Voting sure was popular in 2020 ... with record voter turnout in November's election - and with the top 103.1 songs of 2020!
We had to count the votes a few times - but we finally got it ... so without further ado - we present the Top 103.1 Songs of 2020 - as voted by you - the WRNR listeners - oh we also made a playlist for you to accompany your reading
Pretty sure the titleof this one says it all …
The surprise single from Ray was just what we needed this spring … the lyrics Holding me ... holding you ... and together, we'll get through - we always do" would have been beautiful any time ... but are especially gripping in 2020
Rex explained this track's about "being away from home, feeling trapped in an undesirable situation, and finding it difficult to trust people." We trust that we'll be hearing more from ROC in 2021
Here's something you may not know - CAAMP stands for consuming abnormal amounts of Makers and PBR. So is that why you voted for them so much?
The track Dawn comes from the album Broken at the Break of Day, which was preceeeded by the album Wild as the Night ...We're picking up a theme
This time last year, we were still glowing after seeing LA's Cold War Kids at the Ottobar for the RNR Snowball. We couldn't see them live in 2020 - but at least we got some new tunes to add to their imaculate dicography
Belle Mt is the alt-pop project project by London-based songwriter Matt Belmont who explains that “‘Hollow’ is about love, loss, rebirth, and everything in between,”
The Irish singer songerwriter explains this track ultimately just about being comfortable with letting go of the past and moving on and being comfortable with change and moving forward in that sense…
Nada Surf claimed to have rushed through shooting the video for this song - maybe they weren't happy with the outout - since a few days later they announced a contest asking fans to make their own video for the song :)
2020 saw the return of Dylan with a 2 disc record (technically...but one disc is a 17 minute disrotatuion explaining that the assassination of JFK was a watershed moment when innocence and idealism died. But on this track - our favorite story telling song writer dives into the the endless variety of personal relationships
James Bay writes love songs ... we know that - but with 2020's Chew On My Heart - James seems to realllly be in love and wants us all to know about it <3
2020 was coming together for Mt Joy ... they were on tour with the Lumineers ...they had a headling tour in the wings to support their new album ... but then 2020 had to go and 2020 ... but we learned you cannot slow this band down. They pushed on with their tour and we even got to see them play the first drive in show at the fairgrounds in Frederick MD
Declan describe this track as “a brave new anthem for doomed youth” and a song “about young people in the young people in the modern world and how intimidating it can be. How scary it is to see so much and feel as though you’re doing so little.” OK - getting deep there Declan!
Oh Mike Campbell of The Dirty Knowbs - what a heartbreaker 2020 turned out to be for the two of us ... Mike was scheduled to play our St Patrick's Day Private Artist Showcase ... but he fell ill and we were going to postpone - but a few days later COVID decided to postpone all of 2020
Hard to belive a song called Need Your Love is rooted in anger - but according to
Alaina Moore - one half of the husband wife Denver duo Tennis - it is. Apparently she was was letting go of unhealthy relationships at the time of writing this song and had a lot to be angry when the pen hit the paper.
Our friends Moon Taxi released this song early in the pandemic and solicited for fans to submit footage of their 'hometown heroes' to be included in the song's video. Fun fact- some trash collectors from South AA County made it to the video
MIchigander - aka - Jason Singer wrote everything for his latest EP in his bedroom over the course of six months - placing an emphasis on the prominence of solos—in every song—making what he aptly describes as, “big pop songs disguised with guitars.” We dig it !
Baltimore's Future Islands are a music machine. So they weren't going to let the pandemic stop the celebration of the release of their album this fall ... they livestreamed a show - at an empty Ottobar in Baltimore. Fun fact - the band wanted to play the show on the roof of the Howard Street Club - but ultimately the director nixed that idea
Like so many on this list - EOB aka Ed O'Brien of Radiohead - was someone we were really looking forward to seeing live in 2020. He played a handful of shows ahead of the albums release - but never made it to the 930 Club :/ We counting on that raincheck Ed!
Ummm - see the above description ... one of the very few shows PJ was slated to play in 2020 was in Baltimore ... please don't forget us Ed and company!
This jam from the retro roots rockers 12th album begs us to do something a lot of people couldn't this year. But what else were you going to do being safer at home - make sourdough :)
42 years since releasing her debut album - Lucinda is still kicking ass and taking names. She gets political and personal on this bluesy ramble full of nasty guitar stabs and sneer-drawled vocals
82 – Dawes – Who Do You Think You're Talking To
81 – gracie abrhams – friend
80 - jaded hearts club- this love starved heart of mine
79 – white reaper – real long time
78 – cage the elephant – social cues
77 – nicole atkins – domino
76 – mondo cozmo – black cadalac
75 – Kathleen Edwards – hard on everyone
74 – Hamilton leighthauser – here they come
73 – n Rateliff – expecting to lose
72 – the nude party – lonely heather
71 – pete yorn – want to be the one
70 – phoebe bridgers- Kyoto
69 – ray lamontagne – roll me mama, roll me
68 – fleet foxes- can I believe you
67 – Sturgill Simpson – sing along
66 – the heavy hours - don’t walk away
65- Declan Mckenna – be an astronaut
64 - glass animals – your love (Déjà vu)
63- Bahamas – Own Alone
62 – Marcus King – the well
61 – Semisonic – Basement Tapes
60 – the Lumineers- salt and the sea
59 – Michael Kiwanuka- rolling
58 - chris cornell patience
57 – Janelle Monea – turntables
56 – Kurt Vile w. John PRine – How lucky
55- Billie eilish – therefore I am
54- the shins – the great divide
53- shaed no other way
52 – dayglow – can I call you toongit
51 – US Girls – 4 american dollads
50 – mondo cozmo – upside down
49 – Travis – the only thing
48- devon gilfillian- unchained
47 – ray lamontagne- I was born to love you
46 – fionna apple – under the table
45 – bruce springsteen – letter to you
44 – Jason isbell and the 400 unit – be afraid
43- bright eyes- Marianna trench
42 - the rolling stones – living in a ghost town
41 – sylvan esso – ferris wheel
40 - Mt Joy – Strnagers
39 - Bakar – First time
38 - Illiterate light – sometimes love takes so long
37 - citizen cope – scard of heights
36- the killers- my own soul’s warning
35- pretenders – didn’t want to be this lonely
34 - devon gillfillain – the good life
33- tame impala – is it true
32- Travis – a ghost
31- ray lamontagne – strong enough
30- elle king – the let go
29 – cage the elephant – black Madonna
28 - matt costa – slow
27 - HAIM – Steps
26 - Michael Kiwanuka- hero
25 - delta spirit – it ain’t easy
24 - CAAMP – officer of love
23 – MMJ – Feel You
22- the strokes – Bad Decisions
21 - Fionna Apple – Shamekia
20- Semisonic – You are not alone
19 - the head and the heart – honey bee
18 - Noah cyrus w. Leon Bridges – July
17 - The Killers -Caution
16 - Foo Fighters – Shame Shame
15 - Tame impala – lost in yesterday
14 - Nathaniel Rateliff – and its still alright
13 - phoenix – identical
12- matt maeson – hallucinagnics
11 - of monsters and men – visitor
10 - pressing strings – brave
9- Michael Franti – I got you
8 - mumford and sons w major laser – lay your hands on me
7 - EOB – Shangri la
6 - Chris stapleton – cold
5 - Pearl Jam – dance of the clairvoyance
4 - Nathanial Rateliff – time stands
3 - Black pumas - fire
2 - The strokes – the adults are talking
1 - Milky chance and jack johnson – don’t let me down
