Top 100 of 2016

So, it's the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, which only means one thing:  It's time to look back on the music I listened to in 2016.     A year that, apparently, I either had unique tastes, or, too common tastes, depending on how you look at it.

Of course, you can't mention music in the past year without acknowledging the many musicians who left us, beginning with David Bowie, and ending with George Michael, with people like Prince, Leonard Cohen, Glenn Frey, Merle Haggard, Keith Emerson and Greg Lake of ELP, Paul Kantner, Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire, and several others.

The news of the passing of these legendary artists overshadowed the state of current music, which, at least for me, took a back seat.   And, as I do every year, I will reassess whether to continue the blog in its current state or pull the plug.   But more on that below.


Scroll down below and you'll see my top 100 favorite songs of 2016, based on my "favorite points" that I give a song each week to determine it's weekly position.   Hence, some songs that were number one for many weeks but had a relatively short time on the list, may rank below some songs that peaked lower, but stuck around on the my much longer.

I had looked at some year-end album lists, both by Rolling Stone, as well as friends like Brian Sniatkowski who produces his annual top 20 albums that he enjoyed see below for their 2016 lists).    Only one of the songs from Brian's albums list made my top 100, and I don't think any of Rolling Stone's did, either.    And apparently I missed out on 2016 releases from favorite artists.   But that just says more about the time that I had to listen to new music in the past year.     Having started work as a night audit at a local hotel in March, which had some middle-of-the-night down time, with the guest asleep, provided me time to listen to my "currents" playlist of one hundred songs.   The downside to that is sleeping during most of the day and not getting opportunity to write a blog each week.    To at least keep the SNS 100 going, I did multiple blog entries at once, with very little blogging itself; occasionally combining weeks just to catch up.  And when I did, I got busy and fell behind once again.    In the meantime, artists released new singles or key album tracks, but I was still in the middle of the run of the previous single or track.   A perfect example of this was the success of the pop group The Chainsmokers.   They ruled the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but they were two songs ahead of the song I was enjoying on my list.    As a result, I had added 3 songs of there's in a span of a few weeks, something I don't normally do.   Another related reason for the disparity of my songs versus year-end lists, and that these lists are for albums released in 2016.    My list involves songs that I discovered in 2016, and many of them were released in 2015 or earlier.   To me, no great song has an expiration date on it.

As for the music itself, what DID I listen to?    Pretty much accessible pop or alternative, plus some country artists as well.    Much of it did make the pop or alternative charts, but didn't really show up on year-end lists.    It was more of a diversified set of artists as well.   Only two artists---local singer Paul Czekaj and national act Fitz and the Tantrums, which released their third self-titled album this year, garnered three songs on the list in 2016.   Many however, have two songs on that, in fact 13 artists had a pair on the list.   

As for trends, at least as far as I'm concerned, rock-oriented psychedelic jams dominated the list, with songs by Joy Formidable, Ray Lamontagne, Golden Void, Foals, and others proved that rock is not dead, it just went underground.   Ditto for acts like Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros.     Retro-soul was represented by Leon Bridges and Mayer Hawthorne, and to an extent Michael Kiwanuka.

Superstars?    Adele placed two songs, but neither of them were called "Hello".  That smash, which topped my list for five weeks and took only three to reach the top, was released too late in 2015 to get higher than #41 on that list, but didn't have enough points to chart on the 2016 list as it lost valuable points from the year before.      As for other pop artists, very few of them made my list this year (and in some cases, like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, didn't do too well on top 40 radio either.    Alt-rock crossover Twenty-One Pilots had two big top five songs on the national charts, one of them, "Ride" made my list.    Pink made a comeback of sorts as her "Just Like Fire" reached both mine and Billboard's top 10, and just made my year-end list at #100.   Other pop successes who scored with me included DNCE and Mike Posner, the latter with his first release since 2010, the first year of my blog.

Veteran rockers were still present.   Red Hot Chili Peppers released a new album, The Getaway and pretty much picked up right where they left off with "Dark Necessities".    Beck, as he did in 2015, released a stand-alone single, "Wow", although this one is to be included on his next studio set in 2017.    And finally, Santana released an album with their original Woodstock-era lineup, Santana IV, and two tracks reached the upper portion of my list, including "Blues Magic".

Much of my focus was on the obscure, the up-and-coming and the local artists who play for the love of it.  As mentioned above, Paul Czekaj had three songs in my countdown and released his second album.   Rachel Allyn, with perhaps her last shot at stardom,  released an EP, Next Year's Girl, with the title cut and Buffalo Springfield cover "For What It's Worth", making the list.   Phoebe Ryan also made the list, and also made a sort of history as she became the first local to make the Billboard Hot 100, as a featured vocalist on a Chainsmokers song and has gotten great reviews from Rolling Stone and pop queen Taylor Swift.   South Jersey rockers  Smash Palace had made my list in 1985 and were on the verge of making the big time.  They didn't of course, but two songs made my list.   Us Commoners came off of a successful holiday single in 2015 to grab two more charting songs on SNS.     The Hounds of Winter and The Billy Spanton Band put Roselle Park artists on the map, but sadly, we lost Ron Pietranowicz, a longtime friend, keyboardist of the latter late in the year.


Here are some links to other year-end lists, both tracks and albums.

WEQX Top 102.7 of 2016.   WEQX is an alt-rock station based on Manchester VT; the station was the soundtrack for many years during our time up in ski county; we had a house in Mt. Snow and listened to this all the time.

WEQX Top 102.7 of 2016


Brian Sniatkowski has been a friend for over 25 years and has been into alternative music forever.  He listens to new music with a passion and has posted his "song of the week" on Facebook, which is one of the sources I draw my music from.   Most of his list didn't make my year-end chart (although most of it did hit my weekly SNS 100), but his agree with many's year-end albums list.

Brian Sniatkowski's Top 20 Albums of 2016


Rolling Stone has been a music (and other entertainment and political-based) magazine mainstay for almost fifth years.   Their list encompasses pop as well.

Rolling Stone Fifty Best Albums of 2016


I subscribe to Sirius XM Satellite radio, and although recently I've reverted back to their classic hits channels, I do listen to their "Alt Nation" and follow their "Alt 18" list, which I also draw ideas of new music to add.  Here is Alt-nation top 36 tracks of 2016:

Sirius XM Alt Nation Top 36 of 2016




Now, for the future.    I have been thinking about this and decided to give it one more try.   I would like to try and keep this going for 2019 even though interest in new music for me has been waning.   The songs I've listened to this decade have made memories for the events and people in my life the last several years, and I think there is still some great music left in the tank.    I will try and seek out new, obscure bands that are worthy of listens, even though they aren't on the national charts.  Of course, I'll select a few current pop "hits" and well and will try and augment that into my listening experience.    However, as I had done in the latter half of 2016, it may be that a week's blog will just be the SNS 100 with a few notes on the music I added; but if a major story or remembrance surfaces, I will write a good, old fashioned blog.   We will see what happens.    Expect to see the first blog of 2017 dated January 29.   I will play it by ear, and if I don't think it's worth the effort, it will be time to retire my interest in new music, and my blog.   But let's see what, perhaps music will bring us in 2017.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves

Top 100 of 2016

Rank		ARTIST-Title	Wks	Peak
100		Pink - Just Like Fire   Great to see this long standing pop artist have a hit in 2016.  This stand-alone single is from the movie "Alice Through the Looking Glass", and unlike that box-office bomb,  this one made top 10 both on my list and nationally.   At a time when Top 40 radio turned its backs on the likes of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, this songstess still is rolling along.	14	10
99		Rachel Allyn - For What It's Worth.  North Jersey country/alternative artist releases her 3rd album Next Year's Girl, and covers this 1967 gem by Buffalo Springfield.	15	7
98		Leila Hegazy - Maybe If We Try. Multi-talented singer/songwriter from Staten Island demo'd this song back in December 2014, but wasn't able to release this fine gem until almost a year later.   Had this been released mid year, it would have been top 10.   She and her twin sister, the equally talented Omnia have since joined forces to  create a new band "Hegazy" and we await their debut effort together.	19	3
97		Young the Giant - Amerika. Recent fave band  that hails from California, released its third album Home of the Strange, and did well with this song.	14	12
96		The Thermals - Hey You.  Band from underground scene in Portland OR did well last time out with 2 SNS top 10's from 2013's "Desperate Ground".  This time around their 7th album We Disappear didn't do quite as well, but still made the list with this catchy song.	15	19
95		Flume f Andrew Wyatt- Some Minds  Flume is one of those record producers that cuts his own albums featuring other vocalists.  Although he released an album in 2016, Skin, I discovered and loved this non-album single from the year before, and it broke into my top 20.	16	20
94		Pop Etc. - What Am I Becoming Former Morning Benders, they are now part of the Brooklyn indie scene, and this song, from  Souvenir, made a splash on alternative charts.	19	24
93		Jake Owen - If He Ain't Gonna Love You  Country artists has been around for awhile, and has won a couple of awards as well.  He breaks through on SNS with this gusty, heartfelt gem, from his album American Love.	12	5
92		Best Coast - In My Eyes.  The west coast duo has been a mainstay on SNS the last several years, and they kept releasing singles from their 2015 California Nights set, and this was the fourth single release from it.	14	12
91		Hippo Campus - South Minnesota indie artists released an EP in 2015 of the same name, and this catchy song got some airplay.   A new album is due for 2017 and a new single has already been released from it.	19	20
90		Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - Look It Here  Denver-based act made an auspicious debut in 2015, namely with the song "S.O.B.".  The follow-ups were more in the straightforward Southside Johnny vein, but still palatable.	15	12
89		Mutemath - Monument  The band has been on SNS before ("Electrify" hit #4 in 2010 here), but this song by this New Orleans group had a special meaning for a man named Charles "LaLa" Evans who had indeed turned his home into a monument for his late wife whom he was married to for 60 years.  He was on the Ellen DeGeneres show telling his story, and the band also performed this song in tribute.	18	5
88		Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better  Really, this song is more of a "Let It Happen" part 2, their hit from 2015, but nonetheless, this song, also from Currents, is good in its own right.	14	10
87		Awolnation - Woman Woman.  No relation to the old Gary Puckett song, LA band released Run in 2015 and continued releasing singles from it, like this tasty morsel.	17	16
86		Blossoms - At Most A Kiss. No relation to the early 1960's girl group that featured Darlene Love, but a British indie-pop group that released its eponymous debut full-length album which reached the top in their native UK.	19	13
85		Fitz and the Tantrums - Roll Up No SNS countdown would be complete without this band who has shattered all blog records.   This is the first of not only three songs on this list, but they had three #1's as well, including this soul-pop uptempo hybrid, which would have ranked higher had I added it earlier in the year.	9	1 (3 wks)
84		Dreamers - Drugs Band from the Brooklyn indie hotbed has been on the alt charts since 2014 and released their first full length album, This Album Does Not Exist, in 2016.	18	22
83		Deerhunter - Snakeskin.  Remember Atlas Sound?  Branford Cox is the mastermind behind this "group" and the 2011 album Parallax yielded a great early 2012 SNS hit, "The Shakes".   When I tried to find out more about what Atlas Sound was up to , I realized it was Cox who was the mastermind and he fronts this band, Deerhunter, apparently since 2001.  You can hear some influence from Atlas Sound on this one, from their 2015 Fading Frontier set.	17	16
82		Jana Kramer - I Got the Boy  The 2000's show One Tree Hill seems  to be a breeding ground for likeable singers.  First Kate Voegle, and now this country singer, that a then-new Facebook friend posted about.   Love this song, and an artist to be reckoned with.	23	22
81		Miike Snow - My Trigger Swedish indie poppers who made my top 5 in 2012 with "Paddling Out" from their second album, finally return with their third, "iii" and pick up right where they left off with this alt-pop gem which just missed the top spot.	10	2
