Clearly, there was a lot of great music this decade. We're gonna be spending the next few days running through the absolute best songs of the decade, but let's touch on some also-rans first. These were some of my favorite songs of the last ten years, and probably would've made the list, had the 2010s not been jammed packed. They are presented alphabetically, because ranking #150-#101 seems like an exercise in futility, even more so than ranking #100-#1 already is.
"About a Bruise" by Iron & Wine (2017)
Small music about small life moments can be amazing.
"Beautiful Blue Sky" by Ought (2015)
Big music about big life wonders can be amazing too.
"Cave-o-sapien" by Wolf Parade (2010)
For a while, I thought that this was Wolf Parade's swan song. Had they not gotten back together, it would have been a fitting end, full of yawlps and pounding rhythms and nonsense made into towering choruses, all the things that make Wolf Parade special. Still... I'm glad they got back together too. Look for 'em on the Best of the 2020s list too.
"Cosmic Cowboy" by SUSTO (2017)
I love a lot of things about SUSTO, because they do a lot of different things, and they are all successful. But who knew the most successful use of the phrase of "FUCK THE COPS" would come from a SUSTO song too?
"Forget Me Not" by Brian Fallon (2017)
It's true, I will not forget the opening of this song—"STACY!"—it's like Fallon is trying to shred his vocals. A lot of people thought that the Gaslight Anthem sputtered at the end because they were taking themselves too seriously. Hearing Brian Fallon loosen up here might prove that theory correct.
"Freedom at 21" by Jack White (2012)
I hate to say it, but Meg White probably would not have been able to lay down this nasty drum groove.
"Friday" by Rebecca Black (2011)
Remember that one St. Patrick's Day when we just listened to this song like thirty times straight? Neither do I. It was college. Neither does Rebecca Black, probably. I can't imagine this time in her life is anything other than a blur of memes and green-screened car rides. Music is weird sometimes.
"From a Soon-to-Be Ghost Town" by Fruit Bats (2016)
No idea why Fruit Bats' idea of Americana isn't the norm these days.
"Green Light" by Lorde (2017)
I would never have guessed that all Lorde needed to ascend to the next level was Jack Antonoff-isms provided by Jack Antonoff. Just please don't tell me that Lorde and Jack Antonoff were banging too, that'll ruin it for me.
"Green Lights" by Music Band (2016)
This is BY FAR the best song from BY FAR the most ungoogleable band.
"GM" by Ratboys (2017)
Out of all the instant-classic "road trip songs" that I've fallen in love with this decade, "GM" is the most accurate, because every road trip involves a quick stop at Wawa.
"I Don't Ever Wanna Leave California" by Allison Crutchfield (2017)
Hearing such a song makes me wonder why the other Crutchfield sister seems to have a monopoly on my indie rock affections.
"I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)" by Jamie xx (2015)
"I'm gonna ride on her pussy like a stroller!!!" and other brand new similes, facilitated by that dude from the century's coldest, most minimal indie rock band.
"I'll Still Destroy You" by the National (2017)
I stare into the eyes of my children, and fear that this is true.
"I'm the Man to Be" by EL VY (2015)
I don't think there is a more evocative image in music in the 2010s than the image of Matt Berninger's penis tied to a kite string.
"I'm Writing a Novel" by Father John Misty (2012)
Josh Tillman's musical persona bores me most of the time, but I do enjoy when he at least admits that it's a put-on.
"Jeannie Becomes a Mom" by Caroline Rose (2018)
The most XPN song of the decade.
"Kelly I'm Not a Creep" by Young Guv (2015)
I love playing this song and then telling Pam that the artist is from Fucked Up. Because she hates Fucked Up. So cheers to "Kelly I'm Not a Creep" for chipping away at Pam's wrong opinion of Fucked Up, one spin at a time.
"Kill V. Maim" by Grimes (2015)
This song was a lot cooler before Grimes aligned herself with a billionaire.
"Let It Happen" by Tame Impala (2015)
I do truly think that Tame Impala is overhyped, but gosh, some of the shit they do (or did, I guess, since this was the last time they released new music this decade) just tickles me. Like how, in "Let It Happen," there's that record skipping noise, it keeps skipping over and over, and then that skipping noise itself turns into the dance groove. It's a neat trick.
"Life Pass" by Diarrhea Planet (2016)
If you let the band's name trip you up then you deserve a DEATH pass.
"Love You So Bad" by Ezra Furman (2018)
There are a lot of great explanations as to how much Furman loves his unnamed partner, but probably the most accurate is "I love you so bad / I don't believe in love." THAT'S love.
"Lower Order (A Good Laugh)" by Propagandhi (2017)
There are great songs about unethical treatment of animals...
