Best of 2021: Songs

/ giltnerbros

We’re back!

Wow, what a year – in life, in music, in everything!

For this particular list, we abide by a complex, mathematical system, from which point we argue and debate until everyone is reasonably satisfied. This year, 69 unique songs received votes.

Disclaimer: This year we’ll be stealing the disclaimer of Uproxx writer (and fellow Fox Valley native) Steven Hyden in relation to the pastime of ranking music:

1. Ranking songs is dumb…we all know this. Art isn’t a competition. We can’t really distinguish between our 13th favorite song and our 19th favorite. This is all talk. None of it really matters.

2. …but it’s kind of fun…of course it is! Because it’s about sharing music recommendations. And we do mean share – make your own lists and show them to us, especially if you’re the sort inclined to complain about lists. Put yourself out there and let us complain about you too!

3. …because it’s really about discovering a song or two (or possibly more) that you might not have known about otherwise. Exactly! Now let’s rank!

And so with no further adieu, we present to you, the Giltner Bros’ Top 69 Songs of 2021:

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69. Goth Babe – Encinitas

68. Lorde – Solar Power

67. Carolline Polachek – Bunny Is A Rider

66. Halsey – I Am Not A Woman I’m A God

65. Vince Staples – Are you With That?

64. Faye Webster – Cheers

63. Sofia Kourtesis – La Perla

62. Arlo Parks – Too Good

61. Peggy Gou – I Go

60. Big Thief – Certainty

59. Tyler The Creator – Corso

58. Lord Huron – I Lied

57. Dijon – The Dress

56. Silk Sonic – Skate

55. Pearl Charles – Only For Tonight

54. Mach-Hommy – The 6th Letter

53. FPA – Baby

52. MUNA – Silk Chiffon

51. Houndmouth – Mckenzie

50. Sufjan Stevens, Angelo De Augestine – Back to Oz

49. Jelani Aryeh – Stella Brown

48. Serpentwithfeet – Fellowship

47. Self Esteem – I Do This All The Time

46. Turnstile – Blackout

45. Tonstartsbandht – What Has Happened

44. SAULT – Fear

43. Chvrches – He Said She Said

42. Viagra Boys – Ain’t Nice

41. Mitski – Working For the Knife

40. Julien Baker – Hardline

39. Erika Dohi – Polaroid

38. Yves Tumor – Jackie

37. Adele – Easy On Me

36. Kid Cudi – Tequila Shots

35. Mannequin Pussy – Control

34. The Avalanches – The Divine Chord

33. The Staves – Paralysed

32. St. Vincent – Somebody Like Me

31. Rosali – Bones

30. James Blake – Say What You Will

29. Baby Keem – Family Ties

28. The Weeknd – Take My Breath

27. Lunar Vacation – Mold

26. The Hold Steady – Family Farm

25. Wednesday – How Can You Live If You Can’t Love How Can You If You Do

24. Kanye West – Jail

23. Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place

22. Jazmine Sullivan – Pick Up Your Feelings

21. Cola Boyy – Don’t Forget Your Neighborhood

20. Snail Mail – Light Blue

19. Lana Del Rey – Blue Banisters

18. Cassandra Jenkins – Hard Drive

17. Little Simz – Introvert

16. Billie Eilish – Your Power

15. Parquet Courts – Walking at a Downtown Pace

14. Olivia Rodrigo – Drivers License

13. Bleachers – Stop Making This Hurt

12. Courtney Barnett – Write a List of Things to Look Forward To

11. Hiss Golden Messenger – Sanctuary

10. The War on Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore

9. Nation of Language – This Fractured Mind

8. Clairo – Blouse

7. Low – Days Like These

6. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – Like I Used To

5. Wolf Alice – The Last Man on Earth

4. Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet

3. Lucy Dacus – Hot & Heavy

2. Big Red Machine – Latter Days

  1. Bo Burnham – That Funny Feeling

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Wow, what a list!?! Thanks for reading!

Here’s a handy, ranked Spotify playlist! Beyond #69, we have also added Honorable Mentions and additional songs of interest.

