Best of 2016: 187 Songs We Liked A Whole Lot
Our annual year-end coverage begins with a list of our favorite songs. No rankings. No separating national artists from the oodles of Seattle-area artists making great music. No mid-article ads. No slide show formats to sell more ads. No pretense that we’ve collectively determined the “best” music of 2016. Just an alphabetical list of the single tracks we most enjoyed listening to this year with handy links to hear them and learn more about the artists.
We’ve also made a handy playlist so you can hear most (about 10 of our choices are not available on the Spotify platform) of the tracks easily, in one spot.
In the comments section below, please share links to some of your favorite tracks released in 2016.
The following NadaMucho.com Contributors and Co-Conspirators contributed to this list: Aino Vaino; Andy Bookwalter; Aaron Semer; Adam Lawrence; Ben Allen; Cameron Deuel; Cee Cee Garmendia; Chandler Strutz; Christine Mitchel; Dan Lurie; Frida Ray; Gabe Baker; Gary Horn; Graham Isaac; Gred Lehman; Ian Bremner; Jake Hanson; Jess Sweetman; Jon Rooney; Lynae Cook; Matt Ashworth; Nick Anderson; Paul Stinson; Sam Hardy; Sean DeTore; Sunita Martini; Tim Basaraba; and Travis Trautt.
A Giant Dog – “Creep” and “Sex & Drugs”
- Listen to “Sex & Drugs”
- Read Nada’s Interview with A Giant Dog
- Visit the band’s website
Actionesse – “Hellbama”
- Listen to “Hellbama”
- Check out our premiere of another Actionesse song called “Pseudosupervillain”
- Visit the band’s website
Amanda Bergman – “Falcons”
Amanda Winterhalter – “I’m 100 Years Old”
- Listen to “I’m 100 Years Old”
- Visit Amanda’s website
Anderson .Paak – “The Bird” and “Come Down”
- Listen to “The Bird”
- Listen to “Come Down”
- Visit Anderson’s website
Angel Olsen – “Shut Up Kiss Me” and “Sister”
- Listen to “Shut Up Kiss Me”
- Listen to “Sister”
- Remember when Angel played Barboza?
- Visit Angel’s website
Beck – “Wow”
Bell Biv Devoe – “Run”
Best Coast – “California Nights”
- Listen to “California Nights”
- Visit Best Coast’s website
Beyonce – “Formation”
- Listen to “Formation”
- Visit Beyonce’s website
Bishop Briggs – “River”
Black Mountain – “Crucify Me” and “Mothers of the Sun”
- Listen to “Crucify Me”
- Listen to “Mothers of the Sun”
- Visit Black Mountain’s website
Bleached – “Sour Candy”
- Listen to “Sour Candy”
- Visit Bleached’s website
Bon Iver – “22 (OVER S∞∞N)”
- Listen to “22 (OVER S∞∞N)”
- Visit Bon Iver’s website
Brand New – “Out of Range”
Listen to “Out of Range”
Visit Brand New’s website
CC Dust – “Never Going to Die”
- Listen to “Never Going to Die”
- Check out CC Dust’s BandCamp page
Car Seat Headrest – “Drunk Driver / Killer Whales” and “(Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs” and “Vincent”
- Listen to “Drunk Driver / Killer Whales”
- Listen to “(Joe Gets Kicked Out of School for Using) Drugs”
- Listen to “Vincent”
- Check out our pictures of Car Seat Headrest at Capitol Hill Block Party 2016
- Connect with Car Seat Headrest on Facebook
Chance the Rapper – “All Night” and “Angels (feat. Saba)” and “No Problem” and “Finishing Line Drown”
- Listen to “All Night”
- Listen to “Angels”
- Listen to “No Problem”
- Listen to “Finishing Line Drown”
- Check out Chance the Rapper’s website
Crystal Desert – “Revenge Complex”
- Listen to “Revenge Complex”
- Check out Crystal Desert’s Facebook page
Dark Blue – “Vicious Romance”
- Listen to “Vicious Romance”
- Check out Dark Blue’s Facebook page
David Bowie – “Blackstar” and “Lazarus”
- Listen to “Blackstar”
- Listen to “Lazarus”
- Visit David’s website
David Thomas Broughton – “Crippling Lack Pt. 2”
- Listen to “Crippling Lack Pt. 2”
- Check out David’s website
Deep Sea Diver – “Great Light” and “Wide Awake”
