Top 119 Songs of 2019, #60 - 51

#119 - #111

#110 - #101

#100 - #91

#90 - #81

#80 - #71

#70 - #61

#60. BURY A FRIEND

by Billie Eilish

When we all fall asleep

Where do we go?

I mean... like... yeah. Right? You take all of the pop, add in a little bit of the horror, try to figure out where exactly it is that we go when we fall asleep and you get ‘Bury A Friend’. Easily the darkest song on radio this year, which probably earned it an insane amount of armchair criticism, but I don’t think Billie Eilish is going for face value assessments of her tracks. At least not this one. It feels conceptual on a ‘I’m challenging for the Halloween crown like Mariah owns Christmas’ level. Which is to say it’s nothing like that, but you get what I mean... like... yeah. Right? Loving the visual accompaniment too. I’d watch that scary movie. (Matt Bond)

While this is probably my least favourite song title of the year (I'd rather not thanks), no one can deny the allure of Billie Eilish’s music this year and her knack with unusual sounds and catchy beats has been refreshing. But the fact that her debut album took a line from this tune and was titled When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is indicative of the type of subject matter you’re going to be hearing when you listen to said album, which is to say, you’re not going to be finding answers to any philosophical questions, but you are going to be nodding your head quite vigorously along the way, which is as important as philosophy anyway. (Jo Michelmore)

#59. SOLID GOLD

by PNAU ft. Kira Divine and Marques Toliver

Don't tell me of your concepts

I need love that's forever

Since the release of ‘Chameleon’, it feels like PNAU have figured out what they really want their brand to be. It’s nothing crazy, it’s just dance act that pumps out bangerz with a z and they’ve found themselves one of the biggest dance acts the world over because of it. Don’t mess with the formula that brings success, let the fabulous vocals of Kira Divine shine and earn all of the club play. The system works and it’s perfectly encapsulated on the positive mood adjusted that is ‘Solid Gold’. (Matt Bond)

#58. BAD GUY

by Billie Eilish

Duh

I saw part of an interview with Ms Eilish recently in which she was asked the same questions for three years running and had to watch her previous answers, then answer again, and I couldn’t help but wonder if I was the only one cringing at the answers of her 16, 17, 18 year old self, because how will so much scrutiny affect the talent of someone like her? I don’t know. I hope not much at all, because songs like ‘Bad Guy’ are standout in the pop world. Is pop what she makes? I don’t even know anymore. It’s just a word. I’ve not met many people who dislike this song, so I guess that makes it pop(ular) in a traditional sense. And I do know that I know a five year old who loves this song because of one word. Duh. (Jo Michelmore)

#57. LET YOU KNOW

by Flume ft. London Grammar

And I guess somehow

You'll just keep on coming back

How could you go wrong when you put Flume and London Grammar together on a track? Oh, that’s right... you can’t. Why would you think that? That’s rude. Maybe if you could just not for a second, you could get back on the right path in this life and continue to embrace Flume’s production and Hannah Reid’s hauntingly stunning vocals. Dance to the story of a borderline toxic relationship... wait. What? (Matt Bond)

#56. PATIENCE

by Tame Impala

 
And still my ways are aimless

 I know

In 1989, thirty years ago, a band named Guns N Roses released a slow rock song called 'Patience', with a whistle that would get stuck in one’s mind for days after hearing it. This is not that song. Tame Impala’s version of 'Patience' is more house than hip swaying (google Axl Rose dancing) and much more psychedelic than power ballad (google 80s rock ballad). This 'Patience' is proof that Kevin Parker just needed a little time to come up with something we’d all be swinging along to in 2019 and perhaps we all need a little more patience when trying to google old songs on the NBN. *Insert rant. (Sorry, on to the next song). Ahem. (Jo Michelmore)

#55. A PLACE THAT I DON'T KNOW

by Odette ft. Gretta Ray

What else can I do when the city skyline

Leaves me blue and indecisive?

