Hello folks,
I want to sincerely thank you if you've read this far and followed me for any or all of the past 18 days. At some point over the Christmas weekend I will publish the list, in full, without descriptions, so that you can read on down from the bottom to the top. (I know -- sounds like bad grammar. It'll all become clear in a few days.) But now, to the business at hand.
As I was putting together this list about three weeks ago, I went through A LOT of music. Like I've mentioned before, about 400 songs were initially under consideration for placement on my countdown, and I had a real tough time cutting down the last 150. But as the top of the list began to come together, there was only one clear choice for the number-one spot. If you know my musical tastes, you know I'm a huge fan of this song, and that it's one of my favorite songs of any decade, not just this one. And so, it had to be.
And so, finally, I announce that my #1 favorite song of the last ten years is:
1. Coldplay, "Yellow" [2000]
I came along, I wrote a song for you/And all the things you do/And it was called "Yellow"
Like so many other classic, iconic songs on this list, it would be absolutely pointless for me to get into a long-winded discussion about the lyrical and sonic merits of "Yellow," a song everyone knows by heart even if they can't publicly cop to liking it. I can cop to it, however, and I must tell you that it belongs in at least my top 20 favorite songs of all time. As such, no other track on this countdown was even really close to the #1 ranking.
I talked about nuances yesterday. Well, this song has plenty of them, and if you've heard it enough times you can predict all the little distinctions that make "Yellow" what it is. But it's the first listen that really gets you. I don't remember where I was or what I was doing the first time I heard it on the radio -- strictly from the release date, I can tell you I was in eighth grade, but that's about it. I do, however, remember being charmingly intrigued by this little-band-that-could from Britain, with the falsetto-dominant lead singer and electric guitars that sounded too big for a band making their first major splash, and an out-of-nowhere chord on the last line of the song that totally made sense. I don't believe in a lot of theories, but music theory is definitely one of them. (Haha. Nerdy musician's joke.)
Also yesterday, I talked about the song's impact on my life. I'm not going to lie -- it helps to dig a song that every woman in the world likes, and so "Yellow" has been a major part of the last ten years for me for that reason. My buddy Greg used to say there was a certain quality about Sting's music that did something to the female sex...I won't repeat it here, but let's just say that that same quality runs through much of Coldplay's music and "Yellow" is no exception.
I think the final thing I want to emphasize about this song is its placement in the ever-expanding Coldplay canon. When you listen to Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know," you can hear "Yellow." Listen to "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol -- same thing. Listen to anything recent by Coldplay's major contemporaries, Oasis and Travis. "Yellow" is in there, too. To me, there even seems to be a spiritual give-and-take between Chris Martin and Bono; lots of the stuff on U2's How to Dismantle... album takes the "Yellow" blueprint.
Martin and the band are quick to dismiss the music from Parachutes, but it's still my favorite Coldplay record. I don't know what it is, I mean, maybe I'm not musically sophisticated enough for Viva la Vida. But I do know that some songs kill momentum when placed on an album. "Yellow," in spite of itself, is not one of them. Most of the standout tracks on Parachutes come in the first half, and "Yellow" arrives right in the middle of the proceedings. Not only does it automatically enhance the quality of the rest of the album, it also makes you realize just how good the previous four songs were as well, and that this is a band to be reckoned with. That's a unique effect.
And so, we come to the end of my list. Share your thoughts on this or any of the previous postings, and I'd like to know some of your favorites. Have a great Christmas and I'll catch you all again sometime this weekend. Thanks!
-- pl
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XVII)
Hey all,
Two more to go in the countdown, and #2 is about a 180-degree turn from #3. Such is the nature of this list, which (if I've done everything right) has brought back some of this decade's best musical memories for you. On we go to the penultimate track...
2. Barenaked Ladies, "Falling For The First Time" [2000]
I'm so cool, too bad I'm a loser/I'm so smart, too bad I can't get anything figured out
What's intriguing about music is how you can find nuances and details where you least expect them. It's the major-seventh chord right after this opening line that's the most musically intriguing element of "Falling For The First Time," off BNL's 2000 album Maroon. It's not a detail that had to be there, but it enhances the song's charm every so slightly. "Falling" was the third and last single released from Maroon (the first was "Pinch Me," found elsewhere on this list), and commercially it was the least successful. But as you might have figured out by now, my countdown isn't necessarily a popularity contest.
The lead singer on this number is Ed Robertson, he of the gentle voice and acoustic guitar strumming (as opposed to the more rough-around-the-edges Stephen Page, who left the group earlier this year). Someday, in some other blog post, I'll probably do an entire breakdown of the similarities between Barenaked Ladies and one of my all-time guilty pleasure bands, Fleetwood Mac, but just suffice it to say Robertson is the Christine McVie of the Ladies. (And you say, "Who?" Exactly.) In any case, Ed lends just the right touch and inflection to these lyrics -- most of BNL's most famous songs deal with self-contradicting, self-deprecating wannabes, but none more endearingly than this song. Not to mention, it was their most blatant exploration of this particular theme since at least 1996's "Shoe Box."
And when I say self-contradicting, that's precisely what the lyrics do, as you can see from the sample I gave. Those are the first two lines of the song, and things only get wackier and wittier from there. But the real treat is the bridge, which features a rotating series of associative phrases, most of which build off the end of the previous one. This section comes around twice, with the first leading to another seventh chord and quick stop in the momentum, before drummer Tyler Stewart (just one of many underrated rock drummers to come around in the last 20 years) picks up the pace again for a final verse/chorus/middle-eight progression. From there, the song finally comes to a halt amidst a wall of feedback, a typically quirky BNL ending.
Now that I've covered the technical aspects of the song, let me explain to you exactly why "Falling For The First Time" is ranked so high.
Let me say, unapologetically, that I'm a romantic through and through. And so tomorrow's entry, my #1 favorite song of the decade and unquestionably one of the greatest breakthrough singles of all time (hint hint), was a song I listened to a lot at various points in various friendships, courtships, relationships, etc. over the years. But at many of the same times I listened to song #1, it was song #2 that served as my unofficial theme song. It's fun to pretend you're cool, you're smooth, you've got it all together, but the truth is all out there when you're a little white boy from New Jersey. (BNL's from Canada, so in keeping with that logic, you can easily understand the genesis of the song.) Anyway, most of the top songs on this countdown meant a lot to me on a lot of levels, and "Falling For The First Time" is no exception.
See you tomorrow, everybody!
-- pl
Two more to go in the countdown, and #2 is about a 180-degree turn from #3. Such is the nature of this list, which (if I've done everything right) has brought back some of this decade's best musical memories for you. On we go to the penultimate track...
2. Barenaked Ladies, "Falling For The First Time" [2000]
I'm so cool, too bad I'm a loser/I'm so smart, too bad I can't get anything figured out
What's intriguing about music is how you can find nuances and details where you least expect them. It's the major-seventh chord right after this opening line that's the most musically intriguing element of "Falling For The First Time," off BNL's 2000 album Maroon. It's not a detail that had to be there, but it enhances the song's charm every so slightly. "Falling" was the third and last single released from Maroon (the first was "Pinch Me," found elsewhere on this list), and commercially it was the least successful. But as you might have figured out by now, my countdown isn't necessarily a popularity contest.
The lead singer on this number is Ed Robertson, he of the gentle voice and acoustic guitar strumming (as opposed to the more rough-around-the-edges Stephen Page, who left the group earlier this year). Someday, in some other blog post, I'll probably do an entire breakdown of the similarities between Barenaked Ladies and one of my all-time guilty pleasure bands, Fleetwood Mac, but just suffice it to say Robertson is the Christine McVie of the Ladies. (And you say, "Who?" Exactly.) In any case, Ed lends just the right touch and inflection to these lyrics -- most of BNL's most famous songs deal with self-contradicting, self-deprecating wannabes, but none more endearingly than this song. Not to mention, it was their most blatant exploration of this particular theme since at least 1996's "Shoe Box."
And when I say self-contradicting, that's precisely what the lyrics do, as you can see from the sample I gave. Those are the first two lines of the song, and things only get wackier and wittier from there. But the real treat is the bridge, which features a rotating series of associative phrases, most of which build off the end of the previous one. This section comes around twice, with the first leading to another seventh chord and quick stop in the momentum, before drummer Tyler Stewart (just one of many underrated rock drummers to come around in the last 20 years) picks up the pace again for a final verse/chorus/middle-eight progression. From there, the song finally comes to a halt amidst a wall of feedback, a typically quirky BNL ending.
Now that I've covered the technical aspects of the song, let me explain to you exactly why "Falling For The First Time" is ranked so high.
Let me say, unapologetically, that I'm a romantic through and through. And so tomorrow's entry, my #1 favorite song of the decade and unquestionably one of the greatest breakthrough singles of all time (hint hint), was a song I listened to a lot at various points in various friendships, courtships, relationships, etc. over the years. But at many of the same times I listened to song #1, it was song #2 that served as my unofficial theme song. It's fun to pretend you're cool, you're smooth, you've got it all together, but the truth is all out there when you're a little white boy from New Jersey. (BNL's from Canada, so in keeping with that logic, you can easily understand the genesis of the song.) Anyway, most of the top songs on this countdown meant a lot to me on a lot of levels, and "Falling For The First Time" is no exception.
See you tomorrow, everybody!
-- pl
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XVI)
Hi everybody,
Well, it's about that time again. Time for me to take up some space on the interwebs and bring you my favorite songs of this past decade. Ninety-seven have gone down so far; three to go, with each getting its own entry. Hope you've enjoyed the list -- not to say everyone will agree with everything, but I think it's an interesting project nonetheless.
And here we go with today's post:
3. OutKast, "Ms. Jackson" [2000]
Me and your daughter/Got a special thing goin' on/You say it's puppy love/We say it's full grown
In 1997, singer Erykah Badu gave birth to Seven Sirius Benjamin, her son with OutKast's Andre 3000. The couple's subsequent breakup, which resulted in a somewhat fractured upbringing for the toddler, provided the inspiration for "Ms. Jackson," which first appeared on OutKast's now-legendary 2000 album Stankonia. A few points that should be made clear right off the bat: number one, "Ms. Jackson" is rivaled by few rap songs in terms of its crossover appeal through the years. And number two, without any further qualification to this statement, it is truly one of the most creative and distinctive singles in the entire history of recorded popular music. Period.
On OutKast's previous album, 1998's Aquemini, the song "Rosa Parks" had garnered national attention for its reference to factual events (as in, "ah ha, hush that fuss, everybody move to the back of the bus") and its obvious name-dropping, which led to a lawsuit against the group's record company by Parks herself. For "Ms. Jackson," Andre and Big Boi decided to keep their allusions a bit more veiled -- though anyone who followed celebrity gossip back in 2000 knew exactly what the song was about. I'll admit that I didn't know the subject matter until about three years later; I thought it had something to do with Janet Jackson, who in an early single once asked men to refer to her as "Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty." Indeed, how naive and silly I was.
Built both rhythmically and melodically around a modification of Wagner's "Bridal Chorus," the chorus of "Ms. Jackson" is directed at Badu's mother, apologizing for the transgressions of the breakup and its consequences on Seven's childhood. This hook contains a Michael Jackson-like "Hooo!" and the line "I am for real" in falsetto, surrounded by two conventionally-sung phrases. All three lines of the chorus are instantly memorable, and together they might be the most well-constructed hook of the decade.
The verses feature some fantastic rapping, with of course the wonderful one-liners that Andre and Big Boi have become famous for as songwriters. These include: "Let her know her grandchild is a baby, and not a paycheck," "Yes, I will be present on the first day of school and graduation," and the priceless "Cheating, beating, in the end to the G they be the same thing." Of course (and forgive me if I go all James Lipton on you here for a minute, folks), the most oft-repeated line outside of the chorus has become an irreplaceable American colloquialism, a la The Sandlot: "Forever? Forever ever? Forever ever?"
There is really not that much more to say about "Ms. Jackson." It is without question the most entertaining rap song of the 2000's, and even though OutKast hasn't majorly impacted the music world for nearly six years now, their legacy is secure because of songs like this. Proving that in many cases, true stories make the best songs, Andre 3000's baby mama's mama makes "Ms. Jackson" a once-in-a-lifetime track.
Tomorrow -- and I promise I'll get to it earlier on in the day -- song #2. (Not to be confused with the hockey-arena staple, "Song 2" by Blur, which came out in 1997.) It's from the same year as this one, and the album from which the song comes has already produced another entry on this list. Any thoughts?
-- pl
Well, it's about that time again. Time for me to take up some space on the interwebs and bring you my favorite songs of this past decade. Ninety-seven have gone down so far; three to go, with each getting its own entry. Hope you've enjoyed the list -- not to say everyone will agree with everything, but I think it's an interesting project nonetheless.
And here we go with today's post:
3. OutKast, "Ms. Jackson" [2000]
Me and your daughter/Got a special thing goin' on/You say it's puppy love/We say it's full grown
In 1997, singer Erykah Badu gave birth to Seven Sirius Benjamin, her son with OutKast's Andre 3000. The couple's subsequent breakup, which resulted in a somewhat fractured upbringing for the toddler, provided the inspiration for "Ms. Jackson," which first appeared on OutKast's now-legendary 2000 album Stankonia. A few points that should be made clear right off the bat: number one, "Ms. Jackson" is rivaled by few rap songs in terms of its crossover appeal through the years. And number two, without any further qualification to this statement, it is truly one of the most creative and distinctive singles in the entire history of recorded popular music. Period.
On OutKast's previous album, 1998's Aquemini, the song "Rosa Parks" had garnered national attention for its reference to factual events (as in, "ah ha, hush that fuss, everybody move to the back of the bus") and its obvious name-dropping, which led to a lawsuit against the group's record company by Parks herself. For "Ms. Jackson," Andre and Big Boi decided to keep their allusions a bit more veiled -- though anyone who followed celebrity gossip back in 2000 knew exactly what the song was about. I'll admit that I didn't know the subject matter until about three years later; I thought it had something to do with Janet Jackson, who in an early single once asked men to refer to her as "Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty." Indeed, how naive and silly I was.
Built both rhythmically and melodically around a modification of Wagner's "Bridal Chorus," the chorus of "Ms. Jackson" is directed at Badu's mother, apologizing for the transgressions of the breakup and its consequences on Seven's childhood. This hook contains a Michael Jackson-like "Hooo!" and the line "I am for real" in falsetto, surrounded by two conventionally-sung phrases. All three lines of the chorus are instantly memorable, and together they might be the most well-constructed hook of the decade.
The verses feature some fantastic rapping, with of course the wonderful one-liners that Andre and Big Boi have become famous for as songwriters. These include: "Let her know her grandchild is a baby, and not a paycheck," "Yes, I will be present on the first day of school and graduation," and the priceless "Cheating, beating, in the end to the G they be the same thing." Of course (and forgive me if I go all James Lipton on you here for a minute, folks), the most oft-repeated line outside of the chorus has become an irreplaceable American colloquialism, a la The Sandlot: "Forever? Forever ever? Forever ever?"
There is really not that much more to say about "Ms. Jackson." It is without question the most entertaining rap song of the 2000's, and even though OutKast hasn't majorly impacted the music world for nearly six years now, their legacy is secure because of songs like this. Proving that in many cases, true stories make the best songs, Andre 3000's baby mama's mama makes "Ms. Jackson" a once-in-a-lifetime track.
Tomorrow -- and I promise I'll get to it earlier on in the day -- song #2. (Not to be confused with the hockey-arena staple, "Song 2" by Blur, which came out in 1997.) It's from the same year as this one, and the album from which the song comes has already produced another entry on this list. Any thoughts?
-- pl
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XV)
Hi all,
A somewhat shorter entry tonight for all you snowbound folk. If you're just joining us now, take time tonight to go back and read some previous entries of the countdown -- we are now down to the final five songs, two of which I am revealing in this post.
Well, no use stalling any more...let's get to it:
5. Aerosmith, "Jaded" [2001]
You're thinkin' so complicated/I've had it all up to here/But it's so overrated/Love and hate it, wouldn't trade it
Yeah, I know. Aerosmith is the last pure rock band represented on this list, and there's no way this is the best pure rock song of the decade. There's no way it's close to even being Aerosmith's best song. I could list ten better songs off the top of my head, and more if you gave me a few minutes. But that's neither here nor there.
