The 300 Best Dallas Songs Of The 2010s.

From Ballads To Bangers And All Points In Between, These Are The Top Tracks The Indomitable Dallas Music Scene Unleashed From 2010 To 2019.

It doesn’t really need to be repeated at this point: We all know that 2020 has been a garbage year.

And among the many shitty repercussions of this increased suckage is the havoc that the pandemic has wreaked upon our city’s vibrant music scene. No, the music itself hasn’t stopped — sounds very much worth your while are still being regularly churned out by our city’s many talented artists — but the beloved live performance aspect of it has for the most part been tossed out of the equation, at least for the time being.

Which is to say: Yeah, we’ve been especially nostalgic of late for the Dallas music scene of The Before Times.

And why wouldn’t we be? I mean, man, the 2010s music scene made for some truly great memories, didn’t it?

I should know: I spent the entirety of the decade professionally covering it, first as the music editor of the Dallas Observer (I moved to Dallas to take that gig back in ’08) and then as the head honcho of this here website, which I left the Observer to launch in early 2012.

Beyond spending as many nights as possible out and about in the city and getting litty in the name of arts journalism, my favorite tradition of this stretch was always compiling the best songs that the city and region had to offer each year into a handy-dandy annual retrospective.

After having earlier this year distilled Dallas’ last decade into a compilation of its most defining news moments, we figured it was high time Central Track did the same on the music front.

Granted, yes: It took me a much longer time to finish this task than that other one. Part of this can be blamed on the aforementioned craziness that has plagued 2020, and how busy we’ve been dutifully covering the city throughout this roller coaster of a year. Perhaps a bigger culprit, though, is the responsibility felt in wanting to do this effort justice — especially as one of the last standing outlets in the region to give even a little bit of a damn about the incredible music this city consistently produces.

Regardless of the exact reason for the delay, our belabored labor has finally borne fruit. Now, we can officially present to you our picks for the top songs released throughout the ’10s by performers who are either based in or sprung from Dallas and its surrounding cities. In total, you’ll find 300 of these cuts — an admittedly arbitrary numbers that was settled on after determining that neither 200 nor 250 were quite enough, and also that going as high as 500 (something genuinely considered for a brief moment) was way too much.

Will you find every local song you personally loved from the decade on this list? Assuredly not!

Did I whiff on not including some potentially great selections? Probably so, especially considering how I was still tinkering with and making additions to this final offering right up until a few moments before hitting publish on this post — yes, despite working on this on and off for a year now.

Were some of these songs possibly released outside of the 2010 to 2019 window? Possibly, but I refused to include any songs that I couldn’t find at least one source to confirm my memory that they were, in fact, released in some capacity within this stretch.

Are some acts on here a surprising number of times? You bet! But, then again, luminary acts like Sarah Jaffe, Neon Indian, Maren Morris, Leon Bridges and Post Malone (just to name a few) really do deserve their flowers for so dominating the Dallas sound of last decade.

Will you have some disagreements on where certain songs were placed here? Undoubtedly, but such is the simultaneous fun and fury of exercises such as these.

Here’s what I can say with absolute certainty, though: The songs included here absolutely represent a special time in Dallas music history — one that directly shaped both my being and those of countless others who were lucky enough to experience it.

Shit, I’m getting a little emotional just thinking about it, really!

So, to that end, enough of this preamble and onto the show itself. Below, you’ll find all 300 of my selections for the best Dallas songs of the 2010s — released in descending order, presented with either links or embeds for you to use to listen to them individually, and finally capped off by a 16-plus-hour Spotify playlist featuring the 264 songs from this list that can be found on that platform.

Tap in, and enjoy.

