Year End Countdown 2023
My list for the best of 2023
It is that time of the year for looking back. I scoured my past lists to see what songs jumped out as those that represented the past year. And after much deliberating with myself with a little help from YouTube viewing stats, this is the list that I landed on.
Before jumping into this year’s top 10. How about jumping on our Time Machine for a look back at the last five years for songs chosen as top songs of the year.
2019
01
Vampire Weekend - Harmony Hall
The theme for 2019 was all things seemed to be pretty much in Harmony and going smooth. Oh we all were so naive to what was about to happen
2020
01
The Killers- My Own Soul’s Warning
This song captured the essence of 2020 perfectly. Wasn’t 2020 a continuous red alert warning that kept escalating as the year went on.
2021
01
Wet Leg - Chaise Lounge
2021 we all started to breath a sigh of relief and could begin to let ourselves be a bit more careless and have a little fun.
2022
01
Florence and the Machine - Free
Then 2022 arrived and the idea of carefree relief was kind of over and back to worry about things again.
2023
now to the countdown for the year 2023.
10
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero
I am not a Swifty, however once and awhile one of her songs catches my attention for a little while. This one caught my attention long enough to make my year end list.
In my opinion while Taylor Swift songs are catchy, they don’t seem to have much lasting power once the song has run it’s course. Doesn't anyone even remember Shake it off?
09
Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For?
Since Barbie pretty much took over the world since July, had to get one nod to the movie with the song list. Couldn’t include the Indio Girls because that would have been on my song list in 1991, Aqua could’t be on the list because that would have been on my list on 1999. Lucky Billie Eilish added this tear jerker song to the movie and could be added to the year end list for 2023.
08
TALK - Run Away to Mars
In what I like to call “Aimee Mann” music season…aka winter. Dark and moody songs are perfect to complement a full on Seasonal Affective Disorder episode.
While these dark and moody songs are good and have a seasonal returning quality to them, they usually don’t rise to the top of the list. Once the sun comes out and melts the gloom away, the songs melt away to my memory until next year. This song will come back again soon as I pull out my Magnolia soundtrack and start playing ‘Save Me” on heavy rotation again.
07
Birdy - Paradise Calling
This was a late summer addition that if discovered in May or June might have been higher up on my list for the year. There just was too little summer left to get some great memories….aka road trip time to Saugatuck, to give it that boost .
Still a great song.
06
Sparks - The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte
The odd song entry to the list. Didn’t quite make it to the top 5 for the year, however I can’t order a Latte now without starting to hum this song and start looking for someone crying in the coffee shop.
05
Silversun Pickups - Empty Nest
This would be my new “old” band discovery for the year and after this song plus their older song Lazy Eye, I now have a new band to watch for to see live. Crossing my fingers maybe they will appear for Summerfest 2024, The Sylvee or Sauk County Fair.?
04
boygenius - Not Strong Enough
Any song that can be classified as a “Summer Song” will always be at the top of any yearly list. Put a fun video with the song and have a lyric about a Ceiling fan to get my mind thinking back to the Lemonheads song “Ceiling fan in my spoon” you have me. Then go for pure bliss with “only an angel, never a god” part of the song. It doesn’t get any better.
03
Grouplove - All
This is going to sound completely crazy. What I actually miss most about working in the office and a big reason why I hated working from home is no commute time. When working in the office I had my 45 minutes each way every day to zoom down the hwy with the radio playing. For me music is best enjoyed at 55 or so MPH. With that in mind of course this video and song would make the top of the list.
Then add that I have a soft spot for GroupLove, they have been on my lists ever since first discovered with Tongue Tied. While the Hello song got all the airplay and if I did have more car time probably would have out ranked this song. Since I had more time on Youtube with my computer, this is the one I had played repeatedly and dreamt of my long commute days…..(of course I only recall clear road days and conveniently forget those long traffic back up days from snow, rain or crazy driver running off the road)
02
Milky Chance - Living In A Haze
I debated and debated in my head if this sould be my #1 song. Most year’s this would have easily made the top list. How can a song that is all about wishing to be a disco boy not be on the top of my list. That could be the theme music for my life. heck, don’t we all want to be disco boys?
01
Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam ( Extended Mix)
Everyone knows that all Disco Boys and wanna be DiscoBoys love Kylie and that she finally broke through to the mainstream in the states is a great surprise for 2023. Sure this is a song that will be right up there with Robyn’s Dancing on my Own for songs that will be played for years and years.
If you want to hear with I consider the end all, be all of Kylie in all her disco glitter glory, check out Say Something. This came out during the lockdown months of 2020 and the world wasn’t ready for this much glitter at that time.
Looking forward to many many new song discoveries for 2024. As I was doing my research for this post I ran across the statistic this is my 96th post. I have surprise myself for keeping up with this little monthly assignment I have given myself. I have to begin to think of what my 100th post should be. Stay tuned to find out.
Thank you for letting me share my song discoveries with you.
Mike