Year in Rock 2016: Song of the Year Long List

Is there a more appropriate image to sum up the year that's been than a tombstone? Literally and metaphorically, 2016 has been death; with the loss of another important artist seemingly every other day, plus the shaky state of our world in the societal, environmental and political senses, pessimists have had a field day this year.

If there's a silver lining to be found, it's in the music; for such a glum, brutal year, 2016 has provided us with a lot of great songs. From iconic artists who gave us one last gift, to established acts injecting welcome new blood to their discographies, to fresh sounds by emerging artists living up to their potential, rock seems to be doing just fine in spite of the bleakness that surrounds our every breath.

While the final shortlist of Song of the Year nominees won't be announced for another three weeks, I figured we could all use a minute or 162 to look back on some of the best tunes rock gave us this year. Here, compiled in a handy YouTube playlist and presented in chronological order of the albums they were released on (whenever applicable), is the long list of Year in Rock 2016 Song of the Year nominees:

The nominees:

DAVID BOWIE Lazarus (January 8)
THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT White Bear (January 15)
SAVAGES The Answer (January 22)
WINTERSLEEP Amerika (March 4)
BRIAN FALLON Nobody Wins (March 11)
WEEZER King of the World (April 1)
DEFTONES Prayers/Triangles (April 8)
THE LUMINEERS Cleopatra (April 8)
RADIOHEAD Burn the Witch (May 8)
NOTHING Eaten By Worms (May 13)
BRAND NEW I Am a Nightmare (May 17)
CAR SEAT HEADREST Fill In the Blank (May 20)
PUP If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will (May 20)
THRICE Black Honey (May 27)
THE STROKES OBLIVIUS (June 3)
BAND OF HORSES Casual Party (June 10)
THE TRAGICALLY HIP In a World Possessed By the Human Mind (June 17)
BIFFY CLYRO Animal Style (July 8)
CHEVELLE Door to Door Cannibals (July 8)
GONE IS GONE Violescent (July 8)
BILLY TALENT Afraid of Heights (July 29)
ANGEL OLSEN Shut Up Kiss Me (September 2)
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS Jesus Alone (September 9)
JULY TALK feat. TANYA TAGAQ Beck + Call (September 9)
TAKING BACK SUNDAY Tidal Wave (September 16)
AGAINST ME! 333 (September 16)
DAWES When the Tequila Runs Out (September 16)
GHOST Square Hammer (September 16)
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS What It Means (September 30)
MICROWAVE Vomit (September 30)
SLAVES Consume Or Be Consumed (September 30)
JOYCE MANOR Last You Heard of Me (October 7)
GREEN DAY Bang Bang (October 7)
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Symptom of Terminal Illness (October 14)
KINGS OF LEON Waste a Moment (October 14)
JIMMY EAT WORLD Get Right (October 14)
KORN Rotting in Vain (October 21)
CRX Ways to Fake It (October 28)
WAKRAT Generation Fucked (November 11)
METALLICA Atlas, Rise! (November 18)

With that, Year in Rock season is officially under way. Keep in mind, this list of 40 will be pared down to 10 when the Song of the Year shortlist is announced on December 12, with winners for all categories to be announced on December 19. Come back next week when the long list for Album of the Year is unveiled!

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2016: Solo Artist Nominees

Artists who stand alone, who put their name on their album jackets and assume full responsibility for the art they give to the world, exhibit a kind of bravery that I've always admired. It takes courage to stand on that proverbial stage in solitude; this year's nominees faced varying degrees of challenges, but they all shared the desire to stare down the criticisms and expectations of every other individual they shared the air with and exclaim, "Don't worry. I've got this." Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Solo Artist Recording of the Year are:

Year in Rock 2024

So, how weird is it to post a Year in Rock 2024 write-up a year late? Honestly, this is just for posterity; with a post to wrap up 2025 possibly posted by the time you see this, I couldn't stand the gap that would otherwise be present. I'll have more to say, but will wait until the Year in Rock 2025 post to say it. Instead, I'll just dive right in with the list. This will be the least exciting Year in Rock post you've ever seen. 25. The Smashing Pumpkins - "Aghori Mhori Mei" 24. Japandroids - "Fate & Alcohol" 23. Pearl Jam - "Dark Matter" 22. Cheekface - "It's Sorted" 21. Kim Gordon - "The Collective" 20. High Vis - "Guided Tour" 19. Acid Mammoth - "Supersonic Megafauna Collision" 18. Microwave - "Let's Start Degeneracy" 17. IDLES - "TANGK" 16. Jerry Cantrell - "I Want Blood" 15. Chat Pile - "Cool World" 14. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ...

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