20 Favorite Songs of 2012

I started making a list of favorite albums AND favorite songs of the year but, because there was so much overlap, I just decided to go with favorite songs. Some fun stats: I've had the pleasure of interviewing OR producing interviews with 6 of these 20 artists, and I've seen 10 of them perform live at one point or another -- including Pink, who I saw play all the way back in 2000 during her R&B phase. My honorary album of the year is Garbage's self-titled debut, which I listened to for the first time this year and played on repeat for many months. Should I have been a teenager in 1995, Garbage would've been my favorite band. (Instead, it was Blink 182, for better or for worse.)

Now, on to my favorite songs in 2012, in no particular order...

1. Aimee Mann

“Labrador” from Charmer

2. Islands

“This Is Not A Song” from A Sleep and A Forgetting

3. Tanlines

“Brothers” from Mixed Emotions

4. Sharon Van Etten

“Serpents” from Tramp

5. Frank Ocean

“Pyramids” from Channel Orange

6. First Aid Kit

“Emmylou” from The Lion’s Roar

7. Perfume Genius

“Take Me Home” from Put Your Back N 2 It

8. Killer Mike

Untitled from R.A.P. Music

9. Exitmusic

“The Modern Age” from Exitmusic

10. Amanda Palmer

“The Killing Type” from Theatre is Evil

11. Benjamin Gibbbard

“Bigger Than Love” (ft. Aimee Mann) from Former Lives

12. Burial & Four Tet

“Nova”

13. Rihanna

“Diamonds” from Unapologetic

14. Pink

“Try” from Thanks For Sharing

15. Le1f

“Wut” from Dark York

16. Azealia Banks

“1991” from 1991

18. Jens Lekman

“An Argument with Myself” from An Argument with Myself EP

19. Fiona Apple

“Hot Knife” from The Idler Wheel...

20. Kendrick Lamar

“Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” ft. Lady Gaga