Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Anything music related. Latest songs, good new bands, and blasts from the past.

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Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by Shrykespeare »

SONG #10


BANKS

Ellie Goulding feat Juicewrld, Hate Me

Have always had a soft spot for Goulding, and this is no different. Juicewrld fits well.





JOHNERLE

Sparks, Sainthood Is Not In Your Future

I'm pretty sure this song is about the Vatican sponsoring a reality TV show to choose the next Catholic saint, because that's how Sparks rolls.





LEESTU

Cable Ties, Sandcastles

Regulars in my top 10 songs for the year they also came in at #10 in 2018 and had two in my top ten in 2017. Also, coincidentally both of their albums are my #3 album of their respective years. Great post-punk influenced punky indie rock.





RON B

Kid Cudi, Leader of the Delinquents





SCREEN

Meg Myers, I Really Want You to Hate Me





SHRYKE

Cannons, Golden

Take me back to the light
I know you were way too bright for me
I'm hopeless, broken
So you wait for me in the sky
Browns my skin just right
You're so golden

The third of four appearance in my Top 100 (and second of three in the Top 50) by this San Diego band that I’ve just gone nuts over since hearing them this summer. I’ve not heard the original version of this song, sung by Harry Styles, but honestly, I don’t want to. Michelle Joy’s voice drips like honey on this tune, carried like a wave on the dreamy guitar riffs. Their breakout song (coming up later in the Top 10) just hit #1 on the Alternative Airplay chart, and I couldn’t be happier. I hope Cannons becomes one of the biggest groups in the world.

Album: none (non-album single)





SIX

Run the Jewels, Walking in the Snow

That guitar at the start. Heavy, deafening. You just know you’re in for something good. Run the Jewels’s fourth album was timely, relevant, furious, and funny. And in this track they take on police brutality and corrupt society, and even pre-empt what happened to George Floyd by quoting “I Can’t Breathe” (referencing Eric Garner, according to Genius). This is what hip-hop does best, and RtJ do it with perfection.





SURFER

Personality Cult, Pressure Point

Personality Cult returned with their second record following the energetic and triumphant s/t from a couple of years ago, New Arrows found Personality Cult once again going for the jugular via pitch perfect power pop chords and punk rock assaults that will have you dancing away for its entire run time. Catchy as hell, and played at breakneck speed for just over twenty minutes, there is just no let up and its all the better for it. Pressure Point is its highlight, with it's near-haunting guitar arpeggios, sudden and spastic rhythm changes, broken vocals, and the most cathartic release midway through that is sure to get an audience dancing. All in a minute and forty-three seconds.





TRANSFORMERS

Machine Gun Kelly, feat. Halsey, Forget Me Too

Machine Gun Kelly's inaugural pop punk record was one of the biggest surprises of 2020 for me and while the whole thing was generally solid, "Forget Me Too" was far and away the best track. MGK enlisted fellow 90's kid/genre outsider Halsey for a breakup song that captures the angst, energy and effortless hookiness of that era of pop punk flawlessly.





UNDEADMONKEY

Blue October, I Hope You're Happy

I was a huge Blue October fan during their Foiled album years. As I’ve said, I don't really follow anyone, besides one particular songstress. So when I found out last year they had kept making music through all these years, I listened to a lot of their stuff. This song is my favorite of their recent releases.

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by JohnErle »

Nothing for me in round 10. They were all perfectly valid representations of their respective genres but they didn't resonate with me.

As for Harry Styles, no self-respecting band should ever cover him, unless they're covering him with dirt in a shallow grave.
Last edited by JohnErle on February 27th, 2021, 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by numbersix »

A very mid-to-uptempo round today, many trying to get us to hate. You can't trick me!

Banks: Hated this song. Dang

Sparks: This was great. It's clear Animal collective were inspired by them, and maybe this is influenced by AC in turn? Anyway, good, crazy art-pop

Leetsu: Wasn't bad. Liked the bass and the call and response vocals

Ron B: Pretty old-school hip-hop. Pretty good.

Meg Myers: Hah! I don't hate you. In your fucking face, Meg. Although if I wanted to be accurate I'd call her a toothless PJ Harvey

Shryke: Okay, but I'll probably forget it

Surf: Short and sharp, but possibly not something that will last.

Tranny: also short sand sharp, and definitely won't make my memory bin.