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Casey’s Personal List

  1. Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet
  2. Sharon Van Etten; Angel Olsen – Like I Used To
  3. Big Red Machine – Latter Days
  4. The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
  5. Clairo- Blouse
  6. Bo Burnham – That Funny Feeling
  7. Lucy Dacus – Hot & Heavy
  8. Parquet Courts – Walking At A Downtown Pace
  9. Wolf Alice – The Last Man On Earth
  10. Low – Days Like These
  11. Lana Del Rey – Blue Bannisters
  12. Courtney Barnett- Rae Street
  13. Billie Eilish – Your Power
  14. Nation of Language – Across That Fine Line
  15. The Weeknd – Take My Breath
  16. Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license
  17. James Blake – Say What You Will
  18. Rosali – Bones
  19. Jazmine Sullivan – Pick Up Your Feelings
  20. The Staves – Paralysed
  21. Snail Mail – Light Blue
  22. Bleachers – Stop Making This Hurt
  23. Mannequin Pussy – Control
  24. HISS Golden Messenger – Sanctuary
  25. Adele – Easy On Me
  26. Erika Dohi – Polaroid
  27. Mitski – Working For the Knife
  28. Chvrches – He Said She Said
  29. Julien Baker – Hardline
  30. Tonstartsbandht – What Has Happened
  31. Little Simz – Woman
  32. Cassandra Jenkins – Hard Drive
  33. Self Esteem – I Do This All The Time
  34. Wednesday – How Can You Live If You Can’t Love How Can You If You Do
  35. Sufjan Stevens, Angelo De Augustine – Back to Oz
  36. serpentwithfeet – fellowship
  37. MUNA (Ft Phoebe Bridgers) – Silk Chiffon
  38. FPA – Baby
  39. Pearl Charles – Only For Tonight
  40. Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place
  41. The Hold Steady – Family Farm
  42. Peggy Gou – I Go
  43. Sofia Kourtesis – La Perla
  44. Cola Boy, The Avalanches – Don’t Forget Your Neighborhood
  45. Halsey – i am not a woman i’m a god
  46. Tyler the Creator – JUGGERNAUT 
  47. Caroline Polachek – Bunny Is A Rider
  48. Mold – Lunar Vacation
  49. Faye Webster- In A Good Way
  50. Dijon – The Dress

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Jason’s Personal List:

  1. Bo Burnham – That Funny Feeling
  2. Wolf Alice – The Last Man on Earth
  3. Lucy Dacus – Hot & Heavy
  4. Big Red Machine – Latter Days
  5. Nation of Language – This Fractured Mind
  6. Cola Boyy – Don’t Forget Your Neighborhood
  7. Low – Days Like These
  8. Hiss Golden Messenger – Sanctuary
  9. Kanye West – Jail
  10. Japanese Breakfast – Be Sweet
  11. Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen – Like I Used To
  12. Bleachers – Stop Making This Hurt
  13. Clairo – Amoeba
  14. Cassandra Jenkins – Hard Drive
  15. Little Simz – Introvert
  16. Baby Keem – Family Ties
  17. Katy Kirby – Cool Dry Place
  18. Lunar Vacation – Mold
  19. St Vincent – Somebody Like Me
  20. Courtney Barnett – Write A List of Things To Look Forward To
  21. The Avalanches – The Divine Chord
  22. The Hold Steady – Heavy Covenant
  23. The War on Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore
  24. Kid Cudi – Tequila Shots
  25. Olivia Rodrigo – Deja Vu
  26. Yves Tumor – Jackie
  27. Viagra Boys – Aint Nice
  28. Snail Mail – Light Blue
  29. Wednesday – How Can You Live If You Can’t Love How Can You If You Do
  30. SAULT – Fear
  31. Turnstile – Blackout
  32. Billie Eilish – Your Power
  33. Parquet Courts – Walking at a Downtown Pace
  34. Jazmine Sullivan – Girl Like Me
  35. Jelani Aryeh – Stella Brown
  36. Houndmouth – McKenzie
  37. Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over The Country Club
  38. Mach-Hommy – The 26th Letter
  39. Silk Sonic – Skate
  40. Lord Huron – I Lied
  41. Dijon – The Dress
  42. Big Thief – Certainty
  43. Arlo Parks – Too Good
  44. Vince Staples – Are You With That?
  45. Tyler The Creator – Corso
  46. Faye Webster – Cheers
  47. Lorde – Solar Power
  48. Julien Baker – Ringside
  49. Serpentwithfeet – Same Size Shoe
  50. Goth Babe – Encinitas

Honorable Mention: Mannequin Pussy – Control ; Squid – GSK ; Brockhampton – Don’t Shoot Up The Party ; J Cole – Amari ; Cleo Sol – Promises ; Cry Cleaning – Scratchard Lanyard ; Allison Russell – Nightflyer ; Adele – Hold On ; Curren$y – Super Series ; Jane Weaver – Heartlow ; Remi Wolf – Liz ; Kacy Hill – Simple, Sweet, and Smiling ; Omar Apollo – Go Away ; Wet – Bound ; Benny Sings – Run Right Back ; Nathaniel Rateliff – Love Don’t ; The Staves – Good Woman ; Taylor Swift – All Too Well (10 Minute Version) ; Radiohead – Follow Me Around ;

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