Left to my own devices

We're on the last day of 2024 and, in addition to that, we're also closing-out the first quarter of the 21st century. Twenty-five years (2000-2024) in the can. They've certainly been.... interesting. If there's one thing we can say about the 21st century so far, it's that it hasn't been boring. Personally, I could stand a little boredom for awhile, but ah well. The music of this century has also not been boring. I decided to choose my Top 25 songs of the first 25 years of the century so far, and it wasn't easy. I had to whittle-away a lot, having decided to include only one song per artist, and to exclude instrumental tracks (of which, I like several). Here, then, in alphabetical order, are my 25 favorite songs of the 21st century. Because I don't feel like writing essays about each song, I'm only going to leave them with one word or sentence. It could be about why I like the track, or it could just be a favorite quote from the lyrics. Ok, here we go...

Some of you (let's be honest, probably none of you) may have noticed that my annual 'Top 10 Songs of the Year' posts have been absent. The last one I did was for 2021 . The lack of a yearly reflection on my favorite songs has been down to a couple of factors: 1) last year was... distracting for me, for a variety of reasons, and it was difficult to concentrate enough to think about making a list, and 2) honestly, I haven't been all that jazzed about recent music -- at least, not enough to warrant a Top 10 list for each  year. But, I still love music, and listen to it. A lot. So, the thought occurred that I could definitely comprise a list of ten favorite songs of the decade... so far, at least. We are in the fifth year of the 2020s, so there's definitely been enough time for several songs to tickle my fancy. In fact, it was a bit difficult to whittle things down to just ten tracks. Here, then, are my Top 10 Favorite Songs of the 2020s, so far....

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.

We're counting down my 100 favorite songs of the 2010-19 decade, ten at a time. You know the drill by now....

Alright, it's been a few weeks. The holidays, and adjusting to the new year sort of put things off-track with the countdown, but let's get back to it and finish this! Up next in our list of Matt's 100 favorite songs of the (last) decade, we crack the Top 50. Let's see what we find...

We're in April now, so it seems rather late for my annual Top 10 Songs of the Year list , and yet, here we are. It's been a busy year so far, so apologies for the delay (though it's doubtful many of you were waiting with bated breath for the reveal). Here, then, are my favorite songs from last year, starting with... 10. I Promise You , by Ezra Koenig The lead singer for one of the best bands out there, Vampire Weekend, sings this sweet little tune from the Peter Rabbit soundtrack. It's kinder than the movie was, thankfully. 9. Chances , by Backstreet Boys The older I get, the more personal nostalgia seems to play a role (as will be evident with a few other choices on this list). Hence, the inclusion of this track off the latest Backstreet Boys album. It isn't bad, and it reminds me of the '90s, when the group was first coming on the scene, and I enjoyed so much of their music. 8. Heart to Love , by Passenger Passenger (or, re...

Some years are better than others. This is one of those years. At least, it's a better year in what is, admittedly, my narrow definition of what constitutes good music. Sometimes, in years past, I'd be struggling to come up with ten songs that really spoke to me. Not so with this go-around. It was tough to narrow my favorite songs of 2017 to just ten, but here we are. I share these lists with you once a year, dear reader, not out of any ego (well, perhaps a little), but because music has been, and continues to be, so important to me. Music is one of those enveloping  external forces that can transport us to another time and place, remind us of long ago (and current) loves, and basically warp our thoughts and emotions like very little else. Here, then, are my Top 10 favorite songs of 2017. I hope you enjoy at least some of them.

What a difference a year makes. Most of the time, I have trouble narrowing down the favorite songs of the year into a list of just 10, and typically delay publishing the list until late January or February. Not so with 2016. I pretty much had this list done by October, though kept a flicker of hope alive that the last two months would bring some miraculous onslaught of good tunes. Alas, it was not to be. Here, then, are my picks for the Top 10 songs from 2016, for whatever it's worth....

E xpectation vs. reality can be a harsh thing. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in our interpersonal relationships. So often we strive for a connection with someone, only to discover that they do not desire the same. We want an affirmation from others about who we are as human beings, yet do not receive such interaction when it is most wanted. And, of course, we want a storybook closure to our relationships with others, an ending that all too often is never written the way we'd like, or expect, it to be. We'll see a movie where someone likes someone else and, in order to let them know, will write them a love song. Maybe there'll be a scene where, in a crowded night club, person A will get on stage, strum their guitar (it's always a guitar, isn't it?) and coo their homegrown lyrics to person B in the audience. Person B, the object of the affection, will tear-up, fall in love there on the spot and eventually the two will go off together in a blur of roma...

I'm going to be honest. As far as recent years are concerned, 2012 was my favorite for doing these Top 10 Best Songs lists. I still listen to that playlist. Such great music. 2014 did have its moments, however, and here they are. Oddly enough, of my top ten favorite songs from last year, the list contains two by dead people. Remember: they just have to have been released in 2014, not necessarily recorded in 2014. Without further adieu...

2013 was a good year for music. True, the Top 40 Singles and Hot 100 Albums charts were filled with a lot of crap, as usual, but if you just take the time to look, you'll find some hidden gems. So much of the best music out there these days doesn't chart as highly as other stuff (or at all), so a little exploration can be a beautiful thing. Here, then, are my picks for favorite tracks of 2013 (granted, two of them come from a # 1 album, but then there always exceptions to the rules):

It was a pretty solid year for music. Nothing too extraordinary, but lots of consistent goodness. When it came time to compile my list of favorite songs from 2011 , it felt as though I had to perhaps stretch it a bit in order to come up with ten tracks. With 2012, I'm leaving things on the cutting room floor. It is with great pleasure therefore that I present to you my favorite bits of music from the recently-departed 2012. Hope you find something you like!

I love music. Many different types: classical, operatic, film scores, rock & roll, R&B, pop, electronic, etc. etc. For the purposes of this blog post, I'm going to focus on pop music. You know, music + lyrics. Songs. So many of them out there, so many of them satisfying, for so many reasons. Pop songs can take us into a plethora of emotionally-sensitive territories. Today, I want to discuss a favorite aspect of pop songs: the contradictory lyric.

Well, folks, it's been....  a year. Music-wise, I can't say that 2011 has been a sterling effort, but it's been ok (certainly no 1993 or 1997, the two best years for music during the past 20 years). While I'm still trying to determine whether there are even five consistently solid albums for my 'Top 5 Albums' list, I do have a fair amount of songs that were in the running for 'Top 10 Songs of the Year.' And here they are: