Best Albums 2020

best music of 2020; favorite albums--- American Head by the Flaming Lips, XOXO by The Jayhawks, Aloha by Son Little, Always Tomorrow by Best Coast, It Is What It Is by Thundercat, The Neon Skyline by Andy Shauf, Honeymoon by Beach Bunny, Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers, You Make Me Feel by Don Bryant, American Standard by James Taylor, Circles by Mac Miller, Look Long by the Indigo Girls, Grae by Moses Sumney, Rough and Rowdy Ways by Bob Dylan, Twelfth by the Old 97s, Dear Life by Brendan Benson, Swimmer by Tennis

Best Christmas Songs

Alone on Christmas Day by Mike Love, Shepherds by Bruce Cockburn, Just Like Christmas by Low, Jesus Christ by Teenage Fanclub (originally by Big Star, but I prefer TFC's version), That Spirit of Christmas by Ray Charles, Goodbye Charles by Over the Rhine, Little Road to Bethlehem by Shawn Colvin, Maybe This Christmas by Ron Sexsmith, Midnight Mass by Tom Chaplin, Song for a Winter's Night by Sarah McLachlan, The Christmas Song (although I like to call it "The (other) Christmas Song" to differentiate it from the Mel Torme/Nat King Cole classic of the same name) by The Raveonettes., Sweet Baby Jesus by Matthew Sweet, First Snowfall by Over the Rhine, In the Morning by Jack Johnson, This Time of the Year by Ray Charles, Come Around by Mindy Smith, Bethlehem by Over the Rhine, Underneath the Tree by Kelly Clarkson Hibernation Day by Jars of Clay, Wintersong by Sarah McLachlan, My Holiday by Mindy Smith, Let it Fall by Over the Rhine,

Best songs of the 60s

A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
I Heard it through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye
A Day in the Life by The Beatles
Be My Baby by The Ronettes
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
At Last by Etta James
Like a Rollin Stone by Bob Dylan
The Way You do the Things You Do by The Temptations
I Can't Stop Loving You by Ray Charles
Oh Happy Day by The Edwin Hawkins Singers
Picture Book by The Kinks
Stand by Me by Ben E. King
Sisters of Mercy by Leonard Cohen
Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles
The Summer Wind by Frank Sinatra
Up on a Roof by The Drifters
Respect by Aretha Franklin
I Get Around by The Beach Boys
Save the Last Dance for Me by The Drifters
Lady Madonna by The Beatles
Sunny by Bobby Hebb
California Dreamin' by The Mamas and the Papas
Linus and Lucy by Vince Guaraldi
All Along the Watchtower by Jimi Hendrix
Happy Together by The Turtles
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In by The 5th Dimension
Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkel
Unchain My Heart by Ray Charles
Baby, Now That I Found You by The Foundations
Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground
Take 5 by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Ain't Too Proud to Beg by The Temptations
Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
Break it to Me Gently by Brenda Lee
Baby I Need Your Lovin' by The Four Tops
Do You Believe in Magic by The Lovin' Spoonful
Sukiyaki by Kyu Sakamoto
Ooh Baby Baby by The Miracles
Crazy by Patsy Cline
I Can't Get Next to You by The Temptations
Summer Song by Chad and Jeremy
Keep on Pushing by The Impressions
Penny Lane by The Beatles
You Never Can Tell (C'est La Vie) by Chuck Berry
If I Had a Hammer by Peter, Paul and Mary
Hit the Road Jack by Ray Charles
Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) by The Four Tops
(Sittin' On the) Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding
Blowin'in the Wind by Bob Dylan
You've Really Got a Hold on Me by The Miracles
Anyone Who Had a Heart by Dionne Warwick
Surfer Girl by The Beach Boys

favorite '70s songs

Lean on Me by Bill Withers

Sail On Sailor by The Beach Boys

Hotel California by The Eagles

Peg by Steely Dan

Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time) by The Delfonics

Somebody to Love by Queen

Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest

Baby Blue by Badfinger

Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Love of My Life by Queen

Just My Imagination by The Temptations

Lonely Boy by Andrew Gold

In the Stone by Earth Wind and Fire

Fire and Rain by James Taylor

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard by Paul Simon

What's Goin' On by Marvin Gaye 

Mockingbird by Carly Simon and James Taylor

Papa was a Rolling Stone by The Temptations

Thirteen by Big Star

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Surf's Up by The Beach Boys

I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash

Desperado by The Eagles

ABC by The Jackson 5

Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel

I Can Remember by The Raspberries

Killing Me Softly with His Song by Roberta Flack

September by Earth Wind and Fire

Joy to the World by Three Dog Night

Can We Still be Friends by Todd Rundgren

Feeling Stronger Every Day by Chicago

After the Love is Gone by Earth Wind and Fire

Train in Vain by The Clash

Strawberry Letter 23 by The Brothers Johnson

Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum

Let It Be by The Beatles

Venus by Shocking Blue

How Much I Feel by Ambrosia

The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band

Could it Be Magic by Barry Manilow
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot
Beth by KISS
Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder
Let Your Love Flow by The Bellamy Brothers
Reelin' in the Years by Steely Dan
Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbell
Layla by Derek and the Dominoes
Drift Away by Dobie Gray
Superstar by The Carpenters

