Stupid lists. Why do we even bother. We’re fickle commitment phobic instant gratification internet fiends and so narrowing the trillions of jams that’ve floated through the office this year is like sorting through the beach to find your favourite pieces of sand. Ridiculous hyperbole aside, everyone on the Pedestrian team eventually threw out their favourite tracks of 2010 and here’s the ones that got the most love once we aggregated the results. Top ten? Convention be damned, we’re going with 23.
Please feel free to comment on our great / poor taste in music and add any glaring omissions in the comments section below.
In no particular order…
Kanye West – Monster
Kanye could be an annoying person at times during the year but there’s no denying the power of his record. The lyrics in this track are brutally self-aware and the Nicky Minaj verse slays.
Arcade Fire – Suburban War
We could only pick one track from Arcade Fire’s 2010 release which was a surprisingly difficult task.
Harlem – Gay Human Bones
We overdosed on chillwave and it gave us a mad craving for loud guitars and some reckless tamborine. Thanks, Harlem.
Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill
Electropop ditty with an awesome, instantly-addictive synth lick that’s like something out of a 1990s video game.
Toro y Moi – Low Shoulder
Chazwick Bundick is most chill man ever? And he’s playing at playground weekender.
Delorean – Stay Close
Best electronic outfit of 2010 takes you on an instant trip to Ibiza for a breath of the fresh sea breeze with this wonderful track.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Round & Round
This modern disco tune went round and round on all our stereos this year. Ariel Pink is like a modern day Boz Scaggs and we mean that in a good way.
Guards – Resolution of One
With “Resolution of One” Guards pulls off the impossible: a dark, sweet, excellent pop tune.
Foals – Spanish Sahara
This haunting, slow-build track dropped at the start of the year and we never stopped liking it.
Tame Impala – Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?
The closest thing to leaning back into a field of canola flowers without actually being there.
Younger Us – Japandroids
Power-pop meets punk in an explosion of stupid riffs. Hook City, population: these guys.
Big Boi – Shutterbug
Why even waste words here? Big Boi is an insane rapper and this track is off the ridicter.
CANYONS – My Rescue
This was the song of spring: bursting percussion, laidback grooves, all round bliss from these talented Perth guys. Playing at playground weekender.
Perfume Genius – Mr Petersen
How can something be so fragile and tender without becoming a massive wank fest? ‘Genius’ is absolutely right.
Albatross – Golden Hue
Immersive electronic weirdness from our own backyard.
Sleigh Bells – Rill Rill
Because we like brash, fun, scuzzy, weird pop-metal hybrid shit.
Broken Social Scene – All to All
Typically beautiful, layered stuff from indie supergroup with the sweetest sounding voice of Lisa Lobsinger.
Keep Shelly In Athens – Running Out Of You
An absolute treasure of 2010 from Athens, Greece. Yay for European synth-pop.
Wild Nothing – Chinatown
We can’t get enough of his 80s influenced pop tunes and neither can anyone else.
Best Coast/Kid Cudi and the Dude from Vamp Weekend – All Summer
Gratuitous party jam from a surprisingly cohesive collab. Nice one, Converse!
Hot Spa- Kiola Beach
Stupidly infectious experimental surf pop.
Wavves – King of the Beach
You’ve heard it a million times this year and so have we. There is a reason for this.
Cults – Go Outside
PG-rated Sixties group singalongs sounds a lot like something an actual cult would do.
Stay tuned for our Top Albums of 2010 which will probably show a similar lack of restraint.
