I was really blown away by the feedback I got on my post about My 10 "Perfect 10" Albums, so I decided to go ahead and do my ten favorite songs of all time. This was ten times harder than my albums post and still feel like it could change between the time I start writing it and the day I actually publish it. Hopefully, this puts you on to something new, or it shows we have overlap! Playlist is embedded below.
10. Late Night- Odesza
I am the king of acting like I'm over Odesza (I saw them five times on their A Moment Apart tour, and not even on purpose cause they played that many shows and festivals), and then hearing one of their songs somewhere and getting super stuck on them again. This one ALWAYS hits though. With no lyrics, Late Night hits with its nostalgia-invoking disco rock sound that proved to be the dawn of the A Moment Apart era. I think it's amazing how some music can just make you feel so deeply without saying any actual words and this one does just that.
9. Love Like Mine- Miami Horror
The only complaint about Miami Horror is they don't have enough music. They haven't released an album since 2015 and keep teasing one on Instagram saying it's finally coming in 2021 and I'm calling bullshit. Anyway, Love Like Mine is so upbeat and fun and literally sounds like how falling in love feels. This song also holds some very deeply meaningful memories and I will always remember it at their 9:30 Club show in DC in 2019.
8. White Noise- Disclosure featuring Aluna George
I wrote in my Perfect 10 Albums post about how Disclosure's Settle is one of the greatest electronic music albums hands down and "White Noise" is my favorite track from the album. It's unbelievably catchy and additive, and throw in Aluna's other worldly voice and a George Reid's production contribution, you've got some serious house music. It sticks with you, you won't be able to escape it, nor will you want to.
7. All I Need- Goose
My love for jam bands has really taken off the past couple years, but what really sent it to the stratosphere was this band perform at The Frederick Fairground last year. This song is so great because there are so many different iterations of it: most of the liver versions are much slower and more piano heavy. I know it's a cardinal sin in the jam world for the studio version to be your favorite, but I find it irresistible. Rick's voice is outstanding, it's fast and will make you want to move, and it's just jammy enough to be digestible.
6. Tints- Anderson Paak and Kendrick Lamar
I love Anderson Paak for being so innovative in soul music and all of his collaborations are hits for sure. Silk Sonic is awesome and all, but do you know what's even more awesome? Anderson Pack and Kendrick Lamar, the best of their genres right now. This song does a great job blending the soul and hip-hop into something as cool as the dudes performing it. This was the first single from Paak's 2018 album Oxnard produced by Dr Dre and although it is still a good album in itself, I don't think it compares to the rest of his discography. This song, however, is a huge stand out.
5. Keep Moving- Jungle
I'm glad I was able to include a song from this year on this list! Jungle released their third album in August, Loving in Stereo, which I would go as far as to say is their best yet. "Keep Moving" was released as the album's debut single in March and is the perfect embodiment of Jungle's unique, electro-soul sound: something that could have easily played on Studio 54 in the 1970's or in today's club scene.
4. Ju$t- Run the Jewels with Zach De La Rocha and Pharrell Williams
Run the Jewels dropped the best album of 2020 with RTJ 4 and that's saying something coming from me since Tame Impala dropped The Slow Rush last year too. The whole album is quite possibly the most appropriately timed release in recent memory with themes of police brutality, inequality, and extreme greed. "Ju$t" was my standout track because who doesn't love a good, angry, aggressive protest song that says "fuck you" to the man and who better to help with that than the lead singer of Rage Against the Machine? Killer Mike, El-P, and Zach De La Rocha destroy their verses while Pharrell gives us a memorable hook you'll have stuck in your head forever (because of course he does).
3. Cough Syrup- Young the Giant
Were you an indie kid in the late 2000's-early 2010's? If you know, you know. Over ten years later I can still listen to this song over, and over, and over again and want to shout every word from my rooftop. Sameer Gadhia's voice is so insanely powerful on a song that has such calm instrumentation from the guitar and cello. It's so emotional and it's hard to put my finger on why, but I know that this song unlocks the most nostalgic parts of me.
2. Texas Sun- Khruangbin and Leon Bridges
I've written about this song before and it only continues to be my favorite love song of all time. Khruangbin's psychedelic, appropriately almost country guitar riffs and Laura Lee's bass work set the stage for Leon Bridge's smooth vocals to pay tribute to their home state, but in a way that doesn't rely too hard on the tropes of normal country music. It is such a perfect blend of psychedelic rock, country, and soul that seems so effortless.
1. Let It Happen- Tame Impala
If you know me, this was probably pretty obvious, but I love everything about this song. It's so epic in every sense. The lyrics talk about the acceptance of change after reluctance, and combine pop, rock, and disco. What more could you need? Nearing 8 minutes long, the song actually is even more interesting in the back half with it's break down, to build up, to vocoder-ridden outro. This song marked a stylistic shift for Tame Impala, becoming less reliant on rock and moving toward a dance-friendly sound. It is my all time favorite song from my all time favorite album.
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