- Listen to “Great Light”
- Listen to “Wide Awake”
- Visit Deep Sea Diver’s website
DJ Shadow – “Nobody Speak (feat. Run the Jewels)”
- Listen to “Nobody Speak”
- Check out DJ Shadow’s website
D.R.A.M. featuring Lil Yachty – “Broccoli”
- Listen to “Broccoli”
- Check out D.R.A.M.’s website
Drive By Truckers – “Ramon Casiano”
- Listen to “Ramon Casiano”
- Visit the Drive By Trucker’s website
El Guincho – “Muchos Boys”
- Listen to “Muchos Boys”
- Check out El Guincho on SoundCloud
Elliphant – “Step Down”
- Listen to “Step Down”
- Check out Elliphant’s website
Eric Bachman – “Belong to You”
- Listen to “Belong to You”
- Check out Eric’s website
Erik Blood – “Chase The Clouds” and “Quiet”
Ever So Android – “Pretty Teeth” (#41for2015)
- Listen to “Pretty Teeth”
- Check out Ever So Android’s website
Far & Son – “Pizza Twist”
- Listen to “Pizza Twist”
- Learn more about Far & Son on their Facebook page
Feral Ohms – “Teenage God Born to Die”
- Listen to “Teenage God Born to Die”
- Learn more about Feral Ohms on their Facebook page
The Flat Five – “I Could Fall In Love With You”
- Listen to “I Could Fall In Love With You”
- Visit The Flat Five’s Facebook page
Flume – “Never Be Like You”
- Listen to “Never Be Like You”
- Check out Flume’s website
Frank Ocean – “Nights” and “Nikes” and “Self Control” and “Seigfried”
- Check out Frank’s tumblr for information and links to songs
Frightened Rabbit – “I Wish I Was Sober”
- Listen to “I Wish I Was Sober”
- Check out Frightened Rabbit’s website
The Front Bottoms – “Twin Sized Mattress”
- Listen to “Twin Sized Mattress”
- Visit The Front Bottoms’ website
Future of the Left – “If AT&T Drank Tea What Would BP Do?” and “The Limits of Battleships”
- Listen to “If AT&T Drank Tea What Would BP Do?”
- Listen to “The Limits of Battleships”
- Read Matt’s 2012 interview with Andy Falkous from Future of the Left
- Visit Future of the Left’s website
Geowolf – “Saltwater”
- Listen to “Saltwater”
- Check out Geowolf’s website
G.L.O.S.S. – “Give Violence a Chance”
- Listen to “Give Violence a Chance”
- Check out G.L.O.S.S. on tumblr
Golden Gardens – “Immortality Forever”
- Listen to “Immortality Forever”
- Read our 2014 interview with Golden Gardens
- Check out Golden Gardens’ Facebook page
Goodbye Heart – “Feral” and “Lives on Lives” (#41for2015)
- Listen to “Lives on Lives”
- Listen to “Feral”
- Visit Goodbye Heart’s website
The Goon Sax (pictured above) – “Up to Anything” and “Sometimes Accidentally”
- Listen to “Up to Anything”
- Listen to “Sometimes Accidentally”
- Check out The Goon Sax’s Facebook page
Grandaddy – “A Lost Machine” and “The Way We Won’t”
- Listen to “A Lost Machine”
- Listen to “The Way We Won’t”
- Check out Grandaddy’s website
Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – “In a Black Out”
- Listen to “In a Black Out”
- Visit the Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam website
Hammers of Misfortune – “Days of ’49”
- Listen to “Days of ’49”
- Learn more on the Hammers of Misfortune Facebook page
Handsome Family – “Back In My Day”
- Listen to “Back in My Day”
- Visit Handsome Family’s website
Heron Oblivion – “Beneath Fields” and “Oriar”
- Listen to “Beneath Fields”
- Listen to “Oriar”
- Learn more about Heron Oblivion
Hinds – “Bamboo” and “Garden”
Homesick Abortions – “No Love, No War”
- Listen to “No Love, No War”
- Hear more from Homesick Abortions
Hotels – “Tony Leung” feat. Irene Barber
- Listen to “Tony Leung”
- Check out Hotels’ website
J Balvin, Pharrel Williams, BIA, Sky – “Safari”
J GRGRY – “eFlower”
- Listen to “eFlower”
- Check out J GRGRY on Facebook
James Blake – “I Need A Forest Fire”
- Listen to “I Need A Forest Fire”
- Remember that one time James Blake played the Tractor Tavern?
