February 15, 2019
jmunney
Best of 2018, Best of Music 2018, Music
All the Stars, Ariana Grande, Back Down, Beck, Bob Moses, Boo'd Up, Childish Gambino, Colors, Come on to Me, Dennis Lloyd, Ella Mai, Elle King, God is a Woman, Good Morning, I Feel Like I'm Drowning, Janelle Monáe, Kendrick Lamar, Love It If We Made It, Make Me Feel, Max Frost, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Nevermind, No Place, No Tears Left to Cry, Paul McCartney, Portugal. The Man, Pynk, Rüfüs Du Sol, Shame, SZA, The 1975, This Is America, Tidal Wave, Two Feet, Tyler the Creator, U.S. Girls, Velvet 4 Sale, You Worry Me, You're a Mean One
CREDIT: Ariana Grande/YouTube
These were the singles released in 2018 or that first became hits in 2018 that had the strongest impacts on me.
1. Ariana Grande – “No Tears Left to Cry” – Has any other singer besides Ariana Grande ever endured so many personal struggles so publicly and on such a massive scale? She still had a lot of heartbreak left to come after releasing “No Tears Left to Cry,” but luckily she was already equipped with and had gifted the world with a timeless anthem for how to insist on finding the joy amidst all life’s turmoil.
2. Dennis Lloyd – “Nevermind” – The ultimate kind of elastic groove to which you can chill out or dance ’til you drop.
3. Ella Mai – “Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai captured the language of infatuation in 2018, but the feelings are eternal.
4. Ariana Grande – “God is a Woman” – Oh, trust me, I believe. I was certain once I heard that first sexy guitar strum.
5. U.S. Girls – “Velvet 4 Sale” – This is the sort of rock music that makes me happy to currently be an adult human.
6. Beck – “Colors” – Is Beck the greatest dance artist of his era? “Colors” makes a strong case.
7. Janelle Monáe – “Pynk” – If we all had our own personal “Pynk” to announce to everyone who we are, the world would be a much better place.
8. Rüfüs Du Sol – “No Place” – I imagine that this is what it will sound like when I drift off this mortal coil.
9. Childish Gambino – “This Is America” – The musical equivalent of getting shot in the head and living to tell the tale.
10. Portugal. The Man – “Tidal Wave” – The force of extreme weather, but going down smooth and easy.
11. Janelle Monáe – “Make Me Feel” – Feeling good should sometimes feel like there’s a worm dancing in your brain.
12. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me” – It’s good to know that some musicians are out here to make sure we’re safe and sound.
13. Elle King – “Shame” – It’s healthy to exorcise the lowdown dirtiest impulses of your humanity through song.
14. Paul McCartney – “Come on to Me” – I know I’d also like to remain this punny and lusty into my seventies.
15. Bob Moses – “Back Down” – An ideal soundtrack for making an unstable night feel just a little bit more stable.
16. Kendrick Lamar and SZA – “All the Stars” – The kind of song that assures you that all the spirits of your community are with you.
17. Max Frost – “Good Morning” – I’m happy to admit when I wake up in a day-conquering mood, and Max Frost has packaged that feeling.
18. Tyler, the Creator – “You’re a Mean One” – Maybe all kids movie theme songs should be crafted by pansexual oddballs.
19. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” – When the sound cuts out right before the chorus, and then the guitar chimes in so nastily, I feel like I’m drowning, into the Sunken Place or something … and I like it.
20. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It” – The desire to make it all the way through together really does often sound this urgent, doesn’t it?
