MISSING THE CUT:
Muse - "Starlight"
Cut/Copy - "Lights and Music"
Lucinda Williams - "It's a Long Way to the Top"
Leona Lewis - "Bleeding Love" (The distaff British Invasion Of 2008 started here)
Duffy - "Warwick Avenue"
Kardinal Offishal (feat. Akon) - "Dangerous"
N.E.R.D. - "Everyone Nose"
15. Flobots - "Handlebars"
My initial reaction to hearing this for the first time was "What the hell is this? Is it from 2002?" And it sure sounds like it. But there's a lot more going on here under the surface, as Jonny 5 (gotta love a Short Circuit reference) explains.
14. The Fashion - "Like Knives"
The obligatory Madden 09 soundtrack selection.
13. Airbourne - "Runnin' Wild"
There's something going on in Australia where every couple years a new band breaks out that rocks harder than the one that broke out before it. These guys aren't just the natural evolution from Jet and Wolfmother, they clearly worship at the altar of AC/DC more so than any band before them.
12. Duffy - "Mercy"
Aimee certainly isn't the first of the wave of big-voiced British soul singers. I doubt she'll be the last, and she might not even be the best. She just happens to be the latest and the cutest (unless Joss Stone's a blonde again and I missed it), and her heart isn't just on her sleeve on Rockferry, it's wrapped around it tighter than a blood pressure monitor. She could have made this year's list three times. Interestingly, with a different treatment, this becomes a country album. I'll leave the merits of that possibility to the reader.
11. Pacifika - "Sweet"
A light, breezy debut from this trio straight outta Vancouver (by way of Peru and Milwaukee). Latina magazine (Jessica Alba was on the cover. What of it?) described them as "a sexier Thievery Corporation" and I'm on board with that.
10. Staind - "Believe"
Well, they've officially crossed over to the other side. Another one of the sweeping four-minute epics that Aaron Lewis & Co. have done so well for years - and maybe the brightest in tone.
9. Coldplay - "Viva la Vida"
Speaking of sweeping epics...
8. Lupe Fiasco - "Superstar"
The hook can stand on its own. Lupe's ode to fame and... well, more fame makes sure it doesn't have to.
7. Snow Patrol - "Take Back the City"
What a find this was. This is lead singer Gary Lightbody's ode to the comeback of his home city of Belfast, Ireland. "The scars of conflict are still there, but Belfast is regenerating so rapidly."
6. R.E.M. - "Supernatural Superserious"
Man, Accelerate got overlooked. Seriously, check this out - it's their hardest-rocking effort in years.
5. Estelle (feat. Kanye West) - "American Boy"
And thus, the female British Invasion is complete. This was also the best thing Kanye did all year.
4. Gnarls Barkley - "Run"
They've done it again. It's part nursery rhyme, part cautionary tale (though what it's cautioning us against is unclear), all seizure-inducing. No, really. This was the song that MTV pulled the original video for because the visual effects might cause seizures in viewers.
3. Jay-Z - "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)"
A future New Year's Eve party anthem in high-end clubs everywhere.
2. Weezer - "Troublemaker"
It's your typical bouncy Weezer rocker (much in the tradition of the Blue and Green albums before it) with a theme of defiance based on youthful ignorance. You have to admire a video that gets made for almost the sole purpose of breaking a bunch of records, including "Most Ridiculous Porn Mustache." (Seriously, Rivers. Kill that thing before it bites your nose off.)
1. The Hold Steady - "Sequestered in Memphis"
A crowded bar. A lonely man. An incident of mysterious circumstances. Possible beer goggles. Enough sardonic wit to kill a bull elephant at 50 yards. All done by a bunch of guys who look like your high school's A/V club. Well, they've certainly got the "A" down pat.
----------------
Now playing: Feist - 1234 (last year's #15)
via FoxyTunes
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
The Top 15 Of 2007
Guess what's back?
You know the rules by now: the list goes back from December through the previous December. In a change from recent years, the bottom of this list is the one that got the most shuffling, as the top three or four slotted in nicely when all the polls reported.
MAYBE NEXT YEAR. WAIT, NO:
Jay-Z - "Lost One"
Fall Out Boy - "The Takeover, The Break's Over"
R. Kelly & Usher - "Same Girl" (Am I the only one who's stunned that R. Kelly still has a career?)
Beck - "Timebomb"
Paramore - "Misery Business"
Wilco - "What Light"
Nine Inch Nails - "Capital G"
WORST SONG OF NOT ONLY THIS YEAR, BUT RECENT MEMORY:
MIMS - "This Is Why I'm Hot" If music is your savior, you're a fucking heretic.
HIT IT:
15. Feist - "1 2 3 4"
This year's iPod Song of the Year.
14. Reverend and the Makers - "Heavyweight Champion of the World"
Jon McClure says what's on his mind and he's not afraid to tell you that, which has got a section of the English music press going "WTF mate" at his apparent ego and/or sanity. He's also brutally honest, as you can hear in this song that's about something only the absolute best of us have never experienced.
13. DJ Khaled (feat. A-Kon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman & Lil' Wayne) - "We Takin' Over"
This seems like too many guys in the same spot for it to work, but the frenzy in the background actually ties everything together. My question is, what are they actually talking about? Are they backing rebel forces in Central America? I feel like the whole video should be convoys of 18-wheelers pulling into port cities.
12. The Hold Steady - "Stuck Between Stations"
This could have been a modest hit for Elvis Costello in another time.
11. Kanye West (feat. T-Pain) - "The Good Life"
Another variation on a theme by Mr. West. I think Butch's T-Pain/Nate Dogg comparison might be accurate, as he kills his hook here, but I've got no use for his solo stuff (Seriously. The coat check girl. You heard it here first.)
10. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
I'll let Rolling Stone take this one: "Wondering why there were so few great guitar riffs this year? Turns out Jack White used 'em all up in this song."
9. Spoon - "The Underdog"
And this is this year's "song that would have been much higher had it gotten any airplay whatsoever." Though I'm told it shows up in Cloverfield, so I guess that's something. Bonus points for the mariachis in the video.
8. Finger Eleven - "Paralyzer"
I fear history will remember this as their sellout song, and that's a shame because it's actually pretty funny and an unusual step for a group that doesn't usually do stuff like this.
