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 - Death
95 Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers
94 Doves – Pounding
93 Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
92 Placebo - Meds
91 Foo Fighters - Best Of You
90 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero
89 Panic at the Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
88 Maximo Park - Going Missing
87 Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
86 Prodigy - Omen
85 The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
84 The Automatic - Monster
83 Modest Mouse - Dashboard
82 Gangstarr - Battle
81 Wheatus – Teenage Dirtbag
80 Outkast – Ms Jackson
79 Darude - Sandstorm
78 Green Day - American Idiot
77 Panjabi Mc – Mundian To Bach Ke
76 Good Charlotte - Keep Your Hands Off My Girl
75 MGMT - Kids
74 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Maps
73 Nelly Furtado - Maneater
72 Fischerspooner – Emerge
71 Andrew W.K. – Party Hard
70 Santigold - L.E.S. Artistes
69 Dizzee Rascal - Holiday
68 Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc.
67 Lostprophets - Shinobi Vs. Dragon Ninja
66 Destiny’s Child – Bootylicious
65 Radiohead - Idioteque
64 Pussycat Dolls - Buttons
63 Ash - Burn Baby Burn
62 Cypress Hill - (Rock) Superstar
61 Electric Six – Danger! High Voltage
60 Muse - Knights Of Cydonia
59 Jimmy Eat World – The Middle
58 Sonique - It Feels So Good
57 We Are Scientists - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
56 Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot
55 Outkast – Hey Ya!
54 Sugababes - Push The Button
53 Eminem & Dre - Forgot About Dre
52 Mystery Jets featuring Laura Marling - Young Love
51 R Kelly - Ignition (Remix)
50 Ladyhawke - My Delerium
49 So Solid Crew – 21 Seconds
48 Arctic Monkeys - Leave Before The Lights Come On
47 Queens Of The Stone Age – Go With The Flow
46 Britney Spears - Break The Ice
45 Hot Chip - Hold On
44 Prodigy - Warrior's Dance
43 All Saints - Pure Shores
42 Royksopp & Robyn - The Girl & The Robot
41 Biffy Clyro - Saturday Superhouse
40 White Stripes - My Doorbell
39 Operator Please - Leave It Alone
38 Eminem - Lose yourself
37 Arctic Monkeys - 505
36 M83 - Don't Save Us From The Flames
35 Hard-Fi - Living For The Weekend
34 The White Stripes – Fell In Love With A Girl
33 Daft Punk - One More Time
32 Linkin Park – In The End
31 Kelis – Milkshake
30 Dizzee Rascal - Fix Up, Look Sharp
29 Rage Against The Machine – Sleep Now In The Fire
28 Incubus - Megalomaniac
27 Bloc Party - Banquet
26 Kings of Leon - Sex On Fire
25 The Coral – Dreaming Of You
24 Roots Manuva – Witness (One Hope)
23 Mis-Teeq - Scandalous
22 Interpol – Evil
21 La Roux - In For The Kill
20 Sigur Ros - Hoppipolla
19 Muse – Plug In Baby
18 Noah & The Whale - 5 Years Time
17 Queens Of The Stone Age - Little Sister
16 Hot Chip - Over & Over
15 Jay-Z – 99 Problems
14 Missy Elliott – Get Ur Freak On
13 The Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So
12 Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out Of My Head
11 Jordin Sparks - Battlefield
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008. Show all posts
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Friday, 11 December 2009
18: Noah & The Whale - Five Years' Time
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, fun" and "love, love, love" choruses seem unambiguous, but this is quite clearly a song about taking advantage of the present. "In five years' time we might not get along" suggests a painful end to the story. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. The last line is "in five years' time you might just prove me wrong". This is a song about the pointlessness of trying to predict the future. The singer hopes that his relationship will last, suspects it won't, but, in truth, doesn't really know.
Where do I think I'll be five years from now? And looking back five years, have I achieved what I set out to do? The end of a year, the end of a decade, these types of calendar-based cut-off points provide an opportunity for self-assessment and for planning. Likewise, Noah & The Whale's hit, which reached #7 in the UK charts - a lofty height for a debut single by a folk group - makes me think about the past, present and future. It's quite inspirational in that sense.... anything is possible.
Where do I think I'll be five years from now? And looking back five years, have I achieved what I set out to do? The end of a year, the end of a decade, these types of calendar-based cut-off points provide an opportunity for self-assessment and for planning. Likewise, Noah & The Whale's hit, which reached #7 in the UK charts - a lofty height for a debut single by a folk group - makes me think about the past, present and future. It's quite inspirational in that sense.... anything is possible.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
26: Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
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 it is a fairly divisive song, probably as a result of over-exposure.
However, the inescapable fact remains that it contains one of the all-time crowd-pleasing choruses, anthemic like a terrace football chant. This song will have longevity unlike most others of the era.
