The 20 best songs of 2016

[Avatar Photo by Johan Carlen]

As much as 2016 has been a Dumpster fire of a year, the one nice thing is we got some sick tunes out of all the wreckage. We compiled a list of the 20 best tracks we’ve heard this year—hopefully we’ll use them to soundtrack taking back the world in 2017. Here are our favorite songs of 2016, brought to you in partnership with our friends at Full Sail University.

AFI – “WHITE OFFERINGS”

After teasing fans with an array of cryptic messages for a week, AFI revealed not one but two new songs with the announcement of their impending 10th album AFI (The Blood Album). Darker and heavier than anything we’ve heard from the band in recent years, there’s something about “White Offerings” that’s reminiscent of Sing The Sorrow while still sounding fresh and new. —Rabab Al-Sharif

ANDY BLACK – “WE DON’T HAVE TO DANCE”

With lyrics as poignant as Andy Biersack’s gaze, “We Don’t Have To Dance” is the lead single from the Black Veil Brides frontman’s solo debut, The Shadow Side. The track spotlights Biersack’s rich vocals laid on top of an infectiously catchy chorus, creating a result that allays BVB fans while ushering in a new generation of listeners. Defining a new age of rock ’n’ roll, “We Don’t Have To Dance” possesses tastefully poppy elements contrasted with spotless instrumentation that sets up the scene’s “Homecoming King” for an impeccable and cool-as-hell solo career. —Caitlyn Ralph

ARCHITECTS – “GONE WITH THE WIND”

The fifth track off Architects’ latest record, All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us, was immediately praised by the metalcore community upon its release, though at the time few knew exactly what the track was about. As the summer of 2016 saw the tragic loss of Architects’ guitarist and lyricist Tom Searle to cancer at the age of 28, “Gone With The Wind” immediately took on new meaning as the lyrics directly began to reflect Searle’s own internal struggles and acceptance of his approaching end. In what has arguably become the metalcore scene’s Blackstar, fans remember Searle with the beautiful yet haunting lyrics, “Do you ever wonder how deep you can sink into nothing at all?” —Natasha Van Duser

AVATAR – “THE EAGLE HAS LANDED”

“The Eagle Has Landed” is easily one of the catchiest metal songs in 2016. Paired with an intriguing one-take music video, this song is the highlight of Avatar’s concept album Feathers & Flesh. “Ladies and gentlemen/your hero has returned again/Everything is going to be okay!” —Stevie James

BAYSIDE – “MARY”

This piano-and-organ-backed Springsteen-esque vignette of a lost soul is deceptively effortless songwriting, the sort of earworm hook writers search for their entire careers. There’s a lot of resolve in the chorus lyric (“Mary, the world wants to bring you down/But don’t you let ’em”), and Bayside frontman Anthony Raneri’s richly detailed storytelling paints a picture of a New York night as stormy as the title character’s trials. “Mary” isn’t just the best song on Vacancy—it’s possibly the best song Raneri’s ever written. —Evan Lucy

BLINK-182 – “SAN DIEGO”

Unlike Mark Hoppus’ (+44) songs directed toward Tom DeLonge, “San Diego” is more heartbreaking than venomous. On the California standout, Hoppus and guitarist Matt Skiba bid a conflicted farewell to friends lost in the shuffle as life pulled them different ways, with a little nod to the Cure thrown in for good measure. But, as sad as it is to think about the dissolution of Hoppus and DeLonge’s relationship, the bassist’s new musical chemistry with Skiba, as shown on this song, has us super-excited about where the band will go next. —Evan Lucy

BRAND NEW – “I AM A NIGHTMARE”

When you release a total of two songs in a span of seven years they better be good, right? Luckily, Brand New do not disappoint. The track is certainly more upbeat than anything heard on 2009’s Daisy (but when have Brand New ever written anything that sounded like the previous record?) and has a hook that will be stuck in your head for eternity—or at least until they release some more new music. —Rabab Al-Sharif

CAPSIZE – “TEAR ME APART”

Capsize take it back to the early days of post-hardcore/metalcore with “Tear Me Apart” and the record it comes from, A Reintroduction: The Essence Of All That Surrounds Me. Those who grew up worshiping early Underoath and Taking Back Sunday can cling to this single like a lost-and-found teddy bear. “Tear Me Apart” is full of raw emotion and does an excellent job of overlaying the clean and unclean vocals. It truly sounds desperate, which is what you need to sound authentic. —Taylor Markarian

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN – “LIMERENT DEATH”

Whether it’s the comfortable ruts they’ve carved or the limited skill sets of their members, many bands stick around too long, way after their ability to inspire, thrill and captivate has evaporated. When the Dillinger Escape Plan announced their intention to commit metaphorical euthanasia on themselves, they did it when they fucking knew it was time, not critics or fans. And by the sound of “Limerent Death,” the opening track from their final album Dissociation, they’re leaving a cauterizing sear on metal, hardcore, prog, noise rock and electronica. This song only proves how maddeningly relentless they were at the end. The rest of the world’s “heavy bands” need to get down on one knee, accordingly. —Jason Pettigrew

EMAROSA – “HELPLESS”

