2019 Song of the Year
I found that if it’s hard deciding which songs should be included on any “best of” list – then that probably means it was a great year for music. Finding the top 15 songs of 2019 was extremely hard, as was putting a top 2019 list together. I thought about listing different categories of music and ranking them that way. But I’ll tell ya something. The thought of any song from any place in the music spectrum that spoke to me in any-way, should be on a list with other songs that gave me the same feelings, regardless of parameters. So here we are with the master list of songs.
2019 was many things. Being a year that provided us game changing music across many genres is absolutely one of those things. I discovered songs in Rock, Rap, Country, R&B, Pop, Singer-Songwriter and even some Jazz related songs that truly moved me this year. I would say that makes me a lucky listener. In the words of our dear Lawrence Fishburne/Morpheus: Free your mind. I encourage you to take a listen to all of the songs on the list with an open mind. Who knows? You may even find something that moves you, that you wouldn’t have heard otherwise. Let’s get to it!
15. Tequila Does – Miranda Lambert – I loved the old-school-country sound of this song. During the verses, her voice soars over an acoustic guitar that allows Lambert’s classic country runs to shine through.
14. Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles – “This is my first deep dive into the music of Harry Styles. But when I came back to the surface I was mesmerized by his aura. He does have that star quality about him.” That’s what I wrote when I first heard this song. I just love the chill on the beach with a cool drink, vibe to it.
13. Bags – Clairo – There’s something about the simplistic beat and two guitars panned hard left and right combined with a mesmerizing double tracked vocal that totally locks me into her world. I’ve found myself driving in the morning before the sun came up and listening to this song on repeat.
12. Lover – Taylor Swift – To hear the tone of her voice backed by subtle but still powerful music is pure singer-songwriter bliss.
Then, there’s that bridge. Starts around 2:20 and at 2:26 – that key change gave me a bit of a chill. Something that all great songwriters tend to do.
11. Igor’s Theme – Tyler, The Creator – Had me at the first wayy too long but wayy necessary fuzzy note. I absolutely love this as the opening track to the album. The drums are crisp and funky. The track just oozes swag.
10. In The Deep – Alter Bridge – I mentioned previously that this song gave me those early 80’s AOR vibes during the intro and keeps coming at you during the chorus. This song is such a good showcase of the band’s talent. Drums, guitars and strong vocals highlight my favorite song off of their Walk The Sky album. It just has it all.
9. Heartbreak Hero – Jessie Clement – I mentioned to Jessie that this song gave me the John Mayer – Jason Mraz chills. Vultures and Only Human, respectively. This is a huge compliment from me as both of those artists are among my very favorites. But she is no knock off. She has her own style that hits a bulls-eye with my soul.
8. Over Getting Over You – Slim Gambill feat. Candace Devine – If you want hear what incredible vocals sound like – go straight to the second verse. Devine’s tone and power are on display and completely have me hooked. I’m like a helpless puppy. Oh – you’re a guitar person? Gambill’s solo is a fine piece of work that has had me rewind the video countless times to see what he’s up to on it. This is my 2019 Yacht Rock jam that will definitely follow me into the summer of 2020. Believe it.
7. Diseased Almost – Puddle Of Mudd – This reminded the world that POM can still rock the f**k out and gave die hard fans that throwback rock feel that they’ve been missing for many, many years. This song puts a smile on my face every time it comes on… as I reach to crank the volume.
6. This Is How – George Michael – This song was bittersweet. Sweet in that, we got a great new song from George Michael, that is not only high in production quality but also lyrically. But it was bittersweet because you can hear those little nuances in his voice that fans admired. He does these little vocal turns that remind of songs from Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1. Made me miss his talent all over again.
5. Down With The Clique – Solange – I know Almeda is getting all of the pub (and I get it, it’s awesome). But this one is the absolute BOSS on the record. My suggestion is, put on a pair of high quality headphones and enjoy the ride. Her voice is angelic, the musical production is elite and that 808 bass is both hard hitting and smooth at the same time. I’m into it.
4. Juice – Lizzo – This is like one part Lenny Kravitz’s Sex (oh that chorused guitar), one part late 70’/ early 80’s vibe, one part Nile Rodgers, one part Bruno Mars and everything Lizzo. In short – it’s one of the catchiest/addicting songs I’ve heard in a long while. And I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve been that guy in the car bobbing my head, front to back like Mark Ronson, as I rolled down the highway, jammin’ this gem.
3. One More Chance – Harloe – I’ve probably listened to this song more than any other song on this list. I’ve gone back and forth on my decision a few times and wondered if this should be number one. It’s that good. I hear something in this song that tells me that Harloe will be the breakout star of 2020. Be it production, her voice, her songwriting or maybe just the introspective feeling I get when I listen to it. Either way it’s one of the best songs of 2019.
2. Ur So Beautiful – Grace VanderWaal – I’ve written about Grace a lot over the past several months. It wasn’t intentional but she keeps putting out music that grabs the attention of my ear. When her Letters Vol. 1 dropped in November, I was surprised when I heard this song. I wasn’t expecting it. Everything about it felt so seasoned. From the songwriting to the song’s overall tone. It just feels like it has a chance to stand the test of time and remain in people’s head space for a long while. It’s certainly in mine.
1. Bored and Razed – The Raconteurs – I spent a lot of time listening to the first new record from the band in over ten years. When I was about to preview it for the first time, I remember saying to myself: Please don’t suck – I need a killer rock album to listen to. Turns out it was worth the wait. My introduction to the new album was Bored and Razed. After the song was finished, I paused the record and removed my headphones. I needed a second. I went and poured a cup of coffee and tried to control my excitement. Did I finally have the album I was searching for? By the time Thoughts and Prayers finished, I was glad that the answer was a resounding yes. But the song that started it all was the song that I went back to the most. Bored and Razed. It’s my number one favorite song of 2019.
2019 Album of the Year
This also was no easy task. I can tell you that When I Get Home by Solange was right there for me. Alter Bridge got consideration, so did the Vanderwaal EP. Gary Clark Jr, Tool and Yola were in the mix. Many of the artists on the top song list had albums that were contenders also. But as I looked at the albums in their entirety I could only name one of them Album of the Year.
This year that album was Help Us Stranger by The Raconteurs. It is our 2019 Album of the Year.
You can listen to the podcast, where I break my choices for song of the year, by clicking on the link to your favorite place to listen to podcasts.
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