ILM's Top 77 Tracks of 2016

Agree with the general opinion that the Chairlift album was a big disappointment after Something. There was a brilliant EP in there surrounded by a lot of filler. Moth To A Flame is one of the good ones. I voted for Romeo in my top five last year.

Tilted is a lovely song. I was really surprised it ended up being a bit hit. It sounded quite odd when it came on Christmas TOTP.

Starboy is so dull. I Feel It Coming is a hundred times better.

The Underworld album was fairly decent but I'm surprised just how popular it was on here.

I didn't vote for Atomic Number but I'm pleased to see it place. I would have voted for Best Kept Secret if I'd remembered to nominate it. The album is great.

This came close to being on my ballot so I'm pleased to see it placing. All the Case-predominant tracks on the album (this, Delirium, Behind the Armoury) are the best.

Like the Chance the rapper song too.

Oh wow, I really like "Atomic Number". I'm already listening to more by them. I bet the CD sounds great.

This Starboy song sounds so much like a rework of Olly Murs 'Kiss Me Like You Mean It' + swearing that I can't enjoy it in any objective way.

Totally disagree with Tuomas about the distorted electric guitar part, unsurprisingly.

I'm not sure I'd go back to the whole album much but this is the first song to place that's elicited much more than a shrug from me.

Atomic Number is a gorgeous song, their voices work so well together. I voted for the album instead but this track was one of my favourite singles of last year.

The caselangveirs cd is quite cool so far.

k d lang was marvelous at last year's EMP Pop Conference.

agree that the case songs are the best, 'supermoon' is my fav

Oh yeah 'Delirium' is my other favourite.

http://i.imgur.com/KzSqMqS.jpg

71 (tie) OLATUNJI "Oh Yay" [172 points, 6 votes]
https://youtu.be/xVbS5CmYimE

This was one of those tunes/artists whom I know nothing about, but voted for it after having heard it on the Spotify playlist. So infectious!

YES!

my number 4. i played it all summer and all autumn and most of the winter and i'm still not bored of it.

Oh Yay! Would have voted for the remix if possible, but so happy to see it here anyway. Oh yay yay yeaaaah, oh yay yay yeah.

Afro-soca. Such a great ideal.

hooray 4 oh yay

also i didn't vote for "nylon strung" but i think it's 100 percent so beautiful

I love the way he sings "I don't know about you" in the chorus. Lyrics are unfortunately a bit dodgy and objectifying (especially the "bumper soft like butter cocoa" bit), but not so much it'd stop me from appreciating the awesome poppiness of the rest of it.

(xxxpost)

Another one I like.

Yeah, I like the "I don't know about you" hook too.

I don't know about you
But when I'm on the road
and I'm in the mood (or is it mode?)
you know I'm not so-ber.

I like all the tracks that've placed so far, though I voted for none.

I always have to play All Night twice, cause it's so darn short!

I don't think Moth To A Flame is anywhere near Chairlift's best song, but it is (fittingly) really, really addictive. I think the "he's that kinda man, mama" bit is a bit lame but it's a fun hook. CP said she wrote it while trying to learn how to make house music in Ableton https://genius.com/8516003

http://i.imgur.com/0HTv7lj.jpg

70 CELLARS "Nighttime Girl" [174 points, 4 votes]
https://youtu.be/yPCCioS75jY

I like the Underworld album and this it's one of the more pleasant things I purchased in the past year but the song I keep going back to and playing over and over is "If Rah", mostly because it bangs but also because for a while my sons would start singing "LUNA LUNA LUNA LUNA" unprompted

Wow, 4 votes got a song into the top 77?

Wow, I'm shocked that this Cellars song made it. It was my number three. It's been in my head every day since I heard it back in September. As I said on the voting thread, those rising harmonies in the chorus are so beautiful.

never heard of Cellars.

Heard of them/her, but not this track. It's aight.

The album is fantastic. Last year's most underrated album for me.

they sure did drape a nice guitar tone over the shapeless ghost of a song there

Love this! Think it was in my top 3.

This is okay, but again ruined by pointless rock guitar. Would work much better as pure synth pop.

xxpost, ha!

special bonus lol just for rob & longneck - https://soundcloud.com/deejay-theory-vip/starbwoy-theory-needlz-edit

― r|t|c, Monday, January 23, 2017 7:42 AM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

lol this is mental but that riddim is bulletproof. I wouldn't have blinked at this showing up on the ricky blaze album

that's a lot more fun than the original.

christine and the queens sounds like michael jackson and also like a the quiet bit in one of the world cup songs before there's some big chanting

starboy is soul crushing

:D

"Atomic Number" seems like exactly the kind of thing i'd like but I don't like it. The thudding way they deliver "Symbols of IN-FIN-UDDY"

http://i.imgur.com/wyj0EIG.jpg

69 COMET CONTROL "Artificial Light" [174 points, 5 votes]
https://youtu.be/eN_erET606A?t=34m54s

I'm guessing this is indieprog of some kind?

Haha yaaaay, my #3! A psych ballad to end them all. What Spiritualized and Secret Machines strove in vain to create

i have never heard of this band
i like the album art tho

Glad to see this place. Best thing they've done so far.

warning to Tuomas - it's 100% pointless rock guitar.

Wow, I'm really surprised this made it! The whole album is really worth hearing

Never heard of them before but I like this. Is the rest as Spiritualized-y as this?

nice to see Olatunji though I didn't vote for him

next best so far is Case/Lang/Veirs, which passed me by until multiple people whose taste I trust put it high in their EOY lists; I like this, will get round to the album at some point.

only heard the French version of Christine & The Queens has have been listening to the French version of the album; English version makes it seem more pedestrian, not that I really got into the album much either.

Chairlift - third-tier synthpop from 2004
Underworld - lukewarm attempt at last-track-of-the-night emotion from 2004
Starboy - The Weeknd has stepped up his game to the level of a song I wouldn't turn off if it came on the radio but wouldn't notice either
Cellars - adequate song but how are ppl into this sort of thing not drowning in '80s pastiche yet

not 100% sure that YouTube link is to the correct song (its to where i *think* the track starts on a YouTube for the entire album)- feel free to let me/mods know if not.