In this thread I'll count down a top 100 singles and top 20 albums as well as include some other stuff I've enjoyed. I'll endeavour to have everything completed by the end of next weekend.

 

614 songs released from the end of 2019 onwards have received regular listening from me in 2020, by far the highest number I’ve ever had. I have tried to only include something that was a ‘single’ in this list that was promoted to be in some way, something which is harder to do with every year, so no random tracks from albums I've enjoyed.

 

Since the middle of December I’ve listened to each of them in rough order of preference and have now formulated my 19th End of Year chart, below are the previous 18 number ones. No one has featured on two end of year number ones previously, but 6 of these have released or featured on music this year that I've enjoyed enough to make the top 100.

 

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 (feat. Kleerup)

2008: Elbow – One Day Like This

2009: Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes

2010: Lady Gaga – Telephone (feat. Beyoncé)

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 – Loud Places (feat. Romy)

2016: Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart of Life

2017: Everything Everything – A Fever Dream

2018: DMA’s – For Now

2019: Daughter – Poke

2020: ??? - ???

 

With each entry I'll also include afterwards what number entry on my end of year charts it is for each act involved, and what their highest ever is if not the charting song.

 

100 Temples - Paraphernalia *1*

99 Brittany Howard - Georgia *1*

98 Beyoncé - Black Parade *4* (Telephone (feat. Lady Gaga) - #1, 2010)

97 Liela Moss - Atoms At Me *3* (Memories and Faces - #12, 2018)

96 I Break Horses - Neon Lights *2* (Disclosure - #35, 2014)

95 Dua Saleh - Umbrellar *1*

94 The Naked and Famous - Death *7* (Punching in a Dream - #29, 2010)

93 Lykke Li - BRON *4* (I'm Good, I'm Gone - #88, 2008)

92 Egoism - You You *1*

91 Dream Wife - Hasta La Vista *4* (Somebody - #05, 2018)

 

 

Kicking off the top 100 with a mix of new and old favourites including the first of 9 songs I sent to competitions on this website this year, Paraphernalia may have been by far the most successful of 13 attempts this year but towards the bottom of my own preference! :lol: That aside, it's a 10 almost entirely dominated by female vocalists, something which will continue throughout.

 

A bunch of decent songs from what I considered to be disappointing albums this year here from I Break Horses, The Naked and Famous and Dream Wife, and Lykke Li gets a fourth entry 12 years after the first, and the fourth that's just sneaked into the bottom of the chart.

Hi RFC! Good to see Paraphernalia crack your Top 100, one of many great BJSC entries from you this year, Temples are a band I've known of but never really delved very far into so glad to hear another song from them.

 

Giving umbrellar a listen now, liking the guitars althoguh I'm struggling to understand the lyrics a bit!

90 POLIÇA - Forget Me Now *5* (Tiff - #16, 2013)

89 Bright Eyes - Miracle of Life (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) *1*/*1*

88 Arctic Lake - Let You Down *1*

87 SAULT - Wildfires *1*

86 Sarah Carton - Beaches On The Thames *1*

85 Arlo Parks - Hurt *1*

84 Working Men's Club - A.A.A.A. *1*

83 The Weeknd - In Your Eyes *1*

82 James Blake - Are You Even Real? *8* (Radio Silence - #12, 2016)

81 Bonobo - Heartbreak (feat. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) *1*/*3* (Body Move - #54, 2018)

 

 

Lots of acts reaching my end of year chart for the first time, most of them being new acts including Arctic Lake with something beautiful sounding like it was taken from a London Grammar album and Sarah Carton who's Kate Nash-esque tale of lockdown with her debut single. One surprising debutant too in Bright Eyes who I'm amazed never made it around 15 years ago with First Day of My Life or Take It Easy!

 

Three acts have four entries on the chart, Phoebe Bridgers and Working Men's Club are the first of those to appear here. Wildfires and A.A.A.A. are the only two songs in the 100 that didn't reach my personal chart, both of them continuing to grow throughout the year as I listened to their albums more.

