Fluxblog
December 14th, 2017 6:56pm

2017 Survey Mix


I’ve been making year-end survey mixes since the beginning of this decade, and this is the first intended to be a document of what happened in music in the year as opposed to being about my subjective experience. This came out of two things – most obviously, the fact that I’ve spent the past year trying to do the 90s surveys as a sort of historical document, and the realization that the only way to make sense of music in 2017 is to zoom waaaay out.

Music culture has been atomizing for years, but that is rather extreme now. Algorithms and varying platforms have created a strange new world in which there are many large cultural bubbles that barely interact. Things can be massively popular and yet unknown to most people. Entire ecosystems of new artists are all but restricted to specific platforms – Soundcloud, Bandcamp, YouTube. What remains of music media is increasingly squeezed into focusing on news items and covering well-known artists who drive some pittance of traffic, and year-end coverage is mostly a way of asserting brand identity. So this mix, which clocks in at over 27 hours of music, is an attempt to represent what has been going on across all major genres and provide some sort of map for anyone who understandably feels overwhelmed and lost. I don’t think this approach has ever been more necessary, and I hope you find a lot of new things to enjoy that you might not have come across otherwise.

The survey is available as a set of downloads below, and as playlists on Apple Music and Spotify. Both playlists are missing a handful of songs not available in streaming.

DOWNLOAD PART 1

Casey Dienel “High Times” / Poppy “My Style” / Selena Gomez “Bad Liar” / FKJ “Joy” / Fever Ray “To the Moon and Back” / Lil Uzi Vert “XO Tour Llif3” / Kendrick Lamar “Love” / Drake “Passionfruit” / Future feat. Kendrick Lamar “Mask Off (Remix)” / 2 Chainz feat. Ty Dolla $ign, Trey Songz & Jhené Aiko “It’s A Vibe” / Gorillaz feat. De La Soul “Momentz” / Red Velvet “빨간 맛 (Red Flavor)” / St. Vincent “Masseduction” / The New Pornographers “Darling Shade” / Rainer Maria “Lower Worlds” / Wolf Alice “Yuk Foo” / Spoon “Do I Have To Talk You Into It?” / Lorde “Green Light” / Seventeen “Change Up” / Jessie Ware “Midnight” / King Krule “Czech One” / Taylor Swift “New Year’s Day” / Stella Donnelly “Mean to Me” / Hercules and Love Affair feat. Sharon Van Etten “Omnion” / Jay-Z “The Story of OJ” / Yo Gotti feat. Nicki Minaj “Rake It Up” / SZA “Drew Barrymore” / Kelela “Waitin'” / Kodak Black “Tunnel Vision” / Lana Del Rey “Love” / Harry Styles “Sign of the Times” / Father John Misty “Pure Comedy” / Matthew Dear “Modafinil Blues” / Jay Som “1 Billion Dogs” / No Joy “Hellhole” / The Heliocentrics “The Silverback” / 21 Savage “Bank Account” / Cardi B “Bodak Yellow” / Rae Sremmurd “Perplexing Pegasus” / Shawn Wasabi feat. Hollis “Otter Pop” / Salami Rose Joe Louis “Cyanotype of Blue” / Karriem Riggins “Bahia Dreamin'” / Matt Martians “Alotta Women/Useless” / Everything Is Recorded feat. Sampha “Close But Not Quite” / Frank Ocean “Chanel” / Maggie Rogers “On + Off” / Mount Kimbie feat. King Krule “Blue Train Lines”

DOWNLOAD PART 2

Japandroids “Arc of Bar” / Goldfrapp “Systemagic” / LCD Soundsystem “Tonite” / Actress “X22RME” / Run the Jewels “Call Ticketron” / Zack Villere “Cool” / Tyler, the Creator “Foreword” / Vince Staples feat. Kendrick Lamar “Yeah Right” / Destroyer “In the Morning” / Sudan Archives “Come Meh Way” / Charli XCX “Boys” / DJ Khaled feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne “I’m the One” / Tay-K “The Race” / Playboi Carti “Magnolia” / Demi Lovato “Daddy Issues” / Calvin Harris feat. Frank Ocean and Migos “Slide” / Nosaj Thing “U G” / Fleet Foxes “Mearcstapa” / Real Estate “After the Moon” / Faye Webster “She Won’t Go Away” / Anna Wise “Coconuts” / Cassandra Jenkins “Candy Crane” / Soccer Mommy “Benadryl Dreams” / Omni “Equestrian” / Magic Potion “Rest Yr Skull” / Miss World “Click and Yr Mine” / Quelle Chris “Buddies” / Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire feat. Meyhem Lauren “Bebop and Rocksteady” / A$AP Mob feat. Joey Bada$$, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, Meechy Darko & Zombie Juice “What Happens” / Blackpink “As If It’s Your Last” / EXO “Ko Ko Bop” / Werewolf Diskdrive “Hamburgers & Hot Dogs” / Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber “Despacito” / Little Big Town “Better Man” / The Weather Station “Thirty” / Jason Isbell “If We Were Vampires” / Portugal. The Man “Feel It Still” / Beck “I’m So Free” / Migos feat. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B “Motor Sport” / Creek Boyz “With My Team” / Keshi “Goes to Waste” / Uffe “Love Is Everywhere” / Vijay Iyer Sextet “Nope” / Sophie “It’s Okay to Cry” / Julien Baker “Turn Out the Lights” / Ratboys “Cry About the Planets” / Hamilton Leithauser & Angel Olsen “Heartstruck (Wild Hunger)”