"Me & My Dog" by boygenius (2018)
...and there are great songs about the pain of losing one specific animal.
"Midnight City" by M83 (2011)
I first heard this song at a bar in Las Vegas, and that's probably the main thing you need to know.
"The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apartment" by Father John Misty (2015)
"Josh Tillman's musical persona bores me most of the time, but I do enjoy when he at least admits that it's a put-on" PART TWO
"No Future Shock" by TV on the Radio (2011)
Tragically, TVotR's bassist, Gerard Smith, passed away early in the decade, after battling lung cancer. So this band didn't really have the most productive decade, and you can't really blame them. But I hope they are taking their own words to heart, and are trying to live one day at a time (and do some dancing while they're here).
"Oh My Darling Don't Cry" by Run the Jewels (2014)
"I only came here to do two things, kick some ass and talk about my huge dick. Looks like we're almost out of dick references."
"Over Everything" by Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile (2017)
If a dream pairing of two scuzzy indie rock gods could only produce one legendary song, then it'll have been all worth it.
"Polymorphing" by Chairlift (2016)
This is probably the best place to state that the artwork for Caroline Polachek's solo single "So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings" really is so hot that it hurts my feelings. But the song doesn't hold a candle to "Polymorphing."
"Pretty Pimpin" by Kurt Vile (2015)
I woke up this morning / didn't recognize the man in the mirror / Then I laughed and I said / "Oh silly me, that's just me." / Then I proceeded to look up Kurt Vile's exact address on phila.gov / and found out he lives a few blocks away from some friends in Mount Airy / Pretty pimpin'.
"Raise Your Voice Joyce" by Fucked Up (2018)
"Queen of Hearts" was so nice, it's on this list twice.
"Reflektor" by Arcade Fire (2013)
Don't blame "Reflektor" for the sins of Everything Now. Arcade Fire can do disco, just not always.
"Short Court Style" by Natalie Prass (2018)
I couldn't imagine Natalie Prass sexier than she was when I saw her in concert and she was mad drunk on red wine, but she tries her damnedest here.
"Sister of Pearl" by Baio (2015)
Vampire Weekend pretty much tried to be KISS this decade, in that every band member released solo albums (almost), and this might've been the best (or, only good?) thing to come out of all that.
"Sour Candy" by Bleached (2016)
I'm gonna try to mix cheap whisky and sour candy in 2020. Put it on the New Year's Resolutions list right this second. Ah, yeah, and this song fucking rocks.
"Spirit FM" by Bad Moves (2018)
You can tell this is a nostalgia piece because who the FUCK listens to the radio these days?! Ah, yeah, and this song fucking rocks harder that Bleached.
"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" by Arcade Fire (2010)
Living in the big city, I often wonder if I could also find beauty in dilapidated suburbs too. Arcade Fire says yes.
"Step" by Vampire Weekend (2013)
Only VW could spin a fucking Victorian-era-sounding harpsichord thing into gold.
"Surgeon" by St. Vincent (2011)
This song is all rising action, and it's more tense than the scariest horror movie.
"Take the Doggie" by Shy Boys (2018)
2018 was a weird year for music, wasn't it? That there were so many great fucking songs about dogs?
"Tear It Down" by Spoon (2017)
Spoon spent the entire decade as an "after-hours band," making that "late night sound." It was middling. They need to spend the 2020s ROCKING OUT like they do here.
"Tiny Prayers" by Restorations (2014)
I had a boss who had a husband who was friends with this band. I'm glad I did / she did / he was.
"'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" by David Bowie (2016)
Bowie said that he was influenced by To Pimp a Butterfly's mad jazz freakouts, and man, I can't think of a better outcome from such an off-the-wall influence than this.
"Triumph" by Screaming Females (2015)
HOW DID THIS NOT MAKE THE TOP 100 MY FACE IS MELTING.
"Two Deliverances" by the Hotelier (2016)
HOW DID I NOT EXPLORE MORE OF THE HOTELIER JUST BASED ON THIS SONG ALONE.
"Tyson vs. Douglas" by the Killers (2017)
If you thought that the Killers would ever be able to recreate Sam's Town, then you'll be sorely disappointed. But let this fucking boxing song soothe your wounds.
"West Coast" by FIDLAR (2015)
This one is for all my friends who still drink malt liquor out of 40 oz. bottles.
"Wonder Years" by Real Estate (2011)
I can't believe that this song was from this decade. It sounds timeless.
"You're Dreaming" by Wolf Parade (2017)
As I mentioned for "Cave-o-Sapien" above, Wolf Parade did NOT break up. They just took a long break. If it took seven years to come up with "You're Dreaming," then Krug and Boeckner can take as long as they damn well please.
SEE YOU TOMORROW FOR THE ACTUAL COUNTDOWN!
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