What makes a great song? Of course it's totally subjective, but for me watching Get Back last year rammed it home. Start with a strong melody, add in some emotional depth, hopefully some meaningful lyrics. But most of all great songs are centred around the traditional sounds of guitar, drums and piano. Whilst most of today's charts are full of truly unlistenable music. Mainly because the melodies are poor and the production drives the very soul out of the music. A band today that does all the things I like is The War on Drugs. Their new album was fantastic and my favourite song on the album was 'Living Proof'. A serene ode that I loved from the very first time I heard it. Also featuring highly in my list was a song I played a lot after hearing it back in January. 'Second Sight' by Buck Meek was a song that I never tired of. Plenty of great songs I loved in 2021 with The Hold Steady returning with an absolute banger and new songs by Lucy Dacus and Lala Lala also quite wonderful.

1. Living Proof-The War on Drugs

2. Spices-The Hold Steady

3. Second Sight-Buck Meek

4. Garden-Dinosaur Jr.

5. Sun Blisters-The Natvral

6. VBS-Lucy Dacus

7. Walking at a Downtown Pace-Parquet Courts

8. Eraded-Ty Segall

9. Diver-Lala Lala

10. Valentine-Snail Mail

11. Scratchcard Lanyard-Dry Cleaning

12. Our Side Has to Win-Godspeed You! Black Emperor

13. Lumberjack-Tyler, The Creator

14. Pin a Wing Above the Door-Spencer Krug

15. Dancer in the Dark-Current Joys

16. Air-Aeon Station

17. Johnny Caravella-Damien Jurado 

18. Thumbs-Lucy Dacus

19. Back to the Middle-Modest Mouse

20. Flames and Flat Tires-Squirrel Flower 

21. Sekwar-Liars

22. Latter Days-Big Red Machine

23. Silverfish-The Felice Brothers

24. Whisper-Ty Segall

25. Long Distance Conjoined Twins-Home Is Where

26. Law of Averages-Vince Staples

27. Balcony Man-Nick Cave & Warren Ellis 

28. Hug From a Dinosaur-Torres

29. Old Skin-The War on Drugs

30. Queens-Aeon Station 

31. Like I Used To-Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen

32. Gone-Painted Shrines

33. Gold/Rust-Hand Habits

34. Hey-Low

35. Candle-Buck Meek

36. Michelangelo-Cassandra Jenkins

37. Science Fair-Black Country, New Road

38. Family Farm-The Hold Steady

39. Hardline-Julien Baker

40. Kinney-Rostam

41. Inferno-The Felice Brothers

42. Traffic!-Katy Kirby

43. April Fool-Hana Vu 

44. I Get High-Boy Scouts

45. New Moon-The Natvral

46. Leaves-Aeon Station

47. I Met The Stones-Dinosaur Jr.

48. Serena's Kills-Spencer Krug

49. American Honey-Current Joys

50. Stay in the Car-Bachelor

51. With a Guitar-The Dodos

52. Thirstier-Torres

53. Pictures-Ty Segall

54. Color of the Pool-Lala Lala

55. Unsmart Lady-Dry Cleaning

56. Hesitating Nation-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

57. South Loop Summer-Hospital Bracelet

58. Juniper-Katy Kirby

59. Public Storage-Hana Vu

60. Bloodless-Claire Cronin

61. Jimi & Stan-Strand of Oaks

62. Wheels Roll Home-The Antlers

63. Samurai Sword-Chad VanGaalen

64. Carnage-Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

65. I'll Go Running-Squirrel Flower

66. Clean Air-Hand Habits

67. In Color-My Morning Jacket

68. Sad Cowboy-Goat Girl

69. Hot & Heavy-Lucy Dacus 

70. Blackstrap-The Besnard Lakes

71. Long Lost-Lord Huron

72. Stories-Sarah Neufeld

73. High in the Grass-Sleater-Kinney

74. Celing Granny-Mogwai

75. Aquamarine-Hand Habits

76. The Last Man on Earth-Wolf Alice

77. Faith Healer-Julien Baker 

78. Cut the Field-Colin Miller

79. Shelter Song-Iceage

80. Annie-The Dodos

81. Rare to Wake-Shannon Lay

82. That River-Margo Cilker

83. Lil Fade-Vince Staples

84. Charlotte-Boy Scouts

85. Back to Oz-Sufjan Stevens & Angelo de Augustine

86. Other You-Steve Gunn

87. The Slinfold Loop-K.D.A.P.

88. Silver Roses-Rose City Band

89. Hideaway-Wavves

90. From the Back of a Cab-Rostam

91. Pale Horse Rider-Cory Hanson

92. Helena-Damien Jurado

93. Naked-Current Joys

94. Rang Dizzy-Ryley Walker

95. Posing for Cars-Japanese Breakfast

96. The Spirit Of-Cloud Nothings

97. Mighty Soul-Langhorne Slim

98. Thousand Oaks-Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

99. Dandelion-The Peacers

100. The Pet Parade-Fruit Bats