tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54995119296709230852011-10-02T14:46:57.317+01:00And other related lists100 Greatest Songs Of The Noughtieshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09401237592825947928noreply@blogger.comBlogger1051100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499511929670923085.post-23617237065733667092010-12-31T16:09:00.004Z2010-12-31T16:18:44.852Z

10 Flashforward A crime that this was cancelled by ABC after improving exponentially as the first series progressed. This filled the 'Lost'-shaped hole in the schedules perfectly. 9 Ask Rhod Gilbert Surprisingly funny and original concept for a panel show. Rhod's flatmate Lloyd was the star of the show. Like QI on drugs. 8 Whites Brilliantly understated kitchen-based comedy from Alan Davies,

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20 Everything Everything - Man Alive Released: 30th August Manchester quartet manage to avoid sounding like any other indie scenesters around at present thanks to a mish-mash of genres, Jonathan Higgs' distinguishable falsetto, and lyrics about war, surrealism and airbrushing. Highlight: The "too-cool-for-school" choruses of 'MY KZ, YR BF' and 'Photoshop Handsome' have been deserving of their

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20BoB ft. Hayley Williams - AirplanesReleased: 9th AugustVideo hereIt's a pretty-enough tune and decent rapping from B.O.B, but the Paramore frontwoman makes it her own, and in the process, creates one of the surprise chart hits of 2010.19Bullet For My Valentine - The Last Fight Released: 19th AprilVideo here Aggressive Welsh rockers are fast becoming world-class. Dunno what it is about a killer

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In my first year of university (2000-2001), my weekly essay deadline was 9am on Friday mornings. Which meant that Thursday night was 'Essay Panic Night'. Earlier each week, I would have done the required reading, and most weeks, I'd settle down to start writing on that week's topic at about 5pm on Thursday. At about 11pm, I'd be making good progress, but instead of sticking with it and finishing

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Back at the beginning of the decade, I was DJing on student radio, writing for both the student newspaper and a number of independent webzines, and, as a result, receiving vast quantities of promo CDs and album samplers. More than I could ever possibly listen to, in fact. They say "never judge a book by its cover" but I was often forced to choose which CDs to review based on what the artwork

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I first discovered Ladytron when their debut album, '604' was released in 2001. 'Playgirl', that album's lead single, received reasonable amounts of airplay on Xfm, and I began incorporating that song into my DJ sets at around that time - indeed, I believe I played 'Playgirl' at that same party I mentioned when discussing my #72 song of the decade.But Ladytron remain one of Britain's most

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Another long delay. I'm good at starting "projects", less good at finishing them. Ah well, nearly there now.The credit for my #4 song of the decade really goes to Xenomania, the production duo of Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper. 'Sound Of The Underground' was one of 60 songs that the pair had written with the intention of launching their own girl group. Yet their project failed to get off the

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Xfm, the radio station I listened to more than any other over the past 10 years, named 'Mr. Brightside' their Song of the Decade. So did Absolute Radio. I haven't gone quite that far, but #5 in my countdown is still a respectable showing for a much-loved indie anthem. If you needed further proof of the song's popularity, consider this - the song, first released in June 2004, has just re-entered

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Erica Campbell and Tina Atkins are probably the least famous act to appear in my list, yet they have probably been the premiere act in their genre for the past decade. The genre in question would be best described as urban gospel, and it has earned the sisters two Grammys, book-ending the decade (in 2000, for this song, and in 2009 for their latest album). Few other acts have managed to take the

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"It's not the song, it's not the girls themselves, it's the way their manager has admitted that he's marketed them as under age entertainment."Judy FinniganThe furore over the video for T.A.T.U's debut single was front page news in Britain, especially when Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan described the song and its video as "sick" and "paedophilic entertainment". In response, T.A.T.U's fans

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I went on YouTube last night, searching for the video for the next song in my countdown. As has often been the case in my research for this list, the record label have prevented the official music video from being embedded, so I was forced to look for a suitable live video.In doing so, I discovered exactly why Beyonce is such a special live performer, the most gifted pop star of her generation. I

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It was the pace with which I fell in love which startled me the most. I'd never heard of Los Campesinos! before the final week of May 2007, let alone heard any of their songs. Within a month, I'd seen them play two live shows - one at the Scala in London, and the other in a torrential downpour at Glastonbury. They were on the brand new Park Stage at the Somerset festival, and it was a testament

