Music Lists Are Us: Favorite 2020s songs (so far) with brief comments

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Last updated: Friday January 28th, 2022
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My favorite songs of the 2020s (so far) with brief comments

2020

Click Bait by Cory Wong & the Hornheads (Cory Wong is amazing; my fave new artist + horns)

Leave a Little Light On by Phantom Planet (they're back and even better; smart, beautiful music)

Is It Over by Don Bryant (classic soul as only grown folk can do it)

Romantical Man by Rufus Wainwright (the new album is equal to his early solo masterworks)

Saa Magni by Oumou Sangare

Kyoto by Phoebe Bridgers (Phoebe was on more year-end best-of lists than anyone)

(iv) by Owen Pallett

The Mighty Tree by Kamasi Washington, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder & Terrace Martin

Queen Parking Lot by Guided By Voices

Cloud 9 by Beach Bunny

Aguacero by Txarango

Fortune by Laura Marling

Dragonball Durag by Thundercat

It's a Fire by Rhiannon Giddens & Amanda Palmer

Living in a Ghost Town by The Rolling Stones (hit number-one in Germany; Charlie's swansong)

Introducing Delta Force by The Fearless Flyers (Cory Wong made 10 albums in 2020--all good)

2021

Here Comes the Rain by Weezer (OK Human is an early contender for album of the decade)

Starfire by Cory & The Wongnotes

Native Son by Los Lobos

Formwela 4 by Esperanza Spalding & Corey King

Moonbeam Rays by They Might Be Giants

Flying High by Angelique Kidjo

Cottage for Sale by Willie Nelson

Right On Time by Brandi Carlile

Drifting by Matthew Sweet

Los Chucos Suaves by Los Lobos

Sing by Jon Batiste

Amarelo, azul e branco by Anavitoria & Rita Lee

Taliat by Mdou Moctar

Run to Me by Barry Gibb & Brandi Carlile

Black as Crow by Rhiannon Giddens

Bird With a Broken Wing by Weezer

Merci by Cory & The Wongnotes

To be continued

Level 55

Jan 12, 2022

I really want to say this one more time, and I will keep repeating this every few blogs you make because I don't want to be the person known for spamming this kind of stuff :P. But please, I and many others have told you this before, and I really want you to listen, because it is very important if you are going to be continuing this. I know you have ignored me and others in the past, but please don't be. It's not the easiest way to live to just shut people out that are trying to help you. You really need to listen to criticism that people give you. Not all criticism is something you should try, but from what I've seen in people's comments in your previous blogs, they are actually willing to help you. I know you have a really obsessive interest in music, which is perfectly normal, but please put more effort into trying to increase the quality of your quizzes. It is really quite frustrating and embarrassing to be completely ignored by someone when all you are trying to do is help. CONT.

Level 55

Jan 12, 2022

Others I am also guessing also feel this way, and I'm sure they might not feel good about it either. I know it might be hard to try to take advice from others, but if you do, most of the time it really pays off. There are multiple accounts of blogs and other helpful things on JetPunk that can really help improve blogs, which almost all bloggers currently active have most likely used to help them in growing and being better. The main issue you have in my opinion is formatting, as you barely have any variety in text, to actually make this blog appealing. It is still nice to see others opinions, and I'm glad you take such an interest in something like music. But sometimes, you have to focus on things other than just trying to list songs you enjoy every few weeks and posting it. Another main issue you have in my opinion is length. It feels like you aren't even trying to explain why you enjoy these songs so much, and it would be nice to know why you like to listen to them. CONT.

Level 55

Jan 12, 2022

When I paste your blog into a character counting website, the grand total only comes out to a total of 621 characters, which is not the greatest amount. I'm not trying to compare you to other bloggers, but I really think that length such as other bloggers' work is a good idea, or else it feels like you are just trying to put in the bare minimum, which is really not a great idea for anyone hoping to post in the RUB. Then again, I'm not trying to be the all-knowing mentor, and I sure don't know everything there is to know on how to make a good blog, but if you just listen to others, I guarantee you it will help later in your real life, or something just as simple as writing a blog on JetPunk. If you decided to make it this far into listening to my rant, I would like to give you a few suggestions on what sources you could use to improve your work. (It is also an hour till midnight, so I'm a bit too lazy and sleep-deprived to put in any links :/ )

Suggestions in comment below:

