In 2019, with one killer track, an artist could become a household name, sparking infinite conversations and even more memes. In addition to all the new names, established artists like Lana Del Rey and Vampire Weekend redefined themselves and reset the trajectories of their careers. Visionaries like FKA twigs, Angel Olsen, and Charli XCX took their art to new heights. At the end of one year, and looking ahead to the next decade, here are the tracks we believe will stand the test of time.

Listen to selections from this list on our Spotify playlist and Apple Music playlist.

Check out all of Pitchfork’s 2019 wrap-up coverage here.

Island

100.

Shawn Mendes: “If I Can’t Have You”

Shawn Mendes seems beamed in from a pop era before face tattoos and pink hair and cursing: Last year, when the Canadian heartthrob revealed he liked to—gasp!—smoke weed, his squealing army of fans was appalled, with one of them advising him to “think about going to rehab because we cant lose u like this. u are going to overdose and die.” But amid his chart peers’ rampant insolence, the 21-year-old’s tangy white funk slices through like a double rainbow. Take “If I Can’t Have You,” a sparkling single propelled by gargantuan Elton John piano chords and a glorious descending vocal line that should squeeze stress sweat out of Justin Timberlake. On paper, Mendes is pining after the girl who got away with the obsessiveness of an Instagram stalker—and yet his effervescent delivery, and shameless cheesing in the video, make it clear that this winning rom-com of a song has a happy ending. –Ryan Dombal

Listen: Shawn Mendes, “If I Can’t Have You”

Planet Mu

99.

DJ Nate: “Fuck Dat”

A deceptively sparse cut from Chicago stalwart DJ Nate’s first footwork record in nearly a decade, “Fuck Dat” is a fitting return to the genre: The steady clap of a snare drum recalls the style’s roots in ghetto house, while a meandering synth line hovers in the air, teasing the onslaught to come. But DJ Nate’s power is restraint: With a stream of warm TR-808 hits and a few errant hi-hats, he allows the footworkers who compete in dizzying dance battles to fill in the energy. The titular vocal sample, chopped into oblivion, is a suitable mantra: Nate returned to footwork while recovering from an injury that left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, a particularly cruel irony in a scene defined by movement. But just because he’s not killing a circle doesn’t mean he can’t give it new life. –Arielle Gordon

Listen: DJ Nate, “Fuck Dat”

ATO

98.

Brittany Howard: “13th Century Metal”

On “13th Century Metal”—the centerpiece of Brittany Howard’s debut solo album, Jaime—the leader of Alabama Shakes lays out a personal mission statement, her rock mantras on self-care and empathy building into the courage to denounce those “who are determined to keep us in the dark ages of fear.” The song reflects her search for optimism, with chants that grow in intensity as her inward resolutions become outward pleas for kindness. A potent juxtaposition of crashing noise music and pure ideals, “13th Century Metal” feels unconquerable, a maelstrom settling into place. –Sheldon Pearce

Listen: Brittany Howard, “13th Century Metal”

ijn inc.

97.

Klein: “Claim It”

Perhaps the biggest shock on Klein’s latest album, Lifetime, is the appearance of a halfway conventional beat. Nestled among an album of brilliant—if sometimes exhausting—intensity, “Claim It” is a pause for thought as the South London producer peels back the sticky layers of her songs to reveal the textural skill beneath. What emerges is a strangled, melodic hook offset by unsettling vocal effects and chords that spiral upwards in a nervous twist of energy. Like a single malt whiskey with a drop of spring water, “Claim It” both dilutes and liberates Klein’s distinctive musical flavor, a reminder from this most maximalist of producers that less can occasionally be more. –Ben Cardew