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 it is a fairly divisive song, probably as a result of over-exposure.
However, the inescapable fact remains that it contains one of the all-time crowd-pleasing choruses, anthemic like a terrace football chant. This song will have longevity unlike most others of the era.
Monday, 23 November 2009
39: Operator Please - Leave It Alone
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 famous on Radio 1.
But it hasn't just been about technology. Battles of the bands, previously a method for filling up empty spots in the calendar of a live music venue, have become genuine talent-spotting opportunities. Glastonbury ran one in 2004, and the winners, The Subways, went on to play that festival, and Reading/Leeds repeatedly, building an enormous and passionate fanbase.
Operator Please won that most basic of contests - All Saints Anglican High School's Battle of the Bands competition, in their hometown of Brisbane, Australia back in 2005. Just over two years later, whilst still teenagers, their debut album, 'Yes Yes Vindictive' (already an award-winner in their home country) was being released to critical acclaim around the globe, and they were touring relentlessly in London, New York et al. From something as small as a High School music competition, a star was born.
Of course, despite all this, you probably never heard of Operator Please. Despite their popularity, they still occupy a niche; a successful follow-up album (it's currently being mixed in LA) would go far to establishing a wider fanbase. But if you want an introduction to Operator Please, you can do far worse than watching the video above. Amandah Wilkinson's Beth Ditto-esque vocals quickly set her apart as one of the brightest young frontwomen in rock. But for me, what separates Operator Please from their peers are the sublime jaunty strings of violinist Taylor Henderson. Without them, Operator Please would be a poor Australian relative of Paramore. With them, they sound truly special, truly unique. Bring on album #2.
But it hasn't just been about technology. Battles of the bands, previously a method for filling up empty spots in the calendar of a live music venue, have become genuine talent-spotting opportunities. Glastonbury ran one in 2004, and the winners, The Subways, went on to play that festival, and Reading/Leeds repeatedly, building an enormous and passionate fanbase.
Operator Please won that most basic of contests - All Saints Anglican High School's Battle of the Bands competition, in their hometown of Brisbane, Australia back in 2005. Just over two years later, whilst still teenagers, their debut album, 'Yes Yes Vindictive' (already an award-winner in their home country) was being released to critical acclaim around the globe, and they were touring relentlessly in London, New York et al. From something as small as a High School music competition, a star was born.
Of course, despite all this, you probably never heard of Operator Please. Despite their popularity, they still occupy a niche; a successful follow-up album (it's currently being mixed in LA) would go far to establishing a wider fanbase. But if you want an introduction to Operator Please, you can do far worse than watching the video above. Amandah Wilkinson's Beth Ditto-esque vocals quickly set her apart as one of the brightest young frontwomen in rock. But for me, what separates Operator Please from their peers are the sublime jaunty strings of violinist Taylor Henderson. Without them, Operator Please would be a poor Australian relative of Paramore. With them, they sound truly special, truly unique. Bring on album #2.
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
45: Hot Chip - Hold On
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 of grafting at the fringes of the UK music scene, 2006 album, 'The Warning' provided the significant breakthrough in their career. The critically acclaimed album, voted best that year by Mixmag, managed to bridge the gap between indie shoegaze and electronic dance. 'Over And Over' was NME's single of the year, and was unavoidable - every TV show, every branch of TopShop, every radio station was playing it. A string of high energy live shows merely enhanced their reputation.
Tricky second album time, folks. Not for the Hot Chip boys, whose 2008 long player, 'Made In The Dark' was, if anything, better than its predecessor. It spawned the chart-bothering 'Ready For The Floor', but the whole album (reputedly inspired by Prince's 'Sign O' The Times') was packed with impressive electronic dance anthems, like 'Shake A Fist', 'Bendable Poseable', 'One Pure Thought' and this song.
'Hold On' is a relentless, growling song, building and building to a crescendo until the drums come crashing down on the chorus. Hot Chip's lyrics are nonsense, as on all their previous work, but don't let that put you off. "I'm only going to heaven if it feels like hell, I'm only going to heaven if it tastes like caramel" sings Alexis Taylor.
Again, no video available sadly, but here's a truly astounding performance of the song from the BBC's 'Later With... Jools Holland' show.
After years of grafting at the fringes of the UK music scene, 2006 album, 'The Warning' provided the significant breakthrough in their career. The critically acclaimed album, voted best that year by Mixmag, managed to bridge the gap between indie shoegaze and electronic dance. 'Over And Over' was NME's single of the year, and was unavoidable - every TV show, every branch of TopShop, every radio station was playing it. A string of high energy live shows merely enhanced their reputation.
