Best Songs of 2018

For the second consecutive year, I have managed to create a list comprised of half male voices, half female. I mark this as an accomplishment, though I wonder if it says more about my evolving tastes and perpetual access to music than it does make any sort of statement about the rising quality or decreasing lack of scarcity of female artists.

Another trend showing up in back-to-back years is just as interesting to me, a now-40-something (gasp) dude with a fading interest in contemporary music—a whopping 80% of my list features artists I knew about prior to this year. This should not be surprising, when I (or you) consider my age and nearly 50,000-strong mp3 library. If anything, it is a bit of a miracle that I am able to discover 20 new artists in a year, at this stage in my music fandom.

But this trend, while implying stagnation, belies a deeper understanding of what went into this year’s mix. My Best of 2018 contains artists I have not paid attention to in years (Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Amos Lee, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera) and old favorites in new iterations (Wajatta, Big Red Machine, Arthur Buck).

So while there are indeed some surprises here, as a counter to this argument I have blatant proof that I am in fact an old-timer now. It comes via the realization that most of the young, fresh music I like these days simply evokes that which I used to (and, clearly, still) like, whether that be chill R&B or indie rock or bedroom dance-pop. All of which are styles that are either on the wane or surely not reaching large audiences anymore.

The end result of this conundrum is that my music consumption, while still greater than most people my age, is nevertheless on a now-precipitous decline. This past year was my lowest in nearly two decades when it came to purchasing CDs (or LPs, as I now do more often than not), and perhaps more tellingly, I listened to barely 60% of the unique songs I did even as little as four years ago (when I heard 12,272 individual tracks at least once). Want more evidence? My pool of possible songs for inclusion here, a number often in the 150–180 range, presently sits in the 130s.

Basically what I’m saying is that while my interest in these mixes remains, my ability to create them going forward is faltering. Thus, I don’t know if I will be back in 2019, so treat this like you should be treating every day: It may be the last; savor it. Enjoy it.

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify (all 100 tracks!) and Apple Music (missing just 1). Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

Show Grid

No Pain

DJDS featuring Khalid & Charlie Wilson & Charlotte Day Wilson

Big Wave More Fire

Loma Vista

via past experience
Gratitude

Big Red Machine

Big Red Machine

Jagjaguwar

via past experience
Fallingwater

Maggie Rogers

Fallingwater digital single

Columbia

via past experience, Fluxblog
Love Me Right

Amber Mark

Conexão

Virgin

via past experience
100%

Boycrush featuring Yumi Zouma

Desperate Late Night Energy

Alistair Deverick

via past experience (Yumi Zouma), Apple Music
Runnin’

Wajatta

Casual High Technology

Comedy Dynamics

via past experience (Reggie Watts)
Baby (How Much I LFO You)

DJ Koze

Knock Knock

Pampa

via NPR First Listen
The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

Wye Oak

The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs

Merge

via past experience
The Middle

Zedd & Maren Morris & Grey

The Middle digital single

Interscope

via Target commercial
Party for One

Carly Rae Jepsen

Party for One digital single

School Boy/Interscope

via past experience
Remind Me to Forget

Kygo & Miguel

Remind Me to Forget digital single

Sony

via past experience (Miguel)
Bedroom Calling

Chromeo featuring The-Dream

Head Over Heels

Big Beat

via past experience
Make Me Feel

Janelle Monáe

Dirty Computer

Bad Boy

via past experience
Hammer

Tune-Yards

I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life

4AD

via past experience
In My View

Young Fathers

Cocoa Sugar

Ninja Tune

via somewhere
The Ways

Khalid featuring Swae Lee

Black Panther The Album

Aftermath

via Black Panther The Movie
After the Storm

Kali Uchis

Isolation

Rinse

via Alli Adamonis
Everyone Acts Crazy Nowadays

Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Sex & Food

Jagjaguwar

via past experience
Sensitivity

Me’Shell Ndegeocello

Ventriloquism

Naïve

via NPR First Listen, Fluxblog
Carried Away

H.E.R.

I Used to Know Her: Part 2

RCA

via past experience
thank u, next

Ariana Grande

thank u, next digital single

Republic

via Twitter
Like I Do

Christina Aguilera featuring GoldLink

Liberation

Columbia

via past experience, Fluxblog
Summer

The Carters

Everything Is Love

S.C. Enterprises / Roc Nation

via past experience
Side Tracked

Born Ruffians

Uncle, Duke & the Chief

Yep Roc

via past experience, Fluxblog
Break-Thru

Dirty Projectors

Lamp Lit Prose

Domino

via past experience
It’s So Easy

Hater

Siesta

Fire

via past experience
Best Friends

Little Dragon

Best Friends 12"

Loma Vista

via past experience
Make Me a Song

Eleanor Friedberger

Rebound

Frenchkiss

via past experience, Fluxblog
Pirouette

Jay Som

Pirouette 7"

Polyvinyl

via past experience
Far Away Truths

Albert Hammond, Jr.

