ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2019

The annual tradition of complaining about complaining about polls is far worse than the annual tradition of complaining about polls. And I'm sure complaining about complaining about complaining about polls is even worse.

Yeah I said strings because I'm not exactly sure whether it's a guitar or another stringed instrument. Obviously I don't mean an orchestral string section.

some sort of balafon thing going on too

what have you done to me!

http://i.imgur.com/sfVclhu.jpg
21: Purple Mountains – “All My Happiness Is Gone” – 335 points – 10 votes

YouTube Video

Purple Mountains (RIP David Berman, August 2019)

I voted highly for this album but to me it works as a unit and voting for individual songs off of it seems kinda pointless. I guess lots of others disagree though.

I think it's safe to assume there won't be a 5th one.

I voted highly for this album but to me it works as a unit and voting for individual songs off of it seems kinda pointless. I guess lots of others disagree though.

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Wednesday, January 29, 2020 12:48 PM (nineteen seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

completely agree

last year we had sheck wes, pusha t, rae sremmurd, valee, cardi b, drake, doja cat, so this is quite a fall off. goons have never really gone for the poll too much so the decline is more abt general/crossover fans. anyway I missed the deadline but looking at these results idk if it would have made much difference. rema & donato dozzy the best discoveries so far. TCIC are better live but still think they're the weakest shabaka project by a margin

xxp On the contrary, I predict that "Snow Is Falling on Manhattan" will show up.

You might be right.

lmao all four tracks placed

wait y'all nominated a fifth one? christ

i don't know why people are complaining about the lack of rap. bad guy was #31

can't wait for the album to top the albums list

such depressing music, no thanks (re: Purple Mountains)

I've been skipping the Purple Mountains tracks since the first one as I don't want to be dismissive but am not feeling receptive to it at the moment. Probably a better thing to experience outside of the poll thread.

once I post #20, we are going to a "every-ten-minutes" schedule to #16 so strap on your helmets

i'm ready!!!!!!!!!

xp. my choice, such a sad beautiful song.

i also went for "seventeen". sharon was profiting from non-vote splitting as "comeback kid" which is about as good as "seventeen" was nominated but somehow was missed when the spreadsheets were put together. anyway she deserves such a high ranking.

this was my #3. completely blew my mind when it came out before the album, and the rest of the album pales in comparison imo. a wryly devastating endcap to a great career.

*puts strap-on on helmet*

once I post #20, we are going to a "every-ten-minutes" schedule to #16 so strap on your helmets

― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Wednesday, January 29, 2020 1:55 PM (twenty-nine seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

https://media.giphy.com/media/2SYibH9in0QsXVaAWl/giphy.gif

this is not one of my faves on the album tbh, one of the harder ones to listen to now for obvious reasons

helmet going

There's definitely going to be 5 PM songs. I didn't expect this one.

I'm following from very far behind again, but I came to post something and saw that "Jealous" (my number 2) is at 22! That's just utterly wonderful, like the song itself. Never expected it would place higher than "Dumebi", but here we are. Fireboy's debut album, charmingly titled Laughters, Tears & Goosebumps, is absolutely delightful too. Perfect Nigerian pop, bar one or two overly corny tunes.

FWIW, I nominated and (solely) voted for “Snow”; it was the standout track of the album for me, and truly one of my favorite songs of the year.

http://i.imgur.com/3TSNTDP.jpg
20: Caroline Polachek – “Door” – 342 points – 11 votes

YouTube Video

Chairlift - Bruises (This year's "Heartbeats"/"Young Folks")

Singles Jukebox

This one wasn't may pick from the album mostly because i think ripping off "I'll Melt With You" is cheating. Still love it though, and i'm happy to see all 5 PM tracks place.

Also:

i don't know why people are complaining about the lack of rap. bad guy was #31
― Indexed

love this song so so so sosososooososo much

Dislike the very idea of Caroline Polachek/Chairlift.

the first time i heard the chorus it was like i was being vacuumed through multiple dimensions

xp. it is probably safe to say that purple mountains will win the album poll with a landslide.

"door" is a masterpiece

I dislike this one less than the other Polachek song but that's not saying much.

I don't think it's safe to say that in the slightest, it's a strong field albums-wide.

Door was my number two. Incredible song and production with a gorgeous video to match.

I probably would have voted for this song but I voted for "So Hot Your Hurting My Feelings" instead and I have an ironclad rule of no more than one song per artist.

Chorus's loopy opening is kind of cool tho.

my #2 also!

tried to map out the rest of the top 20 and it feels like there's a lot of room for surprises

Door is great, the album is great, and the so was the last Chairlift one. Feel like people still dismiss Chairlift (and Caroline by proxy) as just that band who had a song on an iPod ad or whatever.

I love “Door”!

But l came here to post something about the Zero 7<>Zero12finest thing upthread:

So... the current sound in South African pop-house is "sped-up Zero 7"?
― totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP), woensdag 29 januari 2020 16:53

xp I can't hear the similarity between Zero 7's laid back jazz-inflected trip hop and BRYC, but you might be hearing something I'm not
― doorstep jetski (dog latin), woensdag 29 januari 2020 16:56

xp idk the last chairlift album was pretty patchy but something is a classic

'Door' charm is very immediate if you aren't against her style from the outset. The supposed tweeness at the start is countered by some fabulous rumbling bass further in (try and listen first on good headphones) and aside from CP throwing p much everything she's got at it I love those lightning strike synths towards the end.

Oh plus the way that repeating 'I'm running through' line creeps in halfway through - loads of cool little details all through the track really. I do find it all equally sinister and comforting but I suppose that is the point.

Door is better than anything else I've heard by her, admittedly.

Seriously though there are very few locks for the Top 20.

http://i.imgur.com/RoIIiob.jpg
19: Grimes and i_o – “Violence” – 342 points – 11 votes – 1 #1 vote”

YouTube Video

Grimes/Claire Boucher thread

Singles Jukebox