Cabinet Phone is great, Closer is okay.

I knew I recognized the name Neil Cicierega, can't believe Lemon Demon is the same guy that made Potter Puppet Pals!? :mellow:

 

:heart: :heart: :wub: <3 <3 Winterbreak <3 <3 :wub: :heart: :heart:

life is full of surprises ain't it (love me some potter puppet pals <3)

06 Mitski "Your Best American Girl"

 

http://is5.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music49/v4/fc/1e/97/fc1e9788-c8d7-9cf9-41d0-e0cace537acb/source/170x170bb.jpg

 

dhwe's highly deserved Nuggets winner, a song of reflection and regret set to a dreamy instrumental, really flourishing with those fuzzy guitars during the chorus <3

 

05 Anna Meredith "Nautilus"

 

http://is5.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music2/v4/db/eb/08/dbeb08c6-6cb6-e0de-0448-e1695441ba87/source/170x170bb.jpg

 

What better than this fucking epic instrumental to kick off the top 5? Scottish composer Anna's album opener for Varmints is a hugely captivating listen for its entire 5-6 minute run time, thanks to the emphatic horn stabs and the gradual build to this wonderful climax- it's always struck me as like the perfect "going into battle" type of song if that makes any sense. Might be cheating slightly since this track's actually from 2012 but it's not like anyone will notice so whatever~

 

 

04 Jamala "1944"

 

http://is2.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music49/v4/e5/c9/8e/e5c98e41-5039-9902-cc75-b65e6305c975/source/170x170bb.jpg

 

I could sense my interest in Eurovision was slowly growing over the last few years, but Ukraine's glorious triumph at the end of 2016's contest perhaps solidified it all. The cold melancholy of the song really allows the lyrics to cut like a knife, as she tells the plight of her great-grandmother and her daughters during the crimean tatar deportations, while also hoping for a brighter and happier world on the second verse. A chilling track and performance, and seeing my big favourite win in the end was truly amazing <3 2017's contest can't come sooner

 

 

03 Yeasayer "I Am Chemistry"

 

http://is2.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music49/v4/ab/5e/60/ab5e6030-777a-fec9-a225-3fd8bc005dfd/source/170x170bb.jpg

 

Yeasayer always finding their way into my affections, and this lead from 2016's Amen & Goodbye is my favourite of theirs since their big one-two punch of Ambling Alp/O.N.E. years ago. Keating's signature crooning style, the off-kilter instrumental, a sudden choir verse toward the end, how was this not gonna be straight down my alley (i feel like alanna would be more knowledgeable on all the chemistry references, she was always the smart science-y one)

 

 

02 Bruno Mars "24K Magic"

 

http://is4.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music71/v4/37/cc/eb/37cceb44-5eba-f9ef-f162-f94985cb6f53/source/170x170bb.jpg

 

WE ARE NOT WORTHY. This opus from newly-appointed pop royalty Bruno Mars came about on a regular NU MUZAK FRYDAY morning, as i sat up in my bed over in Florida experiencing this brilliance for the first time, 2016's chart music was saved before my very ears. Clearly following the lead of the unavoidable Uptown Funk, but this time with a gleaming Chromeo-esque synth funk instrumental and an even more in-your-face, braggadocious attitude. A party jam to end all party jams, and the year would've felt a little too empty without it

 

01 Lemon Demon "Touch-Tone Telephone"

 

http://is4.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music49/v4/8b/7e/fa/8b7efaa1-eece-6121-fc86-b85264079afa/source/170x170bb.jpg

 

don't hang up yet, i'm not done!

 

It had to be the shining beacon of Lemon Demon's life-defining Spirit Phone album, the similarly life-defining "Touch-Tone Telephone": centred around a conspiracy theorist, convinced his beliefs are undeniably correct (kinda frightening how well this fit into Trifoski's "agenda arc" when i think about it). I have to say, there obviously can't be a string section more majestically perfect than the one displayed here can there? But beyond that, the driving retro 80s synths, the lovable quirkiness, the iconic spoken-word middle 8, is an absolute juggernaut of a pop tune :wub: My ultimate go-to singalong for the year, and just perfection in general really. There couldn't be a more fitting choice for my #1 single here, congrats Mr Neil Cicierega, and TOUCH-TONE TOUCH-TONE TELEPHONE!!

