The Top 10 Songs of 2021

An annual tradition since the inception of this blog, here again are my Top 10 favorite songs of the year. While 2020's list was the latest on record, 2021's list is coming in at the earliest. It's been a solid enough year -- musically, at least -- that I feel confident in what my top ten songs are. I've enjoyed these tracks a lot, and listen to them regularly when I go on walks.

One thing of note: The top three are definitely ranked accordingly. Beyond that, numbers 4 through 8 are somewhat interchangeable, depending on the mood and depending on the day.

Right. Now that's been established, let's take a look at the best songs of the year.

10. Don't Shut Me Down, by ABBA

The Swedish pop group reunited and released their first studio album 40 years. It is a brisk 37 minutes in length, and I've listened to it all the way through once. That said, I am most familiar with their double-A-side lead single of I Still Have Faith in You/Don't Shut Me Down, and thought that the second track was rather good. Vintage ABBA with a newer sound. Their voices still sound mostly the same, and there's a nice use of synths.

Still not sure what I think of their purported holographic tour, but maybe it's a sign of the times.

9. Find My Way, by Paul McCartney (featuring Beck)

One of the tracks off of McCartney's 2020 studio album, McCartney III made it onto last year's top ten list. I liked it, but it didn't inspire me. 2021 saw the release of a follow-up, McCartney III Imagined. It was a remix album with guest artists for each track. The 2020 version of Find My Way barely registered with me, but the new one stood out immediately. Remixed to sound stronger, catchier, and with more of a hook, Beck's involvement is the icing on the cake of the 2021 rendition.

8. Kenny, by Still Woozy

Sven Eric Gamsky, aka Still Woozy, is a 29-year-old singer/songwriter who I just discovered this year. He is also the first of two artists making two appearances on this year's Best Of list. Kenny is a song, to my mind, about depression. The video may also be a cue to that inference. The chorus of, "Don't pay me no mind, I'll be fine," is sung in such a way that it -- along with the musical accompaniment -- tells you that the opposite is probably true. Unfortunately, too many of us can relate to such a sentiment.

7. Rocky, by Still Woozy

And here we are with the second song of Mr. Gamsky's songs to make my Top 10 of the year. I listened to this one quite a bit on my walks over the summer. Its bouncy nature belies the vulnerability of the lyrics, and I like that dichotomy. Of the two Still Woozy songs that made our list, this is the first one I heard. Thanks to Sirius/XM channel 36, Alt Nation, for introducing me to this talented artist.

6. Sound the Alarm, by The Knocks (featuring Rivers Cuomo, and Royal and the Serpent)

The Knocks are another artist that I discovered this year (also, if memory serves correctly, through the Alt Nation channel on Sirius/XM). Truth be told, I first heard their song All About You (featuring Foster the People) in late spring, and listened to it nearly non-stop throughout the summer. It's a great song to get up and exercise to. Alas, that was a 2020 release, so it couldn't be included here. Thankfully, Sound the Alarm came to my ears a few months after All About You had. It's very catchy, though I can see where the way the chorus is sung can be an either love it or hate it reaction for some listeners. The video is kind of funny, as well. Seems to be a bit of an '80s homage, in a mild sort of way. Another good exercise track.

5. It's All Happening, by Saint Motel

This is a song I didn't become familiar with until just a few weeks ago, but it's (obviously) become a quick favorite. The bridge is nice, but the soaring chorus is what really seals the deal for me. It is, to re-use a word mentioned previously in this post, a catchy tune, and it's the third Saint Motel song I've quite liked over the years (the previous ones being Move, and Sisters).

4. All My Favorite Songs, by Weezer (featuring AJR)

I like the original version of this song (from the first of Weezer's two 2021 albums), but it's the updated one with AJR that really puts into my Top 10 (and as high as # 4). It sounds a little more edgy, and when it kicks-in after the intro, it really kicks-in. I also like the echoed vocals in the AJR version. The lyrics are relatable for me, aside from the title lyrics, there's the ironic line of, "I love parties, but I don't go. Then I feel bad, when I stay home." Etc., etc. 

3. Maybe It's Today, by Jake Bugg

Now we come to the second artist to have two entries on my top ten list. This is a song that I really, really like, but admit to not 100% understanding what it's about. Specifically, is Bugg singing about one person, or two? If it's one person, then he definitely switches the perspective at various points. If it's two people, then that makes more sense (and I like it even better). What makes me lean toward the the 'two people' idea is that he sings, "I love you the most." It's the "most" that provides the clue. By the way, the part of the song where he sings, "I love you the most" three times consecutively is where the emotion really kicks in for me. It's my favorite part.

2. Pond House, by Saint Etienne

In the top tier of my favorite bands of all-time, Saint Etienne returned this year with a sample-heavy, dream-pop album whose lead single, our # 2 song of the year, is a wistful ode to youth and nostalgia. Definitely watch the accompanying video, directed by Alasdair McLellan. It's full of attractive young adults (my favorite being the shirtless guy continuously walking by a row of primrose houses). I've probably listened to this song more than a hundred times this year, many of those being while out on walks, and it never gets old, despite its repetitive sample of Natalie Imbruglia's vocals. The rest of Saint Etienne's new album, I've Been Trying to Tell You, is good, though none of the other tracks feature as much of a notable beat or bassline as Pond House does, so this track really stands out when you're listening to the LP.

1. Downtown, by Jake Bugg

Just as he did in 2020, the 27-year-old British singer-songwriter Jake Bugg takes our # 1 song for the year. While last time it was an up-tempo anthem about the state of the world, this year's favorite is a slow, melancholy look at support. The composition of piano and strings blends beautifully with Bugg's voice, and the first time I heard him coo, "You'll never be alone," it gave me chills, and I knew this was my favorite song of the year.

And, there you have it. This was a year that I really enjoyed, musically. It's probably my favorite since 2017. I hope you also found a lot of songs that spoke to you this year. Music can really help us get through the tough times.