Level 55

Jan 12, 2022

I would suggest reading many of Stewart's previous blogs about how to use the "new" blog editor, and especially his blog on how to actually say JetPunk. I would also suggest Pandora49's and ClutchNferno's HTML blogs if you want to customize your blogs a bit more if you want to work on formatting. You don't have to use all of my suggestions all in your next blog, as I don't want to see you being set back and taking months to make just a single blog. Take it slowly, and if you ever need help, you can always just comment on one of my quizzes/blogs to get my attention the easiest and ask me what you need help with, as I always have enough time for JetPunk lol. But anyways, another suggestion I would give is Fuse's blog on how to improve blogs, which is also just as simple to find by going to Step 1 of the Blogging Editor. That is basically all I have left in my puny little head during 11 at night, so if you read through this, thank you. :)

Level 62

Jan 12, 2022

My latest blog is clearly not finished, as it has "to be continued" at the end. So it will be longer, just like all the other blogs are longer

Level 73

Jan 12, 2022

Well, I think it's a better idea to post your blogs after you've finished

Level 62

Jan 12, 2022

Well, I was done with my list of favorite 2020 songs (so far), and I thought the subject was timely and I didn't want to have to wait 8 MORE YEARS to finish the current decade list before posting something (it is a list of best songs of the decade).

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

I have been adding comments to the blogs; if you look you will see that many of their headings now say "with brief comments"--that is a result of me listening to you. Also my responding in written communication is a result of me listening to you. You are exceedingly long-winded so it is a chore, but I'm trying to be nice. You keep using the word "formatting" as if it has any meaning to me; the fact that you keep saying it without telling me what it means is super-unhelpful.

Level 65

Jan 13, 2022

Maybe you could call it best of the last 2 years and try to have a clear end instead of leaving it in the public. Also, formatting is a blogging feature that refers to images, dividers, and split formats. You can see all of them in the Blog Editor :)

Level 73

Jan 13, 2022

Yeah, addition of relevant images (assuming they won't get copyright-striked, of course) and dividers could make a blog more appealing visually.

Also, you could comment on each song rather than merely listing them. That would give more content.

After all, it is your decision to make, I'm just here suggesting.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

It is really hard for me to find copyright-free images that are in any way beneficial, I would use them if I had some. And, I have begun adding brief comments; every blog where I have begun this has "with brief comments" in the heading--it will take me a while to get comments on every entry. Also, I can't imagine adding a bunch of formatting wil make my list better in any way.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

dO you wANt mE 2 varY teXt LIKe tHiS? That's the only way I know how to vary text.

Level 64

Jan 13, 2022

Add some dividers between text boxes.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

I don't know how and I don't see how that would improve anything

Level 62

Jan 12, 2022

What's wrong with the quality of my quizzes?

Level 65

Jan 12, 2022

I think he meant blogs.

Level 62

Jan 12, 2022

That would fit better within the context, thanks

Level 62

Jan 12, 2022

I do read comments and I want to use advice of others, but typically the advice amounts to "do better" or sometimes telling me to do something that I have no idea what they are advising. Also, is there a minimum length for a blog to be acceptable? If the owners of the site institute such a policy, that is their prerogative, I suppose.

Level 65

Jan 13, 2022

It has to be at least 500 to be posted, but a blog should probably be at least 5K.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

If the requirement is 500, why are so many of you trying to pretend it is something else?

Level 73

Jan 13, 2022

There isn't anything wrong about short blogs. But, a lot of people are very against this idea as the RUB has had a history of having lengthy blogs buried by rather short ones and end up going unnoticed.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

If there "isn't anything wrong" with short blogs, then I'd like to get that complaint less often

Level 64

Jan 13, 2022

Yeah there isn't anything wrong but there isn't anything outstanding either. Chances are when people see such a short blog without formatting they won't be interested and just wont read it.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

Fine

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

I do this for my own benefit and for fun. I can't figure out why following these rigid traditions is so important to so many people and of zero interest to me. I don't believe I have told anyone how to make their blog more appealing to me . I'm glad you all have your passions, and I appreciate that people are reading my blog, but if it is offensive to you because the format is boring, just don't read it.

Level 71

Jan 13, 2022

I dunno what the others are saying I like your blogs about music, but maybe a good addition to reduce the criticism is to add a review of like each song/album you list I would be interested in that too.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

Thank You for the positive feedback. I have begun to add comments; that is why several of the blog headings say "with brief comments". I have resisted making the comments more focal to my blogs because I don't think words accomplish much in conveying music. Much of music criticism is just b.s. in my opinion; that and showing off the reviewer's unhelpful verbosity--and it is all subjective anyway.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

I have started adding brief comments to my lists, but it will take me a while to get caught up

Level 43

Jan 13, 2022

I agree with everyone here. My suggestion, is make a clean formatting with the titles of the musics like headings, some info of the music (author, releasing date, musical genre...) with the link of it (in a side), and on the other an image of the singer/band or the album (if it be in Wikimedia Conmons), (in the other side), using Split View. Don’t write small comments saying like “cool music, cool vibes”. Try saying more. Try also rate the musics. If you wanna really smash down the concept, you can add HTML with the lyrics, but I DON’T WANNA PRESSURE AT THIS POINT.

