THE SOUND OF 2022

I’ll save you all the usual boring cliches about what a year it’s been and go straight to the chart.

Put together over an afternoon, here’s the 50 Best Songs Of 2022.

  1. Taylor Swift – Anti Hero
  2. Harry Styles – As It Was
  3. Sam Ryder – Space Man
  4. Wallows – Especially You
  5. Jamie T – The Old Style Raiders
  6. Sigrid ft Bring Me The Horizon – Bad Life
  7. Arlo Parks – Softly
  8. Confidence Man – Holiday
  9. Ed Sheeran – Overpass Graffiti
  10. The Feeling – There Is No Music
  11. Feeder – The Healing
  12. Harry Styles – Late Night Talking
  13. Sam Fender – Getting Started
  14. Liam Gallagher – More Power
  15. Pretty Cartel – Dominick The Donkey
  16. Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher – Birth Of An Accidental Hipster
  17. Griff x Sigrdi – Head On Fire
  18. Paul Weller and Suggs – Ooh Do U Fink U Are?
  19. Simple Minds- Traffic
  20. Tegan and Sara – Yellow
  21. Idles – All You Need Is Love
  22. Lewis Capaldi – Forget Me
  23. Rosa Linn – Snap
  24. Sigrid – It Gets Dark
  25. Alfie Templeman – Broken
  26. Let’s Eat Grandma – Watching You Go
  27. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Pretty Boy
  28. Pixey – I’m Just High
  29. The Killers – Boy
  30. Lauren Spencer-Smith – Fingers Crossed
  31. Holly Humberstone – Sleep Tight
  32. Simple Minds – First You Jump
  33. George Ezra – Green Green Grass
  34. Steve Lacey – Bad Habit
  35. Liam Gallagher – Everything’s Electric
  36. George Ezra – Anyone For You
  37. Hot Chip – Broken
  38. Maisie Peters – Not Another Rockstar
  39. Bruce Springsteen – Nightshift
  40. Nina Nesbitt – I Should Be A Bird
  41. Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott – Too Much For One (Not Enough For Two)
  42. Beabadoobee – 10:36
  43. Jamie T – Between The Rocks
  44. The 1975 – Part Of The Band
  45. Beabadoobee – Talk
  46. Sinead O’Brien – Holy Country
  47. Soda Blonde – Mandinka
  48. Tom Chaplin – Midpoint
  49. Foals – 2001
  50. Warmduscher – Fatso

Congratulations to Taylor Swift, a two time winner having won it in 2012. I know you’re all eager to see if she’ll win it again in 2032.

If you haven’t heard the winning song, the video is embedded below.

And if you wish to look at archive charts, i’ve listed all the previous winners below.

2021 : Maneskin – Zitti E Buoni
2020 : Tame Impala – Lost In Yesterday
2019 : Vampire Weekend – Harmony Hill
2018 : Lovelytheband – Broken
2017 : Liam Gallagher – For What It’s Worth
2016 : The Strumbellas – Spirits
2015 : Blossoms – Charlamagne
2014 : Jamie T – Zombie
2013 : Haim – The Wire
2012 : Taylor Swift – We Are Never Getting Back Together
2011 : Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA What A Life
2010 : Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
2009 : Little Boots – New In Town
2008 : Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 : Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
2006 : Kasabian – Empire

THE SOUND OF 2016 : 1-25

And here we are, what you’ve been waiting for, to find out the best song of 2016. Not long to go until it is revealed. Are you ready? Are you ready?

Oh ok, I’ll shut up, here’s the Top 25.

1. The Strumbellas – Spirits
2. James – Nothing But Love
3. Iggy Pop – Gardenia
4. The Courteeners – No One Will Ever Replace Us
5. Christine and the Queens – Tilted
6. The Temper Trap – Fall Together
7. Chvrches ft Hayley Williams – Bury It
8. Clean Cut Kid – We Used To Be In Love
9. Sia – The Greatest
10. Oasis – D’You Know What I Mean? (NG’s 2016 Rethink)
11. Travis – Animals
12. Stone Roses – All For One
13. Bastille – Good Grief
14. Travis – Magnificent Time
15. Aurora – Conquerer
16. Biffy Clyro – Howl
17. Bastille – Send Them Off
18. The Lumineers – Ophelia
19. Grimes – California
20. Travis – 3 Miles High
21. Two Door Cinema Club – Are We Ready? (Wreck)
22. Blossoms – Getaway
23. KT Tunstall – Maybe It’s A Good Thing
24. Rose Elinor Dougall – Stellular
25. Clean Cut Kid – Make Believe

Thank you for your support over the past year and I’ll hope to bring you more Friday Fives and pointless themed charts throughout 2017.

Congratulations to The Strumbellas, who join Kasabian, Feist, Sons and Daughters, Little Boots, Marina and the Diamonds, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Taylor Swift, Haim, Jamie T and Blossoms in the Hall Of Fame.