UDM: Not for me.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by transformers2 »

JohnErle wrote:
February 26th, 2021, 10:33 pm
As for Harry Styles, no self-respecting band should ever cover him, unless they're covering him with dirt in a shallow grave.
If Mr. Olivia Wilde ever ends up swimming with the fishes, I'll be sure to direct the authorities to the greater Vancouver area ;)
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by transformers2 »

#10
Banks: Outside of Juice WRLD's verse, this was pretty repetitive and obnoxious.

John: Can respect their snark, it's just way too artsy for me to really enjoy.

Leestu: Agreeable, but not particularly exciting.

Ron: Easily one of the best songs Cudi has released since 2010. Terrific rapping and the boom bap-y beat is a very nice change of pace for him. Completely baffled how this was left off Man on the Moon III.

Screen: Lands in the same mediocre-to-slightly above average space as the rest of your Meg Myers picks.

Shryke: Definitely heard this somewhere before, but I can't place where. Anyways, it's just atmospheric and hypnotic enough to be decent.

Six: Well If I was going to have a crossover on this countdown, it was pretty much guaranteed to be from RTJ4 :lol: Amazing song.

Surfer: Short, punchy and pretty fun

UDM: Was never overly familiar with Blue October's music, but I have no recollection of them being a new wavey pop rock act-so those sytnhs caught me really off guard. Once the initial shock wore off, this ended up being a completely fine and somewhat catchy song.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by JohnErle »

transformers2 wrote:
February 27th, 2021, 5:30 pm
JohnErle wrote:
February 26th, 2021, 10:33 pm
As for Harry Styles, no self-respecting band should ever cover him, unless they're covering him with dirt in a shallow grave.
If Mr. Olivia Wilde ever ends up swimming with the fishes, I'll be sure to direct the authorities to the greater Vancouver area ;)
No jury would ever convict me, unless it was full of teenage girls and James Corden.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by Shrykespeare »

SONG #9


BANKS

Lin Manuel-Miranda & Leslie Odom, Dear Theodosia

OK, this is definitely sort of a cheat, but Hamilton was released to the masses in 2020 so it kinda counts? Watching Hamilton for the 1st (and 2nd and 3rd and 4th...) time was an absolute delight and this is a favorite from it. It probably makes no sense if you haven't seen Hamilton, but hopefully it still resonates at least a bit.





JOHNERLE

Sparks, Please Don't Fuck Up My World

Sparks have kept things pretty light during their nearly fifty years in the business, but when they start tackling social issues you know the situation's getting dire.





LEESTU

IDLES, Mr. Motivator

"How d'you like them clichés?"





RON B

Hands Like Houses, The Water





SCREEN

Garbage, Blackout





SHRYKE

The Birthday Massacre, Crush

Delicate like an infant
So relative, if you see through me
Jealousy a persistent whisper
A gentle wind through a hollow tree
Who are we, adrift and naked?
You hold my breath
I save you a seat
Fantasy of a quiet separation
A double edge on the devil's seam

The third of four tracks from Diamonds to make my list. They slow the tempo down on this track, with bardlike symbolic poetry in Chibi’s mellifluous voice set against the sweeping guitar riffs and anthemic synths that made me fall in love with this band from the first note. I hope someday I get to see this band live, as I’ve heard they’re amazing.

Album: Diamonds
Other great tracks: All of them!





SIX

Street Pulse Beat, Special Interest

As of writing, Special Interest were the last band I saw live, all the way back in March of last year, 2 days before lockdown. In a tiny basement venue, they blew the small crowd away, with lead singer Alli Logout stomping through the crowd, fascinating and intimidating, and when the show ended she kicked us all out. While their queer disco punk is usually more energetic, I love this song’s almost reflective, melancholic nature and how it gels with the pounding electro beat.





SURFER

Metz, The Mirror

Another crushing record from the Canadian band, and while this is still very much in the same vein of what has come before, Metz have stretched their muscle a little more, with a more industrial vibe (probably after Chris Slorach spent a little time with Daughters last year) and play with their use of dynamics a little more. On The Mirror, the raw mixture of rapidly moving drums, twisted melodic guitar riffs, grounded bass, and manic vocals perfectly show that the group has not lost their exciting demeanor.





TRANSFORMERS

Deftones, Radiant City

A killer bassline and string of riffs made "Radiant City" the top track from Deftones' best record in a decade.