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Yes, yes, I know. Should've been finished with this list before the end of 2009. I can only apologise for my extreme tardiness. Now, on with the Top 10.At number 10 in my countdown (and I'm prepared for a lot of mocking criticism of this selection), one of the more surprising hits of the past decade. In June and July 2003, sandwiched between number ones from R Kelly ('Ignition') and Beyonce ('

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In true chart fashion, as we enter the top 10, let's just refresh our memories of the previous 90 songs in my countdown. Click on the link for an individual entry. Also, you can listen to a Spotify playlist featuring the songs in my countdown here.100 The Streets – Blinded By The Lights 99 The Libertines – Time For Heroes 98 Ian Brown – Fear 97 Infernal - From Paris To Berlin 96 White Lies -

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Here's a list of winners of UK and US Pop Idol/American Idol/X Factor/Popstars series this decade: Hear'Say, Girls Aloud, One True Voice, Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, Jordin Sparks, David Cook, Kris Allen, Will Young, Michelle McManus, Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson, Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry. Safe to say that

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I wasn't allowed to watch 'Neighbours'. My parents didn't approve of soap operas. But I knew what it was, I'd heard the other kids at school talking about it. Occasionally, my Mum would go out after picking us up from school and would leave us with a nanny or babysitter. On those days, I'd sneak into the lounge and catch a furtive glimpse of that illicit TV delight. I was well aware who Charlene

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What's not to like about The Hives? A lead singer called Howlin' Pelle Almqvist? A guitarist who goes by the name Vigilante, and a bassist called Dr Destruction? Trademark matching black and white suits? The self-confidence to release what amounted to a 'debut' album, and calling it 'Your New Favourite Band'? Hyper-energetic live performances of straight-down-the-line, good ol' fashioned rock and

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"Kore kara minna de mechakucha odotte... sawagou, sawagou"Timbaland's fingerprints are all over the musical canon of the Noughties. His career began in the 90s, producing for the likes of Aaliyah, Usher, Nas and Jay Z, yet it's his work this decade that has catapulted him to 22nd in the list of all-time most successful producers, based on weeks spent in the UK Top 40 by songs written by him. That

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Back when I was a teenager, I used to learn lyrics to my favourite songs. I considered it a sign of just how "with it" I was that I could recite all the words to The Offspring's 'Self Esteem' or any number of Nirvana songs. In time, I stopped intentionally learning lyrics, but the way my brain works, I still have a good recall for lyrics, especially those I've heard often.I can recite all the

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"Like a monkey with a miniature cymbal"The nonsensical playfulness of 'Over and Over' was a breath of fresh air blowing through the British alternative music scene in 2006. Hot Chip's insanely addictive club floor-filler was NME's Single of the Year, and, as I'd mentioned previously, was inescapable that summer. Yet it didn't suffer from overkill, probably because of its inherent freshness and

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The best song ever to feature a jam block (it's not a cowbell, fact fans) as its central instrument, 'Little Sister' was the first single, and standout track on QOTSA's 2005 album, 'Lullabies To Paralyze'. Recorded live in their Sound City Studio in just one take, frontman Josh Homme has described it as a "sexually charged" reworking of the Elvis Presley song of the same name. Four quick knocks

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My favourite song of 2008. The whistling one that isn't Peter, Bjorn and John. The sound of that summer. The mandatory Laura Marling guest appearance (it seemed like she popped up on just about every folk hit of 2008). Twickenham-based Noah & The Whale released a song that on first glance seemed joyously happy, but on digging deeper, revealed its pessimistic side. The "sun, sun, sun", "fun, fun,

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I already wrote briefly about Muse's Wembley Stadium show when I placed 'Knights of Cydonia' at number 60 in my countdown. Watching the gig footage of 'Plug In Baby' (below) brought back more happy memories of the greatest gig I ever attended.I was a Muse fan very early - I bought their debut album, 'Showbiz' shortly after it was released in 1999, and played the album to death. So for me

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Just lovely.NB - This is not the actual video for the song, but instead, the trailer for Sir David Attenborough's award-winning BBC TV series, Planet Earth. I prefer this one.

