For a 17th year in a row I have produced an end of year chart, and this year seemed to be by far the biggest and best in terms of songs I've discovered, I'm not sure if it was down to the full embracing of streaming over the last 18 months, but I had over 520 singles I'd regularly listened to to whittle down to a top 100.

 

I shall post in one list, with the odd bit of commentary if I have anything interesting to mention. I'll also add what number End of Year entry it is and what each acts previous highest placing was.

 

The previous 16 number ones:

2002 - Doves - There Goes the Fear

2003 - The Libertines - Time For Heroes

2004 - Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

2005 - The Futureheads - Hounds of Love

2006 - Stellastarr* - Sweet Troubled Soul

2007 - Robyn - With Every Heartbeat

2008 - Elbow - One Day Like This

2009 - Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes

2010 - Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce - Telephone

2011 - Bon Iver - Holocene

2012 - Blur - Under the Westway

2013 - Jagwar Ma - The Throw

2014 - Tokyo Police Club - Argentina (Parts I, II, III)

2015 - Jamie xx feat. Romy - Loud Places

2016 - Japandroids - Near to the Wild Heart of Life

2017 - Everything Everything - A Fever Dream

 

Just two of those (sort of) feature in this years 100...

100 Villagers - Again (2, Becoming a Jackal - #57, 2010)

99 Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous (1)

98 Wolf Alice - Formidable Cool (7, Don't Delete The Kisses - #03, 2017)

97 Janelle Monae feat. Grimes Pynk (3, Tightrope (feat. Big Boi) - #22, 2010 / 4, Kill v. Main - #31, 2016)

96 Riton & Kah-Lo - Ginger (1 / 1)

95 Eminem - Untouchable (4, Lose Yourself - #23, 2002)

94 Marmozets - Run With The Rhythm (3 - Play - #22, 2017)

93 Gioli & Assia - Starry Nights (1 / 1)

92 The 1975 - Give Yourself a Try (5, Medicine - #36, 2014 & Somebody Else - #36, 2016)

91 The Hold Steady - Entitlement Crew (6, Stuck Between Stations - #05, 2007)

 

90 CHVRCHES feat. Matt Berninger - My Enemy (4, The Mother We Share - #36, 2012 / 1)

89 Theophilius London feat. Tame Impala - Only You (1 / 4 - Let It Happen - #02, 2015)

88 The Coral - Sweet Release (4, Miss Fortune - #18, 2016)

87 De Lux - 875 Dollars (2, Oh Man The Future - #13, 2015)

86 Aidan Moffatt - Party On (1)

85 Jon Hopkins - Everything Connected (3, Breathe This Air (feat. Purity Ring) - #04, 2013)

84 HEALTH & Pertubator - BODY/PRISON (4, Stonefist - #26, 2015 / 1)

83 Pale Waves - Kiss (1)

I thought Pale Waves were really poor until this came out, now I think they're great and really looking forward to seeing them live

 

82 Muse - Thought Contagion (9, Butterflies and Hurricanes - #06, 2004)

81 Spector - Untiled In D (2, All The Sad Young Men - #08, 2015)

80 Easy Life - Nightmares (1)

79 Lily Allen - Higher (3, LDN - #29, 2006))

78 The Carters - Apeshit (1)

77 The Joy Formidable - The Better Me (4, Whirring - #04, 2011)

76 Bulow - You & Jennifer (1)

75 The xx - Lips [Edu Imbernon Remix] (6, A Violent Noise [Four Tet Remix] - #36, 2017 / 1)

I'm not sure there's another act whose songs lend themselves so well to a remix? Incredible I've never put anything of theirs higher than #36!