7. Incubus - "Anna Molly"
See, I like it when the boys get tricky. But unlike "Nice To Know You" where the band takes some complex signatures and makes them sound easy while letting you know that it doesn't quite sound ... right, here it's Brandon Boyd wrapping his voice around the title and giving you something you're not expecting.
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Hump de Bump"
As close to a return to their early funk-heavy days as we're going to get.
5. Fall Out Boy - "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race"
I'm hard-pressed to find a band that makes something sound like nothing and yet manages to keep its sense of humor about the whole thing like these guys. There's better lyrics and better musicianship out there (both even in their own catalog), but no song was as much fun to listen to as this one.
4. Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
Forget for a moment the incredibly ironic title. Or that you could arguably trace the "How is that voice coming out of that girl?" question back to Fiona Apple's debut ("Criminal" still holds up, by the way.) Listen to the band. The band absolutely nails this. You could sneak this song onto any record during Motown's peak and it'd fit right in.
3. Kanye West - "Stronger"
Daft Punk! Seriously, who figured Kanye would turn to French house masters to try to do something "fresh and new"? That says a lot about a lot of things. The verses don't really go with the chorus, so it's almost like this is two separate songs, but I'm being nitty.
2. The Game (feat. Kanye West) - "Wouldn't Get Far"
You wouldn't think that the same nine girls that appear in every rap video would become a target worthy of the assault Game unleashes here. But then you come to find out that it's partially because they're the same nine girls that appear in every rap video. I don't know if it's true or not, and I don't really care.
1. Nas - "Hip-Hop Is Dead"
Well, I don't know about dead, but there's no disputing that it's seen much better days. In retrospect, "The Takeover" may have been the best thing that ever happened to Nas - his response to that ("Ether") showed he still had it, and this indictment of what hip-hop has become is some of his best stuff in a long time.
----------------
Now playing: Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto
via FoxyTunes
You know the rules by now: the list goes back from December through the previous December. In a change from recent years, the bottom of this list is the one that got the most shuffling, as the top three or four slotted in nicely when all the polls reported.
MAYBE NEXT YEAR. WAIT, NO:
Jay-Z - "Lost One"
Fall Out Boy - "The Takeover, The Break's Over"
R. Kelly & Usher - "Same Girl" (Am I the only one who's stunned that R. Kelly still has a career?)
Beck - "Timebomb"
Paramore - "Misery Business"
Wilco - "What Light"
Nine Inch Nails - "Capital G"
WORST SONG OF NOT ONLY THIS YEAR, BUT RECENT MEMORY:
MIMS - "This Is Why I'm Hot" If music is your savior, you're a fucking heretic.
HIT IT:
15. Feist - "1 2 3 4"
This year's iPod Song of the Year.
14. Reverend and the Makers - "Heavyweight Champion of the World"
Jon McClure says what's on his mind and he's not afraid to tell you that, which has got a section of the English music press going "WTF mate" at his apparent ego and/or sanity. He's also brutally honest, as you can hear in this song that's about something only the absolute best of us have never experienced.
13. DJ Khaled (feat. A-Kon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman & Lil' Wayne) - "We Takin' Over"
This seems like too many guys in the same spot for it to work, but the frenzy in the background actually ties everything together. My question is, what are they actually talking about? Are they backing rebel forces in Central America? I feel like the whole video should be convoys of 18-wheelers pulling into port cities.
12. The Hold Steady - "Stuck Between Stations"
This could have been a modest hit for Elvis Costello in another time.
11. Kanye West (feat. T-Pain) - "The Good Life"
Another variation on a theme by Mr. West. I think Butch's T-Pain/Nate Dogg comparison might be accurate, as he kills his hook here, but I've got no use for his solo stuff (Seriously. The coat check girl. You heard it here first.)
10. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
I'll let Rolling Stone take this one: "Wondering why there were so few great guitar riffs this year? Turns out Jack White used 'em all up in this song."
9. Spoon - "The Underdog"
And this is this year's "song that would have been much higher had it gotten any airplay whatsoever." Though I'm told it shows up in Cloverfield, so I guess that's something. Bonus points for the mariachis in the video.
8. Finger Eleven - "Paralyzer"
I fear history will remember this as their sellout song, and that's a shame because it's actually pretty funny and an unusual step for a group that doesn't usually do stuff like this.
7. Incubus - "Anna Molly"
See, I like it when the boys get tricky. But unlike "Nice To Know You" where the band takes some complex signatures and makes them sound easy while letting you know that it doesn't quite sound ... right, here it's Brandon Boyd wrapping his voice around the title and giving you something you're not expecting.
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Hump de Bump"
As close to a return to their early funk-heavy days as we're going to get.
5. Fall Out Boy - "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race"
I'm hard-pressed to find a band that makes something sound like nothing and yet manages to keep its sense of humor about the whole thing like these guys. There's better lyrics and better musicianship out there (both even in their own catalog), but no song was as much fun to listen to as this one.
4. Amy Winehouse - "Rehab"
Forget for a moment the incredibly ironic title. Or that you could arguably trace the "How is that voice coming out of that girl?" question back to Fiona Apple's debut ("Criminal" still holds up, by the way.) Listen to the band. The band absolutely nails this. You could sneak this song onto any record during Motown's peak and it'd fit right in.
3. Kanye West - "Stronger"
Daft Punk! Seriously, who figured Kanye would turn to French house masters to try to do something "fresh and new"? That says a lot about a lot of things. The verses don't really go with the chorus, so it's almost like this is two separate songs, but I'm being nitty.
2. The Game (feat. Kanye West) - "Wouldn't Get Far"
You wouldn't think that the same nine girls that appear in every rap video would become a target worthy of the assault Game unleashes here. But then you come to find out that it's partially because they're the same nine girls that appear in every rap video. I don't know if it's true or not, and I don't really care.
1. Nas - "Hip-Hop Is Dead"
Well, I don't know about dead, but there's no disputing that it's seen much better days. In retrospect, "The Takeover" may have been the best thing that ever happened to Nas - his response to that ("Ether") showed he still had it, and this indictment of what hip-hop has become is some of his best stuff in a long time.
----------------
Now playing: Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The Top 15 Of 2006
Yes, it's February and I'm just now getting around to this. But really, I'm not. The top five or so from this past year were the hardest to sort out I think I've had since I started doing this.
So in a year where the full-scale return of sexy was publicized (I didn't even realize it had gone missing), the rap-rock craze breathed its last gasping breaths, leaning and shaking became all the rage, and a supermodel-dumping crybaby-voiced nancy boy threatened to bring the whole thing down, this is what we're left with. The cream of one man's crop.
