weeknd's response? a twisted music video where Abel Tesfaye puts on his best hyper-plastic surgerized face mask for a dark, underground awards show where he proceeds to piss all over trophies, wealthy attendees and tries to convince a lady to shoot him. Whether that's to put this character out of his misery or to entertain the guests? who knows. He certainly seems to have put his all into this project only to get rejected by the so-called pillars of music's most important night despite universal acclaim.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: That opening guitar groove.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 5
This is probably the closest we will ever get to understanding Mr. West's psyche on a day-by-day basis. His frequent mood swings are well publicized and the amount of creative energy trapped in his head must be exhausting to live with so, I can only imagine what MISSED the cut on the 27-track long Donda that is just as scattershot and inconsistent as 2016's The Life Of Pablo with even shakier mixing at times. "Did those ideas ever come to life?" is a great line from one of the most "Why not?" energy dudes to exist is modern America. He ran for president and failed, puts on some of the most iconic and noteworthy live performances of anybody that's ever toured the world and is something of a fashion icon despite rejection from much of that community at large. This song is both about his now dissolved marriage to Kim Kardashian and trying to create positives where there seemingly are none, all while wondering if another life would have been a better experience for one of America's most hated men. All that and it's over a piano and one or two deep, brooding synths make it a truly astonishing breakthrough after the highs and lows of another chaotic album rollout for the Chicago rapper. There's a reason he's the artist with the most appearances on my end-of-year countdowns and it's not particularly close.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The extended piano solo outro.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 20.
Never before in my lifetime has there been less international travel than as the two years we have now been dealing with the effects on coronavirus on society and yet, the continent of Europe and I kind of had a moment earlier this year. Not only are the UK acts flooding the countdown in a way I hadn't seen since 2007 (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Paolo Nutini year) but Ireland also had some strong representation in music this year with both IDLES and For Those I Love really winning me over. For Those I Love was a seemingly accidental success with David Balfe recording spoken word over some of the most lush electronic instrumentals of 2021. The self-titled debut project of his somehow made it out into the world (thanks internet!) and the best song on the extremely moving album was "Birthday/The Pain" where he talks about the terror of growing up where he did in Ireland and mourns the loss of one of the many friends he made along the way. This song is one of a kind on this countdown so, go ahead and give it a listen because it is a unique experience of a six-minute track.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The opening scene describing "the streets" of Ireland, where Balfe sees a gruesome scene for anyone, let a lone a child to witness.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
Might not be a very original thought for me to post here but, The Avalanches kick ass and anybody that doesn't like this song probably hates puppies and candy too. The electronic duo's third album, We Will Always Love You was a late entry to my top 50 albums of 2020. The euphoric dancefloor, celebratory nature of songs like "We Go On" soundtracked the transition from the dark months of winter into the optimism of spring 2021 when vaccines were rolling out. I'd hate to have that be my biggest takeaway from this song's introduction into our lives but, it just happened to come out at a very weird time filled with "Live while you're alive" energy and Cola Boyy's nasally vocal delivery is really aided by a superb backing track produced by the Australian duo that samples Karen Carpenter singing "Hurting Each Other" by The Carpenters, a classic in it's own right.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Why am I fighting to stay on this payroll?"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1, 1 and 1
It isn't very often that a song where the chorus is the weakest link still hits as hard or as succesfully as Olivia Rodrigo's "Deja Vu". The second single off of the 18-year old's debut album Sour has her commenting on her ex's latest, maybe too-quick rebound relationship? from afar as he appears to be reliving their finest moments with a new girl who sees it as completely original and thoughtful. Olivia knows better though, as these are just recreations of moments they shared together, a "deja vu" of sorts. It's an instant classic hit post-breakup song that uses a warped instrumental as a chorus instead of anything Rodrigo sings other than "I know you get deja vu!". It's a tactic normalized in popular music for both better and much more frequently worse in the early 2010s by electronic acts like Skrillex and Major Lazer. That key difference in this song is the only thing keeping it out of my top ten this year becuase that choice in sound can be grating to some and for me, it was just an interestingly off choice for an otherwise phenomenal track.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Play her piano, but she doesn't know, that I was the one who taught you Billy Joel"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
With her first appearance since 2011's "Someone Like You" was named my #1 song of the last decade, Adele wins me back with a song that isn't entirely screaming the chorus like "Hello", which never really won me over like it did the rest of the world. I still repect that song of course and the iconic music video where she goes through all the stages of a relationship with her significant other in their new house that she moved into during the "Chasing Pavements" video if I'm understanding the lore behind these cinematic Adele music videos in the Adele universe. In the video for "Easy On Me", we see the conclusion of her time in that household as the singer went through a divorce in real life and asks everyone to just go easy on her for taking this route out of the marriage while raising a child and not being certain what her next move is going to be. It's a beautiful song by Adele and at this point, why should we have expected anything different?