80		Twenty-One Pilots - Ride  Okay, so who are this duo...or rather, what are they?    Their Wikipedia page shows them to be "alt hop hop", "electro-pop", "indie-pop"....and "rock".    Interesting.   The first one probably explains why they had three top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 this year; the last two explains their success on the alternative list as well.  While traditional rock has been missing from the pop charts for about 8 years now, these guys, whatever they are, are at least getting rock, whatever form it may take place in 2016, airplay.  It took me a while to warm up to this duo but this song is here, and that's a start, right?	25	29
79		Young the Giant - Something to Believe In   Second cut from Home of the Strange to make my list this year.   Not as sugary as past efforts but worthy nonetheless.	18	11
78		Maybird - Turning Into Water.  It's nice to see trippy, psychedelic pop thrive underground in the mid 2010's.  There's enough bands of this ilk to  cause a movement there, that top 40 may suppress, but still thrive with me.  This is a new example, a band from Rochester, of all place.   It was the current #1 song on my blog right before the holiday break.	11	1 (1 wk)
77		The Hunna - You and Me  English band impresses with their debut album, 100.	17	18
76		Beck - Wow.  Like 2015's "Dreams", once again, Beck, coming off his Grammy-winning Morning Phase album, releases as stand-alone single, both of which are due to be included on an album to drop in 2017.   Unlike Dreams, this one has hip-hopp-ish vibes, sort of like his debut, "Loser".   Innovative musician is still thriving 23 years later.	22	16
75		Wild Belle - Throw Down Your Guns   The sibling duo's debut, Aisles is one of my all time faves from the blog era, "Keep You" was #2 on the five-year retrospective I did.  Their sophomore effort, Dreamland, as you'd probably expect, dilutes the magic somewhat, but it got them more airplay.   This song does carry the sensibility that they displayed in their debut.	15	10
74		Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - I Need Never Get Old  Another from the soul and blues outfit's debut, which again, harkens back to the best of  Southside Johnny.  Not bad for a bunch of guys from Denver!	17	11
73		Disturbed - The Sound of Silence.  This has to be one of the most left-field songs to make my list in 2016.  Band was part of the nu-metal wave at the turn of the millennium.   This intriguing cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic from 1966 was very popular with my friends, many have posted this, which helped push this into my top 20, as well as #73 on my year end list.	21	19
72		St. Paul and the Broken Bones - All I Ever Wonder.  Nathaniel Rateliff isn't the only soulful combo out there.  These guys had an awesome debut, Half the City,  in 2014, especially with their single "Call Me".   They release their second album Sea of Noise, which includes this first single.	16	14
71		The Doughboys - For Your Love.  Not to be confused with a Canadian band of the same name, these Jersey boys from Union County, started as a garage rock band in the mid 1960's and even appeared on the local music shows like Clay Cole, as well as on shows sponsored by then-top 40 WMCA., opening up for the stars of the day   They released two singles, including one written by fellow Jersey Boys The Four Seasons' Bob Gaudio. They even got into a scuffle on stage with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson over a floor tom!   But they never caught on (leaving The Critters as the only successful band from Union County).    They reformed, however in 2001 and have released several albums since.   They played at the WNTI Stage festival in Knowlton this past summer.  Worth checking out.	18	19
70		Zac Brown Band - Castaway.  I've always been a fan of this band.  For awhile they strayed from what inspired me about them, but they've gone back on track.   Their sound has evolved without forgetting the material that made them starts.   Such as this one, a throwback of sorts to "Toes".  But to their credit, a completely different song.	17	14
69		Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - No Love Like Yours.   I'm never quite sure what to make of these guys, fronted by Alex Ebert formerly of Ima Robot fame.  Of course, this band scored a couple times in 2010, most notably with "Home" and have had sporadic success on SNS since.   I was crushed to learn that  Jade Castrinos, the female voice on "Home" had left the band, but based on this song , from  2016's fourth effort, PersonA, the band still has it.	19	11
68		Florence + the Machine - Delilah   One of my favorite albums from 2015, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, continued to yield singles in 2016, and this one, the fourth effort, made my top 10 easily.	15	6
67		Barns Courtney - Fire.  Courtney is a singer/songwriter from England.  He has opened for the likes of The Who, Ed Sheeran and Fitz and the Tantrums, and so far, he's got the talent of the above.   We await his debut album.	20	12
66		Strumbellas - Spirits  Alt-country/rock hybrid from Canada, impressed with their debut album Hope of which this first single was released and was a bit hit on alternative rock radio.	23	16