THANKS FOR PLAYING:
Mary J. Blige - "Enough Cryin'"
Chamillionaire - "Ridin'"
Jay-Z - "Show Me What You Got"
Audioslave - "Revalations"
Bubba Sparxx - "Ms. New Booty"
Field Mob feat. Ciara - "So What"
Gnarls Barkley - "Gone Daddy Gone"
THE LIST:
15. The Killers - "When You Were Young"
You'd think there'd be more bands coming out of Las Vegas. (Yeah, I think people thought they were British when they got big because of their sound and that's where they were when Hot Fuss blew up.) The city's ripe with material, like regrets, expectations and temptations, all of which get touched on by this quartet of native sons.
14. KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
It's so rare that I'm ahead of the curve on these things, but this song caught my attention months before Katharine McPhee covered it on Idol. Months, I say. Let me have this moment. I have so little; don't take this away from me.
13. Three Six Mafia - "Stay Fly"
When you win an Oscar, you can get away with making a whole bunch of songs about smoking pot and nobody will really bat an eyelash. Although I suspect that wouldn't have stopped this Tennessee outfit. What I like about this is that you've got five guys rapping over a beat that doesn't actually change, and none of them have the same style.
12. Beyonce (feat. Jay-Z) - "Deja Vu"
History may go on to remember this as Jay's best rapping of 2006, but it's Beyonce's groovy take on the theme of a woman who's got a guy that's got her all flustered that's the real star of this show.
11. Wolfmother - "Joker and the Thief"
"So I'll tell you all the story", and yet they don't. Not all of it, anyway. This Australian group isn't the next Jet only because they're so different. There's a very heavy and very obvious 70's rock influence in their stuff that I dig.
10. Nelly Furtado (feat. Timbaland) - "Promiscuous"
Wait, what? This was the end result of a semi-reinvention after a disappearing act, a development that had everybody scratching their heads when this dropped, so much so that I kept asking myself "Am I supposed to like this?" for about a month before I decided it didn't matter. Bonus point for the Steve Nash reference.
9. Ghostface Killa (feat. Ne-Yo) - "Back Like That"
Most MC's wouldn't touch a track about a guy feeling both angry and betrayed that his girl cheated on him with his worst enemy because it would sound like an incoherent, blubbering mess. But this is Ghostface, and he'll do what he damn well pleases. Also, this is one of about 43 songs Ne-Yo appeared on this year.
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
The natural successor to "By The Way"? Possibly. What it definitely is is a well-crafted fusion of the Peppers' old, harder rock sound and their more recent, more melodic approach.
7. Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country"
The title comes from Hunter S. Thompson's nickname for the near-wasteland that is the drive from Barstow, Calif., to Las Vegas, a stretch of barren desert that plays tricks on the mind as well as any and all drugs HST was on at the time. This is probably what it feels like.
6. AFI - "Miss Murder"
You may also know them as "A Fire Inside", and they've spent 15 years grinding in the neo-punk scene. This isn't so simple or straightforward, but it does rock.
5. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
Cee-Lo's version of N.E.R.D.? Sort of, but not quite. If anything, he and producer Danger Mouse crossed even more genres. And somehow I must live in the only part of the country that didn't play this on three different stations.
4. Blue October - "Into the Ocean"
I normally hate overly emo, depressing themes in songs. If you're going to get me to like something like this, you have to do it either very well or very differently.
3. Kanye West (feat. Lupe Fiasco) - "Touch The Sky"
It's no "Gold Digger." And Kanye's still an egotistical twit. But this tale of "Hey, I made it! Now what?" is actually kind of fun in its own right. The horns help, as do Kanye's weird enunciation. This is also effectively Lupe Fiasco's debut, and anyone who can drop a Lupin III reference into a rap and have it make sense in context is okay by me.
2. Coldplay - "Talk"
I'm also surprised this wasn't a bigger hit. I think this group has missed the Top 15 exactly once. They've earned some time off.
1. Gomez - "How We Operate"
This prolific British quintet wins the year with a song about love and compromise, about moving forward and making do. It's got a bit of pop and a lot of heart.
So in a year where the full-scale return of sexy was publicized (I didn't even realize it had gone missing), the rap-rock craze breathed its last gasping breaths, leaning and shaking became all the rage, and a supermodel-dumping crybaby-voiced nancy boy threatened to bring the whole thing down, this is what we're left with. The cream of one man's crop.
THANKS FOR PLAYING:
Mary J. Blige - "Enough Cryin'"
Chamillionaire - "Ridin'"
Jay-Z - "Show Me What You Got"
Audioslave - "Revalations"
Bubba Sparxx - "Ms. New Booty"
Field Mob feat. Ciara - "So What"
Gnarls Barkley - "Gone Daddy Gone"
THE LIST:
15. The Killers - "When You Were Young"
You'd think there'd be more bands coming out of Las Vegas. (Yeah, I think people thought they were British when they got big because of their sound and that's where they were when Hot Fuss blew up.) The city's ripe with material, like regrets, expectations and temptations, all of which get touched on by this quartet of native sons.
14. KT Tunstall - "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
It's so rare that I'm ahead of the curve on these things, but this song caught my attention months before Katharine McPhee covered it on Idol. Months, I say. Let me have this moment. I have so little; don't take this away from me.
13. Three Six Mafia - "Stay Fly"
When you win an Oscar, you can get away with making a whole bunch of songs about smoking pot and nobody will really bat an eyelash. Although I suspect that wouldn't have stopped this Tennessee outfit. What I like about this is that you've got five guys rapping over a beat that doesn't actually change, and none of them have the same style.
12. Beyonce (feat. Jay-Z) - "Deja Vu"
History may go on to remember this as Jay's best rapping of 2006, but it's Beyonce's groovy take on the theme of a woman who's got a guy that's got her all flustered that's the real star of this show.
11. Wolfmother - "Joker and the Thief"
"So I'll tell you all the story", and yet they don't. Not all of it, anyway. This Australian group isn't the next Jet only because they're so different. There's a very heavy and very obvious 70's rock influence in their stuff that I dig.
10. Nelly Furtado (feat. Timbaland) - "Promiscuous"
Wait, what? This was the end result of a semi-reinvention after a disappearing act, a development that had everybody scratching their heads when this dropped, so much so that I kept asking myself "Am I supposed to like this?" for about a month before I decided it didn't matter. Bonus point for the Steve Nash reference.