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One of my favourite Bloc Party lyrics is "live the dream like the Eighties never happened" and that's precisely how Elly Jackson, daughter of DCI June Ackland from TV's 'The Bill', has been conducting the past twelve months of her life. From being tipped for big things by the BBC at the start of the year, Elly and producer Ben Langmaid went on to release a gold-certified self-titled debut album,

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Interpol are the New York band who made it cool to be miserable. And 'Evil', from their second album 'Antics' was their biggest hit of the decade (#18 in the UK singles chart), the sound of a band truly achieving the potential that they had already demonstrated on their debut album, 'Turn On The Bright Lights'.Make no mistake, 'Evil' is a thoroughly depressing song. It opens with the haunting

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Before she became the subject of national controversy for having the temerity to try and replace Arlene Phillips as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing (Arlene Who?), even before her solo career, Miss Alesha Dixon was a member (or more accurately, the face) of Mis-Teeq.UK garage was approaching the end of its sojourn at the top of the charts when the London trio released their debut album 'Licking

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"I sit here contending with this cheese on toast"I remember where I first heard 'Witness (One Hope)'. It was winter 2001, I was at University, and went to see some live hip-hop at Oxford's Cellar Bar. In between acts, the DJ dropped this one, and later the same evening, played it again after being inundated with requests from the student masses.Rodney Smith's debut album, 'Brand New Second Hand'

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Liverpool has a rich musical tradition; Gerry & The Pacemakers, Echo & The Bunnymen, The La's, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, that one from the Sugababes' original lineup... and I'm sure there's someone else I'm missing.This decade, in particular, has seen a revival in the finest guitar band traditions of the city, with The Zutons, The Wombats, The Dead 60s and The Coral all enjoying success with

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Proving the precise point I was making at the start of the last post, here comes a track by a band who have been disappointing on the two occasions I've seen them play live. Kings of Leon are definitely one of those bands who sound much better on record.I'm going to say very little about this one, as it's probably the most well-known song of the past 18 months (it's this or Lady Gaga). But I know

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Some bands record stunning albums and then struggle to translate those songs into a compelling live performance. Other bands play stunning gigs, but release albums of middling quality. Getting the balance right is clearly tricky, and only the very best bands can do both. What you want is a live show which stays true to the original songs, but offers enough twists and nuances to make it feel

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A second consecutive protest song, and the second song in my countdown directly inspired by George 'Dubya'.For a brief while, it appeared that Incubus were on course to become one of the world's biggest bands. The 2001 single 'Drive' won Billboard's Modern Rock Song of the Year and went to #9 in the US charts. Their fifth studio album, 'A Crow Left Of The Murder' (the record on which '

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Two years before 'Bowling For Columbine' (and subsequently 'Fahrenheit 9/11') made Michael Moore a household name, he directed my favourite music video of all time. On January 26, 2000, the New York Stock Exchange was forced to lock its doors in the middle of the day. A large crowd had gathered on Wall Street, where Rage Against The Machine were filming their anti-capitalist video to 'Sleep Now

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"Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii"So begins this song, and with it my huge affection for all things Dizzee. When Dylan Mills launched his solo career in 2003 (he'd been a member of Roll Deep Crew until then), no-one could have predicted the incredible success he would have. Mr. Rascal is a bona fide urban megastar, and best of all, he's our megastar. For Dizzee is a Londoner, through and

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I still have no idea what Kelis was on about when she sang "my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard". Was she talking about real milkshakes, or is it a metaphor? All I know is that this incredible earworm of a song (and particularly her "la laa, la la la, I want it all" chorus) stuck in my head and never left.

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I'm not sure these things are tracked on a global scale, but if they are, then Linkin Park's 'Hybrid Theory' must be one of the world's biggest selling albums of this decade. It sold 24 million copies globally, and became one of only 8 albums released this decade to be awarded an RIAA Diamond Disc (for 10 million sales in the US). It went quadruple platinum in the UK and spawned four massive hit

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Recently, there's been a great deal of discussion about the use of Autotune in popular music, prompted by the lead single from Jay-Z's latest album, which he titled 'D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)'. If Autotune really is dying in 2009, and if, as is widely accepted, it was born when Cher hit #1 with 'Believe' in 1998, then this really has been D.O.A - the Decade of Autotune.This is all pertinent

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"I've said it once before, but it bears repeating"The second ever charting UK single from Jack and Meg, which almost scraped into the Top 20 in the spring of 2002. Clocking in at just 1m 50secs, it's probably the shortest song in my countdown - a rapid-fire burst of hyperactive guitar. Whatever that emotion is in Jack's voice, it certainly doesn't seem like "love", but that's just one of the many

