After listening to music on Spotify for 101,976 minutes this year (I will forever remember that number!), I was able to whittle down my list of top tracks of the year from roughly 240 to 100. It was a tough process. A lot of great songs got left off, but what I love about making these lists is that all 100 songs I truly enjoyed and listened to many, many times. In fact, “last place” at #100 was Theophilus London’s “Do Girls,” a song that I played constantly over a two week span.

I also love how many chicks there are on this list - Sylvan Esso, The Juan Maclean, Alvvays, Angus & Julia Stone, The Night VI, Beverly, St. Vincent, Jessica Lea Mayfield, YACHT, Banks, Jenny Lewis, The Preatures, Hundred Waters, First Aid Kit, Gemma Hayes, Lily & Madeline. I complained years and years ago that there just weren’t enough women in music at the moment, so it’s great to see now!

Coming in at #1 was clearly the best song for me. Truth be told, I did not listen to this more than any other song (that would be #2 “Salad Days”), but I think WoD took vibes from Springsteen and bit of Petty and brought their own flair including guitar solos and a cathartic “Wooo!” The buildup to crescendo slowing to the interlude then back was brilliant. What a track.

Mac Demarco was my favorite artist/album this year, and the first song I ever heard by him was “Salad Days,” and I was hooked. The first time I hear certain bands can be very memorable (“Wide Eyes” for Local Natives and “Monte Carlo” by U.S. Royalty - I still remember where I was, who I was with, how blown away I was with the sound) and Salad Days will always be that for me. There's a rawness and lackadaisical quality that makes the sound very sincere. "Let Her Go" is Demarco at his catchiest and I read somewhere that he made it as one of the last tracks because the record label wanted a catchier tune. Demarco makes the most appearances on this list with four very deserved songs.

So I obviously can’t write about every track, but I wanted to give some highlights lyrically/sonically/randomly:

“Inside Out” Spoon - If you haven’t listened to this song dissected - track by track - on Song Exploder, stop reading this and do it!!

“Talking Backwards” Real Estate - This track is a close second to “It’s Real” for my favorite Real Estate track. Their calming chords and complementing riffs represent their trademark sound (perfect at 0:13).

“Strandbar” Todd Terje - Todd Terje was one of the great surprises this year. Completely electronic, barely any vocals, he still somehow made some of the best tracks this year.

“Running Back to You” The Juan Maclean - Another electronic track (with vocals this time)! I thought the two minute buildup to begin the song was really well done.

“Mind Over Matter” Young the Giant - According to Spotfy, it was my #3 most played song. I never stopped listening to it all year. Singer Sameer Gadhia’s (one of the most underrated vocalist in music right now - listen to “Islands” and “Firelight” if you need further proof) lyrics really resonated with me and the orchestra in the background gives it some more power: “And if the world don’t break / I’ll be shaking it / Cuz i’m a young man after all / And when the seasons change / Will you stand by me? / Cuz I’m a young man built to fall.”

“0 to 100” - Drake - Drake is a running internet meme for so many reasons, but the man can rap.

“Hey Mami” Sylvan Esso - One of the most original songs of the year. Starting only with Amelia Meath’s vocals and a clap, the track adds this obnoxious bass that works perfectly with the song’s simplicity.

“Dead Friend” Roadkill Ghost Choir - wins best “long” track of the year at 8:22 (Robyn’s “Monument” a close second)

Speaking of Robyn’s “Monument,” the lyrics to that song are haunting and inspirational: “Make a space for my body / Dig a hole / push the sides apart / This is what I’m controlling / It’s a moat / The inside that I carve / This will be my monument / This will be a beacon when I’m gone / So that when the moment comes / I can say I did it all with love / All with love.” It’s a reminder for me to show love and positively affect those around me so that one day, when I’m gone, my love will be remembered.

“Soliloquy” Isaiah Rashad - Both of the new members to TDE made this list (SZA’s “Child’s Play” feat. Chance the Rapper the other dreamy, fanstastic one), but this song bangs and introduced the world to Rashad. “Fuck em it’s a revolution” Rashad proclaims.

"Colours to Life" Temples - They're Tame Impala-lite. There aren't a ton of other contenders in the psychedelic rock genre, but Temples is definitely sitting in second place right now. Love their debut and this is my favorite track from it.

“Eyes Off You” Bombay Bicycle Club - I’ve said before that if you put a piano in a song, odds are I’m going to love it. “I bathed in the light you gave / but its dark in another way / You gave me the light today / but it’s dark in another way.” Gorgeous song.

“Bone Digger” Bear Hands - What a weird song. Not many people will like this, but I think it has such funky rhythms and vocals.

“Roller coaster” Bleachers - PAGING the 80s.

"So" Rome Fortune - "I'm doing what I want / So / Fuck them."

"Needle and a Knife" Tennis - Tennis can do no wrong! Guitarist Patrick Riley thinks of the best riffs that sound perfect yet are so simple - 1:26 of this song is a great example.

“What” Alice Boman - This is one eerie song. I love the foreboding piano as its heavy sustain floats in the background.

“Fiona Coyne” Saint Pepsi - Easily one of the catchiest tracks this year.