9. Ghostface Killa (feat. Ne-Yo) - "Back Like That"
Most MC's wouldn't touch a track about a guy feeling both angry and betrayed that his girl cheated on him with his worst enemy because it would sound like an incoherent, blubbering mess. But this is Ghostface, and he'll do what he damn well pleases. Also, this is one of about 43 songs Ne-Yo appeared on this year.
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"
The natural successor to "By The Way"? Possibly. What it definitely is is a well-crafted fusion of the Peppers' old, harder rock sound and their more recent, more melodic approach.
7. Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country"
The title comes from Hunter S. Thompson's nickname for the near-wasteland that is the drive from Barstow, Calif., to Las Vegas, a stretch of barren desert that plays tricks on the mind as well as any and all drugs HST was on at the time. This is probably what it feels like.
6. AFI - "Miss Murder"
You may also know them as "A Fire Inside", and they've spent 15 years grinding in the neo-punk scene. This isn't so simple or straightforward, but it does rock.
5. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
Cee-Lo's version of N.E.R.D.? Sort of, but not quite. If anything, he and producer Danger Mouse crossed even more genres. And somehow I must live in the only part of the country that didn't play this on three different stations.
4. Blue October - "Into the Ocean"
I normally hate overly emo, depressing themes in songs. If you're going to get me to like something like this, you have to do it either very well or very differently.
3. Kanye West (feat. Lupe Fiasco) - "Touch The Sky"
It's no "Gold Digger." And Kanye's still an egotistical twit. But this tale of "Hey, I made it! Now what?" is actually kind of fun in its own right. The horns help, as do Kanye's weird enunciation. This is also effectively Lupe Fiasco's debut, and anyone who can drop a Lupin III reference into a rap and have it make sense in context is okay by me.
2. Coldplay - "Talk"
I'm also surprised this wasn't a bigger hit. I think this group has missed the Top 15 exactly once. They've earned some time off.
1. Gomez - "How We Operate"
This prolific British quintet wins the year with a song about love and compromise, about moving forward and making do. It's got a bit of pop and a lot of heart.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Stolen From Max II
Look at the songs listed on this site from the year you turned 18 and make note of the ones you like and dislike.
Love
1. Baby Got Back - Sir Mixx-A-Lott (Come on. How can you not?)
5. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (bigger hit as a reissue)
12. Mysterious Ways - U2
31. One - U2
47. Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
54. Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest
59. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B. Hawkins
73. Tennessee - Arrested Development
Like
3. End Of The Road - Boys II Men
20. Caribbean Blue - Enya
26. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John & George Michael
29. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
32. Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
33. Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane
34. Even Better Than The Real Thing - U2
38. These Are Days - 10,000 Maniacs
43. Layla (Unplugged) - Eric Clapton
46. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
52. Right Now - Van Halen
53. Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
56. Constant Craving - k.d. lang
57. My Lovin (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue
67. Free Your Mind - En Vogue
70. Galileo - Indigo Girls
Guilty Pleasure
17. Rump Shaker - Wreckx-N-Effect
24. Mr. Loverman - Shabba Ranks
39. Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg - TLC
41. Sexy M.F. - Prince (& The New Power Generation)
45. All 4 Love - Color Me Badd
50. Little Miss Can't Be Wrong - The Spin Doctors
61. Jump - Kris Kross
OK With Hearing
6. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
7. Save The Best For Last - Vanessa Williams
8. Come As You Are - Nirvana
9. Jump Around - House Of Pain
16. Lithium - Nirvana (The thing about all the Nirvana songs is that this is the year I started college. So I was pretty sick of them after about a week or so of hearing them nonstop. This also applies to any early Pearl Jam.)
23. Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough - Patty Smyth & Don Henley
35. Beauty and The Beast - Peabo Bryson & Celine Dion
64. Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
71. Just Another Day - Jon Secada
Do Not Remember
4. Move This - Technotronic
11. Twilight Zone - 2 Unlimited
18. Masterpiece - Atlantic Starr
21. Baby Baby Baby - TLC
22. Finally - CeCe Peniston
25. If I Ever Fall In Love - Shai
28. Always Tomorrow - Gloria Estefan
30. The Hitman - AB Logic (This is clearly made up)
36. Everybody'd Free (To Feel Good) - Rozalla
37. Trashy Women - Confederate Railroad
44. Jump! - The Movement
48. Bang Bang - David Sanborn
49. Make It Happen - Mariah Carey
55. Humpin' Around - Bobby Brown
58. Hazard - Richard Marx
60. Am I The Same Girl - Swing Out Sister
62. 57 Channels (and nothin' on) - Bruce Springsteen (I'm not sure how you can be from New Jersey and miss a Springsteen song, but I managed to do it)
65. I Love Your Smile - Shanice (I remember her being cute but I have no recollection of this song, and from the title I probably would have hated it)
66. I Wanna Rock - Luke
68. Keep It Comin' (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More) - C+C Music Factory (I don't think this is the one you all think it is)
69. The One - Elton John
72. Juice (know the ledge) - Eric B. & Rakim
74. Take A Chance On Me - Erasure
75. Good Enough - Bobby Brown
Disliked Hearing
10. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
15. I'll Be There - Mariah Carey
42. Remember The Time - Michael Jackson
51. Can't Let Go - Mariah Carey
63. This Used To Be My Playground - Madonna
Probably Blocked Out as a Mercy to Myself
13. Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks & Dunn
27. To Be With You - Mr. Big (A third-rate Extreme. Does it get worse?)
40. How Do You Talk To An Angel - The Heights
Would Die Happy Never Hearing Again
2. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
14. November Rain - Guns N Roses (Pretentious overblown crap. The beginning of the end.)
19. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
Love
1. Baby Got Back - Sir Mixx-A-Lott (Come on. How can you not?)
5. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (bigger hit as a reissue)
12. Mysterious Ways - U2
31. One - U2
47. Under The Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers
54. Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest
59. Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover - Sophie B. Hawkins
73. Tennessee - Arrested Development
Like
3. End Of The Road - Boys II Men
20. Caribbean Blue - Enya
26. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John & George Michael
29. Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
32. Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
33. Life Is A Highway - Tom Cochrane
34. Even Better Than The Real Thing - U2
38. These Are Days - 10,000 Maniacs
43. Layla (Unplugged) - Eric Clapton
46. Nothing Else Matters - Metallica
52. Right Now - Van Halen
53. Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
56. Constant Craving - k.d. lang
57. My Lovin (You're Never Gonna Get It) - En Vogue
67. Free Your Mind - En Vogue
70. Galileo - Indigo Girls
Guilty Pleasure
17. Rump Shaker - Wreckx-N-Effect
24. Mr. Loverman - Shabba Ranks
39. Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg - TLC
41. Sexy M.F. - Prince (& The New Power Generation)
45. All 4 Love - Color Me Badd
50. Little Miss Can't Be Wrong - The Spin Doctors
61. Jump - Kris Kross
OK With Hearing
6. Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
7. Save The Best For Last - Vanessa Williams
8. Come As You Are - Nirvana
9. Jump Around - House Of Pain
16. Lithium - Nirvana (The thing about all the Nirvana songs is that this is the year I started college. So I was pretty sick of them after about a week or so of hearing them nonstop. This also applies to any early Pearl Jam.)
23. Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough - Patty Smyth & Don Henley
35. Beauty and The Beast - Peabo Bryson & Celine Dion
64. Symphony of Destruction - Megadeth
71. Just Another Day - Jon Secada
Do Not Remember
4. Move This - Technotronic
11. Twilight Zone - 2 Unlimited
18. Masterpiece - Atlantic Starr
21. Baby Baby Baby - TLC
22. Finally - CeCe Peniston
25. If I Ever Fall In Love - Shai
28. Always Tomorrow - Gloria Estefan
30. The Hitman - AB Logic (This is clearly made up)
36. Everybody'd Free (To Feel Good) - Rozalla
37. Trashy Women - Confederate Railroad
44. Jump! - The Movement
48. Bang Bang - David Sanborn
49. Make It Happen - Mariah Carey
55. Humpin' Around - Bobby Brown
58. Hazard - Richard Marx
60. Am I The Same Girl - Swing Out Sister
62. 57 Channels (and nothin' on) - Bruce Springsteen (I'm not sure how you can be from New Jersey and miss a Springsteen song, but I managed to do it)
65. I Love Your Smile - Shanice (I remember her being cute but I have no recollection of this song, and from the title I probably would have hated it)
66. I Wanna Rock - Luke
68. Keep It Comin' (Dance Till You Can't Dance No More) - C+C Music Factory (I don't think this is the one you all think it is)
69. The One - Elton John
72. Juice (know the ledge) - Eric B. & Rakim
74. Take A Chance On Me - Erasure
75. Good Enough - Bobby Brown
Disliked Hearing
10. I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston
15. I'll Be There - Mariah Carey
42. Remember The Time - Michael Jackson
51. Can't Let Go - Mariah Carey
63. This Used To Be My Playground - Madonna
Probably Blocked Out as a Mercy to Myself
13. Boot Scootin' Boogie - Brooks & Dunn
27. To Be With You - Mr. Big (A third-rate Extreme. Does it get worse?)
40. How Do You Talk To An Angel - The Heights
Would Die Happy Never Hearing Again
2. I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
14. November Rain - Guns N Roses (Pretentious overblown crap. The beginning of the end.)
19. Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
The Top 15 Of 2005
Before the festivities, a confession.
I haven't really been paying attention this year.
I'm not sure why, but it probably starts with how little radio I listened to last year. So little that, when I started the list, I wasn't sure I could come up with 15 songs I liked (and the first draft, indeed, stopped at 13 or so.) What I did come up with is heavily slanted towards the beginning of the year (I go December to December. It's easier to follow than the Grammys, at any rate).
Onward.
15. Amerie - "1 Thing"
Poorly mixed drums aside, this is good stuff. But Amerie's holding out on us. She never tells us what that... thing is. Come on! Spill it! Suckas gots to know!
14. Weezer - "We Are All On Drugs"
It's not supposed to be ironic, I don't think. It just sounds like it is.
13. Ringside - "Tired Of Being Sorry"
The best song this year you never heard.
12. Jay-Z & Linkin Park - "Encore vs. Numb"
Weren't you supposed to retire, Hov? Have mash-ups become the Next Big Thing yet or did they already disappear faster than Vogue-ing? And how much higher would this be if I actually liked Linkin Park?
11. Ciara - "Oh"
I have no special place smelling of citrus and feeling like triple-ply soft to the touch to go to when this song plays. Though it's worth it just to hear a girl sing the word "crunk" and have it throw you off just a little bit.
10. Coldplay - "Speed of Sound"
How do they keep doing it?
9. T.I. - "Bring 'Em Out"
Because every list needs a club anthem and I never got into "Disco Inferno". Seems like a waste of Jay-Z, though.
8. Ludacris - "Get Back"
The man's trying to get his groove on. Don't interrupt him.
7. Usher, Lil' Jon and Ludacris - "Lovers And Friends"
Lil' Jon on a slow jam? WHAT? These three teamed up and hit a solid double with "Yeah!" last year, but the fact that this song was even conveived of, let alone that it actually happened... that's a home run. I'm still surprised this didn't end up higher.
6. Audioslave - "Be Yourself"
This -- once I realized it wasn't the Chili Peppers after the third listen or so -- doesn't sound like anything anyone in this band has ever done.
5. Rihanna - "Pon de Replay"
You just started dancing in your seat. Admit it.
4. A Perfect Circle - "Passive"
I wonder how Maynard decides what he's going to do for Tool and what he's going to do for this side project of his. Do you like anger? Do you like defiance? Do you like people who just bring it? Then here's your song.
3. Franz Ferdinand - "This Fire"
I'm sure something from the new album'll crack the list for 06. But in the meantime, here's one that sneaked in under the wire. And haven't we all had at least one someone who's driven us to feel like this?
2. The Game & 50 Cent - "Hate It or Love It"
Easily the best of their collaborations before their ugly beef and split. I think they'll both be fine on their own, but this was so damn good I feel a little cheated.
1. Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
2004's Artist of the Year coming back strong? Check. Being funny and isnightful? Check. Getting Jamie Foxx to do his Ray Charles impression on the hook? Check. Yet another GEICO reference? Are they paying him off or something? No matter.
I haven't really been paying attention this year.
I'm not sure why, but it probably starts with how little radio I listened to last year. So little that, when I started the list, I wasn't sure I could come up with 15 songs I liked (and the first draft, indeed, stopped at 13 or so.) What I did come up with is heavily slanted towards the beginning of the year (I go December to December. It's easier to follow than the Grammys, at any rate).
