Favorite Songs of 2020

At first I set out to put together a list of my favorite 20 songs of the year (just like I did previously with my favorite albums of the year), but after a day or so of thinking and writing them down, I quickly realized that the list was greater than 20 and in the end, I had a list of 50 songs. 

Well, I shrunk it down to 40 and then decided - what the hell am I doing? All of these songs are great. And I loved each one of them and each one deserves to be on the list. Each and every one of them.

So, here's my 40 favorite songs of the dumpster fire year that was 2020 - once again, in no specific order:

1. Within the Ruins - Black Heart

2. Architects - Animals

3. Foo Fighters - Shame Shame

4. Code Orange - Swallowing the Rabbit Whole

5. Unleash the Archers - Abyss

6. Machine Gun Kelly - Bloody Valentine

7. Poppy - Anything Like Me

8. Spirit Adrift - Screaming From Beyond

9. Green Day - Oh Yeah!

10. The Pretty Reckless - Death by Rock and Roll

11. Deftones - Urantia

12. Adelitas Way - Habit

13. Pop Evil - Work

14. Joyous Wolf - Odyssey

15. Tallah - L.E.D.

16. Black Stone Cherry - Again

17. Lady Gaga - 911

18. Armored Saint - End of the Attention Span

19. Spirit Box - Holy Roller

20. Run the Jewels - Holy Calamafuck

21. Ayron Jones - Take Me Away

22. AC/DC - Shot in the Dark

23. Hawk - CLVRMFKR

24. Avatar - Silence in the Age of Apes

25. Trivium - Amongst the Shadows and the Stones

26. Midnight - Fucking Speed and Darkness

27. August Burns Red - Defender

28. Metal Church - Dead on the Vine

29. Lamb of God - Memento Mori

30. Mr. Bungle - Bungle Grind

31. Royal Blood - Trouble's Coming

32. Hatebreed - When the Blade Drops

33. Stone Temple Pilots - Fare Thee Well

34. Bring Me The Horizon - Parasite Eve

35. Rob Zombie - The Triumph of King Freak (A Crypt of Preservation and Superstition)

36. Pearl Jam - Dance of the Clairvoyants

37. The Violent - Fly on the Wall

38. Smith & Myers - Not Mad Enough

39. Asking Alexandria - They Don't Want What We Want (And They Don't Care)

40. Them Evils - Where Ya Gonna Crash Tonight?

Favorite Music Albums of 2020

Here are my 20 favorite music albums of 2020. 

Why 20? Well, I couldn't choose just 5 or 10 or even 15. The list skews heavily to hard rock and metal as that's what I typically listen to, but there are a few surprise choices here.

So, here's the list - in no specific order: 

1. Deftones - Ohms 

2. Metallica - S&M2 

3. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush

4. Code Orange - Underneath

5. Lady Gaga - Chromatica

6. Bring Me The Horizon - Post Human: Survival Horror 

7. Avatar - Hunter Gatherer

8. Trivium - What the Dead Men Say 

9. Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny

10. AC/DC - PWR/UP

11. Taylor Swift - Folklore

12. Static X - Project Regeneration, Volume 1

13. Black Stone Cherry - The Human Condition

14. Dance Gavin Dance - Afterburner

15. Stone Temple Pilots - Perdida

16. Adelitas Way - Shine On

17. Run The Jewels - RTJ4

18. August Burns Red - Guardians

19. Lamb of God - Lamb of God

20. Unleash the Archers - Abyss

Pandemic Playlist - Hits of 1989

It's been a few days since the last pandemic playlist, but here's a list of Songs of 1989. Enjoy! Spotify playlist is here.

10 songs, 48 minutes

Skid Row - I Remember You

Madonna - Like A Prayer

Alanah Myles - Black Velvet

Tom Petty - Yer So Bad

Faith No More - Epic

Alice Cooper - Poison

Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart

Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation

Neil Young - Rockin' in the Free World

Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole

Pandemic Playlist - Songs of Quarantine and Isolation

I'm finishing up my 3rd week working from home during this virus pandemic, so let's do a Pandemic Playlist of songs about, well, touching, keeping away, and being alone. Spotify playlist is here.

