Every December for the past nine years Matt Neatock and I have produced an Oscars-style video tribute to all the bands that called it quits during the preceding 11+ months. Since it’s already been such a sad year, I’m reluctant to pile on, but rules are rules; if we didn’t post this video how would you know Hot Hot Heat broke up? To be included in this list a band had to be not-totally-unknown and not have any farewell shows scheduled for 2017, which means Yellowcard are off the hook until next year. But there’s still plenty of acts to memorialize. Actually there was so much incredible music this year, I’m surprised more bands didn’t just give up. Before we get on with the ceremony, a moment of silence for some of the music brands and products that ceased to exist in 2016: streaming services Songza, Rhapsody, Milk Music, and BitTorrent Now; festivals Farmborough, CMJ Music Marathon, and All Tomorrow’s Parties; NYC record stores Other Music and Rebel Rebel, corny premium cable dramas Vinyl and Roadies; record labels Fortuna Pop!, OSR, and Scion A/V; Shawn Mendes discovery platform Vine; too many concert venues to name*; Meat Loaf video repository VH1 Classic; and ::chokes up:: members-only torrent cornucopia what.cd. Oh and iPhone headphone jack, I think I’ll miss you most of all. Please hold your applause until the end.

*including Palisades, Acheron, Santos Party House, and Elvis Guesthouse in NYC; Mill City Nights in Minneapolis; 242 Main in Burlington, The Know in Portland, Irvine Meadows in Irvine; Rubber Gloves in Denton; Altar Bar in Pittsburgh; The Vibe in Riverside; Rongovian Embassy in Trumansburg; Rhinoceropolis in Denver; The Demo in St. Louis; Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte; and The Shrine in Chicago…