Top Five Songs of 2017

December brings many things. An inconvenient lack of daylight, people complaining about celebrating Christmas too early, and an avalanche of year-end lists! So, ever the trend-follower, this month’s blog posts will be dedicated to my own set of 2017 countdowns list. I'm kicking things of with my Top Five Songs of the Year.

Before I go on, I just want to point out these are MY top songs. I’m well aware there are better or more popular songs that came out this year which could be considered more worthy of a ‘top’ five list. But, this is simply a list of my own personal favourite; songs that I have personally enjoyed listening to this year. So, it should be of no surprise to anyone that this list will be mostly pop-punk. If you disagree with my opinions, I don’t care.

But do comment below if you have your own thoughts.

Firstly, let’s go into some other songs I loved this year, in no special order.

Blonde - Waterparks

Look, if it’s a Waterparks song, I’m gonna love it.

Temple - Tonight Alive

Super solid first single from this new Tonight Alive era, wonderfully unapologetic.

Winter - PVRIS

Not the world’s biggest PVRIS fan, but this an undeniable banger, with bombast and guitars for days.

Chained to the Rhythm - Katy Perry

I had a brief obsession with this; it’s just a fun pop song. Definitely chained to this one

100 Letters - Halsey

This song is probably the best showcase of the album, in the sense of embodying the album’s concept, Halsey’s frankly amazing lyrics, and the enticing musicality.

5: Sidewinder - Stand Atlantic

Here we have a single that, when you boil it down, is really quite simplistic. This standalone single from the very new, Sydney-based Stand Atlantic has a painfully basic chord and drum formula, if you’re just looking at the composition itself. But I just can’t get away from those rip-roaring guitars and the anthemic feel. The song is littered with metaphors, which a bit cheesy but also worth its merit. One strength comes in the form of the imploring lyrics with vocals match up well. Overall, it may not be amazingly unique, nevertheless its simplicity is what works for it. A quick tune with nowhere to hide, it’s a real Heart-On-Sleeve, Yell-At-The-Stage pop punk tune. At least it’s not pretending to be something it’s not.

4: Fight Club - Lights (Skin and Earth) 


On her new concept album, Lights completely caught me off with dark, sassy tones on Fight Club. It’s almost impossible not to be swept in by those pulsing synths or the intense production like nothing I’ve ever seen from her before. There’s no mistake that this one is a real fucking anthem – even shown in the title, and I fully but into it. I personally am enamoured by the lyrics that seem to be courtesy of that concept theme or the wonderfully unapologetic sexy feel to it. Finish the sheer grandiose off with Lights’ distinct vocals, it so clear that this ‘Take No Prisoners’ song is Lights at her best.

3: In Bloom - Neck Deep (The Peace and The Panic)

In Bloom marks the pinnacle of a new sound for Neck Deep. They perfected pop-punk on their 2015 release, 'Life's Not Out To Get You' and it was clear they wanted to try something new on their latest album. While some of that record is a bit hit-and-mess, I feel In Bloom provided the perfect equilibrium of what the band wanted to achieved. It's wonderfully melodic, especially in that super catchy hook. At the same time, the clever guitar parts on the song are presented in a way that is polished, clean but inexplicably infectious. It's catchy in a way their songs haven't been before. In their previous efforts, it's been undeniable that Neck Deep are first and foremost a pop-punk band. But with the indie-rock leaning sounds of 'In Bloom', helps establish a mature direction for the boys with a vibe that could be more accessible.

2: Hard Times - Paramore (After Laughter) 

What can I say about Hard Times that hasn’t been said already. It's not very often that an 'emo' band comes out with a song where everybody who hears it loves it. But after four years, Paramore is finally back with this flawless blend of disco infused dance pop and an 80's rock influence on it, which somehow manages to feel new and refreshing. Everyone knows about the shake up in the band's recent history. Old members leavers, other old members returning, a real rollercoaster for Hayley and the gang. Now that the dust seems to have settled, this expertly made tune seems to perfectly captivate the new era they are all going through. It's instantly lovably and catchy, but the song is still true to Paramore's confessional emo roots. There's the funky vibe to it with its irresistible, infectious lead guitars, beautiful vocals, with such a great groove to it. Essentially, it's just perfect.

1: One Foot - Walk The Moon (What If Nothing)

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Walk The Moon have once again reinvented themselves with this battle song, but this one's different. This one's much more infectious. In reality, this song is tied with 'Hard Times' for my favourite song of the year, as I just keep flip-flopping between the two. You'll see part of the reason One Foot comes out on top here in my Albums of the Year list. The single is so instrumentally rich with classy electronics running through. At the same time, Eli's guitars are some of the freshest and most clever I've ever heard them sounding from the band.There's even a riff  in there similar the track Aquaman from the band’s previous album. One of the best things about this band is how their chemistry shines through as their instrumentation comes together. This is probably most true on 'One Foot'. Also, special mention to Seany on drums (Sean Waugaman), who seems to have out done himself

What’s refreshing is there seems to be no obvious effect from ‘Shut Up and Dance’ and its success. Yes, the song is pure pop, but that’s not a problem. The song still comes across with  the passion and chemistry that is synonymous with the band really sells this song. In addition to that, the video is the perfect companion to the song, if cringey in places. While the album itself left something to be desired for me, 'One Foot' delivers a strength and fever that simply sets itself alight in my eyes.

Thanks so much for reading. Next Week: Top Ten Concerts of 2017