This year was full of so many disasters. Fortunately, music was not one of them. San Diego hosted a ton of great shows in the last 365 days, and plenty of great albums and songs were released in that time as well.
Here are some of the highlights.
Best shows of 2017 in San Diego
10. Jay-Z at Viejas Arena on 12.19 9. Chance the Rapper at VVCC on 4.24 8. Janet Jackson at VVCC on 10.7 7. Metallica at Petco Park on 8.6
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield and lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett played the bands first set as they opened Sunday night at Petco Park. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield and bassist, Robert Trujillo from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Bassist, Robert Trujillo from Metallica entertained fans at Petco Park on Sunday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield and lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett played the bands first set as they opened Sunday night at Petco Park. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 played for their fans at Petco Park. L-R, Bassist, Robert Trujillo, lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield, drummer, Lars Ulrich and lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett with Metallica entertained fans at Petco Park Sunday night. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 played for their fans at Petco Park. L-R, Bassist, Robert Trujillo, lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield, drummer, Lars Ulrich and lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett with Metallica entertained fans at Petco Park Sunday night. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield and lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett played the bands first set as they opened Sunday night at Petco Park. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Bassist, Robert Trujillo from Metallica entertained fans at Petco Park on Sunday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett with Metallica at Petco Park Sunday night. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield and drummer, Lars Ulrich welcomed fans to Petco Park on Sunday night. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield and lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett played the bands first set as they opened Sunday night at Petco Park. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Bassist, Robert Trujillo from Metallica entertained fans at Petco Park on Sunday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Bassist, Robert Trujillo from Metallica entertained fans at Petco Park on Sunday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield from Metallica played at Petco Park Sunday night in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 played for their fans at Petco Park. L-R, lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett, bassist, Robert Trujillo, lead singer/guitarist, James Hetfield, drummer, Lars Ulrich. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Fans of Metallica packed Petco Park on Sunday for Metallica’s WorldWired tour 2017 in San Diego. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
6. Run The Jewels at Observatory North Park on 1.20 5. Benjamin Booker at Belly Up on 9/29 4. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at Civic Theatre on 6.26 3. Khalid at House of Blues on 7.18 2. Glass Animals at Humphrey’s on 9.19 1. KAABOO DEL MAR at Del Mar Fairgrounds from 9.15-17
The third installment of the annual KAABOO “mixperience” was a good one. The continually varied lineup included a solid roster featuring Weezer, Pink, Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morissette, Ice Cube, David Guetta, Fishbone, and Garbage. Even Shaquille O’Neal got in on the action with a DJ set. But it’s retrospect that puts this 3-day festival in the top spot. KAABOO headliner Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers closed down the festival on Sunday night with a two-hour career-spanning set. No one knew that just two weeks later the rock and roll icon would pass, leaving the Del Mar performance as one of his last.
Best songs of 2017
10. (No One Knows Me) Like The Piano — Sampha 9. Feel It Still — Portugal. The Man 8. Mi Gente (feat. Beyoncé) — J Balvin & Willy William 7. We Love (feat. MNDR) — TOKiMONSTA 6. Love Galore (feat. Travis Scott) — SZA 5. Ascension (feat. Vince Staples) — Gorillaz 4. Silence (feat. Khalid) — Marshmello 3. Plastic — Moses Sumney 2. Call The Police — LCD Soundsystem 1. Humble —Kendrick Lamar
Continuing on his meteoric rise as the greatest rapper alive, Kung Fu Kenny owned 2017 with his April-released album, DAMN. This single, Lamar’s first-ever number one, proved that the Compton rapper’s reach extends much farther than just fans of hip-hop.
(Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)
Best albums of 2017
10. DAMN. — Kendrick Lamar 9. Halo —Juana Molina 8.American Dream — LCD Soundsystem 7.Aromanticism — Moses Sumney 6.Fin — Syd 5.Amar Y Vivir — La Santa Cecilia 4.A Crow Looked at Me — Mount Eerie 3.3 — Run The Jewels 2.Half-Light— Rostam 1.Big Fish Theory — Vince Staples
So many best-of lists have Kendrick as their number one, but this 24-year-old Long Beach rapper takes the top spot here. Perfectly utilizing a solid roster of guests like Kilo Kish, Damon Albarn, Ty Dolla $ign, ASAP Rocky, and Lamar himself, Staples never gets overshadowed on his sophomore effort and takes big risks on this widely varied album.
