Top 20 Best Songs of 2019

So... 2019's almost over? It feels like January was last week, but alas, here we are. 2019 has been a rewarding year for music, with great music from the metal, rock, and even from the pop and country worlds, and while I'm still figuring out my number 1 album of the year, I'm confident in this song of the year list, and I can't wait to share with you my favorite songs of 2019. Before we get started, here's a few ground rules.

1. In order to make this list, a song must have either been released in 2019 or in an album released in 2019.

2. There's no genre restrictions; A song can be pop, metal, rock, technical death indie country, etc. and make it, as long as it's good. 

3. This is only my opinion, and it is subject to change. Take this as a rough ranking, not truth carved in stone.

4. Only one song per band or artist so the list can have more variety.

5. This list is based mostly on my enjoyment of these songs, so technically ultimately doesn't win top prize.

I will leave a link to each song so you can give it a listen, as I recommend all of these songs. With that being said, let's go through a few honorable mentions...

Weezer - High As A Kite (Power Pop)

While I found myself mostly disappointed with The Black Album, High As A Kite is one of their strongest songs of the 2010s. This ballad feels genuine, and the bridge has those classic, lovable Weezer power pop chords. It really does feel like a White Album quality track, and while I would overall recommend skipping The Black Album, give this track a listen. It deserves it.

Bring Me The Horizon - MANTRA (Alternative Rock)

I'm not the biggest Bring Me The Horizon fan on the planet, but this track is one I really enjoyed. The chorus is catchy, I think the lyrics are creative, and it's just poppy enough to have mainstream appeal while also feeling like a rock song. While it isn't super heavy or anything, I still really liked this. If you like modern rock, check this out.

Bad Wolves - No Messiah (Alternative Metal)

While their new album N.A.T.I.O.N. was a disappointment, No Messiah was a clear standout for me. The opening riff is heavy and catchy, and the chorus absolutely soars, and the breakdowns and screams are effective. Bad Wolves were trying to go more mainstream on their new album, and this is one of the few times where it worked, and man, did it work well. 

Sam Fender - You're Not The Only One (Heartland Rock)

Sam Fender released a very promising debut album this year in Hypersonic Missiles, and this is a song that grabbed me immediately. His Bruce Springteen influence is really showing here, as the song's hook and guitar melody feel like it, and it's great. It's memorable and pleasant, and to top it all off, it has a sax solo. What's not to love?

Post Malone ft. Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott - Take What You Want (Pop Rap/Rock)

Yep, Ozzy featured on a track with Post Malone and Travis Scott. If it weren't for Travis' generic verse, this would be on the list. The chorus is great, Ozzy and Post sound great, and the ending guitar solo is awesome. It's such a bizarrely good song that I just had to give it a shout out. It's a mess, but oh, it's so good. It also inspired Ozzy to put out new music, and the songs so far are killer, so yeah, thanks Post!

Okay, now that those are out of the way, let's get on to the list proper, starting with...

20. Benjamin James - The Things You Keep From Me (Worship/Indie Folk)

Benjamin James is my favorite Christian artist, and he did not disappoint with this single. While his pop direction hasn't been as compelling for me as his purely folk stuff, this song is still great. The hook is memorable, and the production, while very poppy, is still compelling and enjoyable. So yeah, great song, and I can't wait to see what this guy does next.

19. Of Monsters and Men - Alligator (Indie Rock/Pop)

While I wasn't crazy about the new Of Monsters and Men record, this song hooked me. The verses got me interested initially, but when the chorus comes in, magic happens. It's distinctly poppy, but the hook is so good that I don't care. It's a very likable track that I've come back to throughout the year and remains a favorite of mine. What a banger.

18. Badflower - The Jester (Alternative Rock/Emo)

Easily one of the best new bands in the rock scene, Badflower impressed me with their debut album, Ok, I'm Sick, and this was a clear standout. The lyric writing is solid and tells a good story, and it's addictive. While the musicianship isn't mind-blowing, it didn't have to be. It's still really good instrumentally and catchy, with solid guitar licks, but the lyrics particularly grab me. Great song, and I can't wait to see what these guys do next.

OK, time to blow your minds by putting a song on here you've heard a million times.

17. Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus - Old Town Road (Country Trap)

Oh, how I love this stupid song. It's so silly, but I enjoy listening to it too much. This song has an irresistible chorus and Billy Ray's verse is actually kinda great? Seriously, it has grit to it, especially the second half. I know it's a novelty song, but I don't care; It proves memes are art and that anyone can make a good hit song. You've all probably heard it already, but I've still left the link, so feel free to listen to it again.

