It’s that time of the year for “best of 2018” lists, and since it’s Music Monday, I thought I’d share this “Favorite Songs of 2018” list that Barack Obama put together (and my wife made me aware of).
I have to admit that I am not familiar with a single song on this list, and I’ve only heard of six of the artists on the list.
So rather than just reproduce the list here and be done (that would be the easy way out), I decided to provide a YouTube link to every song on the list so that I could say I heard each song at least once. After listening to each song I have to say I am impressed with the wide range of musical styles that Mr. Obama likes, from rap to country to Australian to African to Spanish. I like rock – I need to broaden my musical horizons.
Here’s the list, in alphabetical order by song title:
Apes**t by The Carters (I did not think I knew the artist until I wet to the video and saw it was Beyonce – I’ve really got to get out more…):
Bad Bad News by Leon Bridges
Could’ve Been by H.E.R. (feat. Bryson Tiller)
Disco Yes by Tom Misch (feat. Poppy Ajudha)
Ekombe by Jupiter & Okwess
Every Time I Hear That Song by Brandi Carlile
Girl Goin’ Nowhere by Ashley McBryde
Historia De Un Amor by Tonina (feat. Javier Limón and Tali Rubinstein)
I Like It by Cardi B (feat. Bad Bunny and J Balvin)
Kevin’s Heart by J. Cole
King For A Day by Anderson East
Love Lies by Khalid & Normani
Make Me Feel by Janelle Monáe
Mary Don’t You Weep (Piano & A Microphone 1983 Version) by Prince
My Own Thing by Chance the Rapper (feat. Joey Purp)
Need a Little Time by Courtney Barnett
Nina Cried Power by Hozier (feat. Mavis Staples)
Nterini by Fatoumata Diawara
One Trick Ponies by Kurt Vile
Turnin’ Me Up by BJ the Chicago Kid
Wait by the River by Lord Huron
Wow Freestyle by Jay Rock (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
And in honor of one of the great jazz singers of all time, who died this year, a classic album: The Great American Songbook by Nancy Wilson. So I needed to put a Nancy Wilson song on here, and while the following tune is not from her Great American Songbook album, I think it’s the perfect song for today:
