I got married in September 2013 and traveled to Cuba that December—neither has anything to do with music but the latter at least explains why I never got around to compiling any semblance of a 2013 mix until now. Random Access Memories was easily my favorite LP of that year, but Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara’s aim-for-the-fences dance pop effort wasn’t far behind. While I don’t return to it as frequently today, leadoff track “Closer” is the first song that comes to mind when I think about 2013.

Re: 2013, I also recall Haim’s Fleetwood Mac-goodness, Eleanor Friedberger’s disarming ode to being clumsy in love, unusually strong comeback singles from Alison Moyet and Pet Shop Boys, the loveliest Vampire Weekend song to date (though the recent “Harmony Hall” gives it a run for its money), the most blissful melody you’ll ever hear from Washed Out, an epic Arcade Fire disco explosion, a choice cut from Goldfrapp’s better-with-each-year, atypically pastoral Tales Of Us, a Sam Phillips song as classic as anything on Martinis and Bikinis and Laura Marling convincingly staking her claim as a “Master Hunter”.

I didn’t hear John Grant’s “GMF” until the following year; on that first listen, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing (the title is a NSFW acronym), but I knew it was a great, self-deprecating anthem for the ages before it was over.

Go here to listen to my favorite tracks of 2013 on Spotify:

1. Tegan and Sara, “Closer”
2. Bastille, “Pompeii”
3. Haim, “If I Could Change Your Mind”
4. Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas, “Instant Crush”
5. John Grant, “GMF”
6. Disclosure feat. London Grammar, “Help Me Lose My Mind”
7. Goldfrapp, “Drew”
8. Jessy Lanza, “Keep Moving”
9. Cut Copy, “In Memory Capsule”
10. Sky Ferreira, “I Blame Myself”
11. Eleanor Friedberger, “When I Knew”
12. Alison Moyet, “Love Reign Supreme”
13. Arcade Fire, “Reflektor”
14. Atlas Genius, “Electric”
15. Camera Obscura, “This is Love (Feels Alright)”
16. Pet Shop Boys feat. Example, “Thursday”
17. Iron & Wine, “The Desert Babbler”
18. Boy & Bear, “Southern Sun”
19. Emma Louise, “Boy”
20. Neko Case, “Man”
21. Mavis Staples, “I Like The Things About Me”
22. Washed Out, “All I Know”
23. Sam Phillips, “You Know I Won’t”
24. Laura Marling, “Master Hunter”
25. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Mosquito”
26. Vienna Teng feat. Glen Phillips, “Landsailor”
27. Vampire Weekend, “Step”
28. David Bowie, “Valentine’s Day”
29. Florence + The Machine, “Over The Love”
30. Jessie Ware, “Imagine It Was Us”
31. London Grammar, “Strong”