100 Best Songs of 2018 (1 Viewer)

[Northern Voice]

According to me.

First of all the questions that need to get out of the way.

Why are you doing this?  I'm still "working" today but not really expected to do a lot of work, so I have a couple hours to kill. I used to do this on the spinoff forum we had just for FFA music , so I'm bringing it back.

Why should we care about your list? I don't know. I listen to a ton of music. I basically start making this list in January every year adding every song I like, combing through the FFA music threads, music blogs, radio, etc... It swells to several hundred songs that I painstakingly chop down to 100 for reasons I don't really know.

What kind of music is it? It's basically rock music. Some of it is more punk or singer/songwriter and some has synths and veers closer to pop but I'm pretty comfortable putting it all under the general banner of rock. So this is also for everyone who says there is no good music these days?

Why is this song not on it/How can this song be higher than this song? I welcome any of  these comments, show me even more music!

I see that the spreadsheets from the last music drafts you ran aren't finish yet, do you really expect to follow through on 100 songs this morning? Yes

Can't I just have a Spotify playlist? Yes you can but first I'm going through it song by song here.

I tried to limit it 2 songs per artist. There are 3 from two artists but they are my #1 and #2 albums of the year.

 

[Northern Voice]

100. Mitski - Geyser

Starts out very slow and builds and builds, that is extremely my jam. Also, she has a fantastic voice and this will not be the only song of hers on this list.

 

[Northern Voice]

99. Cloud Control - Panopticon

Cool, sort of chilled out song with some distorted voices and a funky chorus.

 

[Northern Voice]

98. Jay Som - Pirouette

This whole album is really good. Swirly vocals all over the chorus.

 

[D_House]

 

[Northern Voice]

97. Flasher - Skim Milk

This has a definite post-punk Joy Division/The Cure thing happening, probably a little cleaner and peppier than a lot of that genre.

 

[Northern Voice]

96. The Darcys featuring Leah Fay - Just Here With My Friends

Oh right, I should add there will be many Canadian gems sprinkled through the list. This is all glossy synths and Leah Fay is the lead singer of July Talk. It's a great "let's just dance with our friends and hook up later on" anthem. Great summer song.

 

[Ilov80s]

100. Mitski - Geyser

Starts out very slow and builds and builds, that is extremely my jam. Also, she has a fantastic voice and this will not be the only song of hers on this list.

I think there is a typo here, 1 or 2 unncecesary 0s. 

 

[Northern Voice]

95. The Coup featuring Tune-yards - Hey Saturday Night

I know a couple people on these boards had this as their song of the year for a while, not sure if it held that all year or not. I like it a lot but it's not quite to that level for me. From the movie "Sorry to Bother You"

 

[Northern Voice]

94. First Aid Kit - Rebel Heart

These sisters have incredible voices. Country-tinge to this one, for those who prefer that. Also, if you're looking for a lot of country, you're likely in the wrong spot.

 

[rockaction]

I think there is a typo here, 1 or 2 unncecesary 0s. 

That took me a minute. How fun. Have to listen to it.  

 

[Northern Voice]

93. Carly Rae Jepsen - Party for One

I love Carly Rae Jepsen, she has some of the best pop hits of the decade, going way beyond 'Call Me Maybe'. This is another welcome addition to the growing number of songs about girls loving themself.

 

[Ilov80s]

That took me a minute. How fun. Have to listen to it.  

The whole album is fantastic and in the race for the top spot on my yearly poll. I would think she might make another appearance on this list. 

 

[Northern Voice]

92. Sigrid - Sucker Punch

I heard this described as Lorde meets Alanis Morrissette and since I've heard that comparison, it's hard not to hear about. It has those big hip hop beats Lorde loves and then it goes into a great big Alanis chorus. 

 

[Northern Voice]

91. Meg Myers - Numb

I don't know if my tastes are changing or what but there will be a ton of female singers on this years list, way more than years past. Which means it's probably about 50/50 where in the past it would have been 80/20 dude bands. Anyway, this is another great singer but this one is going over some early 90s grunge chords.

 

[Ilov80s]

92. Sigrid - Sucker Punch

I heard this described as Lorde meets Alanis Morrissette and since I've heard that comparison, it's hard not to hear about. It has those big hip hop beats Lorde loves and then it goes into a great big Alanis chorus. 

Nice, I drafted her last year for top songs. I didn't know she released more tunes

 

[Northern Voice]

90. Rostam - In a River

Rostam from Vampire Weekend is a great producer and multi-instrumentalist and what comes through most on this song is the great production and multiple instruments. I haven't loved his solo stuff as much as his work with VW or Hamilton Leithauser but this song stands out for sure. Also, he's clearly very gay and this song is about swimming naked with a dude.

 

[Northern Voice]

89. boygenius - Me & My Dog

There are like 4 songs about dogs or from albums about dogs on this list. I swear it isn't by design. This is a superindiegirlgroup featuring Pheobe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus.

 

[Northern Voice]

88. Arctic Monkeys - Four Out of Five

This band has topped my year end lists before. This year's album was really cool lounge or background music but not a lot of standout bangers. This one rules though.