Tricky second album time, folks. Not for the Hot Chip boys, whose 2008 long player, 'Made In The Dark' was, if anything, better than its predecessor. It spawned the chart-bothering 'Ready For The Floor', but the whole album (reputedly inspired by Prince's 'Sign O' The Times') was packed with impressive electronic dance anthems, like 'Shake A Fist', 'Bendable Poseable', 'One Pure Thought' and this song.
'Hold On' is a relentless, growling song, building and building to a crescendo until the drums come crashing down on the chorus. Hot Chip's lyrics are nonsense, as on all their previous work, but don't let that put you off. "I'm only going to heaven if it feels like hell, I'm only going to heaven if it tastes like caramel" sings Alexis Taylor.
Again, no video available sadly, but here's a truly astounding performance of the song from the BBC's 'Later With... Jools Holland' show.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
50: Ladyhawke - My Delerium
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 massive compliment to the Kiwi songstress, but it's not all that surprising - 'My Delerium' is a great pop song. Written by Hannah Robinson (Annie, Rachel Stevens, Sugababes, Saint Etienne) and produded by Pascal Gabriel (Soft Cell, Kylie, New Order), the song dazzles, occupying a berth somewhere between the synth-led glam disco of the 80s, and the harder grunge sound of the early 90s.
I love the way Ladyhawke's voice sounds on the verses of this song, echoey and distant. Contrast that with the "hey" and "stop" (at the beginning of the first and third lines of the chorus respectively) which seem to carry real force. Alongside the shimmering keyboard loop, it makes for an intoxicating mix, and whilst the rest of the album sounds more conventional, it's 'My Delerium' which stands apart as a song of the decade.
That Christina Aguilera has chosen to cover 'My Delerium' for her new album should be considered a massive compliment to the Kiwi songstress, but it's not all that surprising - 'My Delerium' is a great pop song. Written by Hannah Robinson (Annie, Rachel Stevens, Sugababes, Saint Etienne) and produded by Pascal Gabriel (Soft Cell, Kylie, New Order), the song dazzles, occupying a berth somewhere between the synth-led glam disco of the 80s, and the harder grunge sound of the early 90s.
I love the way Ladyhawke's voice sounds on the verses of this song, echoey and distant. Contrast that with the "hey" and "stop" (at the beginning of the first and third lines of the chorus respectively) which seem to carry real force. Alongside the shimmering keyboard loop, it makes for an intoxicating mix, and whilst the rest of the album sounds more conventional, it's 'My Delerium' which stands apart as a song of the decade.
Monday, 26 October 2009
52: Mystery Jets feat. Laura Marling - Young Love
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 virtue of a tune that sounds as though it was written in the 70s, but with the "woah woah" backing vocals so popular in the 80s, and yet somehow sounding unmistakeably contemporary. The key to the loveliness of this song though are the vocal harmonies achieved between William Rees (Mystery Jets' lead guitarist, who took over vocal duties from singer Blaine Harrison for this track) and Marling.
Singing a story that has been told a thousand times previously, Rees and Marling each recall a one night stand from a different perspective. Rees is desperately seeking the woman he met that night. "If I only knew your name I'd go from door to door" he sings, before bemoaning the fact that "you wrote your number on my hand but it came off in the rain". Marling is more pragmatic, remembering that "young love, it never seems to last" before noting that what was supposed to be "one night of love, nothing more, nothing less" has actually had a profound effect - "that left my heart in a mess". It's a classic 21st century urban love story - the one night stand that could have been so much more. But put in on your stereo, and you'll be humming along and smiling before too long.
It's a difficult record to define, by virtue of a tune that sounds as though it was written in the 70s, but with the "woah woah" backing vocals so popular in the 80s, and yet somehow sounding unmistakeably contemporary. The key to the loveliness of this song though are the vocal harmonies achieved between William Rees (Mystery Jets' lead guitarist, who took over vocal duties from singer Blaine Harrison for this track) and Marling.
Singing a story that has been told a thousand times previously, Rees and Marling each recall a one night stand from a different perspective. Rees is desperately seeking the woman he met that night. "If I only knew your name I'd go from door to door" he sings, before bemoaning the fact that "you wrote your number on my hand but it came off in the rain". Marling is more pragmatic, remembering that "young love, it never seems to last" before noting that what was supposed to be "one night of love, nothing more, nothing less" has actually had a profound effect - "that left my heart in a mess". It's a classic 21st century urban love story - the one night stand that could have been so much more. But put in on your stereo, and you'll be humming along and smiling before too long.
Thursday, 17 September 2009
70: Santigold - L.E.S. Artistes
'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 a chorus that really bursts into life.
Santi's a busy girl.... since finding fame with this song and it's predecessor 'Creator', she's co-written 'Littlest Things' for Lily Allen (alongside Mark Ronson), and appeared on the soundtrack to the film 'Notorious' on the Jay Z track 'Brooklyn Go Hard'.
