50 Great Songs From 2017

On December 29th, my "20 Favorite Albums of 2017" list drops, but there's so much good music out there that one list couldn't fully represent what the year had to offer.  It's hard to make an album that's consistently great from start to finish, especially in an age where individual songs are given more and more importance.  So this list is intended to pay lip service to some great standalone songs.  All of these come from albums that won't be on my top 20 list, either because it's a great song on a mediocre album, or one on an album that's good but not quite good enough to crack the top tier.  So, without further ado, here's a list of fifty standalone songs, listed in alphabetical order (I limited myself to one song per artist):

Adult Mom - "Steal the Lake From the Water"

Shout out to my pal Dana for getting me into this band, whose Soft Spots has provided me alot of listening joy during the holidays.   This song is the best from that record -- it's a pretty vicious dissection of manipulative men, while still sounding like a pleasant bedroom indie song.

Alex Lahey - "I Love You Like a Brother"

Alex Lahey's I Love You Like a Brother feels a little slight when taken as a whole, but in isolation, each of the songs are monster jams.  The short and to-the-point title track is one of those.

Amber Coffman - "Nobody Knows"

Her work in the Dirty Projectors may have been more interesting, but Amber Coffman's move to a more pop and R&B sound had some gems like "Nobody Knows" to offer.

Angelo de Augustine - "Haze"

Angelo de Augustine's debut album a few years ago didn't get alot of ears on it, but it got the right ones, as he signed to Asthmatic Kitty for his follow-up.  It's a fitting label choice, since his music is the closest approximation to the delicate beauty Sufjan Stevens does so well.  Take a listen to "Haze" and see for yourself.

Arcade Fire - "Creature Comfort"

It's not quite as bad as many made it seem, but there's no doubt that Everything Now was a dud compared to the rest of Arcade Fire's discography.  At least it gave us "Creature Comfort," which is bound to become a live favorite after most of the rest of the album has been forgotten.  When Win Butler sings "Born in a diamond mine" and Regine jumps in to back him up with "It's all around you but you can't touch it," it's absolutely electric.  They can still conjure up cathartic moments with the best of them.

Brockhampton - "Swamp"

My biggest regret of the year is that I didn't find the time to give Brockhampton's Saturation trilogy much examination, but "Swamp" is proof enough that it's no fluke they became one of the biggest sensations in rap this year.  I'll certainly be rectifying my mistake as early as I can in 2018.

Broken Social Scene - "Towers and Masons"

Broken Social Scene's first album in seven years didn't make much of a splash, but it was another solid return from a former indie rock stalwart.  Hug of Thunder found them mostly chasing different sounds, but the best song on the record is "Towers and Masons," which is just vintage BSS.

Bully - "Kills To Be Resistant"

The chorus of "Kills To Be Resistant" has almost the exact same melody as "Reason" from Bully's previous album, but it hardly matters because that melody is so good that it should be in every song.

Cleo Tucker - "Minute In Your Mind"

Girlpool went for a bigger, more full sound for Powerplant, so a part of me is glad that this Cleo Tucker solo joint didn't make the cut for that album.  Its gentle beauty, its sparseness, those would have been lost in translation.

Cloud Nothings - "Enter Entirely"

Life Without Sound didn't get much shine this year, which is a shame because Cloud Nothings continue to refine their catchy songwriting chops.  "Enter Entirely" is a barn-burner that starts off an impressive run of no-nonsense rock songs in the album's middle section.

Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - "Over Everything"

While I'm not the biggest Kurt Vile fan, his team-up with Courtney Barnett seemed like one of the only sensible things that happened in 2017.  Their laconic spirits mesh well with one another on the rambling, lackadaisical "Over Everything."

Diet Cig - "Link in Bio"

There's a mysterious undercurrent of animosity towards Diet Cig (as evidenced by the weirdly personal pan they got from Pitchfork) that I don't really get.  To me, they're a band that makes very solid pop-punk music like "Link in Bio."  How can you deny that part where guitarist Alex Luciano sings "Don't...tell...me...to...calm...down" through gritted teeth?

Drake - "Madiba Riddim"

There are way too many songs on More Life, but of all 2348 of them, "Madiba Riddim" is surely the best.  It's enough to make me partially entertain the idea that Drake should ditch rapping and only sing.  But only partially.

Father Johh Misty - "Ballad of the Dying Man"

I thought Father John Misty's Pure Comedy was one of the most tedious listens of the year.  It's an inert self-indulgent album where all the songs pretty much sound the same.  The best version of that one song is "Ballad of the Dying Man," a genuinely great track that boils down his cultural criticism into its most focused and beautiful form.  I want to like his whole shtick, and on this song I come very close.