UNDEADMONKEY

Sam Smith, To Die For

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by Shrykespeare »

#10

Banks - Ellie Goulding - It was just okay.

JohnErle - Sparks - Nah, if it were it would have been in Latin. Weird song.

Leestu - Cable Ties - This song was pretty bangin'!

Ron B - Kid Cudi - Not for me.

Screen - Meg Myers - Very similar themes between Banks' pick and this one... what could it be...

Six - RTJ - Lots of RTJ on this countdown! Appreciate the message, disliked the song.

Surfer - Pressure Point - Short and sweet, very classic Green Day-ish.

Tranny - MGK - Like I said yesterday, I've seen too much of this guy in the last year. Not really a fan of anything he's done, but this was better than most.

UDM - Blue October - I've liked quite a few BO songs over the years. This is a good one.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by numbersix »

#9

Banks: Maybe I just have to sit through it in its entirety but I just don't get Hamilton. A song like this only proves my suspicions: saccharine songs with some woefully tactless and cliched lyrics. I guess that's musical theatre for you. Or else the whole thing it so full of sinister subliminal messages that brainwash people into liking it.

Leetsu: Snap!

Screen: Not as bad as I expected, although it makes me realise that Garbage were never that good and just a very soft version of 80s goth

Shryke: Not sure if you've posted them before on the countdownn here, but if so I see a pattern: good intros but the chorus and climax comes across as a little rote

Surf: My favourite track from the album!

Tranny: Not bad.

Others failed to strike me.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by transformers2 »

#9
Banks: Musical theater that doesn't involve the over-the-top absurdity of Cats (more specifically, the movie version of Cats) is a hard pass for me. Even though this doesn't feature the sing talking or comically exaggerated vocal deliveries (or rapping in the case of some other Hamilton numbers) that drive me particularly nuts, the melodrama is still abundant enough here for me to actively wish I was listening to something else.

John: Repeat my comment from yesterday.

Leestu: Glad to see this great track pop up again.

Ron: Actually saw these guys at Warped Tour about 7-8 years ago while I was waiting for another act to play on the stage directly next to them and was thoroughly underwhelmed. This wasn't nearly as bad as I remember them being. In fact, it was a perfectly functional poppy rock song.

Screen: Not nearly enough juice here to sustain 6+ minutes.

Shryke: Would never actively listen to them, but they definitely have the gothic aesthetic nailed down better than just about any of their peers.

Six: Get the appeal, but it didn't do much for me.

Surfer: This was quite good. Would've been incredible if the vocals matched the intensity of the guitar and drums.

UDM: Outright despise Sam Smith and I have to tend to some other business in a few minutes, so I'm going to be a prick and skip this entirely.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by JohnErle »

Special Interest – Like many of your best picks, it didn't quite grab me at first, but it's interesting enough to warrant further investigation. ADDED

Dear Theo Huxtable – The best thing about this is knowing that people will be less likely to call Sparks “too theatrical” after this. It was pleasant enough, but I still haven't seen the show, and based on this I'm in no hurry to do so.

IDLES – It's growing on me a bit, but I still probably won't seek it out.

Metz – It had its moments, and at least it wasn't stuck in the 90s, but it's still not for me.

Deftones – In the late 90s I might have dug it.

Sam Smith – You can die for me any time you want, Sam Smith. Go ahead, I'm waiting.

Nothing to offer on the rest.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by Shrykespeare »

#9

UDM - Sam Smith Street Band - Not for me.

Tranny - Deaftones - One of the better tracks on Ohms.

Surfer - Live at the Metz - Too raucous for my liking.

Six - Special Interest, the Group - Slightly less raucous than Metz, but not enough for me to give it a thumbs up.

Screen - Garbanzo - Love me some Shirley Manson! Great choice!

Ron B - Hands Like Jagger - I liked it.

Leestu - Eric Idles - My feelings haven't changed from the first time this was listed.

JohnErle - (Not Jordin) Sparks - Nearly 50 years? According to Wiki, they've been together since 1967 (54 years). That's amazing. This song is cool.

Banks - Alexander HamOnRyeWithMayo - Did nothing for me.
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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by Shrykespeare »

SONG #8


BANKS

Future & Drake, Life Is Good

It's almost unbelievable that this actually came out in 2020 because it was everywhere pre-pandemic, but that's for a reason. Future & Drake work together so well, and the beat change mid-song always kept the energy going in party settings.





