Musically speaking, 2018 was just as special as it was unpredictable and weird. Our culture and its artistic products are rarely harmonious, but the music world didn’t pull any punches when it came to delivering engaging content this past year. Week by week, seemingly timeless records were broken, new superstars were manifested out of virtual nothingness, and the international media had more cultural substance to talk/write about than they could get their covetous hands on. If you’re having trouble remembering some of the yearly insanity, let these surface level illustrations serve as a sentimental reminder:

While farewell tours from some of the world’s favorite legacy artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John, and Paul Simon graced audiences with bittersweet swan songs, Paul McCartney scored his first #1 album in 36 years with Egypt Station.

By the time the Queen film Bohemian Rhapsody became the highest grossing biopic of all time, Kendrick Lamar, Laga Gaga, and Bradley Cooper (yes, Bradley Cooper) had already sparked a resurgence in global soundtrack appreciation through their original scores respectively supporting Black Panther and A Star Is Born.

Global concert sales reached a record high $2 billion, yet Americans were more accepting of outside influences than ever before – South Korea’s BTS became the first K-pop group to earn a No. 1 album in the United States with the release of their primarily Korean album Love Yourself: Tear.

Drake broke a 50+ year record held by The Beatles for the most songs charting in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 list. Only a few months earlier, the release of Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy saw her crowned as the first female artist with an album in which all of its songs became certified Gold or above by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

All those fun facts, as strange and mind-blowing as they may be, only scratch the surface of what 2018 had to offer. At the very least, such a memorable 365 days deserves a moment of celebration and reflection, don’t you think?

That being said, the following playlist contains my favorite songs released in 2018 in order from 1 to 100. Play each song in order if you can, shuffle if you must, but most importantly, keep your mind open to the distinct value proposition that each song has to offer. The spectrum of genres, moods, and energy levels can occasionally be vastly different from song to song – just realize that, no matter how fast or slow, each song has something special to offer.

Top 100 Songs of of 2018:

  1. Slow Burn by Kacey Musgraves
  2. Night Shift by Lucy Dacus
  3. All That Fear by Lucy Rose
  4. Wouldn’t Leave by Kanye West
  5. REAL IT IN by Aminé
  6. Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves
  7. Yours & Mine by Lucy Dacus
  8. Isles by Fleet Foxes
  9. Valet by Kiah Victoria
  10. Me & My Dog by boygenius
  11. Seventeen by No Rome
  12. Bubblin by Anderson .Paak
  13. Let’s Find An Out by Snail Mail
  14. I Like That by Janelle Monae
  15. Every Time I Hear That Song by Brandi Carlile
  16. Heartbreak Story by Girlyboi
  17. Your Dog by Soccer Mommy
  18. My My My! – Acoustic by Troye Sivan
  19. Treasure by Sampha
  20. ‘Til It’s Over by Anderson .Paak
  21. Put You On by Amber Mark (feat. DRAM)
  22. Heart To Break by Kim Petras
  23. Leave It All Behind by John Splithoff
  24. I’m With You by Vance Joy
  25. Timefighter by Lucy Dacus
  26. The End Of Love by Florence + The Machine
  27. Where U Been by Cosmo’s Midnight (feat. Boogie)
  28. Stolen Moments by Cautious Clay
  29. Freakin’ Out on the Interstate by Briston Maroney
  30. Tennessee by Joshua Worden
  31. The Spot by Your Smith
  32. Gonna Love Me by Teyana Taylor
  33. Animal by Troye Sivan
  34. Forgive You by Leon Bridges
  35. Oh What A World by Kacey Musgraves
  36. Narcissist by No Rome (feat. The 1975)
  37. Oscillation by Wild Nothing
  38. False Knight On The Road by Fleet Foxes
  39. If It Makes You Feel Better by Kira
  40. Gardens by Parisalexa
  41. Me & You by HONNE (feat. Tom Misch)
  42. High Horse by Kacey Musgraves
  43. No Going Back by Yuno
  44. Craving by ford. (feat. Sarah Kinsley)
  45. Talk To Me by Cosmo’s Midnight (feat. Tove Styrke)
  46. Heat Wave by Snail Mail
  47. It’s Not Living (If It’s Not With You) by The 1975
  48. All Mine by Kanye West
  49. I Know How To Speak by Manchester Orchestra
  50. Better by SG Lewis & Clairo
  51. What’s Hot Water For A Frozen Heart? by Melgarth
  52. 101 FM by Little Simz
  53. Call On Me by Litany
  54. Pareidolia by Isaac Lewis
  55. A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega by Ashley McBryde
  56. Hope by Blood Orange (feat. Diddy & Tei Shi)
  57. Tell Me How by Miki Fiki
  58. Discoteque by Sun June
  59. Temporarily by Alissa Musto
  60. God’s Plan by Drake
  61. Work Out by Chance the Rapper
  62. Miracle Love by Matt Corby
  63. New Place by Tasha
  64. Small Talk by Courtney Barnett
  65. I Found You by benny blanco & Calvin Harris
  66. Red.23 by Conner Youngblood
  67. Traveler by L. Martin
  68. In The Air by DMA’s
  69. Bite The Hand by boygenius
  70. Short Court Style by Natalie Prass
  71. Polarised by Cosmo’s Midnight
  72. Supposed To Do by Stevie Appleton
  73. Pristine by Snail Mail
  74. Baby I Love You by Ryan Adams
  75. Ventura Acoustic by Camel Power Club (feat. Racoon Racoon)
  76. PlantedInMyMind.Memo by Charlie Burg
  77. Butterflies by Kacey Musgraves
  78. Scorpio Rising by Soccer Mommy
  79. Me Who Wasn’t Trying – Mahogany Sessions by Ethan Gruska
  80. Terribly True by Deanna Petcoff
  81. Sit Next To Me (Stereotypes Remix) by Foster The People)
  82. Pictures of Girls by Wallows
  83. Waves by Alex Schaaf
  84. Beautiful Life by Kidswaste
  85. Good Kisser by Lake Street Dive
  86. O.M.G. (I’m All Over It) by Jenn Champion
  87. To Live A Life by First Aid Kit
  88. Favors by Wilderado
  89. Rise by Helena Deland
  90. Gold by Sister Sparrow
  91. Never Get Used To by Seinabo Say
  92. Try by Lawrence
  93. It’s Down To You by Deva Mahal
  94. Hard To Find (Peter Lyons Remix) by Strong Asian Mothers
  95. City Rain by John Vincent III
  96. I Feel Good About This by The Mowgli’s
  97. Low by Victoria Bigelow
  98. Blossom (Wasting All My Time) by Soccer Mommy
  99. Morning View by Towkio
  100. Love Is Fire – Live at Omeara by Freya Ridings

THIS LIST DOES NOT HAVE TO END AT 100 – there are another 100 songs that barely missed the cut just waiting for you to add them into your mental/digital library. Check out the next best songs from 2018 in the post: FeenyFaves – Top Songs of 2018 Part 2: 101-200

If you’d prefer to dive into the work of particular 2018 authority figures, listen to entire albums from front to back, and get a light read in, the top albums of the year might be a better horse for your saddle. Check out the albums that ruled 2018 in the post: FeenyFaves – Top 10 Albums of 2018