10 songs, 44 minutes.

Hall and Oates - Out of Touch

Godsmack - Keep Away

Whitesnake - Here I Go Again

George Thorogood and the Destroyers - I Drink Alone

Billy Idol - Dancing with Myself

Motley Crue - Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

Anthrax - Antisocial

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Don't Come Around Here No More

The Rolling Stones - Get Off My Cloud

The Police - Don't Stand (So Close To Me)

Episode 43 - Five Cover Songs I Think You Should Know - Mix 3

Mix 3 of Five Cover Songs I Think You Should Know is here. Go give the episode a listen here. 

And then after you're finished, go check out Mixes 1 and 2 in episodes 22 and 37 of the podcast.

Pandemic Playlist - Hits of 1977

Today's Pandemic Playlist is a myriad of songs from 1977. Spotify playlist is here. Enjoy!

10 songs, 44 minutes.

Ram Jam - Black Betty

AC/DC - Let There Be Rock

Rush - Closer to the Heart

Talking Heads - Psycho Killer

Kansas - Dust in the Wind

David Bowie - Heroes

Blue Oyster Cult - Godzilla

Eddie Money - Two Tickets To Paradise

Jackson Browne - Running on Empty

Aerosmith - Kings and Queens

Pandemic Playlist - Hits of 1996

Today's Pandemic Playlist is Hits of 1996. Spotify playlist is here. Enjoy!

10 songs, 42 Minutes.

En Vogue - Don't Let Go (Love)

Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack

Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)

Outkast - ATLiens

Savage Garden - I Want You

2Pac - California Love

Spice Girls - Say You'll Be There

Spacehog - In The Meantime

Busta Rhymes - Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check

Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down

Pandemic Playlist - Iron Maiden

Formed in 1975, Iron Maiden has released 16 studio albums. They are iconic English metal, and while not Maiden's original vocalist, Bruce Dickinson is a world treasure. It was hard for me to pick 10 songs for my Pandemic Playlist. But here they are. Spotify playlist can be found here.

Up the Irons!

10 songs, 56 minutes.

2 Minutes To Midnight

Flight of Icarus

The Trooper

Aces High

Hallowed Be Thy Name

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Fear of the Dark

The Evil That Men Do

Phantom of the Opera

Revelations

Pandemic Playlist - 1990s Country, Mix 1

It's Saturday. Today's list is 1990s country music. For me, country music died after about 1999-2000. It's DOA now during the bro-country era of the late 2000s and 2010s to present time. Sorry. Not sorry. Spotify list is here.

10 songs, 33 minutes.

Clint Black - A Good Run of Bad Luck

John Michael Montgomery - Life's A Dance

Wynonna Judd - No One Else On Earth

Diamond Rio - Meet in the Middle

David Lee Murphy - Dust on the Bottle

Clay Walker - If I Could Make A Living

Mark Chesnutt - It Sure Is Monday

Joe Diffie - Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I Die)

Dixie Chicks - There's Your Trouble

George Strait - Carrying Your Love With Me

Pandemic Playlist - Positive Rock Music, Mix 1

It's the second Friday of the Official 2020 Virus Pandemic Quarantine. And today's Pandemic Playlist consists of 10 positive, uplifting rock songs. I routinely listen to each of these songs - they make me feel happy and inspired. I talked about my love of positive rock music in episode 40 of Nobody Asked You, Kevin! and even mentioned a few of these songs. We need more of this positivity. Spotify playlist is here.

10 songs, 37 minutes.

Alter Bridge - Rise Today

Adelitas Way - What It Takes

Pop Evil - Trenches

Shinedown - Get Up

Switchfoot - Dare You To Move

Cold War Kids - Love Is Mystical

OneRepublic - Good Life

Skillet - Feel Invincible

From Ashes to New - My Name

AWOLnation - Kill Your Heroes

Pandemic Playlist - Korn

Korn, the American nu metal band who formed in 1993, is today's subject on Pandemic Playlist. Since forming, they have released 13 studio albums. The 10 songs from this playlist are from their peak of popularity (1994 - 2005). Korn continues to release new music and tour. I highly recommend you see them play live - they put on a helluva live metal show. Spotify playlist is here. Enjoy!