Hopefully, over the past four weeks, i’ve helped you discover some songs you’ve never heard before.

If you haven’t heard the winning song, here it is ……

Want to get excited for music in 2017? Here’s four words for you – Liam. Gallagher. Solo. Album.

THE SOUND OF 2016 : 26-51

26. Rory Lavelle – All These Horrors
27. Blink 182 – Bored To Death
28. Foxes – Feet Don’t Fail Me Now
29. Bloc Party – Virtue
30. Rag n Bone Man – Human
31. Manic Street Preachers – Feels Like Heaven
32. Blossoms – At Most A Kiss
33. ABC – The Flames Of Desire
34. The Afghan Whigs – Regret
35. KT Tunstall – Hard Girls
36. Tegan and Sara – Boyfriend
37. Two Door Cinema Club – Bad Decisions
38. The 1975 – The Sound
39. Bloc Party – Stunt Queen
40. Taylor Swift – Out Of The Woods
41. Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Come With Us
42. Jamie T – Power Over Men
43. Oasis – D’Ya Know What I Mean (Mustique Demo)
44. The Last Shadow Puppets – Bad Habits
45. Jake Bugg – Gimme The Love
46. The Coral – Miss Fortune
47. The Last Shadow Puppets – Aviation
48. Richard Ashcroft – These People
49. Oasis – Don’t Go Away (Mustique Demo)
50. Lukas Graham – 7 Years

THE SOUND OF 2016 : 76-100

Well, 2016 is almost over and what a year of music it has been. Bowie died, Prince died, and Phil Collins announced a comeback. It hasn’t been all bad. There were some songs I liked, and I’ve put them into a chart.

There’s nothing scientific to it, I just cut and pasted Friday Fives and spent half an hour trying to put them into an order based on what I liked the most over the past year.

You may notice a few rerecordings and previously unreleased versions of songs that have already been released. Well, my chart, my rules.

So, who will join the list of previous winners? You’ll have to wait a few weeks to find out.

2006-2009 were done on Bebo, so the articles are sadly gone, but you can click on the links to previous countdowns. There are a few former winners in this year’s chart.

2015 Blossoms – Charlemagne
2014 Jamie T – Zombie
2013 Haim – The Wire
2012 Taylor Swift – We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
2011 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA …… What A Life
2010 Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
2009 Little Boots – New In Town
2008 Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 Feist – 1, 2, 3, 4
2006 Kasabian – Empire

76. Wyvern Lingo – Letter To Willow
77. DNCE – Cake By The Ocean
78. Tegan and Sara – Faint Of Heart
79. Bruno Mars – 24k Magic
80. Frank Turner – Mittens
81. David Bowie – Killing A Little Time
82. Garbage – Empty
83. James – Dear John
84. Primal Scream and Sky Ferreira – When The Light Comes In
85. Travis – Everything At Once
86. Manic Street Preachers – Together Stronger
87. Laura Tesoro – What’s The Pressure?
88. Nika Kocharov and Young Georgian Lolitaz – Midnight Gold
89. Sergey Lazarev – You Are The Only One
90. KT Tunstall – Evil Eye
91. Tove Lo – True Disaster
92. Kings Of Leon – Waste A Moment
93. The Divine Comedy – How Can You Leave Me On My Own?
94. Bear’s Den – Dew On The Vine
95. Richard Ashcroft – Hold On
96. Izzy Bizu & the BBC Orchestra – La Foule
97. Travis – What Will Come
98. Madness – Herbert
99. Primal Scream – Mantra For A State Of Mind
100. Madness – Can’t Touch Us Now

THE SOUND OF 2015 : 1-25

So here we go, what you’ve been waiting for …….. The Top 25 songs of 2015. Enjoy.

1. Blossoms – Charlemagne
2. The Strypes – Get Into It
3. Chvrches – Leave A Trace
4. Muse – Revolt
5. Chemical Brothers – Go
6. Muse – Mercy
7. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Ballad Of The Mighty I
8. Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
9. Florence and the Machine – Queen Of Peace
10. Everything Everything – Spring/Sun/Winter/Dread
11. Calvin Harris ft Haim – Pray To God
12. Mumford and Sons – The Wolf
13. The 1975 – Love Me
14. Little Mix – Black Magic
15. Taylor Swift – Style
16. Mini Mansions – Death Is A Girl
17. Florence and the Machine – Ship To Wreck
18. Muse – Dead Inside
19. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats – SOB
20. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – You Know We Can’t Go Back
21. FFS – Piss Off
22. John Newman – Come And Get It
23. Everything Everything – Regret
24. Soak – Sea Creatures
25. Paul Weller – Saturn’s Pattern

So, congratulations to Blossoms. I bet they didn’t think that supporting Paul Weller and The Charlatans on tour could be topped, but it has.

If you haven’t heard the song before, here you go …..

They join an illustrious list of winners. Sadly, Bebo has wiped their archive, so I can’t link you 2006-2008.

