Twostepcub's Biggest Hits of 2020: Part Two - #90 - #81...

 

 

It's time for round two of my countdown of the biggest "hit" tunes from my weekly music chart from the past year. You can check out part one by clicking here... 

#90 - "We Back" by Jason Aldean

          from the album 9 (2019)

          Highest rank: #23 (two weeks)

          Weeks on the chart (in 2020): 18

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #62

          Billboard Country Airplay peak: #6

          Songwriters: Tyler Hubbard (Florida Georgia Line), Brad and Brett Warren (Warren Brothers), Jordan Schmidt

Well nine albums in and Jason Aldean finds himself in the top tier of the Nashville scene, albeit being knocked down a peg when the lead single from 9 stalled below the top five on the country chart. Nevertheless the song was a decent rock-country hybrid albeit a little boasty (credit the FGL guy for that probs). Jason has a unique voice that you know exactly who you're listening to when he starts. It's a shame he and his wife are cultists, but I'm trying to detach from that because he's not as bad as the John Rich type wackadoos, and he'll learn soon enough to pipe that conspiracy theory shit down. Jason was on my list last year at #75 with "Girl Like You".

(Click below to see the rest of the post)

#89 - "Feel You" by My Morning Jacket

          from the album The Waterfall II (2020)

          Highest rank: #10 (two weeks)

          Weeks on the chart: 15

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: DNC

          Billboard Adult Album Alternative (Triple-A Rock) peak: #1

          Songwriter: Jim James

 

 Another positive of these harrowing pandemic times comes from this nugget unearthed from the Kentucky rock band's cut songs from their 2015 album, which leader Jim James went through during the quarantine. This dreamy number is definitely the highlight, with its Beatles-esque harmonies mixing with early 70s soft-rock grandeur with a touch of emo to take you away for six minutes like a shortened bath in Calgon. May the days of album rock re-emerge.

#88 - "Cool Again" by Kane Brown

          from the EP Mixtape, Vol. 1 (2020)

          Highest rank: #12 (two weeks)

          Weeks on the chart: 16

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #29

          Billboard Country Airplay peak: #3

          Songwriters: Kane Brown, Lindsay Rimes, Josh Hoge, Matt McGinn

This song did pretty well on country radio despite being a pure pop confection in production. Kane, a YouTube phenom even before his fame, is a natural in front of a camera, and his flow here is solid, without the awkwardness that his counterparts have trying the rap-sing trick. Last year Brown was at #77 with "Good As You", and he'll be popping up here again. I'm NOT even going to bring up the version of this with rapper Nelly except to say avoid it.

#87 - "Lover" by Taylor Swift

          from the album Lover (2019)

          Highest rank: #9 (one week)

          Weeks on the chart (in 2020): 12

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10

          Billboard Adult Top-40 peak: #6

          Songwriter: Taylor Swift

It's hard for me to believe that Taylor Swift was promoting songs from three different albums in 2020's calendar year. This one is the title track from her 2019 pop set, and it's a bit more intimate than the two singles that preceded it (the flashy "Me" which was #60 on my list last year and the righteous "You Need To Calm Down" which came in at #13). The sound of this in hindsight predicts her delve into folksier music on her next two records, though the altered waltz-like rhythm drives her echo-filled vocals into a little dust-devil of emotion. Possibly the song that won't sound dated in five years from the set.

#86 - "You Should Be Sad" by Halsey

          from the album Manic (2020)

          Highest rank: 10 (two weeks)

          Weeks on the chart: 14

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #26

          Billboard Adult Top-40 peak: #16

          Songwriters: Ashley Frangipane (Halsey), Greg Kurstin

I was pretty shocked that Manic got snubbed for the Grammys this year. Halsey showed real growth and depth of talent in this record, not sticking in the same lane, albeit with most of the record an alleged kiss-off to her ex-boyfriend rapper G-Eazy. This one is the culmination of that anger, with some pointed and pointed barbs, and the "I'm glad that I never had a baby with you" going quite for the jugular. All with a country tinge that makes this sound like the dark side of the late Avicii. In 2019 Halsey came in the show position at #3 with "Without You", while her collaboration with Benny Blanco and Khalid, "Eastside", was at #17 for the year.