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Remember that Carling advert with a flock of birds flying across the sky, and then the slogan 'Belong'? How could you possibly forget it? That advert was unavoidable in the autumn and winter of 2006. And it was one of the major reasons why I went off Hard-Fi... they suffered massively from being over-played and 'Living For The Weekend', which soundtracked the advert, was the biggest culprit.A few

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Feeder Save Us lyrics M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames Video - Feeder Save Us Music VideosThe first ten seconds of this song, from 'Before The Dawn Heals Us', the third studio album by Antibes-based Anthony Gonzalez (aka M83) justify its appearance in this list. Mammoth drumroll, giving way to an epic choral soundscape. Nothing more to say - I love this band, and of all the brilliant songs

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There's this bit in '505' which, when the Arctic Monkeys played it as part of their encore at Glastonbury 2007 (see video below), was one of the most euphoric moments I've ever experienced at a live show. It's at the end of the bridge, when they've reduced the volume and slowed the pace of the song right down, and then Alex Turner bursts back in, full pelt, with one of the most beautiful and

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So this is what Marshall Bruce Mathers III (a.k.a Slim Shady, a.k.a Eminem) can achieve when he's got a movie plot to help focus his lyric-writing. Don't get me wrong - I'm a huge fan of Em's back catalogue. He has revolutionised the rap game, and he's truly one of a kind. It's just that his rhymes often descend into puerile name-calling and the lyrical equivalent of fart jokes. In small doses,

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The Noughties must surely be remembered as the decade of opportunity for aspiring pop stars. Technology has opened new avenues for music fans to discover new artists, and with it, the traditional system of A&R has been thrown out with the dish water. Pop Idol and the X-Factor rely on text messages to identify popularity. Lily Allen and the Arctic Monkeys were famous on MySpace before they were

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When I've been researching information about songs in my countdown, I've frequently turned to SongMeanings.net to see how different people interpret the song in question. But none of the user comments I've read on that site are quite as perceptive as this one, from user "memememe" about 'My Doorbell':"it's obviously about his dick. any time a guy thinks about something that many times

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Surprise success story of the decade must surely be the Scottish rockers, Biffy Clyro. After five years and three albums for Beggars Banquet, Biffy were well known on the rock scene. Four singles charted between 2003-2005, although none made the Top 20. They were well-known, but hardly well-loved. Perennial underachievers, if you will.Then in 2006, Biffy left Beggars Banquet to sign for a Warner

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The phrase "work-life balance" was first coined in 1986, yet its usage in modern day parlance trebled in 2000 and has continued to grow through this decade. So it's apt that a song dealing with the pitfalls of an unhealthy work-life balance makes my list.This pan-Scandinavian collaboration between the Norwegian electronic dance act and the Swedish pop star failed to chart anywhere outside of

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The Noughties were barely six weeks old when the world was captivated by the adventures of Leonardo DiCaprio and Virginie Ledoyen on the Thai island of Ko Phi Phi in the big budget, big screen adaptation of Alex Garland's 'The Beach'. OK, so maybe "captivated" wasn't the right word to use - the movie was universally panned by critics - but it did gross $144m at the box office, and I'm sure some

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The Prodigy's 20th UK single, and their 11th to enter the charts in the Top 10, 'Warrior's Dance' continued the return to form that began with the release of 'Omen' (my 86th favourite song of the decade). Largely based around an obscure vocal sample of an obscure collaboration from 1989*, it's the only track on 2009's 'Invaders Must Die' album that would fit equally well on 1992's 'Experience'.A

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Hot Chip are the least likely pop stars of their generation. Nerds with guitars and laptops, sitting in their bedrooms at home, aren't supposed to have top ten albums and singles. Pop stars have a certain "look", Hot Chip look like cast members from 'The Big Bang Theory', all spectacles and knitwear. These guys shouldn't be mates with Kylie, but they are. They are the anti-stereotype.After years

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The most talked about popstar of the decade has had plenty of ups and downs in the past 10 years, but in professional terms, she hit all the right notes on 2007 "comeback" album, 'Blackout'. Her least commercially successful work (with fewer than a million sales in the US up to July 2009), it divided the critics, but made a fan of me.'Break The Ice' might have only been track 4 on the album, and