- Check out James Blake’s website
Japanese Breakfast – “Rugged Country”
- Listen to “Rugged Country”
- Check out Japanese Breakfast on Facebook
Jenn Champion – “No One”
- Listen to “No One”
- Check out Jenn Champion on Facebook
Jesiah – “Babylon”
Jesse Dayton – “Daddy Was a Badass”
- Listen to “Daddy Was a Badass”
- Read Andy’s recap of Jesse’s 2016 show at the Tractor Tavern
- More on Jesse Dayton
Jesu & Sun Kil Moon – “America’s Most Wanted: Mark Kozelek And John Dillinger”
- Listen to “America’s Most Wanted: Mark Kozelek And John Dillinger”
- More on the Sun Kil Moon / Jesu collaboration
Jim James – “The World’s Smiling Now”
- Listen to “The World’s Smiling Now”
- More on Jim James
Kanye West – “Famous” and “Ultralight Beam” and “Waves”
- Listen to “Famous”
- Listen to “Ultralight Beam”
- Listen to “Waves”
- Check out Kanye’s website
Karl Blau – “Fallin’ Rain”
- Listen to “Fallin’ Rain”
- Check out Karl’s website
Kate Tempest – “Europe is Lost”
- Listen to “Europe is Lost”
- Visit Kate’s website
Kaytranada – “Glowed Up”
- Listen to “Glowed Up”
- Learn more about Kaytranada
Kero Kero Bonito – “Lipslap”
- Listen to “Lipslap”
- Learn more about Kero Kero Bonito
Kwabs – “Love + War”
- Listen to “Love + War”
- Visit the Kwabs’ website
Kweku Collins – “The Outsiders”
- Listen to “The Outsiders”
- Check out Kweku’s website
Kyle Craft – “Eye of a Hurricane”
- Listen to “Eye of a Hurricane”
- Learn more about Kyle Craft
Lao Ra – “Drum Machine”
- Listen to “Drum Machine”
- Check our Lao Ra on Facebook
The Last Artful Dodgr & Neill Von Tally – “Oofda”
- Listen to “Oofda”
- More on The Last Artful Dodgr
- More on Neill Von Tally
Leonard Cohen – “Traveling Light” and “You Want it Darker”
- Listen to “Traveling Light”
- Listen to “You Want it Darker”
- Read Nicky Owen’s Leonard Cohen tribute
- Visit Leonard’s website
Lil Uzi Vert – “Ps & Qs”
- Listen to “Ps & Qs”
- Hear more from Lil Uzi Vert
Lisa Prank – “Luv is Dumb”
- Enjoy more from Lisa on her Facebook page
Lizzo – “Good As Hell”
- Listen to “Good As Hell”
- Visit Lizzo’s website
Lonely Mountain Lovers – “Give Me Your Hands”
- Listen to “Give Me Your Hands”
- Get to know Lonely Mountain Lovers over on the Facebook
Mal Devisa – “Dominatrix” and “FAT”
- Listen to “Dominatrix”
- Listen to “FAT”
- Check out Mal Davisa on Facebook
Margaret Glaspy – “Somebody to Anybody”
- Listen to “Somebody to Anybody”
- Check out Margaret via her label ATO Records
M.I.A. – “Freedun” (feat. ZAYN)
- Listen to “Freedun”
- Since that’s how she came up, visit M.I.A.’s MySpace page for more info
M83 – “Time Wind (feat. Beck)”
- Listen to “Time Wind”
- More on Beck
- Learn about M83
Margo Price – “Hands of Time”
- Listen to “Hands of Time”
- Check out Margo Price’s website
Matoma & Becky Hill – “False Alarm”
- Listen to “False Alarm”
- More Matoma
- Here’s info on Becky Hill
The Men – “Crime”
Meursault – “Simple is Good”
- Listen to “Simple is Good”
- Check out Meursalt on Facebook
Miike Snow – “Heart Is Full”
- Listen to “Heart Is Full”
- More on Miike Snow right here
Mild High Club – “Skiptracing”
- Listen to “Skiptracing”
- See our pics of Mild High Club at Capitol Hill Block Party 2016
- More on Mild High Club
Mirror Travel – “Yesca”
- Listen to “Yesca”
- Read Paul’s profile on Mirror Travel for #SXSWSixPack 2016
- More Mirror Travel on Facebook
Mitski – “Fireworks” and “You’re Best American Girl”
- Listen to “Fireworks”
- Read Cameron’s 2016 feature on Mitski and Taste of Chaos
- Listen to “You’re Best American Girl”
- More Mitski
MØ – “Final Song”
- Listen to “Final Song”
- See our pics of MØ at Capitol Hill Block Party 2016
- More on MØ
Modern Studies – “Ten White Horses”
- Listen to “Ten White Horses”
- Visit the band’s website
Morgan Delt – “Some Sunsick Day”
- Learn more about Morgan Delt
Mrs. Magician – “No Action”
- Listen to “No Action”
- Check out Mrs. Magician’s blog
My Goodness – “Islands”
- Listen to “Islands”
- Check out My Goodness on Facebook
Nail Polish – “Am I Real?”