 

 

Hi RFC! Good to see Paraphernalia crack your Top 100, one of many great BJSC entries from you this year, Temples are a band I've known of but never really delved very far into so glad to hear another song from them.

 

Giving umbrellar a listen now, liking the guitars althoguh I'm struggling to understand the lyrics a bit!

 

Thanks Pete, I do think the Temples song is great and I'd never send something to BJSC that I didn't think wasn't, but definitely something I picked because I thought it might do well which I don't often do. Umbrellar was something I'd considered sending to but thought against it because of the lyrics, the ones which I can make out don't make a huge amount if sense :lol:

80 Maverick Sabre - Signs *1*

79 Haarm - Take Me Away *2* (In The Wild - #60, 2016)

78 The Blaze - Somewhere (feat. Octavian) *1*/*1*

77 Hurtsfall - 12 Long Years *1*

76 Real Lies - Boss Trick *5* (The Checks - #4, 2018)

75 Amtrac - Radical (feat. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) *1*/*4* (Body Move - #54, 2018)

74 Porridge Radio - Sweet *1*

73 Another Sky - Fell In Love With The City *1*

72 HAIM - Don't Wanna *2*

71 For Those I Love - I Have a Love *1*

 

 

Real Lies followed up three songs in the 2018 top 40 pretty well this year with a trio of decent singles, even if not quite reaching previous they're all excellent and Boss Trick is my favourite giving them a 5th entry. I've enjoyed Haarm for a while and have been pleased to see them entered to some contests on this site and do well, Take Me Away a stomping song. Hurtsfall would certainly be the most obscure act in this 100, a local band I read about in the music section of a free magazine, still less than 10,000 Spotify listens of which I've been responsible for almost 100! Some more well known or well promoted acts in this section too for Maverick Sabre, Porridge Radio, Another Sky and HAIM.

 

Also here is For Those I Love, the pseudonym of Irish Poet David Balfe, with some spoken word poetry in memory of his friend, it's utterly heartbreaking and so well written. In searching for this video I've discovered he performed it on Jools Holland's show and I'm now hooked -

:heart:

Edited January 1, 20214 yr by RabbitFurCoat

Hi there!

From your songs so far I like:

72 HAIM - Don't Wanna

83 The Weeknd - In Your Eyes

85 Arlo Parks - Hurt

100 Temples - Paraphernalia

 

Also sorry that I couldn't comment on your chart, I was very busy. I also have trouble making my own Year-end chart because of how busy I am!

 

Great list so far.

Thanks Sergej, good to seem you liking some songs so far. I'll be sure to check your chart out too!

70 Jessie Ware - Save a Kiss *11* (Imagine It Was Us - #8, 2013)

69 clipping. - 96 Neve Campbell (feat. Cam & China) *2*/*1* (Nothing Is Safe - #17, 2019)

68 Fontaines D.C. - Televised Mind *3* (Boys In The Better Land - #3, 2019)

67 Gorillaz - Aries (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia) *6*/*1*/*2* (Feel Good Inc. - #11, 2005), (About Work The Dancefloor - #31, 2019)

66 Dream Wife - Sports! *5* (Somebody - #05, 2018)

65 Charli XCX - I Finally Understand *2*

64 Miss June - Orchid *3* (Anomaly - #16, 2019)

63 Mallrat - Charlie *1*

62 Phoebe Bridgers - ICU *2*

61 Dizzy - Roman Candles *1*

 

 

5 acts who featured in last years chart also feature here, with Jessie Ware getting an 11th end of year entry with Save a Kiss, only 7 acts have ever had more. clipping. and Fontaines D.C. both released new albums in quick succession after last years, the former just missed out with two other songs whilst the latter has three more entries to come. Dream Wife and Phoebe Bridgers get their second entries and there are year end debuts for Mallrat and Dizzy who both another left.

