A Decade of Music.. Top Songs :)

Man.. This is really kind of cool to me. I've lived through an entire decade of music! Hooray! I can say I'm a child of the 00's... kind of. Anyway, because I love music more then... well most things. And because I believe it's probably the only thing in this world that human's create without the ability to destroy... And because I'm pretty sure everyone knew I would do it anyway :). Here is Kason Hudman's list of the best songs of the 2000's. :) And, the albums will come.. I just have to figure that out first :).

Top 20 Songs of the 00's


#20 Keep The Car Running, Arcade Fire (2007)
"They're Not coming to take me away!"

I will always see Arcade Fire as an album oriented band, and they're songs most of the time work better when preceded with the song before and finished with the next song on the album. However, this shining moment of a song, which works just as well on it's own, I believe to be they're finest single. With it's falls and rises, in all it's glory. Keep the Car Running.




#19 You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb, Spoon (2007)
"I Could Pose for Good"

This song.. is actually my ringtone. I was basically obsessed with it for over 3 months. I listened to it intently, trying so hard to mimick SOMETHING about it in my own work. And I actually wrote a song, and the working title was 'spoon' since it was so heavily based on this song. (my band still calls it spoon, although it sounds nowhere near as good as this song, and is now 'officially' called 1,2).




#18 New Slang, The Shins (2001)
"Gold Teeth, and the curse for this town"

Easy going, breezy song. That's not necassarily talking about easy going, breezy things. But this melody is masterful. And this chorus must be sung... everytime. It's so undeniable. And the lyrics, such beautiful lines as "If you'd a took, to me like a gull takes to the wind. I'd a jumped from my trees, and I'd a danced like a king". It's not easy going, but it's told easily. I don't know if, by these terms, you could ever pass up this song.



#17 3rd Planet, Modest Mouse
"Everything that's keeping me together is falling apart"

I'm still not exactly sure what this song is talking about. Perhaps I'm not smart enough, or deep enough. But I do know this, whatever it IS saying, it's obviously a major statement. But whatever that is, is anyone's guess. But it's got a gorgeous arrangement, a perfect mix of Modest Mouse's two sides: They're rocking, and they're breezy. And this song is both.



#16 The Modern Age, The Strokes (2001)
"Don't want you here right now, let me gooo!"
For a very long time, this was the most played song on my Ipod. And now it takes the second place song, only behind the masterwork "Fake Plastic Trees". Oh, this song is so perfect. It defines the Garage Rock Era, and it defines Is This It?. The Strokes are amazing. Enough Said. (See my entry in 'Best songs of all time' for more information ha ha)



# 15 Clocks, Coldplay (2002)
"Confusion, never stops. Closing walls and ticking clocks"

If 'Yellow' was Coldplay's breakthrough hit, then this was the song that sent them into the stratosphere. When this song, along with the album it's on, came out, people started to actually believe Coldplay might just reach the potential of they're two greatest influences: U2 and Radiohead. Of course, that's probably not going to happen. But because of this masterwork of a song, and it's album.. I'm not sure it has to.




#14 Everything in its Right Place, Radiohead (2000)
"There are two colors in my head"

The Beginning electronic to Kid A. Weird, creative, beyond explanation. It first comes of as alienating and void of emotion.. until you realize it's simply the opposite. It's beautiful, beautiful keyboards... It's haunting vocals. It's very emotional.. and not alienating in the least.




#13 Let's Do Everything for the First Time Forever, Of Montreal (2001)
"And If Forever you are my friend, I'll never ever feel unhappy again"

What can I even accurately say about this song? Such a joyful, simple expression of love. Let's do everything for the first time forever. This song is so special to me. It probably always will be. Mine and hers. Let's Do everything for the first time forever. Let's. This is probably the decade's best love song. Simply celebrating love, to celebrate love. :)




#12 Paper Planes, M.I.A. (2007)
"I Fly like paper, get high like planes."

All I wanna do is (bang bang bang bang) and a (*click*chi chang) and a take your money? What in the world? I'm sure that's what we were all thinking when we heard this song, on mainstream radio, not to mention. True, this song is undeniably catchy. It fits mainstream radio, if you use that loosely. I love it though, love it because it proved that the billboard top 10 was not completely void of creativity. For the first time in a long time, I thought that the mainstream music scene was changing. Of course not, but it was a shining moment.




#11 Hey Ya!, OutKast (2003)
"Shake it like polaroid picture!"

Andre 3000 and Big Boi split up, in part, for their album Speakerboxx/The Love Below. Each member got their own half of the record, and that's just the way it was. OutKast was not OutKast, really. But Andre 3000 made up for this split, because he wrote 'Hey Ya!', one of the best pop songs this decade knew. And it's still played at every high school dance, because we demand it. It's apart of us, and our generation. So what's cooler than being cool? Ice Cold.




#10 Seven Nation Army, The White Stripes (2003)
"I'm gonna fight em' off. A Seven Nation Army couldn't hold me back"

Fell in Love with a Girl, kicked rock music right in the butt. It brought it back to the full front, even winning an MTV video award. But Seven Nation Army, kicked everything else right in the gut, and made The White Stripes the 'only band that mattered' for a while. And we are far from feeling the full effect of this song. How much impact it had. And just how much of punch does it pack? Enough that you feel it right in your chest, when that first bass (well.. guitar) note hits, to the end.




