2016 was the year we lost David Bowie, and so many other legendary entertainers.
But it was also the year I truly discovered Bowie. His death, just days after the release of his final album, Blackstar, prompted me to dive into his catalog and buy more than a dozen of his most-revered albums. I chronicled the process here on the blog.
Last year I officially became a Carly Rae Jepsen fanboy.
It didn’t start out that way. I first mentioned her on the blog back in August of 2012, when ‘Call Me Maybe’ was dominating the charts and she seemed destined to go down as a one-hit wonder. Hell, she might still go down as a one-hit wonder because for some inexplicable reason her subsequent releases haven’t caught on with a mass audience.
In 2016, I learned that a Paul Simon album could leave me cold.
That came as a big shock. On this very blog, I named Simon the greatest-ever songwriter. I’m one of the few people in the world who really digs Songs from the Capeman. I am programmed to not only cut this guy some slack but to pretty much love everything he does.
My appreciation for country music continued in 2016, but I’ve learned that — Brad Paisley aside — it’s isolated to the fairer sex.
Recent new releases by Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe and Brandy Clark have earned time on my playlists while Chris Stapleton is the only country dude to claim that honor.
2016 wasn’t a typical year for me, musically. Any year that sees Donald Trump elected president isn’t a typical year, period, so that’s not surprising.
When I sat down to compile my year-end 2016 best song list, I had trouble coming up with a solid top ten, let alone the 20 or so I usually offer. I didn’t buy as many new albums as usual and I was disappointed in most of the year’s Billboard hits. So rather than half-ass a best-of list I’ve decided to instead write about ten meaningful musical memories from 2016.
Meet Me In Montauk 