Low expectations for politics in 2017 made for high expectations in music and though this year saw revolution and protest turned into memes with albums like Eminen’s Revival, if you look closely, almost every genre had standout artists and a raising of the bar. Even hip hop, which was was dominated by trap artists like Post Malone hitting number 1 on Billboard, had more lyrical artists like Big K.R.I.T., Brockhampton, and Tyler, The Creator come out with career defining work. Metal saw old school bands like Obituary come out with incredible songs while newer ones like Power Trip, released their first true thrash anthem. Punk saw a similar phenomenon happen with Cocksparrer’s new joint and then Career Suicide’s. Even though Trump is our president and the Dodgers lost the World Series in game 7, music in Los Angeles, California in the year 2017 was exceptional, better than 2016. In 2017, the world of music realized it can weaponize quality just because it’s so damn good rather than try to convince us that musical weapons must be quality.
This is not about albums or politics though, this is about SONGS. Five minutes of sound that capture the year, two minutes if you’re punk, ten if you’re metal. We here at Janky Smooth took on the challenge of naming the best songs of 2017. Songs that you should listen, dance, drive, fuck, and headbang to. So, here goes:
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TOP SONGS OF 2017
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Brent Smith, Author at Janky Smooth
- Ty Segall – Break a Guitar
- Twin Temple – Girl Trouble
- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Loyalty
- Isaac Rother & the Phantoms – Hocus Pocus
- Thurston Moore – Cease Fire
- Drab Majesty – Cold Souls
- METZ – Mr. Plague
- The Black Lips – Interlude: Got Me All Alone
- Wild Wing – Sound the Alarm
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Between Enemy Lines- Hunter S. Thompson and the 2016 Election
Rob Shepyer, Author at Janky Smooth
- Incendiary – Fact or Fiction
- Integrity – String Up My Teeth
- Ho99o9 – Street Power
- Power Trip – Executioner’s Tax (Swing of The Axe)
- High-Functioning Flesh – Talk About
- Helloween – Pumpkins United
- Career Suicide – Tighten The Screws
- Chelsea Wolfe – 16 Psyche
- Quickand – Illuminant
- Alex Cameron – Runnin’ Out Of Luck
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FOR THE CHILDREN 2017 AT ECHOPLEX: HARDCORE IS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
Lawrence Rengert II, Author at Janky Smooth
- Ariel Pink – Another Weekend
- Mapache – Saltillo
- Cleo Lynx – Throwin’ Stones
- The Lemon -Twigs – As Long As We’re Together
- The Lemon Twigs – These Words
- Chris Stapleton – A Simple Song
- The War on Drugs – Holding On
- The Chillz – Now Now Now
- Dave, Brian and the 40 Hour Work Week – I Let the Devil Do My Dirty Work
- Entrance – Leaving California
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Michael Haight, Photographer at Janky Smooth
- Billie Eilish – Bellyache
- Sophie – Ponyboy
- Charli XCX – Boys
- Terror Jr – SadSadGirl
- Charli XCX & Cupcakke – Lipgloss
- Dua Lipa – New Rules
- Drake – Do Not Disturb
- Sorority Noise – No Halo
- Alice Glass – Forgiveness
- Sampha – (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano
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Jessica Moncrief, Photographer at Janky Smooth
- Egrets on Ergot – Sister, Please
- N.E.R.D. – ESP
- Queens of the Stone Age – Un-Reborn Again
- Kendrick Lamar – DNA
- Tenement Rats – Tomb City
- The Jesus And Mary Chain – All Things Pass
- Iggy Pop – Gold
- David Bowie – No Plan
- Gorillaz feat. Vince Staples – Ascension
- Ride – Home is a Feeling
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Dave Unbuckled, Author at Janky Smooth
- MakeWar – Tiger Lilli
- Brand New – Lit Me Up
- (Sandy) Alex G – Poison Root
- The Falcon – Hasselhoff Cheeseburger
- Wicca Phase Spring Eternal – Ice Breaker
- Sad Girl – Someone Else’s Skin
- Token – Doozey
- Japanese Breakfast – Roadhead
- Childish Gambino – Redbone
- Thundercat – Them Changes
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FYF FEST 2017 STEALS COACHELLA’S THRONE AS SO-CAL’S PREMIERE FESTIVAL
Aria Silva-Espinosa, Author at Janky Smooth
- Stef Chura – Human Being
- Antonio Williams – Changes
- Young Fathers – Lord
- Clairo – Get With U
- No Parents – Over It
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Danny Baraz, Publisher at Janky Smooth
- King Krule – Biscuit Town
- Chicano Batman – The Taker Story
- French Vanilla – Carrie
- Ty Segall – Warm Hands
- Jonwayne – Ted Talk
- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Crumbling Castle
- Drab Majesty – Dot in the Sky
- Power Trip – Executioner’s Tax
- Ho99o9 – New Jersey Devil
- OCS – Memories of a Cut Off Head
IDENTITIY POLITICS IN AMERICA- PART 1: MIND CONTROL FOR DUMMIES
TOP POSTS: JAWBREAKER AT RIOT FEST: THE MOMENT I STOPPED HATING POP PUNK
BORN IN THE U.S.H. – UNITED STATES OF HORROR
