The Best Music, TV Shows, and Movies of 2017
What were the best songs, albums, and shows? Here’s my take on dissecting 2017’s media and ranking this year’s best. Hopefully you’ll discover something new.
Albums #
10 - Mutemath - Play Dead
An album which marks a continued evolution of the band’s sound, but might turn out to be their last.
9 - John Mark McMillan - Mercury & Lightning
A slightly unexpected release which authentically connects through McMillan’s own flavor of pop.
8 - The War On Drug - A Deeper Understanding
Rock ’n roll circa 2017
7 - The Lighthouse And The Whaler - Paths
Spunky and raw, The Lighthouse And The Whaler walk a fine line that continues to work beautifully.
6 - Phoenix - Ti Amo
After hearing the first single, I was hoping Phoenix would put out a summer album and they did. It is perfectly breezy.
5 - Haim - Something To Tell You
Nearly every song has incredibly tight hooks which makes them hard not start singing along with.
4 - Maggie Rogers - Now That The Light Is Fading EP
Though only four songs, this EP is full of rhythm and is a unique breed of pop music, while remaining instantly familiar.
3 - The Maine - Lovely Little Lonely
This album sounds hugely influenced by Third Eye Blind, which is to say, full of nostalgia and straight up rock ’n roll.
2 - Andrew Belle - Dive Deep
It always takes me a handful of listens to decide if I like whatever Andrew Belle’s latest album is, or love it. So far, once I’ve given it a chance to wash over my ears, I’ve always love them. The subtle hooks and music is quicksand only pulling you in deeper with each listen.
1 - Khalid - American Teen
New, fresh, and youthful, American Teen is such a great album from start to finish. It encapsulates everything it set out to, without being self aware. This is truly an album that ushers in a new generation of music and artists, lyrically capturing living in a digital world.
Songs (in no particular order) #
- Muna - “I Know A Place”
- Sigrid - Don’t Kill My Vibe / Plot Twist / Strangers
- Dagny - “Love You Like That”
- Fickle Friends - “Hello Hello”
- Leif Vollebekk - “Elegy”
- Carly Rae Jepson - “Cut To The Feeling”
- The Aces - “Baby Who”
- Amber Coffman - “No Coffee”
Notice a pattern?
Interesting, but… (honorable mentions) #
- LANY [I’m a huge fan of LANY’s sound and first 3 EPs, but the band’s first full length left a little to be desired.]
- Charli XCX - “Boys” [This song is really catchy]
- Matt Pond PA - Still Summer [I’ve never been into Matt Pond PA, but this album is a full body dunk into youth and the feeling of a young summer.]
- Brand New - Science Fiction [The band had everything, including a successful comeback and Jesse Lacey screwed everything up. If you can separate the person from the art, you may enjoy this album.]
- Mappe of - A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone [It’s the sound of autumn and relaxation.]
- Wild Cub - Closer [This is a good album that overshoots the mark of progression from the last album to this one.]
- Madi Diaz [Intriguing, but too short.]
- U2 - Songs of Experience [It’s cool to be too cool for U2, but this album is genuinely fun and catchy.]
- Leif Vollebekk - Twin Solitude [So chill]
- Zara Larsson - So Good [Smooth]
- Harry Styles - Self Titled [who knew ¯_(ツ)_/¯]
Soundtracks #
- Master of None
- Baby Driver
- Blade Runner 2049
- Stranger Things S2
Each of these has a distinct sound which shapes the story, beyond the visuals.
Next #
- The Aces
- Fickle Friends
- Sigrid
- Joan
Books #
American Kingpin by Nick Bilton
A fascinating story about cryptocurrency and the dark web–a seemingly stale topic for a book.The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
An easy YA novel read, with a story powerful enough to trip you up.Hit Makers by Derek Thompson
One of the many takeaways from this book is that “viral” doesn’t mean what you think it means, in fact, it doesn’t mean much.
Shows #
Halt and Catch Fire S4 (final season)
Halt And Catch Fire started off slow and on an uneven footing before finding solid ground and perfectly captured the heart of people that love technology and were at the cutting edge of a new industry. There hasn’t been another show or movie I’ve seen which was able to blend tech into a show for everyone and explains the unending passion some people feel for pursuing technological advancement.Stranger Things S2
Season one was unexpected and amazing which brought a LOT of hype for season two. Despite the fear that it wouldn’t live up to expectations, Stranger Things continues to impress and be a love letter to its thriller genre.Master of None S2
Master of None may be the spiritual successor to Seinfeld. There’s a lot of things it succeeds at, including cultural diversity, but my favorite thing about the show may be how it is a thoroughly digital show—from distribution to dialog, everything is authentically millennia, without a hint of pandering.
Movies #
- Baby Driver
- Blade Runner 2049
- Rogue One
Not sure if I didn’t see enough movies or there were just not too many great ones this year. I haven’t seen Ladybird yet, or that might have made it as well.