1) “Photo ID” by Remi Wolf - 19 MIL STREAMS

(Another) song about getting your driver’s license. Inspired by Hall and Oates and the Talking Heads. Wolf wrote and produced it with friends after a stressful trip to the DMV, while “in a strange mental state about some of my personal relationships.” A good bop for car trips. The music video is a little cursed.

2) “Little Dark Age” by MGMT - 97 MIL STREAMS

An otherworldly, complex hit by the sometimes-ironic pop duo, who wrote this song for their 2018 comeback album after a few years of silence. From the band that will dress up as anything from snowmen to Scooby Doo characters for a concert. Only a few seconds from the five minute, synth driven song have gone viral, but the rest is well worth the listen.

3) “Hayloft” by Mother Mother - 75 MIL STREAMS

Tik Tok has recycled older hits from Fleetwood Mac to Kate Bush - this song from Mother Mother is now thirteen years old, but has become another of the app’s trends. An unlikely but deserved success for a decade old, angsty song about a lover being chased by a gun-wielding dad in his long-johns. The detailed riffs and vocals hold up.

4) “Saint Bernard” by Lincoln - 32 MIL STREAMS

Aware of this Midwestern-anthem being their claim to fame, Lincoln’s Spotify bio simply reads, “I made the dog song.” Written like a battle-chant, the song is about a frustrated childhood spent in Catholic school and Ohio driveways. Hopefully more dog songs are to come.

5) “For a Minute” by WizTheMc - 17 MIL STREAMS

A crowd-pleasing hit, resulting from WiztheMc’s hours spent freestyling in the shower and a love for both pop and rap styles. Upbeat song about being young and in love, part of his exuberant, guitar-driven style. Equally authentic and endearing.

6) “Tomboy” by Princess Nokia - 17 MIL STREAMS

Ode to 90’s New York rap. About her childhood as a tomboy, just one part of Frasqueri’s mulit-faceted identity as a 90’s baby, feminist, Black, queer bruja, and someone who will get off stage to slap hecklers at her concerts. You also may have heard the song in ads for women’s razors.

7) “Seventeen” by Sharon Van Etten - 31 MIL STREAMS

Van Etten has experienced everything from acting for David Lynch, to psychology school, to motherhood. She uses memory as inspiration for this bittersweet song about what you would say to your teen self. time passing. Features Michael Cera’s synth and a lifetime of borrowed memories. Not a happy song.

8) “money machine” by 100 gecs - 39 MIL STREAMS

Answers the question of what if autotune was an instrument all on its own. Inspirations include Hank Hill and a sample from Spongebob. Has some of the most powerful sounds a computer could generate, and some choice insults to use in an argument. If you want to find out for sure what they are trying to say, the duo still takes the time to annotate their own lyrics on Genius.

The Best Songs from Alternative Tik Tok