 

74 Hatchie - Sleep (1)

73 Mogwai - We're Not Done (End Title) (1)

72 Dream Wife - Fire (1)

71 Teleman - Song for a Seagull (1)

70 Soulwax - Essential Four (4 - Missing Wires - #61, 2017)

69 How To Dress Well - The Anteroom (6, Reminder (feat. RL Grime) - #05, 2014)

68 Slaves - Cut and Run (5, Sockets - #24, 2015)

67 The Presets feat. DMA's - Are You Here? (1 / 3, Too Soon - #48, 2016)

66 Lusts - Lost Highway (3, Illuminations - #20, 2016)

65 Haley - Bratt (1)

 

64 Lil Peep - Cry Alone (1)

63 Professor Green feat. Rag N Bone Man - Photographs (1 / 1)

62 Nine Inch Nails - Over and Out (2, The Hand That Feeds - #05, 2005)

61 DMA's - Do I Need You Now? (4, Too Soon - #48, 2016)

60 Jessie Ware - Overtime (9, Imagine It Was Us - #08, 2013)

59 Miles Kane - Cry on My Guitar (2, Don't Forget Who You Are - #85, 2013)

58 Robyn - Missing U (15, With Every Heartbeat - #01, 2007)

Prior to this year Robyn and Arctic Monkeys both had most End of Year chart entries for me with 14. Given both released an album I'd have thought both would extend that lead. Unfortunately one was as far from something I'd like as possible, so Robyn takes the lead all by herself.

 

57 The Horrors - Fire Escape (6, Who Can Say - #05, 2009)

56 Estrons - Body (2, Strobe Lights - #55, 2017)

55 George FitzGerald feat. Lil Silva - Roll Back (2, Full Circle (feat. Boxed In) - #96, 2015 / 1)

54 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Body Move (2, Garden - #82, 2011)

Act I'm amazed are featuring in this chart number one.

 

53 Miss June - Twitch (1)

52 The Fratellis - I've Been Blind (4, Henrietta - #32, 2006)

Act I'm amazed are featuring in this chart number two.

 

51 Shed Seven - Nothing To Live Down (2, Room In My House - #40, 2017)

50 CASisDEAD - Pat Earrings (1)

49 As December Falls - Ride (1)

Probably the most random discovery. Listened to them purely because they were playing at a local venue I really enjoy, they sounded exactly like I thought they would from looking at them and loved them.

 

48 Pusha T - If You Know You Know (2, Runaway (feat. Kanye West) - #08, 2010)

47 St. Vincent - Pills (1)

46 Hookworms - Ullswater (1)

45 Young Fathers - Border Girl (3, Only God Knows - #08, 2017)

44 The Wombats - Turn (2, Let's Dance To Joy Division - #18, 2007)

Act I'm amazed are featuring in this chart number three.

 

43 Zhu & Tame Impala - My Life (1 / 5 - Let It Happen - #02, 2015)

42 The 1975 - TooTimeTooTimeTooTime (6, Medicine - #36, 2014 & Somebody Else - #36, 2016)

41 Fourward - Hope (1)

40 Dave - Hangman (1)

39 Tom Demac feat. Real Lies - White Flowers (1 / 2, Seven Sisters - #16, 2015)

38 Ben Howard - A Boat To an Island on the Wall (10, Keep Your Head Up - #05, 2011)

37 The Fratellis - Stand Up Tragedy (5, Henrietta - #32, 2006)

Twice!! A Fratellis album I really enjoyed was not something I was anticipating in 2018.

 

36 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Echo (7, Spread Your Love - #13, 2002, Stop - #13, 2003)

35 Karen O feat. Michael Kiwunaka - Yo! My Saint (1 / 1)

34 DJ Koze - Pick Up (1)

33 Christine and the Queens - Doesn’t Matter (3, Jonathan (feat. Perfume Genius) - #14, 2015)

Rivalling Arctic Monkeys for most disappointing album release of the year, hers did at least produce two good singles.

 

32 Otha - I'm On Top (1)

31 Joe Goddard - So Much (3, Home - #75, 2017)

30 LCD Soundsystem - Oh Baby [Lovefingers Remix] (7, Call The Police - #04, 2017 / 1)

29 Estrons - Lilac (2, Strobe Lights - #55, 2017)

28 Dream Wife - Hey Heartbreaker (2, Fire - #72, 2018)

27 George Ezra - Paradise (1)

26 Hatchie - Sugar & Spice (2 - Sleep, #74, 2018)

25 James Blake - Don't Miss It (5, Radio Silence - #12, 2016)

24 Wolf Alice - Space & Time (8, Don't Delete The Kisses - #03, 2017)

23 Alice Glass - Cease and Desist (2, Stillbirth - #30, 2015)

22 George FitzGerald feat. Hudson Scott - Nobody But You (3, Roll Back (feat. Lil Silva) - #55, 2018 / 1)

21 Easy Life - Frank (2, Nightmares - #80, 2018)

If Easy Life don't end 2019 in my top 3 listened to acts of the year I'll be surprised, and disappointed tbh given the quality of their output so far.