 

FULL RECAP

 

SINGLES:

1 Lemon Demon "Touch-Tone Telephone"

2 Bruno Mars "24K Magic"

3 Yeasayer "I Am Chemistry"

4 Jamala "1944"

5 Anna Meredith "Nautilus"

6 Mitski "Your Best American Girl

7 The Chainsmokers feat. Halsey "Closer"

8 Lemon Demon "Cabinet Man"

9 Kero Kero Bonito "Lipslap"

10 MUNA "Winterbreak"

11 Car Seat Headrest "Fill in the Blank"

12 The Black Queen "Ice To Never"

13 Amber Coffman "All To Myself"

14 Thee Oh Sees "The Axis"

15 Bastille "Good Grief"

16 PWR BTTM "Projection"

17 Jessy Lanza "It Means I Love You"

18 AlunaGeorge feat. Leikeli47 & Dreezy "Mean What I Mean"

19 ANOHNI "4 Degrees"

20 Lemon Demon "Soft Fuzzy Man"

21 Danny L Harle feat. Carly Rae Jepsen "Super Natural"

22 La Femme "Sphynx"

23 Teleman "Dusseldorf"

24 Great Good Fine Ok "Take It Or Leave It"

25 White Lung "Kiss Me When I Bleed"

26 Santigold feat. B.C. "Can't Get Enough Of Myself"

27 The xx "On Hold"

28 The 1975 "Somebody Else"

29 Parquet Courts "Berlin Got Blurry"

30 D.R.A.M. feat. Lil Yachty "Broccoli"

31 Savages "The Answer"

32 Kazaky "Milk Choc"

33 The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk "Starboy"

34 Thee Oh Sees "Gelatinous Cube"

35 Iglooghost "Chinchou / Melon Lantern Girls Choir"

36 Bonzai "No Rest"

37 Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar "Freedom"

38 Lemon Demon "Lifetime Achievement Award"

39 Dutch Uncles "Big Balloon"

40 Amnesia Scanner "AS Crust"

41 Charli XCX "Vroom Vroom"

42 Kero Kero Bonito "Break"

43 Wet "All The Ways"

44 Santigold "Banshee"

45 Sivert Høyem "Sleepwalking Man"

46 Mike Posner "I Took A Pill In Ibiza (SeeB Remix)"

47 Autoheart "Oxford Blood"

48 Drake feat. Wizkid & Kyla "One Dance"

49 Suede "Like Kids"

50 Oliver feat. Scott Mellis "Electrify"

51 Glass Animals "Life Itself"

52 Eats Everything "Big Discs"

53 Chairlift "Romeo"

54 Porches "Be Apart"

55 Let's Eat Grandma "Eat Shiitake Mushrooms"

56 White Denim "Had 2 Know (Personal)"

57 KING "The Greatest"

58 Ariana Grande "Into You"

59 LUH "I&I"

60 Kero Kero Bonito "Trampoline"

61 clipping. "Wriggle"