You know, sometimes you remember a song for what it meant in the context of your life, as opposed to how good it actually is. "Jaded" came out at the end of my eighth-grade year, and I've routinely latched onto songs at certain transition points: the New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" when I started middle school, the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" when I started college. Let's be serious here, "Jaded" did benefit from extensive exposure. Aerosmith's last Top Ten hit, the boys famously performed it (in a really strange Britney Spears-and-N*SYNC medley) at halftime of Super Bowl XXXV.
And to reiterate, this is when I was a budding young drummer for the Valleyview Middle School Vikings. I went down to my basement, sat down at the kit and played the two-bar intro to "Jaded" more times than I can ever possibly remember, in the first few months after the song came out. (And then, proceeded to sing the opening guitar lick and ALL of Steven Tyler's vocals at the top of my lungs with no harmonic accompaniment.) I will say this -- even at their advanced age, it was one of Aerosmith's most tuneful songs. The melody is great, and the bridge brings the song right over the top...you can forgive Joe Perry's cliched, watery guitar solo if you so choose.
In any case, "Jaded" is here, on my list, at number five. It might not have made anyone else's favorite 100 songs, or 500 songs, or 2,000 songs, of this decade. But it's on my list, and I'm damn proud of that.
4. The Bens, "Bruised" [2004]
I went because you said you'd be there/A box of candy, smoke in your hair/When I didn't know, I didn't care/But now I know
If you ever find yourself at The College of New Jersey, and you can get over to Kendall Hall amidst all the habitual construction, and you finagle your way down to the basement, and then only if you walk around the entire perimeter of the building and get to the front door of the WTSR studios, AND if someone is in the on-air booth AND you are a pre-approved acquaintance of aforementioned someone, you might get a chance to peruse the "B" section of the station's back wall. And even after all that, you might miss the slim cardboard cover of The Bens' only release, an EP which saw a limited release of only 3,500 copies in January 2004. IF you have the good fortune to find it, you must have a programmable CD player, or else you'll have to get through the first three tracks, a bit of studio chatter, and a false start before you even hear the first proper notes of "Bruised." But I promise you, it's all worth it.
The Bens, of course, were a one-off collaboration between indie singer-songwriters Ben Folds, Ben Kweller and Ben Lee, the first and last of whom have already been represented on this list by solo offerings. The "supergroup's" self-titled EP was recorded during a mutual gathering and short Australian tour, and subsequently unleashed upon the world. And boy, am I glad it was.
"Bruised" begins with a lightly strummed acoustic guitar (a Folds sacrilege, save for the severely underrated "Emaline" from Naked Baby Photos) before Ben F. comes in with the keyboards. He's also doing the lead vocal for this one, and depending on where you can find the instrumentation information for this CD and whether or not you choose to believe it, he's playing the guitar and drums as well. Messrs. Kweller and Lee seem to take a back seat on this one, which is fine because this is just so clearly a Ben Folds song from beginning to end. (In fact, if the scenario I proposed to you in paragraph #1 seems too daunting, you can pick up a copy of Folds' 2006 compilation album supersunnyspeedgraphic: the lp, on which Ben F. reclaims the song for himself and does some ever-so-slight remixing.)
Lyrically, the song is profoundly provocative. Most of Ben Folds' songs deal with love leaving someone bruised (usually him) in one way or another, but this particular composition strips away the snarky attitude of stuff like "Gone" and "Song For The Dumped." What's left is a sensitive, desperate plea for reconciliation over three-quarters of the song, capped finally by the ultimate Folds diss: "Like I care." The song then builds around a chorus of wordless background vocals before crashing down just like Folds' emotionally exhausted protagonist.
And so I, too, am exhausted after expounding the virtues of the #4 and #5 songs on my list. Tomorrow, an entire entry devoted to song #3, an autobiographical track dealing with a celebrity custody battle. What will it be? Stay tuned...
-- pl
A somewhat shorter entry tonight for all you snowbound folk. If you're just joining us now, take time tonight to go back and read some previous entries of the countdown -- we are now down to the final five songs, two of which I am revealing in this post.
Well, no use stalling any more...let's get to it:
5. Aerosmith, "Jaded" [2001]
You're thinkin' so complicated/I've had it all up to here/But it's so overrated/Love and hate it, wouldn't trade it
Yeah, I know. Aerosmith is the last pure rock band represented on this list, and there's no way this is the best pure rock song of the decade. There's no way it's close to even being Aerosmith's best song. I could list ten better songs off the top of my head, and more if you gave me a few minutes. But that's neither here nor there.
You know, sometimes you remember a song for what it meant in the context of your life, as opposed to how good it actually is. "Jaded" came out at the end of my eighth-grade year, and I've routinely latched onto songs at certain transition points: the New Radicals' "You Get What You Give" when I started middle school, the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" when I started college. Let's be serious here, "Jaded" did benefit from extensive exposure. Aerosmith's last Top Ten hit, the boys famously performed it (in a really strange Britney Spears-and-N*SYNC medley) at halftime of Super Bowl XXXV.
And to reiterate, this is when I was a budding young drummer for the Valleyview Middle School Vikings. I went down to my basement, sat down at the kit and played the two-bar intro to "Jaded" more times than I can ever possibly remember, in the first few months after the song came out. (And then, proceeded to sing the opening guitar lick and ALL of Steven Tyler's vocals at the top of my lungs with no harmonic accompaniment.) I will say this -- even at their advanced age, it was one of Aerosmith's most tuneful songs. The melody is great, and the bridge brings the song right over the top...you can forgive Joe Perry's cliched, watery guitar solo if you so choose.
In any case, "Jaded" is here, on my list, at number five. It might not have made anyone else's favorite 100 songs, or 500 songs, or 2,000 songs, of this decade. But it's on my list, and I'm damn proud of that.
4. The Bens, "Bruised" [2004]
I went because you said you'd be there/A box of candy, smoke in your hair/When I didn't know, I didn't care/But now I know
If you ever find yourself at The College of New Jersey, and you can get over to Kendall Hall amidst all the habitual construction, and you finagle your way down to the basement, and then only if you walk around the entire perimeter of the building and get to the front door of the WTSR studios, AND if someone is in the on-air booth AND you are a pre-approved acquaintance of aforementioned someone, you might get a chance to peruse the "B" section of the station's back wall. And even after all that, you might miss the slim cardboard cover of The Bens' only release, an EP which saw a limited release of only 3,500 copies in January 2004. IF you have the good fortune to find it, you must have a programmable CD player, or else you'll have to get through the first three tracks, a bit of studio chatter, and a false start before you even hear the first proper notes of "Bruised." But I promise you, it's all worth it.
The Bens, of course, were a one-off collaboration between indie singer-songwriters Ben Folds, Ben Kweller and Ben Lee, the first and last of whom have already been represented on this list by solo offerings. The "supergroup's" self-titled EP was recorded during a mutual gathering and short Australian tour, and subsequently unleashed upon the world. And boy, am I glad it was.
"Bruised" begins with a lightly strummed acoustic guitar (a Folds sacrilege, save for the severely underrated "Emaline" from Naked Baby Photos) before Ben F. comes in with the keyboards. He's also doing the lead vocal for this one, and depending on where you can find the instrumentation information for this CD and whether or not you choose to believe it, he's playing the guitar and drums as well. Messrs. Kweller and Lee seem to take a back seat on this one, which is fine because this is just so clearly a Ben Folds song from beginning to end. (In fact, if the scenario I proposed to you in paragraph #1 seems too daunting, you can pick up a copy of Folds' 2006 compilation album supersunnyspeedgraphic: the lp, on which Ben F. reclaims the song for himself and does some ever-so-slight remixing.)
Lyrically, the song is profoundly provocative. Most of Ben Folds' songs deal with love leaving someone bruised (usually him) in one way or another, but this particular composition strips away the snarky attitude of stuff like "Gone" and "Song For The Dumped." What's left is a sensitive, desperate plea for reconciliation over three-quarters of the song, capped finally by the ultimate Folds diss: "Like I care." The song then builds around a chorus of wordless background vocals before crashing down just like Folds' emotionally exhausted protagonist.
And so I, too, am exhausted after expounding the virtues of the #4 and #5 songs on my list. Tomorrow, an entire entry devoted to song #3, an autobiographical track dealing with a celebrity custody battle. What will it be? Stay tuned...
-- pl
Friday, December 18, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XIV)
Hey everybody,
After two weeks, we're finally down to the Top 10 of the list. From here, what I think is going to happen is that I'll do 10 through 6 today, then 5 and 4 tomorrow, and then #3 on Sunday, #2 on Monday and #1 on Tuesday. Then after Christmas, I'll start on a new topic (which I haven't quite decided on yet). The idea is to keep the blog going this time instead of crapping out after like, three days. I think I've done pretty good so far. So now, without further ado:
SONGS 10 THROUGH 5
10. matt pond PA, "Halloween" [2005]
Pardon the intrusion/Could we leave before it gets bad?/I might smash up all these windows/And set fire to the curtains
This song spent a long time as my de facto "favorite song of the decade," and as you'll soon see, it's one of only two that was released in the second half of the "aughts" and made it this high on the countdown. It still holds a place as the favorite song I played as a new release in four years of working at TCNJ's radio station, WTSR 91.3 FM (actually surprised I went this long without getting into my whole radio career, since it accounts for about one-third of the songs on this list). Anyway, "Halloween" is the leadoff track from mpPA's 2005 album, Several Arrows Later, which is in my opinion Pond's best work. (You can't really say "the band's best work," as Pond is constantly changing his instrumentation and musician lineup.) And true to its title, "Halloween" really does sound better in October and November than any other time of the year. It's essentially a song about self-doubt, the narrator wanting to say something but not finding any words that sound sensible or smart. The arrangement is appropriately delicate, led by acoustic guitar and violin, with a gentle backbeat and a piano-and-guitar lick that runs between every verse and chorus, before bringing the track to an end right at the five-minute mark. It's a really well-constructed song that will have you thinking -- and will want to make you listen to the rest of the album.
9. U2, "Beautiful Day" [2000]
What you don't have, you don't need it now/What you don't know, you can feel somehow
If there was an anthem of the decade, it was indisputably "Beautiful Day," which arrived in the first year of the 00's and signaled a return to form for the most anthemic rock band of the last quarter-century. After experimenting with different styles for much of the 90's, U2 had returned to prominence in 1998 with their remix of 1987 B-side "The Sweetest Thing." That set them up to drop All That You Can't Leave Behind within the first few months of the new millenium. And although it broke a string of American #1 albums for the group dating all the way back to The Joshua Tree in 1987 (peaking at #3), All That You Can't... was the first U2 album since Joshua whose singles were clearly the best tracks: "Elevation," "Walk On," "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of," and "Beautiful Day." It would be silly of me to recap any of the musical or lyrical merits of "Beautiful Day" -- if you have never heard this song, where exactly have you been the last ten years? -- but its impact was undeniable. And if this statement is even worth anything anymore, the folks over at Rolling Stone also placed this song at #9 on their countdown of the best songs of the decade. So there.
8. Spymob, "2040" [2004]
They'll see them, smell them, hear them, feel them/Communicate as if they're there
No, it's not a typo, it's not a song about the year it was released. Spymob's "2040" is a futuristic look at the world in another decade of this century, with witty references to fads like lawn bowling and robot housemaids. Announcing the beginning of the Sitting Around Keeping Score album, Spymob's first project since providing backgrounds for N.E.R.D.'s 2002 debut, the band pulls out all the stops -- lots of, well, every instrument, as well as plenty of echoey backing vocals. The song is at a moderate, slightly swung tempo which kicks into another gear energy-wise at every chorus. There is a slight breakdown right before the transition into the last chorus, but it hardly kills the momentum. Perhaps more importantly, though, I would be remiss if I did not again mention WTSR here...if you were a TCNJ student and came to any of our live events in the past few years, "2040" was sure to be played at one point or another. And even if you've just listened to the station in the fairly recent past, you've heard this song; a snippet was used for WTSR's top-of-the-hour promo (with yours truly voicing the station ID) from September 2007 until earlier this year.
7. Maroon 5, "Makes Me Wonder" [2007]
I still don't have the reason/And you don't have the time/And it really makes me wonder if I ever gave a f*** about you
The entire rap genre notwithstanding, the above lyric is probably the best kiss-off of the decade. And it leads into one of the catchiest choruses this side of Hall & Oates, which is the band you must associate with "Makes Me Wonder" on first listen. In fact, almost all of It Won't Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5's long-awaited second album, relies heavily on one influence or another: I've already detailed the similarities between "Won't Go Home Without You" and "Every Breath You Take," and "Nothing Lasts Forever" steals a page directly out of Stevie Wonder's playbook circa Fulfillingness' First Finale. But lyrically and musically, this is a direct re-write of H&O's "Maneater," except...it's about George Bush? What? What about all those lines in the first verse about...? Oh well. The sheer sonic exuberance of "Makes Me Wonder" sort of makes you gloss over the lyrics anyway, which is why everyone came so quickly out of their post-"This Love" shells when this song was released in the spring of 2007. As a result, "Makes Me Wonder" became the first non-Idol rock song to hit #1 on the Billboard charts in five-and-a-half years, and is now recognized as one of the iconic pop songs of the 2000's.
6. John Mayer, "No Such Thing" [single version, 2001]
I wanna run through the halls of my high school/I wanna scream at the top of my lungs
The reason I need to differentiate this version of "No Such Thing" from any other incarnation is that, yes, John Mayer had been kicking it around since the end of the previous decade, when he was an independent Atlanta-based artist and recorded an acoustic version for his 1999 EP Inside Wants Out. So the version that kicks off Mayer's first proper album, 2001's Room for Squares, is the one that's represented here. I don't need to tell you much about this song -- you've heard it before, you know about all the lyrics and the song construction and it was all over the radio and it made John Mayer a household name and it's at least ten times better than "Your Body Is A Wonderland." What should be noted is the evolution of Mayer's career since this first single. This is a guy who's played guitar alongside Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, B.B. King and the like. Who developed a fixation with Jimi Hendrix sometime around 2005 that he just won't let go of. And yet, tellingly, this still might be his best song. Sometimes innocence is the best thing new artists can have going for themselves...and now years later, when you hear the lyric about busting down the doors at a high school reunion, it's no wonder Jennifer Aniston's looking for someone a little more grown-up.
Alright folks, you know the drill! Back tomorrow for numbers four and five.
-- pl
After two weeks, we're finally down to the Top 10 of the list. From here, what I think is going to happen is that I'll do 10 through 6 today, then 5 and 4 tomorrow, and then #3 on Sunday, #2 on Monday and #1 on Tuesday. Then after Christmas, I'll start on a new topic (which I haven't quite decided on yet). The idea is to keep the blog going this time instead of crapping out after like, three days. I think I've done pretty good so far. So now, without further ado:
SONGS 10 THROUGH 5
10. matt pond PA, "Halloween" [2005]
Pardon the intrusion/Could we leave before it gets bad?/I might smash up all these windows/And set fire to the curtains
This song spent a long time as my de facto "favorite song of the decade," and as you'll soon see, it's one of only two that was released in the second half of the "aughts" and made it this high on the countdown. It still holds a place as the favorite song I played as a new release in four years of working at TCNJ's radio station, WTSR 91.3 FM (actually surprised I went this long without getting into my whole radio career, since it accounts for about one-third of the songs on this list). Anyway, "Halloween" is the leadoff track from mpPA's 2005 album, Several Arrows Later, which is in my opinion Pond's best work. (You can't really say "the band's best work," as Pond is constantly changing his instrumentation and musician lineup.) And true to its title, "Halloween" really does sound better in October and November than any other time of the year. It's essentially a song about self-doubt, the narrator wanting to say something but not finding any words that sound sensible or smart. The arrangement is appropriately delicate, led by acoustic guitar and violin, with a gentle backbeat and a piano-and-guitar lick that runs between every verse and chorus, before bringing the track to an end right at the five-minute mark. It's a really well-constructed song that will have you thinking -- and will want to make you listen to the rest of the album.