16. Demon Hunter - The Negative (Christian Metalcore)

While I loved the new Benjamin James single, Demon Hunter really struck a chord with me with The Negative, a song from their album War. This song is so aggressive to start, but the way it moves to the chorus melody is engaging, and the lyrics are solid, as they talk about how many people are stuck in a negative space of mind. It's a unique take, and the instrumental takes you along the journey. Best Christian song of the year, and a favorite of mine. Check it out, it rocks.

15. Harry Styles - She (Soft Rock/Glam Rock)

I know this song came out recently, but I love it so much. It's easily one of Harry's best songs to date, and is why I'm glad he was able to get away from One Direction. This song has a great hook, and is slower paced, but the instrumentation is engaging enough to keep you interested. However, what really puts this over is that guitar solo at the end, which is great and makes the song feel complete. This is what I wanted from this album, and I got it. Great stuff.

14. Oh, Sleeper - Fissure (Metalcore)

Wow, what a jam. Oh, Sleeper impressed me with this passionate piece of metalcore. It starts relentlessly, without a warning. The verse melody is harsh and memorable, as well as the bridge, which almost sounds like a mental breakdown, and that chorus is perfection. This is just a great metalcore, and you can tell effort was put in to make something great, and they succeeded. 

13. Mark Morton ft. Chester Bennington - Cross Off (Groove Metal/Metalcore)

This is it, the last single ever released to feature Linkin Park's Chester Bennington, and it's fantastic. Chester sounds awesome as he did back in the day, and Mark Morton's guitar riffs are great. This is both his and Chester's track, as you can tell both put plenty of effort into this track. It can make you feel a bit sad, as this is probably Chester Bennington's last single after his passing 2 years ago, but this song slays. Just great!

12. Chasms - Shadow (Dream Pop)

Here's an underrated gem. Chasms' album The Mirage struck a chord with me, and this song is a big reason why. It's so mellow, but consistently interesting and atmospheric. It really is a beautiful song, and while long at 7 minutes, kept my interest all the way through. It's definitely slow and maybe a little too "atmospheric" for some people, but this song is right up my alley. Great stuff.

11. Sum 41 - Out For Blood (Alternative Metal/Punk)

If you would've told me that Sum 41 would release a politically charged metal-tinged record this year, I wouldn't have believed you, but they did and it was awesome. Out For Blood in particular is vicious with its heavy guitar riffs and the chorus that brings it into more pop punk territory, but even then, it sounds metal. This kind of thing was made for me, and I dig it! One of many great bangers from this album.

10. Moron Police - Captain Awkward (Progressive Rock)

Moron Police's album A Boat By The Sea was quirky and catchy, and this was the quirkiest and the catchiest to me. It's fun, but it's also complex and constantly engaging. The first vocal melody you hear is so strange, but it works so well with the upbeat, fun music. All of the different sections all feel connected and add to the song. I just love this track from the first time I heard it and I still do now. The album as a whole may have been too "sugary" for me, but this track connected with me big time.

9. Foals - In Degrees  (Alternative Dance)

Foals released two albums worth of really good material, so when one of the tracks makes this list, you know it's gotta be good, and yeah, this is really great. It's definitely got some new wave influence with the synths, and that bass line is undeniable. Then that chorus hits, and oh yeah, it all comes together. It's a little piece of alternative heaven, and there's no way this wasn't making the list. One of the most fun songs of the year!

8. The Hu - The Gereg (Mongolian Rock)

Yep, you read that write; Mongolian rock music, and it's awesome. This band combines rock instrumentation with traditional Mongolian instruments to great effect, and the title track from their new record is the perfect example of this. The traditional instrumentation adds both an epic effect and a new element of beauty in the verses, and the vocals sound great. I can't understand a word they're saying, since I don't speak Mongolian, but they sound great, so does it matter? Epic song.

7. Blink-182 - No Heart To Speak Of (Pop Rock/Pop Punk)

When Tom Delonge left Blink-182, everyone thought they would go downhill, but I knew they didn't once I heard this wonderful track. New vocalist Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio) absolutely rips in the chorus, which is one of the most investing choruses I've heard all year. Yeah, Mark Hoppus is on here too and sounds fine, but this proves that Skiba is a more than worthy replacement. It's definitely a song that won me over on their album Nine, and continues to be spun by me. Incredible stuff.

