Starting today through New Year's Eve (Thursday), I'll be revealing my list of the "Top 100 Tracks Of 2020." The following is my disclaimer, as I feel it important to preface this kind of list with some insight into its creation and the methodology behind it. While I spent a lot of time seriously pouring through this year of music, this is not really a serious endeavour. No one was polled. Sales and streams are irrelevant. This is merely my fun way of sharing the tracks and artists that made my year better, in hopes they do the same for you. The rankings are not scientific or even fair, rather they are simply a reflection of how strongly I felt these tracks and how much praise I felt they deserved.
You'll notice the thread of disco/funk continues to run through these year-end lists, while DnB and breaks appear more than ever before. Another trend continues as we see a further diminishing amount of club-type tracks included, primarily as circumstances changed consumption and led to the vast majority of my musical enjoyment coming on my many escapist bike rides. That said, the power of some of these tracks is unavoidable as they will assuredly kill when clubs come back.
Finally, I will once again say that this is by no means an exhaustive list; there are without a doubt exceptional tunes that somehow failed to make the cut. However, onward and, in this case, downward, from tracks 100 to 76 we go. Find the Soundcloud playlist
here and Spotify
here.
#100: Weiss & Harry Romero - Where Do We Go?An early summer earworm. Makes masterful use of the sample from Alan Parsons Project "
Games People Play." Not overly inventive or banging, but rather slick, smooth and altogether enjoyable. The first of many house tracks in this list that captured my heart this year, even if only for a moment.
While it's been half a decade since I spent day after day with
HAIM and
Days Are Gone, the sisters and their work with Ariel Rechtshaid and Rostam Batmanglij remain close to my heart. A toss-up as both this and "
Now I'm In It" are perfect for 2020, I landed on this garage joint thanks to its catchy, crisp and crackling production and overall atmosphere.
Fabulous French filter disco house. Almost too slick. Undeniably good and groovy. The kind of track that has you tapping your toes uncontrollably and later leaves you humming its magnificent melody.
An acid-induced fever dream. Propelled by Nair's potent percussion and scintillating synths. Like so many of the tracks in this year's list, "
3XL" is all about the journey. There's no skipping ahead to a dope drop or sick section, rather one has to ride out this rolling wave of resplendence.
Perhaps the most ominous and irksome track in this list. Spine-tingling strings, all kinds of ingenious percussive hits and of course the equally screwface and shiver-inducing sub-bass. Truly diabolic dubstep.
Among the year's most fun and funky productions. I know nothing about
Soda State, nor had I ever heard them before this, however their inclusion in
Magic Tape 98 made for an incredible introduction. An awesome mix of pop sensibilities alongside retro dance resplendence.
A track so infectious that I can turn a blind eye to its misleading moniker. The trumpet (not sax) top-line is awesome, as are its babbling vocal bits, but it is the way those two elements play with the rollicking percussion that makes this track one of the year's best house offerings. Like many on this list, I expect this would have ranked much higher were clubbing possible in 2020.
