Today's Quiz: The 2020 TQ Music Awards

"How Bad Is Your Spotify?" is a project from The Pudding

Welcome to my 10th annual Music Awards / year in review post. I’ve also embedded my Spotify playlist of my favorite tracks at the top of this post.

[Previous Year End Reviews: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011]

Two large factors drive what I listen to in a year: older tracks from acts I'm about to see in concert and new releases (driving mainly from writing this annual post). I was only able to go to two concerts this year, which led (as The Pudding's expert AI reported) to a year dominated by listening to 2020 music. In the past years I've grown less likely to tryout new sounds, which results in my "new release radar" dominated by past finds. Thankfully many of my favorites released new music this year (e.g. My Morning Jacket, Cut Copy, Washed Out, Carly Rae Jepsen).

Song of the Year:

"Olympik" by EOB
[Runner up: “Stop, Horizon” by Cut Copy]

EOB is the side project of Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien. His debut album Earth, sat in my "on deck" playlist for a while until (friend of the blog) Ryan texted me to check out this track. I can't think of a song in recent memory that had a guitar bridge I enjoyed more. It instantly became my favorite song of the year in April and no other song was able to top it.

Album of the Year:
Purple Noon by Washed Out

[Runner up: Swimmer by Tennis]

Washed Out makes the music I find most relaxing. It makes total sense that Spotify told me it was my top artist (and I landed in the top 0.5% of their listeners) for this horrid year - it was needed. I awarded its previous album, 2017's Mister Mellow, my favorite album of that year as well - and I've arrived at the fact that Washed Out deserves to be in my Top Ten graphic. Sorry, Arcade Fire, you're been bounced.

I had a much more difficult time figuring out the runner-up. There were great albums by TOPS, Poolside, Jessie Ware, and a long awaited return from Land of Talk.

Other sources have told me that a pair of albums were released by a singer/songwriter out of Nashville, but I'm only able to discuss her on our podcast.

Concert of the Year (tie):

Bag Raiders at Lincoln Hall / Best Coast and Mannequin Pussy at S.P.A.C.E.
[Runner up: there weren't any other shows!]
The two shows I attended were very separate experiences. One was a dance party that I had to coax a friend to join me knowing we'd be the two oldest in the room at the last minute and the other was a big group of friends that had months of planning ahead of it. Here's a list of acts that I had tickets in hand to see and were Covid-cancelled: Tame Impala, Foals, Local Natives, Perfume Genius, Delta Spirit, Peter Bjorn And John... I hope I can include these in my 2021 post.

Song of the Summer:
"WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)" by Cardi B
[Runner up: "JU$T (feat. Pharrell Williams & Zak De La Rocha)" by Run The Jewels]
Both these songs speak for themselves.

Song Discovered Thanks to a TV Show / Movie of the Year:
"Jaja Ding Dong" by Will Ferrell & My Marianne
[Runner up: "Add Some Kente" by Sherman's Showcase & Viceroy]

Many people have seen Eurovison, but not enough are watching Sherman's Showcase. Go to it for the goofy parody of Soul Train, but stay for the great original songs. It was tough to select just one to highlight from this show - sorry, "Drop It Low (For Jesus)".