65		Dreamers - Wolves (You Got Me) Their second entry on my list from their debut album This Album Does Not Exist is a refreshing throwback-type sound, which reached #3 on my list during the summer.	22	3
64		The Avalanches - Frankie Sinatra    The year was 2001, I was at my Skihaus in Mt Snow Vermont, when I heard a bizarre song on WEQX called "Frontier  Psychiatrist".   I bought the album Since I Left You, and was amazed that the entire album was made of samples!  It took them fifteen more years before these Aussies got to their sophomore effort, and this lead single is pretty much strange in its own right.  But, alas, fun.	18	9
63		The Strokes - Oblivius New Yorkers were part of the garage rock revival in the early 2000's and they proved they still have it, with this track from 2016's EP Future Present Past.	20	14
62		Iration - 867 Reggae outfit originated from Hawaii, which seems unlikely until you remember another similar band also scored a hit on SNS with that style.  Remember Pepper?    Anyway, this band now is based in LA and shows  that the creative juices are flowing with this palatable song.  From their  4th effort, 2015's Hotting Up; they just released album #5  at the end of 2016.	21	3
61		Chris Stapleton - Traveller.  Chris took home many awards at least year's CMAs and ACM's.   One listen to this song, you'll understand why.	23	18
60		Trails and Ways - My Things.  The Oakland outfit's "Nunca" had a two week stretch on top of my SNS 100 back in 2012 and they come back with their latest album Own It, and this one is pretty awesome too.  One of my favorite bands today.	16	6
59		Adele - Send My Love (To Your New Lover)   Although Ms. Adkins is now considered part of the pop mainstream, she is, after all, Adele and will breathe heart and soul into a song that her contemporaries can't (or won't do). From her 25 set.	17	10
58		Cage the Elephant - Mess Around Okay, who was the idiot who dissed this first single from their fourth album, Tell Me I'm Pretty, when I included "Cigarette Daydreams" from their previous effort on my 2015 countdown?  Oh, that was me.   Well, I had a change of heart, it's a fun, uptempo thing and it wound up in my top 5 and #58 on the year.   And they still have another one to go.	25	5
57		Declan McKenna - Brazil Teen singer/songwriter is yet another from across the pond, and scored a #1 alt-rock hit with this song.	18	10
56		Lake Street Dive - Call Off Your Dog Outfit from Boston has been around for around ten years, and has been a fave of some music watchers out there.  This one got some airplay on alt-rock stations.  A worthy listen.	19	8
55		DMA's -  Too Soon  Trio from Sydney, Australia released their full-length debut, Hills End, and made some inroads.	19	8
54		Dinosaur Jr - Tiny  Band has been around since the mid-80's, but are known for their 1994 alt-rock hit "Feel the Pain".   After  disbanding in 1997, they reformed ten years later.  Their latest album Give a Glimpse Of What Yer Not" was on Brian Sniatkowski's top albums of 2016, and had the distinction of being the only one to do so.	14	5
53		Beach House - Space Song Baltimore duo that had some early SNS successes with their 2012 album "Teen Dream".   Their 2015 set, Thank Your Lucky Stars , yielded this  song, which became their third SNS top 20 hit.	18	7
52		Bishop Briggs- River Originally from Scotland, her family moved to Tokyo and then to LA.    Her debut EP, yielded this radio hit when hit #3 on the alternative chart.	22	14
51		The Heavy - Since You Been Gone  The "How Do You Love Me Now" and "What MakesA Good Man" gang returns withnew album The Hurt and the Merciless, and produced this cool song.	17	7
50		Paul Czekaj - Up In the Sky. Jersey laureate is back after  a recording hiatus and was very busy in 2016, releasing three videos, all of which made the list.   Here, he departs from him usual  observations on the garden state to focus on being there for a friend who has an addiction and needs help.  Good stuff.	18	8
49		Phoebe Ryan - Chronic. Jersey girl transported to the west coast was on the verge of stardom this year.  This single appeared on the "up and coming" lists.   Later in the year, however, she was featured vocalist on The Chainsmokers  "All We Know" which debuted and peaked at #18, becoming the first "up and comer" on my blog to make the big chart.  She has been praised by the likes of Taylor Swift, and Rolling Stone did an article on here.   Hoping 2017 will be her true breakthrough.	21	5
48		Golden Void - The Beacon  Psych-rockers from San Francisco had an awesome debut in 2012 and "The Curve" for me became a defining song in this decade.   Their follow-up, 2015's Berkana saw their sound diluted somewhat, and while their singles were just okay, I went in and plucked this cut, which rocked and showed their psych-jamming side.	19	12
47		Us Commoners - Fallin'.  Duo from the mid-Hudson valley that made a big impression with their "Christmas and Hanukkah" seasonal offering in 2015, cut a series of singles in 2016.  This one, with a video that reminded me somewhat of that earlier song, was genuine, soulful take on the soft side of rock.	13	3
46		Cage the Elephant - Trouble.  While I may have had an initial issue with their "Mess Around", this one was straight, pure, Cage the Elephant.   They have been one of the leading exponents of rock over the past ten years.	18	8
