Top 50 Songs of 2016 | 50-41

50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

Since 2002, I have obsessively tracked and categorized the music I listen to. It started as a way to share the songs and artists I discovered while working in college radio with friends. I would regularly rip audio files, make quarterly Windows Media playlists and even burn CD’s.

Now-a-days , I use Spotify and YouTube to organize these MixTapes. Still, at the end of every year, I track my stats, use a little (okay a lot) of emotion, and craft a list. It usually takes several drafts and a lot of reorganizing but at some point I end up with this. Thank you for following along!

PART ONE: 50-41 [and the top songs of years past]

And I thought 2015 was a wild year! I didn’t go through a break-up, didn’t have to move, and didn’t travel as often in 2016 but the year was still comparable to the last one as far as the outrageous shit.

That’s where the music comes in.

Every month I make a MixTape playlist, which is essentially the sound track of my life during any given moment. No matter how long it has been, I can listen to these and instantly be transported back in time.

Of the thousands of tracks I have discovered in 2016, these are my favorite (that came out this year).

Let’s take a journey together, shall we?

50) Flume – Free

ALBUM Skin
MIXTAPE 10.16.16

It was a breakout year for Flume but that’s not why this song starts my countdown. Free came to me at a point when my life and my year were slowly beginning to take a new path (specifically, as I was walking near his set at the Austin City Limits Music Festival) and the fun little edm anthem has stuck with me since. I know it will always conjure up a bit 2016 nostalgia for me therefore it is the perfect pick to start this list.

49) NAVVI – Simpatico

ALBUM Omni
MIXTAPE 08.16.16

Not sure why this one stuck with me but it’s my favorite from their latest album and just stuck around long enough to make the list.

48) Warpaint – New Song

ALBUM Heads Up
MIXTAPE 11.16.16

New Song might be the radio breakout song Warpaint has been looking for but it’s not my favorite from Heads Up (this song made it a lot higher on a lot of other year-end lists). That being written, I DARE you to listen and not have this catchy tune stuck in your head all day.

47) Father John Misty – Real Love Baby

ALBUM Real Love Baby (single)
MIXTAPE 12.16.16

Like the last song, this one is a lot higher on other year-end lists. However, it just hasn’t hit me quite as hard (yet). I love Father John Misty and if this sweet little ditty is any clue as to what they have in store for us in 2016, we are in luck!

46) Baby Alpaca – Underwater

ALBUM Underwater
MIXTAPE 05.16.16

Moody, thoughtful, and foreboding. Just what I expect from Baby Alpaca! (of course there is no legit YouTube video)

45) Russian Circles – Vorel

ALBUM Guidance
MIXTAPE 06.16.16

“CJ only likes EDM and trip-hop, I hate these lists.” Bullshit! If I had to select a sub genre of music that was my favorite it would probably be Postrock. This five minute beast put an axe through the middle of a June playlist that was essentially ‘fuck music’.

44) Kamandi – Burn Them Down

ALBUM Sicklove Paradise
MIXTAPE 12.16.16

I was essentially “meh” on this song until shit got weird about 2:02 in. Also, that was the moment I remembered my subwoofer was on.

43) Weekend Wolves – Forever

ALBUM Death (ep)
MIXTAPE 12.16.16

Usually my December playlists are filler, stuff I missed, or random singles. Unlike the past, this year’s 12-MixTape was stocked up with good 2016 songs. This one (obviously) included.

42) Public Memory – Ringleader

ALBUM Wuthering Dream
MIXTAPE 12.16.16

I hate to describe a song as ‘filler’ but maybe that’s how this started. However, when Ringleader pops up on shuffle I never skip and always turn it up.

41) James Blake – Radio Silence

ALBUM Colour In Anything
MIXTAPE 06.16.16

I am listening to this song RIGHT NOW and wondering why it is so far down on my list? Put the headphones on, enjoy this one and expect dome more James Blake on this list.