Welcome back to Gretta Ray who joins us again in our 119 songs, this time as the feature with the fabulous Odette, and oh what a feature. If you’re going to feature in anything, you wanna feature with someone like Odette. Her voice reaching depths of vulnerable emotions and heights of hurt, you can’t help but feel caught up in her world with subtle strings and keys and sounds that are beyond description, other than to say they send shivers and shadows in ways the most beautiful voices and pieces do. It’s glorious and it’s gorgeous and all the other words that mean good, very, very good. (Jo Michelmore) 

#54. FEAR OF MISSING OUT

by Ainslie Wills

I'm so happy for you

I just thought I might be next in line

Ohhhh. Oh no. It’s last year’s song of the year champion, Ainslie Wills. You’re asking yourself why I’m saying, “oh no.” Maybe it’s got something to do with Wills’ ability to pluck out this season’s storyline from the HBO series where I’m the protagonist sitting back and thinking something might be missing when it’s all weddings and babies and promotions and holidays. Why do we feel like we’re missing out? If you’ve got a phone and live relatively on the grid in 2019 I think we all know why we’ve got a case of bad FOMO dropping on us every now and then. Much like 2018’s #1 jam, ‘Society’, Wills is taking stock of her life and asking if she’s where she wants to be at this stage of her life on ‘Fear of Missing Out’. I hope like the HBO series where I’m the protagonist (title currently being workshopped) that when Ainslie Wills stops and takes a moment that she realises things aren’t all that bad. I hope she’s surrounded by brilliant people and appreciates the huge talent that she has for putting these thoughts into creating such amazing songs. At the very least, I hope she might get a lol thinking about a future HBO protagonist listening to her music and wondering to himself if he’s missing out because he doesn’t have such a gift. Oh well. HBO, call me. (Matt Bond)

#53. VOICEMAIL FOR JILL

by Amanda Palmer

No one on that pavement's gonna

Shout at you that your heart also matters

This song is like no other, because no one really talks about it. Because no one ever tells you. Because no one wants to admit it, because no one wants to feel it, because no one wants to know it. Because to relive the moments in the eyes of loved ones is too hard, and in the eyes of strangers is terrifying. Because you relive them every minute of every day for such a long time, until time takes over. Because forever later is just like one minute sometimes and because they say it’s not healthy to live in the past, even though you want to as much as you don’t. Because the past is much harder, then easier, then harder. Because it doesn’t get either, it gets different and so on and so forth, the ride continues. Because it seems like the jigsaw will never be finished now, because decisions were made about all the pieces. Because above all, they are missed like no others.

Because if none of this makes sense, then this song is a voicemail for Jill, and all the Jills you know, and you do know them, even if you think you don’t. And because if any of those becauses made sense, then much love, you will know this song was written for you. (Jo Michelmore)

#52. YOU SEEMED SO HAPPY

by The Japanese House

Sometimes I start believing

In things that aren't real

This is a trap song. What is a trap song? It’s a song that is a trap. A simple concept really. What I’m delaying saying for no reason is that ‘You Seemed So Happy’ comes off all dreamy and cute with nice guitars and Amber Bain’s perfectly androgynous vocals and you’re tapping along and loving life and then you start listening closer to the lyrics and suddenly you’ve stepped into one of those nets in the jungle in the movie and you’re upside down and everything is not okay because this isn’t a happy song at all. It’s a trap song, okay? Bain is a Siren luring you, the scurvy-riddled sailor, to a painful death on the rocks as your boat crashes into them, all because you’ve fallen for the alluring sounds of The Japanese House. Isn’t being dramatic fun? ‘You Seemed So Happy’ really is all of that and more though. It’s complex, it’s a little and a lot heartbreaking and it’s worth every repeated listen. Top tune from a top act. (Matt Bond)

#51. AWAKE

by Tkay Maidza ft. JPEGMAFIA

If the beat is David

I'm Goliath

Another year, another perfect opportunity to say Tkay? Slay. Our fave Australian rap dynamo doesn’t have time to sleep and, frankly, we have that in common. I feel that Tkay Maidza is out there making killer tunes, living her best life and being a badass instead of watching every SNL clip ever uploaded to YouTube though. ‘Awake’ would be a boomer-y nightmare, but you can already see the kids eating this one up and practically salivating at what’s to come from Tkay after this. Teaming with JPEGMAFIA this time around, the two artists command your attention with snappy rhymes over a dark, slow-trap like beat. It feels like a bold new direction for Maidza and a stark difference from the sparkle of tracks like ‘U-Huh’, but this growth is exciting. We might not be boomers or kids, but we can’t wait to hear more of this from Tkay soon. Long may she slay. (Matt Bond)



Top 100 Songs of 2018 - #10 to #1

Thelma Plum, Cub Sport, Kira Puru + Little May!

