At several points throughout 2017, a simple question was asked: What are you listening to? Whether we were fielding it or asking it, the reply was often specific to a singular song. With all due respect to the time-honored album and EP — and from Slowdive’s self-titled to Kendrick’s DAMN. to Quiet Giant’s You’re in Heaven, there were quite a few of note — this year was all about the song. Songs of passion, songs of empowerment, songs of not giving a damn and songs of giving every last damn imaginable soundtracked a year that tested the will of the people. As Daniel Brockman notes in his intense Year in Pop essay for Vanyaland, pop music is headed down a dangerous path; but it’s also merging into one giant streamable playlist, where the underground battles for clicks and listens with Top 40, and this year’s Vanyaland year-end recap — a mere selection of our staff’s favorites, and by no means a silly declaration of the absolute “best” — reflects that. Our staff was asked to come up with their faves, and these are the responses, presented alphabetically. The lead entry, via Toronto’s Alvvays, feels like an appropriate jump-off, and the featured image of the up top was shot by the late, great Eddy Leiva, from their October show at The Paradise.