Love Rollercoaster by The Ohio Players

(I've Been) Searchin' So Long by Chicago

Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass
Welcome Back by John Sebastian

Never Can Say Goodbye by The Jackson 5
Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits
September Girls by Big Star

Lovin' You by Minnie Riperton

Money by Pink Floyd

Take a Chance on Me by ABBA

Ben by Michael Jackson

80s favorite songs

Overjoyed by Stevie Wonder
Under African Skies by Paul Simon and Linda Ronstadt
Love and Mercy by Brian Wilson
Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
Out Here on My Own by Irene Cara
Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr
That Lonesome Road by James Taylor
Working My Way Back to You by The Spinners
Games Without Frontiers by Peter Gabriel
True Blue by Madonna
Have a Little Faith in Me by John Hiatt
If Ever You're in My Arms Again by Peabo Bryson
Closer to Fine by Indigo Girls
Raspberry Beret by Prince
Is it Okay if I Call You Mine by Paul Crane
Come on Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners
Don't Know Much by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
Every Day I Write the Book by Elvis Costello
Will the Wolf Survive by Los Lobos
How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
Mighty Love by Todd Rundgren
The Winner Takes it All by Abba
Nightshift by Commodores
99 Luftballoons by Nena
Steppin' Out by Joe Jackson
Superman by R.E.M.
Turn Your Love Around by George Benson
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers
Blame it on the Rain by Milli Vanilli
It's the End of the World as We Know it by R.E.M.
Let the River Run by Carly Simon
Seven Spanish Angels by Ray Charles and Willie Nelson
You Make My Dreams by Hall and Oates
Never Gonna Let You Go by Sergio Mendes
Fast Car by Tracy Chapman
Don't Dream It's Over by Crowded House
Smooth Operator by Sade
Let My Love Open the Door by Pete Townshend
Master Blaster (Jammin') by Stevie Wonder
Take On Me by aha
Back in the Chain Gang by The Pretenders
Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie
So Emotional by Whitney Houston
Pop Song '89 by R.E.M.
Walk Like an Egyptian by The Bangles

Best Songs of the '90s

"How Many Times" by Jules Shear and Carole King
"Planets" by Teenage Fanclub
"I'll Be There" by Mariah Carey
"Blue" by The Jayhawks
"Buddy Holly" by Weezer
"It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" by Boyz II Men
"Narcolepsy" by Ben Folds Five
"Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might be Giants
"Everybody Plays the Fool" by Aaron Neville
"Free as a Bird" by The Beatles
"Nightswimming" by R.E.M.
"Give Me One Reason" by Tracy Chapman
"God Give Me Strength" by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach
"Hallelujah" by Jeff Buckley
"Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry
"Don't Know Much" by Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
"Evangeline" by Matthew Sweet
"Hang On, Clementine" by The Rembrandts
"Chan Chan" by Compay Segundo and The Buena Vista Social Club
"Wonder" by Natalie Merchant
"A Spoonful Weighs a Ton" by Flaming Lips
"Believe" by Lenny Kravitz
"One Headlight" by The Wallflowers
"Linger" by The Cranberries
"Only Wanna be with You" by Hootie and the Blowfish
"Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
"Two Janes" by Los Lobos
"I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
"Wonderwall" by Oasis
"Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)" by Billy Joel
"I Try" by Macy Gray
"Streets of Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen
"Without You" by Mariah Carey
"One" by U2
"Loser" by Beck
"Electrolite" by R.E.M.
"Waterfalls" by TLC
"Bulldog Skin" by Guided by Voices
"Lately" by Jodeci

My favorite songs of the "aughts" (2000 through 2009)

"Do You Realize??" by Flaming Lips

"It's All in My Mind" by Teenage Fanclub

"Lisztomania" by Phoenix

"Fallin'" by Alicia Keys

"Don't Give Up On Me" by Solomon Burke

"Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane

"The Luckiest" by Ben Folds

"Hurt" by Johnny Cash

"Put Your Records On" by Corinne Bailey Rae

"Bohemian Like You" by The Dandy Warhols
"Make You Feel My Love" by Adele

"Orphan of the Storm" by Mudcrutch

"Hey Ya!" by Outkast

"Be My Girl" by Smith Westerns

"I Try" by Macy Gray

"Energy" by The Apples in Stereo

"Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley

"Mercy" by Duffy

"Here it Goes Again" by Ok Go

"Sing" by Travis

"Superstar" by Ruben Studdard

"Lost Cause" by Beck

"Farmhouse" by Phish

"Tailspin" by The Jayhawks

"Ordinary Dream" by The Electric Light Orchestra

"There Will be a Light" by Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama

"You are Free" by Mates of State

"Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse

"21 Guns" by Green Day

"Can I Get a Witness" by The Temptations

"Chariot" by Gavin DeGraw

"First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes

"Good Morning" by Lenny Kravitz

"In My Arms" by Teddy Thompson

"Festival" by Sigur Ros

"Helicopter" by The Feeling

"Halo" by Beyoncé

"Yellow" by Coldplay

"When the Other Foot Drops Uncle" by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings

"Grace Kelly" by Mika