60 Bicep - Apricots *2*

59 Cub Sport - Break Me Down (feat. Mallrat) *1*/*2*

58 EOB - Olympik *1*

57 Marika Hackman - Blow (Rosa Let's Eat Grandma Rework) *1*/*1*

56 Islet - Geese *1*

55 James Blake - You're Too Precious *9* (Radio Silence - #12, 2016)

54 The Avalanches - Take Care In Your Dreaming (feat. Denzel Curry, Tricky & Sampa The Great) *1*/*1*/*1*/*2* (Final Form - #20, 2019)

53 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights *2*

52 SG Lewis - Impact (feat. Robyn & Channel Tres) *1*/*17*/*1* (With Every Heartbeat - #1, 2007)

51 Grimes - 4Æm *6* (Kill v. Maim - #31, 2016)

 

 

A few more debutants here including Islet who I discovered seeing them live, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and The Avalanches. If I'd done my first one of these a year earlier they'd definitely be following up to top 20s 19 years later. Bicep's forthcoming album is easily the most I've anticipated one in some time and they make their first appearance, The Weeknd stand out by being a rare song that had mainstream success that I actually really liked, and Rosa Walton's remix of Marika Hackman which I almost sent to BJSC on at least three occasions.

 

Meanwhile, there are three regulars appearing again, Grimes with her 6th finishing just below Violence did last year with 4Æm, James Blake with a 9th ever entry and Robyn extends her gap at the top of most end of year entries to three with her 17th, featuring on SG Lewis' Impact.

50 Bronson - Dawn (feat. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) *1*/*5*

49 Mystery Jets - Pretty Drone *6* (Young Love - #5, 2008)

48 Doves - Carousels *8* (There Goes The Fear - #1, 2002)

47 JUTRØ - Substancja *1*

46 Mura Masa - Teenage Headache Dreams (feat. Ellie Rowsell) *2*/*1*

45 TSHA - Sister *1*

44 Gorillaz - Momentary Bliss (feat. Slowthai and Slaves) *7*/*2*/*8* (Feel Good Inc. - #11, 2005), (Chokehold - #11, 2018)

43 Working Men's Club - John Cooper Clarke *2*

42 Jorja Smith - Rose Rouge *2* (Loose Ends - #6, 2019)

41 Purity Ring - Stardew *7* (25 Bucks - #2, 2014)

 

 

A couple of song contest discoveries here, one from JUTRØ and another from Bronson. Whilst it wasn't Dawn that was sent, I'm not sure I'd have came across it without hearing Heart Attack, as TEED manage to rack up three entries this year through featuring on others songs.

 

Some regulars return including Doves comeback after a decade away, Gorillaz and Slaves teamed up along with Slowthai to continue building up entries and whilst Purity Ring's 2020 album is the weakest of their three, Stardew belongs towards the top of their output. Their three previous top 4 entries mean they tie with 8 other acts as having the most top 10s, one of those they share it with is Wolf Alice and whilst they didn't release anything, their singer Ellie Rowsell makes an appearance providing vocals for Mura Masa.

 

I've just given those Arctic Lake and Polica songs a listen, as they both feature in my EOY chart albeit as featured artists on Lane 8 songs. you're right about the Arctic Lake track sounding very London Grammar, I quite like it. Wasn't as keen on Polica's, that's a bit further removed from my type of music.

 

my faves so far are Apricots, Blinding Lights, Impact, Heartbreak and Paraphernalia!

Thanks Dan. I've enjoyed those Lane 8 collaborations this year too, the Arctic Lake one is particularly good. Polica music definitely different to that though even they have changed quite a bit over the years, I've always enjoyed their songs with Lane 8, No Captain was a big number one for me a few years ago.

