Year in Rock 2019: Song of the Year

You know how I know I'm shit at maintaining this blog? Last year's Year in Rock posts are, at the time of this post, still on the front page. I feel shame. I also know there's a ton of missed reviews this year (at my count, 25 I had planned on), and I wish I could promise I'd get better at that, but around this time last year I promised a lot more local content and, well... shame.

I'll address that shame soon enough, but for now there's the small matter of year-end business to attend to. As in previous years, I will award my Album of the Year in the coming days; today is about recognizing the song that, more than any other, had me coming back for more in 2019.

However, considering the absolutely horrendous job I've done around here this year, what kind of guy would I be if I didn't at least give you a quick recap? Think of it as "previously on..." but with music. So, let's review, yes? Do me a favour and click "play" on the conveniently provided Spotify playlist below, and read what's below it very, very slowly so that it takes 3 hours and 17 minutes. There are no rules regarding shuffling or whatever, it's presented in loose chronological order so do what feels right, okay?


When choosing a single song to represent an entire year of rock music, one of the biggest factors that helps a song earn my consideration is replay value. To assist me in illustrating my point, here's a quick snapshot of the previous eight winners of the award:

2011: Manchester Orchestra • Virgin
2012: Arctic Monkeys • R U Mine?
2013: Vampire Weekend • Diane Young
2014: Against Me! • Black Me Out
2015: Dead Sara • Mona Lisa
2016: Wintersleep • Amerika
2017: Portugal. The Man • Feel It Still
2018: Ghost • Dance Macabre

All of those are songs that, in the year they were released (and in many cases, in the years since), ran through my speakers and headphones over and over again. Whereas my Album of the Year winner tends to be a representation of what I consider to be the year's most impressive artistic statement, the standard bearer and/or breaker in the genre I've loved all my life, the same rules don't necessarily apply to Song of the Year.

Sometimes, the winner is the song that speaks to my soul. Sometimes, the winner is the song that becomes a pop crossover smash. Sometimes, the winner is the song that boasts the tastiest riffs. And sometimes, the winner is the song that refuses to conform to any conventions whatsoever and gets repeated play despite it being over ten minutes long.

Your 2019 Sound Bites Song of the Year is Fear Inoculum by Tool.


Not only did Tool finally satisfy the mad cravings of a rabid fan base clamoring for new music, they also forced ever-hesitant radio stations to throw the rules out the window and play this thing in its entirety. If rock radio triumph wasn't enough, they also managed to toss Taylor Swift out of the top albums spot when Fear Inoculum dropped on August 30th, sending millions of tweens and millennials into a social media frenzy. To top it all off, they eased any trepidation fans like me had going into it, offering a sparkling and dizzying experience that welcomed close inspection and dared critical listeners to not reap the rewards that fell out like a busted piñata after multiple spins.

The only question is, how does this bode for the album? Will Tool be taking another victory lap when Album of the Year gets announced? We'll find out soon enough.