Top 10 Songs of 2020
If ever there was a year that proved the importance of art and music, it was 2020. None of us will ever forget the shutdowns and quarantine, the covidiots and maskholes, and all the drama that surrounded the presidential election and the protests following the murder of George Floyd by police in Minnesota. All together, it combined to make a steaming shitshow of a year that most of us had no choice but to watch from afar in the confines of our own homes. But what kept me - and millions of others - going through the groundhog-day style monotony of working from home and isolation from friends and family was music. Whether it was discovering new musicians online, getting ear candy from favorite artists, or taking the time to practice or even learn an instrument, music is what saved many of our souls. I had some intense reactions to new music this year, discovering at least one new favorite artist, and releasing some new and old music of my own in the form of my retrospective "Recollection: 2010-2020" and my first original holiday tune, "Make the Yuletide Gay." Here were the top 10 songs that made this year worthwhile, despite the pandemic, civil unrest, and the MAGA army.
HONORABLE MENTIONS: There was SO much great music this year that I have to highlight a few honorable mentions!
"Sign"- Roosevelt - One of the last concerts Dylan and I got to attend was Roosevelt at the Teragram Ballroom last December. I had been a fan of this German pop-twink's debut album, and seeing him live was a euphoric experience. I hope to unwrap his sophomore album "Young Romance" on yuletide morning (I bought it as a gift to myself - but it hasn't arrived yet)! EDIT - I just realized that concert was in 2018. So somehow I lost a whole year... or another year. Gee! You know you're getting old when you're still at least two years behind everyone else.
"TOTP" - The Fizz - I didn't know anything about Bucks Fizz until fairly recently, and yes The Fizz may be a bit cheesy but damn it if they don't come up with some catchy bops! This fun track hearkens back to the days of Top of the Pops in the 1980s, a timewarp I never mind getting stuck in.
"Out of Place" - GusGus - I've loved GusGus since their
album "Polydistortion" came out in 1997. Hailing from Iceland, they took
a different path from my first favorite Icelandic band, The Sugarcubes,
in that they were more of an eclectic collective of filmmakers,
musicians, and vocalists and their music tended to be more about the
beats and mood. I kind of lost track of them after a few years only to
rekindle my love for them with their 2014 album "Mexico," at which point
I discovered their stellar prior album, "Arabian Horse." Since then
they have been consistently releasing great underground club music with
various vocalists including resident star Daníel Ágúst who has a super
sexy voice that elevates this track like so many of their others. They
have that cold, icy outer layer with a red hot heart pulsing underneath.
"Lonely Calls to You" - Bradley Jacobson - My friend and co-producer released his first album in a decade this year, and the first ever under his real name (previous releases were under his band moniker, Swivek). Bradley worked really hard on this very personal album, and he let me co-produce several tracks. He also let me direct this video for this song, and we had so much fun filming it on the unusually quiet Sunset Strip during quarantine. And yes, we stayed 6' apart and wore masks except for when talent was actually on screen!
“Blinding Lights" - The Weeknd - Somehow, even in quarantine, I seemed to hear this song all the time without ever actually playing it on purpose. Looking back, I was surprised that it was released in 2020 because I honestly don't know how it became so "overplayed," but even though I'm sort of sick of hearing it now, I know it will always remind me of 2020. And, I wish I had written it! (Dylan reminded me that he played it often on our long walks early on in quarantine so that solves the mystery.)
I've come to love this band and especially frontman Matty Healy, who first caught my attention with their 2013 single "Chocolate." I adored their album "A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships" which included the stellar singles "It's Not Living If It's Not With You" and "TOOTIMETOOTIMETOOTIME" so I was really excited for their latest album, "Notes on a Conditional Form" which was kicked off by this excellent track - loud, punchy, distorted and angry, just like much of 2020 felt. I was lucky enough to snag a special edition picture disc vinyl autographed copy of the album that I'm either going to treasure forever, or sell for a large profit in the not too distant future.
You know, at this point Lady Gaga is like a spirit animal of the gays. I respect her, I defend her, I commiserate with her. And I don't have anything against Ariana Grande. I still laugh when I think about her at that donut shop. Anyway, after diverging out of her dance floor and art pop phases into territories of jazz and singer/songwriter old school country rock, she's back to the futuristic dance pop she became famous for. It's a fun song that you start singing along with even though you're not quite sure what you're singing about.
