Song of the Month is a list of my personal favorite songs, selected each month for being very repeatable, memorable, and possessing a wow factor.
These songs are chosen based on my own subjective taste. They do not follow national trends or big board charts. The songs can be several years old, but if they are new to me, they’re in the running for the month I discovered them in.
There are many songs that never made the list that totally should have, but I only have 12 months in a year and my rules are loosely strict. I hope to make a page of honorable mentions and top songs of each year and the decade.
I’ve kept this list since December 2006; now 13 years this coming December 2019.
2019
2019 is midway through and its too early to declare a top song, but so far its a solid year. Its the first time since 2013 that I am exploring several new bands that I’m really impressed by. Stay tuned for updates.
Switchfoot, OVERWERK and Echosmith reappear in 2019’s sections, along with new artists like Alice Merton and Joywave.
| January | Cry for You | September |
| February | Native Tongue | Switchfoot |
| March | Over My Head | Echosmith |
| April | Reflect (Alt) | OVERWERK |
| May | No Roots | Alice Merton |
| June | Los Ageless | St. Vincent |
| July | Tongues (feat. Kopps) | Joywave |
| August | Judy | Castlecomer |
| September | Stars (Acoustic) | Switchfoot |
| October | ||
| November | ||
| December |
2018
2018 is year of old and new. Bands I had been following since the beginning appear in this year’s selections alongside new favorites. A solid year for music, the choice is hard yet again.
Top song for 2018 is “Bridges Burn” by NEEDTOBREATHE, bring back an old favorite band back to the top.
| January | Psychotic Girl | The Black Keys |
| February | War | MUTEMATH |
| March | Believer | Imagine Dragons |
| April | So Good | Warpaint |
| May | Cool Kids | Echosmith |
| June | Summertime | K-391 |
| July | A Groove | Kisses |
| August | Bridges Burn | NEEDTOBREATHE |
| September | Animal | Miike Snow |
| October | Time Machine | Coin |
| November | Crystalized (Dark Sky Remix) | The xx |
| December | Voice in the Silence | MUTEMATH |
2017
2017 pulls me back out of the the music deficit. With fresh sounds and another candidate for the song of the decade.
Top song for 2017 is “Gold on the Ceiling” by The Black Keys, giving a challenge to my now old favorite, Faded Paper Figures (which managed to appear in my list for 6 years).
| January | Dance to It | Tut Tut Child |
| February | Bad Machine (feat. Insomnia) | Nostalgia & Aami |
| March | Half Age | Weval |
| April | Everyday is Saturday | pronobozo |
| May | Angels (feat. Kat Nestel) [Radio Edit] | Vicetone |
| June | Love is Mystical | Cold War Kids |
| July | Adventure of a Lifetime | Coldplay |
| August | Do It Again | Röyksopp & Robyn |
| September | Crossing Out | Faded Paper Figures |
| October | Gold On the Ceiling | The Black Keys |
| November | Calling | OVERWERK |
| December | Carol of the Bells | Lindsey Stirling |
2016
Again in 2016 there was a musical drought where I repeated artists and picked multiple songs from the same album. Not that these weren’t great, I just prefer to have something unique for every month. Pulling from a previous month’s album selection isn’t what I had in mind when I started this list. Still this has a great selection and I believe this was a better method to filling in months than in the past.
Top pick for 2016 is “Conquer” by OVERWERK, proving that the newer digital music could challenge my old favorite NEEDTOBREATHE.
| January | Conquer | OVERWERK |
| February | Toccata | OVERWERK |
| March | Figure 8 | Ellie Goulding |
| April | Lick the Rainbow | Mord Fustang |
| May | If You Want | Mord Fustang |
| June | Money & Fame | NEEDTOBREATHE |
| July | Face Value (Extended Mix) | Armin Van Buuren |
| August | Far Away | Washed Out |
| September | Colours of Arps | Eagles and Butterflies |
| October | Healer of Souls | Switchfoot |
| November | Perdoname | Deorro |
| December | Dark Energy | Faded Paper Figures |
2015
2015 is another musical drought year. I found it hard to pick a song some months, because the new tracks I was listening to weren’t that exciting. Still I have several favorites. I fill many months with songs that should have received recognition in previous years, but never made it. Think of it as the year of honorable mentions.