Feist - "Lost Dreams"

Gone is the Feist who crossed over with The Reminder, an elegant collection of indie pop tunes.  She's since chased down muses more and more enigmatic, her recent Pleasure consisting almost entirely of sparse songs that resist conventional moments.  But as always, her powerful voice remains a beacon in the fog of songs like "Lost Dreams."  It sounds even more potent over such haunting instrumentation.

Frankie Cosmos - "Fish Bowl (Kero Kero Bonito Cover)"

Frankie Cosmos, who made last year's best album, can simply do no wrong.

Future & Young Thug - "Patek Water (feat. Offset)"

We've reached critical mass on these trifling collaboration rap albums -- it felt like every combination of trap rapper teamed up to drop 11-song releases that rarely featured their best sustained work.  Due to fatigue,  I never managed to care much about Super Slimey, but it was still able to conjure up a moment or two of greatness.  "Patek Water" is neither Future nor Young Thug at peak form, but their energy, plus a fantastic Offset feature make it a worthwhile listen.

Gang of Youths - "Let Me Down Easy"

I became aware of this band because Uproxx critic Steven Hyden stumped really hard for them, and I like what I've heard.  "Let Me Down Easy" in particular sounds like the perfect blend of The National, The Killers, and plenty other cathartic rock bands from the mid 2000s.

Girlpool - "Static Somewhere"

Girlpool know how to end an album.  On their second album Powerplant, they transitioned well into the full band sound, and "Static Somewhere," a snarling 90s rocker, sounds like the ultimate culmination of that.


Grizzly Bear - "Three Rings"

A part of me feels bad for Grizzly Bear, whose excellent Painted Ruins got swallowed up in the shuffle this year.  It's an album that requires alot of patience and attention, but then there's a song like "Three Rings," which puts the pure proficiency of the band front and center for everyone to immediately recognize.


Harmony Tividad - "Heaven (feat. Katie Dey)"

Katie Dey put out one of the weirdest and most interesting albums of 2016, so I'm happy to see that she teamed up with Girlpool's Harmony Tividad for "Heaven," a song that perfectly melds Dey's glitchy intensity with Tividad's quiet emotionality.


Haim - "Little of Your Love"

Haim couldn't quite recapture the magic of their debut on Something to Tell You, but they show some spark of life on "Little of Your Love," whose chorus has a guitar lick that exhibits they've still got a knack for turning their 70s AM radio influences into pop perfection.

Jessie Ware - "Your Domino"

Jessie Ware has comfortably slid into her position as "Adele, but actually good."  And "Your Domino," the best song from the criminally underrated Glasshouse, is a perfect example of the way she skillfully mixes soul and pop sounds.


Julien Baker - "Turn Out the Lights"

There's a reason why Julien Baker is the reigning queen of making those with even the steeliest of resolves openly weep.  Her single "Turn Out the Lights" is a step up sonically, but she hasn't lost her ability to make her crystal clear voice pierce straight through your heart.


Kehlani - "Distraction"

Death to chilly R&B, give me Kehlani's warm bops any day.

Kelela - "LMK"

But speaking of chilly, Kelela's ice cold "LMK" is a total gem.


Kendrick Lamar - "FEEL."

I'm one of those heretics who wasn't completely blown away by DAMN.  Don't get me wrong, it's a good album!  But I'm just surprised that so many people are calling it the album of the year when it's probably only his third best record.  Still, there are some mind-blowing individual tracks such as "FEEL.," one of the best displays of Kendrick's pure rapping abilities.  He commands the mic on this song, getting more forceful and hypnotizing as each line passes.


Land of Talk - "Loving"

I never listened to Land of Talk back when they were active in the late 2000s, so their new album was my first experience with the band.  From my first listen to "Loving," I knew I had been missing out for all these years.  And with each subsequent spin, I fell in love with a new wrinkle of the song, from Lizzie Powell's spellbinding vocals to the way the chorus seems to erupt out of nowhere.  This was my favorite song for a solid month.


Laura Marling - "Don't Pass Me By"

Laura Marling is one of those artists whose albums always land in the 26-30 range on my lists, so I never get to talk about how great she is.  But no doubt, Semper Femina is another incredible addition to her sterling discography.  "Don't Pass Me By" is not only a highlight of the album, but it's a perfect microcosm of all her gifts.  She's a gorgeous writer, whose voice carries her perfectly phrased melodies over lovely arrangements.


LCD Soundsystem - "Call the Police"

James Murphy ends American Dream with "Black Screen," a moving tribute to David Bowie, but he honors him in a less direct and better way on "Call the Police."  This song single-handedly makes all of this weird comeback business with LCD Soundsystem worth it.


