Adrian C.'s Top 50 Songs of 2020

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Adrian C.'s Top 50 Songs of 2020!

Hello all! 2020 was not a fun year overall for many reasons, but the music certainly did not disappoint haha. Music was what helped me get through all the chaos this year and now it's time to look back on what songs I found to be the highlights of 2020. This Year-End chart is based on performance on my personal chart, which I've updated weekly all year on Pulse and on Crownnote. You should check that out if you don't already. But this chart will consist of the 50 songs that performed the best throughout the year.

Just to make things clear, the tracking period for this was from December 22, 2019 to December 13, 2020. All points for the final two weeks of 2020 will be carried over into 2021 and will count towards the Top 50 of 2021. In addition to the main 50 songs, I will also post extras, which consists of songs that appeared on my chart during the year, but were not able to crack the final Top 50. There will be 25 of those that will be posted 5 times throughout reveals in groups of 5. We'll start with some before the official Top 50 reveals begin.

If anyone wants to be tagged, please let me know!

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Reserved

[dremolus - solarpunk]

can't wait

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Extras: Set 1 of 5









Notes:
- "Gospel For A New Century" was a Summertime Madness discovery, sent by MoD . For me it was one of the most memorable from that tournament, so thanks MoD!
- "Preach" was also a Summertime Madness discovery, sent by Albie . "My Type" was one of my favorites back in 2015 and "Preach" is a jam as well, so thanks Albie!
- "Cross You Out" was a March Madness discovery, sent by willapted33 . I'm not a huge Charli fan and her music is not my thing, but "Cross You Out" is kind of a banger, thanks Will!
- An asterisk next to the number of weeks for all songs here means that the song is charting as of December 13, 2020.

Reveals for the Top 50 will start hopefully tomorrow! If you want to be tagged, let me know!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Audience}
kimberly
@greento
willapted33
Nick P
wrip

[Adrian C. 🍓]

It's time to get things started in here! I have all the reveals from #50 to #41 typed out so I should have them all posted within minutes!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Audience}
kimberly
@greento
willapted33
Nick P
wrip

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
37-32-27-25-27-27-25-22-15-21-22-21-21-19-25-32-41-43-39-40-42-40-42-Off


Kicking off the Top 50 is Little Big Town with "Sugar Coat" from their album Nightfall. I've been a fan of Little Big Town ever since I first heard "Boondocks", which is probably one of my favorite country songs of all time. I have yet to hear a song from them that I don't like and "Sugar Coat" is just a really nice song all around. The songwriting here is strong and the vocals sound really nice as well. I would've loved to have seen this one pushed as a single.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
36-30-29-20-15-13-8-6-9-14-17-19-22-14-13-13-13-...


At #49 is Daughtry with their latest single "World On Fire". I've always dug Daughtry's music for the most part and songs like "Over You", "No Surprise", and "Waiting For Superman" are still songs that I find to be worth revisiting. They've definitely shifted toward a more pop/AC kind of sound over the years. But "World On Fire" is probably the first rock song they've dropped in a while. It's a banger and I was obsessed the first time I listened to it. Chris Daughtry sounds fantastic as always. If this is any indication of what their next project is going to sound like, then I think it's something worth looking forward to.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
30-23-14-11-12-12-11-11-5-12-21-25-31-34-39-35-35-33-35-42-Off


At #48 is the only fully instrumental track on the list. The violinist from America's Got Talent first caught my attention in 2014 with her collab with Halestorm's Lzzy Hale on "Shatter Me". I've been a fan of Lindsey Stirling ever since and I really like a lot of her recent stuff, especially from her latest album Artemis, which "Underground" is from. Even though it's an instrumental track, it has the structure of a pop song with verses and a chorus. And I just love how she makes the violin sound all modern and cool by combining it with elements of EDM.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
31-21-12-14-8-5-7-6-6-11-23-22-26-36-44-39-43-45-44-Off


At #47 is Ingrid Andress with "More Hearts Than Mine". I was first exposed to this song when I did the Year-End Country RD for last year and I thought it was a pretty gorgeous song. Next thing you know, it made it onto my chart and reached the Top 5. The songwriting here is so strong and the way the song was composed really helped convey the emotion in the lyrics. It's a very beautiful song and truly one of my favorites of the past year.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
23-13-15-15-11-11-11-8-9-13-16-16-19-21-21-22-19-16-19-...


