No countdown or commentary about the songs/albums, just a couple of lists with a few observations about this years music.

 

1) It's safe to say I've completely lost any interest in what's popular in music now, I'd hardly say my tastes are at all obscure, I only have basically 5 sources of music which are all fairly mainstream and well known, but having just sought out this years top 100 selling singles, there are 13 that I have definitely listened to, and that's including Mr Brightside! There are undoubtedly some mainstream gems that I miss - this week I had the BBCs NYE glastobury highlights on whilst working from home, and heard 'Green Light' for the first time, 6 days into 2018 and it's my most played song of the year so far - but given what chart music turned into from 2011-16 it's probably worth missing the odd good song for not having to hear the vast swathes of utter guff that people actually buy and listen to.

 

2) 2017 was the year of Japandroids. 'Near to the Wild Heart of Life' was quite easily my song of 2016 in the end, and was my most listened to of the year. Its parent album my favourite and most listened to of the year, they were the best live act I saw and only one act did I listen to more, and that was by one listen, overtaken in the last fortnight of the year thanks to a Christmas EP

 

3) Joining them in the top two on virtually all of those lists is Los Campesinos!, an act who I loved a decade ago when they first started releasing music, but one I'd lost touch with over the intervening years. 'Sick Scenes' is by far my favourite album of theirs, and their most mature by a long way.

 

4) 2017 has been a year when some favourite acts of mine have confirmed themselves as such even further. The National and LCD Soundsystem releasing great albums again as you'd expect, and Kasabian still going strong. When looking at them compared to the rest of the similar type of acts that emerged at the same time, I find it amazing just how much better they've managed to be, on such a consistent basis. I recently got round to watching their Reading Festival set, when 'Shoot the Runner' and 'Eez-eh' are the two weakest songs in a 90 minute set that's one hell of a collection of songs.

 

5) On the other hand, some other favourites of mine failed to deliver. I think 7 albums was Elbow saturation as for the first time I approached new music of theirs with a fairly big shrug and whilst I couldn't believe that it could possibly be as bad as everyone seemed to be saying, I was amazed that 'Everything Now' managed to be even worse.

 

6) At times this year it's felt like I've gone back in time 10-20 years. Los Campesinos!, Feeder, Shed Seven, Queens of the Stone Age... Franz Ferdinand going into 2018 as my personal chart number 1 with The Fratellis(!) closing in on the top 10.

 

7) Speaking of old acts releasing new stuff, I'm disappointed that I've managed to get to now without ever having heard of both Ride and Slowdive. Not only did they release great albums after huge breaks, but their old stuff is really good and I'll almost certainly continue listening to their back catalogues a lot into the new year.

 

8) 2017 offered proof, if ever it were needed, that there's only one talented Gallagher brother.

 

9) I'd rank my top 3 songs of this year a considerable distance above the rest and is probably as strong as any top 3 I've ever had. 'Don't Delete The Kisses' is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, something that 6 months on I'll still often just stop and concentrate on, making top 10 entries in three consecutive years for Wolf Alice. It's not the best song that Ellie Rowsell has sung on this year though, '3WW' another incredible song, it took a while to grow but after the dross that was their second album, a huge welcome return to form.

 

10) Everything Everything continued their record of being a really good singles act, but a bit 'meh' when it comes to albums. There will always be some superb songs on an album of theirs but overall will contain a reasonable amount of filler. I did decide they were worth going to see live though, and on the hottest weekend of the year, sweated as much as I ever have in a packed out tiny venue (for an act of that size, at least). They played some stuff from their forthcoming album and opened with the title track, I was mesmerized by it, hooked instantly by the way it builds and that looped piano. The wait of a little over a month for the studio version to be released was worth it, I've been utterly obsessed by it ever since.

 

11) The hype is worth it, glastonbury is the greatest place on earth.

 

100 SHEER MAG - Need to Feel Your Love

99 Jessie Ware - Alone

98 Kölsch - In Bottles (feat. Aurora)

97 Marmozets - Habits

96 Tchami - Adieu

95 The Sherlocks - Was It Really Worth It?

94 Daughter - Burn It Down

93 London Grammar - Non Believer

92 RAT BOY - LAIDBACK

91 Cut Copy - Black Rainbows

 

90 Public Service Broadcasting - They Gave Me A Lamp

89 Bicep - Glue

88 The Courtneys - Tour

87 DJ Shadow - Systematic (feat. Nas)

86 LCD Soundsystem - tonite

85 Indian Wells - Cascades

84 The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart - When I Dance With You

83 A Blaze of Feather - Carousel

82 Mr Jukes - Angels / Your Love

81 Real Estate - Darling

 