- Listen to “Am I Real”
- Check out Nail Polish on Facebook
Neko Case (case/lang/veirs) – “Atomic Number”
- Listen to “Atomic Number”
- Our infatuation with Neko Case is well documented
- Neko’s website
- K.D. Lang
- Laura Veirs
No Ditching – “Return of Bones (Part I and II)”
- Listen to “Return of Bones (Part I and II)”
- Check out No Ditching on Facebook
Nomads – “Gang Mentality”
- Listen to “Gang Mentality”
- Follow Nomads on Twitter
Old Junior – “Wounds to the Water”
- Listen to “Wounds to the Water”
- Interact with Old Junior via the popular Facebook platform
Pale Dian – “Diana”
- Listen to “Diana”
- Check out Pale Dian on Facebook
Patrick Galactic – “Center Of Command”
- Listen to “Center of Command”
- Check out our premiere of “Futures Come and Go”
- Patrick Galactic also has a website
Parquet Courts – “Berlin Got Blurry” and “Human Performance”
- Listen to “Berlin Got Blurry”
- Listen to “Human Performance”
- Check out our photo set from Parquet Courts February 2016 show at Neumos
- Check out Parquet Courts’ blog
Pinegrove – “Old Friends”
- Listen to “Old Friends”
- Visit with Pinegrove on Facebook
Popeska – “I Believe”
- Listen to “I Believe”
- Visit with Popeska on Facebook
Porches – “Hour”
- Listen to “Hour”
- Here’s Porches’ Facebook page
Pretty Vicious – “Cave Song”
- Listen to “Cave Song”
- Check out Pretty Vicious’ website
Primal Scream, Sky Ferreira – “Where The Light Gets In”
- Listen to “Where The Light Gets In”
- Primal Scream are totally famous and stuff
- Sky Ferreira
Ra Ra Riot – “Water”
- Listen to “Water”
- Visit Ra Ra Riot’s website
Radiation City – “Butter” and “Sugar Broom”
- Listen to “Butter”
- Read our interview with Radiation City before they played Timbrrr! Fest a few years ago
- Listen to “Sugar Broom”
- Check out Radiation City’s website
Radiohead – “Burn the Witch” and “Identikit”
- Listen to “Burn the Witch”
- Listen to “Identikit”
- Visit Radiohead’s website
The Range – “Superimpose”
- Listen to “Superimpose”
- Learn more about The Range on their website
Rae Sremmurd – “Black Beatles”
- Listen to “Black Beatles”
- Visit Rae’s website
Raz Simone – “Missin’ Joogs”
- Visit Raz Simone’s website
Rihanna – “Bitch Better Have My Money” and “Love on the Brain”
- Listen to “Bitch Better Have My Money”
- Listen to “Love on the Brain”
- Visit Rihanna’s Rihanna’s website
Rostam – “Wood”
- Listen to “Wood”
- Visit Rotsam’s website
Röyksopp – “Never Ever”
- Listen to “Never Ever”
- Visit Röyksopp’s website
Run the Jewels – “Legend Has It” and “Talk to Me”
- Listen to “Legend Has It”
- “Listen to “Talk to Me”
- Check out Run the Jewels’ website
Sam Beam & Jessica Hoop – “One Way to Pray”
- Listen to “One Way to Pray”
- Read Adam’s article on Beam & Hoop from earlier this year
- More on Sam Beam’s project Iron & Wine
- More on Jessica Hoop
Sam Russell & the Harborrats – “Born To Hurt”
- Listen to “Born to Hurt”
- Read our review of a Harborrats show from 2016
- Visit Sam Russel & the Harborrats’ website
serpentwithfeet – “Four Ethers”
- Listen to “Four Ethers”
- Learn more about serpentwithfeet on Facebook
Single Mothers – “Everybody Cool”
- Listen to “Everybody Cool”
- Visit Single Mothers’ Facebook page
Skating Polly – “Oddie Moore”
- Listen to “Oddie Moore”
- Visit Skating Polly’s website
Skratch Bastid, Shad – “Limoncello”