“Rattlesnake” St. Vincent - Her talents are insane. I was watching her live - not only is she a great perfomer, but she slays the guitar! I also have a huge crush on her.

“Information” Eliot Sumner - Sting’s daughter? Makes a totally kick ass rock song? Sweet!

“You Could Be Different” Childhood - Love these guys and their beachy-rock vibe. The album is definitely worth checking out as well!

"I Just Wanna Party" YG - This beat is straight 90s West Coast Rap. Speaking of 90s rap, Rob Sheffield was trying to find some answers: "So is it the G-Funk Era because it's funked out with a gangster twist, or is it funked out with a gangster twist because it's the G-Funk Era?"

"Fuck Em Only We Know" Banks - The best titled track of the year.

“For You” Fickle Friends - Sentimental and super poppy, I have no qualms of my love for this song. It’s so damn catchy.

“Out Alee” Hundered Waters - No other song this year sounded anything like this.

“Eyes of the Muse” King Tuff - The solo sounds soooo much like Stone Temple Pilots!

There are many, many more to listen to and enjoy. So get to it!

1. The War On Drugs – Red Eyes
2. Mac Demarco – Salad Days
3. Spoon – Inside Out
4. Real Estate – Talking Backwards
5. Mac Demarco – Let Her Go
6. Todd Terje – Strandbar
7. The Juan Maclean – Running Back To You
8. The War On Drugs – Under The Pressure
9. Young the Giant – Mind Over Matter
10. Drake – 0 To 100 / The Catch Up
11. Mac Demarco – Chamber Of Reflection
12. Sylvan Esso – Hey Mami
13. alt-J – Hunger Of The Pine
14. Roadkill Ghost Choir – Dead Friend
15. Isaiah Rashad – Soliloquy
16. Big K.R.I.T. – Cadillactica
17. Temples – Colours to Life
18. Real Estate – Crime
19. Röyksopp & Robyn – Monument
20. Alvvays – Adult Diversion
21. Ab-Soul – Tree of Life
22. U.S. Royalty – Only Happy in the Country
23. Jack White – Lazaretto
24. Bombay Bicycle Club – Eyes Off You
25. Bear Hands – Bone Digger
26. Bleachers – Rollercoaster
27. Angus & Julia Stone – Grizzly Bear
28. Rome Fortune – So
29. Sbtrkt – Lantern
30. The Night VI – Thinking of You
31. Tennis – Needle and a Knife
32. Alice Boman – What
33. Beverly – Honey Do
34. Saint Pepsi – Fiona Coyne
35. St. Vincent – Rattlesnake
36. Grimes – Go
37. Childish Gambino – Sober
38. Roadkill Ghost Choir – Slow Knife
39. Mac Demarco – Passing Out Pieces
40. Hideout – Where You've Been
41. Sylvan Esso – Dress
42. Eliot Sumner – Information
43. Young the Giant – Anagram
44. Jessica Lea Mayfield – Seein* Starz
45. Childhood – You Could Be Different
46. YACHT – Works Like Magic
47. Todd Terje – Inspector Norse
48. YG – I Just Wanna Party
49. Beck – Morning
50. Isaiah Rashad – Cilvia Demo
51. Temples – Mesmerise
52. Banks – Fuck Em Only We Know
53. Jenny Lewis – Head Underwater
54. Cool Ghouls – Orange Light
55. Frank Ocean – Hero
56. Future Islands – Seasons (Waiting On You)
57. Tweedy – Low Key
58. Fickle Friends – For You
59. The Preatures – It Gets Better
60. Bear Hands – The Bug
61. Banks – Beggin For Thread
62. Spoon – They Want My Soul
63. Benjamin Verdoes – If the World Ignites
64. Todd Terje – Intro (Its Album Time)
65. U.S. Royalty – More to This
66. Ryan Adams – Am I Safe
67. Alvvays – Archie, Marry Me
68. Hundred Waters – Out Alee
69. Run The Jewels – Blockbuster Night Part 1
70. Beck – Blue Moon
71. St. Vincent – Prince Johnny
72. Mimicking Birds – Night Light
73. Step Brothers – More Wins
74. BRONCHO – It's On
75. Rome Fortune – Tropical
76. Cool Ghouls – Get a Feelin'
77. Jungol – Fences
78. The Underachievers – Quiescent
79. King Tuff – Eyes of the Muse
80. SZA – Childs Play (feat. Chance the Rapper)
81. Royal Blood – Loose Change
82. SOHN – Artifice
83. Cozz – Western Ave. Slaves
84. St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Don't Mean a Thing
85. Kendrick Lamar – i
86. Horse Thief – I Don't Mind
87. Mideau – Way with Words
88. Foster The People – Coming of Age
89. Avi Buffalo – So What
90. First Aid Kit – My Silver Lining
91. Olympic Ayres – Control
92. Dawn Golden – All I Want
93. Delta Spirit – Take Shelter
94. Ex Cops – Black Soap
95. Nothing – Dig
96. Gemma Hayes – Joy
97. A$AP Rocky – Multiply
98. Lily & Madeleine – Rabbit
99. Craft Spells – Twirl
100. Theophilus London – Do Girls