Top song of 2015 is “Lights (Bassnectar Remix)” by Ellie Goulding, because when I first heard the song on Pandora I thought it was the coolest sound I had ever heard.
| January | Five Hours | Deorro |
| February | Feeling So Blue (Extended Mix) | Michael Mind Project |
| March | Lights (Bassnectar Remix) | Ellie Goulding |
| April | Outside (feat. Ellie Goulding) | Calvin Harris |
| May | Sooner or Later (Soren’s Song) | Switchfoot |
| June | The Fatal Wound | Switchfoot |
| July | Blast the Noise | S3RL |
| August | Fortune Days | The Glitch Mob |
| September | Left Hand Free | alt-J |
| October | Pray to God (HAIM) | Calvin Harris |
| November | Instigators | Grace Potter |
| December | Some Chords | deadmau5 |
2014
2014 opens a little slow, I made some rushed picks and reran selections from older albums. But towards the end there are some real hits.
“Crystalized” by the xx should have been recognized in a previous year, but for some reason wasn’t, so here it is in 2014. This gives the new comers some competition as I believe Crystalize should be a top song. Also one of my own works appears in this list as I made a song for Kara, which reached a top 10 spot in my most played songs list.
The top song for 2014 is “Night Shift” by OVERWERK because when I think of 2014 I think of this song. Although, “Crystalized” by the xx will also be a candidate for top song of the decade.
| January | Mammoth | Dimitri Vegas, MOGUAI & Like Mike |
| February | Strong (Original Mix) | Kid Massive & Alex Sayz |
| March | Goodbye | MUTEMATH |
| April | Louder | Kid Karate |
| May | Take Me Out | Franz Ferdinand |
| June | Night Shift | OVERWERK |
| July | Blackout Days | Phantogram |
| August | The Theif | Relient K |
| September | Nothing But Trouble | Phantogram |
| October | Neon (Instrumental) | Aaron & Kara |
| November | Crystalized | The xx |
| December | Dye | Tycho |
2013
2013 gets me out of my music drought, with big hits that I still listen to on repeat to this day. Faded Paper Figures makes an appearance in this list too for the 4th consecutive year in a row.
Top song for 2013 is harder this year, but its definitely “If She Was Away” by Rebecca & Fiona. Even though May and June’s selections are really great songs. December wins!
| January | Robot High School | My Robot Friend |
| February | Change the World | Finger Eleven |
| March | Man on the Moon | Phillip Phillips |
| April | Roll the Dice – Original Mix | Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman |
| May | Cinema (feat. Gary Go) | Benny Benassi |
| June | Counting Stars | One Republic |
| July | Little Numbers | Boy |
| August | Cross the Line (Instrumental Version) | Camo & Krooked |
| September | Holy Smoke | Faded Paper Figures |
| October | Beam Me Up | Cazzette |
| November | Flute | New World Sound & Thomas Newson |
| December | If She Was Away | Rebecca & Fiona |
2012
2012 experiences the first musical drought after several progressively great musical years. Faded Paper Figures also appears in this year’s selections. Faded Paper Figures creates a dynasty in Song of the Month years, where each year since I first discovered them I pick a new favorite.
Top song for 2012 is “It Starts” by Alex Metric, surprisingly. While I love Faded Paper Figures, I picked another song from the same album I had been selecting from, so “It Starts” was fresh and a first choice song from Alex Metric as opposed to a third choice pick.
| January | Love You Like a Love Song | Selena Gomez |
| February | On Automatic | Andy Hunter |
| March | Now That I Have You | Salvador |
| April | Millie | Blue Mitchell |
| May | It Starts | Alex Metric |
| June | Too Close | Alex Clare |
| July | Moves Like Jaggar | Maroon 5 |
| August | Exit Calypsan | Falling Up |
| September | You Know What I Mean | Faded Paper Figures |
| October | Spaceman | Hardwell |
| November | Snow (Hey Oh) | Vitamin String Quartet |
| December | Crossfire | Brandon Flowers |
2011
2011 was another solid Song of the Month year. No songs to regret. I would even say that my selections are getting even better.
My top pick for 2011 again goes to Faded Paper Figures, but I’m tied between “The Cold Wars” and “The Persuaded”.
| January | Miracles | Newsboys |
| February | Spotlight | MUTEMATH |
| March | The Cold Wars | Faded Paper Figures |
| April | Feel it in Your Heart | Abandon |
| May | Stitches | Switchfoot |
| June | If Only | KT Tunstall |
| July | Radiate | Andy Hunter |
| August | The Persuaded | Faded Paper Figures |
| September | Come On | Andy Hunter |
| October | Dark Horses | Switchfoot |
| November | One More | MUTEMATH |
| December | Rise Above It | Switchfoot |
2010
2010 was one of my best musical years. All of these are great. The competition is closer, especially with Faded Paper Figures, MUTEMATH and OneRepublic. Even TobyMac’s “Tonight” is incredibly memorable.