Onward.
15. Amerie - "1 Thing"
Poorly mixed drums aside, this is good stuff. But Amerie's holding out on us. She never tells us what that... thing is. Come on! Spill it! Suckas gots to know!
14. Weezer - "We Are All On Drugs"
It's not supposed to be ironic, I don't think. It just sounds like it is.
13. Ringside - "Tired Of Being Sorry"
The best song this year you never heard.
12. Jay-Z & Linkin Park - "Encore vs. Numb"
Weren't you supposed to retire, Hov? Have mash-ups become the Next Big Thing yet or did they already disappear faster than Vogue-ing? And how much higher would this be if I actually liked Linkin Park?
11. Ciara - "Oh"
I have no special place smelling of citrus and feeling like triple-ply soft to the touch to go to when this song plays. Though it's worth it just to hear a girl sing the word "crunk" and have it throw you off just a little bit.
10. Coldplay - "Speed of Sound"
How do they keep doing it?
9. T.I. - "Bring 'Em Out"
Because every list needs a club anthem and I never got into "Disco Inferno". Seems like a waste of Jay-Z, though.
8. Ludacris - "Get Back"
The man's trying to get his groove on. Don't interrupt him.
7. Usher, Lil' Jon and Ludacris - "Lovers And Friends"
Lil' Jon on a slow jam? WHAT? These three teamed up and hit a solid double with "Yeah!" last year, but the fact that this song was even conveived of, let alone that it actually happened... that's a home run. I'm still surprised this didn't end up higher.
6. Audioslave - "Be Yourself"
This -- once I realized it wasn't the Chili Peppers after the third listen or so -- doesn't sound like anything anyone in this band has ever done.
5. Rihanna - "Pon de Replay"
You just started dancing in your seat. Admit it.
4. A Perfect Circle - "Passive"
I wonder how Maynard decides what he's going to do for Tool and what he's going to do for this side project of his. Do you like anger? Do you like defiance? Do you like people who just bring it? Then here's your song.
3. Franz Ferdinand - "This Fire"
I'm sure something from the new album'll crack the list for 06. But in the meantime, here's one that sneaked in under the wire. And haven't we all had at least one someone who's driven us to feel like this?
2. The Game & 50 Cent - "Hate It or Love It"
Easily the best of their collaborations before their ugly beef and split. I think they'll both be fine on their own, but this was so damn good I feel a little cheated.
1. Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx - "Gold Digger"
2004's Artist of the Year coming back strong? Check. Being funny and isnightful? Check. Getting Jamie Foxx to do his Ray Charles impression on the hook? Check. Yet another GEICO reference? Are they paying him off or something? No matter.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
The Top 15 Of 2004
2004 was a... strange year music-wise. The lines that defined genres continued to blur even as people tired even harder to compartmentalize music. "Welcome Back Kotter" got used in a hook. Korn covered "Word Up." (Yes, THAT Korn. And yes, THAT "Word Up".) Through it all, here's 15 songs that stood out.
15. U2 - "Vertigo"
What comes after catorce? The NEW iPod anthem, that's what.
14. Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
The title makes you think "The radio's not gonna play this." The content makes you think "There's NO WAY the radio's gonna play this." Kanye may be an insufferable egomaniac, but give him credit; he called radio out and pulled it off.
13. The Hives - "Walk Idiot Walk"
Any placement irony is purely unintentional.
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Fortune Faded"
"Now put away your welcome / soon you'll find you've overstayed it" You guys? Nah. We like it when you come around.
11. Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
Musically, the latest British darlings of the hipster set like to keep it simple. But it doesn't always work out when your fans decide you're so hip you can't get into your own after party.
10. Slum Village (f. Kanye West) - "Selfish"
It's like "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" except not.
9. Belle & Sebastian - "Step Into My Office, Baby"
It's sexual harrassment in the workplace hilariously turned on its head. Gotta love it.
8. Incubus - "Talk Show On Mute"
A slow, mellow critique of the juggernaut that is the new celebrity culture. Dovetails quite nicely with...
7. Kanye West - "All Falls Down"
Yeah, it's him again, this time with an impassioned commentary on a society drowning in materialism.
6. Snoop Dogg & Pharrell - "Drop It Like It's Hot"
The Dogg returns to his minimalist roots.
5. Citizen Cope - "Bullet And A Target"
Big picture, little picture. Big picture, little picture. Big picture...
4. Lostprophets - "Make A Move"
The kind of song that makes you want to run through a wall. But in a good way.
3. Kanye West - "Through The Wire"
And that wire's quite literal. Kanye's fourth appearance on the countdown is with a song inspired by and recorded during his recovery from a car accident that busted up his jaw and nearly killed him.
2. Black Eyed Peas - "Let's Get Retarded"
Ritardando is a musical term meaning "to slow down". Fergie told me that. At least I think that's what she said; I was too busy bobbing my head at the time.
1. Jay-Z, "99 Problems"
Now this is how you go out on top. You hook up with the producer who started the rap-rock fusion craze and you tell everyone else fighting for your scraps that they'll have to kill you to knock you off. The entire second verse is a thing of beauty, and the hook is Jay taking yet another shot at Nas. "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one." You got that right, Jay. So it's the Song Of The Year.
15. U2 - "Vertigo"
What comes after catorce? The NEW iPod anthem, that's what.
14. Kanye West - "Jesus Walks"
The title makes you think "The radio's not gonna play this." The content makes you think "There's NO WAY the radio's gonna play this." Kanye may be an insufferable egomaniac, but give him credit; he called radio out and pulled it off.
13. The Hives - "Walk Idiot Walk"
Any placement irony is purely unintentional.
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Fortune Faded"
"Now put away your welcome / soon you'll find you've overstayed it" You guys? Nah. We like it when you come around.
11. Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
Musically, the latest British darlings of the hipster set like to keep it simple. But it doesn't always work out when your fans decide you're so hip you can't get into your own after party.
10. Slum Village (f. Kanye West) - "Selfish"
It's like "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" except not.
9. Belle & Sebastian - "Step Into My Office, Baby"
It's sexual harrassment in the workplace hilariously turned on its head. Gotta love it.
8. Incubus - "Talk Show On Mute"
A slow, mellow critique of the juggernaut that is the new celebrity culture. Dovetails quite nicely with...
7. Kanye West - "All Falls Down"
Yeah, it's him again, this time with an impassioned commentary on a society drowning in materialism.
