10. Chairlift “I Belong in Your Arms”
“I Belong in Your Arms” is an unabashed love song inspired by Chairlift’s current relationships (not with each other) and the simple comfort of intimacy. The ability to incorporate backwards-facing sonic qualities with Caroline Polachek’s honest lyrics takes Chairlift’s sound from gilded retro pop to emotionally deft expressions. The lyrics are simple and strong, a directive that helps the band navigate the naked sentimentality in “I Belong in Your Arms” without becoming saccharine. —David Ruiz
9. Cloud Nothings “No Future/No Past”
Cloud Nothings kicked off the new year with a new, heavier sound. Premiere single “No Future/No Past” introduced us to the band’s recently adopted “no nostalgic bullshit” policy. The song’s premise is simple: Dylan Baldi repeats the lines “Give up / Come to / No hope / We’re through” in a nasal manner as the band marches through the sludge behind him. Nearly four minutes later, the funeral-like procession gives out as Baldi cuttingly shrieks “No future / no past!” The band ensuingly rocks out until the tension becomes too much — and trust me, the song gets there. Happy New Year, indeed. —Andrew Brandt
8. Grimes “Oblivion”
While bands are often criticized for overproduction, when it comes to Grimes (a.k.a. Claire Boucher), this is what makes her songs so compelling. Her use of reverb and electronic effects combined with charming vocals creates pop songs with an edge. “Oblivion” is an entertaining track from start to finish, beginning like a chase scene out of The Terminator with heavy synthesizers that create an immediate sense of panic. What year is this? 1984? 2024? Once you are able to shake the cyborgs, you realize what an accessible track this is. Grimes’ gentle lyrics turn the urgency of the background music into somewhat of an anthem. —Nick Crow
7. Tame Impala “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”
The first time I heard “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”, the latest single from Tame Impala’s Lonerism, I swore I’d heard it a hundred times. Its familiar-feeling melody hides behind a haze of fuzz, and for good reason: Kevin Parker’s warbled words are those of a sad bastard. However, every other element — from the grooving bassline, to the sunshine synths, to the ever-changing drum fills — feels baked in bliss. Riding on one mother of a chorus, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” nabs my vote for the most joyous (dare I say it) pop song of 2012. —Andrew Brandt
6. Daughter “Smother”
Just the third release in their short career, the “Smother” single followed in the footsteps of EPs His Young Heart and The Wild Youth but proved to be the definitive proof that this London-based trio can do no wrong. It displays everything frontwoman Elena Tonra does best: raw heartache, haunting vocals, poetic lyrics, and a dreamlike sound quality that will stay with you long after the song is over. —Rebecca Edwards
5. Kendrick Lamar feat. Jay Rock“Money Trees”
This hazy ode to moneymaking has a touch of summer to it. The lyrics, however, bring the real heat as a compelling window into the allure and heartbreak of making money in Kendrick Lamar’s hometown of Compton, California. The surreal, cyclical beat and his simultaneously laid-back and sharp performance are a testament to his lyrical skills, but “Money Trees” is also a killer collaborative project. The final verse by Jay Rock brings his experience in the projects of L.A. to the anthem, and Anna Wise’s crooning vocals in the hook ties the whole thing into a downright delectable jam. —Riley Beggin
4. Beach House “Myth”
Beach House duo Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have done it again. “Myth” is a dream. Percussion-heavy, it lays down a solid mid-tempo beat that pulls us through with a dramatic flair for the full four minutes. We don’t lose Legrand’s haunting vocals in it all, as we’ve seen on previous Beach House work. It’s stunning to hear so clearly at the forefront. All of this, combined with Scally’s reverb-saturated guitar entwining with the plinking keys, allow the pair their staple ethereal sound. This track gives us everything we already loved about Beach House, and then some. It’s hard not to wonder what’s in store next. —Hillary Sprecher
3. Father John Misty “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings”
Driving down the West Coast in no particular direction with “enough mushrooms to choke a horse” is what J. Tillman did after leaving Fleet Foxes. Father John Misty was born soon after while Tillman settled down in Laurel Canyon. Grim tales of love gone wrong haunt “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” as a concerned Father John lyrically asks for help digging a grave and feels uncertain of so many things. Drums stomp and push this western folk-rock banger, laying foundation for the lyrical worries that defy the album title Fear Fun. Chilling and stern, “Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings” resonates honest mortality. —Alex Wolfe
2. Frank Ocean “Thinkin Bout You”
Unrequited love is such a universal theme in music that it generally gets overlooked. Enter Frank Ocean, who put a beautiful spin on a common subject with the heartbreaking “Thinkin Bout You.” Frank allows his tender vocals to fill the gaps between a minimal backing beat and sparse synths. The genuinely delivered words lack detail yet make this song universally relatable without losing an ounce of sincerity. Interpret Frank’s personal connection to the track in whatever context you like; this is by far the best ballad of the past year, or ten. —Andrew Brandt
1. Japandroids “The House That Heaven Built”
Taking their signature sound and shifting it one uplifting octave higher, Japandroids’ “The House That Heaven Built” was the most life-affirming ear assault of 2012. The track perfectly captures that fleeting feeling of hopeful desperation soaked in spilled beers and swayed along by Japandroids’ unpoetic poetry and chant-inducing “whoa-ohs”. An anthemic band’s most anthemic track, “The House That Heaven Built” is a defiant yelp: not longing for lost youth and love, but directed straight at it. —Andrew Brandt
Edited by Jon Kjarsgaard and Derek Hagen
Ineligible due to inclusion on 2011 list:
Black Light Dinner Party – “Older Together” (No. 20)
Lana Del Rey – “Blue Jeans” (55) and “Video Games” (17)
Friends – “I’m His Girl” (26)
Milo Greene – “1957” (10)
Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks” (18)
Purity Ring – “Lofticries” (15)
Vacationer – “Trip” (37)