Top 10 Songs Of 2012
Trying to slightly beat the rush. don't hate for the lack of metal/post-rock, just not my music. |
| 10 |  | Beach House
Bloom
Lazuli - Beach House managed to cure my ambivalence to dream pop with Bloom, and "Lazuli" is the best song on that very consistent album. The production is perfect, the atmosphere is enveloping... you can tell that Beach House are pros at what they do. |
| 9 | | The Tallest Man On Earth
There's No Leaving Now
There's No Leaving Now - Just a brilliant and beautiful song, a standout on a disappointingly so-so album. |
| 8 |  | Paul Banks
Banks
Another Chance - A really unconventional pick, but "Another Chance" is a stunning piece, with beautiful instrumentation and a chilling theme. The arrangement and composition of it complement the spoken word lyrics perfectly, and an odd conceptual piece that should fall flat on its face turns out brilliant. |
| 7 |  | Japandroids
Celebration Rock
Fire's Highway - Japandroids have never really appealed to me on record; their energy is clearly more suited to a live atmosphere, and a lot is lost when just listening to their music with headphones. However, as soon as Fire's Highway came on for the first time something felt different. It's so explosive and huge that every problem I had with the band was immediately shoved aside. |
| 6 |  | Bloc Party
Four
Day Four - This song is classic Bloc Party: ambient, beautiful, and vocally astounding. The swirling conclusion of the track is one of my favourite musical moments of 2012. |
| 5 |  | The Gaslight Anthem
Handwritten
The National Anthem - This song may not be universally loved by fans, but I think at the end of the exhausting (and arguably repetitive) rock and roll of Handwritten, it provides a perfect subdued and emotional ending to the album. |
| 4 |  | Anberlin
Vital
Little Tyrants - Some tracks on Vital were more dramatic or emotional, but from the get-go "Little Tyrants" serves as the spiritual (and superior) successor to "Godspeed", one of the band's most popular songs. The message is relevant to the year, and the overall bombast of it is energetic and refreshing. |
| 3 |  | Kendrick Lamar
Good Kid, M.A.A.D City
Money Trees - Might be a weird pick from this album, but this song is so effective in a bunch of different contexts: the message and the perfect guest verse complement the album perfectly, the pace makes it a great car jam, and the refrain is catchy and easy to rap along with. "Swimming Pools" may be more essential, but "Money Trees" has it all. |
| 2 |  | The 1975
Facedown
Sex - Not technically on this EP, but I haven't put it up on sputnik yet. This is an indie-pop masterpiece, the kind of song that could make a band explode. It's bursting at its seams with electronic energy, an anthemic chorus, and great instrumentals. The capper to an incredibly consistent year of releases for this band. |
| 1 | | Frank Ocean
Channel Orange
Thinkin' About You - I know everyone's tired of seeing this album at the top of year-end lists, but it's earned its spot. Thinkin About You is a perfect summation of everything that makes Channel Orange spectacular: it's sparse, simple, heart-felt, and delivered perfectly. |
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