#100 - #91

#90 - #81

#80 - #71

#70 - #61

#60 - #51

#50 - #41

#40 - #31

#30 - #21

#20 - #11

#10. ALL YOUR LOVE

by Dustin Tebbutt

Those wide eyes, bright blue

Pulled me from the tide and cold water.

We start our top 10 songs of the year on a calming note, courtesy of singer-songwriter Dustin Tebbutt. 'All Your Love' washes over you like a gentle wave and leaves you in a state of chill. One might say it leaves you feeling ice cold, because it's certainly leaves you feeling cooler than being just cool. You know? Tebbutt has built a reputation for crafting tender indie-folk tunes and this year's Chasing Gold EP provided us with seven of them. It was 'All Your Love' that struck us the most and had us dreaming of a love just like in the song's story. A love that offers a safe place, fills your (cold, dead) heart and leaves you feeling like a brand new you each and every day. Like, I'm happy for Dustin Tebbutt, but right now that feels like some fantasy Grey's Anatomy-level fairytale love and that just ends with a shooter in the hospital, doesn't it Dustin? Doesn't it?! Okay... I've got to go and listen to 'All Your Love' to get that chilled out feeling back. Bye. (Matt Bond)


“All your love it keeps me safe, all your love completes me…”, well, there's the line that means you’re going to be hearing this one at weddings, obviously. Move over Sheeran, Tebbutt is in town. And then you'll hear it on television shows, clearly, where two characters who’ve taken so long to get together because of teledrama tension finally declare their love for each other, just before one is tragically taken in a freak accident, or something. Or even better, a blockbuster rom-com-action-drama-horror film where one character is running down a city street at night, surrounded by headlights and pedestrians, desperately trying to catch another character who’s about to board a train, going to an airport, to leave for ever and ever, because that’s what happens in movies, doesn't it? It’s a song that feels like it’s written for all the greatest stories, the tempo giving a feeling of desperation, but the words giving a sense of completion, a song that feels like a classic from the very beginning. And like the great classics, it’s a song that feels timeless. Appearing in weddings, TV and movies for years to come. And in my favourites list too. (Jo Michelmore)

#9. FLY

by Kira Puru

Brace yourself put on your seatbelt

'Cuz it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

Hello and welcome to Kira Puru Airlines, this is your Captain speaking. Our journey this evening will take approximately three minutes and it's looking like it's going to be a bumpy ride, so please do sit back and enjoy the ups and ups and ups that can only come with the music of 2018 Kira Puru. Puru lived up to her promise of teaching us how to 'Fly' with her most infectious track yet. A track that will have you breaking all the rules; tray tables down, dancing down the aisle when the seatbelt sign is on, stealing those delicious fun-sized bottles of boooooze. When writing about Puru's other signature 2018 track 'Molotov', Jo mentioned how great it is to see Puru winning the hearts of more and more music fans with each release. And as she said, it's so awesome to not only see that happening for KP, but to see her in her musical element, crafting the bestest pop tunes around. The song slays in every aspect, which includes that gorge black and white clip directed by Josh Harris. Anyway, thank you for choosing Kira Puru Airlines and we do hope to see you again soon. Kira Puru, we hope to hear you again even sooner. (Matt Bond)


Put your dancing pants and platforms on, Ms Puru is in the house. Well, not my house literally, she lives in Melbourne, I think, and I live somewhere else a long way away. Kira has come a long way from her days with the Bruise, but the things that made me a fan then are still what draws me in today. She has that kind of cool that is intriguingly intimidating, and a voice that can go from straight up perfect pop through to gut wrenching blues and all the way back to electronica again. With the release of her self titled EP, she’s showing this country and this music industry where she deserves to be, and seeing where her musical future takes her is definitely going to be an awesome journey. As she says; “brace yourself, put on your seatbelt, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride”. I'm in and I so look forward to that Kira. (Jo Michelmore)

 

#8. SLEEP

by Hatchie

Baby, I'm a piece of glass, I shatter so fast

Don't know how long I'll last.