 

[Northern Voice]

87. Beach House - Lemon Glow

Swirly synths, pretty voice, strange sounds, yep, it's a Beach House song.

 

[Northern Voice]

86. Nana Adjoa - Late Bloomer

I found this one through a Spotify recommends playlist. Good job algorithm. Layered vocals, layered everything. Keeps building as it goes on. As I listen to it again, maybe it should be higher...

 

[Northern Voice]

85. The Wonder Years - Pyramids of Salt

This song is so good too. It's in that 4th wave emo sweet spot which basically means it's part pop-punk, part emo, but mostly just a really good indie rock song. Give it time, it starts slow but comes to a big climax.

 

[Northern Voice]

84. David Byrne - Everybody's Coming to My House

David Byrne, what can you say, lots of horns and synths, his signature vocals and a big singalong chorus.

 

[Northern Voice]

83. Pinegrove - Darkness

This lead singer kind of #MeToo'd himself but it seems like he's mostly pretty okay and maybe has his own issues. I didn't love this album as much as their last one, but more good post-emo jams here.

 

[Nick Vermeil]

Dot

 

[Northern Voice]

82. The Wombats - Turn

Big alt-radio track. "I want to get college girl drunk tonight" and all the Drake references earn it a spot. Their 'Lemon to a Knife Fight' was a late cut as well.

 

[Northern Voice]

81. Suede - Life is Golden

Found this one via the year end music draft thanks to Eephus. Big, uplifting britpop ballad

 

[Northern Voice]

80. Albert Hammond Jr - Muted Beatings

The Strokes haven't released anything great in a while but their band members still release some good Strokes-y stuff for me.

 

[Northern Voice]

79. Young Fathers - In My View

I know this is another one some people would have higher. Great funky rock. The TV on the Radio comparison is lazy but also kind of fits.

 

[Northern Voice]

78. King Princess - 1950

This has a very cool timeless sound to it. Not sure exactly what it's about, but given the other lesbian anthem she's put it out, I'm thinking 19+50 = 69

 

[Northern Voice]

77. Houses - Fast Talk

This one is getting a lot of play lately too. Has the sound of a song that is just poppy enough to be a big mainstream hit.

 

[Northern Voice]

76. Camp Cope - How to Socialize & Make Friends

Her voice takes some getting used to but once you do, this is album full of pop-punk goodness.

 

[Northern Voice]

75. Sidney Gish - Rat of the City

Feel like it's just a matter of time before she blows up. This is really good.

 

[Northern Voice]

74. Amy Shark - I Said Hi

What is it with all the Aussie singers these days, so many great ones. Big anthem that skews a bit more pop than a lot of the list.

 

[Northern Voice]

73. The Glorious Sons - S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)

I drafted this in the music draft and said I wasn''t sure if I loved or hate it . I still don't know but man it sticks in my head. YOU GOT HOOKED ON OXYCONTIN.

 

[Northern Voice]

72. Lets Eat Grandma - Hot Pink

The name comes from the grammatical thing about where the comma goes. These are young girls making amazing synth music. Not their only song on the list.

 

[Northern Voice]

71. Born Ruffians - Fade to Black

This is more Can-rock goodness. Love the whole album and had a tough time narrowing down what song(s) to have on the list. Not a Metallica cover.

 

[Northern Voice]

70. Manchester Orchestra - I Know How to Speak

One of the very best concerts I saw this year was these guys. This is more on the ballad-y end of things for them but it still builds to a nice finish like so many of their songs.

 

[Northern Voice]

69. Screaming Females - Step Outside

Well named band, big guitars and in your face vocals

 

[Northern Voice]

68. Speedy Ortiz - Lucky 88

She is awesome, more synths than in her past songs. 

 

[Northern Voice]

67. Your Smith - The Spot

ALL I WANNA DO... IS HAVE SOME FUN

 

[Northern Voice]

66. King Tuff - Psycho Star

In the vein of the popular Portugal the Man singles, so if you like them, you'll probably like this.

 

[Northern Voice]

65. Manic Street Preachers - Distant Colours

It sounds like a lot of the best Manic Street Preachers songs... i.e. very good.

 

[Northern Voice]

64. IDLES - Colossus

LOL, I'm looking at the next two songs and realizing their placement is not going to make @El Floppo too happy. This is the IDLES song that finally won me over.

 

[Northern Voice]

63. Parquet Courts - Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience

I recognize that this could be the best song on the Parquet Courts album, but it's not my favourite, but it's till very great.

 

[Northern Voice]

62. Direct Hit! - Something We Won't Talk About

I believe these guys are a @Jaysus favourite. Very good upbeat punk. The Huey Lewis and the news intro is too.

 

[Northern Voice]

61. Mother Mother - Dance and Cry

Canadian dance/punk.

 

[Northern Voice]

60. Sloan - Spin Our Wheels

Sloan have been around for over 20 years, and this is a Sloan power pop gem. RIYL: power pop, sloan.

 

[Northern Voice]

59. Wand - Pure Romance

One of many many finds on this list that initially came from one of our FFA threads. This has a nice 80s REM meets the Beatles feel to it.

 

[Northern Voice]

58. Neko Case - Last Lion of Albion

Neko