Top 25 Tracks 2024

Writing about individual songs is a rewarding and sometimes exhausting challenge. Capturing what makes them tick can be difficult even for something you’ve heard dozens of times, but I always enjoy forcing myself to dig deeper, and often walk away with more profound appreciation for my favorite tracks. I hope you can appreciate some ofContinue reading “Top 25 Tracks 2024”

Top 10 Albums 2024

It’s pretty surreal to think this is my 5th end of year list on this blog. To all the people who have taken the time to check my lists and (extremely infrequent) opinion pieces out, I deeply appreciate you. Halfway through the decade, there’s been an abundance of amazing music, always more than I amContinue reading “Top 10 Albums 2024”

Top 25 Tracks 2023

There’s something a bit liberating about listing my favorite tracks of the year. Even if a song is not part of the most consistent album, it can simply stand on its own merits. Standout moments that I heard over the course of the year can be focused on completely, as much as it may beContinue reading “Top 25 Tracks 2023”

Top 10 Albums 2023

More than most years, I found 2023 to be rewarding as a passionate music fan. Artists I know and love delivered wonderful new material, and more than any other year, artists I am not well acquainted with are showing up in my list of favorites. Also more than before, my favorites of the year spanContinue reading “Top 10 Albums 2023”

Top 25 Tracks 2022

If my list of favorite albums is difficult to put together and rank, my favorite songs of the year are virtually impossible. So many incredible tracks were delivered this year, some off of incredible albums, some as a diamond in the rough. In an attempt to highlight as much of it as I can, I’veContinue reading “Top 25 Tracks 2022”

Top 10 Albums 2022

Every year I think that making my lists will get easier. Every year I am terribly wrong, as I painfully cut my shortlist of contenders down to a mere ten. With the ability to tour back as an option, it would be safe to say that many artists wished to withhold their projects as theContinue reading “Top 10 Albums 2022”

Top 20 Tracks 2021

Antonio Topete This year, in addition to my list of 10 favorite albums of 2021, I’ve decided to also publish a list of my favorite tracks. Unlike albums, tracks do not need to have as much of an overarching idea or theme, although tracks that do will always stand out. But the brevity of aContinue reading “Top 20 Tracks 2021”

Top 10 Albums 2021

Antonio Topete It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by since my first Listening Now article, but it has been a real joy to discuss the music that matters to me most, and I greatly appreciate all of those who have set time aside to read what I’ve had to say, and thoseContinue reading “Top 10 Albums 2021”

Top 10 Albums 2020

Antonio Topete Despite a year of chaos, 2020 saw an enormous amount of great releases. Trying to choose favorites is nearly impossible, with the gaps between albums being very small. Limiting myself to only 10 albums, there are many artists that didn’t quite make it, despite releasing great music. That said, every album on thisContinue reading “Top 10 Albums 2020”