#9 I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Arctic Monkeys (2006)
"Stop making the eyes with me, I'll stop making the eyes with you"

"Your name isn't rio, but I don't care for sand and lighting the fuse might result in a bang b-b bang go! I bet that you look good on the dancefloor" But I bet you don't look good on the dancefloor when your dancing to this. Just because it's so fast paced, and so undeniably catchy, you can't help but flail your arms and jump around. And Alex Turner's cockney accent, with he accents, is so perfect.





#8 Maps, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2003)
"Wait.. They Don't love you like I love you"

I remember belting this song out so loud, that day. I remember just yelling "Wait! They don't love you like I love you.." and "Your kind's my kind, I'll Stay the same!!" If 'Let's do everything for the first time forever' was the best love song of the decade.. this is the best losing love song of the decade. Karen O belts it, and you can feel your own emotions in her singing. And the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are not known for emotional ballads.. but this isn't really what this is. It's just humanity.




#7 My Girls, Animal Collective (2009)
"Is it much, to admit I need? A solid soul, and the blood I bleed."

In a world torn apart by Economic struggles, this song spoke what everyone needed to hear anyway. I don't care about material things. As long as I got what I need, and the people I love, I'm good. And Animal Collective told it through such swirling synth and musical majesty, not to mention beautifully crafted pop melodies.. it's a wonder it wasn't the number one song. Well.. then again, it's animal collective. But it will be remembered.



#6 One More Time, Daft Punk (2001)
"One More time, We're gonna celebrate, oh yeah, all right, don't stop the dancing!"

Daft Punk made the best feel good music of the decade. You can't help but smile and dance while listening to most of their albums, but this is their pinnacle of this feeling. As soon as he yells 'One More time!' is like a rush to your head. And your dancing, and jumping, and smiling. It's pretty simple, really.




#5 All My Friends, LCD Soundsystem (2007)
"And if it's crowded all the better"

What starts as a repetitive, piercing, dischordant piano part.. soon finds friends with it's bass, it's drums, and everything.. working so well together. And by the end, the piano now sounds euphoric, and no longer annoying. It's amazing, how James Murphy does this. When that bass first comes in, you start saying "hey, I like this" when only a second ago, you were ready to turn it off. It's amazing how the lyrics randomly relate to something in your life. And it's amazing that LCD Soundsystem made a seven minute song, sound fun the whole way through.





#4 Lose Yourself, Eminem (2004)
"But the beat goes on da da dum da dum da da"

Wow. Eminem rhymes so dang well. It makes me so jealous. When I sit down to write lyrics, and it takes me about.. 5 minutes to come up with the next rhyme.. I get so jealous of eminem, who just spits em out like.. well.. spit. And it's not just rhyme after rhyme.. he does series of rhymes within series of rhymes.. and it's just amazing. Awe inspiring. And this song.. is awe inspiring. From the moment that piano starts playing, to the end when eminem says "you can do anything if you set your mind to it". Your sucked in, to the beat, the guitar hook.. and most of all, the words.




#3 Time to Pretend, MGMT (2008)
"This is our decision, to live fast and die young."

MGMT are, in my eyes, the most promising young artist. They write such intelligent songs, and they couple it with such amazing music.. I expect greatness beyond measure from these boys. And this song, is their CURRENT masterpiece. A song about the problems with being famous, and the joys of a simpler life. And about being human, and pretending your happy when your not. And missing being a kid. And pretty much everything we all go through. It's a song you can relate yourself to, others to, and make yourself feel better after listening to. It's a guide on what matters most, and what doesn't.





#2 B.O.B., OutKast (2000)
"Power Music. Electric Revival"

There's a price for being so innovative, creative, and original. While this was blatantly the centerpiece of OutKast's album 'Stankonia', and it was OutKast's best song.. It only barely made the Rap charts at #69.. and didn't even make a dent in the Billboard 100. But just listen to this song.. and try not to get chills down your spine. It gives me goosebumps everytime, and I wonder how in the world did Andre and Big Boi come up with this? I don't think we really know how.. but we know they did. And we know that they are the most creative rappers of the decade for it.





And? Guesses?




















#1 We're Going to Be Friends, The White Stripes (2001)
"Walk with Me, Suzy Lee, Through the Park and by a tree"


I know. This song is so simple, anyone could write it right? There's no drum, or much else.. it's to simple right? Wrong. This song was written just when the world needed to hear it. And we still need to hear it. Just like 'Imagine' of the seventies (But not quite to the same degree and extremity) it reminds of what life is about. And am I making too deep a philosophical topic out of such a simple song? I don't think so. When this song came out, no one was writting songs about such simple happiness and love. No one was writing about walking with a friend, and dreaming about silly things. No. The Radio waves were filled with sex, drugs, and violence. Still are, of course. But this song brought such a message of optimism and love, in such a simple way.. and so lighthearted and childlike.. what more can you ask for? Just wait. This song, when people really start to look back.. will be remembered for bringing a spirit that no other song of the time brought. And Jack White is genius for bringing it to us. As a musician, I admire his songwriting talent. But even more, as a person, I thank him for filling my soul with the love and simplicity it needs.





P.S. I posted the songs on the blog. You are free to listen to them, all except 'Let's Do Everything for the First Time Forever'. I couldn't find that one, as wonderful as it is. Truly, the most special one to me :).