Lots of other people didn't. And that's okay. There was lots to get down about. Lots of aging (and not so aging) rockers that dove into the inevitability and lots of pretty shitty human behaviour, just to name a couple of things.
But there was lots to be very, very happy about. Life was pretty damn good to me, personally. I spent much of the year bathed in art. Lots of real "me time". I attended more shows and saw more bands in 2016 than I have in any other year. I spent a lot of time with a lot of very cool people. It's a concert-going record I don't think I'm going to break any time soon. Or any time at all.
And there was great music. So much great music. This year, I probably listened to less recorded music than I have in many, many years, but I made up for it with live shows. This is reflected in the fact that my favourite songs of the year came mostly from acts I saw live. Many of them I saw multiple times, giving their tunes more time to wedge themselves into my consciousness.
The bonus that comes with this post is that you're also getting a preview of my favourite albums list if you notice the number of repeat songs by certain artists that appear amongst my favourites. It'll be coming soon. And so will a post of my favourite concert photos of 2016. Which comes with a special announcement.
And so, here they are, at long last, my latest ever best of list, except for the ones for my favourite albums and favourite concert photos, which are still in progress... These are my favourite fifty tunes of 2016:
50. "Break My Heart Sweetly" John Moreland
49. "In Stars" Marlon Chaplin
48. "Radio of Lips" The Joy Formidable
47. "Blank Ribbons" Split Single
46. "We Had Everything" Broods
45. "Personal Weekend" Partner
44. "City Club" The Growlers
43. "Molotov Girls" The Zolas
42. "Voices In My Head" Bob Mould
41. "Kiss Me When I Bleed" White Lung
40. "Coo Coo" Weaves
39. "Cannonball" Yuck
38. "Fossils" Marlon Chaplin
37. "Money Money" The Balconies
36. "Easier Said" Sunflower Bean
35. "Swooner" The Zolas
34. "Beautiful Girl" Ron Hawkins
33. "Santa Fe" Wintersleep
32. "Goin' Down" Dinosaur Jr.
31. "Doing It To Death" The Kills
30. "Lemontrees" Eagulls
29. "White Bear" The Temperance Movement
28. "Miracle" The Darcys
27. "Silence" Sate
26. "Beck + Call" July Talk
25. "Swings and Waterslides" Viola Beach
24. "CV Dazzle" The Zolas
23. "Cruel Ways" Drowners
22. "DVP" Pup
21. "Pen to Paper" Modern Space
20. "Wall Watcher" Sunflower Bean
19. "Soundcheck" Catfish and The Bottlemen
18. "Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)" White Denim
17. "Human" Weaves
16. "Blood In The Cut" K.Flay
15. "Give It Up" The Beaches
14. "Get Out" Frightened Rabbit
13. "It Don't Seem Right" Public Animal
12. "It's Just Us Now" Sleigh Bells
11. "Hold Me Closer" Yuck
10. "Tiny" Dinosaur Jr.
9. "The End of Things" Bob Mould
8. "Heart of a Dog" The Kills
7. "Warrior" Sate
6. "Amerika" Wintersleep
5. "Invisible" The Zolas
4. "Hearts In Motion" Yuck
3. "New Song" Warpaint
2. "Spirits" The Strumbellas
1. "Push + Pull" July Talk