Central Track’s 300 Best Dallas Songs Of The 2010s

300. Emotional Xan – “12 am”
299. Mountain of Smoke – “The Weeping Spine”
298. Fat Pimp – “Maserati”
297. Somebody’s Darling – “Generator”
296. Jacob Metcalf – “Sarah Sells Shoes”
295. Sarah Jaffe feat. Roy Jr. – “One Hit One Wonder”
294. Creeping Death – “Ripping Through Flesh”
293. Telegraph Canyon – “Why Let It Go”
292. Rosegarden Funeral Party – “Ill and Getting Worse”
291. Jayson Lyric – “Special Occasion”
290. RC & The Gritz – “Pay Your Tab”
289. Dead Flowers – “Here I Am”
288. Andy Pickett — “Don’t Bro Me”*
287. Mo3 – “Everybody”
286. Acid Carousel – “Summer Girls”
285. Ottoman Turks – “Glass Bottles”
284. Ronnie Heart – “Tasty Destination”
283. Tony Ferraro and Daniel Markham – “Cinch”
282. Ari Roar – “Calm Down”
281. War Party – “Jellyfish”
280. Upsetting – “Spring Break”
279. Terrence Spectacle – “Futon”*
278. Troy Cartwright – “Next Flight Home”
277. Loafers – “Ghost”
276. Liv.e – “Powaline”
275. M3cca – “Pineapple Waters”
274. Coach Tev – “Lefty”
273. Alsace Carcione – “Still”
272. Zach Witness feat. Jon Bap – “Keep Faith”
271. Pinkish Black – “Concept Unification”
270. Cutter – “Hypothetical Particle”*
269. Sadfacethuggin – “Sleeping With You”
268. Ty Richards – “Spaceman”
267. Pat Ron – “Typa Shit”
266. Whiskey Folk Ramblers – “Gambling Preacher and His Daughter”
265. The Bralettes – “IDK”
264. Matt Swagnew – “Thing For Words”*
263. Mega Drive – “Maniac”
262. Bastards of Soul – “The Waiting Time”
261. Lord Byron — “L’Chaim”
260. Lalagray – “The Hard Part”*
259. 40 Acre Mule – “Bathroom Walls”
258. Tum Tum feat. Dorrough Music, B-Hamp & Big Tuck – “Yeah Doe”
257. Jon Bap – “Queen Chimera Pt. 1”
256. Claire Morales – “No Telling”
255. Sudie – “Heartattack”
254. Blackstone Rangers – “Frozen Echo”
253. Dead to a Dying World – “The Hunt Eternal”
252. BNQT – “Restart”
251. The Secret Handshake – “Every Single Time”
250. Cuban Doll feat. Rubi Rose & Renni Rucci – “A.G.F.”
249. Luna Luna – “For You”
248. Eat Avery’s Bones – “Proboner”
247. Yella Beezy feat. Quavo and Gucci Mane – “Bacc At It Again”
246. Cush With A C – “Baby”
245. Charley Crockett – “I Am Not Afraid”
244. The Longshots – “Back To The Rio Grande”
243. Conner Youngblood – “Pizza Body”
242. Analog Rebellion – “Nothing Is Wrong”
241. Son of Stan – “The Lady That’s Around Me”
240. Dustin Cavazos – “3:44 am”
239. Mind Spiders – “You Are Dead”
238. Nezi Momodu – “Jugg Everything”
237. The O’s – “In Numbers We Survive”
236. Rania Khoury – “Sweet Apple Pies”
235. Party Static – “Mr. Sexypants”
234. About You – “Cactus”
233. Kaz Moon – “24 Hour Movie”
232. Cody Jinks – “Must Be the Whiskey”
231. Larry g(EE) — “Yo Mama”
230. Starfruit – “Divine Is Mine”
229. David Morgan feat. BadFelon – “Soul Sister”
228. Madison King – “Saved By A Son Of A Gun”
227. Cozy Hawks – “Water Wings”*
226. Post Malone – “Better Now”
225. Betamaxx feat. Rat Rios – “Dreamer”
224. Lizzie Boredom – “So… You’re A Mixologist?”
223. Centro-matic – “Iso-residue”
222. Eisley – “Louder Than A Lion”
221. Paul Cauthen – “Saddle”
220. Sarah Jaffe – “Explode”
219. Deepspace5 – “Killing With Kindness”*
218. Post Malone – “Wow”
217. Dezi 5 – “Lady”
216. Bowling for Soup – “Don’t Be a Dick”
215. FXXXXY feat. Gunna — “Need U”
214. Midlake – “Acts of Man”
213. Dorrough – “Get Big”
212. Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights – “Devil’s Basement”
211. Fergus & Geronimo – “Girls with English Accents”
210. Paul & The Tall Trees – “Beware”
209. Def Rain – “Enemy”