Okay, how many times have we referred to Hatchie's music as dreamy? And now here she is coming at us with a song about hanging out in her dreams and I don't know what your thoughts are on this, but that's some Inception level shit right there and we see you Hatchie. We see you. We also love hearing you on songs like 'Sleep' that take the right amount of influence from 90s alternative, add a touch of Brisbane's signature garage rock, combine those with a healthy chunk of modern electronic-indie and make pure musical magic. We're all smiling in our sleep, Hatchie, because we get to drift off listening to these songs from you that are beyond dreamy. They're so dreamy you'll find yourself daydreaming while listening to them. As Hatchie gains more and more fans at home and abroad, we'll be dreaming of more and more success for Brisbane's own Harriete Pilbeam into 2019 and beyond. (Matt Bond)


Everyone’s always like “Hatchie is so dreamy” (including us, example A as above) and I’m like, yes, definitely, but  ‘Sleep’ is totally daydreamy, conjuring images of green grass and beaches and mountains and the last day of school and some kind of scene in a film where people are hugging and dancing in slow motion and the credits roll on smiling faces….did Hatchie write a song for a film that hasn’t been made yet? It’s a perfect soundtrack song, which means it makes a great addition to life soundtrack, sunny days and a feeling of hope through all of those keys and beats, and the best part is she conjures all of these daydreamy images while making it all sound so effortless. Maybe all those things written about Hatchie being dreamy are right, surely songs this good can only been seen in my dreams. (Jo Michelmore)

 

#7. FLEXIN'

by Tkay Maidza ft. DUCKWRTH

People don't get it, I'm awesome

Talkin', they want me to fail

I am too busy to care.

TKAAAAAAAAAAAY! I said, TTTTTKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY! What up? Hey, remember that time I went to Bigsound and this exciting Adelaide-based MC going by the name of Tkay Maidza got up and absolutely killed her set which included her BLOWING UP THE SPEAKERS? If you weren't around Brisbane in September 2014 then you probably don't remember this, but it was just the most ridiculously amazing thing to happen. In the years that have followed, Tkay Maidza has worked hard to develop her already mad skills on a mic and now here we are in 2018 and she's exactly where we knew she would be. On top of the world, gaining new fans in every country every day, keeping it real and staying humble. On 'Flexin', which teams Maidza with Duckwrth for the first and hopefully not last time, the pocket rocket rap superstar throws out rhymes thicker and faster than ever. While I'm not fully up to date on what a flex means to the young ones these day, I'm digging the attitude that Maidza is rocking. Let's keep the Tkay Slay train rolling into 2019 with even more of this. Thank you in advance, Tkay. (Matt Bond)


I actually feel like I just wanna revisit old words I’ve written and just see if it’s at all possible to describe Tkay Maidza in a different way, because I feel like I’ve written about her a million times, and I’ll listen to her a million times more. It’s because she’s just so incredibly good at what she does, every single release is just as strong as every other, every song making me appreciate her talent a little bit more than the last and every listen ending in me just hitting play again, pretending I have a teeny bit of the rhythm Tkay has, and desperately waiting for the next release. Her EP Last Year Was Weird described my year more than I can explain, but the years are only made better with Tkay in them. (Jo Michelmore)  

#6. MISTAKE

by Middle Kids

You're standing out in the rain tonight

Like you got something to say to God.

2018 was a breakout year for Middle Kids, if by breakout year you mean scoring a tonne of ARIA nominations, taking out the coveted J Award for Album of the Year and winning over fans worldwide with said album. That would be the electrifying debut, Lost Friends, that has made the Sydney-based three-piece into the bonafide rock success of the year. And if you've been living under a rock, which is understandable given the price of living these days, but you find yourself reading this because priorities demand you have phone with internet, I'm going to need you to listen to 'Mistake'. Because once you've listened to it you're not going to be able to stop listening to it and then you'll have to listen to everything Middle Kids have ever released. Which is what happened to me, but I wasn't under a rock, I was in Krakow. A much cooler friend than I (hi Jade!) had posted something on the social medias about Middle Kids so I downloaded their album but life got in the way and it wasn't until I was walking down a street in Poland and 'Mistake' pops up on shuffle and BAM! I'm hooked on Middle Kids. For life. Many things in life end up being a mistake. Loving the music of Middle Kids will not be one of them. (Matt Bond)


Ohmygawd I just wanna dress in baggy pants, eat week old pasta, find my favourite boots amongst a pile of last week’s clothes on the floor and go somewhere strange, to meet a friend who I’m going to know for a hundred years, to drink cheap booze, talk shit about nothing and everything and dream about the mistakes we’re making and where we’ll be in twenty years. And we’ll walk home in the rain because no one can afford cabs and then we’ll do it all again the following week. And I just wanna hit play on ‘Mistake’ every time it ends because I want those riffs to take me back to that place, and I want those words to remind me of that friend and I want those three minutes of Middle Kids to never end because songs that remind you of things you have done and people you have loved are not mistakes, they are the greatest songs ever. (Jo Michelmore)

#5. SOMETIMES

by Cub Sport

You see everything I'm hoping

I'm a river running high.

