Immortal Reviews' Top 50 Songs Of 2016
/Albums are able to tell stories and bring different ideas and textures along with it to develop each story, but the components of these stories are the songs in each album. 2016 has been filled with countless stories that we've all faced, both tragic and blissful. Through all of these, we've been able to connect to certain songs to find that extra push to continue on, no matter what the circumstances are. Here's our list of our Top 50 favorite songs release in 2016.
Don't miss out on our Top 50 Albums of 2016 list, either! Click the titles of the songs to be taken to the album or track review the song can be attributed to.
Before we get into the good stuff, here are a few honorable mentions:
- Childish Gambino - 'Me and Your Mama'
- BANKS - 'Trainwreck'
- Savages - 'The Answer'
- July Talk - 'Beck + Call'
- Korn - 'Rotting In Vain'
50. Opeth - 'Will O' The Wisp'
44. Issues - 'Coma'
While 'Heathens' was one of our favorite songs this year (both versions), twenty one pilots' emotional cover of My Chemical Romance's heartbreaking ballad was their best output this year.
24. Ariana Grande - 'Dangerous Woman'
Another repeat on the list, the sweet and powerful ballad 'Dangerous Woman' was Ariana Grande's top song of the year.
23. Emily Jane White - 'The Black Dove'
The mystery of Emily Jane White's record this year was perfectly summed up in her track 'The Black Dove'.
22. The Last Shadow Puppets - 'Aviation'
Nothing sounded more like an epic, dramatic Bond theme this year than TLSP's 'Aviation.'
21. HÆLOS - 'Earth Not Above'
The spacey textures of Full Circle came to an all-time high in the song 'Earth Not Above.'
20. Gojira - 'The Shooting Star'
Giant vocals and immense riffs are the introduction to Gojira's Magma and come in full force on 'The Shooting Star.'
Lots of tracks on LIGHTS acoustic album Midnight Machines were really powerful, but none hit home quite like 'Don't Go Home Without Me,' no pun intended.
18. Jack Garratt - 'My House Is Your Home'
'My House Is Your Home' is similar to the track before it, the heartbroken, longing ballad begging for love to return to somewhere familiar.
17. Daughter - 'New Ways'
A dark, slow moving, and mysterious introduction to Daughter's Not To Disappear helped make the album one of our favorites this year. The slow trudging feeling of the song that slowly builds into something more smooth and otherwordly makes this song one of the best on the entire record, and of the year.
16. Dream Theater - 'Moment Of Betrayal'
The entirety of The Astonishing will have you on the edge of your seat, but the big turn in the story comes with 'Moment Of Betrayal,' marked with big riffs and everything that makes Dream Theater so massive.
15. Biffy Clyro - 'Wolves Of Winter'
Biffy Clyro have slowly made themselves of the biggest acts in Europe, and 'Wolves Of Winter' shows us why; the massive, driven riffs move forward with a huge stadium rock vibe that really changed the standard for all rock albums following it in 2016.
14. The Naked & Famous - 'Backslide'
Epic synths sound off like lasers in a massive space war, The Naked & Famous' Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers dueting in an epic yet beautiful tug of war as their universes are torn apart. The song explodes in the end as this giant war comes to a climactic end, giving this song the spacey vibes of Starset while still remaining an epic electronic banger.
13. Sin Fang - 'Snowblind'
Spaceland captured the essence of Iceland, but 'Snowblind' really made it clear. The subtle urgency in the beat lies under Sin Fang's calming voice while cavernous electronics slowly build up throughout the song to create a truly mystifying experience.
12. Arcane Roots - 'Curtains'
You don't get much more massive in sound than Arcane Roots. The first taste of new material we've gotten from them this year came in the form of 'Curtains,' a new yet giant direction for them. The song takes a step in a cinematic and electronic direction, building up to a absolutely mental breakdown, giving a classic Arcane Roots banger vibe to the track before it ends.
11. Architects - 'Memento Mori'
This song may be eight minutes long, but it covers a lot of ground. From the absolutely crushing electronic sounds in the beginning to the mind-boggling climax of the song, this song is a final sendoff to the band's guitarist Tom Searle who died of cancer this year. All of All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us was a goodbye to him in one form or the other, yet this song was the final climax of it all. The song hauntingly says in the end, "Memento mori: be mindful of death" to remind its listener to appreciate every day.