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The extremely long "Eeeeeeeyeeeeyeeeyeeeyeeeasy oooon me"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 5
Mitski really leaves this one up to interpretation. For instance, what is the knife? Is it a goal? Is it an oppressive force? What work is being done? performing music? manual labor? There are so many choose-your-own adventure paths that one's mind could take them down for the lead single off of the indie rocker's upcoming album, Laurel Hell. Ultimately, the way that so many listeners have taken to this song and attached their own meanings to vague lyricism like "I cry at the start of every movie, I guess 'cause I wish I was making things too" really just showcases what a brilliant songwriter Mitski is because just like with 2018's "Nobody", she has made another relatable single in a career full of tracks filled with feelings.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "I used to think that I'd be done by 20, now at 29 the road ahead appears the same, though maybe at 30 I'll see a way to change, that I'm living for the knife"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2
This song has quite the background and has built itself up among the "Swifties" of the world as it is a nearly ten-year old song at this point. Originally from the Red album, Swift re-recorded that entire album, adding on "(Taylor's Version)" to every single song as a way of still owning her rights to her songs that her manager at the time, Scooter Braun owns a majority of as part of a really poorly constructed contract signed by Swift before she became TAYLOR SWIFT. There did need to be some added juice to these re-released, re-recorded albums though so, Swift recorded some b-sides, rejects and at least this one extended version to up the ante for any fans on the border of purchasing her new, old music. "All Too Well" was originally 5:28 in length and this new version clocks in at 10:13 with a 14:55-long accompanying short film starring Sadie Sink (Stranger Things) and Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf and Maze Runner) as the much younger Swift and likely her ex from that period of time a decade ago, actor Jake Gylenhaal. The details put into this song about them getting to know each other's backgrounds, meeting families, fights along the way and the eventual dissolution of said relationship have come accross as universally relatable to much of the target audience for this song and it is truly the best song in one of music's most popular performers of the modern era's catalogue.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: Any reference to the red scarf that Jake Gylenhaal might still be in possession of over a decade later? There's really so many quotable lyrics on this thing but, that sticks out the most to fans so, I'll choose that one.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2
Michelle Zauner describes the second single off of Jubilee as a song "about the bondage of controlled desire, and the bondage of mongamy --- but in a good way". In other words, do not be fooled by the usage of the word "Bondage", this isn't some super smutty song that you need to earmuff the children over. No, this track is quite simply an expression longing for some return on the affection shown to another. With lyrics like "Closeness... Proximity... I needed... Bondage" and the empty wall of sound between those words, this song originally gave me chills after a year of being single where people were barely allowed to do anything (or at the very least, were wiser not to do much). It's still a wonderful song that coalesces into a sad-indie dance track at the very end that Robyn would happily have accepted into her discography as well. The versatility of Zauner's musicianship is really beginning to show itself and if this is the peak for her, then job well done but I'm excited for wherever she goes from here.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "When the world divides into two people, those who have felt pain and those who have yet to"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2 (both in 2021)
What a strong year for introductions to rap songs. The first time I watched this video, I knew for certain it would AT LEAST be in the top ten songs of the year and it was only April 21st. "Introvert" was the statement song necessary to kick off the hype for an album that would eventually outdo Drake and Kanye's new releases as the best and most important album to come out the first week of September. The song sees her acknowledging "her truth" and all of the misdeeds she sees being done in society around her that she is trying to speak up to change despite her occasional introversion. If she is willing to continue to speak up and work with Inflo for dramatically orchestal instrumentation or whatever other original backing tracks she could probably spit over, then Simz is here to stay, ladies and gentlemen. It's refreshing to hear British rappers excel internationally over non-grime beats, even though there's still a place in my playlists for the Skeptas of the world.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "Angel said "Don't let your ego be a disturbance", Inner demon said "Motherfucker, you've earned this""
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2 (both in 2021)
After a few years separated where lead singer Brandon Flowers released a nice yet not impactful solo album, The Killers came back in 2017 to some minor excitment and decided to take a bit of time on the next record. Whatever they did in that three-year span worked wonders for the band as Flowers and the gang have never sounded more vulnerable than they do on songs like "Quiet Town". After the success of 2020's Imploding The Mirage saw two singles land in my top 18 of 2020 ("Caution" and "My Own Soul's Warning"), I thought maybe they'd keep taking time between releases but no, they came back with their strongest collective listening experience of any Killers album to date, 2021's Pressure Machine. The entire thesis of said album is Flowers life in his hometown of Nephi, Utah and the lore surrounding the town and people from it. This is most directly relayed in the song "Quiet Town", where the listener can most clearly get a mental picture or some idea of what it would be like to live in Nephi. Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin isn't exactly some quiet town (we definitely lock our doors since the robbery) but, I live right next to the train tracks... that motherfucker is loud. Everybody knows about the train and yet every two years or so, somebody gets hit by the train. The only way any incidents with the train in my town can be considered "accidents" are on the train's end because they make themselves more than apparent enough, it's a sad, gruesome way out and yet, it continues to happen.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: "They still don't deadbolt their doors at night"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 5