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Probably my favourite hard rock band of the decade, Queens of the Stone Age, led by their irrepressible frontman, Josh Homme, became the finest purveyors of sleazy stoner rock, with a string of phenomenal albums. 2000's 'Rated R' was the most critically acclaimed, and 2005's 'Lullabies to Paralyze' had the most catchy hits, but 2002's 'Songs For The Deaf' was the real masterpiece, a multi-million

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One day, years from now, cultural historians will appraise the lyrics of a certain Mr. Alex Turner, and will conclude that he was the premiere popular poet of his generation. In the same way that Morrissey had his finger on the pulse of British life in the 80s, the Sheffield frontman has a knack for describing society accurately, and with great wit.'Leave Before The Lights Come On' is a prime

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The Urban Dictionary defines So Solid Crew as "a band with more members than collected brain cells, So Solid specialise in banal, derivative, and hectic garage. Lyrically, though, they're just a bunch of Romford chavs pretending to be West Coast bad-boys, rapping about money, gats, and hoes like you'd think it had never been done before. As far as garage acts go, this lot should have been left in

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2008 was a huge year for New Zealand culture. Backed by slogans such as "New Zealand: Like Scotland, But Further", Flight of the Conchords took the world by storm. And stirring up just as big a storm was Wellington native, Pip Brown, whose debut album 'Ladyhawke' sold over 100,000 copies in the UK.That Christina Aguilera has chosen to cover 'My Delerium' for her new album should be considered a

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Well, I'm halfway through my countdown now, so here's a Spotify playlist of songs 100-51 (minus two exceptions that I couldn't find on there).

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Bringing the first half of my countdown to an end is a man whose decade will largely be remembered for his 90 minute "hip-hopera", 'Trapped In The Closet' which was widely regarded as "so awful that it's actually brilliant". But in 2003, ten years after entering the public consciousness with 'She's Got That Vibe', R Kelly released his finest single to date, a slow-grinding r'n'b anthem with a

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The second consecutive duet in my countdown couldn't be further away from the gangster rap of Dre and Eminem. Eel Pie Island natives, Mystery Jets teamed up with Hampshire folk-pop singer, Laura Marling, to record one of the loveliest songs of this, or any decade. Criminally, it only sold enough copies to hit #34 in the charts, but it's a song beloved by many.It's a difficult record to define, by

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Forgot about Dre? No chance. Andre Young has been to West Coast rap what Jay Z has become to the East Coast. A highly successful artist in his own right, as well as a producer, and a businessman; Dre is a multi-millionaire, multi-Grammy winning global superstar.Following a successful career in rap group World Class Wreckin' Cru, and then, alongside Ice Cube and Easy E in NWA, Dre decided to

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In amongst the frequent personnel changes, that have rendered them a mere shadow of their original lineup, it's easy to forget that Sugababes have been responsible for some of the finest British pop of the past ten years. It was the second lineup (Mutya, Keisha, Heidi) that were responsible for most of the group's finest moments, with four of the nine singles released by that incarnation topping

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"Shake it like a Polaroid picture"With one memorable lyric, OutKast not only sealed their place in the history of popular music at the start of the 21st century, but also immortalised a dying technology. Thirty years from now, hardly anyone will even remember Polaroid cameras, consigned to the passing winds of change in the digital age. Yet you can be certain that people will still be dancing to

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Despite it being this decade's equivalent of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' or 'Jump Around' (massively overplayed on radio, churned out by DJs at pop club nights to appease the rock fans dragged along by their friends), and despite the Kaiser Chiefs being this decade's Oasis (lad-rock, shouty, repetitive lyrics, lots of 'na-na-na' vocals), somehow, 'I Predict A Riot' still retains a certain charm.

