I’m only one dude. I essentially have four jobs. I have no idea when I find the time to listen to enough music to come up with 100 favorite tracks. My 2013 playlist contains more than 7 days worth of music. And that doesn’t even count all the stuff I check out on Spotify and dismiss. But even with all that listening, it’s blind, dumb, stupid luck when a certain song catches my fancy. On some occasions, a song is thrust in my face with the force of the 800 lb. mainstream music machine and those songs must endure hundreds of listens. Staying power, m’f’ers. See: Arcade Fire, Daft Punk. Other times I fall instantly in love with a record. The songs grab me immediately. Those are the easy ones. The bands and the songs I control. See: Frightened Rabbit, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Polica. And then there’s that final category. Hearing a song, being in the right frame of mind to accept its advances. You might hear a song a dozen times before it catches you at just the right moment. See: half the songs on this list. For every great song on this list, there are hundreds of equally worthy songs that I just didn’t hear or didn’t hear at the right time in the right place. And to those songs, my apologies. Try harder next time. Everyone else, enjoy the list. Find some new music. Support great artists and music worth listening to and so on and so forth. And keep in mind that the ranking system is just for fun. Any of these songs could movie ten spots in either direction given my mood…

The 30Hz Top 100 Songs of 2013

Bonus: “Blurred Sanford” by DJ Davyjones

Rdio playlist (without Keaton Henson, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Mystikal, Octopus Project, Silverkeys):

100 – 91:

100. “The Hearse” by Wampire, Curiosity
99. “The Mute” by Radical Face, The Family Tree: The Branches
98. “The Lamb in the Garden” by Silverkeys
97. “Perpetual Surrender (Four Tet Remix)” by DIANA, Perpetual Surrender
96. “Broken” by Depeche Mode, Delta Machine
95. “Big Talk” by Teen
94. “Wings” by Haerts, Hemiplegia
93. “Sorrow” by Frankie Rose, Herein Wild

92. “You’re the One for Me” by Great Good Fine OK, You’re the One for Me
91. “Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park

90 – 81:

90. “My Number” by Foals, Holy Fire
89. “Children Should Be Seen and Not Heard” by Woodpigeon, Thumbtacks and Glue
88. “Purple Yellow Red and Blue” by Portugal. The Man, Evil Friends
87. “Mistress” by Ejecta, Dominae
86. “Go Home” by Lucius, Wildewoman
85. “When I Dream” by Ra Ra Riot, Beta Love
84. “10am Gare du Nord” by Keaton Henson, Birthdays

83. “Mirror” by Weekend, Jinx

82. “Smooth Sailing” by Queens Of The Stone Age, …Like Clockwork
81. “Before We Run” by Yo La Tengo, Fade

80 – 71:

80. “Pendulum” by Pure Bathing Culture, Moon Tides
79. “Worsening” by Baths, Obsidian

78. “Dots In Rhyme” by Shellshag, Shellshag Forever
77. “Chain My Name” by Poliça, Shulamith
76. “Elevate” by St. Lucia, When The Night
75. “Hearts Like Ours” by The Naked and Famous, In Rolling Waves
74. “I Should Live in Salt” by The National, Trouble Will Find Me
73. “Sounds Like There’s A Pacman Crunching Away At Your Heart” by Haiku Salut, Tricolore

72. “Natalie” by Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox
71. “A Tattered Line of String” by The Postal Service

70 – 61:

70. “Plain Sailing Weather” by Frank Turner, Tape Deck Heart
69. “Will Calls (Marfa Demo)” by Grizzly Bear, Shields: B-Sides
68. “Hit Me” by Mystikal

67. “My Old Friend” by Sam Amidon, Bright Sunny South
66. “Recollection” by Keep Shelly In Athens, At Home
65. “Stay” (Originally Performed By Rihanna) by Low
64. “Fools Gold” by Fitz & The Tantrums, More Than Just A Dream
63. “My Hands” by Grey Reverend, A Hero’s Lie
62. “Gold Cures” by Eksi Ekso, Archfiend
61. “Advanced Falconry” by Mutual Benefit, Love’s Crushing Diamond

60 – 51:

60. “Avocado, Baby” by Los Campesinos!, No Blues

59. “Aubergine” by Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Ripely Pine

58. “GMF” by John Grant, Pale Green Ghosts
57. “Mirrors” (Radio Edit) by Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
56. “Whitby” by The Octopus Project, Fever Forms

55. “Sounds Like Somewhere” by Lily & Madeleine, Lily & Madeleine
54. “The Dream’s In The Ditch” by Deer Tick, Negativity
53. “Thank You” (Kid Capri Remix) by Busta Rhymes & Q-Tip, The Abstract & The Dragon
52. “Borrowed Time” by Parquet Courts, Light Up Gold

51. “New Summer” by Young Galaxy, Ultramarine

50 – 41:

50. “Wild Country” by Wake Owl, Wild Country – EP

49. “An Hour” by Forest Swords, Engravings
48. “Dust To Dust” by The Civil Wars, The Civil Wars
47. “One Girl / One Boy” by !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Thr!!!er

46. “Recover” by Chvrches, The Bones Of What You Believe
45. “It’s Your Decision” by Cloud Cult, Love
44. “Only A Clown” by Caitlin Rose, The Stand-In
43. “Sea of Love” by The National, Trouble Will Find Me
42. “We Are Explorers” by Cut Copy, Free Your Mind

41. “Heavy Feet” by Local Natives, Hummingbird

40 – 31:

40. “California Analog Dream” by Vondelpark, Seabed
39. “Plastic Panorama” by Postiljonen, Skyer
38. “Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys, AM
37. “Counting” by Autre Ne Veut, Anxiety

36. “Falling” by Haim, Days Are Gone
35. “Even If We Try” by Night Beds, Country Sleep

34. “Swan Dive” by Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt
33. “Sacrilege” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mosquito
32. “Master Hunter” by Laura Marling, Once I Was An Eagle

31. “Diane Young” by Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City

30 – 21:

30. “Doin’ it Right” by Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
29. “Latch” by Disclosure, Settle

28. “Chamakay” by Blood Orange, Cupid Deluxe
27. “Diamond” by Lightning, Dust Fantasy
26. “Strong” by London Grammar, If You Wait
25. “Silhouette” (feat. Ellie Goulding) by Active Child, Rapor – EP
24. “In Two II” by Blue Hawaii, Untogether
23. “Love And War” by Diane Birch, Speak A Little Louder