45		The Joy Formidable - The Last Thing on My Mind.   This one may take a few listens, but it grabs a hold of you.  First heard up in ski country, this one spent a lot of time near or in my top 20.    Welsh trio had one of the original blog songs with "Whirring" in 2010, this was the best since then.  From their album Hitch.	22	15
44		Foals - What Went Down. Band is no stranger to my blog, and their latest, 2015's "What Went Down" yielded three more great songs, all varied.  Such as this one, which a psychedelic jam at the end of it, for me, totally came out of left field.  A versatile band from England.	20	11
43		Collective Soul - Contagious. One of my favorite bands of the 1990's, I was ecstatic when they released See What You  Started by Continuing in 2015.  But when the single was released, "This" was a disappointment, reaching only #91 on SNS, I dismissed them as washed-up.   Then I looked at their Wikipedia page and saw that this song, erroneously was listed as top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart.   It was hoax, but I got to download the song anyway.  And it was like magic.  A definite throwback to their heyday.  The Collective Soul I know and love!	21	17
42		Paul Czekaj - A Place I Once Called Home  Mt. Olive's tunesmith looks back at the pleases he lived at, growing up here, and a very nostalgic video to boot.   From his second album  Gallimaufry.	15	5
41		Two Door Cinema Club - Are We Ready (Wreck) Irish indie-rockers released their third album.   Sales-wise , Gameshow was a comedown from their previous Beacon, and radio toyed with the single , the uninspiring  "Bad Decisions".  But this song was the TDCC that I knew and loved.	18	8
40		Martin Courtney - Northern Highway   .  In 2011, Courtney's band Real Estate, hailing from Ridgewood, NJ as part of a mini music scene from that town, reached #4 on my blog with "It's Real".   In 2015, he released a solo effort , Many Moons, and this song got some airplay in early 2016.  Martin is no relation to Barns Courtney who we heard  at #67.	27	10
39		Florence + the Machine - Queen of Peace●  The only song to appear on both my 2015 and 2016 countdowns, which hurt its year-end positions in both years (it was #33 in 2015).  Funny that this third single from How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful got no airplay at all, and it was the best song from it.  Then again, this is why I have my own chart and lists.	30	1 (5)
38		Santana - Anywhere You Want to Go  While I've always loved Santana, in its various incarnations over the past 47 years, I was excited to hear that the original , Woodstock-era lineup of the band had gotten back together to do an album.   Titled Santana IV, as a nod to the first three albums this lineup appeared on, it brought back some of the original sounds that sold me in the first place.	17	7
37		Mike Posner - I Took a Pill in Ibiza One of the better pop singers out there, Posner was the first pop artists to have two top 20 songs on SNS, including "Cooler Than Me".  Six years later, he finally releases a follow-up and this song pretty much continued where he left off.	20	12
36		Taylor Centers - Dodged Your Bullet Aspiring artist from Charlotte, NC was trying to make more inroads in 2016.   Having switched from pop to country, this one had a great shot to break thru, but somehow didn't.   Then to make matters worse, she then changed her name to Christina Taylor.   Let's hope that perhaps that name will be the one to finally pave her way to stardom.	20	10
35		Smash Palace - Haddontown●    The year was 1985.  A band out of South Jersey was signed by Epic Records, got airplay on MTV and top 40 station WPST played many of the band's songs from the album.  "Living on the Borderline" reached #84 on my year-end list for 1985.   And then....nothing.    Internal and external strife resulted in a 12 year gap between albums, and by then, all momentum was long gone.   In 2015, a reconstituted version of the band put out  Some Kind of Magic, and it did get some college radio airplay.  Speaking of magic, one listen to this song did it for me.  Nothing trendy, in fact, a great throwback to rock the way it ought to sound.	26	4
34		Coldplay - Hymn For the Weekend  Nice to see these guys back into action.  Not that they ever left , but the songs on their Head Full of Dreams marked their return to prominence.   This song reached #25 on the Hot 100, not a bad showing from  a rock outfit these days.	21	6
33		Rachel Allyn - Next Year's Girl.  a few years ago, I thought that this singer/songwriter was on the verge of stardom.   Sad to say, her unique style didn't catch on.   Her third release, of which this is the title track is an example of that one-of-a-kind style.   Time is running out for her, but I'm still hoping her music can still be heard.	18	5
32		City and Colour - Lover Come Back  City and Colour is actually one person, Dallas Green (no relation to the baseball player and manager).  He was noted for teaming up  with Pink in the side project "You+Me", but in 2016.  This cool song ignited interest in this Canadian artist, and did wall on the Triple-A radio format.	23	7
31		City and Colour - Wasted Love  The follow-up to the above song proved that he is a viable artist who finally got his due in 2016.	23	8