- Listen to “Limoncello”
- More on Skratch Bastid
- More on Shad
Sleaford Mods – “I Can Tell”
- Listen to “I Can Tell”
- Learn more about the Sleaford Mods via their Facebook page
Sloucher – “Certainty”
- Listen to “Certainty”
- Check out Sloucher on Facebook
Smokey Brights – “Desiree”
- Listen to “Desiree”
- Check out Smokey Brights’ website
Soft Kill – “Wake Up”
- Listen to “Wake Up”
- Learn more about Soft Kill via their Facebook page
Solange – “Cranes in the Sky”
- Listen to “Cranes in the Sky”
- Check out Solange’s website
The Spider Ferns – “Worlds Will Fall”
- Listen to “Worlds Will Fall” live on Band in Seattle
- Visit The Spider Ferns website
Star Anna – “Big Bad Wolf”
- Listen to “Big Bad Wolf”
- Visit Star Anna’s website
Sturgill Simpson – “In Bloom”
- Listen to “In Bloom”
- Visit Sturgill’s website
Super Thief – “Bludded”
- Listen to “Bludded”
- Check out Superthief on Facebook
Swet Shop Boys – “Shoes Off” and “Tiger Hologram”
- Listen to “Shoes Off”
- Listen to “Tiger Hologram”
- Visit the Swet Shop Boys’ website
Sweet Spirit – “Baby When I Close My Eyes”
- Read our interview with Sweet Spirit from earlier this year
- Check out Sweet Spirit’s website
Tacocat – “I Hate the Weekend”
- Listen to “I Hate the Weekend”
- Check out Tacocat’s website
Teach Me Equals – “PCiii”
- Listen to “PCiii”
- Check out Teach Me Equals’ website
This Blinding Light – “Mars”
- Listen to “Mars”
- Check out This Blinding Lights’ website
Trash Talk – “Sooth Sayer”
- Listen to “Trash Talk”
- Check out Trash Talk’s tumblr
Tribulation – “Devilock”/”Death Comes Ripping” (Misfits cover)
- Listen to “Devilock”/”Death Comes Ripping”
- Check out Tribulation’s website
Trust Punks – “Leaving Room for the Lord”
- Listen to “Leaving Room for the Lord”
- Visit the Trust Punks’ Facebook page
Underworld – “I Exhale”
- Listen to “I Exhale”
- Check out Underworld on Facebook
Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats – “Slow Death”
- Listen to “Slow Death”
- Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats have a Facebook page
US Weekly – “Christian Ideas” and “Whole Foods”
- Listen to “Christian Ideas”
- Listen to “Whole Foods”
- Read Paul’s profile on US Weekly during #SXSWSixpack
Vandelux – “Stimulus”
- Listen to “Stimulus”
- Connect with Vandelux on Facebook
The Weeknd feat Daft Punk – “I Feel It Coming” and “Starboy”
- Listen to “I Feel It Coming”
- Listen to “Starboy”
- More on The Weeknd
- More on Daft Punk
Virgin Of The Birds – “Spooky, Stony, Barely Over Thirty” (#41for2016)
- Listen to “Spooky, Stony, Barely Over Thirty”
- Check out Virgin Of The Birds’ website
Whitney – “No Matter Where We Go”
- Listen to “No Matter Where We Go”
- Check out Whitney’s website
Wilco – “If I Ever Was a Child”
- Listen to “If I Ever Was a Child”
- Check out Wilco’s website
Wintersleep – “Amerika”
- Check out “Amerika”
- Visit Wintersleep’s website
Woodshed – “Bleeding Out”
- Listen to “Bleeding Out”
- Check out Woodshed’s website
Wussy – “Hello I’m a Ghost”
- Visit Wussy’s website
Xavier Omar – “Blind Man”
- Listen to “Blind Man”
- Connect with Xavier on Facebook
The xx – “On Hold”
- Listen to “On Hold”
- Learn more about The xx on their website
Zen Mother – “Mantra” (#41for2016)
- Listen to “Mantra”
- Check out Zen Mother on Facebook
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