Hello everyone and THANK GOD THIS YEAR IS OVER.

I mean, let’s be honest.  No one is going to get nostalgic over this year.  It was the year of the worst crisis our nation has faced since World War II and the most turbulent year since the 1960s were finally laid to rest.  With all the horrible events going on in the country and the world as a result of COVID-19, music did not stand out.  And it struck the music world hard too.  With the considerable decline of rock and alternative music in the 2010s (as well as the virtual demise of the CD and the rise of Spotify), bands in the genres now often rely on touring in order to make a living in the music industry.  And, oh yeah… COVID-19 knocked that out too.   So this year was a waking nightmare for rock and alternative musicians, possibly worse than what most had it.

But if this year in rock and alternative has provided us with anything to be nostalgic for in future years… it would be the songs in this upcoming list.

In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was a pretty good year for alternative music.  While the format is still a clusterfudge of actual rock artists, acts that sound more like they belong on the pop charts, and everything in between, Alternative music appears to be making slow but sure steps away from the car commercial hell the genre was mired in a few years ago.  There were artists that showed considerable improvement, others who took risks with their sound and attitude, and there were those who just set out get rewarded the old-fashioned way: by making music that was legitimately good.  Even the mainstream rock charts, which I spent a good deal of time moaning about on the worst list, did have its share of highlights.  While the top ten still sticks out severely like a torn ACL, the list actually got better the further I got away from the top slot.

As I also mentioned in my worst list, Alternative music will be the primary genre featured on this list, with 7 songs.  Only one mainstream rock song made the top 7 songs on this countdown.  Start going through the list and begin guessing what it is.

And for the second time, here are the house rules:

1. The song must have been featured in the Top 50 Year-End lists put out by Billboard for either the Alternative Airplay chart (for alternative music), or the Mainstream Rock chart (for rock music).
2. The song could not have debuted on a previous year-end chart.  Six songs, four from the alternative list and two from the rock list, are ineligible because of this.  They are:

Alternative Airplay
“Dissolve” by Absofacto
“The Hype” by Twenty One Pilots
“Running Up That Hill” by Meg Myers
“Trampoline” by Shaed

Mainstream Rock
“16” by Highly Suspect
“Come Around” by Papa Roach

Also of note, one song was included on both the Alternative and Mainstream Rock list.  Too bad that song was “Oh Yeah!” by Green Day, which I discussed on my worst list.  Because… I don’t know.  93 songs were eligible for this countdown.  Honorable mentions will be revealed before the number one slot, along with another new segment I am doing for year-end countdowns, the Sins of Omission.  This goes through singles that were better than most of the year-end lists, and in some cases, would have made the top ten if they were eligible.

THE TOP TEN BEST ROCK & ALTERNATIVE SONGS OF 2020

Today’s transition music: “The Best” – AWOLNATION

Me, I wanna walk a little bit taller
Oh, me I wanna feel a little bit stronger
Oh, me I wanna think a little bit smarter
Said, I just wanna be the best
I just wanna be the best
I just wanna be the best

HONORABLE MENTIONS

#10. “Someone Else”

#9. “Wolf Totem”

#8. “Death By Rock And Roll”

#7. “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)”

#6. “Hell N Back”

#5. “Used To Like”

#4. “Pneuma”

#3. “Come & Go”

#2. “Might Be Right”

#1. The Best Rock Song of 2020

IMAGE SOURCES

Image of White Reaper from White Reaper USA

Image of Tool from The Atlantic