9. U2, "Beautiful Day" [2000]
What you don't have, you don't need it now/What you don't know, you can feel somehow
If there was an anthem of the decade, it was indisputably "Beautiful Day," which arrived in the first year of the 00's and signaled a return to form for the most anthemic rock band of the last quarter-century. After experimenting with different styles for much of the 90's, U2 had returned to prominence in 1998 with their remix of 1987 B-side "The Sweetest Thing." That set them up to drop All That You Can't Leave Behind within the first few months of the new millenium. And although it broke a string of American #1 albums for the group dating all the way back to The Joshua Tree in 1987 (peaking at #3), All That You Can't... was the first U2 album since Joshua whose singles were clearly the best tracks: "Elevation," "Walk On," "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of," and "Beautiful Day." It would be silly of me to recap any of the musical or lyrical merits of "Beautiful Day" -- if you have never heard this song, where exactly have you been the last ten years? -- but its impact was undeniable. And if this statement is even worth anything anymore, the folks over at Rolling Stone also placed this song at #9 on their countdown of the best songs of the decade. So there.
8. Spymob, "2040" [2004]
They'll see them, smell them, hear them, feel them/Communicate as if they're there
No, it's not a typo, it's not a song about the year it was released. Spymob's "2040" is a futuristic look at the world in another decade of this century, with witty references to fads like lawn bowling and robot housemaids. Announcing the beginning of the Sitting Around Keeping Score album, Spymob's first project since providing backgrounds for N.E.R.D.'s 2002 debut, the band pulls out all the stops -- lots of, well, every instrument, as well as plenty of echoey backing vocals. The song is at a moderate, slightly swung tempo which kicks into another gear energy-wise at every chorus. There is a slight breakdown right before the transition into the last chorus, but it hardly kills the momentum. Perhaps more importantly, though, I would be remiss if I did not again mention WTSR here...if you were a TCNJ student and came to any of our live events in the past few years, "2040" was sure to be played at one point or another. And even if you've just listened to the station in the fairly recent past, you've heard this song; a snippet was used for WTSR's top-of-the-hour promo (with yours truly voicing the station ID) from September 2007 until earlier this year.
7. Maroon 5, "Makes Me Wonder" [2007]
I still don't have the reason/And you don't have the time/And it really makes me wonder if I ever gave a f*** about you
The entire rap genre notwithstanding, the above lyric is probably the best kiss-off of the decade. And it leads into one of the catchiest choruses this side of Hall & Oates, which is the band you must associate with "Makes Me Wonder" on first listen. In fact, almost all of It Won't Be Soon Before Long, Maroon 5's long-awaited second album, relies heavily on one influence or another: I've already detailed the similarities between "Won't Go Home Without You" and "Every Breath You Take," and "Nothing Lasts Forever" steals a page directly out of Stevie Wonder's playbook circa Fulfillingness' First Finale. But lyrically and musically, this is a direct re-write of H&O's "Maneater," except...it's about George Bush? What? What about all those lines in the first verse about...? Oh well. The sheer sonic exuberance of "Makes Me Wonder" sort of makes you gloss over the lyrics anyway, which is why everyone came so quickly out of their post-"This Love" shells when this song was released in the spring of 2007. As a result, "Makes Me Wonder" became the first non-Idol rock song to hit #1 on the Billboard charts in five-and-a-half years, and is now recognized as one of the iconic pop songs of the 2000's.
6. John Mayer, "No Such Thing" [single version, 2001]
I wanna run through the halls of my high school/I wanna scream at the top of my lungs
The reason I need to differentiate this version of "No Such Thing" from any other incarnation is that, yes, John Mayer had been kicking it around since the end of the previous decade, when he was an independent Atlanta-based artist and recorded an acoustic version for his 1999 EP Inside Wants Out. So the version that kicks off Mayer's first proper album, 2001's Room for Squares, is the one that's represented here. I don't need to tell you much about this song -- you've heard it before, you know about all the lyrics and the song construction and it was all over the radio and it made John Mayer a household name and it's at least ten times better than "Your Body Is A Wonderland." What should be noted is the evolution of Mayer's career since this first single. This is a guy who's played guitar alongside Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, B.B. King and the like. Who developed a fixation with Jimi Hendrix sometime around 2005 that he just won't let go of. And yet, tellingly, this still might be his best song. Sometimes innocence is the best thing new artists can have going for themselves...and now years later, when you hear the lyric about busting down the doors at a high school reunion, it's no wonder Jennifer Aniston's looking for someone a little more grown-up.
Alright folks, you know the drill! Back tomorrow for numbers four and five.
-- pl
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XIII)
Hey all,
Back to the grind today for five more songs on the list! This has been a really fun project and I hope you're all having a good time reading up on some nostalgia. And awaaaaay...we go:
SONGS 15 THROUGH 11
15. Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" [2006]
Come on now, who do you/Who do you, who do you, who do you think you are?/Ha ha ha, bless your soul/You really think you're in control?
Gnarls Barkley is comprised of producer Danger Mouse (whose 2005 collaboration with MF Doom, appropriately called Danger Doom, almost yielded a spot on this list with "Old School") and singer Cee-Lo Green, whose previous project had been a 2004 solo album entitled Cee-Lo Green...Is The Soul Machine. They teamed up in 2006, derived their name from a certain former NBA star, took to naming their albums after classic TV series (St. Elsewhere, The Odd Couple), and began turning out one neo-soul gem after another. Cee-Lo's voice is perfect for this kind of thing; he's as raspy as Reverend Al Green, often with James Brown-type energy. That combination comes out in nearly all of Gnarls' best songs -- "Smiley Faces," "Who Cares?", "Run," "Going On," and the ridiculous "Transformer" -- but no song grooves better than "Crazy," a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. "Crazy" revolves around a rubbery bass line, wall-of-sound background vocals, and an Italian opera sample that runs through the chorus. Add to that Cee-Lo's seamless falsetto and off-beat bits of humor sprinkled throughout the lyrics, and you have an instant classic that's guaranteed to be the life of the party.
14. Nada Surf, "Do It Again" [2005]
Maybe this weight was a gift/Like I had to see what I could lift
Years ago, the Beach Boys had a hit with a song called "Do It Again." That was also the name of Steely Dan's first hit in 1972. Nada Surf's composition has little to do with either of those tracks, save for the close Brian Wilson-type harmonies on the chorus...but make no mistake, it has an identity all its own. Starting with a fantastic bass-and-drums intro (no, not drum-n-bass, there's a difference), the arrangement expands to include a few slinky guitar lines during the verses and through the first chorus. Then at the middle eight, power chords explode as the beat becomes more syncopated, a theme that reoccurs at the very end of the song. Sorry to get so technical, but this ain't as simple as "Popular" or "Always Love." To whom does "Do It Again" owe thanks for its stellar, intricate production? None other that Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, whose own solo work isn't as vibrant as his contributions on "Do It Again" and, moreover, the entire Weight Is A Gift album. Not to mention, there are some fantastic lyrics in this one (like the above couplet, which of course provides the title of the record). Generally considered to be the best song on The Weight Is A Gift, "Do It Again" takes its well-deserved place on this list at number 14.
13. Kings of Leon, "Sex On Fire" [2008]
Soft lips are open, knuckles are pale/Feels like you're dying, you're dying
Reaction to this song by critical bigwigs has been mixed. I love it, though, and so does most of the American and British general public as judged by radio airplay and sales. KoL's latest LP, Only By the Night, is propelled by this high-energy track and its follow-up single, the aching "Use Somebody." Forget trying to interpret the meaning -- if it's not about sex, as some claim it's not, then why is sex so obviously at the forefront of the lyrics? -- it's just a solid rock song. In fact, that's the biggest knock I've heard about this song, that it's just an ordinary rock tune. Uh, no one was asking the Followill brothers to write a sequel to "Stairway To Heaven." Sometimes, it's refreshing to appreciate music for what it is rather than what it isn't, to take notice of nuances like the chord change right before the second chorus. Or the way Caleb Followill continues to wail away over a lonely backbeat toward the conclusion of the song. Or the staccato instrumental stabs leading back into the last chorus. Yeah, I bet you didn't hear that while you were trying to figure out how "Sex On Fire" relates to God and life and space. Give me a break, people. It's a great song. I'm a simple guy. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Amen.
12. OutKast, "Hey Ya!" [2003]
Thank God for Mom and Dad/For sticking two together/'Cause we don't know how
A song that brought "shake it like a Polaroid picture" into the American lexicon and a video that made jazz hands fashionable again, "Hey Ya!" is the total package. Andre 3000 and Big Boi, after almost a decade building their rep, were probably the only people on Earth who could have afforded to come up with this silly creation and escape with their careers intact; remember, these are the same folks who brought you "Rosa Parks" and "B.O.B." So you'll excuse the slightly off-key vocals on the chorus, the toy synthesizers, the hiccuping beats, the shameless name-dropping, Andre's miscounting on the intro and needless affectation of stretching out every other word, and the ridiculous "daddy/Caddy" rhymes. You know why you'll excuse all of that? Because everything that's seemingly wrong with "Hey Ya!" for some strange, twisted reason, is somehow undeniably right. It was a fortuitous release: the right song, at the right time, by the right artist. Not to take anything away from the other songs mentioned, much less "The Way You Move," which was the other half of this double-A-side single, but "Hey Ya!" will go down as the most memorable OutKast track...if not necessarily the best. (hint hint)
11. The Killers, "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" [2004]
She said she loved me/But she had somewhere to go/She couldn't scream while I held her close/I swore I'd never let her go
Let me set the scene for you. A 17-year-old kid, a big fan of the 80's, has just listened to Duran Duran's 2004 Astronaut album for the first time. He's impressed by what the old boys can do after almost a decade apart, but knows there will never be another "Hungry Like The Wolf" from this band. Soon after, the same kid is bestowed a copy of the Killers' Hot Fuss. Oh, he's come across "Somebody Told Me" on the radio, and from what he's heard, a song called "Mr. Brightside" is going to be the next single. But he's not expecting much. Flash forward about 30 seconds later, to the opening drum fill of "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine." The 17-year-old, always enamored with time travel, is back in 1981 and this is the best song since "Girls On Film." Only later will he listen to the lyrics -- it's about a murder, and two more songs will follow to complete the story -- because this particular experience is about the music. All about a synth, a hi-hat, a kick drum, and a punchy bass line. Years later, he'll recount the experience like the romantic that he is, proclaim "Jenny" still to be the best song on Hot Fuss, and place it on a countdown of his favorite songs of the decade. See where I'm going with this?
OK, that's enough writing for one day. See you tomorrow to close out the week with numbers ten through five!
-- pl
Back to the grind today for five more songs on the list! This has been a really fun project and I hope you're all having a good time reading up on some nostalgia. And awaaaaay...we go:
SONGS 15 THROUGH 11
15. Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" [2006]
Come on now, who do you/Who do you, who do you, who do you think you are?/Ha ha ha, bless your soul/You really think you're in control?
Gnarls Barkley is comprised of producer Danger Mouse (whose 2005 collaboration with MF Doom, appropriately called Danger Doom, almost yielded a spot on this list with "Old School") and singer Cee-Lo Green, whose previous project had been a 2004 solo album entitled Cee-Lo Green...Is The Soul Machine. They teamed up in 2006, derived their name from a certain former NBA star, took to naming their albums after classic TV series (St. Elsewhere, The Odd Couple), and began turning out one neo-soul gem after another. Cee-Lo's voice is perfect for this kind of thing; he's as raspy as Reverend Al Green, often with James Brown-type energy. That combination comes out in nearly all of Gnarls' best songs -- "Smiley Faces," "Who Cares?", "Run," "Going On," and the ridiculous "Transformer" -- but no song grooves better than "Crazy," a Top 5 hit on both sides of the Atlantic. "Crazy" revolves around a rubbery bass line, wall-of-sound background vocals, and an Italian opera sample that runs through the chorus. Add to that Cee-Lo's seamless falsetto and off-beat bits of humor sprinkled throughout the lyrics, and you have an instant classic that's guaranteed to be the life of the party.
14. Nada Surf, "Do It Again" [2005]
Maybe this weight was a gift/Like I had to see what I could lift
Years ago, the Beach Boys had a hit with a song called "Do It Again." That was also the name of Steely Dan's first hit in 1972. Nada Surf's composition has little to do with either of those tracks, save for the close Brian Wilson-type harmonies on the chorus...but make no mistake, it has an identity all its own. Starting with a fantastic bass-and-drums intro (no, not drum-n-bass, there's a difference), the arrangement expands to include a few slinky guitar lines during the verses and through the first chorus. Then at the middle eight, power chords explode as the beat becomes more syncopated, a theme that reoccurs at the very end of the song. Sorry to get so technical, but this ain't as simple as "Popular" or "Always Love." To whom does "Do It Again" owe thanks for its stellar, intricate production? None other that Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, whose own solo work isn't as vibrant as his contributions on "Do It Again" and, moreover, the entire Weight Is A Gift album. Not to mention, there are some fantastic lyrics in this one (like the above couplet, which of course provides the title of the record). Generally considered to be the best song on The Weight Is A Gift, "Do It Again" takes its well-deserved place on this list at number 14.
13. Kings of Leon, "Sex On Fire" [2008]
Soft lips are open, knuckles are pale/Feels like you're dying, you're dying
Reaction to this song by critical bigwigs has been mixed. I love it, though, and so does most of the American and British general public as judged by radio airplay and sales. KoL's latest LP, Only By the Night, is propelled by this high-energy track and its follow-up single, the aching "Use Somebody." Forget trying to interpret the meaning -- if it's not about sex, as some claim it's not, then why is sex so obviously at the forefront of the lyrics? -- it's just a solid rock song. In fact, that's the biggest knock I've heard about this song, that it's just an ordinary rock tune. Uh, no one was asking the Followill brothers to write a sequel to "Stairway To Heaven." Sometimes, it's refreshing to appreciate music for what it is rather than what it isn't, to take notice of nuances like the chord change right before the second chorus. Or the way Caleb Followill continues to wail away over a lonely backbeat toward the conclusion of the song. Or the staccato instrumental stabs leading back into the last chorus. Yeah, I bet you didn't hear that while you were trying to figure out how "Sex On Fire" relates to God and life and space. Give me a break, people. It's a great song. I'm a simple guy. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles. Amen.
12. OutKast, "Hey Ya!" [2003]
Thank God for Mom and Dad/For sticking two together/'Cause we don't know how
A song that brought "shake it like a Polaroid picture" into the American lexicon and a video that made jazz hands fashionable again, "Hey Ya!" is the total package. Andre 3000 and Big Boi, after almost a decade building their rep, were probably the only people on Earth who could have afforded to come up with this silly creation and escape with their careers intact; remember, these are the same folks who brought you "Rosa Parks" and "B.O.B." So you'll excuse the slightly off-key vocals on the chorus, the toy synthesizers, the hiccuping beats, the shameless name-dropping, Andre's miscounting on the intro and needless affectation of stretching out every other word, and the ridiculous "daddy/Caddy" rhymes. You know why you'll excuse all of that? Because everything that's seemingly wrong with "Hey Ya!" for some strange, twisted reason, is somehow undeniably right. It was a fortuitous release: the right song, at the right time, by the right artist. Not to take anything away from the other songs mentioned, much less "The Way You Move," which was the other half of this double-A-side single, but "Hey Ya!" will go down as the most memorable OutKast track...if not necessarily the best. (hint hint)
11. The Killers, "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" [2004]
She said she loved me/But she had somewhere to go/She couldn't scream while I held her close/I swore I'd never let her go
Let me set the scene for you. A 17-year-old kid, a big fan of the 80's, has just listened to Duran Duran's 2004 Astronaut album for the first time. He's impressed by what the old boys can do after almost a decade apart, but knows there will never be another "Hungry Like The Wolf" from this band. Soon after, the same kid is bestowed a copy of the Killers' Hot Fuss. Oh, he's come across "Somebody Told Me" on the radio, and from what he's heard, a song called "Mr. Brightside" is going to be the next single. But he's not expecting much. Flash forward about 30 seconds later, to the opening drum fill of "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine." The 17-year-old, always enamored with time travel, is back in 1981 and this is the best song since "Girls On Film." Only later will he listen to the lyrics -- it's about a murder, and two more songs will follow to complete the story -- because this particular experience is about the music. All about a synth, a hi-hat, a kick drum, and a punchy bass line. Years later, he'll recount the experience like the romantic that he is, proclaim "Jenny" still to be the best song on Hot Fuss, and place it on a countdown of his favorite songs of the decade. See where I'm going with this?
