Just a couple of these very delayed year-end lists this weekend. First my favorite Finnish songs of the year and then my favorite international songs of the year. Both will be done very quickly without hardly any writings. Just need to finally get these done, because 2020 tunes have started to drop into the record stores and our hearts. If the ranking with the albums is silly, then it’s downright impossible with songs because there are so many great ones. So this is just 60 songs that I loved during the year by 60 different artists and the numbers have zero relevance. First 40 are in completely random order and then some sort of top 20, which might look different on another day.
There’s a Spotify playlist too. It’s pretty similar to the ongoing list of 2019 favorites, but that will carry on for 2020 and I’ll slowly delete the 2019 stuff from it. This one stays for “history books”. There’s actually 61 on this list, because Tvärtom is not on Spotify. I wanted to make that playlist 60 songs too. Astral Brain is kind of the bonus pick here, because they are half-Finnish and based in Stockholm. So could be on the international list as well. And as usual, I’m just one man and I know I’ve missed a ton of great ones. Probably also just simply forgot a few.
Lehtojärven Hirvenpää – Alaovella (Helmi Levyt)
Eden Prairie – Ana Lucia (independent)
STINAKO – Kun viimein saavuit (Soliti)
Hot Heros & Janne Laurila – Anna vähän siimaa (Soit Se Silti)
Jukka Nissinen – Kirkonpolttaja (Humu Records)
Hermaja – Anna kyynelten tulla (Balladi Jari Aarniolle)
White Jackets – Fumes (Pinetree Music)
Astral Brain – Five Thousand Miles (Astronime Records)
Klasu – Näkymättömiin (Soit Se Silti)
JLaine – Tuuli (Way Beyondo Records)
Pasi Salmi – Talvipäivänseisaus (Way Beyondo Records)
J. Matkala – Laululintu (Lumpeela julkaisut)
Tuomo & Markus – Predator (Grandpop Records)
Mara Balls – Kylmä sää (Stupido Records)
Treemer – The Great Void (Soft Monsters)
Mitä helvettiä nyt taas – Tuu mun luo (Nature Sucks Anyway Records)
Message Field – Hold Time (Soit Se Silti)
M – Jos tulen takaisin (Solina Records)
MeriTuuli – Minä odotan (independent)
Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L – Musta kimppu (Svart Records)
Anne-Mari Kivimäki & Palomylly – Ei hauta tää (Kihtinäjärvi Records)
Kynnet – Tavoittamattomiin (Luova Records)
Litku Klemetti – Sinä tiedät sen (Luova Records)
Tams – En halua nähdä sun lähtevän (independent)
Pykäri (feat Nick Triani) – Pumped Up With Memories (PME Records)
Spring Teeth – Land of Bones (I Call It Blood Detective Records)
Mental Market – Wild Poppies (Money Laundry Records)
The Lieblings – Girl on the Run (Stupido Records)
The New Magnetic North – Letters on the Floor (independent)
Grant Wood Company – Childs, Minnesota (independent)
H.C. Slim – Keep Your Eyes on the Road (Svart Records)
Baby Sweetcorn – Thousand Yard Stare (Way Beyondo Records)
Tomi Nordlund & Syvä Joki – Vuodet (Soit Se Silti)
Knipi – Hölösuu (The Friend Music)
V.Härkönen – Elokuun vaimo (Soit Se Silti)
Veroes – Something Precious (independent)
Hullu Ruusu – Käsipohjaa (Helmi Levyt)
Pintandwefall – Ah-Ah-Ah (Soliti)
Veli – The Director (Evil Veli Recordings)
The Phonies – Good Night New Day (Iso Pinkki, 2019)
Salaliitto – Outoja valoja (Soit se silti)
Everything above was in completely random order. Here’s my favorite 20 in some sort really vague order, which might look different on another day. A song or two might change too, because I had heated arguments with myself about what song to include at least from Ylva Haru, Kielo Kärkkäinen, Räjäyttäjät, Iron Country Sisters and Liila Jokelin albums.
20. Maanvaiva – Rakkauslaulu (57 Records)
19. Antti Autio – Mustaa (Soit Se Silti)
18. Joose Keskitalo – Luistelen kirkasta selkää (Helmi Levyt)
17. Lokit – Pelastusvene (Joteskii Groteskii / Roku / Combat Rock Industry)
16. Arppa – Vartiovuori (Arppa Music)
15. Rock Siltanen – Uskon huuhkajiin (Rokkia ja Sporttia Levyt) (on some level this is #1)
14. Tvärtom – Iltariennot (independent) Not on Spotify, but here’s the music video
13. Räjäyttäjät – Samassa veneessä (Räjä Records / Ektro Records)
12. Maustetytöt – Talvi Talvikin kanssa (Is This Art!)
11. Laura Moisio – Ohi ajettiin (Texicalli Records)
10. Viitasen Piia – Meidän jälkeemme hiljaisuus (Texicalli Records)
9. Liila Jokelin – Kahdeksas ihme (Helmi Levyt)
8. Janne Tapion Sisäinen Avaruus – Kaikki oli paremmin ennen (Lumpeela Julkaisut)
7. Kielo Kärkkäinen – Kukaan ei osaa kertoa (Texicalli Records)
6. Sur-rur – Fleetwood Macin villi välikausi (Joteskii Groteskii / Roku Records)
5. Iron Country Sisters – Leaves (Soit se silti)
4. Hulda Huima – Jalat laahaa tätä maata (Helmi Levyt)
3. Jari Raaste – Ilmalaiva (Fonal Records)
And then the three I loved the most. First we have a smooth earworm and sweet soulshaker from Jari Raaste. A perfect single and a superb concert too at Ilmiö Festival.
2. Ylva Haru – Oikeiden luona (Soit Se Silti)
Next a song from my favourite Finnish album of the year. Ylva Haru created a remarkable album and at least half of the songs could be on this little list. I’ll go with Oikeiden luona, but it could just as well be Tähän hetkeksi jään or Vapaa tuntemaan. I love these three songs more than my words can express.
1. Amuri – Halla (Helmi Levyt)
My favorite Finnish song of the year is the debut single Halla by Amuri. Their second single is pure gold too and equally wonderful. However, this one came first and it was a homerun. I love everything about this one starting from that Asko Raivio homage in the cover art. I hope we get an album full of Amuri barogue pop in 2020. It would be a mighty good reason to keep this blog alive for another year.