ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2017

had no idea people still watched music videos

― Simon H., Tuesday, January 23, 2018 2:59 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol

I'm not dialed into to k-pop so I thought LOOΠΔ/ODD EYE CIRCLE was a witchhouse revival record by name alone

― husked, tonal wails (irrational), Tuesday, January 23, 2018 7:50 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol, it totally looks like that! XD

That St. Vincent song is really bad.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, January 23, 2018 8:45 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Cosign. I'd say it's probably my least favorite track that's placed so far. Even worse than "Blue Pedro".

Only thing I thought was any good on the St Vincent album was Pills, and apparently that's the track everyone agrees is terrible.

That Dua Lipa song is wretched.

I like Pills, but I generally just let the whole album play any time I've listened to it.

I judge every new Dua Lipa song by comparison to Be The One, and none of them come out of it at all well

be the one isn’t even her best single jesus chrisf

Lost In Your Light has more in common with shambhala pop than with top 40, which is a) probably why I like it more than any of her other songs and b) why it seems completely at odds with top 40 trends (or "wretched").

Like, the Miguel-ness of that song is very present, but it also sounds like some Robyn ish from 7 years ago.

Chocolate-covered gummy bears? Not ruling those lil' guys out. (ulysses) at 7:54 23 Jan 18

Passionfruit - the music to this isnt bad! the vocals are terrible and destroy it.


yep yep yep

I agree that "Be The One" is the best Dua Lipa song. But most of what she's put out is very good.

Voted for:

Atelje - was in the running for my #1 but opted for an unweighted ballot in the end. Sunny, lovely pop song with echoes of West Coast
GoldLink - the smoothest
Charlotte Gainsbourg - original is fantastic, Soulwax mix is epic
Childish Gambino - Yeah, it's a ripoff of Rather Be With You, but that's one of my favorite songs ever. Huge impact this year and I'm all for 70s funk sounds not by Bruno Mars getting played on mainstream pop radio

Love, opted for the album instead:

Kamasi Washington - actually voted for "Knowledge" too as it was my favorite part of the album but totally get voting for Truth as like a synthesis of the album.
The XX
Destroyer - were people really disappointed by the album? Not his best ever, but top 5 album for me, hope it places relatively high
Bicep
Tornado Wallace

Just missed my ballot:
Passionfruit, Unforgettable - In both cases pretty great songs that I couldn't quite bring myself to rep due to the essential lameness of the main artist. Swae Lee killed it tho.
Nilufer Yaya - Discovered on the Pitchfork list lol and actually voted for "Golden Cage" which I highly recommend checking out

New discoveries I'm digging:
MAMA, L'Rain, Laurel Halo

The only St. Vincent song I've heard is 'New York', which probably explains why I can't bring myself to try out her other stuff.

I am definitely hoping to see "New Rules" ahead

That song is veeeeerrrrry atypical, but also each album is kinda different? If one album isn't yr thing, another one might be. xp

xp hardly, i have been disliking drake for a long time. i am just always annoyed when he's on an otherwise enjoyable song.

New Rules >>Be the One >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Lost In Your Light, imo

:O

xxp - Agreed. St. Vincent isn't generally my thing but I would give other albums/songs a change.

lost in your light inspiring more divisive reactions than i thought possible

every time i listened to it i inevitably listened to it five times in a row

Same

*doing exactly that right now, as it happens

Lost in Your Light would be an excellent song if the shitty bridge were replaced by a Hammond organ solo

XXp no, of course, just making a joke about Drake always being rubbish but sometimes having reasonably nice production behind him

The correct order for me is

Be The One > New Rules > Hotter Than Hell > Lost In Your Light > Blow Your Mind

but I like all of the above. Her only misstep is her latest single, IDGAF, imo.

Lost in Your Light would be an excellent song if the shitty bridge were replaced by a Hammond organ solo

88.9% of all songs would benefit

The only St. Vincent song I've heard is 'New York', which probably explains why I can't bring myself to try out her other stuff.

Actor wasn't bad and was pretty different from this stuff. I was startled by how unable I was to connect to this last album at all. That said, the way people write about her always makes me want/expect more guitar virtuosity than I usually end up hearing on the albums. Probably more a live thing.

