2016 was full of new songs, new albums and musicians that topped the chart. Marquette Radio decided to reflect and choose 10 of their favorites from the year. Here’s our audio content director Josh Kujawinski’s picks, in no particular order:
“Tiny Glowing Screens, Pt. 3” – Watsky
Watsky started his album with this powerhouse song. The lyrics are powerful, the flow is just incredible, and its finale gives me goosebumps every time I hear it.
“Welcome to Your Life” – Grouplove
Grouplove’s distinct sound made a long-awaited return in 2016, and this song was the crowning jewel of their new album. It combines a pop-synth sound with traditional rock band instruments, resulting in my favorite song off of “Big Mess.”
“Exquisite Corpse” – Watsky
This bonus track off of “x Infinity“ is 10 minutes of absolute insanity and features seven other artists, including Wax and Daveed Diggs. It has a bumpin’ beat, and is hands down the weirdest song on the album. It’s hard to say why it works, but it just does.
“Same Drugs” – Chance the Rapper
Chance’s new album “Coloring Book“ was full of great songs, but this was my favorite. It’s a pretty simple song, but the repetitive lyrics hint that more has changed in the relationship than just the type of drugs to use, and I love this song for it.
“Me and Your Mama” – Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino went for a totally different sound than what we’re used to, opting for a more psychedelic and funky style of music instead of hip-hop. This was the first song on the new album, and is a great introduction to Childish Gambino’s new style.
“Ophelia” – The Lumineers
This song is short and sweet, and it makes sense why this was the Lumineers’ hit song off their new album. Its poetic lyrics and flowing instrumentals make it my favorite love song of 2016.
“Heathens” – Twenty One Pilots
The best thing to come out of the iffy movie “Suicide Squad“ is this song, hands down. The creepy beat gives this song a very unique sound that helps it stand out among most hit songs from this year.
“Midnight Heart” – Watsky
Yes, Watsky is on this list three times. I’ll stop putting him on when he stops making such dope music. Another powerful song featuring the distorted vocals of Mal Devisa, it’s just an awesome song. Enough said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REa0xrh2eI8
“It’s Quiet Uptown” – Kelly Clarkson
I don’t typically like Kelly Clarkson’s music, and I honestly have no idea why I like this song so much. What I do know is I literally cried the first time I heard this song. It’s good shit.
“Lazarus” – David Bowie
The hit song off of Bowie’s last album before his death is incredibly poignant. It features Bowie’s eccentric sound and is a phenomenal send-off. RIP Bowie.
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