Counting Down From 40 to 21.

This time of year, it’s become a bit of a tradition around here for us to not only count down the last few pages on the calendar, but also the best songs to come out of North Texas in the past 12 months. As I think we’ve shown in years past, the results are pretty much always diverse, with a few seemingly out-of-left-field choices in some pretty high-ranking slots. This year, in a countdown that will be unveiled in chunks day by day for the rest of the year, you’ll find some Grammy nominees alongside brand new bands that just started up this year, as well as some high school acts and, well, everything else in between. The one thing they have in common? They all put out fire in 2016.

We’ve got some good news, and we’ve got some more good news.

First, the good news: Below, you’ll find another 20-song chunk of our top 100 local songs of the year countdown, each one better than the next, because that’s how countdowns work. With this latest batch, that makes 80 lit AF songs we’ve bombarded you with in a four-day span.

It’s a ton to take in, we know.

Now, here’s the other good part: Tomorrow, as opposed to 20 new tracks, you’re only getting 10 new ones. Then we’ll take a few days off so as to give you the weekend to really dive heavy into the 90 hits we’ll have revealed up to that point.

Whew.

SEE ALSO:
• The Top 100 Dallas-Area Songs of 2016: 60 to 41.
 The Top 100 Dallas-Area Songs of 2016: 80 to 61.
The Top 100 Dallas-Area Songs of 2016: 100 to 81.
The Top 100 Local Songs of 2015.

But let’s not miss the present whilst looking ahead! No!

As already mentioned, below is a fine crop of tunes indeed, representing some of the area’s best of the best. The fact that there’s everything from alt-country to pop-punk to hip-hop to indie rock and everything in between? Well, that just shows how solid North Texas musicians were all the way across the board this year.

It’s not just one scene killing it right now, folks. Nope. Everybody seemed to be on fire in 2016, and it shows in these 20 tracks. — Cory Graves

40.  The Phantom Sensation — “Firewalkin'”

39. Bowling for Soup — “Don’t Be a Dick”

38. The Misteries — “Love Drugs”

37. Thin Skin — “Trump Is a Pig”

36. Xes — “Troll”

35. Relick — “Offering”

34. Bruce Parker — “Blindside”

33. True Widow — “Theurgist”

32. John Congleton & The Nighty Nite — “Animal Rites”

31. RC & The Gritz — “The Feel”

30. Tiger + Man — “Wondering”

29. NEONNOAH — “Dreaming With the Lights On”

28. Trai Bo — “C U L8R”

27. Lizzie Boredom — “Crunk Punk (So… You’re a Mixologist)”

26. Motorcade — “Recover”

25. Norah Jones — “Flipside”

24. EATQS — “Symmetry”

23. Jesus Chris + The Beetles — “I’m a Bad Person and I’m Going to Hell”

22. Pageantry — “Teenage Crime Wave”

21. Sam Lao — “Gold Link”

 

100. Unlikely Candidates – “Ringer”
99. Hextape – “Candy”
98. FXXXY – “20 Taliband”
97. Ronnie Heart – “Smoovie”
96. Mimisiku – “I Can’t Sleep”
95. Sarah Jaffe – “Did David Feel Like This?”
94. Essay EyE – “Ultra Super Saiyan II”
93. Matt Tedder – “Down the Road”
92. Picnic Lightning – “American Ruin”
91. Joe Savage – “Your Drinkin'”
90. Snarky Puppy – “Tarova”
89. Sur Duda – “Fort Night”
88. KissedKilled – “Come Home With Me”
87. Giant of the Mountain – “Crawl”
86. Saint Clair – “Cookin'”
85. Cut Throat Finches – “Moon Beast”
84. Kino Kimino & Son of Stan – “Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover”
83. Siberian Traps – “New Friend in Town”
82. Tony Ferraro – “The God of Homosexuals”
81. Vanesa Jessie – “Who I Am”
80. Court Hoang — “(I Should Have Done This) A Long Time Ago”
79. Cosmicide — “Everything’s Under Waves”
78. Starbass Laboratories — “Digital Age”
77. Rei Clone — “Ready to Die”
76. Joshua Dylan Balis — “Modern Gospel”
75. Grey Matter — “Scared Man” (feat. Alsace Carcione)
74. Kevin England — “I’m Stuck with this Commercial Rock (Put This Song In Your Business’ Next Commercial!)”
73. Medicine Man — “You Are Safe”
72. 88 Killa — “Boomerang”
71. Ari Roar — “Dove”
70. War Party — “Jellyfish”
69. Danny Diamonds — “Rachel”
68. Fat Pimp –- “Moves to Make” (feat. Lil Ronny MothaF)
67. Maren Morris — “80s Mercedes”
66. Party Static — “Wasted Waster”
65. The Longshots — “Fire Gospel”
64. Drakulas –- “Neon Town”
63. Gensu Dean & Denmark Vessey — “The Meek”
62. Corner Suns — “Borrowed Time”
61. School of Seven Bells — “On My Heart”
60. Oh Boy Prince — “Astronaut”
59. EB Rebel — “Colours”
58. Jacob Metcalf — “Cut Your Ties”
57. Danny Cainco — “I Do”
56. Native Fox — “Heart Will Never Change”
55. Rikki Blu — “All In”
54. Serrandon — “Late Night Meltdowns
53. Becky Middleton — “I’m Still Here”
52. Ish D — “Holding Aces”
51. Power Trip — “Firing Squad”
50. Devy Stonez — “Slow it Down” (feat KissedKilled)
49. Honor System — “Horror Scope”
48. Sad Cops — “Its Eating At Me”
47. Cozy Hawks — “True Pair”
46. Charley Crockett — “Silver Dagger”
45. Takeez — “Stokley Carmichael (feat. Bobby Sessions)”
44. Ishi — “Bring the Thunder”
43. Camp Anawanna — “Cool Shoes”
42. Quaker City Night Hawks — “Mockingbird”
41. Post Malone — “Leave”
40.  The Phantom Sensation — “Firewalkin'”
39. Bowling for Soup — “Don’t Be a Dick”
38. The Misteries — “Love Drugs”
37. Thin Skin — “Trump Is a Pig”
36. Xes — “Troll”
35. Relick — “Offering”
34. Bruce Parker — “Blindside”
33. True Widow — “Theurgist”
32. John Congleton & The Nighty Nite — “Animal Rites”
31. RC & The Gritz — “The Feel”
30. Tiger + Man — “Wondering”
29. NEONNOAH — “Dreaming With the Lights On”
28. Trai Bo — “C U L8R”
27. Lizzie Boredom — “Crunk Punk (So… You’re a Mixologist)”
26. Motorcade — “Recover”
25. Norah Jones — “Flipside”
24. EATQS — “Symmetry”
23. Jesus Chris + The Beetles — “I’m a Bad Person and I’m Going to Hell”
22. Pageantry — “Teenage Crime Wave”
21. Sam Lao — “Gold Link”
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Pageantry cover photo by Bailey Dale.
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