The Airborne Toxic Event is a band I hadn't heard from in years before they graced us this year with "Come On Out". I don't remember when the first time I heard this song was (though I'm pretty sure it was because of it charting on alt) but I know that I loved it instantly. The beat, the instrumentals, the deep vocals. All of it just works very well here. It's super catchy and thoroughly enjoyable. And I'm happy to see these guys still making music because I remember being a fan of them several years ago.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
33-27-23-18-16-11-11-11-10-10-11-21-17-30-33-34-34-42-45-43-43-45-43-Off


Former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson released his debut album early this year. A few of the songs on there are perfectly enjoyable but were on the forgettable side of things. The title track "Walls" stood out to me though. With the Oasis-sounding instrumental and emotion-filled lyrics, Louis Tomlinson proved why he's one of my favorites from 1D. He's a good songwriter and he has a really nice voice. He may not be the technically best singer from One Direction, but I've always liked his tone and I think he has the talent vocally to make it as a solo artist. And he can definitely pull off a good ballad like "Walls".

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
25-16-15-14-16-15-22-26-13-22-17-18-26-26-24-24-32-35-35-40-35-34-38-36-Off


Next up is a March Madness discovery, sent by Kanenrá:ke . This was one of my favorite discoveries from that tournament and it's the first song I've ever heard from Caroline Jones, but I've heard some of her other songs since then and I think I can say that I'm a fan. She has one of the most beautiful voices I've heard in country music and "Chasin' Me" is honestly a gorgeous song. On top of her amazing vocals, the instrumental is very pleasant and the lyrics are really nice. Even after it dropped out of my chart, I couldn't get enough of it haha. So thanks Jordan for the discovery!

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
34-31-31-27-23-18-19-17-17-15-10-8-14-17-24-26-23-27-33-43-43-45-44-44-...


I think 2020 was the year that I really got into Bring Me The Horizon. I enjoyed a lot of what I heard from Amo, and then later in the year, we got "Parasite Eve", the lead single from their latest project. It's honestly a banger and I like how lyrically it's relevant at the moment, but it doesn't feel dated. It's something I can see myself coming back to after a few years. The instrumentation is fantastic and it's just a very enjoyable song. Great lead single choice and I really liked everything from that latest project, especially the current #1 on my chart, "Teardrops".

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Notes:
- This song was carried over from 2019. It spent 30 weeks on the chart in total, but 21 of those weeks were within the 2020 tracking period.

SPOILER: Click to show

{2019 Chart Run:}
29-19-13-9-10-18-16-23-24-...

2020 Chart Run:
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Of Monsters and Men's "Wars" is the first song so far to be carried over from 2019 and I initially thought this one would get caught between years. It charted after the #1 hit "Alligator", which was #21 in the Top 50 of 2019. It also preceded "Wild Roses", which debuted in January and went on to be more successful. Despite this, "Wars" still did well enough to make this list. It's far from Of Monsters and Men's best song, but it's very catchy and I like Ragnar's voice. Nanna usually does better as the lead vocalist, but I like that they switch it up and alternate who does the lead vocal.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
33-31-26-26-30-28-37-33-24-17-9-8-7-7-7-3-13-22-38-42-44-Off


Next we have the far better of the two country hits this year with "I Hope" in the title. I love a good male/female duet and that's the main reason "I Hope You're Happy Now" instantly had my ear. I enjoyed a couple of Carly Pearce's songs prior and I think Lee Brice is talented even if I don't necessarily love his music. They harmonize nicely on this song. The songwriting is also really good and I know one of the co-writers is Luke Combs, who I'm a fan of. It's a very well-written and well-sung tune. Definitely one of the best country hits this year, and frankly I think it's one of the best 2020 hits in general.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Extras: Set 2 of 5









Notes:
- The only tournament discovery in this set of extras is "Forget It", which was from Summertime Madness and sent by Daryl the Beryl. This song reminds me a lot of alt/rock music from the 2000s. The chorus sounds like something I've heard before though I'm not sure what. Regardless, it's a jam so thanks Daryl for the discovery!

I hope to have the next 10 reveals up within the next couple days! Let me know if you'd like to be tagged!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Audience}
kimberly
@greento
willapted33
Nick P
wrip
born
DistrictTwelve

[Adrian C. 🍓]

I finally have the next ten songs ready to post and hopefully I'll be able to get through this a little faster haha. I should have them all posted within minutes!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Audience}
kimberly
@greento
willapted33
Nick P
wrip
born
DistrictTwelve

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
37-24-16-13-11-13-12-13-5-5-4-4-5-9-10-16-...