August 18, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week*, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
*This will be my last Billboard Hot Rock Songs re-ranking post, at least for the foreseeable future, as these posts have become a bit too same-old, same-old for my tastes. But I will continue to scan the charts each week, and I might occasionally write down some reactions should the spirit move me.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Imagine the Dragons – “Natural”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. Weezer – “Africa”
8. lovelytheband – “Broken”
9. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
10. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
11. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. John Mayer – “New Light”
14. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
15. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
16. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
17. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
18. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
19. twenty one pilots – “Levitate”
20. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
21. Five Finger Death Punch – “Blue on Black”
22. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
23. grandson – “Blood // Water”
24. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
25. Shinedown – “Devil”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
August 11, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. Weezer – “Africa”
8. lovelytheband – “Broken”
9. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
10. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
14. John Mayer – “New Light”
15. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
16. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
17. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
18. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
19. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
20. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
21. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
22. Shinedown – “Devil”
23. grandson – “Blood // Water”
24. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
25. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
5. Hunger
August 5, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
5. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
6. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
7. lonelytheband – “Broken”
8. Weezer – “Africa”
9. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
10. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
14. The 1975 – “Love It If We Made It”
15. John Mayer – “New Light”
16. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
17. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
18. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
19. Muse – “Something Human”
20. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
21. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
22. Shinedown – “Devil”
23. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
24. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
25. U2 – “Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. Jumpsuit
3. When the Curtain Falls
4. New Light
5. Hunger
July 28, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. twenty one pilots – “Jumpsuit”
7. twenty one pilots – “Nico and the Niners”
8. lovelytheband – “Broken”
9. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
10. Weezer – “Africa”
11. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
12. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
13. Imagine Dragons – “Natural”
14. John Mayer – “New Light”
15. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
16. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
17. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
18. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
19. Panic! at the Disco – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It”
20. Shinedown – “Devil”
21. Greta van Fleet – “When the Curtain Falls”
22. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
23. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
24. Walk the Moon – “Kamikaze”
25. Gorillaz ft. George Benson – “Humility”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
3. Jumpsuit
4. When the Curtain Falls
5. New Light
6. Humility
7. Hunger
July 1, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
7. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
8. lonelytheband – “Broken”
9. John Mayer – “New Light”
10. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
11. Weezer – “Africa”
12. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
13. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
14. Gorillaz ft. George Benson – “Humility”
15. Marilyn Manson – “Cry Little Sister”
16. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
17. Sir Sly – “&Run”
18. Shinedown – “Devil”
19. Vance Joy – “Saturday Sun”
20. Panic! at the Disco – “King of the Clouds”
21. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
22. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
23. Death Cab for Cutie – “Gold Rush”
24. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me”
25. Muse – “Thought Contagion”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. You Worry Me
3. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
4. &Run
5. New Light
6. Hunger
7. Humility
8. Africa
9. Thought Contagion
June 24, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
7. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
8. John Mayer – “New Light”
9. lovelytheband – “Broken”
10. Weezer – “Africa”
11. Gorillaz ft. George Benson – “Humility”
12. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
13. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
14. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
15. As I Lay Dying – “My Own Grave”
16. Vance Joy – “Saturday Sun”
17. Sir Sly – “&Run”
18. Dave Matthews Band – “Samurai Cop (Oh Joy Begin)”
19. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
20. Shinedown – “Devil”
21. Muse – “Thought Contagion”
22. The 1975 – “Give Yourself a Try”
23. 30 Seconds to Mars – “Dangerous Night”
24. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
25. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. You Worry Me
3. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
4. &Run
5. New Light
6. Hunger
7. Humility
8. Africa
9. Thought Contagion
June 16, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
7. Gorillaz ft. George Benson – “Humility”
8. Weezer – “Africa”
9. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
10. John Mayer – “New Light”
11. lovelytheband – “Broken”
12. The 1975 – “Give Yourself a Try”
13. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
14. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
15. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
16. Ghost – “Rats”
17. Vance Joy – “Saturday Sun”
18. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
19. Muse – “Thought Contagion”
20. Shinedown – “Devil”
21. Sir Sly – “&Run”
22. 30 Seconds to Mars – “Dangerous Night”
23. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me”
24. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
25. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. You Worry Me
3. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
4. &Run
5. New Light
6. Hunger
7. Humility
8. Africa
9. Thought Contagion
June 9, 2018
jmunney
Billboard Charts, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Music
Billboard, Billboard Hot Rock Songs, Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man
Each week, I check out the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart, and then I rearrange the top 25 based on my estimation of their quality. I used to rank all of the top 25, now I just rank the cream of the crop.