Lil Uzi Vert - "Neon Guts (feat. Pharrell Williams)"

To those who think so-called mumble rap is completely without merit, I point them to "Neon Guts."  There's a moment in Lil Uzi Vert's first verse where he starts out rapping, then after a few lines he glides so seamlessly into singing the most catchy little melody.  That right there, when done right, is a highwire act like no other.  That's not all this song has going for it -- there's also Pharrell's glorious headsmash of a beat, whose drum loop lopes and rattles all over the place.  This song is so good it's convinced me to try get into the rest of Luv is Rage 2 multiple times, to no avail.


Modern Baseball - "This Song is Gonna Buy Brendan Lukens a Pair of Socks"

Who knows whether Modern Baseball will ever make another album again, given members' recent mental health struggles.  But if that's the case, at least we got this wonderful toss-off as a last treat.


Oso Oso - "The Cool"

I could have gotten so many white girls to like me by quoting this song in middle school.

Paramore - "Fake Happy"

I still prefer Paramore in emo mode, but their 80s pop-inflected After Laughter is rife with jams.  "Fake Happy" is Hayley Williams' most commanding vocal performance on the record -- the way she hits that "If I smile with my teeth" line so that the last word lingers is just sublime.

Poppy - "I'm Poppy"

If you're not familiar with the sensation that is Poppy, rectify that now.

Real Estate - "White Light"

Real Estate do one sound, but they've completely mastered it at this point.

Roc Marciano - "Better Know"

"Stick you for your brick, you never get 40 / Pistol whip your bitch and make her strip for me."  There's no finer sensation than hearing Roc Marciano spit mean bars over a nice beat.

Rostam - "Bike Dream"

Rostam has proven himself as a producer extraordinaire over the past few years, but there was still some doubt about whether he had what it took to stand on his own, or if he was just a background player.  "Bike Dream," a beautiful mush-mouthed reverie of a track, is evidence that he's going to be just fine.

Sampha - "Timmy's Prayer"

Contender for my favorite music moment of 2017: "I came to the gates but you turned me away / You asked what am I waiting for / ....I'm waiting 'cause I fucked up (ooh!)"

(Sandy) Alex G - "Alina"

Rocket was a real grab bag of an album -- you never quite knew what you'd get when you transitioned to the next track. "Alina" perfectly captures that feeling in just one song, as it circles around a kaleidoscopic piano line.

The Shins - "Heartworms"

Heartworms wasn't The Shins' finest effort, but it's proof positive that James Mercer still has the ability to write an earworm and make it look like the easiest thing in the world.

Spoon - "Do I Have to Talk You Into It"

My favorite Spoon mode is danceable Spoon, so Hot Thoughts was a total joy for me.  "Do I Have to Talk You Into It" has Britt Daniel in full Jagger swagger, bouncing over jagged guitars and a killer groove.

St. Vincent - "Los Ageless"

"How could anybody have you?  How could anybody have you and lose you?  How could anybody have you and lose you, and not lose their mind too?"  They way the chorus constantly turns over that line is as brilliant and layered as "Los Ageless" itself.

Sufjan Stevens - "Tonya Harding"

Nobody does an empathetic character study like Sufjan Stevens.  Heck, he made a moving song about John Wayne Gacy.  So it's no surprise that he channeled his fascination with Tonya Harding into the most gentle, heartbreaking song you'll ever hear about her.  Apparently the director of I, Tonya turned down having this song included in the film.  What a fool.

Syd - "Shake Em Off"

This is the kind of low-key, in-the-pocket R&B song we need more of.

Sylvan Esso - "The Glow"

They say the more specific you get, the more universal it can feel.  Such is the case with Sylvan Esso's "The Glow."  It's named after the classic Microphones album I have little connection to, and is full of specific names and memories from Amelia Meath's teenage years.  And yet I connect to it on such a deeply personal level because it captures the sensation of being young, feeling things so sharply, and putting on your headphones to process it all while your favorite song is playing.

Vagabon - "The Embers"

Opening track of the year.

The War on Drugs - "Thinking of a Place"

2017 was the year I became a War on Drugs fan after not really getting what the hubbub about their previous album was for.  If you're still in the boat that I was in three years ago, maybe this towering 11-minute behemoth will convince you like it did for me.

Waxahatchee - "No Curse"

I love Shaking Through, a video series that shows you the full recording process of a song.  And I especially love that it gave us a non-album cut from one of my favorite musicians.

And if Spotify is your listening preference, I made a playlist of all of these songs, which you can listen to below.