What makes a great song. Well for me, it needs intelligence, passion, heart. Hopefully great lyrics. Great build ups, great melodies. Something that just makes it extra special. Many great songs in 2019 had this quality but one song had it in spades. 'Not' by Big Thief had been played live by the band for a couple of years now so it was a total delight when it turned up on their excellent album in 'Two Hands' in October of last year. The first time I heard it was on headphones and I think my heart skipped a beat when Adrienne screamed her heart out. The crashing of drums and guitars at the halfway point is surely perfection. Many other great songs saw the light of day in 2019. Danny Brown had a whole slew of them on his excellent album, whilst (Sandy) Alex G showed he is peerless in crafting melodic gems. Mikal Cronin gave us 'Undertow' which he didn't even put on his wonderful album. I could go on and on, but here is the list. Limit of three songs per artist.

1. Not-Big Thief
2. Dirty Laundry-Danny Brown
3. Lark-Angel Olsen
4. Undertow-Mikal Cronin
5. Gretel-(Sandy) Alex G
6. Seventeen-Sharon Van Etten
7. Radio-Ty Segall
8. Not in Kansas-The National
9. Dawn Chorus-Thom Yorke
10. Every Woman-Vagabon
11. Sympathy-Vampire Weekend
12. Used to Be Lonely-Whitney
13. Hollywood-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
14. Naeem-Bon Iver
15. Ruby-Strand of Oaks
16. What Happens to People?-Deerhunter
17. Show Me-Mikal Cronin
18. Cafe Amarillo-Local Natives
19. Hail Mary-Kevin Morby
20. Method Man-Stef Chura
21. Apartment Houses-Hurt Valley
22. Henchlock-Oh Sees
23. Can't Calm Down-Hand Habits
24. My Name Sounds Sinister-Hallelujah the Hills
25. Heads Gonna Roll-Jenny Lewis
26. Dylan Thomas-Better Oblivion Community Center
27. K.C. Yours-Avey Tare
28. Newspaper Gown-Damien Jurado
29. Visions-Strand of Oaks
30. Taste-Ty Segall
31. Southern Sky-(Sandy) Alex G
32. 13th Century Metal-Brittany Howard
33. My Mother & I-Lucy Dacus
34. East-Earl Sweatshirt
35. Impasse-Angel Olsen
36. Shoulders-Big Thief
37. Feel It All-Mikal Cronin
38. In Good Faith-Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
39. Belief-Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron
40. Fireflies-Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 
41. Shine-Danny Brown
42. Hands-Sharon Van Etten
43. Alpine Star-William Tyler
44. Placeholder-Hand Habits
45. The Torch Committee-Josh Ritter
46. Oh My God-Kevin Morby
47. Blankets-Craig Finn
48. In My Arms-(Sandy) Alex G
49. Harmony Hall-Vampire Weekend
50. Jenni-Big Thief
51. The Arms-Ty Segall
52. Days of the Years-The Felice Brothers
53. Meth Head-Ian Noe
54. Like A Shield-Claire Cronin
55. Quiet Amplifier-Wilco
56. Love Without Possession-Mount Eerie & Julie Doiron
57. Geology Dreamer-Hurt Valley
58. Theme Song-Danny Brown
59. Transparent Chart of the Heavens-Hallelujah the Hills
60. All I Do Is Lie-Stef Chura
61. Within The Gravitron-Titus Andronicus
62. Nowhere-Shannon Lay
63. The Surprise Knock-The New Pornographers
64. Polar Onion-Allah-Las
65. The Experimenter-Oh Sees
66. The Ballad of the Hulk-Bill Callahan
67. Hey, Ma-Bon Iver
68. Superbike-Jay Som
69. Giving Up-Whitney
70. At The Party-Black Belt Eagle Scout
71. (I Blame) Society-Titus Andronicus
72. Token-Panda Bear
73. Comeback Kid-Sharon Van Etten
74. Tell-Lomelda
75. Blankenship-DIIV
76. Bloodless-Andrew Bird
77. Honey-Drugdealer
78. Something to Believe-Weyes Blood
79. When Am I Gonna Lose You-Local Natives
80. Light Years-The National
81. All My Happiness Is Gone-Purple Mountains
82. Denver Haircut-The Hold Steady
83. The Dog/The Body-Sleater-Kinney
84. My Heart Dreams-Black Belt Eagle Scout 
85. Viking Hair-Dry Cleaning
86. Highway-Chelsea Wolfe
87. Sketch Artist-Kim Gordon
88. New Magic Wand-Tyler, The Creator
89. After You Comes the Flood-Mono
90. The Crying Pill-Matmos
91. Seven Devils-Kevin Morby
92. Flag at Half-Mast-Foxygen
93. bmbmbm-Black Midi
94. Boyfriends-Broken Social Scene
95. Days-Operators
96. Orphan-Jeff Tweedy
97. Forever Half Mast-Lucy Dacus
98. What It Is-Angel Olsen
99. Flood-Vagabon
100. Me and Willie-Rose City Band