Well... Cub Sport sure have come a long way, haven't they just? Remember when they were kiddies riding around on their bikes in music videos and singing little indie-pop gems like 'Told You So'? In six years they've grown up and their music has grown up with them, elevating to like super good levels around the same time that 'Come On Mess Me Up' came out. Now, with the release of 'Sometimes', it seems Cub Sport has truly arrived. If you thought the four-piece would be where they're at musically now back in the old Cub Scout days, I've got to tell you... you're a liar and you need to stop lying. 'Sometimes' is the indie dance anthem you never would have seen coming from Cub Scout, but exactly the right kind of amazing that could only come from 2018 Cub Sport. When that chorus hits, you have no choice but to shake it out like you're Tim Nelson standing on maybe a mountain with your shirt unbuttoned, not a care in the world or hair product in sight. A bird tattoo on your stomach... I don't know about that, but I do know 'Sometimes' is much fun, so amaze. (Matt Bond)


Sometimes a song comes along that surprises you. Sometimes bands who you’ve liked but never loved will do something that resonates in a way you can’t explain. Sometimes the sounds songs make will take you to places you’re sure you’ve been, or movies you’re sure you’ve seen, or rooms you’ve been, and those sounds really make you smile. Sometimes you hear a song which makes you start searching back catalogues, makes you turn around and visit albums you haven’t been to for years, or met at all, and sometimes that song will give you a new appreciation for all the things you’ve missed. Sometimes you get in one of your best friend’s cars and they put on a song you weren’t expecting and sometimes that song becomes one of your favourites of the year. (Jo Michelmore)
 

#4. CLUMSY LOVE

by Thelma Plum

I can only love you twice as much before you fuck this up.

After what felt like forty-five years without new music from Thelma Plum, we were treated to 'Clumsy Love' this year. I would very much like this to be the start of the build to us finally hearing the debut album from one of our all-time faves. Was it three years ago that Jo and I went to see Thelma in Brisbane performing songs from her debut? Songs about ice-cream and love and losing that love and did I mention ice-cream? 'Clumsy Love' shows that Ms Plum has only gotten better during her time away, putting together her catchiest, most immediately engaging track yet. It's fun pop, elevated by words from one of the best songwriters in the business. Maybe all this love is because Thelma Plum manages to get the word fuck into all of her best songs, but sings it in the sweetest way possible. Or maybe it's because she makes music that's so heartbreaking so much fun. Whatever it is, don't ever stop doing you, Thelma Plum. (Matt Bond) 


Thelma, oh Thelma, how I’ve missed you. I played that Monster EP until I knew it like the back of my hand and I listened to that Rosie EP until it became an integral part of that year. Those EPs knew me better than I knew myself for a little while. So when ‘Clumsy Love’ came into my existence this year, it was like meeting an old confidante again, a friend who knew all my secrets, coming back to say hi. The familiarity in voice with the sparkle of new words was more than I could have imagined. The bounce in all the sounds combined with Thelma’s sense of beautifully awkward is exactly everything I didn’t even know I missed until it came rushing back, and I can only hope she does exactly as she repeats; “don’t keep me hanging on” for another four years Thelma. I adore you so, so much. (Jo Michelmore)

#3. LOVER

by Little May

You threw me out in the water and turned around

Don't let me drown.

