Sunday night marks the end of 2017. This is usually a time to reflect on all the good and bad that has happened over the last year. That also goes for music, as this is also a great time to look back at all the great tunes released in 2017.
A lot happened in the world of music in 2017. Ed Sheeran,
Kesha, Eminem, Haim and Taylor Swift, among others, all had highly-anticipated
new releases that had everyone talking all year long. Artists like Portugal.
The Man and St. Vincent were able to attain mainstream success.
Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, would like to
take this opportunity to look back at some of our own favorite songs from 2017.
Here are eight that grabbed our attention throughout the year, and in some
cases launched the artist into the mainstream.
1.
Portugal. The Man, “Feel It Still”: Portugal.
The Man had one of the biggest songs of the year with “Feel It Still,” the second
single from their eighth album, ‘Woodstock.’ Aided by its placement in Vitamin
Water’s television commercials (which are still being aired months later), the
song has this infectious groove that sucks you in and doesn’t let go. Singer
John Gorley’s falsetto is intriguing too, as if trying to emulate the voice of
the song’s character, not just tell her story. The band released two other singles
from the album, and while “Live in the Moment” also became popular, it never
had the reach that “Feel It Still” did. (video)
2.
Neck Deep, “In Bloom”: Neck Deep really broke
out in 2017 with their single “In Bloom.” Set to a catchy melody with a solid,
memorable hook in the chorus, “In Bloom” is a reflective track about
self-improvement. The song’s success helped the band’s third album, ‘The Peace
and the Panic,’ become their best-selling to date. (video)
3.
Ed Sheeran, “Shape of You”: Ed Sheeran’s return
in 2017 with his third album, ‘÷,’ was massive. Since the album’s release in
March, you couldn’t get away from him (not that you would necessarily want to).
Out of all the singles released from the album, “Shape of You” arguably had the
most impact this year. With its dance-club beat and catchy melody, it became
the most streamed song of the year on Spotify and spent a fifth of the year on
the Billboard Hot 100 chart. (video)
4.
St. Vincent, “Los Ageless”: St. Vincent had a
big year in 2017. Her new album, ‘Masseduction,’ reached number 10 on the
Billboard 200, her highest placement on the chart yet. The album’s popularity
was preceded by three outstanding, unique singles. We’ve chosen “Los Ageless”
for this list because of its memorable 80s new wave/synth-pop vibe. (video)
5.
P!nk,
“What About Us”: P!nk has never been one to shy away from wearing her heart on
her sleeve in her music. Such is evidenced in her bold, political new album, ‘Beautiful
Trauma,’ and especially its first single, “What About Us.” The song is a
passionate plea for answers in a world that feels like it is swallowing us
whole. It helps that this plea is backed by a beautiful melody and biting
lyrics. (video)
6.
Kesha,
“Praying”: Kesha has been through a lot over the last few years which led to a
long drought in music from the boisterous singer. That changed in 2017 when she
released ‘Rainbow’ and it’s strong lead single “Praying.” The song debuted a
new, more mature side of Kesha that we hadn’t heard previously, one that shows
off her vocal abilities and passion, proving that she doesn’t need to seem
drunk to make a good song. (video)
7.
Paramore, “Hard Times”: If Paramore’s
self-titled 2013 album broke the band into the mainstream, 2017’s ‘After
Laughter’ proves that that is where they belong. The album moves the band
further towards 80s-inspired new wave, synth-pop and funk, as evidenced on lead
single “Hard Times.” The song is an upbeat track about falling on “hard times”
and feeling useless, a common theme among the songs on the new album. (video)
8.
Linkin
Park, “Heavy”: Linkin Park went in a completely different direction with 2017’s
‘One More Light.’ Known for their mixture of hip-hop beats and melodic rock,
the band focused heavily on the melodic part of their sound. The change was
very polarizing, but it arguably led to some of their most poignant work. “Heavy,”
the album’s lead single, is one of the band’s most emotional (behind the album’s
title single), as well as one of their strongest lyrically and melodically. The
song took them out of this box and proved that they could be more than just a
nu-metal band. (video)
Between all the highly-anticipated albums that met their
hype to the singles that took the world by storm, 2017 was a year filled with
great music. Take a look back by checking out our favorite songs of the year
above and let us know what songs you loved in 2017.
---
Pick up music from these artists and more at Long Island’s
favorite new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands of
titles to choose from in a variety of genres. Check out our wide selection of
new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store
at our Plainview location or shop online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re
looking to ring in the New Year with something new or with one of the classics,
we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the
time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.
No comments:
Post a Comment