It’s safe to say none of us will be nostalgic for the first six months of 2017. Rarely has the national and global situation felt so unpredictable—but great music still comforts, empowers, distracts, and pleasures us, whatever the circumstances. Below, explore 50 of SPIN’s favorite songs of the year to date: Paramore’s big pop moment, Sampha’s balladeering, Hurray For the Riff Raff’s poignant commentary, Kendrick Lamar with some of his best, Carly Rae Jepsen’s unbridled joy, and Julie Byrne’s haunting studio moments. The songs that have brought us together this year spanned ebullient, escapist pop music, pointed rap about despair, rock music that dreams of Italy, and much more. Some of these songs were written to address the present moment and others were finished much earlier, but in our accelerated new reality they’ve all already demonstrated their lasting relevance. These are the 50 Best Songs of 2017 So Far.
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244029″ title=”” index=”” image_id=”244031″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244034″ title=”49. Arcade Fire – "Everything Now"” index=”” image_id=”244036″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244006″ title=”” index=”” image_id=”244008″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244023″ title=”47. Palm – "Walkie Talkie"” index=”” image_id=”244024″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244016″ title=”46. Actress – "CYN"” index=”” image_id=”244018″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244009″ title=”45. French Montana – Unforgettable” index=”” image_id=””]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244014″ title=”44. Sylvan Esso – "Die Young"” index=”” image_id=”244015″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244020″ title=”43. SOB x RBE, "Lane Changing"” index=”” image_id=”244021″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244025″ title=”42. Geotic – "Actually Smiling"” index=”” image_id=”244028″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244011″ title=”41. The War on Drugs – "Thinking of a Place"” index=”” image_id=”244013″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243998″ title=”40. Tee Grizzley – "From the D to the A" ft. Lil Yachty” index=”” image_id=”244000″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244004″ title=”39. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee – "Despacito" (Remix) ft. Justin Bieber” index=”” image_id=”244005″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243996″ title=”38. Japanese Breakfast – "Machinist"” index=”” image_id=”243997″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243993″ title=”37. Father John Misty – "Ballad of the Dying Man"” index=”” image_id=”243995″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”244037″ title=”36. SahBabii – "Pull Up Wit Ah Stick" ft. Loso Loaded” index=”” image_id=”244039″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243991″ title=”35. Wilder Maker – "New Streets"” index=”” image_id=”243992″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243987″ title=”34. The xx – "Say Something Loving"” index=”” image_id=”243988″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243989″ title=”33. Downtown Boys – "A Wall"” index=”” image_id=”243990″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243985″ title=”32. Selena Gomez – "Bad Liar"” index=”” image_id=”243986″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243983″ title=”31. Sampha – "(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano"” index=”” image_id=”243984″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243977″ title=”30. Arca – "Desafío"” index=”” image_id=”243978″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243975″ title=”29. Pissed Jeans – "The Bar is Low"” index=”” image_id=”243976″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243979″ title=”28. Amber Coffman – "No Coffee"” index=”” image_id=”243980″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243973″ title=”27. Paramore – "Forgiveness"” index=”” image_id=”243974″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243971″ title=”26. Mark Eitzel – "The Last Ten Years"” index=”” image_id=”243972″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243969″ title=”25. Pile – "Leaning on a Wheel"” index=”” image_id=”243970″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243964″ title=”24. Spoon – "Do I Have To Talk You Into It"” index=”” image_id=”243966″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243981″ title=”23. Playboi Carti, "Magnolia"” index=”” image_id=”243982″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243967″ title=”22. Jacques Greene – "To Say"” index=”” image_id=”243968″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243962″ title=”21. Real Estate – "Darling"” index=”” image_id=”243963″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243959″ title=”20. Hurray for the Riff Raff – "Living in the City"” index=”” image_id=”243960″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243956″ title=”19. Priests – "Suck"” index=”” image_id=”243958″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243954″ title=”18. Jlin – "Nyakinyua Rise"” index=”” image_id=”243955″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243952″ title=”17. Kodak Black – "Tunnel Vision"” index=”” image_id=”243953″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243948″ title=”16. Drake – "Passionfruit"” index=”” image_id=”243949″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243950″ title=”15. Grizzly Bear – "Mourning Sound"” index=”” image_id=”243951″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”245015″ title=”14. Frank Ocean – "Chanel"” index=”” image_id=”245016″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243946″ title=”13. Kendrick Lamar – "ELEMENT."” index=”” image_id=”243947″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243944″ title=”12. Lorde – "Green Light"” index=”” image_id=”243945″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243942″ title=”11. Phoenix – "J-Boy"” index=”” image_id=”243943″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243940″ title=”10. Future – "Mask Off"” index=”” image_id=”243941″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243938″ title=”9. Julie Byrne, "Sleepwalker"” index=”” image_id=”243939″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243936″ title=”8. Migos – "T-Shirt"” index=”” image_id=”243937″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243934″ title=”7. Mac DeMarco – "My Old Man"” index=”” image_id=”243935″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243932″ title=”6. Lana Del Rey – "Love"” index=”” image_id=”243933″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243930″ title=”5. Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean & Migos – "Slide"” index=”” image_id=”243931″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243928″ title=”4. Paramore – "Hard Times"” index=”” image_id=”243929″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243926″ title=”3. Lil Uzi Vert – "XO TOUR Llif3"” index=”” image_id=”243927″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243924″ title=”2. Kendrick Lamar – "DNA."” index=”” image_id=”243925″]
[featuredStoryItemBlock tile_id=”243921″ title=”1. Carly Rae Jepsen – "Cut to the Feeling"” index=”” image_id=”243923″]