 

20 Gerry Cinnamon - Sometimes (1)

I watched a video on Twitter from TRNSMT, some guy I didn't recognise singing a song I didn't know with tens of thousands of people singing it back. It was this guy, he's excellent and absolutely massive. A dozen years ago he'd have been everywhere.

 

19 The Vaccines - I Can't Quit (3, Nørgaard - #14, 2011)

18 Robyn - Honey (16, With Every Heartbeat - #01, 2007)

Missing U was good but this was another level of excellent. Each of those 16 entries: 2007 - Handle Me (95), With Every Heartbeat (01) 2008: Dream On (80), Be Mine (64) 2009: The Girl and The Robot (07) 2010: Indestructible (56), Hang With Me (36), Caesar (17), Dancing On My Own (07), 2011: Call Your Girlfriend (23) 2014: Do It Again (12) 2015: Love Is Free (94), Set Me Free (68) 2018: Missing U (58), Honey (18)

 

17 Icarus feat. Real Lies - Man of the Land (1 / 3, Seven Sisters - #16, 2015)

16 How To Dress Well - Hunger (6, Reminder (feat. RL Grime) - #05, 2014)

15 Good Charlotte - Awful Things (1)

Act I'm amazed are featuring in this chart number four. The 13 year old in me added this to a 'to listen' to playlist from Spotify's New Music playlist out of nothing but a weird curiosity.

 

14 Pale Waves - Black (2, Kiss - #83, 2018)

13 Ben Howard - Nica Libres at Dusk (11, Keep Your Head Up - #05, 2011)

12 Liela Moss - Memories and Faces (2, Sunrise (Always Comes Around) (feat. UNKLE) - #31, 2017)

11 Slaves - Chokehold (6, Sockets - #24, 2015)

A decent act who I fell in love with going to watch them in the 11am slot on day 4 of Glastonbury, so much energy and incredible noise made by two people. This years album I think the best and superb live.

 

10 Death Cab for Cutie - Gold Rush (6, I Will Possess Your Heart - #06, 2008)

Every album has at least one brilliant single on. Still going as strong as ever.

 

09 Marshmello & Lil Peep - Spotlight (1 / 2, Cry Alone - #64, 2018)

The first I ever heard of Lil Peep was when he died, one look at him and I immediately though there's no chance I'd be into his music. However the Good Charlotte cover of Awful Things got me investigating and I love it all, an update he's ended the year in my top 10, just outside my top 10 listened to and his album the one I'm enjoying most going into 2019.

 

08 ionnalee feat. TR/ST - Harvest (2, Samaritan - #21, 2017 / 2, Bicep - #25, 2017)

07 The Streets - Sometimes I Hate My Friends More Than My Enemies (7, Weak Become Heroes - #02, 2002)

06 DMA's - In The Air (5, Too Soon - #48, 2016)

My love for DMA's this year reached teen fangirl levels as I listened to them twice as often as anyone else and went to see them live in three different cities, I was and still am utterly obsessed.

 

05 Dream Wife - Somebody (3, Hey Heartbreaker - #28, 2018)

It was only seeing these live that I really started to love Dream Wife. They put on a hell of a show and promote so many positive messages. Somebody pretty much passed me by initially but it's truly excellent feminist anthem.

 

04 Real Lies - The Checks (4, Seven Sisters - #16, 2015)

One banger of their own and vocals lent to two entirely different other tracks make them the only act to appear three times in the top half.

 

03 Metric - Dressed to Suppress (2, Monster Hospital - #03, 2006)

The in/out fades are so good. An anthem I adored from first listen.

 

02 Young Fathers - In My View (4, Only God Knows - #08, 2017)

I reckon this would have been a comfortable number one on at least half of the years in this decade. I never really got them before, couldn't get into them with their Mercury winning album, a couple of singles I liked from the next but this year I truly began to love them. An album perfect from start to finish, and a lead single so utterly joyous.

