favorite tracks for each year

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. :)

2025: A Top-10 list for this year is basically criminal.

• PinkPantheress, Stateside [Breakbeat, Dance-Pop]
• Wolf Alice, The Sofa [Chamber Pop, Soft Rock]
• Bubble Love & Ross from Friends, Lying in the Sand [Euro Dance]
• ADÉLA, SexOnTheBeat [Dance-Pop, Slap House]
• Rochelle Jordan, Doing It Too [Garage House, Dance-Pop]

Honorable Mention:

• Anna von Hausswolff, The Iconoclast [Post-Rock, Art Rock]
• Ethel Cain, Nettles [Americana, Singer-Songwriter]
• Ninajirachi, Infohazard [Uplifting Trance, Vocal Trance]
• SPELLLING, Portrait of My Heart [Post-Punk Revival, Art Rock]
• Chappell Roan, The Subway [Pop Rock]

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]
• MUN SING, Didn’t Need U Anyway (feat. Katy Ketani) [UK Bass, Bubblegum Bass]
• Jamie xx, Baddy On the Floor (feat. Honey Dijon) [Garage House, Funky House]
• Charli xcx, 365 [Bubblegum Bass]
• Chappell Roan, Good Luck, Babe! [Synthpop, Pop Rock]

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:

• Azealia Banks, 1991 [Hip House, Hardcore Hip Hop]
• 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]