Mid-decade review: Songs of the decade so far
- Andrew Belt
- May 8
- 6 min read
Sharing our top songs of the decade so far, a playlist capturing these and a poll for you to vote for your favourite!
Third up in our mid-decade review - following our albums longlist and artist shortlist - is our songs selection.
With so many to choose from, the panel were asked to provide up to 15 choices (roughly three per year). A few duplicates appeared: 'I Saw' by Young Fathers racked up three selections while 'Midnight Sun' by Nilüfer Yanya, 'I Know the End' by Phoebe Bridgers, 'Favourite' by Fontaines D.C. and 'I Don't Live Here Anymore' by The War on Drugs featuring twice in the seven lists. Two different songs by Fontaines D.C., Arctic Monkeys, Sam Fender, Deftones and Little Simz were chosen in another trend. We are bound to have left out some bangers so let us know what should have made the list!
Selections, playlist and poll for you to get involved all below!
Adam Reeve - Dead Good Music Editor
2020:
Mac Miller - Good News
IDLES - Mr. Motivator
Biig Piig - Feels Right
As an editor of a music blog, and somebody who enjoys deleting playlists on a regular basis, it was hard to take all of the songs that've come my way over the years, and whittle them down to just 15. It was tough, although I did enjoy reliving certain moments from particular songs that hold some sentiment.
Mac Miller's death really caused a shockwave across the industry, and his presence continues to be missed to this day. It also added a ton of context and impact to 'Good News', the first single from his first posthumous album, Circles. IDLES helped shape the first of many running playlists, with 'Mr. Motivator' soundtracking a lot of Couch to 5k when it sucked the most. Biig Piig's 'Feels Right' doesn't have much sentiment, but did make a lot of days better with its groove.
2021:
Lauran Hibberd - How Am I Still Alive?
Royal Blood - Boilermaker
Lokoy - limbo
Lauran Hibberd was an artist who fit within the circles of music blogs at the time. Earmarked as one to watch for ages, before finally breaking through and releasing albums I think 'How Am I Still Alive?' contributed to that step up, as the entire Goober era was superb. Josh Homme helped Royal Blood create 'Boilermaker', so automatically makes it onto the list, and Lokoy's 'Limbo' is similar to Biig Piig's 'Feels Right' in that it's simply a great song.
2022:
Viagra Boys - Troglodyte
Bloc Party - Traps
Arctic Monkeys - There'd Better Be A Mirrorball
It wasn't until I heard 'Troglodyte' that I properly got into Viagra Boys, and Cave World continues to be their best album to date. Bloc Party also staged a comeback with a new line-up, and had me obsessed with 'Traps'. I remember playing it on repeat during my commutes to work as a way to set me up for the day. Arctic Monkeys also dominated the ears, with 'Mirrorball' becoming one of my favourite songs of theirs.
2023:
Jungle - Back On 74
Queens of the Stone Age - Emotion Sickness
Fizz - Close One
While the hobby suggests I keep looking forward, I can't deny how good 2023 and 2024 were for music. There were a ton from 2023 in particular that could have made this list - Paramore's 'This Is Why', Better Joy's 'Hard To Love' (bring it back) and Dream Nails' 'Good Guy' - so this was especially tough. As a hardcore QOTSA fan, anything of theirs instantly makes the list, but 'Emotion Sickness' is a fantastic song, all fanboy-ism aside. 'Close One' by Fizz is a song that always seems to come back into rotation, seemingly aligning itself in times I need a distraction or a soft reset. Jungle's 'Back On 74' is similar, as it has a timeless feel to it that immediately makes everything better.
2024:
Fontaines DC - Starburster
Home Counties - Uptight
Ezra Collective ft. Yazmin Lacey - God Gave Me Feet For Dancing
As mentioned, the last two years were unreal in the amount of good music it produced. These three songs remained in the playlists across the year though. Fontaines DC seemed to hit a new level of amazing, with 'Starburster' firmly leading the way. Home Counties became a new favourite of mine, with 'Uptight' genuinely becoming the most streamed song of mine. As for Ezra Collective, like Jungle and Fizz, they make everything better, and 'God Gave Me Feet For Dancing' is such a good tune.
Kevin Alexander - Indie music writer
There have been so many great tracks over the last five years that I'm not even sure how to begin sorting this into a list. Using some old posts and a playlist or three, here is my best attempt at a top 14 of the last five years. Attached is the usual caveat that I might've (read: most assuredly) forgotten one or two along the way.
A bazillion iterations, adds, and deletions, and I'm still not sure this is the order I'd put 'em in. I scribbled down the ones that leaped out of the speaker at me and went from there. There've been that many gems.
No good music anymore? Lol. Yeah, ok.