#85 - "Strong Enough" by Ray Lamontagne

          from the album Monovision (2020)

          Highest rank: #9 (two weeks)

          Weeks on the chart: 15

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: DNC

          Billboard Adult Album Alternative (Triple A Rock) peak: #1

          Songwriter: Ray Lamontagne

The folk-rock singer/songwriter from New Hampshire comes across like the second coming of John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival with this straightforward bluesy rocker that continues the tradition of "traveling" songs. In fact, the rhythm chugs on like a train for most of this joyful ride. A nice respite from the dark times.

#84 - "I Dare You" by Kelly Clarkson

          from the standalone single (2020)

          Highest rank: #15 (four weeks)

          Weeks on the chart: 13

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #86

          Billboard Adult Top-40 peak: #14

          Songwriters: Jesse Shatkin, Jeff Gitelman, Natalie Hemby, Laura Veltz, Ben West

Kelly Clarkson went from being the first American Idol to this year being the top draw in the daytime talk show game, as her down-to-earth personality and no-nonsense attitude was a big contrast to certain others in the field. And her musical taste is put on full display, with her covers becoming a thing to watch. This year, instead of releasing another album, Kelly put out just one song, but done in a half-dozen ways, in different languages including a Spanish one with Eurovision Song Contest singer Blas Canto and a Hebrew version with Maya Bouskilla that topped the chart in Israel. The song is in her self-empowerment wheelhouse, and while it may not have legs in the long run, the assertive love song is definitely worthy of inclusion here. Last year Kelly placed at #40 with "Heat".

#83 - "Sunday Best" by Surfaces

          from the album Where The Light Is (2019)

          Highest rank: #20 (two weeks) 

          Weeks on the chart: 18

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19

          Billboard Adult Top-40 peak: #13

          Songwriters: Forrest Frank, Colin Padalecki

This definitely was my sleeper hit of the year. This Texan indie-pop duo originally put this out at the beginning of 2019, but thanks to that TikTok app became a big hit this year. Unlike most of pop (and especially TikTok memes) the optimistic lyrics of this song are what put me in love with this. 

 

Everyday can be a better day despite the challenge
All you gotta do is leave it better than you found it
It's gonna get difficult to stand but hold your balance
I just say whatever 'cause there is no way around it.

 

Words to live with, and that's just one verse. If this is Forrest and Colin's legacy, they should be proud. 

#82 - "And It's Still Alright" by Nathaniel Rateliff

          from the album And It's Still Alright (2020)

          Highest rank: #10 (two weeks)

          Weeks on the chart: 14

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: DNC

          Billboard Adult Album Alternative (Triple-A Rock) peak: #1

          Songwriter: Nathaniel Rateliff

 

    Blues-rock artist takes a break from the Night Sweats (his band) for this personal intimate album released this year. The title track finds Nate after a divorce and the loss of a friend, and his pleading to himself to face his demons spoke to me this year, as it did to many. A quiet masterpiece. Last year Nathaniel with the Night Sweats were at #97 for the year with "Hey Mama".

 

#81 - "Kinfolks" by Sam Hunt

          from the album Southside (2020)

          Highest rank: #48 (one week)

          Weeks on the chart (in 2020): 27

          Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34

          Billboard Country Airplay peak: #1

          Songwriters: Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers, Josh Osborne

 

  Sam Hunt was one of the most promising new artists in Nashville in the mid-2010s, with five huge country hits (four #1s, one #2) from his debut record Montevallo. But after a new single "Body Like A Back Road" came out and was a pretty big pop and country hit in 2017, Sam sort of lost his way. A stalled followup single and then he sort of disappeared for a couple of years. Then, a month after the release of this song, Hunt was arrested for drunk driving, and then his tour got sidelined from the pandemic. Nevertheless, the "machine" wasn't going to give up on this one, and they pushed this song to the top of the radio chart. Honestly, this is one of those few records on here more because of its longevity than its value, as it didn't rise far above the halfway mark on my list (and even then for just a couple weeks), but stayed tight for over a half a year, outlasting a lot of the competition. It's not horrid, but a bit hokey, but not as hokey as "Body Like A Back Road" which was even more successful. Hunt did redeem himself on his next single which we'll be coming to later. I hope he grounds himself better in the future, though. 

Well that's all for today, I'll be back with a band with a questionable name change, some stranded alt-rockers, and the king of bro country goes drinkin'.