Francis Trouble

Red Bull

via past experience
Saturdays

Twin Shadow featuring Haim

Caer

Warner Bros.

via past experience
How It Is

Okkervil River

In the Rainbow Rain

ATO

via past experience
Miki Dora

Amen Dunes

Freedom

Sacred Bones

via NPR First Listen, KEXP
Over the Midnight

Jonathan Wilson

Rare Birds

Bella Union

via KEXP
Before We Were Together

Margaret Glaspy

Born Yesterday

ATO

via past experience, Fluxblog
Grow Into a Ghost

Swearin’

Fall Into the Sun

Merge

via past experience (Allison Crutchfield)
Everybody Thinks They Know (But No One Really Knows)

Naked Giants

Sluff

New West

via KEXP, Jonathan Zwickel
Next of Kin

Lucy Dacus

Historian

Matador

via KEXP
List of Demands (Reparations)

The Kills

List of Demands 7"

Domino

via past experience
Fast Slow Disco

St. Vincent

Fast Slow Disco digital single

Loma Vista

via past experience
Nobody

Mitski

Be the Cowboy

Dead Oceans

via past experience
Living It Up

Smokey Brights

Different Windows

Freakout!

via past experience
Mistake

Middle Kids

Lost Friends

Domino

via past experience
Volcanic Love

The Aces

When My Heart Felt Volcanic

Red Bull

via NPR First Listen
Priorities

Jillian Jacqueline

Side B

Big Loud

via past experience
O.M.G. (I’m All Over It)

Jenn Champion

Single Rider

Hardly Art

via Julia Paleski
In Camera

Yumi Zouma

EP III

Cascine

via past experience
New Light

John Mayer

New Light digital single

Snack Monkey

via past experience
Juiceboxx

The Love Language

Baby Grand

Merge

via past experience
Wheels on Fire

Glen Hansard

Between Two Shores

Plateau

via past experience
High Alert

Júníus Meyvant

High Alert digital single

Record Records

via past experience
I Feel a Change

Charles Bradley

Black Velvet

Daptone

via past experience
Beyond

Leon Bridges

Good Thing

Columbia

via past experience
Lately

Wet

Still Run

Columbia

via past experience
Deliverance

Chvrches

Love Is Dead

Capitol

via past experience
Missing U

Robyn

Honey

Konichiwa

via past experience
Made for Now

Janet Jackson featuring Daddy Yankee

Made for Now digital single

Rhythm Nation

via past experience
This Is America

Childish Gambino

This Is America digital single

RCA

via past experience
’Til It’s Over

Anderson .Paak

’Til It’s Over digital single

OBE

via past experience
Parad(W/M)E

Sylvan Esso

Parad(W/M)E digital single

Loma Vista

via past experience
High Horse

Kacey Musgraves

Golden Hour

MCA Nashville

via NPR First Listen, Julia Paleski
Born in the Right Country

River Whyless

Kindness, a Rebel

Roll Call

via Mark Baker
Born in Love

Horse Feathers

Appreciation

Kill Rock Stars

via past experience
Worth It

Haley Henderickx

I Need to Start a Garden

Mama Bird Recording Co.

via past experience
Woman

Cat Power featuring Lana del Rey

Wanderer

Domino

via past experience
How Simple

Hop Along

Bark Your Head Off, Dog

Saddle Creek

via past experience
Finally Floating

Hinds

I Don’t Run

Mom and Pop

via past experience
Freebird II

Parquet Courts

Wide Awaaaake!

Rough Trade

via past experience
Pristine

Snail Mail

Lush

Matador

via KEXP
Your Dog

Soccer Mommy

Clean

Fat Possum

via KEXP
Shut My Mouth

Astronauts, Etc.

Living in Symbol

Company

via past experience
Bassackwards

Kurt Vile

Bottle It In

Matador

via past experience
The Opener

Camp Cope

How to Socialise & Make Friends

Run for Cover

via past experience
Charity

Courtney Barnett

Tell Me How You Really Feel

Mom and Pop

via past experience
Future Me Hates Me

The Beths

Future Me Hates Me

Carpark

via Mark Baker
Talking Straight

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

Hope Downs

Sub Pop

via past experience
Insecure

Hypoluxo

Running on a Fence

Broken Circles

via past experience
Letting Go

Wild Nothing

Indigo

Captured Tracks

via past experience
Charcoal Baby

Blood Orange

Negro Swan

Domino

via past experience
When I’m With Him

Empress Of

Us

Terrible

via past experience
Lost and Found

Jorja Smith

Lost & Found

FAMM

via Alli Adamonis, Fluxblog
Desire

Ought

Room Inside the World

Merge

via past experience
Spoil With the Rest

Ryley Walker

Deafman Glance

Dead Oceans

via past experience
It Might Get Dark

White Denim

Performance

City Slang

via past experience
Are You Electrified?

Arthur Buck

Arthur Buck

New West

via past experience (Joseph Arthur, Peter Buck)
Gold Rush

Death Cab for Cutie

Thank You for Today

Atlantic

via past experience
Throwback

Jim James

Uniform Distortion

ATO

via past experience
Bad Luck

Neko Case

Hell-On

Anti

via past experience
It’s a Shame

First Aid Kit

Ruins

Columbia

via past experience
Say Something

Justin Timberlake featuring Chris Stapleton

Man of the Woods

RCA

via past experience
When the Night Is Over

Lord Huron

Vide Noir

Whispering Pines Studios / Republic

via past experience
Crooked

Amos Lee

My New Moon

Dualtone

via past experience
Maybe It’s Time

Bradley Cooper

A Star Is Born

Universal

via A Star Is Born
Miles Away

Phil Cook

People Are My Drug

Thirty Tigers

via past experience
Pale November Dew

The Dead Tongues

Unsung Passage

Psychic Hotline

via past experience
Slow Wake Up Sunday Morning

Mountain Man

Magic Ship

Nonesuch

via past experience
Souvenir

boygenius

boygenius

Matador

via past experience (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus)
Over Rainbows and Rainier

Damien Jurado

The Horizon Just Laughed

Secretly Canadian

via past experience
Takes So Much

Waxahatchee

Great Thunder

Merge

via past experience
Don’t Miss It

James Blake

Don’t Miss It digital single

Polydor

via past experience, Fluxblog