BODEGA - City is Taken
Winged wheel - Sleeptraining
Wussy - The Great Divide
Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet
Current Affairs - Reactor
The Tisburys - Garden
Die Spitz - Hair of Dog
Alvvays - Belinda Says
Automatic - New Beginning
Spoon - On the Radio
Working Men's Club - John Cooper Clarke
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Dive Deep
Nada Surf - In Front of Me Now
Mountain Goats - Mark on You
Andrew Belt - 5-9 editor
Mining my 'best of' playlists swiftly provided early choices with my favourite songs of each year of the decade so far: 'I Love Louis Cole' by Thundercat ft. Louis Cole in 2020, 'I Love You, I Hate You' by Little Simz in 2021, 'Concrete Over Water' by Jockstrap in 2022, 'The Stars Will Leave Their Stage' by The Murder Capital in 2023 and 'Take My Eyes' by Orion Sun in 2024. Refining the rest of the selections was somewhat harder, but was happy in the end, with the early part of the half-decade shading it over the past couple of years.
Thundercat ft. Louis Cole - I Love Louis Cole
Celeste - I Can Feel the Change
Poppy Ajudha - Watermelon Man (Under the Sun)
Deftones - Urantia
Fiona Apple - I Want You to Love Me
Little Simz - I Love You, I Hate You
Biffy Clyro - Witch’s Cup
Du Blonde ft. Andy Bell - All the Way
Jockstrap - Concrete Over Water
Nilufer Yanya - midnight sun
The Murder Capital - The Stars Will Leave Their Stage
Foo Fighters - Rest
Young Fathers - I Saw
The Miserable Rich - If Only
Orion Sun - Take My Eyes
Karl Blakesley - LeftLion Music Editor and 5-9 Album of the Month podcaster
1. Blinding Lights by The Weeknd
2. I Don’t Live Here Anymore by The War On Drugs
3. That Funny Feeling by Bo Burnham
4. All These Engagements by The Airborne Toxic Event
5. The Last Man On Earth by Wolf Alice
6. Introvert by Little Simz
7. I Do This All The Time by Self Esteem
8. The Wall & I by Nation of Language
9. The Rip by Porridge Radio
10. Radio by Paolo Nutini
11. Stay For Something by CMAT
12. Messy by Lola Young
13. Sadness As A Gift by Adrianne Lenker
14. Spit Of You by Sam Fender
15. Great Mass of Color by Deafheaven
Danny Kilmartin - Music journalist
Cardi B: “WAP” [ft. Megan Thee Stallion] (2020)
Wet Leg: “Chaise Longue” (2021)
Turnstile: “MYSTERY” (2021)
Chappell Roan: “Pink Pony Club” (2020)
Lankum: “Go Dig My Grave” (2023)
The 1975: “If You’re Too Shy (Let Me Know)” (2020)
Phoebe Bridgers: “I Know the End” (2020)
Young Fathers: “I Saw” (2023)
Nilüfer Yanya: “midnight sun” (2022)
Dry Cleaning: “Scratchcard Lanyard” (2020)
SZA: “Kill Bill” (2022)
Fontaines D.C.: “Favourite” (2024)
Chelsea Wolfe & Emma Ruth Rundle: “Anhedonia” (2021)
Deftones: “The Spell of Mathematics” (2020)
The Armed – “All Futures” (2021)
Matthew McLister - Freelance writer and creator of indie music website Blinded by the Floodlights
DIIV - Brown Paper Bag
Fontaines D.C. - Favourite
Fat Dog - King of the Slugs
The National - Tropic Morning News
Young Fathers - I Saw
Fontaines D.C. - Jackie Down the Line
Pastel - Isaiah
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Spitting off the Edge of the World
Arctic Monkeys - Sculptures of Anything Goes
Yard Act - Fixer Upper
Sam Fender - Seventeen Going Under
The War on Drugs - I Don't Live Here Anymore
Sunstinger - Bonnie's Kaleidoscope
Future Islands - For Sure
Phoebe Bridgers - I Know the End
Phil Taylor - Music Observer blog founder
2020
The Howl & The Hum - Hostages
Spyres - I don’t care
2021
The Florentinas - Stay
2022
Blue Violet - Rabbit Hole
DOTHS - Synergy
Lizzie Esau - The Enemy
2023
Charlotte Carpenter - You’re My Reason Why
She’s In Parties - Summer Haze
Sigrid - Ghost
Swim School - Bored
Girl Scout - Bruises
YONAKA - PANIC
2024
Beren Olivia - Almost
Carla Aakre - Through
Hannah Grae - Need Me Now
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Listen to our playlist below
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And vote for your favourite (from a selected shortlist of the tracks) in our poll below! Poll open until 7pm on Saturday, 7 June.
What is your favourite song of the decade so far?
Young Fathers - I Saw
Nilüfer Yanya - midnight sun
Phoebe Bridgers - I Know the End
Fontaines D.C. - Favourite
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