62 Allie X "Old Habits Die Hard"

63 Danny L Harle feat. Caroline Polachek "Ashes of Love"

64 Beyond The Wizards Sleeve "Diagram Girl"

65 Kadie Elder "First Time He Kissed A Boy"

66 Ezra Furman "Teddy, I'm Ready"

67 Anderson .Paak feat. Schoolboy Q "Am I Wrong"

68 David Bowie "Lazarus"

69 The 1975 "The Sound"

70 Kero Kero Bonito "Graduation"

71 LP "Lost On You"

72 Basenji "Can't Get Enough"

73 BETSY "Lost & Found"

74 The Divine Comedy "Catherine The Great"

75 Bayonne "Appeals"

76 Rihanna "Kiss It Better"

77 Clarence Clarity "Vapid Feels Are Vapid"

78 Chairlift "Crying In Public"

79 Gallant "Bourbon"

80 Melt Yourself Down "Dot To Dot"

81 BANKS "Gemini Feed"

82 DNCE "Cake By The Ocean"

83 Sleigh Bells "I Can Only Stare"

84 Beyoncé "Hold Up"

85 Lemon Demon "Sweet Bod"

86 A. G. Cook "Superstar"

87 Sofi Tukker "Drinkee"

88 LIV "Wings Of Love"

89 School Of Seven Bells "Open Your Eyes"

90 Shura "What's It Gonna Be?"

91 Jean Tonique feat. Iris "Guest"

92 Dan Deacon "Change Your Life (You Can Do It)"

93 PJ Harvey "The Wheel"

94 Jamie T "Tinfoil Boy"

95 AlunaGeorge feat. Popcaan "I'm In Control"

96 Bat for Lashes "Sunday Love"

97 St. Lucia "Dancing On Glass"

98 Lido "Crazy"

99 Fickle Friends "Cry Baby"

100 Nimmo "My Only Friend"

 

ALBUMS:

1. Lemon Demon "Spirit Phone"

2. Thee Oh Sees "A Weird Exits"

3. Kero Kero Bonito "Bonito Generation"

4. Beyoncé "Lemonade"

5. Jamie T "Trick"

6. Parquet Courts "Human Performance"

7. Santigold "99 Cents"

8. Suede "Night Thoughts"

9. Bruno Mars "24K Magic"

10. NAO "For All We Know"

11. Savages "Adore Life"

12. Porches "Pool"

13. Sivert Hoyem "Lioness"

14. Ariana Grande "Dangerous Woman"

15. Yeasayer "Amen & Goodbye"

16. School of Seven Bells "SVIIB"

17. Christine and the Queens "Chaleur Humaine"

18. Anna Meredith "Varmints"

19. Hinds "Leave Me Alone"

20. Roosevelt "Roosevelt"

21. David Bowie "Blackstar"

22. Bastille "Wild World"

23. Melt Yourself Down "Last Evenings On Earth"

24. Chairlift "Moth"

25. The 1975 "I Like It When You Sleep for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It"

26. Wet "Don't You"

27. James Blake "The Colour In Anything"

28. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard "Nonagon Infinity"

29. Sleigh Bells "Jessica Rabbit"

30. Teleman "Brilliant Sanity"

 

A final big THANK U to everyone who's left a comment for this thread, it's much appreciated <3 hope you enjoyed it and maybe made some discoveries even, join me again for next year's countdown when i attempt to actually complete it before february!

I forgot you were such a fan of Closer! Really quite the masterpiece of pop there, I always thought it should have more fans than it apparently does.

 

On less known notes I'm definitely loving Yeasayer and Jamala in the top 4 because they were also highlights of last year for me - and good winner in Touch-Tone Telephone, what an infectious bop.

I should check out more from Lemon Demon (and also had no idea he did Potter Puppet Pals! What an internet legend), he sounds very intriguing going by your descriptions! Touch Tone Telephone was great and Nautilus was another fantastic discovery that should've done much better.

 

Also, 24k Magic was clearly one of the better chart hits this year and 1944 was a brilliantly different winner for Eurovision so great top 5 all in all <3 Very cool stuff as always~ B-)

 

Your Best American Girl [8.5]

Nautilus [9.5] It IS epic

1944 [10.0] My favourite from 2k16's Eurovision

I Am Chemistry [9.0]

24K Magic [9.5] Put your little finger to the moon. Girl, what you tryna do. 24 carat magic in the air-ai-air.

Touch-Tone Telephone [9.5]

Great to see Yeasayer in the Top 3 - who'd have thought a song about a WMD chemical nerve agent would be so brilliant.

 

C₄H₁₀FO₂P indeed.