JOHNERLE

Sparks, One For The Ages

This one's about an aspiring novelist certain of his own brilliance who seems to be in it for all the wrong reasons.





LEESTU

Noah Dillon (feat. Asha Jefferies), Knievel Daredevil

A great up and coming local lyrical die singer/songwriter. A real grower on me throughout the year this is an imagining of an adult self going back and giving their younger self some life advice.





RON B

Juice WRLD, Righteous





SCREEN

Maggie Rogers, Light On





SHRYKE

The Violent, Fly on the Wall

The more I think about it, I can't even vouch for me
I never heard it, so I thought my mind was playing again
I play the victim, get defensive just rememberin' it
I got a secret, come and take a look inside it with me

The debut single from The Violent was a bit of an oddity, as they released it without anyone having a fucking clue who they were. Turns out the guy you hear (and barely see) in this video is Mike Protich, former lead singer for Red Sun Rising. Maybe it was the air of mystery that drew into this song, but I mostly credit the pounding drums and Protich’s cool-as-quicksilver voice.

Album: none (yet)





SIX

US Girls, 4 American Dollars

Meghan Remy’s 7th album saw her pushing into new territory once more, continuing her more accessible instincts on experimental pop but imbuing it with soul and funk. In 4 American Dollars she finds a hell of a groove, finger clicking her way through a catchy AM radio song about the ethereal nature of something we all obsess over, namely money.





SURFER

Vintage Crop, The North

After discovering these Aussie upstarts a couple of years ago via their arresting Company Men EP, I quickly devoured their back catalogue in search of more such sardonic commentary, angular, unsteady riffs and sharp guitars. There was a bit of a leap between what came before that EP and where they are now, however, as they mastered their post-punk sound and delivery of sharp wit with more composure and self assurance than ever before. Providing shrewd observations about privilege, class and capitalism, yet breaking out from their Aussie contemporaries with a style more in line with Parquet Courts, the band are infectious. Plus, while I'm not quite in JohnErle's territory, I can assure you at this moment, it is cold, in the North.





TRANSFORMERS

Kvelertak, Discord

The penultimate metal song on my list sees Norway's premier hardcore punk/black metal/rock n'roll hybrid outfit bringing their massive riffs and goofy arena rock spirit into the English language for one of the first times ever.





UNDEADMONKEY

Selena Gomez, Lose You to Love Me

Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by JohnErle »

Shrykespeare wrote:
February 28th, 2021, 7:57 pm
Sparks - Nearly 50 years? According to Wiki, they've been together since 1967 (54 years). That's amazing. This song is cool.
Well, they're brothers, so technically they've been together much longer than that, but their first album came out in late 1971, so that's where I start counting. The 50th anniversary of that album is coming up this fall, and Focus Features has bought the Edgar Wright documentary about them, so there might be a big Sparks celebration later this year.

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Re: Top 50 Songs of 2020 (10-2)

Post by Leestu »

#10

Six: Run the Jewels, Walking in the Snow - powerful lyrics, great song, great album

Transformers: Machine Gun Kelly, feat. Halsey, Forget Me Too - second best song from the album, Halsey brings a great dynamic, I like it a lot

Surfer: Personality Cult, Pressure Point - oh yeah! that was a quick shot of raw garage punk fun, I can imagine it would be a blast live

Screen: Meg Myers, I Really Want You to Hate Me - there's the believable emotion lacking from the Ellie Goulding song...good stuff!

Shryke: Cannons, Golden - firstly, I've got a confession to make, I know the original, his two solo albums aren't that bad. I'm not saying they are good, but they are actually okay...Secondly, this is a pretty cool chill version...thirdly, the singer is fine, but what are the rest of the band wearing and why???

UDM: Blue October, I Hope You're Happy - solid pop rock, much like Foiled was

John: Sparks, Sainthood Is Not In Your Future - always interesting, yet to click with me

Ron: Kid Cudi, Leader of the Delinquents - musically a little bit more interesting than most of his pop rap trap (not Kids See Ghost but - that's the best shit he's ever done), but it's a very lifeless hook - still better than anything from his boring and bloated 2020 album

Banks: Ellie Goulding feat Juicewrld, Hate Me - catchy, but that annoyingly poppy catchy...while the Juicewrld verse is good bringing nearly believable emotion, it unfortunately highlights how sterile Ellie's singing is

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