Top 10 Songs of 2021
Even though a lot of terrible things happened to a lot of people this year, I personally can't complain too much as I had a good year despite some major heartbreaks. The loss of my aunt Mary, and my collaborator Amy Crosby, were both extremely sad moments this past year. My hometown of Paradise, Kansas, suffered terrible floods in the spring, and then just a couple of weeks ago, catastrophic wildfires that destroyed many peoples' homes and livelihood. My ancestral home, the Stielow/Strecker farmstead, was one of the places decimated by fire. We had just all visited it following the celebration of life for my aunt Mary back in July.
Having said all that, I had many great moments this year, if things were different due to the continuing pandemic. I got to spend time with my parents, niece and nephew several times throughout the year, including a great Thanksgiving trip together to Newport Coast. I was able to make it to the 4th annual Paradise Fall Festival to see my uncle Ronnie's band, The Prophets, play; they even let me play a couple songs with my cousin Caitlyn between sets. And of course the highlight of my year was my trip to Glasgow and London where I got to see the Human League at two of their dates on the Dare 40 tour. I was super excited about these shows because their openers were Altered Images, and Tom Bailey from Thompson Twins. I also got to see Electric Six play in London, having been invited by frontman Dick Valentine himself. It was a wonderful trip, getting to hang out with my friends David and Mike, and just missing the Omicron variant and its accompanying shutdowns and cancellations.
Through it all, as usual, were great tunes to lift me up when I was down, and get me dancing when I was up. Here are my Top 10 songs of 2021!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
"Mood Ring" - Lorde Quirky New Zealand songstress channels 90s influences like George Michael and Natalie Imbrublia for her mellow new offerings
"Do It Like Dolly" - Kylie Sonique Love I was so happy when Ms. Kylie won Drag Race All Stars!
"Yah Mo B There" - Electric Six From their covers album "Streets of Gold," E6 takes on 80s soul pop.
"Heaven Is A Place In My Head" - Bad Suns A bright, snappy number from these LA boys.
Lil Nas X is a master of social media, visuals and composition so of course this introduction to his first full album hit all the right marks. The video was immediately classic, and of course controversial to some, as it featured him riding a stripper pole to hell in order to give Satan a lap dance. It's a great time to be alive when this song can be part of the soundtrack. With a sly nod to the gay film starring Timothée Chalamet, and it's extremely catchy melody and lyrics, this was an easy one to love!
One of the reasons we love pop music is when we see ourselves reflected, and hear our stories told and shared with the whole world. I doubt that Lana and I have a whole lot in common, but I met her once and she was so sweet and down to earth. These lyrics spoke to me:
"I come from a small town far away. I only mention it 'cause I'm ready to leave LA and I want you to come. I guess I could manage if you stay. It's just if you do I can't see myself having any fun." This was on her first of two albums she released this year, "Chemtrails Over the Country Club," which was fantastic.
This was one of my jams of the summer, it's so uplifting and fun, a total bop! Souvenir, aka Michael Fenuccio, is an up-and-coming musician from the east coast who is definitely one to watch. His "synth pop magic" is a great addition to the world of LGBT pop and I hope to hear more from him in 2022.
The first proper single from Tiffany's forthcoming new punk-pop album "Shadows" (which we HOPE will be released in 2022) was released on a blue vinyl 12" with etched b-side and a modern take on her classic 80s hit "I Think We're Alone Now." I got to see Tiffany live at the Whisky this year, one of the few live shows I went to, and she did an amazing job, creating lots of anticipation for the new album. It definitely has that Sunset Strip rocker vibe to it, and the rest of the new songs she played live are in the same vein.
The classic Swedish pop band ABBA - a huge inspiration on my own favorite band, The Human League, released their first new album in 40 years with "Voyage" which included this new track. "Don't Shut Me Down" has that instant-classic feel, as soon as you hear it you know it's ABBA and it sounds timeless - it could have been released this year, or in the 70s. Regardless, it just makes you want to put on your dancing queen shoes and do a slow boogie around the room.
I never really thought I'd be including a WALK THE MOON song on this countdown (I believe I've ranted about them stealing another band's name already on this blog) but this song is just really, insanely catchy. Also, I had to include it because for better or worse it marks this terrible year's Four County Fire in NW Kansas where I grew up. That fire burned down many homes of family and friends, including our ancestral farmstead just outside of Paradise, KS. This song allows me to grieve, dance, cry and smile all at once.
I have been following Roosevelt since his first album, and I wasn't too in love with his second, but this third album is just divine! "Easy Way Out" opens the record and sets the tone for the whole thing, but is worth the price of admission on it's own with it's menacing synths, driving beat and sing-along chorus. Dylan and I got to see Roosevelt a few weeks ago at one of my favorite venues, the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, and it was a great experience since I only got to see a handful of bands this year.
The minute you hear the bass line come in at the beginning of this song, you know two things instantly: that it's Duran Duran, and that it's going to be amazing!!! Paying tribute to their 40 years in the business, Duran Duran manage to channel the best of their legacy sound and update it for today, with a hilarious music video featuring celebrity look-a-likes. Simon still has one of the most impressive vocal ranges and really soars on the chorus here. Also, it's great to finally have a song to celebrate an anniversary!
Both Annie and Jake (with his band Scissor Sisters) have previously claimed the #1 spot here on my annual countdown, but now they're here together on a song that can only be described as pop euphoria. This song has everything: a rewind cassette sound effect, bubbling sparkly synths, Annie's trademark ethereal vocals, and a hilarious spoken back-and-forth about lost love. This song carried me through when nothing else could lift my mood, and if I didn't know what else to play, I could always count on this song to be there for me. After her momentous last album, "Dark Hearts," it was great to have the "Neon Nights" EP come out this year, on 3" CD single no less!
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