Interesting Santigold fact: Santi studied at Wesleyan University, whose other notable alumni include the most successful NFL Head Coach of all time, Bill Belichick, as well as 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' writer/director Joss Whedon, 'Transformers' director Michael Bay, and both members of MGMT.
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 a chorus that really bursts into life.
Santi's a busy girl.... since finding fame with this song and it's predecessor 'Creator', she's co-written 'Littlest Things' for Lily Allen (alongside Mark Ronson), and appeared on the soundtrack to the film 'Notorious' on the Jay Z track 'Brooklyn Go Hard'.
Interesting Santigold fact: Santi studied at Wesleyan University, whose other notable alumni include the most successful NFL Head Coach of all time, Bill Belichick, as well as 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' writer/director Joss Whedon, 'Transformers' director Michael Bay, and both members of MGMT.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
75: MGMT - Kids
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 Pretend' and 'Kids', when it came to compiling this countdown, but I think the former has suffered from greater over-exposure.
So yes, you're familiar with 'Kids' too, by now. That memorable staccato synth, that leaves an indelible mark on your brain. The disco beat that emerges, then supplanted by those haunting vocals. That chorus, with the nonsensical lyrics ("control yourself, take only what you need from it, a family of trees wanting to be haunted"). 'Kids' is the song to soundtrack a thousand sporting montages on TV, and despite the feeling that it could have been written in the late 70s, it belongs as much to the Noughties as any song on this list.
There wasn't a lot to choose between 'Time To Pretend' and 'Kids', when it came to compiling this countdown, but I think the former has suffered from greater over-exposure.
So yes, you're familiar with 'Kids' too, by now. That memorable staccato synth, that leaves an indelible mark on your brain. The disco beat that emerges, then supplanted by those haunting vocals. That chorus, with the nonsensical lyrics ("control yourself, take only what you need from it, a family of trees wanting to be haunted"). 'Kids' is the song to soundtrack a thousand sporting montages on TV, and despite the feeling that it could have been written in the late 70s, it belongs as much to the Noughties as any song on this list.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
89: Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon
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 Off'? Check. Even stupider lyrics (e.g. "What a beautiful wedding, says a bridesmaid to a waiter")? Check. The critics hated them, but the fans loved them, as 2.2 million sales of debut album 'A Fever You Can't Sweat Out' can testify.
Then something rather unexpected happened. In January 2008, the band announced they were dropping the exclamation mark, and would henceforth be known simply as Panic At The Disco. As if that wasn't enough of a sign of growing maturity, early reviews of their second album talked about the obvious Beatles influences. The childishness of the first album appeared to have been forsaken.
When the first single from 'Pretty. Odd.' (ok, so they kept some of the bizarre punctuation) dropped in early February, there was genuine surprise. 'Nine In The Afternoon' sounded more ELO than My Chemical Romance. The change of direction didn't appear to have affected the band's commercial appeal though, with the album entering the charts at #2 in both the UK and the US.
I think that 'Nine In The Afternoon' is a real grower. For evidence of that, consider that I originally ranked it as my 25th favourite song of 2008, yet it was in my Top 10 of 2008 by the time I came to create this list. And in the month or so since I drew up my Top 100 of the decade, I've even toyed with the idea of placing it higher than this. I put it down to that glorious, rousing pop chorus, reminiscent of Blur at their very best, and the Kinks-ish piano. The lyrics are a vast improvement too, and I genuinely love the line about "losing the feeling of feeling unique". The proof is in the pudding, and in contrast to their earlier work, fans and critics alike loved the song and album. And that means that PATD's was the most justified career reinvention of the decade.
Then something rather unexpected happened. In January 2008, the band announced they were dropping the exclamation mark, and would henceforth be known simply as Panic At The Disco. As if that wasn't enough of a sign of growing maturity, early reviews of their second album talked about the obvious Beatles influences. The childishness of the first album appeared to have been forsaken.
When the first single from 'Pretty. Odd.' (ok, so they kept some of the bizarre punctuation) dropped in early February, there was genuine surprise. 'Nine In The Afternoon' sounded more ELO than My Chemical Romance. The change of direction didn't appear to have affected the band's commercial appeal though, with the album entering the charts at #2 in both the UK and the US.
I think that 'Nine In The Afternoon' is a real grower. For evidence of that, consider that I originally ranked it as my 25th favourite song of 2008, yet it was in my Top 10 of 2008 by the time I came to create this list. And in the month or so since I drew up my Top 100 of the decade, I've even toyed with the idea of placing it higher than this. I put it down to that glorious, rousing pop chorus, reminiscent of Blur at their very best, and the Kinks-ish piano. The lyrics are a vast improvement too, and I genuinely love the line about "losing the feeling of feeling unique". The proof is in the pudding, and in contrast to their earlier work, fans and critics alike loved the song and album. And that means that PATD's was the most justified career reinvention of the decade.
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