6. Snoop Dogg & Pharrell - "Drop It Like It's Hot"
The Dogg returns to his minimalist roots.
5. Citizen Cope - "Bullet And A Target"
Big picture, little picture. Big picture, little picture. Big picture...
4. Lostprophets - "Make A Move"
The kind of song that makes you want to run through a wall. But in a good way.
3. Kanye West - "Through The Wire"
And that wire's quite literal. Kanye's fourth appearance on the countdown is with a song inspired by and recorded during his recovery from a car accident that busted up his jaw and nearly killed him.
2. Black Eyed Peas - "Let's Get Retarded"
Ritardando is a musical term meaning "to slow down". Fergie told me that. At least I think that's what she said; I was too busy bobbing my head at the time.
1. Jay-Z, "99 Problems"
Now this is how you go out on top. You hook up with the producer who started the rap-rock fusion craze and you tell everyone else fighting for your scraps that they'll have to kill you to knock you off. The entire second verse is a thing of beauty, and the hook is Jay taking yet another shot at Nas. "I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one." You got that right, Jay. So it's the Song Of The Year.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
The Top 20 Of 2003
I do this every year.
Usually I keep it to 15 and do some random honorable mentions here and there, but this year I'm going to 20 mostly because of the disturbing and possibly appalling lack of across-the-board quality. There's more hip-hop than ever on this list, which is either a statement about my evolving tastes or a statement about the condition of the rock scene. In an odd set of circumstances, the beginning and end of the year were goldmines, while the middle, especially the summer, was almost a wasteland. Gah.
I LOVE YOU... JUST NOT QUITE LIKE A FAT KID LOVES CAKE
Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why"
Killer Mike - "AKshun (Yeah!)", "A.D.I.D.A.S."
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z - "Crazy In Love"
DMX - "X Gonna Give It To You"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Outkast - "Bust"
Foo Fighters - "Times Like These"
Chingy feat. Snoop Dogg & Ludacris - "Holidae Inn"
AWAY WE GO
#20 - OutKast (feat. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown), "The Way You Move"
Here's what kind of year 2003 was music-wise: Two groups have two songs in this year's countdown (one has three), and two others easily could have joined them. Here's one now. This was a hard pick just because it's the last one and there were several other songs that could've gone here. I guess making a used car lot look like a fun, hip place got it the nod. Plus, I like the way it moves. :)
#19 - Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"
It's the iPod anthem! This sounds like something you?d expect to be played by a garage band. Sometimes that's a good thing.
#18 - Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson), "Beautiful"
If nothing else, 2003 will be remembered as the year the unthinkable happened - Snoop went mainstream. This song never would have happened 10 years ago. Hell, five years ago. From celebrating an illicit house party with loose women, tight weed, and flowing booze to singing the praises of a longtime love. The Dogg's come a long way.
#17 - t.A.t.U., "All The Things She Said"
Some of us were first introduced to this allegedly-lesbian Russian duo through wrestling, of all things - remixed, it is the entrance theme for Victoria, a psychotic, obsessive female grappler. The band's since broken up, but she's still using the song. Hey, maybe this is why she's NUTS.
#16 - Eminem, Obie Trice & DMX, "Go To Sleep"
Last year's #1 teams up here with one of his boys from Detroit and a New York rap legend. Full of vitriol and defiance, these are not three guys I want to meet in a dark alley after pissing them off. Em KILLS on this.
#15 - Queens of the Stone Age, "Go With The Flow"
Dave Grohl's endorsement (and drumming on their first single) put this group on the map. They were good enough on their own to take it from there.
#14 - Radiohead, "There There"
These Brits have a habit of sneaking up on people, and they've been doing it for a decade. I like this song because of the way the music layers and builds behind and with the lyrics until it explodes... then settles down as if nothing happened.
#13 - Coldplay, "The Scientist"
I'm gonna save my words because I'm just getting started with this group. This right here is one of those "roll down sleeve, put heart on it" songs that they do so well.
#12 - Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life"
It was about 25 years ago when soundtracks or "music from the motion picture" albums started evolving from collections of throwaway singles to a way for popular artists to crank out the occasional new song between albums. They also became ways for new bands to break out. Case in point. I can't listen to Amy Lee's voice enough.
#11 - Staind, "Price To Play"
Why can the WWE only pick good theme songs for Vengeance and none of its other PPVs? Regardless, this group turned up the tempo and broadened its palette, and found more and different things to say as a result, turning this song from a departure to the beginning of an evolution. You'd think more rock bands would, y'know, try that.
#10 - Coldplay, "Clocks"
One of the most musically melodic songs of recent years. I dare you to get it out of your head.
#9 - Outkast (feat. Andre 3000), "Hey Ya"
The other half of this Southern hip-hop outfit's half of their double disc took a risky trip off the hip-hop path, creating a sound that was completely unique this year. Bonus points for the Lyric of the Year.
#8 - Foo Fighters, "All My Life"
At the other end of the spectrum, these guys know what works for them, and they do it well enough that they can stick to it and still be successful. I always liked that drummer Nirvana had. I wonder whatever happened to him?
#7 - The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
Are they brother and sister? Are they ex-husband and wife? Are they possibly certifiable? Does it matter when they can keep putting out such offbeat yet clever songs?
#6 - Coldplay, "Moses (live)"
Yeah, they're Band of the Year. I'm out of words.
#5 - 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
Typical story: boy grows up in Queens, boy aspires to be a rapper, boy gets shot nine times, boy survives getting shot nine times, boy goes on to simultaneously counter and enhance gangsta image with club anthem that'll be bumping 40 years from now. Like I said, typical story.
#4 - Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom"
The band took its name from a New Jersey statuary shop, this album's name from a hotel billboard, and the idea for the song from THE ENTIRETY OF TEENAGE MALE EXISTENCE. I don't remember who had the hot mom among my group of friends. The next unattractive Stac(e)y I meet, however, will be the first. The song single-handedly saved a barren summer, while the video single-handedly revived the career of Rachel Hunter, both of which are Good Things.
#3 - The Roots (feat. Cody Chesnutt), "The Seed [2.0]"
This revolutionary Philadelphia rap band (Yes, a band. With instruments and everything) either dug up or stole a flat-out unreal rock hook and do their best Stones impression while making infidelity sound funky and not quite so bad. The lesson: USE PROTECTION. Unless, of course, you're trying to be a baby daddy like this guy.