Original Version
1. Imagine Dragons – “Whatever It Takes”
2. Imagine Dragons – “Thunder”
3. Imagine Dragons – “Believer”
4. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still”
5. Foster the People – “Sit Next to Me”
6. Bad Wolves – “Zombie”
7. Panic! at the Disco – “High Hopes”
8. Panic! at the Disco – “Say Amen (Saturday Night)”
9. Weezer – “Africa”
10. John Mayer – “New Light”
11. lovelytheband – “Broken”
12. Godsmack – “Bulletproof”
13. Muse – “Thought Contagion”
14. Florence + the Machine – “Hunger”
15. Five Finger Death Punch – “Gone Away”
16. Two Feet – “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”
17. Vance Joy – “Saturday Sun”
18. Five Finger Death Punch – “Sham Pain”
19. Shinedown – “Devil”
20. Sir Sly – “&Run”
21. James Bay and Alicia Keys – “Us”
22. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – “You Worry Me”
23. Bastille – “Quarter Past Midnight”
24. 30 Seconds to Mars – “Dangerous Night”
25. Lord Huron ft. Phoebe Bridgers – “The Night We Met”
Jmunney’s Revision
1. Feel It Still
2. You Worry Me
3. I Feel Like I’m Drowning
4. &Run
5. New Light
6. Hunger
7. Africa
8. Thought Contagion
March 2, 2018
jmunney
Best of 2017, Best of Music 2017, Music
Alessia Cara, Alice Merton, Beck, Calvin Harris, Camila Cabello, Carly Rae Jepsen, Chained to the Rhythm, Cut to the Feeling, Disco Tits, Down, Dua Lipa, Feel It Still, Feels, Green Light, Havana, Jain, Jain Makeba, Katy Perry, Kesha, Lorde, Los Ageless, Makeba, Marian Hill, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, New Rules, No Roots, Portugal. The Man, Praying, St. Vincent, Stay, The Killers, The Man, Told You So, Tove Lo, Up All Night, Younger Now, Zedd
CREDIT: ToveLoVEVO
It’s early March, so it must be time for me to post my list of the best singles of the past year!
1. Tove Lo – “Disco Tits” – A woman doesn’t have to be modest to earn respect, and don’t Tove Lo know it.
2. Kesha – “Praying” – The gospel-tinged anthem we all need right now.
3. Lorde – “Green Light” – If you’re looking for euphoria, Lorde has you covered.
4. Jain – “Makeba” – This guaranteed toe-tapper/hip-spinner was technically released in 2016, but while it may have taken off in Jain’s native France that year, it didn’t really hit in the U.S. until that Levi’s commercial debuted in late 2017.
5. Marian Hill – “Down” – A deceptively simple piano-driven trip-hop jam from this Philadelphia duo.
6. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Cut to the Feeling” – We all need to just follow the Tao of Carly.
7. St. Vincent – “Los Ageless” – St. Vincent is still the master of combining genuine chops with super scuzzy distortion.
8. Beck – “Up All Night” – Put this track on if your house party’s tunes are bringing everyone down.
9. Miley Cyrus – “Younger Now” – Is this what agelessness feels like?
10. Dua Lipa – “New Rules” – Dua Lipa’s anthem attempt = anthem success!
11. Miguel – “Told You So” – If there is one singer above all others belting out tunes right now about whom I would say, “You’ve got to listen to what they’re saying,” it’s gotta be Miguel.
12. Alice Merton – “No Roots” – There may be no roots to Alice Merton’s disposition, but there plenty of roots, powerful ones at that, to her musical influences.
13. Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug – “Havana” – This song makes me sweaty. But it’s the sweat of passion, so I don’t feel gross.
14. Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay” – Zedd is the kind of DJ so skilled at bottling up those moments you don’t want to let slip away.
15. Calvin Harris ft. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, and Big Sean – “Feels” – Just some tropical vibes to get you by.
16. Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still” – The sort of generational rock song with lyrics that might mean something profound or nothing at all.
17. Katy Perry ft. Ziggy Marley – “Chained to the Rhythm” – Direct, but also pointed and bopping.
18. The Killers – “The Man” – One thing we can count in this life is songs entitled “The Man” being silly but also kind of anthemic.
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