6. Billie Eilish - i love you (Pop)

I don't understand how someone couldn't think this song is beautiful. The simple guitar work is lovely, and Billie Eilish's vocals are wonderful, as are her brother Finneas' back vocals, which add so much to the song. The lyrics aren't overly complex, but they work very well. I don't know what else to say other than to listen to it. Billie's living up to her potential, and I couldn't be happier!

5. Tyler, The Creator - A Boy Is A Gun (Soul/Hip-Hop)

It was hard to pick a best song from IGOR, but I had to go with A Boy Is A Gun. I think proper context from the album is needed to get the full experience of this song (IGOR is a concept album in the most obvious way), but it's still great. The female vocals are great, and the production is absolute fire, and when heard in the album, those lyrics are effective as lyrics can be. Definitely listen to the whole album, but you can also listen to this individually. Love this.

4. The Damned Things - Invincible (Hard Rock/Pop Rock)

Wait, so members of Anthrax, Fall Out Boy, Alkaline Trio, made an album together? Yep, and it was awesome, and this was the best song on it. This track has melody, great riffs, and great lead work from Joe Trohman. Songs like this prove that him and Andy Hurley are wasted in Fall Out Boy these days, and they finally get those creative juices out here, and they're the standouts along with vocalist Keith Buckley. This song is pure fun and fueled by great musicians, so yeah, this is my rock song of the year. Amazing track. Check this out and the whole album as well.

3. Slipknot - A Liar's Funeral (Alternative Metal/Doom Metal)

This one is just brutal. The opening acoustic guitar riff and Corey Taylor's are beautifully mellow yet haunting, and when the electric guitars come in, it just takes off. It's absolutely face melting when Taylor screams "Burn the liar!", and dark. Just imagining that screamed at a concert gives me chills. It may not the most ferocious on their new album, but it's easily the darkest and arguably the best song on their entire career. Spine-chilling stuff.

2. Saor - Monadh (Atmospheric Black Metal/Celtic Folk)

As seen in this example and The Hu, I'm always down for a good genre crossover, and Saor does this blend perfectly. This track is both vicious and at the same time beautiful. I do really like atmospheric types of metal like this, and celtic folk adds to its beauty. The growled vocals bring that aggression in the middle section of the song, and then the outro happens, and its beauty shines once again. This sound is absolute perfection, and I can't wait to hear more from this band. Stuff like this brings so much out of me, and despite its 10 minute runtime, it's so rewarding.

Alright, time for number 1. This is the song that I kept coming back to over and over again, the song that I feel is the best 2019 has to offer, and well, that song is...

1. Tool - 7empest (Progressive Metal)

For me, no other song could take the number 1 spot. After multiple listens of Fear Inoculum, it was clear 7empest was gonna be my song of the year. It has everything I love; Heavy riffs, fantastic drumming, varied vocals, good lyrics, and a sense of both originally and nostalgia. This song is like traveling through Tool's discography all in a 15 minute epic; The opening riff is Undertow, the lyrics are 10,000 Days, the structure is Lateralus, and the vocals are Aenima. I love everything about this song, and there's nothing that's gonna take its place as the best song of 2019.

Well, that's the list. Hope you enjoyed reading and found some songs that you like. If you would like to have all the songs on a playlist, I made one of Spotify (Including the honorable mentions!) which you can click here to see. Thank you for reading! Bye. 

Spotify Wrapped: My Results and Thoughts

So, I really don't have anything planned for this blog except for reviewing The Rise of Skywalker when it comes out and counting down my Top 5 Movies of 2019 and my Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2019 (Which probably won't come out until the end of the month or the start of this year), so I'd figured I'd fill in the time with something else. In case you don't know what this is, Spotify does a yearly wrap-up where you get to view which artists you listened to the most, what songs you listened to the most, where a lot of the bands you listened to are from, etc. I'd figured I would talk about it, since I listen to music 3-4 hours a day, and I had some results that really surprised me. Let's get into it.

So, let's first talk about the artist I listened to the most in 2019, which is (Insert drumroll here)...

Weezer. Yeah, I was surprised by this, but I really shouldn't have been. They're on almost all of my playlists, they have a charm at their best that makes me never hit the skip button, and I regularly listen to their albums. I love this band, despite their shortcomings in 2019 with both The Black Album and The Teal Album, and I'm looking forward to their next release, Van Weezer (I'm not making this up; It's real). Also, if you're wondering, my most listened to song by the band this year was Hash Pipe. That was also not a surprise for me, since it, once again, makes the cut in many of my playlists and it's one of my favorite Weezer songs. So, while Weezer isn't my all-time favorite band (Even though they're up their in my favorites list), this isn't surprising to me in retrospect.

