The 10 best songs of 2020 from 10 different artists

No one wants to remember 2020, the year the world did basically everything but end completely. Whether it was COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter movement, the chaotic 2020 presidential election or anything else that happened within the longest 12 months in recent history, we were all affected somehow, and we all wish we could rid ourselves of the memories.

There was one glimmer of hope, though: the music.

It was there for us when college students were sent home in March. It was there for us when we lost hope. It was always there when we needed it most, and it’s the only reason some of us can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Because of that, it’s time to honor the top songs that carried us the most.

Here are the best 10 songs of 2020 from 10 different artists:

10. “Starting Again” by Day Wave

On Crush, the third EP from the one-man show Day Wave, Jackson Phillips did it again: he gave us some infectious indie rock that not only gives us something to easily nod our head to, but injects hope right into our veins. That hypnotizing guitar riff, beneath descending harmonies, almost takes our attention away from the significant lyrics, but it’s done masterfully. Though the EP title track is wholly dejected, Day Wave’s message on “Starting Again” is strong and uplifting: don’t go back to the person who keeps screwing you over. You can do it all on your own, even during this dumpster fire of a year. 

9. “I Can See” by Mac Miller

When Mac Miller unexpectedly died in September 2018, everyone figured they obviously would never again hear his raspy vocals sing some of the most poignant, expressive songs of the 2000s. Miller’s family, however, revealed in the second week of January a posthumous album would be forthcoming — just nine days later. “I Can See” is the most memorable from this nearly flawless album because it depicts the gutting nature of some of Miller’s last thoughts: namely, how he could feel himself falling. The harmonies, which are believed to be of his ex-girlfriend Ariana Grande but remain uncredited, swirl in and out of the chorus and make this dreary track simultaneously a dreamy one.

8. “Combat” by Hazel English

Speaking of dreamy, Hazel English called, and she wants to take over the dream pop genre for good. Her debut LP, Wake UP!, combines ethereal vocals, down-to-earth lyrics and transfixing instrumentation, which all culminate on the single “Combat.” As the silky guitars begin to take listeners to a better place, English begins to think through her broken relationship, and she realizes she needs to be upfront with him. Though the track is lyrically gloomy, it’ll unquestionably make you feel like you’re levitating.

7. “High” by Miley Cyrus

She’s not Hannah Montana anymore. Miley Cyrus decided to transform into a full-fledged rock star for her seventh album, Plastic Hearts, and honestly? Her voice has never been more suited for something. On “High,” her destiny for rock music is epitomized. Though Cyrus doesn’t necessarily miss her ex, her mind invariably finds a way back to him from time to time, and she can’t help but wonder why. The subtle lap steel accentuates the utter beauty that is her vocal runs and harmonies.

6. “I Know Alone” by HAIM

The sister trio HAIM is now a three-time Grammy nominee, rightfully obtaining two more for its latest album, Women In Music Pt. III. It released the single “I Know Alone” with perfect timing — at the end of April, when COVID-19 came in full force. The trio sings of not wanting to deal with what’s outside, instead opting to stay inside and continue to live their lives where no one can bother them. As they put it in an almost robotic tone, beside zipping synths, “I know alone, and I don’t wanna talk about it.” After this year, so do we, HAIM.

5. “Hot Sugar” by Glass Animals

There’s so much going on, and it’s all so perfect. Most of Glass Animals’ Dreamland is just that: a place that, previously, only dreams were made of, with the most alluring track being “Hot Sugar.” Behind zipping synths and strings and gorgeous harmonies, frontman Dave Bayley thinks he’s in love with someone, but it only takes him another stanza to figure out he just wants to be them. Most people can relate to that with some crush they’ve formed over the years. Whether it’s the wildly infectious production or Bayley’s cool, airy vocals, “Hot Sugar” has something for everyone.

4. “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America” by The 1975

Though The 1975’s 2020 release, Notes On A Conditional Form, was its most adventurous and worst yet, it holds one of the most important songs ever written, “Jesus Christ 2005 God Bless America.” Alongside Phoebe Bridgers and a simple strum of the acoustic guitar, frontman Matty Healy sings of how he must hide his bisexuality because he doesn’t feel accepted: “I’m in love with a boy I know / But that’s a feeling I can never show.” While Healy is straight, he has shown time and time again that he is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, and writing from the viewpoint of a bisexual man while including a notable bisexual woman to sing with him solidifies it.

3. “Love Took The Last Of It” by Movements

Movements somehow did the impossible and made its sophomore album, No Good Left To Give, better than its impeccable debut, and we’re grateful. However, if any lyrics on this album are going to leave a hole in your heart, they’ll most likely be from “Love Took The Last Of It.” The track is Miranda’s recognition that his girlfriend was his distraction from his demons, and he’s taking all the blame for their broken relationship. Before Miranda’s vocals in the outro literally makes listeners ascend, he explains himself bluntly, which is sometimes what someone needs to start the healing process. The drummers hammer it home, while the bass somehow makes the sad mood wavy.

2. “The Contours” By Owen

Most know Mike Kinsella as the frontman of the recently meme-d American Football, his solo project, Owen, is worthy of just as much attention. Spanning two decades, Owen is Kinsella’s departure from math rock and his time to hone in on this strange emo and indie blend that somehow works. After 20 years, he’s getting better, too, with his latest release, The Avalanche, being one of his best yet. The standout track, “The Contours,” sees Kinsella watching himself stray further and further away from his significant other due to his selfishness, and he can’t help but hate himself for it. Surrounded by forlorn drums, strings that are to die for, subdued keys and a gorgeous guitar line, Kinsella admits he can never find his way past any obstacle, and his pain always finds its way back with the jarring lyrics, “I’m in therapy; she’s in therapy / Turns out all the answers are just questions for next week’s sessions.” This song will get you thinking about every problem you thought you got over.

1. “Savior Complex” by Phoebe Bridgers

Though basically everyone had the worst year of their life, Bridgers had one of her best and used her spellbindingly soft vocals to carry everyone through. Following the release of her sophomore album, Punisher, in June, she’s now nominated for four Grammys, released an orchestral EP, performed on basically every late-night talk show and crept her way into everyone’s mind. One of the reasons for her success should be credited toward “Savior Complex,” something that delineates exactly what it’s like to just feel. It doesn’t even need words to make that point clear: the strings take you to a better place, while Bridgers’ soothing vocals make you feel safe and the guitars instill hope you never thought you’d find into you. “Savior Complex” is the greatest song of 2020 — because it’s the song to cling to when nothing feels OK, and before you know it, things might start to look up.