My top song for 2010 would have to be “New Medium” by Faded Paper Figures, even though “Small Talk” by Faded Paper Figures was the first song I ever heard from them. The entire New Medium album is great and I have several favorites that make it hard to pick one. This album made Faded Paper Figures my favorite band. Alongside NEEDTOBREATHE, Switchfoot, and MUTEMATH; Faded Paper Figures is in good company.
| January | Made for You | OneRepublic |
| February | 1901 | Phoenix |
| March | Tonight (feat. John Cooper) | TobyMac |
| April | Wayside | Fair |
| May | Clipping | MUTEMATH |
| June | Sitting, Waiting, Wishing | Jack Johnson |
| July | Prophets of Uncertainty | Salient |
| August | The Anchor | The Museum |
| September | Born Again | Newsboys |
| October | Radiate | Andy Hunter |
| November | Small Talk | Faded Paper Figures |
| December | New Medium | Faded Paper Figures |
2009
2009 was the first year without any lazy selections I regret. For what was available to me at the time, I made good choices.
My top song for 2009 is “Prisoner” by NEEDTOBREATHE and its by a mile! This song is also a candidate for my top song of the decade.
| January | Peace of Mind | DecembeRadio |
| February | Turn on the Lights | Sanctus Real |
| March | There Was Another Time in my Life | Relient K |
| April | Kaliforn-Eye-A | P.O.D. |
| May | System Error | Andy Hunter |
| June | O Praise Him (All This For A King) (Oceanic Mix) | David Crowder Band |
| July | I Wonder If It’s Me | Abandon Kansas |
| August | Electrify | MUTEMATH |
| September | Greed | DecembeRadio |
| October | Lifelight | Andy Hunter |
| November | Bullet Soul | Switchfoot |
| December | Prisoner | NEEDTOBREATHE |
2008
Like the year before, 2008 is equally solid. I still approve of my selections, but I did choose the same song twice in April and October; one was the original version and the other was a remix.
The top song of 2008 is “Quit” by NEEDTOBREATHE, which held the #1 most played song in my iTunes library for years. Although, I have many other favorites from this year, including: “The Coldest Heart” by The Classic Crime and “We Could Run Away” by NEEDTOBREATHE.
| January | Shadowplay | The Killers |
| February | Jenny was a Friend of Mine | The Killers |
| March | Broken Heart (Ghosts of Seaside) | Falling Up |
| April | Can You Feel It? | David Crowder Band |
| May | Quit | NEEDTOBREATHE |
| June | Beautiful Day | Sanctus Real |
| July | Genesis | Justice |
| August | You Have What I Need | Hawk Nelson |
| September | Clocks | Coldplay |
| October | Can You Feel It? (Live) | David Crowder Band |
| November | The Coldest Heart | The Classic Crime |
| December | We Could Run Away | NEEDTOBREATHE |
2007
2007 is the first canon year of Song of the Month. While “Made a Mistake” by Sugarcult was technically the first song, 2007 was the first full year. Since my music playlist is order from oldest to newest. These songs have received the most plays in my iTunes library.
Over 10 years later, these songs still stand up to the high standard I set for Song of the Month, except one. October’s pick was a rushed, because I was still playing the previous month’s songs on repeat and failed to find anything new worth honoring in October. I decided I couldn’t skip a month so I picked the only new song I had been listening to in that month. For years, I held a policy of only picking favorite songs that were actually favorites in that month. This policy was later nullified when I needed to fill musical recessions.
My top song for 2007 would have to be “New Season” by Building 429, because at the time and for many years afterwards I liked it more than any of the others. Although, “Which to Bury, Us Or the Hatchet” by Relient K has stood the test of time with me.
| January | Read My Mind | The Killers |
| February | Gasoline | Audioslave |
| March | Somewhere I Belong | Linkin Park |
| April | The (After) Life Of The Party | Fall Out Boy |
| May | Remember the Name | Fort Minor |
| June | Dead Man (Carry Me) | Jars Of Clay |
| July | Which to Bury, Us Or The Hatchet | Relient K |
| August | New Season | Building 429 |
| September | Forgiven | Relient K |
| October | John Woo | Newsboys |
| November | Top Of The World | The All-American Rejcts |
| December | In Pieces | Linkin Park |
2006
2006 is the year that I started my Song of the Month list. I played “Made a Mistake” by Sugarcult so much that I decided to keep a list of my favorite songs. This song became the standard to measure feature picks (very repeatable, memorable, and wow factor).
Originally, this song began the list with every song written afterwards chronologically. This tradition ended in August of 2019 when I decided to flip the list, putting the current year on top to prevent scrolling to bottom.
| December | Made a Mistake | Sugarcult |