 

01 DMA's - For Now (6, In The Air - #06, 2018)

Where my obsession truly began. A few decent singles from their first album but never a huge impact. Then each release got better in 2017/8. It's been a long while since one song was so utterly dominant in what ended the year as my favourite. Never have I listened to a song so much in one year (well since last.fm started measuring such things), rarely have I gone quite so mad at a gig for a song, rarely has one song taken an act to new levels of adoration.

Edited January 5, 20196 yr by RabbitFurCoat

And some albums, basically a load of acts from the above in a similar-ish order

 

25 Twenty One Pilots - Trench

24 Soulwax - Essential

23 Alpines - Full Bloom

22 Miles Kane - Coup de Grace

21 Liela Moss - My Name Is Safe In Your Mouth

 

20 Ben Howard - Noonday Dream

19 Metric - Art of Doubt

18 The Vaccines - Combat Sports

17 The Fratellis - In Your Own Sweet Time

16 George Ezra - Staying At Tamara's

15 Death Cab for Cutie - Thank You For Today

14 Pale Waves - My Mind Makes Noises

13 Lil Peep - Come On Over When You're Sober Part 2

12 Marmozets - Knowing What You Know Now

11 Robyn - Honey

 

10 Mastersystem - Dance Music

09 The Joy Formidable - AARTH

08 Gerry Cinnamon - Erratic Cinematic

07 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Wrong Creatures

06 George FitzGerald - All That Must Be

05 Estrons - You Say I'm Too Much, I Say You're Not Enough

04 Dream Wife - Dream Wife

03 Slaves - Acts of Fear and Love

02 DMA's - For Now

01 Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar

 

Hello there! Thought I'd comment for old times sake...

 

I've had a scan through and there is lots here that I just haven't listened to at all, primarily the guitar based stuff that just hasn't grabbed me for a couple of years now. That said, I did enjoy the DMAs this year so am pleasantly surprised to see that as your year end #1. I didn't even realise 'For Now' had been released as a single, my grip on what is and isn't a single these days is definitely dwindling. Your comments around Young Fathers I'd agree with up until the recent stuff which continued to pass me by in the same way as all of their older stuff, I can sort of see why people like them but they don't really click for me.

 

I thought Metric had a real return to form this year, I don't think the album is 100% great but it's a massive step up in quality from them and there's at least six tracks on there that I think are among their best. Ben Howard's album took quite a long time to grow on me but I've ended up quite enjoying it, a nice enough progression and Nica Libres... is definitely a highlight from this year for me.

 

As you would no doubt expect, I was very much on board with Robyn again this year. Honey is very likely my song of the year, I think it's right up there with her very best. The album was a big highlight of the year for me too, I can see both why it's getting such a high level of critical acclaim and also why so many of her fans don't seem to care for it... for me it's probably her most coherent album to date so as a whole I'd possibly say it's her best.

 

Also - you're not fond of the Christine album then? I certainly don't like it as much as her debut but I've found it growing on me over the course of the year since release, Doesn't Matter is definitely my favourite track but I've also very fond of Damn dis moi, la marcheuse, What's-her-face, make some sense and 5 dollars too - though I prefer nearly all of them in the French versions.

 

I like all of these:

 

99 Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous (1)