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I love We Are Scientists. I fell in love the minute I first clapped eyes on them. It was October 2005, and I was at the Astoria with my then girlfriend to see Editors. We Are Scientists were one of the support acts, but they blew me away with their high energy take on the post-Strokes indie-rock world. That said, my initial assessment on my blog proved to be miles wide of the mark, when I said

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When news broke in June of this year that Sonique (a.k.a Sonia Clarke) was suffering from breast cancer, I found myself questioning "why?" Not in the sense of "why her?" - cancer can strike any of us at any time. No, rather, I was surprised that the story about a one-hit wonder, who had been out of the public eye since the early part of the decade, was considered newsworthy. After all, one-hit

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Often unfairly labelled as emo (and thus bundled in with the likes of Panic At The Disco, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance et al), Arizona's Jimmy Eat World have been one of the most consistent US pop-punk bands of the Noughties, and are as much of this decade as anyone on this list. True, they had been around for nearly all of the 90s, but it was fourth album, 'Bleed American', released in July

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When Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard emerged on a platform in the middle of Wembley Stadium in June 2007, walked along a gantry to the stage, and burst into the opening chords of 'Knights of Cydonia', that song's importance in the canon of Muse's discography became immediately apparent. It's their call to arms, uniting the brotherhood of Muse fans in a whirlwind of screaming

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In stark contrast to the previous entry (#62 - Cypress Hill's 'Rock Superstar'), here's a song that everyone has heard before. FIRE IN THE DISCO! FIRE IN THE TACO BELL! Electric Six are a criminally underrated band - they're the band that The Darkness should have been. Everyone knows this song, and 'Gay Bar', but five albums in, and with a sixth due imminently, they now have a back catalogue

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Cypress Hill's only Top 20 UK single of the decade came just four months after the turn of the Millennium, so it would be no surprise if it had passed you by. If it had, that's a shame - it's their highest charting UK single of all time, and it's a cracking tune.Musing on that old rapper's favourite subject - the trappings of the celebrity lifestyle - '(Rock) Superstar' sees B-Real, DJ Muggs and

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If I'm listing my favourite songs of this decade, it would be totally remiss of me not to include at least one song by a band that I saw play live on at least seven occasions during said decade. 'Burn Baby Burn's as good a choice as any.... both NME and Q magazine's single of the year for 2002, and the first song ever played on that most "Noughties" of radio stations, BBC 6 Music.If I could have

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I've not really touched upon the subject of image yet in this countdown. But image has always been critical to the success of recording artists. A band can have fantastic songs bursting out of every bone in their bodies, but without an image that can be marketed, few record labels will be prepared to risk stumping up vast amounts of cash to sell those songs. It's as true today as it ever was....

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"We are not scaremongering, this is really happening"Released just 10 months after the turn of the Millennium, 'Kid A' was probably the most divisive album of the decade, and 'Idioteque' was its signature motif. Off the back of the the 8 million selling 'OK Computer', Radiohead followed up with a record which was lauded by many as groundbreaking, yet hated by those who had grown to love Radiohead

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Girl band lyrics can often be mystifyingly stupid - famously, All Saints indicated on 'Never Ever' that they didn't understand that "either way" suggests only two alternative options. In the case of 'Bootylicious', I've always been confused by what exactly "this" thing is that Kelly, Michelle and Beyonce were struggling to handle. I would have thought that it's the Destiny's Child threesome that

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What a riff!Lostprophets - Shinobi VS. Dragon Ninja - Music Video - Funny blooper videos are here

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The only song performed by cartoon characters to appear in this list, 'Feel Good Inc.' lived up to its name as one of the most feel good songs of the decade. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's virtual creations outlasted many human contemporaries with their eclectic mix of trip-hop and rock. 2D, Noodle, Murdoc and Russel can now count 15 million album sales, 8 charting singles and a Grammy, for

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UK hip-hop's first megastar is at #69 in my countdown. Originally, I had this space reserved for the second of his three number one hits, but 'Bonkers' might be suffering a little from over-exposure. Whilst it's still a great anthemic club tune, I've come to the conclusion that latest single, 'Holiday' is heaps better.The third consecutive chart-topper from the yet-to-be-released 'Tongue 'N'

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'L.E.S. Artistes' is Santi White's attack on the scenesters of Manhattan's Lower East Side (aaah, so that's what L.E.S. stands for), and was the breakthrough hit for the native Pennsylvanian.Released under the name of Santogold (before she changed her moniker to Santigold), it sounds like a less angry M.I.A., blending R'n'B and indie in equal proportions. It's also yet another of those songs with

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Andrew W.K. is a man of many talents. Not content with the simple life of a rock star, he also has his own record label, owns an award-winning Manhattan night club, and as of 2007, appears as a self-help motivational lecturer.It's fair to assume that his drive and ambition would have ensured him some kind of fame, whatever he did with his life, but 'Party Hard', which reached #19 in the charts

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4th May 2002. Three days earlier, I'd turned 21. To celebrate my birthday, I had a barbecue at my student house in Oxford on the Saturday afternoon, whilst we watched the FA Cup Final (Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-0 with goals from Parlour and Ljungberg). Various friends had travelled down to Oxford from other universities to celebrate with me.The pièce de résistance of the birthday weekend was St.