Liz Drummond. Hannah Field. Little May in 2018, this is what we're living for. Because with the release of their new single 'Lover', we know we're going to be treated to a whole album of music this brilliant in 2019. I really don't know where to begin with this one. How do you put into words how happy you were to hear something new from a band you've listened to more than any other over the past couple of years. Their debut, For The Company, was on repeat for a long, long time. So what came next from the now Field and Drummond-led outfit had a lot to live up to. Not that we had any fears they wouldn't be living up to the high benchmarks they've set in the past. It's sort of a thing with Little May to see those benchmarks and smash through them as they soar higher with each new release. And 'Lover' has Little May soaring higher than ever before. They're leaning heavily into their rock influences on a track that makes you want to jump around from start to finish, cursing those that have wronged you... but secretly you're hoping they're going to make it up to you because they're supposed to be your friend. What? Clap along, sing along and fall in love with the music of Little May all over again. What's even better is we'll get to do it all of next year once we get our hands on that sophomore album. Love love love. (Matt Bond) 


While attempting to come up with words about one of my favourite songs of the year by one of my favourite bands, I started to read some things on the internets, which took me to a review someone had written when this song was first released. It was a very favourable review, but it went into great detail about the composition of the song and chords and major minor blah blah and some such things; which made me feel like WTF, I know nothing about music. What am I even doing pretending to write words about it? But then I hit play again and the sounds came out and I realised the most important thing. I know what I love and I love it hard. I know the sound of Liz Drummond and Hannah Field make music I relate to, because their voices make me feel hopeful, the instrumentation always makes me feel alive and I know I don't need to know much more than that. 'Lover' was one of the greatest songs of the year, by one of my favourite bands of the ever. And that’s more than enough to know. (Jo Michelmore) 

#2. MAKE ME FEEL

by Janelle Monae

Should know by the way I use my compression

That you've got the answers to my confessions.

"Baby, don't make me spell it out for you." Janelle Monae is on another level. She's a real life musical super hero, here to save the day with funk infused dance anthems that double as on point responses to questions that shouldn't really matter concerning her personal life. I'm not sure if there's an artist that's more of a total package than she is. Beyonce? More like Bey-schmonce. Tay? Nay. JT? What year are you living in? Look, I'm not actually dragging any other act or anyone's taste in music. We all know that's subjective. But to me, no other act in music is on the artistic level  that Janelle Monae is. She's created a character to live her music through, she's championing minorities in the most creative and clever ways, she's a fashion icon, but most importantly, she makes damn good music that makes you want to dance and puts a smile on your face. That's just the way Janelle Monae makes me feel. Hopefully she's got you feeling the same. (Matt Bond)


It’s taken me many, many listens (and I'm not complaining about that) to figure out what it is about this track that makes it so good. There’s the obvious; an extreme bass line impossible to ignore that makes you move, whether you like it or not, the keys that bring the feel of funk from so many artists before her, the obvious influence of the late, so very great Prince in those chords, but there’s something else. There’s something that’s not as pronounced, but so very important. It’s the confidence she presents it all with; it’s the references to soul greats before her with each breath, the self-assured way she gives a “good god” like the legends of funk she references, it’s the presentation of pop being as important as it is. All of that and it’s the way every single note sits together within each other to feel really, really good, which is what all the music, all of the time, should make you feel. (Jo Michelmore) 

#1. SOCIETY

by Ainslie Wills

I've always done exactly what I'm told

But that ain't gonna work for me no more.

This. This is 2018. So, if you're of a certain age and you're trying to get through the day at work, pay the bills, eat right, get enough sleep, drink enough water, watch all of the TV shows, spend time with people that actually matter, get some exercise, be a "good" person, fall in love, buy a home and/or try to have it all (whatever that means)... do I have the song for you. On 'Society' Ainslie Wills reminds us the struggles that come with everyday life aren't a unique experience. "What am I doing with my life? I feel like I should be hitting some kind of mark." Please raise your hand if that's a question you’re asking yourself on the daily. This isn't just a song... it's you listening to your life and wondering how this total stranger knows you so well. "What is this life we're looking for? I feel I want to make it known that I might disappoint you and I'm sorry if I do." Ha. Same. Sigh. Ainslie Wills has worn her heart on her sleeve on 'Society', putting into words so many things we try to laugh off and not say to each other. "I just want someone to love me quietly, for who I am for real and not for who I try to be." Just another thing to blame on society. Anyway, best not to dwell on these sorts of things, right? Oh and we love you for who you are for real, Ainslie. So much. (Matt Bond)