Emarosa returned this year with 131, and “Helpless” was the single that demonstrated the shift in their sound, from an edgy feel to a more emotional one. Lead singer Bradley Walden sings expressively on this track, and the funky drum pattern is layered with swinging guitars that seem to be a nod to classic pop. Most of all, there’s a catchy chorus, and for that it became their hit. Walden’s voice has caught people’s attention, and the transition has also allowed the band to shine with their groovy patterns. —Nikhail Gogia

FRANK IERO AND THE PATIENCE – “I’M A MESS”

Retiring the band name of the cellabration, Frank Iero transformed his solo image in 2016. Now as Frank Iero And The Patience, the more forthcoming frontman was ready for his second solo release, backed with a solid band and the dynamic songs needed to step out of the My Chemical Romance shadow. The first single from Parachutes, “I’m A Mess,” encapsulates that transformation, with Iero’s painfully passionate vocals translating into an outpouring of honest emotion, all channeled into three minutes of modern punk perfection. —Caitlyn Ralph

HEY VIOLET – “FUQBOI”

Look, we call things “anthems” all the time. There are songs that make you want to stomp your feet and scream the chorus at the top of your lungs—and there are songs that label fuckboys a “growing epidemic” and say we need to “exterminate each and every one of them.” And this track off Hey Violet’s Brand New Moves EP does all of that. Yeah. I know. Grab your best patriarchy-smashing baseball bat and get ready for the grrl revolution. —Mackenzie Hall

JIMMY EAT WORLD – “SURE AND CERTAIN”

There is no other way of putting it: Jimmy Eat World are true professionals. After over 15 years of putting out music, the band can still put out an album worthy of high praise in 2016. Integrity Blues features numerous tracks that could very well have ended up on this list, but “Sure And Certain” captures the essence of Jimmy, past and present, in arguably the best way. Press play on this single and it instantly becomes clear why they have remained so successful for so long. The best thing about this band is that they can always make you feel good without being cheap about it. “Sure And Certain” shows just how genuine they can be. —Taylor Markarian

KORN – “A DIFFERENT WORLD (FEAT. COREY TAYLOR)”

This writer doesn’t even know where to start. This feature has been a long time coming, and boy, did it deliver. This song is dark, extremely heavy and brings back the classic nü-metal style that Korn are so very well known for. In particular, during the riff in which Corey Taylor belts along with the downbeat, you can almost feel the earth shake. This was one of the biggest tracks in all of rock music this year, and its production is massive. —Nikhail Gogia

MACHINE GUN KELLY FT. CAMILA CABELLO – “BAD THINGS”

This track, featuring now-former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello (thanks 2016), is a perfect blend of pop head-bopping and our scene’s grittier side. Check out the official video for loads of hugging. (No, seriously.) —Mackenzie Hall

PIERCE THE VEIL – “CIRCLES”

If Misadventures proved anything, it’s that Pierce The Veil have found a way to both maintain and refine their sound for their fourth record, and nothing better embodies that than “Circles.” The track blends everything we love about the band with robust vocals, intricate strings and a powerful rhythm that gives the track a pop-punk-esque pacing. It’s an anthem that’s undeniably addictive and speaks to Vic Fuentes’ songwriting strength, proving that Misadventures lived up to any and every expectation. —Maggie Dickman

PANIC! AT THE DISCO – “IMPOSSIBLE YEAR”

Panic! At the Disco’s Brendon Urie has a seventh-degree black belt in showing us a good time, laughing along with us and then showing us the Instagram shots of our idiocy the following morning. But it’s the epic “Impossible Year” that takes the award for the Saddest Song Of 2016, as Urie belts out the doomed failures of a relationship for whatever reasons (“There’s never air to breathe/there’s never inbetweens/these nightmares always hang on past the dreams”), bookended by majestic horn sections and ominous textured electronics. Who would’ve ever thought that the funniest, coolest guy in the room could make us ache so devastatingly? —Jason Pettigrew

TWENTY ONE PILOTS – “HEATHENS”

Real talk: Twenty One Pilots’ contribution to Suicide Squad: The Album was the primary reason the disc was the only soundtrack to achieve Platinum sales status this year. To the duo’s credit, “Heathens” didn’t stray from their patented mix of dark ruminations submerged in compelling ear candy. Tyler Joseph’s lilting flow conveys the persona of a criminal psychopath who’s been defeated, broken and remorseful, but has a few more drops of crazy left in him. That subtlety might get lost in the smooth grooves, which makes the song even creepier. Which is fine: It’s not like Timberlake could ever pull it off. —Jason Pettigrew

WATSKY FEAT. MAL DEVISA – “MIDNIGHT HEART”

This piano-infused banger is full of attitude, proving it’s best to stay on Watsky’s good side. The rapper/poet/author extraordinaire hits his typical rapid-fire pace throughout, making his tongue-in-cheek lyrics sting just a little bit more. The collaborative track also features a mix of sultry vocals and punk-like shouts from Mal Devisa and drums by Twenty One Pilots’ Josh Dun (whose image also appears as an Easter egg in the video). —Rachel Campbell

YEARS & YEARS – “METEORITE”

Electropop wonderkids Years & Years made everyone listen in 2015 when they dropped their debut, Communion. Now, we finally have new music—albeit through the Bridget Jones’ Diary soundtrack. See what the U.K. is (almost literally) raving about. —Mackenzie Hall