I really don't give EDM enough flowers for the many good, catchy EDM tracks that exist in the field of exhaustingly over-produced EDM that also exists in the world. I've always been a pretty passive fan of Robinson's music, including the 2016 hit "Shelter" but the man took a step back, dealt with serious depression issues and decided to revisit songs he was creating during his darkest days of dealing with suicidal ideation for his second studio album, Nurture. "Look At The Sky" in particular is a song of pure healing for exciting days ahead as Robinson states "Look at the sky, it's still here, I'll be alive next year, I can make something good" and something GREAT, he did make. This was a song that in many ways hugged listeners and told them everything was going to be alright after a tumultuous year on earth (2020) and the promise of potentially making something good holds true after a much more fuzzy calendar year.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The entire chorus is just so heartwarming.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
Growing up, we all knew some variation of a couple with a wider age gap than should have probably been allowed to slide at the time (I'm speaking of the underage female, legal-to-drink male variation). In that dynamic, there is always some sort of imbalance in the power dynamic that Eilish sets her focus on for the borderline acoustic performance in "Your Power". Eilish did date a 20-year old at 16 so while it is certainly a plausible theory that this song could have some relation to that man in her past, she denies any specific role assignment and instead hopes that the generally common relatable story of the song reaches a wide enough audience that it creates some change and opens enough eyes that people are able to end or escape their potentially abusive relationships. I think that if somebody like Stevie Nicks were up-and-coming in 2021, this is the type of song that she would sing and it would fit right in with the rest of Fleetwood Mac's discography neatly.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The echoing vocals that permeate the song around the playing of the acoustic guitar.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 4
Another artist that it took too long for me to warm up to (ala: Porter Robinson, Little Simz, Taylor Swift and many others over time, I'm not perfect), Lucy Dacus returned from a three-year absence with her third studio album, Home Movies, a superbly written album that I bought in my (somehow) first trip to Stevens Point's Radio KAOS Records store. The highlights of that album are plentiful and "VBS" was easily the greatest single to drop from said album as she recalls her time in a 2007 Summer camp or "Vacation Bible School", which is a phrase that gets less exciting with each word unveiled. Raised in a religious enough household that she somehow found herself at Bible Camp, Dacus recounts the end of a friendship after developing a bond with a girl that the parents probably would have been told through their beliefs was inappropriate as Dacus is now openly non-religious and queer. In retrospect, this was probably the summer where she first realized her sexuality and attaching that to this song makes it all that more special that she was able to put it down onto paper, into a song for the world to hear.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The nod to Slayer in the lyrics, where the backing band kicks up their volume tenfold for a few seconds.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 1
The first big hit of 2021 and probably THE hit of 2021. We will all think back to this year when we first hear the car beeps transition into the piano keys that eventually turns into quiet hand-claps and a juicy oscillated synthwave that leads into Rodrigo's higher pitch in the pre-chorus. It's hard to imagine that this was the very first song from the very first album of this potential superstar's already seven-time Grammy nominated career. This could have just been a piano ballad but instead, producer Dan Nigro turned it into a somehow even more dramatic reflection of a breakup song with a scream-along chorus, catchy pre-chorus and in-depth enough lyrics that it's almost like we all knew who Olivia Rodrigo and her High School Musical: The Series co-star Joshua Bassett were before 2021. Now, they're the new teenage heart throbs of the next few years probably, all thanks to this song. There's a reason Rodrigo was the closest act to getting three songs on this countdown (PS: This is the first year where nobody had more than two appearances).
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The abrupt shift to "RED LIGHTS. STOP SIGNS." that I'm certain entire audiences will recite word-for-word on her upcoming tour.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 2 (both in 2021)
I'm so old that I can remember when Olivia Rodrigo was Billie Eilish. The hype and promise surrounding Rodrigo today isn't nearly the same as the hype and promise that Eilish has already delivered on two years post-"Bad Guy" with her second studio album, Happier Than Ever. The title track from her sophomore album starts out quite similarly to #6's "Your Power" with a quiet acoustic guitar accompanying her sultry lullaby vocals as she reflects on a past relationship that she's more than glad to be over despite the secluded loneliness of her house being the focal point of the music video. Eventually the guitar slows down to the point where the song appears to be ending and then, she opens the door to a title wave of noise as the guitar gets plugged in and a full band accompanies her most passionate vocal delivery of her career to this point. The song morphs into an all out rock ballad that hair bands of the 80s and 90s would be envious of. The added touches of a modern day lyric like "I don't talk shit about you on the internet" and the creativity of a line that flows as well as "If I wrote about all the times, that you showed up on time, then I'd have an empty line, because you never did" make this the best song Taylor Swift never wrote but could have. If this was her brother Finneas's idea, then he is a genius. If this was Billie's idea and Finneas's execution, then they are unstoppable moving forward as long as they don't grow tired of each other as siblings do.