So now that we've touched upon my number, let's move onto the top 5, shall we?

So, this is my top 5 artists of 2019 by listens. We've already talked about Weezer, so I won't touch on that any further. Instead, let's talk about my number 2, Deftones. Honestly, this is the band I originally expect to be number 1. I listen to them when I need to calm down with tracks like Sextape and especially Entombed, when I want to scream my head off with Elite and Rats!Rats!Rats!, and just whenever I want to listen to music. I regularly play their albums, in particular Koi No Yokan, fairly regularly, and you can almost guarantee at least a song or two from them will make any of my playlists. This isn't much of a surprise and I'm glad they're here. They're one of my top 5 favorite bands and they've helped me through a lot.

So, next up is Skillet. I'm surprised they made this list, especially since they cracked the top 3. I guess it was from the streams of my favorite songs from their last album, Victorious (We'll get to that when we get to top 10 most streamed songs). I also enjoy listening to them when I want to blast some modern rock, and they're a childhood favorite of mine, so they have a nostalgic factor to them as well. I'm not upset that they're here, since I do really like them and I thought Victorious was a decent comeback for them after the bland and boring Unleashed, so this isn't the worst pick ever, but I'm just surprised. That's all.

Number 4 is no surprise to me; It's Rush. If you know me, you know this is my all-time favorite band. They're incredibly talented musicians, great songwriters, and their live shows were amazing. Rush is one of those bands I consistently listen to, and albums like Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, 2112, Clockwork Angels, and Power Windows are ones that I always put on for whatever mood. They also have a lot of variety in their 19 album discography, ranging from hard rock (Counterparts, Clockwork Angels) to progressive craziness (Hemispheres, A Farewell to Kings) or even progressive pop and new wave (Signals, Power Windows), so there's at least a few songs for any mood that I'm in, so I'm not surprised that they're here, but I am surprised they're not higher.

Number 5 is the real shocker: Blink-182. You wanna know why? Because, save for a few songs from Enema of the State, I really only listened to their latest Nine this year consistently, and I didn't realized how much I listened to it, and while I did listen to it a lot (Spoiler alert for this year's best list: I really like that album), the fact that I listened to it enough to scratch the top 5 really caught me off guard. I do think they deserve it this year though; Like I said, I really enjoyed Nine, and they proved their fans wrong by delivering a really solid album after the departure of original member Tom Delonge and after the bland pop tune Blame It On My Youth. There's a lot to offer on Nine, and I'd recommend check it out, it's good stuff.

As for acts I expect to get in, the biggest one that surprised me is Tool. I loved Fear Inoculum and listened to it constantly when it came out, and that's a super long album with almost all the songs running 10 minutes plus (I listened to many of the song individually as well), so that would add to the stream time. I also listened to quite a bit of their older material, particularly stuff from Aenima and Lateralus that was also pretty lengthy. If there's a number 6, if it isn't these guys, I'm shocked. Audioslave would also be pretty high. I listen to tracks like Cochise, Like A Stone, and Be Yourself all the time, and they're pretty high up there too. Billie Eilish also gets quite a few streams from me, and while I didn't expect her to make it, she's pretty high up there in terms of artists I listened to this year.

So, let's talk about my top 5 genres before getting into some shockers with the top 10 songs list.

Most of this isn't too surprising to me. Rock music being number 1? No surprise here. Rock is overall my favorite genre of music, and acts like Rush, AC/DC, and Foo Fighters all elevated this to number 1. Number 2 is alternative metal, and this isn't overly surprising either. Some of the heavier acts I enjoyed this year like Slipknot, Tool, and Demon Hunter got the big plays from me, so this is a pretty expected for me. Number 3 is modern rock, and I'm fairly surprised this isn't number 2. I'm always looking out for new rock acts so I can support them, and acts like Ice Nine Kills, Saint Asonia, Starset, and The Damned Things all had songs that I streamed regularly, so it's surprising that this isn't higher. Pop is number 4, which is no surprise because, even though there are few pop acts that I truly love, when I discover one, I can't stop listening to them. Billie Eilish was the big one this year, but Lorde also got quite a few streams, because I'm a big fan of hers, and there's certainly others to mention, but those are the two big ones. Metalcore being number 5 is a similar situation to pop, where when I discover an act in that genre I love, I can't stop listening to them. Demon Hunter's heavier material and Oh, Sleeper had some songs that were fantastic and consistently were listened to by me, but there's only a select few acts, so it just scratching the top 5 is no surprise to me.