DOWNLOAD PART 3

Four Tet “Planet” / Lady Gaga “The Cure” / Twice “Likey” / Paramore “Hard Times” / Cosmo Pyke “Chronic Sunshine” / Charlie Puth “Attention” / Ed Sheeran “Shape of You” / Camila Cabello feat. Young Thug “Havana” / J. Balvin feat. Willy William “Mi Gente” / Jlin “Enigma” / Yaeji “Raingurl” / Nolanberollin feat. Warhol.Ss “Crystal” / SahBabii “Only Knew 1 Way” / Lil Peep “Better Off (Dying)” / Logic feat. Alessia Cara and Khalid “1-800-273-8255” / Godspeed You Black Emperor “Bosses Hang, Pt. II” / Code Orange “Bleeding in the Blur” / Thomas Rhett feat. Maren Morris “Craving You” / Lanco “Greatest Love Story” / The Clientele “The Neighbor” / Boy Pablo “Everytime” / Mac DeMarco “On the Level” / Future Islands “Ran” / Amber Mark “Lose My Cool” / JMSN “Drinkin'” / Chicano Batman “Friendship (Is A Small Boat In A Storm)” / Jonathan Bree feat. Clara Viñals “Say You Love Me Too” / Ibeyi feat. Kamasi Washington “Deathless” / Brockhampton “Junky” / Kehlani “Undercover” / Chief Keef “Ticket” / Cupcakke “Cartoons” / Fifth Harmony “He Like That” / Pink feat. Eminem “Revenge” / GOT7 “Never Ever” / Smokepurpp “To the Moon” / Sampha “Timmy’s Prayer” / Syd “Shake Em Off” / Cigarettes After Sex “Apocalypse” / The xx “Say Something Loving” / The Steoples “From the Other Side” / Nick Hakim “Bet She Looks Like You” / Patience “White Of An Eye” / Phoenix “J-Boy” / Why Don’t We “These Girls” / BTS “Not Today” / Post Malone feat. 21 Savage “Rockstar” / Sleigh Bells “And Saints” / IU feat. G-Dragon “팔레트 Palette”

DOWNLOAD PART 4

DJDS feat. Amber Mark and Marco McKinnis “Trees On Fire” / Car Seat Headrest “War Is Coming (If You Want It)” / Living “Glory” / The Shins “Name for You” / Delicate Steve “Nightlife” / Vixx “Shangri-La” / XXXTENTACION feat. Trippie Redd “Fuck Love” / Halsey “Bad At Love” / Khalid feat. Rae Sremmurd and Lil Yachty “Young Dumb & Broke (Remix)” / J.I.D feat. Mereba “All Bad” / Lil Yachty feat. Evander Griim “X Men” / Big Sean & Metro Boomin feat. 21 Savage “Pull Up N Wreck” / Julia Michaels “Issues” / Alvvays “Dreams Tonite” / Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble “Love Captive” / The National “Turtleneck” / Marika Hackman “Boyfriend” / Kesha “Let ‘Em Talk” / Niall Horan “Slow Hands” / Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color” / Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso feat. Florida Georgia Line and Watt “Let Me Go” / Kygo feat. Selena Gomez “It Ain’t Me” / Odesza feat. Wynne and Mansionair “Line of Sight” / Oxbow “Cold and Well-Lit Place” / The Mynabirds “Golden Age” / Roger Waters “Deja-Vu” / Sam Smith “Too Good at Goodbyes” / Lake Ruth “Empty Morning” / Steve Lacy “Dark Red” / Moses Sumney “Doomed” / GoldLink feat. Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy “Crew” / Octo Octa “No More Pain (Promises To A Younger Self)” / Band Practice “I Want You” / Sales “Talk A Lot” / The Orielles “I Only Bought It For the Bottle” / This Is the Kit “Moonshine Freeze” / Zedd feat. Alessia Cara “Stay” / Wiki “Pretty Bull” / Bbymutha “Rules” / Wanna One “에너제틱 (Energetic)” / Thundercat feat. Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins “Show You the Way” / Kamasi Washington “Integrity” / TOKiMONSTA feat. Selah Sue “I Wish I Could” / Yves Tumor “Limerence” / Circle “Sick Child” / Royal Thunder “April Showers” / Converge “I Can Tell You About Pain” / Boat Show “Cis White Boy” / Liars “Cred Woes” / Nine Inch Nails “The Background World”