40 Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death *4* (Boys In The Better Land - #3, 2019)

39 Angels & Airwaves - All That's Left Is Love *1*

38 DMA's - Life is a Game of Changing *7* (For Now - #1, 2018)

37 Psychic Markers - Clouds *1*

36 Berwyn - Glory *1*

 

 

A rare set entirely dominated by male vocalists, including the two acts I've listened to most over the last 2-3 years in DMA's and Fontaines DC who were always likely to appear with new music this year. A Hero's Death was less instant than some Fontaines songs but an excellent grower, and Life Is a... was a change in sound for DMA's as they continue to develop their sound.

 

blink-182 singer Tom Delonge's band Angels & Airwaves aren't a band I've listened to much but their single from this year was one of my most listened to over the summer in a sound close to his other band, Psychic Markers took advantage of a lull to reach my personal chart #1 and is the first of those to appear this year. Berwyn rounds this off with an excellent song that gained more plaudits following his performance of it from his iamspamspamamion Later... with Jools Holland including an additional verse around Black Lives Matter.

Lots to catch up on here... I like everything you've included that I already know of and fully intend to have a listen through those in your top 100 that I haven't heard as yet.

 

 

Thanks Dandy*, interested to know what you think of those and hopefully introduce some that you like. ^_^

35 Little Simz - Might Bang, Might Not *4* (101 FM - #10, 2019)

34 Aly & Fila - Somebody Loves You (feat. Plumb) *1*/*1*

33 Julien Baker - Faith Healer *1*

32 Dizzy - Beatrice *2*

31 Ellis - Shame *1*

 

 

To contrast with the last set, 5 songs here sang by females. I was very much late to the Little Simz party discovering her only last year but she ended it with three entries and my second favourite album, and here 2020 EP Drop 6 was another excellent body of work. Aly & Fila enter with my favourite BJSC discovery of the year with something I've listened to hugely in the last couple of months, the type of thing I might like for a while but get bored of easily, this really hasn't. It wasn't quite my favourite BuzzJack contest discovery of the year - that goes to Ellis with the beautiful Shame sent to this years edition of Nuggets.

 

Ellis' other song for consideration was the remix of Saturn Return by fellow Canadian's Dizzy who get their second entry directly below them. Each year there are recent songs which I go on to feel I put too high or too low, and given how much I'm currently enjoying it, it's quite probable that Faith Healer will be this years and that come February I'll be thinking it should have been 20+ places higher.

 

Very pleased you liked JUTRØ so much! I don't know if you're familiar with his other BJSC entry, Travva (can't remember if you were in that contest), but it's also really good.

 

Hurtsfall was one of my favourite song contest entries as well :wub: Shame they seem so unknown, I love how menacing the track sounds!

 

 

30 Coach Party - Breakdown *1*

29 Poppy Ajudha - Watermelon Man (Under The Sun) *1*

28 I Break Horses - Death Engine *3*

27 Caribou - Never Come Back *5* (Our Love - #21, 2014)

26 Zuzu - What You Want *1*

 

 

A 5th overall entry for Caribou and third to finish in the 20s, his album this year definitely the weakest of the three but its high points are up there with the best, Never Come Back being one of those. I Break Horses returned this year with Death Engine, everything I could have wanted from an 8 minute song of theirs that became my favourite song of theirs.

 

Three debuts in this set, for Coach Party with Breakdown, one of my floppy BJSC entries with something which I think is catchy as heck and sounds like it's from a different era, Poppy Ajudha with her re-work of an old Herbie Hancock jazz staple, and finishing this set off his Zuzu with her re-working of one of her earliest singles. I was very much torn of which of her songs to send to BJSC, I thought this poppier and punchier song might do better but had to go with the one I preferred, I adore her keeping her scouse twang in her singing voice, she's one of six acts to appear twice in the top 30 (top 26).

 

Great to see Aries make it in, and Hurtsfall as well - another BJSC highlight from this year.

 

Giving Beatrice a listen now, I'm really liking it! It's the sort of sound I'm getting into a lot at the moment, every part of it works so well together. I might add it to my playlist now.