After a radio career of nearly 30 years, I decided to continue my mission (bringing new music and bands to the attention of as many people as possible) through a blog. You’re staring at it right now… Carte Blanche Music started on 1 January 2017, and exactly one year later, I have dedicated 650 posts to the thing I love the most: great new music.

I can hear you think: ‘Good for you’. But you know what? Apparently , it’s good for you as well! 😉 .

Each month in the past year, I posted Your Favourites: my blog posts that you read the most. So now, inevitably, it’s time for the ultimate round-up. The result? A Top 100 that’s more fun and less predictable than any other chart you’ll see this year. What’s especially funny, is that you picked a totally different set of songs as your highlights as I did in my own Carte Blanche Music Top 2017.

Isn’t that the best thing about music? I can make a selection, but ultimately, you make your own choices. Based on taste, mood, weather, feelings… Or, when I look at it less romantically, perhaps the artists below are the ones with the largest families, the most active fan bases, or the best promotion teams. Whatever the reasons, the result is the same: a great list of 100 songs. Your Favourites of 2017.

All of them (and 840 more) are in my Carte Blanche Music 2017 playlist, and once again, each link below corresponds with my original blog post, obviously including the recommended song. Enjoy! May 2018 be as musically diverse and interesting as last year was.

1. Colin Waters – Change The Game
2. The The – We Can’t Stop What’s Coming
3. TANA – Leave Away ^(WC)
4. Buffalo Tom – All Be Gone
5. Thanks (feat. Sam Sparro) – Your Man
6. Deacon Blue – Gone ^(WC)
7. BC Unidos (feat. Shungudzo) – Bicycle ^(WC)
8. Loïc Nottet – Mud Blood
9. Philip Selway feat. Lou Rhodes – Walk
10. Julian Velard – Sweatpants On The Living Room Floor
11. John Adams – Things That Make You Beautiful ^(WC)
12. Model Depose – Poison Heart
13. Airways – Reckless Tongue
14. Banner. – Compass
15. Triggerfinger – Flesh Tight ^(WC)
16. TANA – Why Can’t I Love You
17. Nerina Pallot – Ta Chance
18. Sea Girls – Call Me Out
19. The 27 – All The Time
20. The Gift – Big Fish ^(WC)
21. AKA George – Stone Cold Classic ^(WC)
22. Rilan & The Bombardiers – Supernatural
23. Jaya – Love Is A Bird
24. Young Gun Silver Fox – Midnight In Richmond
25. Pacific – Life In Short
26. Julian Velard – Don’t Ask Me About Hamilton (Anymore) ^(WC)
27. Les Gordons – Let The Music Speak ^(WC)
28. Delv!s – Come My Way
29. Julian Taylor Band feat. Kinnie Starr – Feel Your Love
30. Blas Cantó – In Your Bed
31. The Dead-On / The New Madness – Lovesick
32. The Hunna – Never Enough
33. Ride – All I Want
34. Eli Cripps – Poison Arrow
35. Nick Capaldi – Disgrace Face
36. Todiefor feat. Helen – Beautiful
37. Llorca (feat. Sapele) – Wonderwhy
38. Stromae – Repetto x Mosaert
39. Arcade Hearts – Running
40. Dreadzone – Area Code ^(*)
41. Columbia Mills – This City Doesn’t Feel Like Home To Me
42. UNKLE (feat. Mark Lanegan & Eska) – Looking For The Rain
43. Jimi Charles Moody – Shame
44. Be Charlotte – One Drop
45. Toploader – Together
46. Mollie Marriott – Control
47. Pretenders feat. Neil Tennant – Let’s Get Lost
48. Trip To Dover – I’ll Be Juliet
49. Childcare – Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You) ^(WC)
50. Hifi Sean feat. Crystal Waters – Testify
51. Roy Paci & Aretuska – Tira
52. Skygge feat. Kiesza – Hello Shadow
53. Aeroplane (feat. Tawatha Agee) – Love On Hold
54. Sir Notch – Please Don’t Go (Sam Feldt Edit)
55. Jain – Dynabeat ^(WC)
56. Rat Boy – Revolution
57. Kara Marni – Golden
58. Laini & The Wildfire – Wandering
59. Alien Stadium – This One’s For The Humans
60. DBFC – Jenks
61. FFF – Monkee
62. Groenland – Healing Suns
63. Llorca – Waiting
64. Uncle Frank – Ku Ku Nu ^(*)
65. Arcade Fire – Everything Now
66. Blanche – City Lights
67. Francesca Michielin – Vulcano
68. Frankie Chavez – Whatever Happened To Our Love
69. Pimpy Panda feat. Alana & NiCo Gomez – Don’t Give Up
70. Valparaiso (feat. Phoebe Killdeer & Howe Gelb) – Rising Tides
71. Sol Heilo – America ^(WC)
72. Dua Lipa – Thinking ‘bout You
73. Antonio Cruz – Tu Mirada
74. Beachwood Coyotes – Face To Face
75. The Little Kicks – Goodbye Enemies, Hello Friends
76. Tove Styrke – Say My Name
77. Blackfield – How Was Your Ride?
78. Incubus – Undefeated
79. a-ha feat. Ingrid Helene Håvik – The Sun Always Shines On TV (MTV Unplugged)
80. Levante – Non Me Ne Frega Niente
81. Lucy Spraggan – Modern Day Frankenstein
82. Moon Taxi – Two High
83. Nahko – Be Here Now
84. Nicole Atkins – Sleepwalking
85. Slydigs – How Animal Are You?
86. Stars – Fluorescent Light
87. Uncle Frank – Your Man
88. Van Echelpoel – Ziet Em Duun ^(WC)
89. Soulwax – Do You Want To Get Into Trouble? ^(WC)
90. Lukas Graham – Drunk In The Morning ^(WC)
91. Shanguy – La Louze
92. Nano – Hold On
93. Angèle – La Loi De Murphy
94. Firewoodisland – Dearest Brother
95. Colin Waters – We Go Our Own Way!
96. Nemesea – Dance In The Fire
97. Placebo – Life’s What You Make It
98. Roads To Roam – We Are
99. Sleigh Bells – Rainmaker
100. The Gift (feat. Brian Eno) – Clinic Hope

^(WC)   ex Carte Blanche Music Wildcard
^(*)       album track

Werner Schlosser

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.