OK, that's enough writing for one day. See you tomorrow to close out the week with numbers ten through five!
-- pl
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XII)
Hi kiddles,
It's time for the real cream of the crop, the Top 20 songs of the decade. You know the rules, we start today with numbers 20 through 16. The explanations are a little bit longer today, but I think you'll enjoy. Here goes:
SONGS 20 THROUGH 16
20. Rufus Wainwright, "Hallelujah" [2001]
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth/The minor fall, the major lift
As I hinted at yesterday, "Hallelujah" is indeed the only cover on this list -- and actually, it's become one of the most-covered songs of all time. Songwriting legend Leonard Cohen recorded the original version in 1984, and famous variations were done by John Cale in 1991 and the late Jeff Buckley (in what many consider to be the definitive reading) in 1994. In fact, Cale's version is the one which famously appeared in Shrek. Wainwright's recording is based off of the Cale version and can be found on the Shrek soundtrack, but not in the film itself. No sweat: the Canadian-American's take is the one most often associated with the movie, it's the artist's number-one Googled song lyric (though of course, he didn't write it), and along with an interpretation of "Across The Universe" from I Am Sam, "Hallelujah" assisted in introducing the general public to some of Wainwright's original material. Meanwhile, it's surpassed the perennial "Suzanne" as Cohen's most-beloved composition. A good way to start off this portion of the list.
19. Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" [2002]
The remedy is the experience/This is a dangerous liaison/I say the comedy is that it's serious/This is a strange enough new play on words
Part of the reason why "The Remedy" is in this slot, and no other Jason Mraz songs even make the countdown, is because this first single for the likable singer-songwriter set an unmatchable blueprint. Was there anything else like this on the radio in 2002-2003? Moreover, after Mraz had set the bar so high, where was there to go but down? The most comparative situation I can think of is Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," which became that group's sole #1 hit in 1998. The big singles that followed, like "Pinch Me" and "Another Postcard," tried to duplicate the formula but couldn't replicate the spontaneity of hearing something completely new for the first time. Likewise, songs like "Wordplay" and even the ubiquitous "I'm Yours" fall a little bit short of "The Remedy"'s freshness factor. And, not to mention that pound for pound, Waiting for My Rocket to Come has to, has to, be mentioned in any discussion of the best albums of this decade. It's mighty difficult to reinvent a wheel once it gets rolling.
18. Jimmy Eat World, "The Middle" [2001]
It just takes some time/Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride/Everything, everything will be just fine/Everything, everything will be alright
The song that broke Jimmy Eat World into the mainstream, and deservedly so. The crime is that it has to fight for space on another one of the decade's best records, Bleed American (retooled as a self-titled album after 9/11), with epics like "A Praise Chorus," "Sweetness," and "The Authority Song," which has already shown up on this list. Some bands (see: Del Amitri) are resentful of that One Big Song (see: "Roll To Me") that every teenager in America knows the words to, and that Mom and Dad can tap their feet to as well. JEW shouldn't be the least bit ashamed of "The Middle," an absolutely perfect power-pop song which was the early part of 2002...in fact, the song's momentum carried right into that summer, when -- hey! guess what? -- there's an almost blissful surf-guitar solo right where the middle eight should be. Great overall guitar work, tasteful keyboards, a singalong chorus...this song has it all. Without a doubt one of the most definitive tracks of the last ten years.
17. Sara Bareilles, "Love Song" [2007]
I'm not gonna write you a love song/'Cause you asked for it/'Cause you need one, you see
What many people lose after the first line of that chorus (by the way, one of the catchiest to come around in a long time) is the story behind rest of the lyrics. It's not a love song, of course, not by any stretch of the imagination. Bareilles was asked by her record label to basically write a hit...or else. In other words, to write a "make or break" song for her recording career, as also depicted in the chorus. This had been done before -- Bruce Springsteen allegedly wrote "Dancing In The Dark" under the same ultimatum. And even this style of song had been attempted previously -- Ben Folds' "One Down" is a humorous look at record company quotas. But Ben and Bruce were already well-established by the time those songs were written; never had an artist's first real hit been constructed under such a scenario. Which makes the Folds-like piano intro, the soaring chorus, and the persistent, desperate, yet undeniably sunny feel of the track all the more incredible. Sorry I couldn't wax poetic about a song with like, a more interesting title, but there you have it.
16. Muse, "Starlight" [2006]
I'll never let you go/If you promise not to fade away/Never fade away
Aside from breathing new life into the Buddy Holly "not fade away" tradition, Muse created a track which is equal parts shamelessly energetic and intentionally over-the-top. Those of you who are only familiar with the Guitar Hero track "Knights of Cydonia" really owe yourselves a favor and should check this one out. It's not a lyrically provocative song, and there's nothing innovative about its structure or production, but I know few songs that get me in a better mood. It's essentially Coldplay redux, a more underground version of "Clocks" or "In My Place." The surprising part is toward the climax of the song, when -- just when you think the track's momentum is about to go through the roof -- the drums drop out and lead singer Matt Bellamy reduces to almost a whisper, building back up to a repetition of the opening guitar riff. After this, Bellamy pleads the refrain over and over until the song, having miraculously run out of energy, suddenly stops. It's the only truly unexpected turn in what I can only accurately describe as just a remarkably solid, unquestionably emotional song.
Back tomorrow with songs 15 through 11!
-- pl
It's time for the real cream of the crop, the Top 20 songs of the decade. You know the rules, we start today with numbers 20 through 16. The explanations are a little bit longer today, but I think you'll enjoy. Here goes:
SONGS 20 THROUGH 16
20. Rufus Wainwright, "Hallelujah" [2001]
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth/The minor fall, the major lift
As I hinted at yesterday, "Hallelujah" is indeed the only cover on this list -- and actually, it's become one of the most-covered songs of all time. Songwriting legend Leonard Cohen recorded the original version in 1984, and famous variations were done by John Cale in 1991 and the late Jeff Buckley (in what many consider to be the definitive reading) in 1994. In fact, Cale's version is the one which famously appeared in Shrek. Wainwright's recording is based off of the Cale version and can be found on the Shrek soundtrack, but not in the film itself. No sweat: the Canadian-American's take is the one most often associated with the movie, it's the artist's number-one Googled song lyric (though of course, he didn't write it), and along with an interpretation of "Across The Universe" from I Am Sam, "Hallelujah" assisted in introducing the general public to some of Wainwright's original material. Meanwhile, it's surpassed the perennial "Suzanne" as Cohen's most-beloved composition. A good way to start off this portion of the list.
19. Jason Mraz, "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" [2002]
The remedy is the experience/This is a dangerous liaison/I say the comedy is that it's serious/This is a strange enough new play on words
Part of the reason why "The Remedy" is in this slot, and no other Jason Mraz songs even make the countdown, is because this first single for the likable singer-songwriter set an unmatchable blueprint. Was there anything else like this on the radio in 2002-2003? Moreover, after Mraz had set the bar so high, where was there to go but down? The most comparative situation I can think of is Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," which became that group's sole #1 hit in 1998. The big singles that followed, like "Pinch Me" and "Another Postcard," tried to duplicate the formula but couldn't replicate the spontaneity of hearing something completely new for the first time. Likewise, songs like "Wordplay" and even the ubiquitous "I'm Yours" fall a little bit short of "The Remedy"'s freshness factor. And, not to mention that pound for pound, Waiting for My Rocket to Come has to, has to, be mentioned in any discussion of the best albums of this decade. It's mighty difficult to reinvent a wheel once it gets rolling.
18. Jimmy Eat World, "The Middle" [2001]
It just takes some time/Little girl, you're in the middle of the ride/Everything, everything will be just fine/Everything, everything will be alright
The song that broke Jimmy Eat World into the mainstream, and deservedly so. The crime is that it has to fight for space on another one of the decade's best records, Bleed American (retooled as a self-titled album after 9/11), with epics like "A Praise Chorus," "Sweetness," and "The Authority Song," which has already shown up on this list. Some bands (see: Del Amitri) are resentful of that One Big Song (see: "Roll To Me") that every teenager in America knows the words to, and that Mom and Dad can tap their feet to as well. JEW shouldn't be the least bit ashamed of "The Middle," an absolutely perfect power-pop song which was the early part of 2002...in fact, the song's momentum carried right into that summer, when -- hey! guess what? -- there's an almost blissful surf-guitar solo right where the middle eight should be. Great overall guitar work, tasteful keyboards, a singalong chorus...this song has it all. Without a doubt one of the most definitive tracks of the last ten years.
17. Sara Bareilles, "Love Song" [2007]
I'm not gonna write you a love song/'Cause you asked for it/'Cause you need one, you see
What many people lose after the first line of that chorus (by the way, one of the catchiest to come around in a long time) is the story behind rest of the lyrics. It's not a love song, of course, not by any stretch of the imagination. Bareilles was asked by her record label to basically write a hit...or else. In other words, to write a "make or break" song for her recording career, as also depicted in the chorus. This had been done before -- Bruce Springsteen allegedly wrote "Dancing In The Dark" under the same ultimatum. And even this style of song had been attempted previously -- Ben Folds' "One Down" is a humorous look at record company quotas. But Ben and Bruce were already well-established by the time those songs were written; never had an artist's first real hit been constructed under such a scenario. Which makes the Folds-like piano intro, the soaring chorus, and the persistent, desperate, yet undeniably sunny feel of the track all the more incredible. Sorry I couldn't wax poetic about a song with like, a more interesting title, but there you have it.
16. Muse, "Starlight" [2006]
I'll never let you go/If you promise not to fade away/Never fade away
Aside from breathing new life into the Buddy Holly "not fade away" tradition, Muse created a track which is equal parts shamelessly energetic and intentionally over-the-top. Those of you who are only familiar with the Guitar Hero track "Knights of Cydonia" really owe yourselves a favor and should check this one out. It's not a lyrically provocative song, and there's nothing innovative about its structure or production, but I know few songs that get me in a better mood. It's essentially Coldplay redux, a more underground version of "Clocks" or "In My Place." The surprising part is toward the climax of the song, when -- just when you think the track's momentum is about to go through the roof -- the drums drop out and lead singer Matt Bellamy reduces to almost a whisper, building back up to a repetition of the opening guitar riff. After this, Bellamy pleads the refrain over and over until the song, having miraculously run out of energy, suddenly stops. It's the only truly unexpected turn in what I can only accurately describe as just a remarkably solid, unquestionably emotional song.
Back tomorrow with songs 15 through 11!
-- pl
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part XI)
Hi everybody,
Thanks for reading so far! I'm getting some great feedback, and I appreciate the comments on both the blog and Facebook. (And if I hadn't neglected Twitter like, six months ago, the links would be there too. Maybe it's time to resurrect.)
Today, I just want to address a few fun facts and some possible shortcomings of the list. It's nearly impossible to squeeze every great song over a ten-year period into a list of 100; my 80's list (which might see publication here in the future) had to be whittled down from about 750 to 500 before I was content with its placings.
So I guess that's my first apology: if you know me, I often joke that I don't listen to any music made after 1990. That's not entirely true, of course, but there's a reason why this list stands at only 100. First of all, like I explained earlier, this was possibly the most diverse decade in popular music history. Therefore, I couldn't quite wrap my head around all the different genres and styles that emerged.
I know that contemporary rap and R&B both get the shaft on this list. I know, I know. There's no Eminem, no Usher, no Nelly, no Kanye -- can we deny the impact of any of these artists over the last ten years? I've picked up on a few songs that could have cracked this list (Alicia Keys' "Fallin'," which was huge, along with her 2009 "Empire State Of Mind" with Jay-Z), but I'm still overall happy with the way it turned out.
The second thing is, when you make a list at the end of a decade, you're automatically shortchanging the end of that decade when it comes to the impact of an artist or song. If I were to remake this list in five years, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift would probably make it, and songs like Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" would have found their way to placement as well.
Which brings me to the first fact of today's post. Here is the year-by-year breakdown of songs on the list (and remember, it's by release year, which is why some songs that may turn out to be this year's biggest hits haven't even been considered yet)...
2000: 10 songs
2001: 9
2002: 14
2003: 5
2004: 11
2005: 10
2006: 13
2007: 15
2008: 11
2009: 2
So you can clearly see what I mean, some years skew the list more than others. This might also give you a little bit of a hint as to what the final 20 songs, the front end of the list, might look like. To help you out even more with that, here's a list of the top artists represented on the list...
Coldplay: 4 songs
Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, John Mayer, and Bruce Springsteen: 3 each
Many, many others: 2 songs (this includes both Ben Folds and Ben Lee, who have only one solo song each on the list but...well, I'll keep you guessing)
And that's that. As far as the actual quality of the music goes, I averaged each year's individual song placings together and the year with the "best" music is 2001, which yielded a mean ranking of #29. The only other years to shake out with an average placing of #50 or better were 2000 (#33) and 2006 (#43).
I should tell you, before I close out today's post, that cover songs were mostly ignored for this list. The only cover to make the cut actually leads off tomorrow's post, when we pick up at #20. What will it be? Stay tuned...
-- pl
Thanks for reading so far! I'm getting some great feedback, and I appreciate the comments on both the blog and Facebook. (And if I hadn't neglected Twitter like, six months ago, the links would be there too. Maybe it's time to resurrect.)
Today, I just want to address a few fun facts and some possible shortcomings of the list. It's nearly impossible to squeeze every great song over a ten-year period into a list of 100; my 80's list (which might see publication here in the future) had to be whittled down from about 750 to 500 before I was content with its placings.
So I guess that's my first apology: if you know me, I often joke that I don't listen to any music made after 1990. That's not entirely true, of course, but there's a reason why this list stands at only 100. First of all, like I explained earlier, this was possibly the most diverse decade in popular music history. Therefore, I couldn't quite wrap my head around all the different genres and styles that emerged.
I know that contemporary rap and R&B both get the shaft on this list. I know, I know. There's no Eminem, no Usher, no Nelly, no Kanye -- can we deny the impact of any of these artists over the last ten years? I've picked up on a few songs that could have cracked this list (Alicia Keys' "Fallin'," which was huge, along with her 2009 "Empire State Of Mind" with Jay-Z), but I'm still overall happy with the way it turned out.
The second thing is, when you make a list at the end of a decade, you're automatically shortchanging the end of that decade when it comes to the impact of an artist or song. If I were to remake this list in five years, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift would probably make it, and songs like Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" would have found their way to placement as well.
Which brings me to the first fact of today's post. Here is the year-by-year breakdown of songs on the list (and remember, it's by release year, which is why some songs that may turn out to be this year's biggest hits haven't even been considered yet)...
2000: 10 songs
2001: 9
2002: 14
2003: 5
2004: 11
2005: 10
2006: 13
2007: 15
2008: 11
2009: 2
So you can clearly see what I mean, some years skew the list more than others. This might also give you a little bit of a hint as to what the final 20 songs, the front end of the list, might look like. To help you out even more with that, here's a list of the top artists represented on the list...
Coldplay: 4 songs
Dave Matthews Band, Maroon 5, John Mayer, and Bruce Springsteen: 3 each
Many, many others: 2 songs (this includes both Ben Folds and Ben Lee, who have only one solo song each on the list but...well, I'll keep you guessing)
And that's that. As far as the actual quality of the music goes, I averaged each year's individual song placings together and the year with the "best" music is 2001, which yielded a mean ranking of #29. The only other years to shake out with an average placing of #50 or better were 2000 (#33) and 2006 (#43).
I should tell you, before I close out today's post, that cover songs were mostly ignored for this list. The only cover to make the cut actually leads off tomorrow's post, when we pick up at #20. What will it be? Stay tuned...
-- pl
Monday, December 14, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part X)
Hey everybody,
Here it is, the next installment of the countdown. Today will cover numbers 30 through 21, after which we'll take a figurative day off and then switch to a slightly different format for the final 20 songs. (This is all detailed in yesterday's post.) I should tell you that, as we get closer and closer to the top, some of my preferred artists and bands may start to emerge; that's only natural with a list of this style. I say this because, in today's list of ten, two bands have two listed songs each. Who are they, and what are the songs? Read on...