30		Leon Bridges - Better Man.  When I first listened to the title track from "Coming Home", an SNS#1 song from 2015, I felt like I was transformed back to the mid-1960's.   Pure, classic soul being done in the 2010's.  How cool is that?   This one, the third single, proves that song wasn't any fluke.  An awesome performer.	18	6
29		Mayer Hawthorne - Cosmic Love Speaking of retro-soul, how about this guy? He had back to back #1 SNS songs in 2012 with "The Walk" and "Henny and Gingerale".  While subsequent work wasn't as mind shattering, this song,from 2016's Man About Town, brought him back.  More of a 70's R&B vibe rather than 60's soul, but still, ear-catching.	25	7
28		Santigold - Can't Get Enough of Myself Although this artist isn't a newcomer---her first album was released in 2008, she was one of the most exciting performers to break through in 2016, as this song got some airplay.  Can't wait to listen to more that she has to offer.  From  the Philly-based artists third effort, 99 cents.	22	12
27		Trent Harmon - Falling  Trent was the 15th and final winner of "American Idol".  And while I had pretty much ignored the last few seasons of that once-great competition show, and was ready to dismiss this as well, one listen to the song and I was blown away.   Strangely enough, its #6 peak on SNS was the highest "coronation song" of an Idol winner since 2011.  Strange that this awesome blues song was being marketed as country, as was the artist overall, and it did make the country charts.  But cam he sustain that, or just fade off into oblivious like most other recent Idol or Voice winners?	20	6
26		Finish Ticket - Color  Breakthrough song by this west coast indie-rock outfit, got some airplay on alternative stations this year and  understandably so.  From their EP When Night Becomes Day.	22	5
25		Us Commoners - The Hot Spot Another from the Kingston NY-based project from this duo.  A pleasant breath of fresh air from them.  We need more artists like this.	21	3
24		The Revivalists - Wish I Knew You   Another reminder why I still listen to new music these days.   Band was named one of then artists you need to know in 2016.  Well, I did know them, it's not a wish.  Reached #1 on the Triple-A chart. From their debut Men Among Mountains.	26	7
23		The Hounds of Winter - Oh Paige Studio ensemble, led by drummer and producer Tom Corea from Roselle Park, best known for their countless holiday recordings, had a great song out in 2014, "Amy's World".   And in 2016, they better that with this one, as Tom puts is, "based on a true story that hasn't happened yet".  Three weeks atop my SNS 100 is icing on the cake.	14	1 (3)
22		Fitz and the Tantrums - Complicated●   An album track from their third, eponymous album, sacrifices the soul for more poppish rhythms, in order to fit in the mainstream.  While I am not a fan of that move, damn, stuff like this still grabs me where  it counts....in my ears.	20	1 (1)
21		Nada Surf - Believe You're Mine  Nada Surf, like Dinosaur Jr, had one bit hit in the 1990's (in this case, "Popular")   but has also comeback, albeit under the radar, in the 2010's. "Waiting for Someone" reached SNS top 10 in 2012, and this one, from   2016's You Know Who You Are, continued this renaissance.	27	7
20		Adele - When We Were Young  The second single from 25, is anther vocal plus piano exercise.   While this one-special singer has lost some of her luster by being in the mainstream, I am still happy for her success.	19	2
19		M83  - Go● LA outfit fronted by Anthony Gonzalez, by way of France, had a big hit in 2012, "Reunion" which reached #2.   They top this one with a two week run from this catchy song, from  their seventh album, Junk.	21	1 (2)
18		Billy Spanton Band  - Shake Your Soul  Milford PA-based band fronted by veteran musician William Spanton released their album , Long Time Coming.  It's back-to-basics rock and roll, the way it was meant to be played.  This song was the great lost Bad Company record, a band in which this outfit opened for a few years back.   But this is bittersweet.   Keyboardist, classmate and friend Ron Pietranowicz passed away in November.  My condolences to his wife Kathy.   He will be missed with a passion.	20	3
17		Paul Czekaj - That Old New Jersey●  Czekaj put himself on the local map back in 2011 with "My Home New Jersey", with a video that spotlights all the cool people, places and things in the Garden State.  It went viral, racking up over half a million hits on YouTube.   This time around, he spotlights all the great places that are no longer there, and this one is approaching 400,000 hits.  It was great to see Paul perform at the WNTI stage this summer.  From Gallimaufry.	23	2
16		Michael Kiwanuka - One More Night Here is another exciting new artist that I discovered this year.  Although Love and Hate didn't do as well as his 2012 debut Home Again, I was blown away by this song.  If Leon Bridges is too retro sounding for you, try Michael Kiwanuka, who adds current folk-rock sensibility to his soul.	16	1 (2)
15		DNCE - Cake By the Ocean● Whether it was because I didn't really listen to current pop this year, or because there really wasn't anything to listen to on the level of a "Happy", "Blurred Lines", or last year's "Uptown Funk", there  wasn't a big song this year....except for this one.   My friend Anthony Josephs rocked to this on the way to skiing at Gore Mountain this past year, and other friends were singing and talking about it as well. One of the longest running songs on SNS this year.  Band includes Joe Jonas, late of Jonas Brothers.	29	2