80 IN HEAVEN - Vultures

79 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Little Thing Gone Wild

78 The Courteeners - Modern Love

77 DMA's - Dawning

76 Machinedrum - 1 2 B Needed

75 Joe Goddard - Home

74 Vessels - Deflect The Light (feat. The Flaming Lips)

73 White Lies - Don't Want to Feel It All

72 Bleachers - Don't Take The Money

70 IN HEAVEN - World On Fire

 

70 The xx - On Hold (Jamie xx Remix)

69 Soulwax - Is It Always Binary

68 Kid Wave - Everything Changes

67 Queens Of The Stone Age - The Way You Used to Do

66 Danny Brown - Ain't It Funny

65 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds - It's A Beautiful World

64 alt-J - Pleader

63 Maximo Park - Risk to Exist

62 The War on Drugs - Holding On

61 Soulwax - Missing Wires

 

60 The National - Guilty Party

59 Japandroids - Fire in the Western World

58 Real Estate - Stained Glass

57 Alvvays - In Undertow

56 FREAK - I Like To Smile When I'm Sad

55 Estrons - Strobe Lights

54 Sampha - Under

53 London Grammar - Oh Woman Oh Man

52 The National - The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness

51 Slaves - Lies

 

50 mr jukes - Leap Of Faith (feat. De La Soul & Horace Andy)

49 A Blaze of Feather - Six Years

48 Kasabian - Bless This Acid House

47 Feeder - Arrow

46 London Grammar - Hell to the Liars (Kölsch Remix)

45 The Drums - Blood Under My Belt

44 The Xx - I Dare You

43 Jamiroquai - Automaton

42 Boxed In - Melt

41 Ride - All I Want

 

40 Shed Seven - Room in My House

39 Kasabian - Ill Ray (The King)

38 Alien Stadium - This One's for the Humans

37 Elbow - Magnificent (She Says)

36 The Xx - A Violent Noise (Four Tet Remix)

35 RAT BOY - REVOLUTION

34 Los Campesinos! - Renato Dall’Ara (2008)

33 Tame Impala - List of People (To Try and Forget About)

32 FREAK - Cake

31 UNKLE - Sunrise (Always Comes Around)

 

30 Emma Jensen - Closer

29 Arcade Fire - Everything Now

28 Slowdive - Star Roving

27 Ride - Cali

26 Kasabian - You're In Love With A Psycho

25 TR/ST - Bicep

24 Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Someone to Stay

23 Franz Ferdinand - Always Ascending

22 Marmozets - Play

21 ionnalee - SAMARITAN

 

20 Everything Everything - Night of the Long Knives

19 Lane 8 - No Captain (feat. POLIÇA)

18 Los Campesinos! - 5 Flucloxacillin

17 Biffy Clyro - Flammable

16 Day Wave - Something Here

15 Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Holy Mountain

14 The Shins - Name For You

13 Queens Of The Stone Age - The Evil Has Landed

12 The Courteeners - Tip Toes

11 Daphni - Tin

 

10 London Grammar - Rooting For You

09 Dizzee Rascal - Space

08 Young Fathers - Only God Knows

07 The National - Day I Die

06 Sampha - (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano

05 Japandroids - No Known Drink Or Drug

04 LCD Soundsystem - call the police

03 Wolf Alice - Don't Delete The Kisses

02 Alt-J - 3WW

01 Everything Everything - A Fever Dream

 

Hi!

 

Magnificent really deserved more in the UK, at least Elbow got another Top 40 with Golden Slumbers :heart:

 

Black Rainbows is my favourite from that album I think, I did tend to get the intro confused with Hard Times but the chorus was very earworm-y

 

LAIDBACK is one of RAT BOY's best songs imo, not as in-your-face as some of his others (I guess that makes it a bit more laid back :P )

 

Great chart :D

Hey Mark, excellent chart! I agree with what you say about 2017 being the year of the comeback - some really great stuff from the returns of Ride, Slowdive and LCD Soundsystem (though they've not been away anywhere near as long); there is such a huge amount of pressure on the quality of material from returns of bands who had a big following 20-25 years ago but all pretty much delivered. “Star Roving” in particular was a stunning return and definitely made me seek out more of their early stuff.

 

Great to see Sampha and Young Fathers in your Top 10 - both comfortably made mine, and LCD Soundsystem and alt-J both were in my Top 20.

 

I'll have to check out some of the tracks I don't know that well but really chuffed to see another fan of “Cascades” - heard it on Tom Ravenscroft (6Music) and it has to be one of my fave discoveries of 2017.

 

Finally, I agree with what you said about Los Campesinos! - I felt like I could really relate to “5 Flucloxacillin” and I was so pleased to get back into their stuff after really being obsessed with them around 10 years ago in 2007.

 

Happy New Year. : )