Dave’s Faves: Songs of the Year

Dave’s Faves: Songs of the Year, 1900-2024

These are my personal favorite songs for each year from 1900 to present. Click here to see other Dave’s Faves song lists. 2024: Shaboozey “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” 2023: John Mellencamp “The Eyes of Portland” 2022: Lyle Lovett “12th of June” 2021: John Mellencamp with Bruce Springsteen “Wasted Days” 2020: Fish “This Party’s Over” 2019: Sheryl Crow with Johnny Cash “Redemption Day” 2018: Lady Gaga with Bradley Cooper “Shallow” 2017: Keala Settle with the Greatest Show Ensemble “This Is Me” 2016: Sturgill Simpson “In Bloom” 2015: Michael Franti & Spearhead with Sonna Rele “Once a Day” 2014: The War on Drugs “Under the Pressure” 2013: Charles Bradley “Changes” 2012: Willie Nelson with Lukas Nelson “Just Breathe” 2011: Gotye with Kimbra “Somebody That I Used to Know” 2010: Michael Franti & Spearhead “The Sound of Sunshine” 2009: Pearl Jam “Just Breathe” 2008: John Mellencamp “If I Die Sudden” 2007: Crowded House “Silent House” 2006: Dresden Dolls “Sing” 2005: Sandi Thom “I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker with Flowers in My Hair” 2004: Beck “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime” 2003: Michael Franti & Spearhead “Everyone Deserves Music” 2002: Michael Andrews & Gary Jules “Mad World” 2001: Alan Jackson “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” 2000: Eminem with Dido “Stan” 1999: Bruce Springsteen “American Skin (41 Shots)” 1998: Lyle Lovett “Step Inside This House” 1997: Marillion “Estonia” 1996: K’s Choice “Not an Addict” 1995: Melissa Etheridge with Bruce Springsteen “Thunder Road (live)” 1994: Frente! “Bizarre Love Triangle” 1993: Israel Kamakawiwo’ole “Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” 1992: Shawn Colvin “I Don’t Know Why” 1991: Tori Amos “Me and a Gun” 1990: Toy Matinee “There Was a Little Boy” 1989: Indigo Girls “Closer to Fine” 1988: Kate Bush “This Woman’s Work” 1987: R.E.M. “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” 1986: David + David “Welcome to the Boomtown” 1985: Marillion “Kayleigh” 1984: U2 “Bad” 1983: Marillion “Script for a Jester’s Tear” 1982: The Alan Parsons Project “Old and Wise” 1981: Squeeze “Tempted” 1980: Peter Gabriel “Biko” 1979: The Police “Message in a Bottle” 1978: Styx “Renegade” 1977: Styx “Come Sail Away” 1976: Eagles “Hotel California” 1975: Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” 1974: Harry Chapin “Cat’s in the Cradle” 1973: Eagles “Desperado” 1972: Lou Reed “Walk on the Wild Side” 1971: Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” 1970: Derek & the Dominos “Layla” 1969: The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” 1968: Otis Redding “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” 1967: The Beatles “A Day in the Life” 1966: Four Tops “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” 1965: The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” 1964: Sam Cooke A Change Is Gonna Come 1963: The Beatles “I Want to Hold Your Hand” 1962: The Contours “Do You Love Me” 1961: Ben E. King “Stand by Me” 1960: Chubby Checker “The Twist” 1959: Wilbert Harrison “Kansas City” 1958: Harry Simeone Chorale “The Little Drummer Boy” 1957: Buddy Holly & the Crickets “That’ll Be the Day” 1956: Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” 1955: Little Richard “Tutti Frutti” 1954: Bill Haley & His Comets “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” 1953: Hank Williams “Your Cheatin’ Heart” 1952: Gene Kelly “Singin’ in the Rain” 1951: Bing Crosby “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” 1950: Nat “King” Cole “Mona Lisa” 1949: Gene Autry & the Pinafores “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” 1948: Art Mooney “I’m Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover” 1947: Hank Williams “Move It on Over” 1946: Nat “King” Cole “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” 1945: Vaughn Monroe “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” 1944: Woody Guthrie “This Land Is Your Land” 1943: Bing Crosby & the Andrews Sisters “Jingle Bells” 1942: Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers & the John Scott Trotter Orchestra “White Christmas” 1941: Glenn Miller with Tex Beneke & the Four Modernaires “Chattanooga Choo Choo” 1940: Cliff Edwards “When You Wish Upon a Star” 1939: Billie Holiday “Strange Fruit” 1938: Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb & His Orchestra “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” 1937: Seven Dwarfs “Whistle While You Work” 1936: Robert Johnson “Cross Road Blues (aka ‘Crossroads’)” 1935: Bing Crosby “Silent Night” 1934: Guy Lombardo “Winter Wonderland” 1933: Ethel Waters “Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All the Time)” 1932: Fred Astaire “Night and Day” 1931: Rudy Vallee “As Time Goes By” 1930: Ben Selvin “Happy Days Are Here Again” 1929: Nick Lucas “Tip Toe Through the Tulips” 1928: Helen Kane “I Wanna Be Loved by You” 1927: Gene Austin “My Blue Heaven” 1926: Gene Austin “Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue” 1925: Louise Homer “America the Beautiful” 1924: Isham Jones “It Had to Be You” 1923: Isham Jones “Who’s Sorry Now” 1922: Ben Selvin “Chicago (That Toddlin’ Town)” 1921: Marion Harris “I Ain’t Got Nobody” 1920: Al Jolson “Swanee” 1919: Orpheus Quartet “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” (as “Bring Back My Bonnie to Me”) 1918: Ernestine Schumann-Heink “Danny Boy” 1917: American Quartet “Over There” 1916: Prince’s Orchestra “The Star Spangled Banner” 1915: John McCormack “It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary” 1914: Arthur Collins & Bryon G. Harlan “The Aba Daba Honeymoon” 1913: Walter Van Brunt “And the Green Grass Grew All Around” 1912: American Quartet “Moonlight Bay” 1911: Arthur Clough & the Brunswick Quartet “Down by the Old Mill Stream” 1910: Billy Murray with the Haydn Quartet “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” 1909: Arthur Pryor’s Band “1812 Overture” 1908: Billy Murray with the Haydn Quartet “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” 1907: Frank Stanley “Auld Lang Syne” 1906: Billy Murray “You’re a Grand Old Flag (aka “The Grand Old Rag”)” 1905: Billy Murray “Yankee Doodle Boy” 1904: Billy Murray “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis” 1903: Haydn Quartet “In the Good Old Summertime” 1902: Arthur Collins “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home” 1901: Harry MacDonough & Grace Spencer “Tell Me, Pretty Maiden” 1900: Vess Ossman “The Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)” Resources and Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Song Lists” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Albums/Works” Dave’s Music Database: “Dave’s Faves: Top 100 Acts” Dave’s Music Database: Other Best-of Song Lists Last updated 1/1/2025.