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Who is your celebrity crush? (Answers in the comments please) Mine is the Portuguese beauty of Canadian origin, with the jet black hair, the electric eyes, and a voice that could melt the icecaps.Evidently, the Noughties record-buying public agree. Nelly Furtado's songs have been hugely successful all over the globe... 'Promiscuous Girl' was a #1 hit in the USA, 'I'm Like A Bird' was a

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"Wait, they don't like you like I love you"A second appearance in my countdown for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs ('Zero' was at #90), but a totally different sounding song. Whereas 'Zero' is all shimmering disco balls, 'Maps' always strikes me as a lament. What it is, precisely, that Karen O is lamenting, I'm not sure, but she has her reasons, I expect.I loved 'Maps' from the very first time I heard it. My

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MGMT seemingly appeared out of nowhere (they're actually from Brooklyn, NYC) in early 2008, and quickly took the music world by storm. Their debut album 'Oracular Spectacular' topped multiple end of year album polls, and its two biggest hits were unavoidable in restaurants, bars, clubs and high streets throughout Western Europe and North America.There wasn't a lot to choose between 'Time To

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Yeah yeah, I know, Good Charlotte, what am I thinking, etc. But 'Keep Your Hands Off My Girl' is unlike anything else they've recorded, and for a while in 2007, it was on constant repeat on my iPod. I've always liked the grey area where rock crosses into rap, and that's what we've got here, courtesy of Mr. Nicole Ritchie on lead vocals and the former Mr. Paris Hilton on backing vocals. The

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Subsequent to my producing this list of my 100 favourite songs of the Noughties, I've discovered that my #77 song was actually written, recorded and first released in the 90s. However, it wasn't until 2003, when it was re-released, that it became a worldwide smash hit, and it's importance in the story of Noughties pop music is such that I feel it should keep its place.Panjabi MC's story is an

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I've been away for a little. Maybe you noticed? Maybe not. I was at Reading Festival, watching several of the acts who appear in this countdown. Anyway, the gist of it is that I'm now running dangerously behind schedule, so expect a flurry of postings here over the next few weeks as I try to catch up. Right, now that's out of the way, on with the show....... and at #78, it's Green Day's ode to

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Anthemic trance from the summer of 2000, courtesy of Finnish DJ, Ville Virtanen, aka Darude. He became the first artist from Finland ever to break into the Top 3 of the UK singles chart. Samples a rave track from 1991. Not sure there's much more to say really.... if you're anything like me, chances are you've danced to this in clubs many times over the past decade.

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'Ms. Jackson' sounded like nothing I'd ever heard before, and to claim that it reinvented hip-hop would probably be a fair description. Rap music in the early Noughties was dominated by Roc-A-Fella Records (under the control of Jay Z) and Aftermath, Dr. Dre's fledgling label, with Eminem as the public face, Snoop Dogg as the veteran leadership, and young upstarts like Xzibit, Nelly, Usher and The

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Another divisive choice. 'Teenage Dirtbag' arguably became more successful than the film in which it featured, the Jason Biggs/Mena Suvari rom-com, 'Loser'. Whilst the movie grossed $2m less than it cost to make, Wheatus' single was an international smash hit. Straight from the "where are they now?" category, Wheatus followed it up with a moderately-successful cover of Erasure's 'A Little Respect

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"I'm just a little bit older, plus a whole lot wiser, I might advise ya, or I might pulverise ya"A choice that, most likely, falls totally under your personal radar, 'Battle' was track 15 on the biggest selling film soundtrack of the decade, the quadruple-platinum selling '8 Mile O.S.T'. Of course, it's mostly remembered for Em's chart-topper, 'Lose Yourself', but also featured some huge tunes by

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What would the music industry be like if it had a transfer market like the football world? Would the Sun be plastered with headlines about rumours of a surprise £20m move for Liam Gallagher to The Saturdays? Would Green Day and U2 get involved in a bidding war to secure the services of Lily Allen on a long term contract? Luckily, we need wonder no more, and that's because, not content with being