10 songs, 41 minutes.

Freak on a Leash

Got the Life

Falling Away from Me

Shoots and Ladders

Make Me Bad

Blind

Here to Stay

Thoughtless

Coming Undone

Word Up

Pandemic Playlist - Wham! / George Michael

Today's Pandemic Playlist is brought to you by Wham! and George Michael. Nothing better than a little George Michael to wake you up on a Wednesday. The Spotify playlist is here. Enjoy!

10 songs, 47 minutes.

Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)

Everything She Wants

I'm Your Man

Freedom! '90

Careless Whisper

Faith

Father Figure

I Want Your Sex

Too Funky

Fastlove

Pandemic Playlist - Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga! The world is better with Lady Gaga music. There are so many songs I could pick for my #PandemicPlaylist for Lady Gaga, but here are 10 of my favorites. Spotify playlist is here.

10 songs, 42 minutes.

Telephone

Monster

Bad Romance

John Wayne

Poker Face

LoveGame

Marry The Night

You And I

Judas

The Edge of Glory

Pandemic Playlist - Nickelback

Ok. We are starting the second week of quarantine/social distancing here and it's Monday - the most dreaded day of the week. So, why not construct a #PandemicPlaylist for one of the most (and undeserved, IMO) maligned bands of the last 20 years? Nickelback. Sure, many of their lyrics are a bit cringy, but they are a good rock band. They've sure sold a metric shit-ton of records. Anyways, the Spotify list can be found here.

10 songs, 38 minutes.

Leader of Men

Breathe

How You Remind Me

Too Bad

If Today Was Your Last Day

Photograph

Savin' Me

Far Away

Someday

Feelin' Way Too Damn Good 

Pandemic Playlist - Kenny Rogers

Kenny Rogers passed away on March 20th, 2020 at the age of 81. He was a country music legend (and also known for his line of fried chicken, Kenny Rogers' Roasters) who released 39 studio albums over a 44 year solo career. So I thought, well, why not put together a #PandemicPlaylist for Kenny? Well, here you go. Spotify playlist is here. 

10 songs. 39 minutes.

There is a bonus video at the end of this list - it's my favorite version of The Gambler - from The Muppet Show in 1979. It really gives a good look at the lyrics via the Muppets. 

"Every gambler knows

That the secret to survivin'

Is knowin' what to throw away

And knowin' what to keep.

'Cause every hand's a winner

And every hand's a loser,

And the best that you can hope for

Is to die in your sleep."

"And when he finished speakin'

He turned back toward the window

Crushed out his cigarette

And faded off to sleep

And somewhere in the darkness

The gambler he broke even

And in his final words

I found an ace that I could keep."

"You got to know when to hold 'em.

Know when to fold 'em.

Know when to walk away,

Know when to run.

You never count your money

When you're sitting at the table.

There'll be time enough for countin'

When the dealing's done."

The Gambler

The Greatest

Coward of the County

Lady

Through The Years

Love Will Turn You Around

Islands in the Stream (with Dolly Parton)

She Believes in Me

You Decorated My Life

I Don't Need You

The Gambler on The Muppet Show (1979)

RIP Kenny. You broke even.

Pandemic Playlist - Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters are an American rock band formed out of Seattle, Washington in 1994. Since inception, they have released 9 studio albums. This was extremely hard to do for me as Foo Fighters are one of my favorite rock bands ever, but here are 10 of my favorite Foo Fighters songs for your #PandemicPlaylist. Spotify playlist is here. 

10 songs, 42 minutes.

The Pretender.

The Sky Is A Neighborhood.

Rope.

My Hero.

Breakout.

Learn to Fly.

Best of You.

Run.

Walk.

Monkey Wrench.