favorite tracks for each year

Since 2012.

I’m a music nerd and always make music summaries.

Suggested genres referenced from RateYourMusic.

While some artists might have multiple favorite tracks each year, I’ll limit it to one per artist. :)

2024: Honestly it’s just so hard to pick five for this phenomenal year.

  • Geordie Greep, Holy, Holy [Jazz-Rock, Progressive Rock, Art Rock, Latin Rock]
  • Charli xcx, 365 [Bubblegum Bass]
  • Chappell Roan, Good Luck, Babe! [Synthpop, Pop Rock]
  • Jamie xx, Baddy On the Floor (feat. Honey Dijon) [Garage House, Funky House]
  • FKA twigs, Eusexua [Trance, Art Pop]

Honorable mention:

  • Magdalena Bay, Image [Synthpop, Dance-Pop]
  • Floating Points, Fast Forward [Progressive House]
  • Nourished by Time, Hell of a Ride [UK Street Soul]
  • Kim Gordon, I’m A Man [Industrial Hip Hop, Trap, Noise Rock, Witch House]
  • Caroline Polachek, Butterfly Net (feat. Weyes Blood) [Art Pop]

2023:

  • Amaarae, Co-Star [Afrobeats, UK Funky]
  • Lana Del Rey, A&W [Singer-Songwriter, Alt-Pop]
  • Shygirl, Crush (feat. Erika de Casier) [Alternative R&B, Art Pop]
  • Olivia Rodrigo, bad idea right? [Power Pop, Indie Rock]
  • boygenius, Not Strong Enough [Indie Folk, Singer-Songwriter]

2022:

  • Weyes Blood, God Turn Me Into a Flower [New Age, Ambient Pop]
  • Alvvays, Easy on Your Own? [Noise Pop, Indie Pop]
  • Hatchie, Quicksand [Alternative Dance, Synthpop]
  • Fever Ray, Carbon Dioxide [Synthpop, Art Pop]
  • Björk, Fossora (feat. Kasimyn) [Art Pop, Gabber]

2021:

  • SPELLLING, Boys at School [Progressive Pop, Art Pop]
  • Japanese Breakfast, Be Sweet [New Wave, Synthpop]
  • Wolf Alice, Lipstick on the Glass [Alternative Rock, Dream Pop]
  • Helado Negro, Aureole [Neo-Psychedelia, Indietronica]
  • Lana Del Rey, Chemtrails Over the Country Club [Singer-Songwriter, Art Pop]

2020:

  • Jessie Ware, Save A Kiss [Progressive House, Dance-Pop]
  • dvsn, … Again (feat. Shantel May) [Alternative R&B]
  • Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Crying at the Discotheque [Dance-Pop, Nu-Disco]
  • SZA, Good Days [Neo-Soul, Alternative R&B]
  • Låpsley, Sadness is a Shade of Blue [Art Pop, Ambient Pop]

2019:

  • Lana Del Rey, Normal fucking Rockwell [Singer-Songwriter, Art Pop]
  • Hatchie, Stay With Me [Dream Pop, Synthpop]
  • Weyes Blood, A Lot’s Gonna Change [Baroque Pop, Art Pop]
  • Michael Kiwanuka, Piano Joint (This Kind of Love) [Psychedelic Soul]
  • LOOΠΔ, Butterfly [K-Pop, Dance-Pop]

2018:

  • Beach House, L’Inconnue [Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia]
  • Robyn, Honey [Dance-Pop, Progressive House]
  • Brandi Carlile, The Joke [Americana, Singer-Songwriter]
  • U.S. Girls, Rosebud [Art Pop, Synthpop]
  • MGMT, Little Dark Age [Synthpop, Darkwave]

2017:

  • Wolf Alice, Don’t Delete the Kisses [Dream Pop, Indie Pop]
  • Alvvays, In Undertow [Indie Rock, Dream Pop]
  • Loreen, Jupiter Drive [Alternative Rock, Dream Pop]
  • The Horrors, Something To Remember Me By [Alternative Dance, Synthpop]
  • Fleet Foxes, Fool’s Errand [Chamber Folk, Indie Folk]

2016:

  • Radiohead, Burn the Witch [Art Pop, Chamber Pop]
  • Danny Brown, Ain’t It Funny [Experimental Hip Hop, Hardcore Hip Hop]
  • Solange, Cranes in the Sky [Neo-Soul]
  • Shura, Kidz ‘n’ Stuff [Synthpop, Alt-Pop]
  • Frank Ocean, Pink + White [Neo-Soul, Alternative R&B]

2015:

  • Jamie xx, Loud Places (feat. Romy) [Alt-Pop, UK Bass]
  • Björk, Black Lake [Art Pop, Electronic]
  • Holly Herndon, Interference [IDM, Deconstructed Club]
  • New Order, Plastic [Synthpop, Nu-Disco]
  • Grimes, REALiTi (Demo) [Synthpop]

2014:

  • Alvvays, Archie, Marry Me [Twee Pop, Indie Surf]
  • MØ, New Year’s Eve [Art Pop, Alt-Pop]
  • Foster the People, Coming of Age [Pop Rock, Indie Pop]
  • OK Go, The Writing’s On the Wall [New Wave, Post-Punk Revival]
  • Kasabian, Eez-Eh [Alternative Dance, Dance-Punk]

2013:

  • Blood Orange, Chosen [Synth Funk, Alternative R&B]
  • Sigur Rós, Brennisteinn [Post-Rock, Post-Industrial]
  • Pet Shop Boys, Axis [Synthpop, Electro House]
  • Little Boots, Broken Record [Electropop, Nu-Disco]
  • Goldfrapp, Thea [Art Pop, Downtempo]

2012:

  • Solange, Losing You [Synthpop, Alternative R&B]
  • Lana Del Rey, Blue Jeans [Trip Hop, Chamber Pop]
  • Jai Paul, Jasmine (Demo) [Alternative R&B, UK Bass]
  • Frank Ocean, Thinkin Bout You [Alternative R&B, Contemporary R&B]
  • Azealia Banks, 1991 [Hip House, Hardcore Hip Hop]

Little summary - most frequently mentioned genres in this list:

Art Pop Dream Pop Alt R&B Indie Pop Singer-Songwriter Synthpop Dance-Pop

Where are they from?

  • United States: 30 California: 8 New York: 6 Illinois: 2 Tennessee: 2 Texas: 2 Washington: 2 Missouri: 2 Connecticut: 1 Florida: 1 Maryland: 1 Michigan: 1 Pennsylvania: 1 Virginia: 1

  • United Kingdom: 21 England: 21

  • Canada: 5 Prince Edward Island: 3 British Columbia: 1 Ontario: 1

  • Sweden: 5

  • Iceland: 3

  • Australia: 2 Queensland: 2

  • South Korea: 1