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Drowned In Sound gave it 0/10 and described it as "ditchwater". Contact Music called it "daft, irresponsible and unforgettably irritating." 'Monster' is one of those tracks that divides opinion, and I'm firmly on the positive side. Let's face it - in the light entertainment stakes, 'Monster' is at the lowest common denominator end of the spectrum.... three chords, a riff so simple that even I

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The most widely recognised riff of the decade underlays this hit from Jack and Meg White, from the summer of 2003. The White Stripes laid claim to being one of the most innovative and influential bands of the Noughties, and with this Grammy-winning number, they achieved the peak of their mainstream success.The riff itself sounds like it is created by a bass guitar, but The White Stripes' have

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One of the bands of the Nineties make an appearance in my countdown, an appearance which would have seemed highly unlikely this time a year ago. The Noughties have been very quiet for The Prodigy... a lone single in 2002 ('Baby's Got A Temper'), 2004 album 'Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned' and a Greatest Hits singles boxset. Bear in mind that the previous decade saw The Prodigy release three

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In terms of chart success during the Noughties, Kimberley, Nadine, Nicola, Cheryl and Sarah are second to none. Twenty consecutive singles entered the UK Top 10 from their breakthrough 'Sound of the Underground' in 2002 up to this year's 'The Loving Kind' - a run that was only broken when 'Untouchable' peaked at #11 in April 2009. Two albums hit top spot in the charts, and they are probably the

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Looking back on the decade as it draws to a close, one of the obvious trends in music has been the rising popularity of the music festival. The turning point may well have been Glastonbury 2000 (100,000 tickets sold, 250,000 in attendance), and the introduction, after a year's hiatus, of the "superfence". Stricter licensing rules and tighter security meant fewer gatecrashers and less crime. Other

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Panic! At The Disco were the mid-Noughties music critic's punch-bag of choice, an easy target for scorn in the music press. Derided as a poor man's Fall Out Boy, they were an easy target. Unnecessary punctuation in the band name? Check. Post-nu-metal tunes popular with pre-pubescent emo Americans? Check. Stupid song titles, such as 'Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes

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2009 is the year that indie went disco. With the NME-touted La Roux, Little Boots, Florence & Her Machine et al. storming to the top of the charts, and off the back of recent success by the likes of Hot Chip, Justice and Calvin Harris, "credible" artists are queueing up to add beats to their guitars.Of course, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs always had a hint of disco aesthetic about them, courtesy of Karen

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The ultimate test of a rock song is, in my view, how it sounds when driving on a warm summer's afternoon. If it comes on the radio, do you feel an irresistible urge to wind down the windows and sing along at the top of your lungs?'Best Of You' fits the bill in spades. From the moment Dave Grohl admits "I've got another confession to make", this is one song that never lets up. I'm sure it was no

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Next up, a song which flew under the radar in Britain, but received huge amounts of radio airplay in the States in late 2006. 'Meds' was the title track and third single from Placebo's fifth studio album, and featured guest vocals from Alison Mosshart of The Kills (and now also Jack White's sidekick in The Dead Weather).It's a typically frenetic Brian Molko performance, the urgent strumming of

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Not without reason was 'Take Me Out' rated as the 34th greatest track ever performed by a British artist. In late 2003, Franz Ferdinand were one of a raft of up-and-coming British indie-rock bands, whose debut single, 'Darts Of Pleasure' had spent one week at #44 before dropping out of the UK singles charts altogether. Fast-forward six months, and the follow-up single, 'Take Me Out' had hit the

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In at #94 in my countdown, and it's the band formerly known as Sub Sub. Debut album 'Lost Souls' had been a slow-burning hit in 2000, earning the band a Mercury Prize nomination. And when the second album, 'The Last Broadcast' "dropped" in the spring of 2002, it soared straight to #1 in the charts (supplanting Blue's 'All Rise' from the top spot).'Pounding' was the second single released from the

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UK Garage was something of a phenomenon, no? For a brief period from the summer of 1999 to the summer of 2001, the UK Singles Chart was littered with big-selling chart hits that fitted neatly into their own genre, best described as "speed garage" or "2 step", more club and radio-friendly than earlier jungle and drum'n'bass tracks. Significantly, most of these tracks were successful only in the UK

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