She says it right there, in the middle of the song; “I need a break from this anxiety”. Don’t we all. Of all our songs, this is not the one that jumped out at me, it’s not one of the ones that demanded I dance and it’s not a song that I’ve been singing all day for months. This is the song that slowly crept in, the one that reminded me when I least expected it. You see, I need this kind of song every now and then. Because I never blame the others, I never blame the outside, for anything and everything. I rarely blame anyone but that weird looking girl in my bathroom mirror who stares back at me every day. That’s the face I mostly can’t stand, she’s the one who sees it all, she’s the one who didn’t say the things she should have, who doesn’t really understand what all the others have and she’s the one I always blame for suggesting there’s something more. That girl though, who I’m sure is much like Ainslie Wills’ girl in her bathroom mirror, well she’s just doing all she can, outside, walking the streets at night, trying to make the wrongs right, trying to get all the fears out of her mind and desperately trying to please a million people all the time. Which is exactly why a song like ‘Society’ arrives quietly, at exactly the right times, because that mirror girl needs it to. Sometimes, someone else needs to ask the questions and take the blame and Ainslie Wills reminded us all of that this year. Things are going to go wrong, things are going to go right, but most of the time, I need to go easy on that weird looking girl in the bathroom mirror, she has rough days too. She also has great taste in music. Best to make friends with her…and blame it all on society. (Jo Michelmore)

2018 Scene Award for Song of the Year:

Winner: 'Society' by Ainslie Wills

Runner-Up: 'Make Me Feel' by Janelle Monae

2017:

Winner: 'Let Me Down Easy' by Gang of Youths

Runner-Up: 'Green Light' by Lorde

2016:

Winner: 'Black Smoke' by Emily Wurramara 

Runner-Up: 'Simulation' by Tkay Maidza

2015:

Winner: 'Clip My Wings' by Montaigne

Runner-Up: 'Hold On Together' by Jeremy Neale ft. Phoebe Imhoff

2014:

Winner: 'Uh-Huh' by Tkay Maidza

Runner-Up: 'How Much Does Your Love Cost' by Thelma Plum

2013:

Winner: 'Royals' by Lorde

Runner-Up: 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk ft. Pharrell Williams

2012:

Winner: 'Heart Says Yes (Head Says No)' by Texas Tea

Runner-Up: '212' by Azealia Banks ft. Lazy Jay

2011:

Winner: 'Somebody That I Used To Know' by Gotye ft. Kimbra

Runner-Up: 'Cameo Lover' by Kimbra

2010:

Winner: 'Not In Love' by Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith

Runner-Up: 'XXXO' by M.I.A 

                

Top 100 Songs of 2018 - #90 to #81

Camp Cope, Leon Bridges + Lana Del Rey!

#100 - #91

#90. NEVER LET ME GO

by Sarah Blasko

Some days you'll see me at my worst I know

A side of me that I cannot control.

How did Sarah Blasko manage to put such an obvious sax in a song without anyone noticing and how did she manage to make an instrument that I find so cringeworthy, sound so good? Questions I will never know the answer to. Never stop making me ask the questions Ms Blasko, never ever stop. (Jo Michelmore)

And here we have Australian icon and all around musical genius, Sarah Blasko. Six albums into her career and Blakso is still killing it with tracks like 'Never Let Me Go' that show she's as effortlessly cool as ever. It's quirky and fun, it's sleek and sexy, it's all of the things that we've come to love about Sarah Blasko over the years that makes us want to hear more and more from her for years to come. (Matt Bond)

#89. HOW TO SOCIALISE AND MAKE FRIENDS

by Camp Cope

Maybe I'll tell everyone I cried while you

Sleep next to your wife for the rest of your life.

I'm here for Camp Cope being over taking shit and it's nice to see that a whole bunch of like-minded music fans are out there. 'How To Socialise and Make Friends', the title track from the punk trio's 2018 LP of the same name takes you on a bit of a journey of understanding just how Camp Cope have gotten to the point of being over the previously mentioned 'shit'. It's packed with not only a healthy dose of cynicism and sarcasm, but also reflection and a self-awareness that leads to the triumphant realisations in the song's final moments. How it actually gets the title is all kinds of clever too. (Matt Bond)

#88. WHEN I DREAM

by San Cisco

Why does it feel so good to be self-destructing again?

So, I'm not going to talk too much about the music video for 'When I Dream', which features far too many shots of a rattlesnake considering there's no pay off... but how about that song? So good. San Cisco haven't disappointed since they burst onto the scene with 'Awkward' all those years ago. How many years is it now... four? Eight? Twelve? We don't do research around here anymore. Anyway, we've loved the music of San Cisco from the first and we'll love it to the last, because these crazy kids know what they're doing. And they must be huge in Mexico now if the comment section of the clip on YouTube is anything to go off. So, uh... felicidades, San Cisco! (Matt Bond)

#87. WAITING

by KIAN

If you got a moment to spare

I've got something to say.