Wild Front's "Selhurst Park" was a Summertime Madness discovery for me, which was sent by wheatsquares33. This ended up being one of my favorites from that tournament. The production and instrumentals are really good here. The song has a very dreamy vibe to it, which is kind of what caught my ear at first. I love the vocal effects as well. The chorus is catchy and it's just a great listen overall. I've been vibing to it ever since it appeared in Summertime Madness.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Notes:
- This song was carried over from 2019. It spent 30 weeks on the chart total, with 19 of those weeks being within the 2020 tracking period.

SPOILER: Click to show

{2019 Chart Run:}
41-29-31-28-25-29-31-33-22-26-17-...

2020 Chart Run:
...-9-6-2-3-7-7-9-10-14-28-32-32-36-38-38-42-41-42-41-Off


We have our next carryover from 2019 in the form of "Harmony Hall" from Vampire Weekend off of the Grammy-nominated Father of the Bride. "Harmony Hall" was the lead single and what a great choice because I think it's a standout in Vampire Weekend's discography. The opening guitar and the instrumentals throughout are very memorable. The song is unique and it's well-written. I've enjoyed Vampire Weekend's music for several years now and I'm happy that "Harmony Hall" was a big success for them.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
24-16-12-8-5-3-4-5-3-2-5-6-5-...


I don't normally listen to Kylie Minogue's newer music. I usually just spin her classics. But she released a new album this year with "Say Something" as the lead single. For some reason, when I first listened to it, I didn't think much of it. It wasn't until I decided to revisit it that I realized how great it actually is. "Say Something" is a standout in the disco genre in 2020. The production is stellar and her vocals shine. The chorus is a little short, but that's no major issue. I don't see many flaws with this song other than that. It's a lot of fun and I think we needed that in 2020.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Notes:
- This song was carried over from 2019. It spent 26 weeks on the chart total, with 19 of those weeks being within the 2020 tracking period.

SPOILER: Click to show

{2019 Chart Run:}
38-29-28-21-14-12-10-...

2020 Chart Run:
...-5-4-5-2-2-1-4-8-16-21-26-29-31-35-39-41-43-43-43-Off


Our first #1 appearing on this list is "What Could've Been" from country group Gone West. This was their second song to appear on my chart after "Gone West", which reached the Top 10 in 2019 and managed to barely make it onto the Top 50 of 2019. "What Could've Been" was their big single on the country charts and I can see why it was picked. It's a very nice song. It's well-written and the instrumentals are soothing. I love the vocal harmonies here. I wish it wasn't their only country hit, but it's definitely a great song. It's a shame though that the group disbanded earlier this year because I thought they had a lot of potential after that debut album.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Notes:
- This song was carried over from 2019. It spent 28 weeks on the chart total, with 24 of those weeks being within the 2020 tracking period.

SPOILER: Click to show

{2019 Chart Run:}
8-8-4-4-...

2020 Chart Run:
...-6-12-8-11-17-24-23-18-6-6-12-21-26-34-39-35-33-35-29-30-31-29-28-35-Off


Lady A have obviously had a controversial year in 2020 and it was a shame to see all that stuff go down. I still love their music though and they managed to make the Top 50 of 2020 with "The Thing That Wrecks You" from Ocean. That album had two big hits last year with "What If I Never Get Over You" landing at #2 in the Top 50 of 2019. I think this one is one of the strongest tracks from that album. The instrumentation is really good and the songwriting is strong. Little Big Town was a nice inclusion and I love when everyone's voices come together in the second chorus. I remember that gave me chills the first time I heard it. I would've loved to have seen this one as a single.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Notes:
- This song was carried over from 2019. It spent 24 weeks on the chart total, with 17 of those weeks being within the 2020 tracking period.

SPOILER: Click to show

{2019 Chart Run:}
9-5-3-2-1-5-5-...

2020 Chart Run:
...-3-1-3-4-6-13-12-16-18-11-15-18-30-41-44-45-44-Off


Next we have the first of a few appearances from Coldplay. This one is "Arabesque" from the Grammy-nominated album Everyday Life. This was the first track released alongside "Orphans" and I thought it was a really good sign for what was to come because "Arabesque" is a lot different than anything they've ever released. It relies heavily on the instrumentals, which are quite fantastic here. The saxophone solo is amazing and it really keeps the song interesting. The song might seem a little long since it's almost 6 minutes, but I'm certainly no stranger to long songs from Coldplay. I think every second of this song is utilized well, especially towards the end. And even after a full year, it doesn't feel old at all. It still has some freshness to it.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
34-24-20-10-7-7-3-3-2-7-23-23-32-37-40-38-43-43-44-44-45-41-Off