SONGS 30 THROUGH 21
30. Dave Matthews Band, "Grey Street" [single version, 2002]
And though it's red blood bleeding from her now/It feels like cold blue ice in her heart/When all the colors mix together to grey
Shorter than the polished version on Busted Stuff, and livelier than the rough version from The Lillywhite Sessions, the "Grey Street" single was all over the radio in the second half of 2002 (you know, back when people still listened to the radio).
29. Incubus, "Dig" [2006]
So when weakness turns my ego up/I know you'll count on the me from yesterday
It took a long time for this song to grow on me, but it's now far surpassed every other Incubus single ("Drive" and "Wish You Were Here," of course, being the other main contenders) as my favorite song by the group. The great lyrics, never obvious and definitely thought-provoking, turned the tables for me.
28. Jimmy Eat World, "The Authority Song" [2001]
Honesty or mystery?/Tell me, I'm not scared anymore/I got no secret purpose/I don't seem obvious, do I?
One of the many standouts on Bleed American, an extremely influential and powerful album, "The Authority Song" benefits from backup vocalist Rachel Haden's echoed harmonies, as well as the inherent name-dropping involved with naming one song after another song (John Cougar Mellencamp's 1983 hit "Authority Song").
27. Keane, "Is It Any Wonder?" [2006]
Is it any wonder I'm tired?/Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?/Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
I'm a songwriter, so I instantly notice unique elements that stick out in new songs. So, a warning, the electronically-processed keyboards that announce the first ten seconds of "Is It Any Wonder?" may startle you. After that, Keane settles into a U2-esque groove, mixed with old Tears for Fears chord changes. The song centers around the dual topics of the band's success after Hopes and Fears, and their views on President Bush's failures.
26. Howie Day, "She Says" [acoustic version, 2002]
And when she says she wants somebody else/I hope you know she doesn't mean you
For anybody who heard too much of Howie Day's biggest hit, "Collide," or wasn't quite on board with the heavily-produced version of "She Says" on Stop All The World Now, check out his original recording of the latter song on his debut album Australia. "She Says" actually dates back to the year 2000, when Day first performed it live and it was included on the independent release of Australia.
25. The Goo Goo Dolls, "Here Is Gone" [2002]
I thought I lost you somewhere/But you were never really ever there at all
Some people discredit Gutterflower because the singles weren't quite up to par with those from GGD's previous release, 1998's Dizzy Up The Girl. But in my opinion, "Here Is Gone" is every bit as good as "Slide," and if we're going to get into Gutterflower's merits anyway, "Big Machine" could have easily made this list too.
24. Dave Matthews Band, "The Space Between" [2001]
These fickle, fuddled words confuse me/Like "Will it rain today?"
This line baffled me for about three years before I finally gave up trying to understand what Dave meant. Harsher than "Crash Into Me" yet in a way even more delicate than "Satellite," it's the band's best ballad, and probably their biggest qualifiable hit.
23. The Swell Season, "When Your Mind's Made Up" [2006]
So, if you ever want something/And you call, call/Then I'll come running
The Frames' Glen Hansard and his ex-girlfriend Marketa Irglova comprise The Swell Season, a side project which resulted in the acclaimed 2007 movie Once, which is where I first heard "When Your Mind's Made Up." The scene in which Guy (Hansard) and Girl (Irglova) record this song, in full, is one of the most moving cinematic sequences in a long time.
22. Keane, "Somewhere Only We Know" [2004]
Oh simple thing, where have you gone?/I'm getting old and I need someone to rely on
Just like John Lennon begat Oasis, and Oasis begat Coldplay, Coldplay's early-decade success spawned a large number of imitators, the foremost of which is Keane. A piano-led trio, the band struck gold with this, the leadoff track of their debut album Hopes and Fears. Soaring vocals by Tom Chaplin and a driving piano riff by composer Tim Rice-Oxley are the endearing characteristics of one of 2004's signature songs.
21. Ben Lee, "Catch My Disease" [2005]
They don't play me on the radio/But that's the way I like it
The Australian Ben (stay tuned for later on in this list) provides, appropriately, one of the most infectious songs in recent decades using simple instrumentation: a glockenspiel, an acoustic guitar, handclaps, and a barroom chorus. The innocence of the lyrics culminates in the final verse, where Lee name-drops Good Charlotte, Sleepy Jackson and Beyonce before exuberantly proclaiming the final line as seen above.
Alrighty folks, that's it. Gotta run, and I'll get back to the posts tomorrow! Gonna be throwing some statistics your way about some of the artists and years represented on the list.
-- pl
Here it is, the next installment of the countdown. Today will cover numbers 30 through 21, after which we'll take a figurative day off and then switch to a slightly different format for the final 20 songs. (This is all detailed in yesterday's post.) I should tell you that, as we get closer and closer to the top, some of my preferred artists and bands may start to emerge; that's only natural with a list of this style. I say this because, in today's list of ten, two bands have two listed songs each. Who are they, and what are the songs? Read on...
SONGS 30 THROUGH 21
30. Dave Matthews Band, "Grey Street" [single version, 2002]
And though it's red blood bleeding from her now/It feels like cold blue ice in her heart/When all the colors mix together to grey
Shorter than the polished version on Busted Stuff, and livelier than the rough version from The Lillywhite Sessions, the "Grey Street" single was all over the radio in the second half of 2002 (you know, back when people still listened to the radio).
29. Incubus, "Dig" [2006]
So when weakness turns my ego up/I know you'll count on the me from yesterday
It took a long time for this song to grow on me, but it's now far surpassed every other Incubus single ("Drive" and "Wish You Were Here," of course, being the other main contenders) as my favorite song by the group. The great lyrics, never obvious and definitely thought-provoking, turned the tables for me.
28. Jimmy Eat World, "The Authority Song" [2001]
Honesty or mystery?/Tell me, I'm not scared anymore/I got no secret purpose/I don't seem obvious, do I?
One of the many standouts on Bleed American, an extremely influential and powerful album, "The Authority Song" benefits from backup vocalist Rachel Haden's echoed harmonies, as well as the inherent name-dropping involved with naming one song after another song (John Cougar Mellencamp's 1983 hit "Authority Song").
27. Keane, "Is It Any Wonder?" [2006]
Is it any wonder I'm tired?/Is it any wonder that I feel uptight?/Is it any wonder I don't know what's right?
I'm a songwriter, so I instantly notice unique elements that stick out in new songs. So, a warning, the electronically-processed keyboards that announce the first ten seconds of "Is It Any Wonder?" may startle you. After that, Keane settles into a U2-esque groove, mixed with old Tears for Fears chord changes. The song centers around the dual topics of the band's success after Hopes and Fears, and their views on President Bush's failures.
26. Howie Day, "She Says" [acoustic version, 2002]
And when she says she wants somebody else/I hope you know she doesn't mean you
For anybody who heard too much of Howie Day's biggest hit, "Collide," or wasn't quite on board with the heavily-produced version of "She Says" on Stop All The World Now, check out his original recording of the latter song on his debut album Australia. "She Says" actually dates back to the year 2000, when Day first performed it live and it was included on the independent release of Australia.
25. The Goo Goo Dolls, "Here Is Gone" [2002]
I thought I lost you somewhere/But you were never really ever there at all
Some people discredit Gutterflower because the singles weren't quite up to par with those from GGD's previous release, 1998's Dizzy Up The Girl. But in my opinion, "Here Is Gone" is every bit as good as "Slide," and if we're going to get into Gutterflower's merits anyway, "Big Machine" could have easily made this list too.
24. Dave Matthews Band, "The Space Between" [2001]
These fickle, fuddled words confuse me/Like "Will it rain today?"
This line baffled me for about three years before I finally gave up trying to understand what Dave meant. Harsher than "Crash Into Me" yet in a way even more delicate than "Satellite," it's the band's best ballad, and probably their biggest qualifiable hit.
23. The Swell Season, "When Your Mind's Made Up" [2006]
So, if you ever want something/And you call, call/Then I'll come running
The Frames' Glen Hansard and his ex-girlfriend Marketa Irglova comprise The Swell Season, a side project which resulted in the acclaimed 2007 movie Once, which is where I first heard "When Your Mind's Made Up." The scene in which Guy (Hansard) and Girl (Irglova) record this song, in full, is one of the most moving cinematic sequences in a long time.
22. Keane, "Somewhere Only We Know" [2004]
Oh simple thing, where have you gone?/I'm getting old and I need someone to rely on
Just like John Lennon begat Oasis, and Oasis begat Coldplay, Coldplay's early-decade success spawned a large number of imitators, the foremost of which is Keane. A piano-led trio, the band struck gold with this, the leadoff track of their debut album Hopes and Fears. Soaring vocals by Tom Chaplin and a driving piano riff by composer Tim Rice-Oxley are the endearing characteristics of one of 2004's signature songs.
21. Ben Lee, "Catch My Disease" [2005]
They don't play me on the radio/But that's the way I like it
The Australian Ben (stay tuned for later on in this list) provides, appropriately, one of the most infectious songs in recent decades using simple instrumentation: a glockenspiel, an acoustic guitar, handclaps, and a barroom chorus. The innocence of the lyrics culminates in the final verse, where Lee name-drops Good Charlotte, Sleepy Jackson and Beyonce before exuberantly proclaiming the final line as seen above.
Alrighty folks, that's it. Gotta run, and I'll get back to the posts tomorrow! Gonna be throwing some statistics your way about some of the artists and years represented on the list.
-- pl
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part IX)
Hi kids,
Sorry for today's delayed entry...bad weather + other projects + cooking a big dinner + watching football pushed my involvement in the blog to this point of the evening. No sweat, though. Here come the next ten songs in the countdown:
SONGS 40 THROUGH 31
40. Train, "Cab" [2006]
This new rhythm I pursue/Is just my getting over you/Telling myself that I need to
Pat Monahan, Train's lead singer and main composer, gained a lot of fans (including myself) with the 1999 smash "Meet Virginia." He lost me somewhere around 2003's My Private Nation album. "Cab," a piano ballad reminiscent of an Americanized Crowded House, re-established my status as a closet Train fan. (Thanks, Pat.)
39. The Darkness, "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" [2003]
I wanna kiss you every minute, every hour, every day
Looking back, for sentimental reasons this was probably the most important song of my entire junior year of high school, as well as the fall semester of my sophomore year at college. Yet it's not even the best Darkness song -- that honour goes to "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," too X-rated for this list.
38. Bruce Springsteen, "My City Of Ruins" [acoustic version, 2001]
The boarded-up windows, the hustlers and thieves/While my brother's down on his knees
Given the full gospel treatment on The Rising, this instant Bruce classic is on the list for its premiere version, an acoustic-guitar-and-harmonica offering which led off "America: A Tribute To Heroes," the post-9/11 telethon held on the evening of September 14, 2001.
37. Coldplay, "The Scientist" [2002]
Questions of science, science and progress/Do not speak as loud as my heart
Back before Coldplay became The Biggest Band Ever (meaning last year, so even up through 2005's "Fix You"), Chris Martin and company used to be able to write epic ballads that didn't sound epic. Also, Sting now officially becomes the most "quoted" songwriter on this list; Martin almost certainly copped the "science and progress" bit from 1993's "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You."
36. matchbox twenty, "Bent" [2000]
Can you help me, I'm bent/I'm so scared that I'll never get put back together
"Bent" opens like something out of 1985: minor-key, echoing, with lots of space and electronics. And then, it becomes a brilliantly overblown mash-up of "Push" and "Real World." Rob Thomas recycles more than almost any other pop songwriter, but he does it well.
35. Maroon 5, "This Love" [2002]
And her heart is breaking in front of me/I have no choice, 'cause I won't say goodbye anymore
I got tired of this song around the end of 2004, after I'd heard it for the millionth time. Then right before Maroon 5's second album came out in the summer of 2007, I decided it was finally time to listen to "This Love" again. It's a great song. (...and yeah, it's totally, totally OK to like Maroon 5. 'Cause I said so.)
34. John Mayer, "Vultures" [2006]
Then I'll come through like I do/When the world keeps testing me, testing me, testing me
Although it's not one of Mayer's more popular tracks, it's at a perfect walking tempo, which made it unofficially the most-played song on my iPod going back and forth to college classes -- first in its skeletal John Mayer Trio version, and then in the '06 studio recording.
33. Fountains of Wayne, "Yolanda Hayes" [2007]
She puts down my file/Stares at me a while/And I swear I see her crack a little smile
Ironic, eh? That someone who's had as much vehicular drama as me, should put a song about a DMV worker on the list? Must be the synthesized horn section.
32. Death Cab for Cutie, "Crooked Teeth" [2005]
You're so cute when you're slurring your speech/But they're closing the bar, and they want us to leave
I'll never forget the exact moment I began to entertain the delusion that I had indie cred. November 2006, walking past a TV tuned to MTVu, showing the "Crooked Teeth" video. "AAAAH, I KNEW ABOUT THIS SONG FOURTEEN MONTHS AGO!"
31. Elton John, "I Want Love" [2001]
I can't love, shot full of holes/Don't feel nothing, I just feel cold
In what will probably come to be known as Sir Elton's last great radio hit, the man who -- along with lyric partner Bernie Taupin -- tackled so many intensely emotional and personal issues through the years in song ("Someone Saved My Life Tonight," "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," "Empty Garden") delivers his most sincere statement in over a decade. Hakuna matata.
Alright, there's tonight's contributions. Let me explain a little bit about the list going forward. Tomorrow will be the last entry with ten songs (#30-21), after which I'll take a day off to enlighten all the readers with statistics and diversions about the songs on the list. Then, starting with the Top 20, I'll reveal five songs at a time with extended explanations. And after that, probably the final three songs or so will get their own entries. Hope you've been enjoying everything so far -- keep reading!
-- pl
Sorry for today's delayed entry...bad weather + other projects + cooking a big dinner + watching football pushed my involvement in the blog to this point of the evening. No sweat, though. Here come the next ten songs in the countdown:
SONGS 40 THROUGH 31
40. Train, "Cab" [2006]
This new rhythm I pursue/Is just my getting over you/Telling myself that I need to
Pat Monahan, Train's lead singer and main composer, gained a lot of fans (including myself) with the 1999 smash "Meet Virginia." He lost me somewhere around 2003's My Private Nation album. "Cab," a piano ballad reminiscent of an Americanized Crowded House, re-established my status as a closet Train fan. (Thanks, Pat.)
39. The Darkness, "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" [2003]
I wanna kiss you every minute, every hour, every day
Looking back, for sentimental reasons this was probably the most important song of my entire junior year of high school, as well as the fall semester of my sophomore year at college. Yet it's not even the best Darkness song -- that honour goes to "Get Your Hands Off My Woman," too X-rated for this list.
38. Bruce Springsteen, "My City Of Ruins" [acoustic version, 2001]
The boarded-up windows, the hustlers and thieves/While my brother's down on his knees
Given the full gospel treatment on The Rising, this instant Bruce classic is on the list for its premiere version, an acoustic-guitar-and-harmonica offering which led off "America: A Tribute To Heroes," the post-9/11 telethon held on the evening of September 14, 2001.
37. Coldplay, "The Scientist" [2002]
Questions of science, science and progress/Do not speak as loud as my heart
Back before Coldplay became The Biggest Band Ever (meaning last year, so even up through 2005's "Fix You"), Chris Martin and company used to be able to write epic ballads that didn't sound epic. Also, Sting now officially becomes the most "quoted" songwriter on this list; Martin almost certainly copped the "science and progress" bit from 1993's "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You."
36. matchbox twenty, "Bent" [2000]
Can you help me, I'm bent/I'm so scared that I'll never get put back together
"Bent" opens like something out of 1985: minor-key, echoing, with lots of space and electronics. And then, it becomes a brilliantly overblown mash-up of "Push" and "Real World." Rob Thomas recycles more than almost any other pop songwriter, but he does it well.
35. Maroon 5, "This Love" [2002]
And her heart is breaking in front of me/I have no choice, 'cause I won't say goodbye anymore
I got tired of this song around the end of 2004, after I'd heard it for the millionth time. Then right before Maroon 5's second album came out in the summer of 2007, I decided it was finally time to listen to "This Love" again. It's a great song. (...and yeah, it's totally, totally OK to like Maroon 5. 'Cause I said so.)