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: The somehow effortless shift from gentle lullaby to stadium rock.
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 5 (2 in 2021)
This was supposed to be the #1 song of 2020 but, they refused to shoot a video until 2021. Once I saw the video, I understood why it took so long because damn, the artistry that went into this Robot Chicken episode with a deeper meaning must have been quite the project. This song was recorded prior to the death of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020 and yet, includes a phrase that he uttered in his last moments that has become all-too synonymous with police brutality leading to deaths "I can't breathe". It'd be one thing if that were just a phrase uttered by Killer Mike during his verse in this song about standing up to higher powers at the risk of losing it all instead of just having your rights slowly, soul-crushingly stripped away. No, Mike knew what he was doing when he included that line because literally the entire verse leading up to that explains how black men are targeted from the moment they're born and how numb we as a society have become to watching videos like that of Rodney King, Michael Brown, Philando Castille, Floyd and so many, many more. It's an electrifying, effective song that has a cutesy stuffed animal-including video that is all a recreation of ICE and other powers that be targeting less-affluent, non-white populations. Shout out to Gangsta Boo on being a go-to guest star for present day rap's best duo and the catchiness in the delivery of "Just got done walking in the snow, goddamn that motherfucker cold"
Most Memorable Lyric/Moment: Killer Mike barely gasping out "I Can't Breathe"
Total tracks by artist(s) in my Top 40's history: 3 (RTJ) & 2 (Gangsta Boo)
#1 songs of year's past
2006. P!nk "Stupid Girls"
2007. Amy Winehouse "Rehab"
2008. Kanye West ft. Dwele & Connie Mitchell "Flashing Lights"
2009. Santigold "L.E.S. Artistes"
2010. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Skeletons"
2011. Adele "Someone Like You"
2012. Santigold "The Keepers"
2013. Arcade Fire "Afterlife"
2014. St. Vincent "Birth In Reverse"
2015. Courtney Barnett "Depreston"
2006. P!nk "Stupid Girls"
2007. Amy Winehouse "Rehab"
2008. Kanye West ft. Dwele & Connie Mitchell "Flashing Lights"
2009. Santigold "L.E.S. Artistes"
2010. Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Skeletons"
2011. Adele "Someone Like You"
2012. Santigold "The Keepers"
2013. Arcade Fire "Afterlife"
2014. St. Vincent "Birth In Reverse"
2015. Courtney Barnett "Depreston"
The #1 Song of 2021
Until this song came out on November 3rd I was stuck at a crossroads, deciding between "Drivers License" (the most popular song), "Happier Than Ever" (the most exciting and surprising song) and "Walking In The Snow" (the oldest and most important song). Thankfully, the tears that filled my eyes during this song made the decision a hell of a lot clearer even though it temporarily blurred my own vision. A song broken into three nearly-identical acoustic parts, "Get Better" is only the second appearance for English indie rock band alt-J on my end of the year Top 40s after 2014's "Left Hand Free". The lyrics for this song are so intimate and moving that lead singer Joe Newman's standard jagged vocal delivery goes practically unnoticed as the cracks and croaks of his voice seem to add another layer of emotion that a song like this should not be able to unlock. The song was originally just one fragment of an unfinished track where Newman was writing for his partner as she went through menstrual cramps and while that probably was a sweet enough sentiment to get the song onto this countdown, the song seems to fade away until it comes right back and Newman sings of a rougher time where his partner ends up in the ICU (an all-too familiar location for families this holiday season in particular) after a car accident and the song seems to fade away after Newman sings "Get Better, my darling, I know you will". Finally, the song starts up a third time... six months have passed, his partner is no longer. Newman cherishes their memories by hanging onto a jar of nutella as it was always her favorite spread, he scolds firemen for being on the scene for a car crash just outside their house when they couldn't show up on time for her six months earlier, he delivers the absolutely devastating line, "I still pretend you're only out of sight, in another room smiling at your phone". The song just escalates it's emotions over the entirety of it's nearly six-minute runtime so consistently that by the end, I'm a mess and there he is, replaying a message from her on his answering machine. He no longer knows that she'll get better but, he knows that he will because he has to. The sun will always come out tomorrow, whether there are clouds in it's way or not.
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| Coming soon... My Top Albums Countdown for 2021. |
Here is the Spotify Playlist for my Top 40 Songs of 2021.
Merry Christmas to all!
Merry Christmas to all!
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