#2 - Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"
Probably the best song this year you never heard. Proof that "pop" isn't always a four-letter word, this well-crafted, complex yet catchy piece actually has a very simple theme.
#1 - Talib Kweli, "Get By"
He has been at the forefront of the New York hip-hop underground for years. His collaborations with Hi-Tek and Mos Def have played to critical acclaim. In 2003 he struck out on his own and brought a thoughtful consciousness to the game, a brutal honesty without the brashness.
THAT'S IT! THAT'S the list!
Usually I keep it to 15 and do some random honorable mentions here and there, but this year I'm going to 20 mostly because of the disturbing and possibly appalling lack of across-the-board quality. There's more hip-hop than ever on this list, which is either a statement about my evolving tastes or a statement about the condition of the rock scene. In an odd set of circumstances, the beginning and end of the year were goldmines, while the middle, especially the summer, was almost a wasteland. Gah.
I LOVE YOU... JUST NOT QUITE LIKE A FAT KID LOVES CAKE
Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why"
Killer Mike - "AKshun (Yeah!)", "A.D.I.D.A.S."
Beyonce feat. Jay-Z - "Crazy In Love"
DMX - "X Gonna Give It To You"
The White Stripes - "The Hardest Button to Button"
Outkast - "Bust"
Foo Fighters - "Times Like These"
Chingy feat. Snoop Dogg & Ludacris - "Holidae Inn"
AWAY WE GO
#20 - OutKast (feat. Big Boi & Sleepy Brown), "The Way You Move"
Here's what kind of year 2003 was music-wise: Two groups have two songs in this year's countdown (one has three), and two others easily could have joined them. Here's one now. This was a hard pick just because it's the last one and there were several other songs that could've gone here. I guess making a used car lot look like a fun, hip place got it the nod. Plus, I like the way it moves. :)
#19 - Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"
It's the iPod anthem! This sounds like something you?d expect to be played by a garage band. Sometimes that's a good thing.
#18 - Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson), "Beautiful"
If nothing else, 2003 will be remembered as the year the unthinkable happened - Snoop went mainstream. This song never would have happened 10 years ago. Hell, five years ago. From celebrating an illicit house party with loose women, tight weed, and flowing booze to singing the praises of a longtime love. The Dogg's come a long way.
#17 - t.A.t.U., "All The Things She Said"
Some of us were first introduced to this allegedly-lesbian Russian duo through wrestling, of all things - remixed, it is the entrance theme for Victoria, a psychotic, obsessive female grappler. The band's since broken up, but she's still using the song. Hey, maybe this is why she's NUTS.
#16 - Eminem, Obie Trice & DMX, "Go To Sleep"
Last year's #1 teams up here with one of his boys from Detroit and a New York rap legend. Full of vitriol and defiance, these are not three guys I want to meet in a dark alley after pissing them off. Em KILLS on this.
#15 - Queens of the Stone Age, "Go With The Flow"
Dave Grohl's endorsement (and drumming on their first single) put this group on the map. They were good enough on their own to take it from there.
#14 - Radiohead, "There There"
These Brits have a habit of sneaking up on people, and they've been doing it for a decade. I like this song because of the way the music layers and builds behind and with the lyrics until it explodes... then settles down as if nothing happened.
#13 - Coldplay, "The Scientist"
I'm gonna save my words because I'm just getting started with this group. This right here is one of those "roll down sleeve, put heart on it" songs that they do so well.
#12 - Evanescence, "Bring Me To Life"
It was about 25 years ago when soundtracks or "music from the motion picture" albums started evolving from collections of throwaway singles to a way for popular artists to crank out the occasional new song between albums. They also became ways for new bands to break out. Case in point. I can't listen to Amy Lee's voice enough.
#11 - Staind, "Price To Play"
Why can the WWE only pick good theme songs for Vengeance and none of its other PPVs? Regardless, this group turned up the tempo and broadened its palette, and found more and different things to say as a result, turning this song from a departure to the beginning of an evolution. You'd think more rock bands would, y'know, try that.
#10 - Coldplay, "Clocks"
One of the most musically melodic songs of recent years. I dare you to get it out of your head.
#9 - Outkast (feat. Andre 3000), "Hey Ya"
The other half of this Southern hip-hop outfit's half of their double disc took a risky trip off the hip-hop path, creating a sound that was completely unique this year. Bonus points for the Lyric of the Year.
#8 - Foo Fighters, "All My Life"
At the other end of the spectrum, these guys know what works for them, and they do it well enough that they can stick to it and still be successful. I always liked that drummer Nirvana had. I wonder whatever happened to him?
#7 - The White Stripes, "Seven Nation Army"
Are they brother and sister? Are they ex-husband and wife? Are they possibly certifiable? Does it matter when they can keep putting out such offbeat yet clever songs?
#6 - Coldplay, "Moses (live)"
Yeah, they're Band of the Year. I'm out of words.
#5 - 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
Typical story: boy grows up in Queens, boy aspires to be a rapper, boy gets shot nine times, boy survives getting shot nine times, boy goes on to simultaneously counter and enhance gangsta image with club anthem that'll be bumping 40 years from now. Like I said, typical story.
#4 - Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom"
The band took its name from a New Jersey statuary shop, this album's name from a hotel billboard, and the idea for the song from THE ENTIRETY OF TEENAGE MALE EXISTENCE. I don't remember who had the hot mom among my group of friends. The next unattractive Stac(e)y I meet, however, will be the first. The song single-handedly saved a barren summer, while the video single-handedly revived the career of Rachel Hunter, both of which are Good Things.
#3 - The Roots (feat. Cody Chesnutt), "The Seed [2.0]"
This revolutionary Philadelphia rap band (Yes, a band. With instruments and everything) either dug up or stole a flat-out unreal rock hook and do their best Stones impression while making infidelity sound funky and not quite so bad. The lesson: USE PROTECTION. Unless, of course, you're trying to be a baby daddy like this guy.
#2 - Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)"
Probably the best song this year you never heard. Proof that "pop" isn't always a four-letter word, this well-crafted, complex yet catchy piece actually has a very simple theme.
#1 - Talib Kweli, "Get By"
He has been at the forefront of the New York hip-hop underground for years. His collaborations with Hi-Tek and Mos Def have played to critical acclaim. In 2003 he struck out on his own and brought a thoughtful consciousness to the game, a brutal honesty without the brashness.
THAT'S IT! THAT'S the list!
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