34. John Mayer, "Vultures" [2006]
Then I'll come through like I do/When the world keeps testing me, testing me, testing me
Although it's not one of Mayer's more popular tracks, it's at a perfect walking tempo, which made it unofficially the most-played song on my iPod going back and forth to college classes -- first in its skeletal John Mayer Trio version, and then in the '06 studio recording.
33. Fountains of Wayne, "Yolanda Hayes" [2007]
She puts down my file/Stares at me a while/And I swear I see her crack a little smile
Ironic, eh? That someone who's had as much vehicular drama as me, should put a song about a DMV worker on the list? Must be the synthesized horn section.
32. Death Cab for Cutie, "Crooked Teeth" [2005]
You're so cute when you're slurring your speech/But they're closing the bar, and they want us to leave
I'll never forget the exact moment I began to entertain the delusion that I had indie cred. November 2006, walking past a TV tuned to MTVu, showing the "Crooked Teeth" video. "AAAAH, I KNEW ABOUT THIS SONG FOURTEEN MONTHS AGO!"
31. Elton John, "I Want Love" [2001]
I can't love, shot full of holes/Don't feel nothing, I just feel cold
In what will probably come to be known as Sir Elton's last great radio hit, the man who -- along with lyric partner Bernie Taupin -- tackled so many intensely emotional and personal issues through the years in song ("Someone Saved My Life Tonight," "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," "Empty Garden") delivers his most sincere statement in over a decade. Hakuna matata.
Alright, there's tonight's contributions. Let me explain a little bit about the list going forward. Tomorrow will be the last entry with ten songs (#30-21), after which I'll take a day off to enlighten all the readers with statistics and diversions about the songs on the list. Then, starting with the Top 20, I'll reveal five songs at a time with extended explanations. And after that, probably the final three songs or so will get their own entries. Hope you've been enjoying everything so far -- keep reading!
-- pl
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part VIII)
Hi kiddies,
Into the top half, the top 50, of the Favorite Songs list for this Saturday afternoon, starting with ten songs and moving from there. Let's get right to it! Here goes:
SONGS 50 THROUGH 41
50. Ben Folds, "Landed" [2005]
If you wrote me off, I'd understand it/'Cause I've been on some other planet/So come pick me up/I've landed
Most Ben Folds fans love the Rockin' the Suburbs album top to bottom. I didn't. So when this song came out, it became a bit of an anthem for me, a new favorite song by an old favorite artist.
49. Bruce Springsteen, "Waitin' On A Sunny Day" [2002]
Without you/I'm a drummer, girl, that can't keep a beat
False modulations, a loose partying feel, great work by The Big Man on sax...it's "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" with 25 years of perspective, the proud statement of a hard-working band that finally made the big time.
48. Radiohead, "Optimistic" [2000]
You can try the best you can/If you try the best you can/The best you can is good enough
After OK Computer, what was Radiohead going to do for an encore? Kid A didn't meet up to most critics' standards, but this simmering, atmospheric ballad (with Charles Darwin/George Orwell lyrical undertones) was a standout.
47. Art Brut, "Pump Up The Volume" [2007]
I know I shouldn't, is it so wrong/To break from your kiss to turn up a pop song?
Art Brut lead singer Eddie Argos' singing style is a combination of off-key singing, rap, and slam poetry. Rarely has a rock song been written in which so many witty lyrics have been uttered without one right note.
46. Barenaked Ladies, "Pinch Me" [2000]
I could hide out under there/I just made you say underwear
The best part of this lyric, and song? At live shows, rabid BNL fans (once requested by the band not to throw Kraft Macaroni & Cheese onstage during "If I Had $1000000") have taken to tossing lingerie, causing Ed Robertson to change the lyric to "I just made you throw underwear."
45. 1990's, "See You At The Lights" [2007]
Get out to a bar/Get out like a blonde gets out of a car
In a song where the main hook is "baaaaa, ba ba, ba ba ba ba," this is the most bewildering lyric as well as the most exuberant moment in an enormously energetic track.
44. Lifehouse, "Hanging By A Moment" [2000]
There's nothing else to lose/There's nothing else to find/There's nothing in the world/That can change my mind
A huge, huge hit built on the 90's pop-rock formula, that almost singlehandedly carried the genre into the 2000's. One of those ubiquitous radio singles that everyone knows the words to whether they choose to admit it or not.
43. Paul Westerberg, "Love You In The Fall" [2006]
Seasons change before me/After me, there'll be someone new, someone new
Ex-Replacement and indie god, in a popular decade trend, gets hired to write songs for the kids' movie Open Season. This ain't "Bastards Of Young," but it's irresistibly enjoyable nonetheless.
42. Ryan Adams, "Two" [2007]
I got a really good heart, I just can't catch a break/If I could, I'd treat you like you wanted me to, I promise
Mr. Mandy Moore could have made it onto this list for any number of tracks -- "Come Pick Me Up," "When The Stars Go Blue," etc. But this song is short, sweet, and to the point. It takes two when it used to take one. Simple.
41. Maritime, "Tearing Up The Oxygen" [2006]
When your eyes are off me I'm alone/They could be anywhere, I should be so lucky
The whispered vocals, chiming guitars, video-game-sounding synthesizer solo...awesome. Another song everyone should know about, but doesn't -- try to (legally) download it somewhere, you're in for a treat.
Alright, that's enough for now. Tomorrow, "TOP 40"...starting with Train, The Darkness, more Bruce, and so on and so forth! 'Til then...
-- pl
Into the top half, the top 50, of the Favorite Songs list for this Saturday afternoon, starting with ten songs and moving from there. Let's get right to it! Here goes:
SONGS 50 THROUGH 41
50. Ben Folds, "Landed" [2005]
If you wrote me off, I'd understand it/'Cause I've been on some other planet/So come pick me up/I've landed
Most Ben Folds fans love the Rockin' the Suburbs album top to bottom. I didn't. So when this song came out, it became a bit of an anthem for me, a new favorite song by an old favorite artist.
49. Bruce Springsteen, "Waitin' On A Sunny Day" [2002]
Without you/I'm a drummer, girl, that can't keep a beat
False modulations, a loose partying feel, great work by The Big Man on sax...it's "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" with 25 years of perspective, the proud statement of a hard-working band that finally made the big time.
48. Radiohead, "Optimistic" [2000]
You can try the best you can/If you try the best you can/The best you can is good enough
After OK Computer, what was Radiohead going to do for an encore? Kid A didn't meet up to most critics' standards, but this simmering, atmospheric ballad (with Charles Darwin/George Orwell lyrical undertones) was a standout.
47. Art Brut, "Pump Up The Volume" [2007]
I know I shouldn't, is it so wrong/To break from your kiss to turn up a pop song?
Art Brut lead singer Eddie Argos' singing style is a combination of off-key singing, rap, and slam poetry. Rarely has a rock song been written in which so many witty lyrics have been uttered without one right note.
46. Barenaked Ladies, "Pinch Me" [2000]
I could hide out under there/I just made you say underwear
The best part of this lyric, and song? At live shows, rabid BNL fans (once requested by the band not to throw Kraft Macaroni & Cheese onstage during "If I Had $1000000") have taken to tossing lingerie, causing Ed Robertson to change the lyric to "I just made you throw underwear."
45. 1990's, "See You At The Lights" [2007]
Get out to a bar/Get out like a blonde gets out of a car
In a song where the main hook is "baaaaa, ba ba, ba ba ba ba," this is the most bewildering lyric as well as the most exuberant moment in an enormously energetic track.
44. Lifehouse, "Hanging By A Moment" [2000]
There's nothing else to lose/There's nothing else to find/There's nothing in the world/That can change my mind
A huge, huge hit built on the 90's pop-rock formula, that almost singlehandedly carried the genre into the 2000's. One of those ubiquitous radio singles that everyone knows the words to whether they choose to admit it or not.
43. Paul Westerberg, "Love You In The Fall" [2006]
Seasons change before me/After me, there'll be someone new, someone new
Ex-Replacement and indie god, in a popular decade trend, gets hired to write songs for the kids' movie Open Season. This ain't "Bastards Of Young," but it's irresistibly enjoyable nonetheless.
42. Ryan Adams, "Two" [2007]
I got a really good heart, I just can't catch a break/If I could, I'd treat you like you wanted me to, I promise
Mr. Mandy Moore could have made it onto this list for any number of tracks -- "Come Pick Me Up," "When The Stars Go Blue," etc. But this song is short, sweet, and to the point. It takes two when it used to take one. Simple.
41. Maritime, "Tearing Up The Oxygen" [2006]
When your eyes are off me I'm alone/They could be anywhere, I should be so lucky
The whispered vocals, chiming guitars, video-game-sounding synthesizer solo...awesome. Another song everyone should know about, but doesn't -- try to (legally) download it somewhere, you're in for a treat.
Alright, that's enough for now. Tomorrow, "TOP 40"...starting with Train, The Darkness, more Bruce, and so on and so forth! 'Til then...
-- pl
Friday, December 11, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part VII)
Hi all,
On we go, completing the bottom half of the list with ten more songs today. Thanks for reading so far -- just a heads-up, if you happen to be keeping score at home, I'll repost the entire list with just the songs (not the lyrics and such) when we finish the countdown. I'll do it in one post in descending order so it's easy to read and follow. Sound good? OK. Now it's time for...
SONGS 60 THROUGH 51
60. James Morrison, "Nothing Ever Hurt Like You" [2008]
Oh, it hit me like a steel freight train when you left me/And nothing ever hurt like you
I'm a sucker for any retro-ish song, so when I came across this on the radio a few months back, I had to listen. A pretty good blue-eyed soul imitation of songs like "Get Ready" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine."
59. Butch Walker, "The Weight Of Her" [2008]
What am I supposed to talk about with you anyway?/I graduated the year you were born
Never one to shy away from a power-pop/glam rock approach (in fact, that's his calling card as both a producer and an artist), Butch stays true to his most comfortable style while evoking "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan. Heady stuff.
58. Death Cab for Cutie, "I Will Possess Your Heart" [2008]
You reject my advances and desperate pleas/I won't let you let me down so easily/So easily
First that bass line cycles seemingly forever, then a slightly jazzy backbeat kicks in, surrounded by murky guitars and synths. And then, four-and-a-half minutes or so in, we get lyrics. Oh, it's a stalker song. Never could have guessed that from the title.
57. Audioslave, "Like A Stone" [2002]
In your house I long to be/Room by room, patiently
Every decade has one rock supergroup that produces a huge radio hit and then kind of falls to the back burner. The 70's had Clapton and Allman teaming up for "Layla," in the 80's a bunch of prog-rockers got together and cooked up Asia's "Heat Of The Moment." Could it be that Audioslave provided the definitive supergroup single of the decade?
56. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Dani California" [2006]
California rest in peace/Simultaneous release/California show your teeth/She's my priestess, I'm your priest/Yeah, yeah
You knew this was going to be a huge song before it was even released. The final installment in a three-song story arc covering seven years (also encompassing "Californication" and "By The Way"). Note to all bands/artists: if you're going to steal from someone, make sure it's a songwriter like Tom Petty who clearly doesn't give a damn.
55. The Decemberists, "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" [2002]
And just to lay with you/There's nothing that I wouldn't do/Save lay my rifle down
I believe all indie rockers are closet fans of the songwriters in Fleetwood Mac. Vampire Weekend's adorable cover of Christine McVie's "Everywhere" was all over the place late last year, matt pond PA ripped off Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble" for their 2005 track "So Much Trouble," and Colin Meloy has been known to mesh "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" with Stevie Nicks's "Dreams" in live shows. Thunder only happens when it's raining, I guess.
54. Mae, "On Top" [2007]
I'd say you're the luckiest one you know/So why did you even go in the first place?
I once heard that the best way to pitch a new television show is to describe it as a mix of two or more already-popular shows. "On Top" can be described, then, as The Postal Service meets mid-90's Goo Goo Dolls. Fair enough?
53. Steely Dan, "Cousin Dupree" [2000]
Honey, how you've grown, like a rose/Well we used to play when we were three/How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree?
Off the Grammy-winning comeback album Two Against Nature, the Dan pick up where the aforementioned "Hey Nineteen" left off 20 years prior. Notable for two things: it's the first song I learned to play on the drums, and it might be the first-ever Grammy-nominated song about incest.
52. Weezer, "Pork And Beans" [2008]
Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts/Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art
Rivers Cuomo has been name-dropping ever since he proposed the couples Halloween costume idea of Buddy Holly and Mary Tyler Moore (15 years ago already!). Off the "Red Album," largely viewed as a return to form, "Pork And Beans" is easily the wittiest and best song Weezer's released in years.
51. Kate Nash, "Mouthwash" [2008]
This is my body/Covered in skin, and not all of it you can see
If given the chance, I would marry Kate Nash solely based on the cute factor in this one song. Also, because we play piano in a similar style. The minor-key chorus takes the song to a totally unexpected place. Brilliant.
OK, so maybe a few surprises there but overall, we're getting into some really good music. Tomorrow's installment cracks the Top 50 with artists like Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Ryan Adams...yeah, you'll want to read this.
'Til next time,
-- pl
On we go, completing the bottom half of the list with ten more songs today. Thanks for reading so far -- just a heads-up, if you happen to be keeping score at home, I'll repost the entire list with just the songs (not the lyrics and such) when we finish the countdown. I'll do it in one post in descending order so it's easy to read and follow. Sound good? OK. Now it's time for...
SONGS 60 THROUGH 51
60. James Morrison, "Nothing Ever Hurt Like You" [2008]
Oh, it hit me like a steel freight train when you left me/And nothing ever hurt like you
I'm a sucker for any retro-ish song, so when I came across this on the radio a few months back, I had to listen. A pretty good blue-eyed soul imitation of songs like "Get Ready" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine."
59. Butch Walker, "The Weight Of Her" [2008]
What am I supposed to talk about with you anyway?/I graduated the year you were born
Never one to shy away from a power-pop/glam rock approach (in fact, that's his calling card as both a producer and an artist), Butch stays true to his most comfortable style while evoking "Hey Nineteen" by Steely Dan. Heady stuff.
58. Death Cab for Cutie, "I Will Possess Your Heart" [2008]
You reject my advances and desperate pleas/I won't let you let me down so easily/So easily
First that bass line cycles seemingly forever, then a slightly jazzy backbeat kicks in, surrounded by murky guitars and synths. And then, four-and-a-half minutes or so in, we get lyrics. Oh, it's a stalker song. Never could have guessed that from the title.
57. Audioslave, "Like A Stone" [2002]
In your house I long to be/Room by room, patiently
Every decade has one rock supergroup that produces a huge radio hit and then kind of falls to the back burner. The 70's had Clapton and Allman teaming up for "Layla," in the 80's a bunch of prog-rockers got together and cooked up Asia's "Heat Of The Moment." Could it be that Audioslave provided the definitive supergroup single of the decade?
56. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Dani California" [2006]
California rest in peace/Simultaneous release/California show your teeth/She's my priestess, I'm your priest/Yeah, yeah
You knew this was going to be a huge song before it was even released. The final installment in a three-song story arc covering seven years (also encompassing "Californication" and "By The Way"). Note to all bands/artists: if you're going to steal from someone, make sure it's a songwriter like Tom Petty who clearly doesn't give a damn.
55. The Decemberists, "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" [2002]
And just to lay with you/There's nothing that I wouldn't do/Save lay my rifle down
I believe all indie rockers are closet fans of the songwriters in Fleetwood Mac. Vampire Weekend's adorable cover of Christine McVie's "Everywhere" was all over the place late last year, matt pond PA ripped off Lindsey Buckingham's "Trouble" for their 2005 track "So Much Trouble," and Colin Meloy has been known to mesh "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" with Stevie Nicks's "Dreams" in live shows. Thunder only happens when it's raining, I guess.
54. Mae, "On Top" [2007]
I'd say you're the luckiest one you know/So why did you even go in the first place?
I once heard that the best way to pitch a new television show is to describe it as a mix of two or more already-popular shows. "On Top" can be described, then, as The Postal Service meets mid-90's Goo Goo Dolls. Fair enough?
53. Steely Dan, "Cousin Dupree" [2000]
Honey, how you've grown, like a rose/Well we used to play when we were three/How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree?
