Top Songs of 2017

I am never going to get around to actually writing about my favorite songs of 2017 and that is too bad. There was a lot of quality music. So much that I cannot stop this list at the typical 20. Sure, there will be a Big Sexy 20, but this list goes to at least 30. I am posting so that I have a place to find these videos in the future. From time to time, I may log on and muse about a song. Without further ado...

1. The Way You Used To Do - The Queens of the Stone Age. 

Fave lyric: Is love mental disease or lucky fever dream? Fine with either.

If you didn't think the new release from QOTSA would be atop the Big Sexy countdown, you haven't been paying attention to previous posts. I love this album. There are so many great songs on the album, Domesticated Animals, The Evil Has Landed, and one for the BS 17 Cool Out, Fortress.

2. Up All Night - Beck

Fave lyric: 1,2 what you doing?

Beck is criminally underrated in my life. He's going to show up again on this list, as an exception to the no-two-songs rule. The other song is from a different century, so it passes. Up All Night might be the best video on this list. Great production value. Beck's album Colors is v good and includes a song from last year's list, Dreams. They clearly saved the production value on the video for Up All Night.

3. Hole in Your Heart - Royal Blood

Fave lyric : Everytime I think about it, I shiver like I never shook.

Actually this was very tough call between this song and She's Creeping. Both songs are great. In fact, listen to the whole album.

4. Talk to Me - Run the Jewels

Fave lyric: Do you think baby Jesus killer Hitler, just so I'd whisper?

RTJ actually topped the BS Album of the Year list, just edging out Villians, by Queens. It is actually a tough call between this song, Legend Has It and Call Ticketron. RTJ can also fit into the BS Cool Outs when they get deep into their heart like they do here with Thursday in the Danger Room. Run The Jewels is this decades answer to Rage Against the Machine in my mind. Not musically, but spiritually. The attached video is not the official video but it could have been. They alternate being seriously political and humorously narcissistic. RTJ 3 has some of my favorite lyrics of the year. Talk to Me has the line above. Legend Has It has "Every new record's my Dick in a Box" and "I'm magic, in fact I'm a warlock of talk, I got a unicorn horn for a" where a women's voice gives an exasperated "Stop" before we find out what he was going to rhyme with talk. Also, check how cool they are at Lollapalooza last summer, bring a fan up to rap Legend Has It.

RTJ is everywhere. Here they are in Baby Driver, with Danger Mouse in Chase Me. Here that are bringing the lyrics in the dope song by DJ Shadow, Nobody Speak.

5. Whateva Will Be - A Tribe Called Quest

No good links on this song. I was riding this album from the tail end of last year where it landed a top song on my list through 2017. This is the third of a great three song set to start this wonderful album. Check Space Program too.

6. Fill in the Blank - Car Seat Headreast

Fave lyric: I'm so sick of... fill in the blank.

Also Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales. I get this is an acquired taste, but I loved this album in 2017.

7. Love is Mystical - Cold War Kids

Fave lyric: Cause I'm a red blooded man

I don't follow these guys, but every couple years there is a new song I love from a new album of there's and they end up on this list. I may need to make a deeper dive.

8. Old Yellow Bricks - Arctic Monkeys

Fave lyric: You are a fugitive but you don't know what you're running from.

Arctic Monkeys is one of my absolute top bands right now. Enough so that an old, unappreciated song from an album I liked last decade made my top ten this year. Pretty fun video for just a lyric video. I don't know if it is even an official video. Also from that album, 505 made my BS 17 Cool Out. Such a great song about longing.

9. Debra - Beck

Fave lyric: I wanna get with you, only you, and your sister. I think her name's Debra.

Look who's back. I had never heard this song before it was a key song in the Big Sexy Movie of the Year, Baby Driver. It is a soulful, funny song that would not be out of place on a Flight of the Conchords album.

10. Get Up - Sleater-Kinney

Fave Lyric: Goodbye, Small Hands. Goodbye, Small Heart.

Back to back 1990's songs!

11. You're the Best Thing About Me - U2

Easing back into new releases by catching on a band that was huge in the 90's. U2's new album is v good.

12. Highway Tune - Greta Van Fleet

I didn't realize how retro 2017 was for me. There is no way you didn't think this was a lost track from Led Zeppelin when you first heard it. They are so young, but that kid has a full-on Robert Plant wail.

13. Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols

That is the edited video. Here is the NSFW version.

14. Smile More - Deap Vally

15. Young Lady, You're Scaring Me - Ron Gallo

16. Best Friends - Grandson

17. Can I Sit Next to You - Spoon

18. Twice = Catfish and the Bottlemen

19. Run - Foo Fighters

Also The Sky is a Neighborhood

20. Freeze Me - Death From Above 1979

Very Close to making the list...

1. Near to the Wild Heart of Life - Japandroids
2. Seven Nation Army - Ben L'Oncle Soul
3. Man of War - Radiohead
4. Vim and Vigor - Carsie Blanton
5. The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness - The National
6. Customer Service - Jurassic 5
7. It's Just Us Now - Sleigh Bells (Also, I Can Only Stare)
8. HUMBLE - Kendrick Lamar - Would be higher, but overplayed
9. Feel It Still - Portugal, the Man - Suffered even more from overplay
10. DVP - PUP