Adam Lambert dropped an album this year, which I'm sure people either don't know or forgot about. We don't get much music from him since he spends a lot of time touring with Queen. So Velvet was his first release in 5 years and I liked just about everything I heard from it, especially "Roses", which is the Nile Rodgers collaboration. Adam Lambert went for more of a funk/disco type sound and I think it worked out really well. He has the voice for it and while he doesn't do any belting on this song like he's done in the past, he still sounds really good. And the production is just flawless. I love most things Nile Rodgers is a part of because I love that funk sound and he's an excellent guitarist. He came through here and Adam Lambert showed off his talent yet again.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
23-16-11-17-11-13-12-9-5-2-4-8-14-21-27-34-38-44-41-41-41-41-Off


A couple years ago, Adam Lambert performed a live ballad version of "Believe" by Cher, which moved her to tears. About a year later, he released a studio version of that cover, which I fell in love with immediately. It's a beautiful rendition and it's much different than the original version. I had never heard that song sung as a ballad and in a way, he kind of made the song his own, which is what I like in a cover as opposed to one that sounds identical to its original version. He changed it up and sung it very beautifully, and it ended up becoming one of my favorites of the past year.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Notes:
- This song was carried over from 2019. It spent 32 weeks on the chart total, with 24 of those weeks being within the 2020 tracking period.

SPOILER: Click to show

{2019 Chart Run:}
39-26-13-13-9-3-3-1-...

2020 Chart Run:
...-1-5-4-6-8-17-22-27-31-33-35-33-34-37-37-37-28-38-42-37-36-40-40-45-Off


Next is "Kick It" from Natasha Bedingfield's latest album. I don't really love this song anymore all that much, but I was definitely a fan for the first half of the year. Her 2000s hits were definitely a lot stronger, but "Kick It" is catchy and enjoyable enough for what it is. It's not exactly all that exciting, but it's nice to see her still making music even if it's not nearly as successful as her previous albums. She still has a very good voice though.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
36-28-24-12-15-14-10-9-7-10-6-6-5-6-11-13-16-19-21-22-27-31-...


Barely missing the Top 30 is Phoebe Bridgers with "Kyoto". I don't really remember when the first time I heard this song was, but I'm pretty sure I just randomly heard it on some alternative station and it just caught my ear. I've heard a couple other Punisher songs thanks to Pulse Madness games and they've all been really good. "Kyoto" in particular is really well-written and it has great instrumentals. The trumpet after the chorus fits in pretty nicely and Phoebe Bridgers has a really nice voice. I had never heard of her before this song, but I should definitely more of her music.

[Adrian C. 🍓]

Extras: Set 3 of 5

Notes:
- "Collateral" was a March Madness discovery for me, sent by Az Paynter . I think the main highlight for me with this one is the vocals. I think this guy has a very good voice and I've enjoyed a couple of his other songs as well. So thanks Az!
- "Is Everybody Going Crazy?" was also a March Madness discovery, sent by jtd Thee Stallion . I had only listened to Nothing But Thieves occasionally before this song, but I think this song is what actually got me interested in them and their music. It's definitely a banger and a strong lead single. Thanks jtd!

I'm hoping to have the next ten reveals up tomorrow but no promises haha!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Audience}
kimberly
@greento
willapted33
Nick P
wrip
born
DistrictTwelve

[Adrian C. 🍓]

The next ten reveals are all typed up and ready to post! I should have them all posted within minutes and the Top 20 will hopefully kick off tomorrow!

SPOILER: Click to show

{Audience}
kimberly
@greento
willapted33
Nick P
wrip
born
DistrictTwelve

[Adrian C. 🍓]

2020 Chart Run:
33-20-19-19-14-14-18-19-15-22-26-23-17-20-24-31-37-36-23-18-17-17-25-25-27-32-32-37-42-45-Off


Kicking off the Top 30 is "Gaslighter" by The Chicks. I know this isn't their best single by any means but I thought it was a highlight in 2020. It's a pretty badass song that's high energy and just a fun listen overall. It did really well on my chart lasting 30 weeks. It's also the third of three songs in this list to have not reached the Top 10, but made the list because of longevity (first two were "Sugar Coat" and "Chasin' Me"). Overall, it's nice to have these ladies back again making great music and "Gaslighter" was definitely a highlight in country and music in general this past year.