We’re criticizing for you improve your quality. We tend to dislike short blogs, because we feel that there is no effort by the part of who wrote them. Although choose musics for each decade is really hardworking, pass on the shape of a blog on this way, won’t have good eyes for us. And also, you should be continue writing until the end before posting it on RUB

These are my tips :)

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

I appreciate that you want to help me, but I really don't want to make that kind of blog. There are lots of places online to get all kinds of info about music; I just want to compose my lists, really it's more for myself than for anyone else (though I will be happy if I can help anyone discover new music that they like)

Level 65

Jan 13, 2022

There's a private feature if you just want to save them, or unlisted so it can stay on your profile but not on the main blog page :)

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

Thanks, that's good to know

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

I always include the artists' names and they are arranged by year of release (you can look up other info elsewhere if you want). I've tried to use Wikimedia commons for artwork but I never find what I want. Again pictures of artists and albums are all over the internet if you want to look at them, but pictures dont make music better or worse. I do try to make helpful comments, but why should I waste time trying to describe music with words, when the internet so conveniently has access to hearing the music (YouTube and Amazon are two such sites that I use regularly). The songs or albums are listed more or less in order of my preference, so the first in any yearly list is my number one song or album of the year; my perfect 10, my A+, , the best of the best. The rest of each list are all very good too. Since there are thousands of songs released every year, I'm giving only a very select, elite, few, so I dont think I need to rate each selection with a numerical value

Level 62

Jan 16, 2022

"No effort"? I've spent well over $100,000 on my collection or records and discs. I've spent over 40 years listening to music hundreds of hours a year. I've read hundreds of books worth of research and musical criticism. I've narrowed thousands of albums worth of music down to a couple handfuls of titles a year. I've listened to hundreds of hours of dreck to sift out the bad and make sure I haven't neglected any gems. I spent 4 years getting my music degree in college. I've performed as a soloist, and in small and large ensembles as a vocalist and an instrumentalist. I've been compiling several books worth of personal notes on my favorites since the 90s. I could spin gossamer threads of poetic opinion and Roget's thesaurus into long-winded rambles; you can find plenty of that online. But instead, I value a concise method; few words, but maybe enough to entice a musical seeker. The music can stand up for itself; it doesn't need my fawning tribute

Level 62

Feb 13, 2022

I've never said "cool vibes" in my life

Level 73

Jan 13, 2022

I don't see why so many people have problems with these blogs, I enjoy them a lot more than most others on this site. Although yeah having short descriptions or reviews of the music would be nice, I always like hearing about what other people think about music. But keep up the good work :)

Level 62

Jan 15, 2022

Thank you for the encouragement. And I also like that you tell me about your favorites (even without release dates or any explanation of why you like them; I don't even mind that your comments aren't formatted in any particularly interesting way).

Level 73

Jan 13, 2022

The Phoebe Bridgers song is the only one of these I've heard. There's been a lot of great music this decade, but if I had to choose a few favorites:

for 2020: Hate Your Hometown by Hardy, Whiskey and Rain by Michael Ray, Breaking Up was Easy in the 90s by Sam Hunt, Bloodmoney by Poppy, forget me too by Machine Gun Kelly, Swallowing the Rabbit Whole by Code Orange, Conociste by Pecos & the Rooftops, Around Forever by Randall King, Teardrops by Bring Me the Horizon, Cauterize by Red (soty), They Don't Want What We Want by Asking Alexandria

for 2021: 865 by Morgan Wallen, fake friend by nothing,nowhere (soty), good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo, Record High by Randall King, Ramon Ayala by Giovanni's and the Hired Guns, Drinkin' by Parker McCollum, Holiday by Turnstile, Introvert by Little Simz, Hey by Low, DiE4u by Bring Me the Horizon, Longer Than She Did by Cody Johnson, Funeral Derangements by Ice Nine Kills... goddamn there was so much amazing music last year.

Nothing yet from 2022, though.

Level 62

Jan 13, 2022

Thanks for the positivity. I know about as many of your favorites as you know of mine; I recognize several of the artists' names, but It seems the more you learn, the more you find you don't know

Level 58

Jan 30, 2022

Yay @ Phoebe and Brandi!!

also - everyone keeps bugging you to make your blogs “nicer” but I see no problem whatsoever. If you ask me it’s really rude some of the comments you’re getting - why do they hold you to such a high standard?

Level 62

Jan 30, 2022

Thank you. Any Brandi Carlile fan is a friend of mine.