208. Buffalo Black – “Enter The Void”
207. The Beaten Sea – “Doctor’s Not Gonna Cure Our Ills”
206. SRSQ – “Cherish”
205. S3nsi Molly & Lil Brook – “Dead Man Walking”
204. Kaela Sinclair – “Whiplash”*
203. T.Y.E – “Eternity”
202. Felix – “Ain Afraid”
201. Nick Jonas – “Jealous”
200. Maren Morris – “My Church”
199. These Machines Are Winning – “Fornication”
198. The Orbans – “Like a Liar”
197. Bastards of Soul – “The Way It Should Be”
196. E.B. The Younger – “When The Time Comes”
195. -Topic – “Twizted”
194. Old 97’s – “Good With God”
193. Power Trip – “Heretic’s Fork”
192. Razorbumps – “3INAROW”
191. Picnictyme – “Lift Off (feat. Sam Lao)”
190. Mystery Skulls – “Magic”
189. Soviet – “Forever Today”*
188. Leon Bridges – “Bad Bad News”
187. A.Dd+ – “Can’t Come Down”
186. The Dividends – “Fool’s Gold”*
185. True Widow – “Four Teeth”
184. Lord Byron – “Post To Be”
183. Air Review – “Low Wishes”
182. Vincent Neil Emerson – “7 Come 11”
181. Quaker City Night Hawks – “Lavanderia”
180. Wild Party – “Take My Advice”
179. TEAM* – “I Like It”
178. Vandoliers – “Bottom Dollar Boy”
177. Sealion – “Automobile”*
176. Rhett Miller – “I Used to Write in Notebooks”
175. Oil Boom – “The Sneak Tip”
174. Tiger Darrow – “American Dreamer”
173. Erykah Badu – “Cel U Lar Device”
172. Shaun Martin – “One Big Party”
171. RTB2 – “Wire to the Walls”
170. The Baptist Generals – “Dog That Bit You”
169. The Bralettes – “Enough”
168. Yella Beezy – “Rich MF”
167. Lil Cobaine – “Let It Play”
166. Catamaran – “All Around”
165. Mystery Skulls – “Money”
164. G.U.N. – “Johnny Cage”
163. Ian Salazar – “Virginia”
162. IBRA – “Lazy and Stupid”
161. Kylie Rae Harris – “Big Ol’ Heartache”
160. Leon Bridges – “Better Man”
159. Sarah Jaffe – “Glorified High”
158. LEV – “Shadow”
157. Meach Pango – “Cuck”
156. Bad Sports – “Teenage Girls”
155. Midnight Opera – “Chromatose”
154. Dorrough – “214 Number”
153. Pretty Boy Aaron – “Comb My Hair”
152. Paul Cauthen – “Everybody Walking This Land”
151. Xuan – “Big Blue Ocean”
150. Daniel Markham – “New Blood”
149. Luna Luna – “80s Tune”
148. The Birds of Night – “I Don’t Know What You Want”
147. Mega Drive – “Converter”
146. Teenage Cool Kids – “Landlocked State”
145. Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights – “Gypsy Woman”
144. Selena Gomez – “Hands To Myself”
143. Old 97’s – “Let’s Get Drunk and Get It On”
142. Dark Rooms – “Polaroid”
141. Erykah Badu – “Fall In Love (Your Funeral)”
140. Pearl Earl – “Meet Your Maker’
139. War Party – “Teenager On Drugs”
138. Young Ejecta – “Build A Fire”
137. A.Dd+ – “Suitcases”*
136. Natural Anthem – “Paranoid”
135. Deep Red – “Things We Can’t Say”
134. Air Review – “America’s Son”
133. Son of Stan – “Noxeema”
132. Jonas Brothers – “Sucker”
131. Wild Party – “When I Get Older”
130. Texas Gentlemen – “Habbie Doobie”
129. Seryn – “Disappear”
128. Analog Rebellion – “We’re Not Talking To Any More Lawyers”
127. Soviet – “Wimbledon”*
126. Paul Cauthen – “Holy Ghost Fire”
125. Nervous Curtains – “Mass Amnesia”
124. Welcome Center – “Is This All There Is?”
123. Reagan James – “Blue”*
122. Sarah Jaffe feat. Sam Lao and Zhora – “Vision”
121. Guitar Emoji – “Clout”
120. The Cannabinoids feat. The Outfit, TX — “Spic & Span”*
119. Andy Pickett – “It Happens Every Night”*
118. Sealion – “Catahoula”
117. 10k.Caash feat. G.U.N. – “Aloha”
116. Leon Bridges – “Coming Home”
115. Jonathan Tyler feat. Nikki Lane – “To Love Is To Fly”
114. Pageantry – “Friends of the Year”
113. The Colurs – “Where We Belong”*