DOWNLOAD PART 5

Ted Leo “Moon Out of Phase” / Melkbelly “Kid Kreative” / Oh Sees “Jettison” / Nilüfer Yanya “Baby Luv” / Big Thief “Haley” / William Patrick Corgan “Processional” / Laura Marling “Nothing Not Nearly” / Bedouine “One of These Days” / Julie Byrne “Natural Blue” / Knife in the Water “Sex Change” / Margo Price “Paper Cowboy” / Chris Young feat. Vince Gill “Sober Saturday Night” / Dustin Lynch “Small Town Boy” / Haim “Little of Your Love” / Annie Hart “Hard to Be Still” / Hanni El Khatib “Gonna Die Alone” / Francis and the Lights feat. Chance the Rapper “May I Have This Dance (Remix)” / Monsta X “Dramarama” / Kamaiyah “Build You Up” / Gus Dapperton “I’m Just Snacking” / Childish Gambino “Redbone” / Bruno Mars “That’s What I Like” Sam Hunt “Body Like A Back Road” / Buddy & Kaytranada “Find Me” / Smino feat. T-Pain “Anita” / Young Thug & Carnage “Liger” / The Black Madonna “He Is the Voice I Hear” / Rhye “Please” / Monster Rally & Rumtum “Raindrops” / Chloe feat. Ben Shemie “Recall” / The Chainsmokers feat. Coldplay “Something Just Like This” / Marshmello feat. Khalid “Silence” / Becky G feat. Bad Bunny “Mayores” / Rico Nasty “Block List” / Girls Generation “All Night” / Carly Rae Jepsen “Cut to the Feeling” / Lil Pump “Gucci Gang” / A$AP Ferg “Plain Jane” / Cornelius “If You’re Here” / Fog Lake “Medicine Road” / Chavez “Blank in the Blaze” / Priests “JJ” / Chastity Belt “Caught In A Lie” / Filthy Friends “Invitation” / Perfume Genius “Just Like Love” / The Magnetic Fields “’66: Wonder Where I’m From” / Thanks for Coming “Zoning Out” / Sam Gendel “Less But Better” / Arca “Desafio” / Jorja Smith & Preditah “On My Mind” / Molly Brazy “Trust None” / A Boogie wit da Hoodie feat. Kodak Black “Drowning”

DOWNLOAD PART 6

Game Theory “An Overview of Item Response Theory” / Rostam “Bike Dream” / Yumi Zouma “December” / Men I Trust “Tailwhip” / Dua Lipa “New Rules” / CNCO “Reggaeton Lento (Bailemos)” / NCT 127 “無限的我 (무한적아; Limitless)” / Bad Bunny “Soy Peor” / Amber Coffman “No Coffee” / Curtis Harding “On & On” / Belle & Sebastian “Sweet Dew Lee” / Grizzly Bear “Neighbors” / Joey Bada$$ “Land of the Free” / Eminem feat. Beyoncé “Walk On Water” / Bobo Swae feat. Rae Sremmurd “Rowdy” / French Montana feat. Swae Lee “Unforgettable” / Fall Out Boy “Young and Menace” / Weezer “Happy Hour” / Honey Dijon feat. Shaun J. Wright and Alinka “808 State of Mind” / Lapalux “Data Demon” / Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah feat. Sarah Elizabeth Charles “Phases” / Zayn feat. Sia “Dusk Till Dawn” / Liam Gallagher “Wall of Glass” / Noel Gallagher “She Taught Me How to Fly” / U2 “American Soul” / Imagine Dragons “Thunder” / Bryson Tiller “Run Me Dry” / Winner “Really Really” / Sylvan Esso “Die Young” / Suzi Wu “Teenage Witch” / Downtown Boys “A Wall” / Brand New “Can’t Get It Out” / Mastodon “Show Yourself” / Electric Six “Sex with Somebody” / Alexander F “Soft Coffins” / Spiral Stairs “Emoshuns” / The Academic “Bear Claw” / Jitwam “Alone” / Maliibu Miitch “4AM” / Tricky feat. Martina Topley-Bird “When We Die” / Gucci Mane feat. Migos “I Get the Bag” / Lil Wop feat. Gucci Mane “Paid In Full” / Vic Mensa feat. Pusha-T “OMG” / Oneohtrix Point Never feat. Iggy Pop “The Pure and the Damned” / Mount Eerie “Real Death” / Babaganouj “Hoping That It’s You” / PWR BTTM “Now Now” / Morrissey “I Wish You Lonely” / Slowdive “Sugar for the Pill”