KIAN is seventeen, with a seventeen year old’s haircut and a seventeen year old’s sense of style (these are both amazing things that should be captured as they happen), but that’s about all of him that suggests his age ends in teen. ‘Waiting’ is a track so far beyond his years, it’s subtle build and remarkable lyric are so deserving of the JJJ Unearthed High trophy they won this year, but more importantly, they are an indication that KIAN has a future bigger than his hair ahead of him. (Jo Michelmore)  

#86. LANDMINE

by I Know Leopard

Wait, tell me that it isn't true

You were just running out of better things to do.

I obviously thought we were heading into extreme country territory during the first few bars of ‘Landmine’ and then the beat kicked in and suddenly we’re on a light up dancefloor somewhere in the late 70s. What a great place to land surrounded by brightly coloured polyester and futuristic metallic synths! Is there a better place than 70s soft rock? Well, there probably is, but I'm happy here with layered vocals and soft unoffensive guitar solos. Can we all hang around here a bit longer? I always looked so good in flares. (Jo Michelmore)   

#85. BAD BAD NEWS

by Leon Bridges

But I can see right through

A powdered face on a painted fool.

Once you let old school rhythm and blues into your life, they never leave. Once you understand the sound of soul, it never goes away. Once you know who Leon Bridges is, you will never get enough. Bad Bad News? Nope. Best news ever. (Jo Michelmore)  

#84. BIG THINGS

by Tkay Maidza

Steering my own wheel, I'm driving blind

But it's worth fighting for.

Tkaaaaaaaaaay! Slay. Big things have come her way over the past couple of years and here we have Tkay Maidza reflecting on that with the opening track to her 2018 album, Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1. The reggae vibes are srong on this one and Maidza puts those showstopping rap skills on hold to show off her vocal pipes. As summer officially kicks off in Australia, you don't need to look much further for your sunny season anthem. With 'Big Things', Tkay's got you covered. (Matt Bond)


TKAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY! Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve written words about one of our favourites and I could not agree with her more; Last Year Was Weird (Vol 1). I just spent the year hanging out, while Tkay spent the year releasing amazing things, running about the world playing things, winning things and on this track, having her Dad play bass with her on things. Every year though, she’s right, isn’t she? “Take it as it comes there’s no time to waste”. She's wasting none. Damn right Tkay, damn right. (Jo Michelmore) 

#83. MARINERS APARTMENT COMPLEX

by Lana Del Rey

Don't look too far, right where you are, that's where I am

I'm your man.

What I like the most about Lana Del Rey is that, even as she continues to develop as a songwriter, her music maintains the same identity that drew fans to her in the first place. You only need to hear the first piano notes that open 'Mariners Apartment Complex' to know this is one of Del Rey's tracks and you're about to experience something special. We've moved away from the overly dramatic Americana themes that defined her first two albums and seem to be getting a real look at who Lana Del Rey, the individual, is. Sure, we're not getting opening lyrics like, "my pussy tastes like Pepsi Cola," but we are getting the jaw dropping, "you took my sadness out of context, at the Mariners apartment complex, I ain't no candle in the wind." Now that's a kind of darkness I can get behind. (Matt Bond) 

#82. CALL ME AGAIN

by Mark Harding

I never knew you were suffering...

When he's not recording or on tour with Little May, Jack River, Annie Hamilton and, I don't know, another forty-five other Australian acts, Mark Harding's delivering the goods all on his own. This year Harding released his first EP, all good, which featured songs like last year's Beautiful (with a capital B) 'Grow' and introduced us to some new stunners like 'Call Me Again'. There's a nice little build throughout the song that keeps the focus on Harding's voice and the song's story, which offers a good lesson on having a friend's back and being there for them. Even if you're not right there with them. (Matt Bond)

#81. I DON'T LACK IMAGINATION

by E^ST

I'd rather dream 'bout all the things we'd see

Than have you see me.

Well, it’s true, imagination is something she doesn’t lack in. You should hear the track that’s coming up later in this countdown. *Spoiler Alert. (Jo Michelmore)