Off the Grammy-winning comeback album Two Against Nature, the Dan pick up where the aforementioned "Hey Nineteen" left off 20 years prior. Notable for two things: it's the first song I learned to play on the drums, and it might be the first-ever Grammy-nominated song about incest.
52. Weezer, "Pork And Beans" [2008]
Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts/Maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art
Rivers Cuomo has been name-dropping ever since he proposed the couples Halloween costume idea of Buddy Holly and Mary Tyler Moore (15 years ago already!). Off the "Red Album," largely viewed as a return to form, "Pork And Beans" is easily the wittiest and best song Weezer's released in years.
51. Kate Nash, "Mouthwash" [2008]
This is my body/Covered in skin, and not all of it you can see
If given the chance, I would marry Kate Nash solely based on the cute factor in this one song. Also, because we play piano in a similar style. The minor-key chorus takes the song to a totally unexpected place. Brilliant.
OK, so maybe a few surprises there but overall, we're getting into some really good music. Tomorrow's installment cracks the Top 50 with artists like Barenaked Ladies, Ben Folds, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Ryan Adams...yeah, you'll want to read this.
'Til next time,
-- pl
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part VI)
Hey kids,
Hope you're enjoying the list so far. Today's entries are numbers 70 through 61, and most of the songs here will be instantly recognizable (we're getting to the point where almost every song on the list now was a big track in one way or another). Remember, comments are always welcome. Now take a look at today's portion...
SONGS 70 THROUGH 61
70. Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" [2008]
'Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
How do the first two minutes of this song survive solely on a backbeat and approximately three to four droning synthesizer notes? Because Beyonce fashions some kind of Andrews Sisters/Gloria Gaynor/Rhythm Nation-era Janet Jackson hybrid out of a fantastic hook (the one mentioned above).
69. Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom" [2003]
And I know that you think it's just a fantasy/But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me
Adam Schlesinger's sense of pop/rock history (see: "That Thing You Do!") is apparent in almost every FoW song -- but especially "Stacy's Mom," the song that catapulted the band into mainstream recognition on the strength of great lyrics and an amalgam of The Cars' "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl."
68. Paul McCartney, "Dance Tonight" [2007]
Well you can come on to my place if you want to/You can do anything you want to do
Repetitive? Yes. Simple? Yes. An absolutely infectious, upbeat track on an album that was heralded for its melancholy nostalgia? You bet. And besides, could I really keep Macca off the list?
67. Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" [2008]
And I discovered that my castles stand/Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
Most will want to crucify me for not placing this song at least in the Top 50 (?!?!?), but "Viva La Vida," like Coldplay themselves, may simply have become too popular for its own good. Give me stuff like "Yellow" all day long. Now THERE'S a good song. (hint hint)
66. Blue Scholars, "Ordinary Guys" [2007]
Sometimes I live in my bed with just a pad and a pen/And a broken iPod I bought stolen from the block/Got holes in the soles of a third of my socks
First-generation American, Seattle-based indie rap duo Blue Scholars (that's a mouthful) places here with a relevant and at times hilarious cut, about the simple struggles of everyday life.
65. Maroon 5, "Won't Go Home Without You" [2007]
Every night you cry yourself to sleep/Thinking why does this happen to me?/Why does every moment have to be so hard?
Some songs -- and I've hinted at them previously on this list -- are formulaic songs. Adam Levine simply stole The Police's formulaic song for this hit single; it's "Every Breath You Take" in a different key, right down to Stewart Copeland's patented snare crack.
64. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "The Zephyr Song" [2002]
Take a look, it's on display for you/Coming down, no, not today
zeph - yr (n.) 1. A gentle, mild breeze.
...Wouldn't this song be more fun if a zephyr was like, a mythical flying animal?
63. Franz Ferdinand, "Take Me Out" [2004]
I say, don't you know/You say you don't know/I say, take me out
The first thing you have to love about this song is its "Band On The Run"-esque transition into the familiar, upbeat tempo. The second is the call-and-response verse as detailed above. And this song's influence was enormous; now go back and listen to Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer." Does that song happen without Franz? No, no, I don't think it does.
62. The Feeling, "Fill My Little World" [2006]
Hey, show some love/You ain't so tough/Come fill my little world right up, right up
This song can really only be described as having a Supertramp groove. And it's just about as shameless as "Goodbye Stranger" or "Take The Long Way Home," too.
61. John Mayer, "Bigger Than My Body" [2003]
But I'll gladly go down in a flame/If a flame's what it takes to remember my name
Room for Squares exploded onto the scene in early 2002, so much so that Mayer's first single off his new album, Heavier Things, might have been the most anticipated pop release since MJ's Bad in 1987. And he didn't disappoint. It's undeniable power pop, but for grown-ups.
Alright, that's it for today. Tomorrow brings us, among other things: more RHCP, Death Cab, and a big late-decade comeback by Weezer. Until then...
-- pl
Hope you're enjoying the list so far. Today's entries are numbers 70 through 61, and most of the songs here will be instantly recognizable (we're getting to the point where almost every song on the list now was a big track in one way or another). Remember, comments are always welcome. Now take a look at today's portion...
SONGS 70 THROUGH 61
70. Beyonce, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" [2008]
'Cause if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it
How do the first two minutes of this song survive solely on a backbeat and approximately three to four droning synthesizer notes? Because Beyonce fashions some kind of Andrews Sisters/Gloria Gaynor/Rhythm Nation-era Janet Jackson hybrid out of a fantastic hook (the one mentioned above).
69. Fountains of Wayne, "Stacy's Mom" [2003]
And I know that you think it's just a fantasy/But since your dad walked out, your mom could use a guy like me
Adam Schlesinger's sense of pop/rock history (see: "That Thing You Do!") is apparent in almost every FoW song -- but especially "Stacy's Mom," the song that catapulted the band into mainstream recognition on the strength of great lyrics and an amalgam of The Cars' "Just What I Needed" and "My Best Friend's Girl."
68. Paul McCartney, "Dance Tonight" [2007]
Well you can come on to my place if you want to/You can do anything you want to do
Repetitive? Yes. Simple? Yes. An absolutely infectious, upbeat track on an album that was heralded for its melancholy nostalgia? You bet. And besides, could I really keep Macca off the list?
67. Coldplay, "Viva La Vida" [2008]
And I discovered that my castles stand/Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
Most will want to crucify me for not placing this song at least in the Top 50 (?!?!?), but "Viva La Vida," like Coldplay themselves, may simply have become too popular for its own good. Give me stuff like "Yellow" all day long. Now THERE'S a good song. (hint hint)
66. Blue Scholars, "Ordinary Guys" [2007]
Sometimes I live in my bed with just a pad and a pen/And a broken iPod I bought stolen from the block/Got holes in the soles of a third of my socks
First-generation American, Seattle-based indie rap duo Blue Scholars (that's a mouthful) places here with a relevant and at times hilarious cut, about the simple struggles of everyday life.
65. Maroon 5, "Won't Go Home Without You" [2007]
Every night you cry yourself to sleep/Thinking why does this happen to me?/Why does every moment have to be so hard?
Some songs -- and I've hinted at them previously on this list -- are formulaic songs. Adam Levine simply stole The Police's formulaic song for this hit single; it's "Every Breath You Take" in a different key, right down to Stewart Copeland's patented snare crack.
64. Red Hot Chili Peppers, "The Zephyr Song" [2002]
Take a look, it's on display for you/Coming down, no, not today
zeph - yr (n.) 1. A gentle, mild breeze.
...Wouldn't this song be more fun if a zephyr was like, a mythical flying animal?
63. Franz Ferdinand, "Take Me Out" [2004]
I say, don't you know/You say you don't know/I say, take me out
The first thing you have to love about this song is its "Band On The Run"-esque transition into the familiar, upbeat tempo. The second is the call-and-response verse as detailed above. And this song's influence was enormous; now go back and listen to Finger Eleven's "Paralyzer." Does that song happen without Franz? No, no, I don't think it does.
62. The Feeling, "Fill My Little World" [2006]
Hey, show some love/You ain't so tough/Come fill my little world right up, right up
This song can really only be described as having a Supertramp groove. And it's just about as shameless as "Goodbye Stranger" or "Take The Long Way Home," too.
61. John Mayer, "Bigger Than My Body" [2003]
But I'll gladly go down in a flame/If a flame's what it takes to remember my name
Room for Squares exploded onto the scene in early 2002, so much so that Mayer's first single off his new album, Heavier Things, might have been the most anticipated pop release since MJ's Bad in 1987. And he didn't disappoint. It's undeniable power pop, but for grown-ups.
Alright, that's it for today. Tomorrow brings us, among other things: more RHCP, Death Cab, and a big late-decade comeback by Weezer. Until then...
-- pl
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part V)
Hey all,
Here's tracks #80-71. Now that the list has gotten underway, there's not much for me to elaborate on at the beginning of each post, so I think we'll just get right down to it! Enjoy...
SONGS 80 THROUGH 71
80. The Goo Goo Dolls, "Let Love In" [2006]
And you're the only one I ever believed in/The answer that could never be found/The moment you decided to let love in
Take the blueprints for: "Name," "Iris," "Black Balloon," etc., slow down the tempo, name your album after it, enjoy hit song.
79. Bruce Springsteen, "Working On A Dream" [2009]
Out here the nights are long, the days are lonely/I think of you and I'm working on a dream
Sound familiar? Like, "In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream" familiar? Retro Boss imagery for the problems of the new century.
78. The Kooks, "Sway" [2008]
And I need your soul, 'cause you're always soulful/And I need your heart, 'cause you're always in the right places
There's nothing inherently special about this song in either lyrics or construction (though the guitar work is quite good). But it all fits. There should be more indie power ballads.
77. matchbox twenty, "Disease" [2002]
Every little thing you do is tragic/All my life, oh, was magic
This song might be on the list solely because Rob Thomas was able to rope in Mick Jagger to co-write it. Another credit should have gone to Sting for the above lyric.
76. U2, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" [2004]
You don't have to put up a fight/You don't have to always be right/Let me take some of the punches for you tonight
An autobiographical piece that deals with the death of his father, Bono crafts U2's most sincere song since "One." If this doesn't move you...well, nothing will.
75. The Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize??" [2002]
Do you realize/That everyone you know someday will die?
Sounds like a wedding song on the surface but goes much, much deeper than that. Also on this list for: the double question mark in the title, and the fact that it's not about pink robots.
74. Hard-Fi, "Suburban Knights" [2007]
A global terror, they say we are at war/But I ain't got time for that 'cause these bills keep dropping through my door
Lyrically and musically, it's probably best described as a re-write of "Cash Machine." But it's a grown-up version.
73. Coldplay, "Clocks" [2002]
Come out upon my seas, cursed missed opportunities/Am I a part of the cure or am I part of the disease?
Never been my favorite Coldplay song, but when the book is closed and the history is written, it'll be hard to deny that "Clocks" was absolutely one of the signature songs of this decade.
72. Test Your Reflex, "Pieces Of The Sun" [2007]
Every little thing I promised you, I'll make it come true/I'm not ready to stop
It's like subpar Killers, which means it's still better than "Mr. Brightside" or "When You Were Young." Yeah, I said it.
71. Idlewild, "Love Steals Us From Loneliness" [2005]
You said something, you said something stupid like/"Love steals us from loneliness"/Happy Birthday, are you lonely yet?
The first new song I can distinctly remember liking when I got to college. You'd be hard-pressed to find a song that squeezes more disgust, venom, and pure attitude into three minutes and 15 seconds.
OK, so there you have it. Back tomorrow with numbers 70 through 61 -- we're really starting to get to the good stuff, as tomorrow's ten will include no less than four songs that defined the popular music scene this decade. (The artists are Beyonce, Fountains of Wayne, Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand. Can you guess the songs?)
'Til then,
-- pl
Here's tracks #80-71. Now that the list has gotten underway, there's not much for me to elaborate on at the beginning of each post, so I think we'll just get right down to it! Enjoy...
SONGS 80 THROUGH 71
80. The Goo Goo Dolls, "Let Love In" [2006]
And you're the only one I ever believed in/The answer that could never be found/The moment you decided to let love in
Take the blueprints for: "Name," "Iris," "Black Balloon," etc., slow down the tempo, name your album after it, enjoy hit song.
79. Bruce Springsteen, "Working On A Dream" [2009]
Out here the nights are long, the days are lonely/I think of you and I'm working on a dream
Sound familiar? Like, "In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream" familiar? Retro Boss imagery for the problems of the new century.
78. The Kooks, "Sway" [2008]
And I need your soul, 'cause you're always soulful/And I need your heart, 'cause you're always in the right places
There's nothing inherently special about this song in either lyrics or construction (though the guitar work is quite good). But it all fits. There should be more indie power ballads.
77. matchbox twenty, "Disease" [2002]
Every little thing you do is tragic/All my life, oh, was magic
This song might be on the list solely because Rob Thomas was able to rope in Mick Jagger to co-write it. Another credit should have gone to Sting for the above lyric.
76. U2, "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" [2004]
You don't have to put up a fight/You don't have to always be right/Let me take some of the punches for you tonight
An autobiographical piece that deals with the death of his father, Bono crafts U2's most sincere song since "One." If this doesn't move you...well, nothing will.
75. The Flaming Lips, "Do You Realize??" [2002]
Do you realize/That everyone you know someday will die?
Sounds like a wedding song on the surface but goes much, much deeper than that. Also on this list for: the double question mark in the title, and the fact that it's not about pink robots.
74. Hard-Fi, "Suburban Knights" [2007]
A global terror, they say we are at war/But I ain't got time for that 'cause these bills keep dropping through my door
Lyrically and musically, it's probably best described as a re-write of "Cash Machine." But it's a grown-up version.
73. Coldplay, "Clocks" [2002]
Come out upon my seas, cursed missed opportunities/Am I a part of the cure or am I part of the disease?
Never been my favorite Coldplay song, but when the book is closed and the history is written, it'll be hard to deny that "Clocks" was absolutely one of the signature songs of this decade.
72. Test Your Reflex, "Pieces Of The Sun" [2007]
Every little thing I promised you, I'll make it come true/I'm not ready to stop
It's like subpar Killers, which means it's still better than "Mr. Brightside" or "When You Were Young." Yeah, I said it.
71. Idlewild, "Love Steals Us From Loneliness" [2005]
You said something, you said something stupid like/"Love steals us from loneliness"/Happy Birthday, are you lonely yet?
The first new song I can distinctly remember liking when I got to college. You'd be hard-pressed to find a song that squeezes more disgust, venom, and pure attitude into three minutes and 15 seconds.
OK, so there you have it. Back tomorrow with numbers 70 through 61 -- we're really starting to get to the good stuff, as tomorrow's ten will include no less than four songs that defined the popular music scene this decade. (The artists are Beyonce, Fountains of Wayne, Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand. Can you guess the songs?)
'Til then,
-- pl
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part IV)
Hey kiddies,
Hope you enjoyed the first real installment of the list. On to songs 90 through 81...enjoy!
SONGS 90 THROUGH 81
90. Amy Winehouse, "Tears Dry On Their Own" [2006]
It's my responsibility/And you don't owe nothin' to me/But to walk away I have no capacity
Wino croons over the backgrounds to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; gorgeous music results. (And only one dirty word!)
89. The Dead Weather, "Treat Me Like Your Mother" [2009]
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie/You blink when you lie
I'm not a huge fan of Jack White but I am a huge fan of this lyric -- and many others in this ridiculously unpredictable song, the most recent one on this list.
88. Snow Patrol, "Take Back The City" [2008]
It's a mess, it's a start/It's a flawed work of art
First time I heard Snow Patrol's latest album, I correctly predicted that "Crack The Shutters" would be a hit. But "Take Back The City," the first single, is the definite highlight of the record and was a big radio hit in its own right.
87. Pinback, "Fortress" [2004]
Summer is only winter with you/How can you really feel?/Two of another, none of a pair/Nobody move, nobody move
I have never watched "The O.C." That is all I'm going to say.
86. Breaking Laces, "Shack Up SOS" [2005]
Save our souls/It's better that you move/Save our souls/Where's the damn remote?
A great mix of acoustic and electric elements, ambiguous lyrics, a killer chorus...this song has it all. And nobody knows about it.