DOWNLOAD PART 7

Björk “Arisen My Senses” / Youngboy Never Broke Again “No Smoke” / Warhol.SS “Same Shit” / Asian Doll “Real Bitch Anthem” / J Hus “Did You See” / Freddie Gibbs “Crushed Glass” / Young Nudy feat. Lil Yachty “No Clue” / Jaden Smith feat. A$AP Rocky “Breakfast” / Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line “Meant to Be” / Brett Young “In Case You Didn’t Know” / Blake Shelton “I’ll Name the Dogs” / Hiss Golden Messenger “Domino (Time Will Tell)” / Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile “Let It Go” / Jon Pardi “Dirt on My Boots” / Kane Brown “What Ifs” / The War On Drugs “Holding On” / Squeeze “Rough Ride” / Sabrina Claudio “Runnin’ Through Lovers” / Liam Payne feat. Quavo “Strip That Down” / DeJ Loaf “Changes” / G Herbo “Red Snow” / Ayo & Two “Rolex” / Bhad Bhabie “Hi Bich” / Big Shaq “Man’s Not Hot” / Bonnie McKee “Thorns” / A.G. Cook “Money On A Gold Plate” / Escape-Ism “Lonely At the Top” / Guided by Voices “The Birthday Democrats” / Stephen Malkmus “Midnight Cruisers” / Girlpool “It Gets More Blue” / Fazerdaze “Lucky Girl” / Arcade Fire “Everything Now” / Ariel Pink “Another Weekend” / Feist “I Wish I Didn’t Miss You” / Joan of Arc “This Must Be the Placenta” / Showtime Goma “Chug” / 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin “Still Serving” / Swet Shop Boys “Birding” / Raekwon “Nothing” / Remy Ma “Shether” / Mike “Pigeonfeet” / Hurray for the Riff Raff “Pa’lante” / Miley Cyrus “Thinkin'” / Luke Combs “When It Rains It Pours” / Shania Twain “Life’s About to Get Good” / Luxury Death “Diluted” / Queens of the Stone Age “The Evil Has Landed” / Pallbearer “Thorns”

DOWNLOAD PART 8

Aimee Mann “Goose Snow Cone” / The Mountain Goats “Andrew Eldritch Is Moving Back to Leeds” / A Giant Dog “Fake Plastic Trees” / Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings “Matter of Time” / Washed Out “Hard to Say Goodbye” / Clean Bandit feat. Sean Paul and Anne-Marie “Rockabye” / Tove Lo “Disco Tits” / Municipality “Miles Away” / Annie Hardy “Want” / Visible Cloaks “Wheel” / Kelly Lee Owens feat. Jenny Hval “Anxi” / Laurel Halo “Sun to Solar” / Forest Swords “Arms Out” / Eric Church “Round Here Buzz” / Theory of a Deadman “Rx” / Broken Social Scene “Hug of Thunder” / Alice Merton “No Roots” / Shawn Mendes “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” / (Sandy) Alex G “Proud” / Wolf Parade “You’re Dreaming” / Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith “An Intention” / Brian Eno with Kevin Shields “Only Once Away My Son” / Daphni “Carry On” / Baba Stiltz “Can’t Help It” / DRAM feat. Trippie Redd “Ill Nana” / Dirty Projectors “Up In Hudson” / Kimbra “Top of the World” / Open Mike Eagle (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home” / Liyv “Weeknight” / Lil B feat. Ilovemakonnen “Global” / Maroon 5 feat. Future “Cold” / Kyle feat. Lil Yachty “I Spy” / Florida Georgia Line feat. Backstreet Boys “God, Your Mama, and Me” / Foo Fighters “The Line” / Elder “Sanctuary” / Marilyn Manson “Kill4Me” / Stormzy “Big For Your Boots” / Ryuichi Sakamoto “Zure” / Your Old Droog “You Can Do It! (Give Up)” / Taylor Bennett feat. Chance the Rapper and Jeremih “Grown Up Fairy Tales” / Vagabon “The Embers” / El Ten Eleven feat. Emile Mosseri “I’m Right Here”

