To any music fan, the best part about the end of every year is not holidays, vacations, or time spent with family and loved ones: it is the end of the year music countdowns. This year, to commemorate the 8th year of Ryan’s Countdown’s “Best Songs of the Year” there will once again be a Top 100 Songs of 2017 Countdown.
Top 100 Songs of 2016 Countdown
Top 100 Songs of 2015 Countdown
Each list of 10 songs will be released every few days throughout the month of December, until the reveal of the #1 Song of 2017.
While the majority of the Top 100 Songs of the Year are all rock based, there is still a wide array of sub-genres represented in this years countdown. The list is littered with alt-rock songs, including indie rock and folk rock. There is, however, also a significant showing of pop-rock, country-rock, hard rock, and even a dusting of electric rock songs.
Certainly the lines of what is considered “Rock” may be blurred, but each of these listener friendly songs, were either released in 2017, or released in 2016, but gained notoriety in 2017.
Please feel free to chime in (comments section) and let me know whether or not you agree with my well thought out, carefully selected, and correct choices. Enjoy the countdown, and Happy Holidays!
100. “Live in the Moment” – Portugal. The Man
“Live in the Moment,” the latest single from Portugal. The Man’s eighth studio album, Woodstock is a rock sing-along that is sure to get the party started, and a reminder that life is short, so make the best of the time that you have.
99. “Hideaway” – Dan Owen
“Hideaway,” the soulful, bluesy rock track from up and coming UK artist, Dan Owen, has enough passion and grit to fill an arena the size of Rhode Island. Expect big things from this guy in 2018.
98. “Suit And Jacket” – Judah and the Lion
“Suit and Jacket” is about wanting to live life to the fullest despite time going by and everyone getting older. “We can not control the time we die, but we can control what we do with the time here,” says Judah.
Who hasn’t wished time would slow the hell down and ease up on us every now and then?
97. “Down” – Marian Hill
Despite teetering on the verge of being overplayed for a few months in the spring, I am still very much down-da-da-down-da-da-down with this catchy as hell track from the Philadelphia duo.
96. “The Way You Used To Do” – Queens of the Stone Age
I’m pretty sure the makers of Guitar Hero are giddy with excitement every time Queens of the Stone Age release a new hit. I’m not sure if Guitar Hero is still a thing, but if it is, when the next version is released you can fully expect to spend countless hours trying to get past the guitar solo of this song before throwing your plastic guitar into your flatscreen TV and giving up on life altogether.
95. “Slow Hands” – Niall Horan
Since when has Marvin Gaye become a blonde haired, blue eyed, British twenty-something?
It seems as though One Direction was very good to the young lads in the UK boy band, especially when it came to teaching them how to write the most sensual songs since “Let’s Get It On.”
94. “She Said” – Sundara Karma
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what this song is about. It kind of hurts my brain to even think about it. I am picking up on some “Somebody told me you had a boyfriend, who looks like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year” vibes from The Killers. And comparing anything to The Killers is about the highest musical compliment I know how to give.
93. “War” – Good Charlotte
Just in case you may have thought that the killer track “Makeshift Love” was a fluke back in 2015, Good Charlotte gave us a swift kick to the balls this year and reminded us that they still haven’t gone anywhere. “War” is proof that the Madden brothers have grown up, but still know how to rock out just as hard as they used to.
92. “Everything Now” – Arcade Fire
I totally understand that “Everything Now” may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t think I have ever disliked anything as much as this Spin contributor hates this entire album.
For me, I find “Everything Now” nearly impossible to not sing along with. It is fun, upbeat, and a perfectly enjoyable song to listen to while driving down the highway with the top rolled down. Also, its damn near impossible to mess up on the lyrics for like 85% of the song, so sing along in confidence, my friends.
91. “Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea” – MISSIO
As if
Showing a completely different side than the catchy “Middle Fingers,” MISSIO has proven this year that they are not a one-tick pony. They are a band to keep your eyes and ears on in 2018.