85. Dave Matthews Band, "Dreamgirl" [2005]
You're like my best friend/And after a good, good drunk/You and me wake up and make love after a deep sleep
Subpar album, great leadoff track and single. The year 2005 (and in fact, the entire Stand Up album) generally marked the point where Dave's voice wasn't what it used to be, but he grunts and growls like Springsteen here and makes it work.
84. Beyonce feat. Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love" [2003]
Got me lookin' so crazy right now/Your love's got me lookin' so crazy right now
And that is the most infectious refrain of the decade. Also, this song began the process of Jay-Z putting a ring on it (see #70 in tomorrow's entry), and of Beyonce becoming the biggest R&B star on the planet.
83. Modern Skirts, "September Days" [2005]
Anticipating the shadows changing week by week/I've been painting the windows of your hotel
Made infamous at The College of New Jersey by Big Larry dancing to it during WTSR's Valentine's Day broadcast in Eickhoff Hall, circa 2006.
82. Interpol, "Slow Hands" [2004]
We spies, intimate slow hands/Killer for hire, you know not yourself
Around the end of 2003 or beginning of 2004 was when I really started to open up to the whole alternative/indie genre. This is one of the first songs I latched onto, still my favorite Interpol track.
81. Ted Leo + the Pharmacists, "Me And Mia" [2004]
Do you believe in something beautiful?/Then get up and be it
For me, one of the staple songs of the middle part of this decade. A really cute-sounding song on the surface, a beautiful song once you dig deeper into it. And a good end to this section of the list.
Come back tomorrow for #'s 80-71! And let me know what you think about things so far...
-- pl
Hope you enjoyed the first real installment of the list. On to songs 90 through 81...enjoy!
SONGS 90 THROUGH 81
90. Amy Winehouse, "Tears Dry On Their Own" [2006]
It's my responsibility/And you don't owe nothin' to me/But to walk away I have no capacity
Wino croons over the backgrounds to "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"; gorgeous music results. (And only one dirty word!)
89. The Dead Weather, "Treat Me Like Your Mother" [2009]
You blink when you breathe and you breathe when you lie/You blink when you lie
I'm not a huge fan of Jack White but I am a huge fan of this lyric -- and many others in this ridiculously unpredictable song, the most recent one on this list.
88. Snow Patrol, "Take Back The City" [2008]
It's a mess, it's a start/It's a flawed work of art
First time I heard Snow Patrol's latest album, I correctly predicted that "Crack The Shutters" would be a hit. But "Take Back The City," the first single, is the definite highlight of the record and was a big radio hit in its own right.
87. Pinback, "Fortress" [2004]
Summer is only winter with you/How can you really feel?/Two of another, none of a pair/Nobody move, nobody move
I have never watched "The O.C." That is all I'm going to say.
86. Breaking Laces, "Shack Up SOS" [2005]
Save our souls/It's better that you move/Save our souls/Where's the damn remote?
A great mix of acoustic and electric elements, ambiguous lyrics, a killer chorus...this song has it all. And nobody knows about it.
85. Dave Matthews Band, "Dreamgirl" [2005]
You're like my best friend/And after a good, good drunk/You and me wake up and make love after a deep sleep
Subpar album, great leadoff track and single. The year 2005 (and in fact, the entire Stand Up album) generally marked the point where Dave's voice wasn't what it used to be, but he grunts and growls like Springsteen here and makes it work.
84. Beyonce feat. Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love" [2003]
Got me lookin' so crazy right now/Your love's got me lookin' so crazy right now
And that is the most infectious refrain of the decade. Also, this song began the process of Jay-Z putting a ring on it (see #70 in tomorrow's entry), and of Beyonce becoming the biggest R&B star on the planet.
83. Modern Skirts, "September Days" [2005]
Anticipating the shadows changing week by week/I've been painting the windows of your hotel
Made infamous at The College of New Jersey by Big Larry dancing to it during WTSR's Valentine's Day broadcast in Eickhoff Hall, circa 2006.
82. Interpol, "Slow Hands" [2004]
We spies, intimate slow hands/Killer for hire, you know not yourself
Around the end of 2003 or beginning of 2004 was when I really started to open up to the whole alternative/indie genre. This is one of the first songs I latched onto, still my favorite Interpol track.
81. Ted Leo + the Pharmacists, "Me And Mia" [2004]
Do you believe in something beautiful?/Then get up and be it
For me, one of the staple songs of the middle part of this decade. A really cute-sounding song on the surface, a beautiful song once you dig deeper into it. And a good end to this section of the list.
Come back tomorrow for #'s 80-71! And let me know what you think about things so far...
-- pl
Monday, December 7, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part III)
Hi kids,
Happy Monday, and it's now time to get the list underway! For the first 80 songs or so, I'll reveal ten at a time in each blog post, and follow up each song with a favorite lyric and factoid. Keep in mind, once again, that this wasn't meant to be a definitive "best-of" list. The primary criterion was whether or not I, Pat Lavery, liked the song. (Feel free to leave comments and start the discussion, though!)
Alright, so without further ado...
SONGS 100 THROUGH 91
100. Kaiser Chiefs, "Never Miss A Beat" [2008]
What do you want for tea?/I want crisps/Why don't you join the team?/I just did
British humour at its finest. It's cool to know nothing.
99. Minus the Bear, "Double Vision Quest" [2007]
We awoke/At the edge of a summer
My buddy Rob once used to say this was three songs in one. For a band that's been at the forefront of what many call the "math rock" genre, that's a pretty cool equation.
98. The Hold Steady, "Sequestered In Memphis" [2008]
That's alright, I was desperate too/I'm getting pretty sick of this interview
First time I heard this song on the radio: "Is this Bruce? No, it can't be Bruce. But it sounds like Bruce! Well done." Best Springsteen tribute since John Cafferty's "On The Dark Side."
97. Spoon, "I Turn My Camera On" [2005]
I wipe my feelings off/You made me untouchable for life/And you wasn't polite
Before being used in a camera commercial (what else?), this was just a really cool song. Now it's a really cool song that you probably didn't know you knew.
96. John Legend, "Ordinary People" [2004]
Maybe we'll live and learn/Maybe we'll crash and burn/Maybe you'll stay, maybe you'll leave, maybe you'll return
Lost in all the sampling and electronics and processed vocals of this decade was just how powerful a simple, sincere piano ballad could be. John Legend found it.
95. Mika, "Stuck In The Middle" [2007]
I look at you, you look at me, we bite each other
How does this man sing so many high notes? I understand the concept of a falsetto range, but come on...
94. Norah Jones, "Don't Know Why" [2002]
Out across the endless sea/I will die in ecstasy/But I'll be a bag of bones/Driving down the road alone
First of all, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, who was a good friend of the Beatles, which makes this the greatest song written since "Let It Be." But in all seriousness, read the rest of the lyrics. This is so depressing!
93. The Zutons, "Pressure Point" [2004]
Doctor, oh Doctor, I'm begging you please/To rid me of madness and cure this disease
This song just has a great simmer: it starts out really chill and groovy, and becomes an endless succession of unintelligible screaming by the end. The first of several songs on this list that I discovered through EA Sports video games.
92. Daft Punk, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" [2001]
More than ever/Hour after/Our work is never over
One of the definitive songs of the decade for sure, and not just because Kanye sampled it.
91. Lenny Kravitz, "Again" [2000]
I've never had a yearning quite like this before/Now that you are walking right through my door
After years of going retro ("It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," "Are You Gonna Go My Way," his cover of "American Woman"), Lenny releases his first contemporary-sounding single. Great success!
OK, that's it for today! Leave your thoughts...back tomorrow with songs 90 through 81.
-- pl
Happy Monday, and it's now time to get the list underway! For the first 80 songs or so, I'll reveal ten at a time in each blog post, and follow up each song with a favorite lyric and factoid. Keep in mind, once again, that this wasn't meant to be a definitive "best-of" list. The primary criterion was whether or not I, Pat Lavery, liked the song. (Feel free to leave comments and start the discussion, though!)
Alright, so without further ado...
SONGS 100 THROUGH 91
100. Kaiser Chiefs, "Never Miss A Beat" [2008]
What do you want for tea?/I want crisps/Why don't you join the team?/I just did
British humour at its finest. It's cool to know nothing.
99. Minus the Bear, "Double Vision Quest" [2007]
We awoke/At the edge of a summer
My buddy Rob once used to say this was three songs in one. For a band that's been at the forefront of what many call the "math rock" genre, that's a pretty cool equation.
98. The Hold Steady, "Sequestered In Memphis" [2008]
That's alright, I was desperate too/I'm getting pretty sick of this interview
First time I heard this song on the radio: "Is this Bruce? No, it can't be Bruce. But it sounds like Bruce! Well done." Best Springsteen tribute since John Cafferty's "On The Dark Side."
97. Spoon, "I Turn My Camera On" [2005]
I wipe my feelings off/You made me untouchable for life/And you wasn't polite
Before being used in a camera commercial (what else?), this was just a really cool song. Now it's a really cool song that you probably didn't know you knew.
96. John Legend, "Ordinary People" [2004]
Maybe we'll live and learn/Maybe we'll crash and burn/Maybe you'll stay, maybe you'll leave, maybe you'll return
Lost in all the sampling and electronics and processed vocals of this decade was just how powerful a simple, sincere piano ballad could be. John Legend found it.
95. Mika, "Stuck In The Middle" [2007]
I look at you, you look at me, we bite each other
How does this man sing so many high notes? I understand the concept of a falsetto range, but come on...
94. Norah Jones, "Don't Know Why" [2002]
Out across the endless sea/I will die in ecstasy/But I'll be a bag of bones/Driving down the road alone
First of all, Norah Jones is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, who was a good friend of the Beatles, which makes this the greatest song written since "Let It Be." But in all seriousness, read the rest of the lyrics. This is so depressing!
93. The Zutons, "Pressure Point" [2004]
Doctor, oh Doctor, I'm begging you please/To rid me of madness and cure this disease
This song just has a great simmer: it starts out really chill and groovy, and becomes an endless succession of unintelligible screaming by the end. The first of several songs on this list that I discovered through EA Sports video games.
92. Daft Punk, "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" [2001]
More than ever/Hour after/Our work is never over
One of the definitive songs of the decade for sure, and not just because Kanye sampled it.
91. Lenny Kravitz, "Again" [2000]
I've never had a yearning quite like this before/Now that you are walking right through my door
After years of going retro ("It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over," "Are You Gonna Go My Way," his cover of "American Woman"), Lenny releases his first contemporary-sounding single. Great success!
OK, that's it for today! Leave your thoughts...back tomorrow with songs 90 through 81.
-- pl
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part II)
OK folks, here are some of the tracks that were juuuuust a bit outside inclusion on this list. You'll probably see some of these artists on the list somewhere else, but these songs didn't quite make the grade:
Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together"; Destiny's Child, "Say My Name"; Ryan Adams, "Come Pick Me Up"; Imogen Heap, "Hide And Seek"; Green Day, "American Idiot"; The Bravery, "An Honest Mistake"; Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"; Britney Spears, "Toxic"; Five for Fighting, "Superman (It's Not Easy)"; Bon Jovi, "It's My Life"; OneRepublic, "Apologize"; Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"; Santana feat. Michelle Branch, "The Game Of Love"; Usher, "Yeah!"; Eminem, "Stan"; Kanye West, "Gold Digger"; The Killers, "Somebody Told Me"; Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, "Falling Slowly"; Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"; Coldplay, "Speed Of Sound."
As you can see, there's some quality music there, and also some songs that have just seeped their way into our consciousness (for example, anything Taylor Swift-related is seemingly unavoidable right now, and she didn't even make my top hundred).
You'll also notice that this pre-list list wipes out a few top R&B/rap singles. That's not by design; they simply got beat out by other songs I like better. You'll be surprised by what's to come, I think.
'Til then, though, keep reading. Thanks!
-- pl
Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together"; Destiny's Child, "Say My Name"; Ryan Adams, "Come Pick Me Up"; Imogen Heap, "Hide And Seek"; Green Day, "American Idiot"; The Bravery, "An Honest Mistake"; Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"; Britney Spears, "Toxic"; Five for Fighting, "Superman (It's Not Easy)"; Bon Jovi, "It's My Life"; OneRepublic, "Apologize"; Taylor Swift, "You Belong With Me"; Santana feat. Michelle Branch, "The Game Of Love"; Usher, "Yeah!"; Eminem, "Stan"; Kanye West, "Gold Digger"; The Killers, "Somebody Told Me"; Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova, "Falling Slowly"; Jet, "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"; Coldplay, "Speed Of Sound."
As you can see, there's some quality music there, and also some songs that have just seeped their way into our consciousness (for example, anything Taylor Swift-related is seemingly unavoidable right now, and she didn't even make my top hundred).
You'll also notice that this pre-list list wipes out a few top R&B/rap singles. That's not by design; they simply got beat out by other songs I like better. You'll be surprised by what's to come, I think.
'Til then, though, keep reading. Thanks!
-- pl
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Top 100 Favorite Songs of the 2000's (Part I)
Hey all,
Welcome to my blog! It's been dormant for a few months but I now want to get it back up and running. First order of business: we are coming to the end of this decade! And as such, I figure a good ol' countdown is in order.
Most of you who'll read this already know how much I love music, so the topic of this countdown is fairly simple...what were my favorite songs of the "aughts"? In this decade, indie and R&B exploded, the Billboard charts became all but obsolete, and musical tastes were more diverse than ever before. For few people could that be more true than myself -- when the decade began, I'd never heard of half the artists and bands on this list, much less would I consider listening to them.
Times change, however. And now, this list is meant for your enjoyment. It's not a "best-of" or "most popular" list, I'm not interested in debating what was the most influential or impactful song. The criteria I used to put together this list were simple:
1. Was the song commercially released in this decade? (e.g. since January 1, 2000) This specification pained me a bit, as it wiped out some integral songs of my formative years -- Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want" comes to mind -- which were released at the tail end of 1999.
2. Did I like the song? (Simple, yet elegant.)
3. If the song was commercially successful (lots of radio airplay + CD and MP3 sales + music media buzz) but not an absolute favorite did it have a large enough cultural impact to merit inclusion on my list?
Most of the songs under this third criterion, including essential tracks by artists like Amy Winehouse, Eminem, and Usher, just missed the cut of the Top 100. I'll recap a few of these in my next post.
All in all, I'm happy with the way the list turned out. Would've liked a few more songs from this year, but in all honesty most of the current big hits were actually released back in 2008. I'll reveal, let's say, ten songs at a time over the next few weeks. And when we get to the top 20 or thereabouts, I'll go into more detail about each of the individual songs. So stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
-- pl
Welcome to my blog! It's been dormant for a few months but I now want to get it back up and running. First order of business: we are coming to the end of this decade! And as such, I figure a good ol' countdown is in order.
Most of you who'll read this already know how much I love music, so the topic of this countdown is fairly simple...what were my favorite songs of the "aughts"? In this decade, indie and R&B exploded, the Billboard charts became all but obsolete, and musical tastes were more diverse than ever before. For few people could that be more true than myself -- when the decade began, I'd never heard of half the artists and bands on this list, much less would I consider listening to them.
Times change, however. And now, this list is meant for your enjoyment. It's not a "best-of" or "most popular" list, I'm not interested in debating what was the most influential or impactful song. The criteria I used to put together this list were simple:
1. Was the song commercially released in this decade? (e.g. since January 1, 2000) This specification pained me a bit, as it wiped out some integral songs of my formative years -- Vertical Horizon's "Everything You Want" comes to mind -- which were released at the tail end of 1999.
2. Did I like the song? (Simple, yet elegant.)
3. If the song was commercially successful (lots of radio airplay + CD and MP3 sales + music media buzz) but not an absolute favorite did it have a large enough cultural impact to merit inclusion on my list?
Most of the songs under this third criterion, including essential tracks by artists like Amy Winehouse, Eminem, and Usher, just missed the cut of the Top 100. I'll recap a few of these in my next post.
All in all, I'm happy with the way the list turned out. Would've liked a few more songs from this year, but in all honesty most of the current big hits were actually released back in 2008. I'll reveal, let's say, ten songs at a time over the next few weeks. And when we get to the top 20 or thereabouts, I'll go into more detail about each of the individual songs. So stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
-- pl
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