THE SOUND OF …… PAST WINNERS

2014 Jamie T – Zombie
2013 Haim – The Wire
2012 Taylor Swift – We Are Never Getting Back Together
2011 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – AKA …. What A Life
2010 Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
2009 Little Boots – New In Town
2008 Sons and Daughters – Darling
2007 Feist – 1,2, 3, 4
2006 Kasabian – Empire

THE SOUND OF 2015 : 76-100

So, it’s that time of year to look back at the twelve months just past, and this blog is no different.

Totally unscientific and totally guesswork, time to present to you the Top 100 Songs Of 2015, to see who will join Kasabian, Feist, Sons and Daughters, Little Boots, Marina and the Diamonds, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Taylor Swift, Haim and Jamie T on the honours list.

Spoiler alert. There are four former winners in the Top 100, and there are two acts who appear on it who also have a cover of one of their songs in the countdown.

I’ll let you guess them, and the winner. Here’s the first 25 to get you going. Another 25 will appear every Thursday for the next three weeks.

76. Hidden Cities ft Tim Halperin – Hungry Like The Wolf
77. The Libertines – Gunga Din
78. Coasts – Modern Love
79. The Charlatans – Come Home Baby
80. Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
81. Mans Zelmerlow – Heroes
82. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Lock All The Doors
83. The Vaccines – Give Me A Sign
84. Marina and the Diamonds – Blue
85. Bear’s Den – Agape
86. Gun – Every 1’s A Winner
87. Years and Years – Desire
88. Muse – Lies
89. Olly Murs – Kiss Me
90. Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You
91. Miguel – Waves
92. Seasick Steve – Summertime Boy
93. Jason Derulo – Want To Want Me
94. The Courteeners – Has The Told You That He Loves You Yet
95. The Maccabees – Marks To Prove It
96. James Taylor – Montana
97. Coldplay – Adventure Of A Lifetime
98. Brandon Flowers – I Can Change
99. The Charlatans – Let The Good Times Be Never Ending
100. Years and Years – Shine

THE FRIDAY FIVE – 6.3.2015

1. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – You Know We Can’t Go Back
2. Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You
3. Taylor Swift – Style
4. The Kooks – She Moves In Her Own Way
5. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – The Ballad Of The Mighty I

This Sunday, is International Women’s Day. So, to get you in the mood, here’s some female inspired playlists to get you in the mood.

FIVE SONGS BY FEMALE SINGERS

1. St Vincent – Digital Witness
2. Charli XCX – Boom Clap
3. Rae Morris – Under The Shadows
4. Annie Lennox – No More I Love Yous
5. Nina Nesbitt – Peroxide

FIVE SONGS BY ALL FEMALE BANDS

1. Tegan and Sara – Closer
2. Strawberry Switchblade – Since Yesterday
3. The Ronettes – Be My Baby
4. Girls Aloud The Promise
5. Appleton – Fantasy

FIVE SONGS WITH FEMALE NAMES IN THE TITLE

1. Steve Winwood – Valerie
2. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Dear Prudence
3. Eddy Grant – Give Me Hope Johanna
4. The Strypes – Blue Collar Jane
5. Jamie T – Shiela

FIVE SONGS WITH GIRL IN THE TITLE

1. OMD – Tesla Girls
2. Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
3. Kate Bush – Rubberbabnd Girl
4. Stone Temple Pilots – Sour Girl
5. Katy Perry – California Gurls

THE SOUND OF 2014 : 1-25

So, here it is, the 25 best songs of 2014. Drumroll please …………… and the winner is …….. Oh just read the next sentence and don’t be so lazy.

1. Jamie T – Zombie
2. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – In The Heat Of The Moment
3. Charli XCX – Boom Clap
4. Wonder Villains – Marshall
5. Gabrielle Aplin – That’s All
6. Hozier – Take Me To Church
7. Courteeners – Next Time You Call
8. Prides – Messiah
9. Royal Blood – Figure It Out
10. Sheppard – Say Geronimo
11. Vance Joy – Riptide
12. Beck – Blue Moon
13. Lea Michele – Cannonball
14. Millers Daughter – Head Over Heels
15. McBusted – Air Guitar
16. George Ezra – Blame It On Me
17. Jimi Goodwin – Oh! Whiskey
18. Sia – You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile
19. St Vincent – Digital Witness
20. Twin Atlantic – Heart and Soul
21. Royal Blood – Little Monster
22. George Ezra – Budapest
23. The Vamps ft Demi Lovato – Somebody To You
24. Grouplove – Ways To Go
25. Rae Morris – Closer

So, congratulations to Jamie T. If you’re reading this Jamie, there’s no prize, just smug self satisfaction, which money can’t buy.

If, for some reason, you haven’t heard the winning song, here you go.

Here’s to more great music in 2015.

The Sound Of 2013

The Sound Of 2012

The Sound Of 2011

The Sound Of 2010

The Sound Of 2009

The Sound Of 2008

The Sound Of 2007

The Sound Of 2006