DOWNLOAD PART 9

Holiday Ghosts “Walk for Hours” / Sorority Noise “A Portrait Of” / Cloud Nothings “Modern Act” / Japanese Breakfast “Body Is A Blade” / Jessica Lea Mayfield “Sorry Is Gone” / Phoebe Bridgers “Motion Sickness” / Jen Cloher “Regional Echo” / Jason Aldean “Any Ol’ Barstool” / James Arthur “Say You Won’t Let Go” / Bob Dylan “Once Upon A Time” / Charlotte Gainsbourg “Rest” / Fascinations Grand Chorus “When You’re Mine” / Superorganism “It’s All Good” / Charly Bliss “Percolator” / AWOLNATION “Passion” / CCFX “The One to Wait” / 30 Seconds to Mars “Walk On Water” / Waxahatchee “Never Been Wrong” / Grouplove “Good Morning” / Justin Bieber & BLoodPop “Friends” / Katy Perry feat. Nicki Minaj “Swish Swish” / Little Mix “Touch” / Kelly Clarkson “Love So Soft” / Luke Bryan “Light It Up” / Dave East feat. Wiz Khalifa “Phone Jumpin'” / Shabazz Palaces feat. Thaddilac “Shine A Light” / G-Eazy feat. A$AP Rocky and Cardi B “No Limit” / Joseph Shabason “Aytche” / Lee Ranaldo “Moroccan Mountains” / Grouper “Children” / Little Simz feat. Bibi Bourelly “Customz” / Meek Mill feat. Young Thug “We Ball” / Kodie Shane feat. Lil Uzi Vert and Lil Yachty “Hold Up (Dough Up)” / Princess Nokia “G.O.A.T.” / Miguel “Pineapple Skies” / Mhysa “BB” / Mura Masa feat. Desiigner “All Around the World” / Ozuna “Se Preparo” / Rick Ross “Santorini Greece” / Mavis Staples “If All I Was Was Black” / Art Feynman “Monday Give Me Monday” / Nai Palm “Crossfire/So Into You” / Sheer Mag “Pure Desire” / Snail Mail “Thinning” / Pinegrove “Intrepid” / Roscoe Mitchell “Cascade” / Saba “There You Go” / Trippie Redd “Love Scars” / Allday feat. Japanese Wallpaper “In Motion” / Vance Joy “Lay It On Me” / Louis Tomlinson “Miss You” / SquidNice “Trap By My Lonely” / Young Dolph “100 Shots” / Zola Jesus “Siphon” / Obituary “It Lives” / Linkin Park “One More Light”

RSS Feed for this post8 Responses.
  1. Ted says:

    What is the overlap between this year-end mix and the single tracks you’ve posted this year?

  2. Michael G. says:

    I’m curious to see what if anything in ten or twenty years you would add or subtract from these mixes. I’ve enjoyed the eighties and nineties survey mixes immensely, and despite following music pretty closely (especially during the eighties) I still found songs and artists I had missed the first time around.

  3. Dan says:

    Hey there Matthew, thanks for this – can’t wait to dig in!

    I posted my own Best Of last week, here’s a couple I didn’t see on the list that you might dig if you haven’t heard them yet:

    Jean Deaux – Wikipedia
    https://soundcloud.com/thatsjeandeaux/wikipedia

    Francine Thirteen – Lust Heals, Give Me My Sin Again
    https://soundcloud.com/francine-thirteen/lust-heals-give-me-my-sin-again-1

    http://pruningshears.squarespace.com/pruning-shears/2017/12/7/best-music-of-2017.html

  4. Bri says:

    Thanks for the early Christmas gift! Your surveys are all in my iTunes. Thanks for still putting together these zips of mp3s in a culture that often points to streaming. I love my mp3s.

  5. Jon says:

    Thank you! This is wonderful and I look forward to it every year.

  6. Chino says:

    I love all these mixes.Thank you for doing them! Surprised to not see Afghan Whigs here

  7. Marc Hughes says:

    Thanks again sir! I missed a lot this year and glad to have a guide to show me some of the awesome.

  8. 80AD says:

    Google Music playlist: https://play.google.com/music/playlist/AMaBXykNOZcHQWtoZtSYTySTD2cb7pjQXZiE_OA9oDNzU6WJki8HIZI3Of0Qdk3fflr8RzOz3AfWFN5uLDUllbMxsn8Db9zIjg

    Fantastic as always. The consistent quality across this many tracks is simply stunning.


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