Okay, last but not least, let's discuss my top 10 most streamed songs of 2019!

I know you can only somewhat see the album covers here, but I'll tell you what these songs are. Number 1 is Reach by Skillet. I expected this to make the top 10, but I don't know how it got to number 1. I did listen to it regularly, but I didn't realize how regularly. This isn't even my favorite song from Victorious, even though I actually do really like it. I think the chorus is catchy and it's overall an enjoyable experience, but number 1 most streamed? That's shocking to me.

Number 2... Not so much. Invincible by The Damned Things is my favorite track from their album High Crimes; The rhythm section is fun and subtly complex, the chorus is catchy, the lyrics keep things interesting enough, and it's addictive. A great song, and I'm happy that it's here.

Number 3 is somewhat surprising to me, which is Diamond Eyes by Deftones, which is my most streamed song not realized in 2019. I do love this song; The guitars are suitably heavy, the chorus soars, and it's easily one of Deftones best tracks period. I did listen to this a lot, but if it even made it in, I expected it to be somewhere in the 8-10 range, not in the top 3. I'm not upset by this, but it is interesting.

Number 4 is Darkside  by Blink-182. This is no surprise to me, because I streamed the crap out of this song when I first heard it. Sure, it's not the deepest song out there, but you can't tell me that it's not super fun. It's a good pop-rock jam that's got one heck of a hook and, like Invincible, it's addictive and keeps you coming back for more. Well deserved and unsurprising.

Number 5 is one I did not expect to reach the top 10, that being Swerve City by Deftones. This is another one not realized in 2019 (This is from 2012), and it's the opener to my favorite Deftones album, Koi No Yokan. The song grabs you right away with the heavy, but simple guitar riff, and the bass riff in the verses (It's a bit buried, but when you hear it, you'll realize you found an underrated bass line), and then chorus comes in, and it sells you. It's one of my favorite songs from one my favorite album, and one I'm happy made the list, even when I wasn't expecting it. Great song.

Number 6 is another Deftones song from Koi No Yokan, Entombed. I'm honestly shocked that both Swerve City and Diamond Eyes are higher than this, because this is my all-time favorite Deftones track. The beautiful guitar riff, the simple but entrancing lyrics, and that chorus top off a beautiful song. I listen to this track when I need to calm down, and it's so effective. It's soothing, but just heavy enough to keep you awake. Beautiful stuff, and I'm surprised this didn't crack the top 3. Amazing song.

Number 7 is another song from The Damned Things, that being Omen. This is a slower song, but it's still got bluesy groove and it's one of the heavier cuts from High Crimes. That groove grabs you immediately and the chorus makes it itself distinct, but still follows that awesome groove. This shows the variety in this band; When you have a band that has members of Fall Out Boy, Anthrax, Every Time I Die, and Alkaline Trio, you know you're gonna have a whole lot of creativity going on, and this proves it. I streamed this one a lot, particularly near the beginning of the year, and this placing makes me happy, but it's also unexpected. Another great Damned Things banger.

Number 8 is another Skillet song, this being Finish Line, once again from Victorious. This is definitely one of the more modern tracks on the album, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it at first, but I really dig it now. It feels like a hard rock version of Imagine Dragons done well; The production is nice and heavy, the groove is nice, and the chorus is catchy. Definitely radio-friendly, but in a good way. Not surprised this is here, because for a while, I was addicted to this. This is solid stuff, and this isn't a bad place for it.

Number 9 is Spider by Slipknot, which is surprisingly enough the only Slipknot song on this list. I expected Unsainted, Birth of the Cruel, or even the deep cut Critical Darling to make it, but I guess this makes sense since it's easily the catchiest on the album. The chorus and industrial vibes I get from this song make it worth the dark, twisted ride it sends you on. It's a bizarre cut from the record, but one of the album's most experimental and effective moments. It took a couple listens to get used to, but I love this now. I'm happy it's here, and surprised it's not higher. It's that good.

Number 10 is Save Me by Skillet. Again, no surprise here and I'm surprised it's not the highest ranking on the album. I got super excited when this realized because this is what I wanted from Skillet; The haunting piano, the crunchy, 2000s era guitar sound, an effective chorus, and a solo that takes me back to the Collide era. This is great, and I hope to hear Skillet to more like this in the future.

So, that was a look at my Spotify wrapped. If you want to look at yours, you can here. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I was surprised by some of these picks. Look forward to my end of the year list and have a Merry Christmas. Bye.