98 Wolf Alice - Formidable Cool (7, Don't Delete The Kisses - #03, 2017)

97 Janelle Monae feat. Grimes Pynk (3, Tightrope (feat. Big Boi) - #22, 2010 / 4, Kill v. Main - #31, 2016)

85 Jon Hopkins - Everything Connected (3, Breathe This Air (feat. Purity Ring) - #04, 2013)

84 HEALTH & Pertubator - BODY/PRISON (4, Stonefist - #26, 2015 / 1)

82 Muse - Thought Contagion (9, Butterflies and Hurricanes - #06, 2004)

61 DMA's - Do I Need You Now? (4, Too Soon - #48, 2016)

60 Jessie Ware - Overtime (9, Imagine It Was Us - #08, 2013)

58 Robyn - Missing U (15, With Every Heartbeat - #01, 2007)

57 The Horrors - Fire Escape (6, Who Can Say - #05, 2009)

47 St. Vincent - Pills (1)

38 Ben Howard - A Boat To an Island on the Wall (10, Keep Your Head Up - #05, 2011)

34 DJ Koze - Pick Up (1)

33 Christine and the Queens - Doesn’t Matter (3, Jonathan (feat. Perfume Genius) - #14, 2015)

32 Otha - I'm On Top (1)

31 Joe Goddard - So Much (3, Home - #75, 2017)

30 LCD Soundsystem - Oh Baby [Lovefingers Remix] (7, Call The Police - #04, 2017 / 1)

27 George Ezra - Paradise (1)

18 Robyn - Honey (16, With Every Heartbeat - #01, 2007)

17 Icarus feat. Real Lies - Man of the Land (1 / 3, Seven Sisters - #16, 2015)

13 Ben Howard - Nica Libres at Dusk (11, Keep Your Head Up - #05, 2011)

12 Liela Moss - Memories and Faces (2, Sunrise (Always Comes Around) (feat. UNKLE) - #31, 2017)

08 ionnalee feat. TR/ST - Harvest (2, Samaritan - #21, 2017 / 2, Bicep - #25, 2017)

06 DMA's - In The Air (5, Too Soon - #48, 2016)

03 Metric - Dressed to Suppress (2, Monster Hospital - #03, 2006)

01 DMA's - For Now (6, In The Air - #06, 2018)

 

 

And the vast majority of the others I have never even heard!

 

My faves:

 

99 Superorganism - Everybody Wants To Be Famous

98 Wolf Alice - Formidable Cool

89 Theophilius London feat. Tame Impala - Only You

88 The Coral - Sweet Release

85 Jon Hopkins - Everything Connected

82 Muse - Thought Contagion

78 The Carters - Apeshit

75 The xx - Lips

73 Mogwai - We're Not Done (End Title)

72 Dream Wife - Fire

71 Teleman - Song for a Seagull (reminds me of Future Islands)

70 Soulwax - Essential Four

68 Slaves - Cut and Run (If you like this song, I recommend you check out Here Are The Young Men And Uncle Peanut. They're punk with a bit of a comedic edge)

65 Haley - Bratt

64 Lil Peep - Cry Alone

59 Miles Kane - Cry on My Guitar (I saw him perform live this year)

58 Robyn - Missing U

55 George FitzGerald feat. Lil Silva - Roll Back

48 Pusha T - If You Know You Know

47 St. Vincent - Pills

46 Hookworms - Ullswater (was shocked to hear about the lead singer, and the allegations leading to the band's split)

45 Young Fathers - Border Girl

42 The 1975 - TooTimeTooTimeTooTime

40 Dave - Hangman (Very deep rap song and one of my faves from Dave.)

35 Karen O feat. Michael Kiwunaka - Yo! My Saint (I saw Kiwanuka perform live in 2016)

34 DJ Koze - Pick Up

33 Christine and the Queens - Doesn’t Matter

28 Dream Wife - Hey Heartbreaker

27 George Ezra - Paradise

24 Wolf Alice - Space & Time

22 George FitzGerald feat. Hudson Scott - Nobody But You

19 The Vaccines - I Can't Quit (English Grafitti was one of the first albums I got on vinyl)

18 Robyn - Honey

13 Ben Howard - Nica Libres at Dusk

11 Slaves - Chokehold

10 Death Cab for Cutie - Gold Rush (Reminds me of One Day Like This by Elbow)

02 Young Fathers - In My View (I have their new album on blue vinyl and it's great.)

 

 

Great to see “In My View” so high on your chart Mark, I'd definitely recommend seeing them live if you like the new stuff. Did you like White Men Are Black Men Too? I thought that album was a LOT better than their full length debut Dead which was the one they won the Mercury for.

 

Lots of other great stuff here too, including Metric (who had a really good comeback this year), Slaves, and the brilliant DJ Koze. Good to see a lot of crossover in our tastes still!

Nice to see Ginger and Turn in here, both of them are in my EOY Top 100 as well. I wasn't a fan of I've Been Blind but I did like quite a lot of the new Fratellis album - Starcrossed Losers, Sugartown and I Guess I Suppose were my favourites. Hey, Heartbreaker is one I've heard quite a bit as well that I've enjoyed

 

I thought I might have heard your #1 since I'm slightly familiar with DMA'S but alas no, not sounding familiar. I do like the sound though, throwing me back to before I was born :P

 

Great chart :D