We share a birthday as well as lots of similar attitudes about pop music
and culture, so I've always admired Green ever since I discovered
Scritti Politti on MTV in the late 80s. This is his first and only
release (so far) under his name, and both the A and B sides of this 7"
single are covers of English folk singer Anne Briggs. Green brings his
lush, delicate vocals and layers them over a blippy folk-tronica
background that equals sonic bliss. In 2021, he will be celebrating the
35th anniversary of Scritti's wonderful album "Cupid & Psyche 85"
with a tour of England and I so hope that I can make it to one of the
shows although I'm guessing it won't happen. Maybe they will come over
for the second ever US tour? I can dream!
I've never really been a big fan of 5SOS even though I've been aware of them ever since they opened for One Direction, and they even played at Hollywood & Highland once but we opted to just hang out at Dave & Busters through most of the show because the place was an absolute madhouse of screaming girls. But this year, early on in quarantine, I caught this video on YouTube and just loved it! It's the first song featuring lead vocals from bassist Callum Hood who I've always had a little crush on, but I also love the psychedelic harmonies and images associated with wildflowers, and the interesting self-censoring in the chorus. I ended up buying the record, "Calm," and there are so many great songs on it, but I still love this one the most. Dylan and I even performed it on our May Day Special livestream.
Kylie returned this year with an amazing, Studio 54-influenced album recorded mostly during quarantine (she cowrote all the songs and learned to record her own vocals, earning her first engineering credit). The album has an escapism vibe as a result, and each song is a winner, designed to put a smile on your face and to get you up and dancing. In otherwords, it's exactly what we needed this year. "Say Something" was the lead single and the lyrics call for unity and love, a common Kylie message but desperately needed this year. The euphoric video, also filmed during quarantine, features Kylie with a plethora of digital glitter. Thank you Kylie for bringing some sunshine into this year! I can't wait until this pandemic is over so we can properly dance to these songs in a club!
Another song that I covered on our May Day Special, this is the lead track from Niall's second album. (Remember when I met him at Capitol Records a couple years back?) While Zayn was initially my favorite member of 1D, Harry has proven to be the most unstoppable force as a solo artist, but Niall has proven himself as a singer/songwriter and performer - I saw him live at the Greek Theatre when he was touring for his first album, "Flicker." The first time I heard this song I immediately loved it because it has such a cool 80's radio hit vibe with interesting lyrics about 'heartbreak weather,' I just really dig it.
The reigning queens of rock and roll were supposed to tour this year to support their new documentary movie, which features this rocking new song. Obviously Covid had other plans but we still enjoyed watching the documentary and rocking to this song! It's got a jagged edge and Belinda sounds great reconnecting with her punk roots on this song, after having become known as a solo pop artist. There's magic that happen when these five women get together that outweighs all the drama and in-fighting that the group is legendary for. It's moments like this when it's so easy to see why they are still the only all-female group to write and play their own instruments to score a US #1 album. Hopefully there will be more to come next year, when they are hopefully able to tour for real.
One of the biggest musical surprises of this year was the amazing new album by Melanie C, formerly known as Sporty Spice. While she has had an impressive solo output over the years, 2020 saw her truly reclaiming her title as a super talented vocalist and songwriter, really owning her craft and taking her place in the music world. This track lays it out with painful honesty in the lyrics and the accompanying music video, yet if you don't bother listening all you'll hear is an insanely catchy pop tune. The whole album is full of bangers that any other current-day dancefloor diva would covet.
It had been over a decade since Annie's last full-length album, "Don't Stop," although this Norwegian songstress had occasionally released an EP here and there. While she is known for her quirky brand of dancefloor pop and her high, breathy vocals, with this album she has taken a trip to a darker, more ethereal place. Reminiscent of Julee Cruise and the various Twin Peaks soundtracks, "Dark Hearts" lives up to it's title by representing a deeper and more sombre soundscape. However this song, the lead single, is heartfelt and nostalgic. Annie sings about her coming of age, telling tales of the friends and lovers she has known in a way that's so honest that it sometimes makes me cry when I hear it.
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