14		Coldplay - Adventure of A Lifetime  The tendency is to take bands like this for granted.   I almost did---until I heard this very catchy song which ruled my list for 4 weeks in spring.   Band headlined the halftime show at the Superbowl, and while the media would prefer that Beyoncé and Bruno Mars "stole" the show, for me it was Chris Martin and crew all the way.	22	1 (4)
13		Half Moon Run - Turn Your Love● 2015's Sun Leads Me On, the second album by this Canadian act form Montreal, is the home of this catchy song.	29	4
12		Run River North - Run or Hide●  Korean rock?  You betcha...this slice of gutsy pop-rock hails from LA, the band got together in that city's Koreatown.  Love this song. Drinking from a Salt Pond is the band's second album.	24	2
11		Charles Kelley- Lonely Girl  Artist is a member of the superb country music trio Lady Antebellum.  Artist has enough soul to cut an album on his own as well.  Song is from his solo debut, 2016's The Driver.	28	8
10		The Parlor - The Surgeon's Knife●The Parlor hails from Altamont NY. I couldn't find a Wikipedia page on them, so I am assuming they are a fledging, up and coming outfit.  Well, if they keep putting out songs like this, they will be known very soon.	23	5
9		Santana - Blues Magic● Classic band that reunited members from its classic 1969-71 lineup that included a breakthrough at Woodstock, released Santana IV, and while the first single "Anywhere You Want to Go" is quite good, I searched the album for something that really takes me back to that era.  I found it with this slow, soul/blues song.  This is the Santana I grew up  with and loved.	18	1 (1)
8		Elle King - Under the Influence●  I think there was a friend on Facebook who didn't like this artist.   Their loss.  And she's more than a one hit wonder.  While "Ex's and Oh's reached #2 on my year-end list for 2015, this song added a whole new dimension to her versatility.  As a result, she's in my top 10 for the second year in a row.	24	1 (2)
7		Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dark Necessities●  Veteran alt-funk-rock band still has it.  They cook, yet they manage to keep it all palatable as well.  This new one, from The Getaway, continues this.  It's amazing how the band can keep on releasing similar type of song, but none of them sound alike.  Good for them!	25	1 (5)
6		Ray Lamontagne - Hey No Pressure● Lamontagne has been on my lists before, both solo and with the Pariah Dogs.   But it was this song that I realized what a latter-day blues artist can do in 2016.   The catchy riff and big jam towards the end of the long-running song just clinches it.   Blues rock is not dead, not in the least!	27	1 (1)
5		Smash Palace - My Mistake●"Haddonfied" was still high on my list, when this South Jersey band debuts its second single from  Some Kind of Magic was featured.  I thought "no way could they top that, and yet when I heard it, they did!   Catchy, throwback rock.  I wonder what would have happened if that band decided to stay with their original label in the 1980's.   But it doesn't matter as I am glad they're still around.	24	1 (1)
4		Avid Dancer - I Feel It● Avid Dancer is Jacob Dillion Summers, and his band. His first full length album, 1st Bath, came out in 2015.  I don't remember how I got to hear this one, but, like The Parlor, and Finish Ticket, you really don't have to know much about the artist to enjoy their music.  I hope to hear more from this talent soon.	27	5
3		Foals - Give It All●  The ever versatile Foals had a successful album with three songs doing well on my list.  This one, a slow, somber number was the perfect song to come along during late spring of 2016.  While it didn't have the impact of the other singles at radio, it did well at Sirius XM's alt-nation and, of course, I place this at the top for three weeks.	26	1 (3)
2		Fitz and the Tantrums - HandClap● Look at this band's discography and you see there was a three year layoff between albums.  That would mean that music from tis band probably wasn't heard for a couple of years, right?  Wrong.  I was adding so many cuts from  their previous More Than Just the Dream, that two cuts from that album were still on my SNS 100 in spring 2016 when this song, the lead from their 3rd set, came out.   While I was disappointed in the direction of the song (and the subsequent album), catchy pop for me has the same effect as heartfelt soul does.  And although it ran its course  at alt-rock radio by  summer, as of the end of 2016, it's top 5 on adult top 40 radio, and has been featured in commercials.	31	1 (4)
1		Kaleo - Way Down We Go● The biggest thing to come out of Iceland since The Sugarcubes, this band took a while to catch on with this persistant song, but once it did, it just stayed there and stuck around.   I'm not sure of an explanation of it, but it surely is persistent. Unlike last year's #1, Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" which reached #2 on the Hot 100, this one only got as high as #85, but like my blog list, it stayed on alt-rock playlists for a long time.   My #1 song of 2016 is Kaleo's "Way Down We Go".	35	1 (2)