Top 89 of 2026: Luke Taylor's top 10 songs
by Luke Taylor
November 12, 2026
The end of the year is upon us, and it's time to reflect on your favorite music of 2026! Here are Luke Taylor’s favorite songs of the year.
Once you've made your own list, vote in The Current's Top 89 poll by Monday, Nov. 16, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a pair of coveted tickets to both nights of Brandi Carlile: Burn the Setlist (The All Request Tour) taking place Tuesday, Nov. 17, and Wednesday, Nov. 18, at the State Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.
The Current will count down your Top 89 of 2026 at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31.
My music headline of the year: The music of 2026 held heartbreak, defiance, solace and joy. My music selections for the year reflect those moods.
Top 10 Songs (in no particular order)
Metric – Victim of Luck
My first thought on hearing this song was instant: “Metric are back.” Like “Youth Without Youth,” this is another anthemic rocker from the Toronto indie artists, and it is very welcome.
Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Minneapolis
Had to be said. Thank you, Bruce.
Durry – Told You So
Had to be said. Thank you, Austin and Taryn.
Mon Rovîa – Heavy Foot
A powerful message packed in a catchy, melodious song.
Humbird – February
A beautiful song that captures the sensory experience of winter. Listening to the lyrics, it may also be a metaphor about a relationship and finding one’s person. “February” is a calming song, one I turned to many times to feel a sense of peacefulness. And in the aftermath of a winter that was emotionally devastating, it was so nice to listen to this song as it captures what will (hopefully) be the eternal elements of winter in this region: snow, cold, and the calm that accompanies it. This song provided a wonderful introduction to Humbird’s excellent Morning When It Comes, the songs from which could populate several slots in this list.
The Last Dinner Party – Count the Ways
The soaring lead vocals on this track are part of The Last Dinner Party’s signature sound. And I appreciate The Last Dinner Party, who often wear Victorian fashions onstage, quoting Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning in their lyrics.
Ratboys – Penny in the Lake
Whereas I loved last year’s rocking, catchy “Anywhere,” this new song opened a door for me into Ratboys’ songwriting, which seems to align with contemporaries Wednesday and Clover County.
Olivia Rodrigo – drop dead
OK, I’ll admit it: I’m old enough to be Olivia Rodrigo’s dad — yet her songs hit so hard. This one really struck me when it came on The Current just as I was about to leave Eau Claire, Wisconsin, following the Eaux Claires Festival.
Low Cut Connie – Can’t Be Wrong
Adam Weiner forecasted this track as the song of the summer when he played it solo on piano in our studio back in March. It was certainly that for me. This is a fun, rollicking rock song that served as a reminder that it’s still OK to express joy and to have some fun.
New Constellations – Hot Blooded
A propulsive song that makes you think, maybe even cry, while you’re dancing; I think the first song to have an ironic hold on me in this way was St-Etienne’s cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”; “Hot Blooded” has an irresistible, hypnotic groove to counteract the melancholy.
Best concerts I attended
Dom Flemons at the Cedar Cultural Center – January 29
For the first part of the show, Flemons played music from his 2018 Smithsonian Folkways album, Dom Flemons Presents Black Cowboys, providing live accompaniment to a specially edited version of the 1939 Western film, The Bronze Buckaroo, featuring an all-Black cast led by actor and singer Herb Jeffries. In the second half of the concert, Flemons performed solo songs from across his catalogue, including some selections by his former band, Carolina Chocolate Drops. Flemons also performed such a lively rendition of his accidental favorite, “Hot Chicken,” that his trademark hat flew off his head.
Jason Isbell at the Armory – March 5
Adam Weiner solo at the Turf Club – March 7
A sold-out show at the Turf Club that captured what’s best about an Adam Weiner solo show: fantastic renditions of original songs and captivating, surprising covers, interspersed with storytelling and humor. The evening felt like a Low Cut Connie-meets-Gary Gulman kind of presentation.
Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M’s “Lifes Rich Pageant at First Avenue – March 14
Although the musicians delivered exactly what was on the poster, the show consisted of so much more: Perhaps even more stunning than the band’s pitch-perfect renditions of the 12 songs from Life’s Rich Pageant were the 20 additional songs Shannon, Narducy and friends tirelessly delivered over the course of the more than two-hour show.
The band comprises Shannon on lead vocals; Narducy, along with Dag Uhlin (Poi Dog Pondering and other bands) on guitar, Jon Wurster (Bob Mould Band, The Mountain Goats and formerly Superchunk) on drums, John Stirrat (Wilco) on bass and Vijay Tellis-Nayak on keys and on banjo (specifically in the intro to the song, “I Believe”). Chicago musician and educator Katie Klocke provided violin on several selections, including a beautiful rendition of “Nightswimming” that featured just Klocke on violin with Tellis-Nayak on keys and Shannon on vocals. And Minneapolis musician Nelson Devereaux enjoyed a special guest spot, delivering a vibrant, free-jazz tenor sax solo on “Fireplace.”
It’s important to note that Michael Shannon doesn’t impersonate Michael Stipe; Shannon interprets Stipe, conveys him — as one might expect from an Oscar-nominated actor. It also helps that Shannon is a powerful singer who, perhaps by virtue of a similar regional upbringing, has a voice that strongly resembles Stipe’s. What really becomes clear is that the band onstage are not pretending to be R.E.M.; they are simply massive R.E.M. fans who have the musical chops to deliver such spot-on covers that they have collectively received the imprimatur from Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe.
And the musicians onstage were met by a sold-out First Avenue audience, who passionately sang and danced to every song.
Mavis Staples with Lucius at the Ordway Music Hall – June 17
Bob Dylan with Lucinda Williams and the John Doe Folk Trio, Mystic Lake Amphitheater, Shakopee – July 6
Eaux Claires Festival day one at Carson Park, Eau Claire, Wis. – July 24
This is no shade on day two; I was only able to attend day one. The music, the people and the entire mood of Eaux Claires was life-giving.
They Might Be Giants at the Fitzgerald Theater – Oct 4
This was the final concert in a series of four shows They Might Be Giants played across four nights in the Twin Cities, with two concerts at First Avenue in Minneapolis and two at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul. Sunday night’s show was an absolute joy from start to finish. The first part of the show featured songs from TMBG’s 1994 album John Henry, and then after a break, sampled from throughout their discography, including many selections from their latest album — their 24th! — The World Is to Dig, which just dropped in April. Alternating between their five-piece configuration and the eight-piece lineup (which includes a horn section), the energy was electric throughout, the musicianship was top drawer, and the movement onstage was totally engaging; the band used every square foot. Johns Flansburgh and Linnell sprinkled in fun commentary and some insightful stories behind the songs, and they even conducted some audience-participation activities during several songs. I think I just smiled the entire time I was there, it was such a delightful show.