112. Medasin feat. Kaz Moon – “Work for You”
111. Jesus Chris + The Beetles – “I’m a Bad Person and I’m Going to Hell”
110. TV’s Daniel – “Maybe We’ll All Die”
109. Neon Indian – “Annie”
108. Quaker City Night Hawks – “Fox in the Hen House”
107. St. Vincent – “Digital Witness”
106. Motorcade – “Oblivion”
105. Post Malone feat. Young Thug – “Goodbyes”
104. Dondria – “You’re The One”
103. Bone – “Homegurl”
102. Paul Cauthen – “Lil Son”
101. Yella Beezy feat. YG – “Safe to Say”
100. Zhora – “Lights”
99. Acid Carousel – “Higher Than The Beatles”
98. Maren Morris – “Girl”
97. Analog Rebellion – “You’ve Been Had”
96. Vandoliers – “Cigarettes In The Rain”
95. Duell – “Back to Drunk”
94. Oscar DeLaughter – “Grand Prize”*
93. Ryan Thomas Becker – “So Speak”
92. Ocelot – “Beating Hearts”*
91. Parquet Courts – “Wide Awake”
90. Selena Gomez – “Look At Her Now”
89. Treal Lee & Prince Rick – “Mr. Hit Dat”
88. Power Trip – “Hornet’s Nest”
87. Joshua Ray Walker – “Working Girl”
86. Yung Nation – “AWDIB”*
85. Museum Creatures – “Song ABC”*
84. Charley Crockett – “In The Night”
83. Curtis Mayz – “Candy Coated Caddy”
82. Kacey Musgraves – “Follow Your Arrow”
81. Seryn – “We Will All Be Changed”
80. The Misteries – “Green Man”*
79. Bobby Sessions – “Like Me”
78. Ebo – “Bounce Back”
77. Leon Bridges – “Smooth Sailing”
76. Monte Carload – “Slow Beast”
75. Post Malone – “Circles”
74. Fergus & Geronimo – “Powerful Lovin'”
73. Dark Rooms – “Keep It Inside”
72. The Flowers of God feat. Sarah Jaffe – “Tunnelvisionary”*
71. Danny Diamonds – “Hot Summer”
70. Wild Party – “Outright”
69. Masego x Medasin – “Girls That Dance”
68. The Blurries – “My Little Marie”*
67. Sealion – “All We Know”*
66. True Widow – “Skulls Eyes”
65. The Strange Boys – “Be Brave”
64. Luna Luna feat. Pretty Boy Aaron – “Fro”
63. School of Seven Bells – “Windstorm”
62. Blue, The Misfit – “All Systems Go”*
61. Picnictyme – “Burnin’ Up”*
60. Kyoto Lo-Fi – “Godot”
59. Mystery Skulls – “Ghost”
58. Booty Fade – “F#$k Like A Stripper”*
57. The Burning Hotels – “Austin’s Birthday”
56. Lost Balloons – “Paint”
55. St. Vincent – “Birth in Reverse”
54. Bobby Sessions feat. -Topic – “Peyton Manning”*
53. The Roomsounds – “Elm Street”
52. Kacey Musgraves – “Space Cowboy”
51. Spooky Folk – “Bible Belt”
50. Demi Lovato – “Sorry, Not Sorry”
49. Sarah Jaffe – “It’s Fucking On”
48. DJ Sober – “I’m So Dallas”
47. Lil Ronny MothaF – “Circle (Throw That Ass In A Circle)”
46. Post Malone feat. 21 Savage – “Rockstar”
45. Soviet – “Kids In My Backyard”*
44. Quaker City Night Hawks – “Suit in the Back”
43. Flexinfab – “Friends”
42. Kaash Paige – “Love Songs”
41. Odesza feat. Leon Bridges – “Across The Room”
40. Neon Indian – “Sleep Paralysist”
39. T.Y.E. – “La La Land”
38. Sam Lao – “Pineapple”
37. A.Dd+ feat. Sore Losers – “Likeamug”
36. The Colurs – “Easy to Love”*
35. The Mohicans – “Fa Shiggadow”*
34. Leg Sweeper – “Sexy Weekend”*
33. Parquet Courts – “Stoned and Starving”
32. Texas Gentlemen – “Bondurant Women”
31. Mind Spiders – “Worlds Destroyed”
30. Maren Morris – “The Bones”
29. Post Malone – “White Iverson”
28. Leon Bridges – “River”
27. Tay-K – “The Race”
26. Yung Nation – “Shawty Wassup”

25. The Outfit, TX – “Private Dancer”

24. Erykah Badu – “Window Seat”

23. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein – “Stranger Things”

22. Brain Gang Blue – “Party On Remix”*

<a href="https://braingangblue.bandcamp.com/track/party-on-remix">“Party On (Remix)” by Brain Gang Blue</a>

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