She can shred any ol' time, but tbh she's more of a textural guitarist.

none of my votes placed on Monday but I had two and a half show up today:

"Deadly Valentine" - I haven't heard the Soulwax remix, but voted for the original version which is sublime breathy disco;
"Baby Luv" - a heady subject is tackled with very plain ingredients, but sometimes a simple thing done well yields glorious results;
"Don't Delete The Kisses" - most of the joy in this for me is the contrast between hurried whispered verse and shouted cathartic chorus; that and its circular form, as though the longing is neverending.

A mixed bag of a list so far for me! Pleased to see "Volumes", "LMK" and "Lost In Your Light", pleased to learn about L'Rain and Yemi Alade, perplexed to see "Redbone" and "LWYMMD".

Also Miguel's original demo for Lost In Your Light has a different bridge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHdH-7EL3cU

I just don't need to hear indie musicians doing heartfelt paeans to NYC with lots of references to street names and parks as a thinly-veiled tribute to their very personal inner ennui. I've never been to New York and I don't care about your ex or whatever. sorry. I liked the last album and Actor and the song Cruel

the bridge in “lost in your light” is great

i love it when jams get abruptly whispery

I should clarify that I wouldn't change anything about "Lost In Your Light" at all, especially the tiptoeing interaction between Miguel and Dua in the bridge, which to me is a perfect preface for the final chorus.

especially not*

"The Truth" does a pretty good job of summing up Washington's thing.

I should clarify that I wouldn't change anything about "Lost In Your Light" at all, especially the tiptoeing interaction between Miguel and Dua in the bridge, which to me is a perfect preface for the final chorus.

― monotony

Completely agree with this. The bridge is great and what Dua does with her voice as it goes back into the last chorus was my favourite moment in music last year. It's a perfect song.

A day late but yes, I did arrange the backing vocals on “Rain In Soho”

Also I had my ballots ready to go and then life/work/birthday got in the way and I never submitted them

RIP Drab Majesty ;_;

44 LOOΠΔ/ODD EYE CIRCLE "Girl Front"
my #2, overflowing with hooks and I love the fizzy syncopated synths. the whole LOOΠΔ project was the pop highlight of 2017. I guess there's a small chance New could still place as well but I'm the only one who loved the perfect Emotion-esque sugar rush of Everyday I Love You that much I think

43 ATELJE "50/50"
haven't paid much attention to what Lissvik has been up to but I guess I really should have, really ike this

42 LITTLE BIG TOWN "Lost In California"
pleasantly dreamy but I don't feel strongly about it

41 WOLF ALICE "Don't Delete The Kisses"
this took a few listens, somehow missed the way it builds at first, but now I love it. voted for the album though. hadn't thought about life without buildings wrt the vocals but good call

Taking bets how many Kendrick songs in the top 40

2.

really doubt anything other than DNA and Humble will show up at this point

Favorite discoveries so far from today: Childish Gambino (who I think I've avoided because of the name but doesn't sound like what I expected) and Dua Lipo.

Starting to think I should have voted for the L'Rain album. I did vote for the track that placed.

Baby Luv is kind of nice too. Lost in California probably the most nondescript song I've heard this year. Congratulations. Destroyer: annoying vocals.

Childish Gambino vocals are more annoying than Dan Bejar’s vocals :(

xp Holding out hope for LOVE

really doubt anything other than DNA and Humble will show up at this point

― ufo

I think this will be right. At this stage I can't really think of anyone who will have more than two songs in the list. I can imagine it's been a year of major split voting.

Childish Gambino vocals are more annoying than Dan Bejar’s vocals :(
that's because Dan Bejar's vocals are not annoying :)

Speaking of annoying vocals. I've somehow never heard Passionfruit before today and I really enjoyed it. Probably the first Drake song I've had that feeling about.

Biggest discovery today is the Wolf Alice song. I'm sure I listened to a couple of their songs on the playlist, but they didn't make much of an impression on me at all. Don't Delete The Kisses is fantastic. I'll have to give the album a listen. I didn't really rate their debut that much.