The Decade: A Retrospective The Best Songs 40-26

"Can't Get You Out Of My Head"

Kylie Minogue
Fever (2001)

Kylie Minogue was a washed-up has-been before she unleashed "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" on the world. It topped the charts across the globe and even crash landed in the top ten in the U.S. Written in part by pop genius Cathy Dennis, the track follows the tried and true method of endless repetition, but somehow it manages to do it better than anyone else. "La la la" was such an obvious hook, but no one ever thought to use it over a flawless sleek dance beat in such a way that the world couldn't get it out of its collective head.

"Jesus Walks"
Kanye West

The College Dropout (2004)

Rapping over military drums and what sounds like a choir of soldiers, Kanye West opens up about religion in "Jesus Walks". Comparing needing Jesus to Kathie Lee needing Regis might seem blasphemous to some, but Kanye sells it with a convincing devoted tone. "I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoken in so long," he confesses. Despite Ye's line about radio not playing his record because it was about God, it was embraced by radio programmers and fans alike.

"Electric Feel"

MGMT

Oracular Spectacular (2008)

MGMT's Oracular Spectacular wowed critics and several of its tracks landed at the tops of end of the year lists in 2008. "Electric Feel" is the psychedelic indie-electro champ of the bunch, grabbing Bee Gees falsettos and laid back post-punk rock to create a shocking ode to electric love. The tune has an almost primal sound to it, like a ritual tribal dance a band of lost boys would sing while marching around a fire in Lord of the Flies or something.

"Black Sweat"
Prince

3121 (2006)

Like Prince's other great songs, "Black Sweat" lacks a bass line. Prince instead relies solely on a drum machine, a high pitched synthesizer, and his voice to create this jam oozing with funk. "Black Sweat" is able to reference songs like "When Doves Cry" and "Kiss" without sounding like a cheap rewrite. Speaking of rewriting, all he needed to do was change the word "black" to "red" or "blue", and maybe he could have gotten major airtime on Gatorade commercials.

"Take Me Out"
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (2004)

Is Franz Ferdinand lead singer Alex Kapranos singing about getting hit on or getting shot in "Take Me Out", or both? The band managed to put out a song other post-punk revival bands only wish they could write. The fast first verse of the song gives way to a slower, although much more rocked out chorus. The two parts of the song, each with different rhythms, work together perfectly, to create an intoxicating indie masterpiece.

"No Good Advice"
Girls Aloud
Sound of the Underground (2003)

Following the success of "Sound of the Underground", the Girls Aloud needed a follow-up smash to prove they weren't a flash in the pan. "No Good Advice" didn't sound like the song a girl group would record, its attitude, lyrics, melody, and snarling surf guitar sounded more like a 1970s punk song. Its a song about defiance. Written by Xenomania in response to losing a deal with a record company, it served as a manifesto for the Aloud who proved they could make it as the decade's most important girl group without "good advice" from naysayers.

"Yellow"

Coldplay

Parachutes (2000)

"Yellow" was the song that made Coldplay, and its easy to hear why, the song is beautiful, and hopelessly romantic. The narrative of writing a song for someone makes it a modern "Your Song". "Yellow" gave Coldplay their first top ten hit, broke them in America, and propelled Parachutes to wins at the Grammys (Best Alternative Album) and the Brits (Best British Album). The tune has been covered countless times, and that's not even counting all the wooing boyfriends singing it on a clear starry night.

"Yeah!"

Usher

Confessions (2004)

"Yeah!" is a party anthem that could only be made in the decade of the ringtone. Honestly, have you ever heard a song play from so many phones (either the real track or the MIDI version) as you did Usher's biggest hit in 2004? This ultimate party jam sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released, and it brought crunk to the masses and is the single best mispronunciation of an artists name in music history (Ursher has got the smack to make your bootie go...)

"Hung Up"
Madonna
Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005)

Madonna had the first flop album of her career with American Life, a divisive folk album that raged against war and Bush-era America. Ironically, Madonna took a page out of W.'s playbook by pandering to her base and returning to the dancefloor with "Hung Up". Teaming up with producer Stuart Price and sampling ABBA, the Queen of Pop made her last great pop song. It wasn't long before she would try pandering to middle America by hooking up with Justin.

"99 Problems"
Jay-Z

The Black Album (2004)

Ten months before Jay-Z dropped the rap-rock bomb that was "99 Problems", Hova featured on his future wive's "Crazy In Love". I wonder how Beyonce felt about Jay's lyrics? "If you having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one," he raps. His rap about being pulled over by a cop (You was doing 55 in a 54...you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are) is one of the best statements on racism hip-hop has produced.

"Never Win"

Fischerspooner

Odyssey (2005)

This group of electro-clash revivalists take early 80s synth and filtered it through early 00s art-rock to create "Never Win". The track has the pulsing synth lines, the video game-like beeps during the bridge, and the careless guitar strumming, but it also has a bite to it, ensuring no one ever mistakes it for vapid.

"Milkshake"

Kelis

Tasty (2003)

Kelis' "Milkshake" is a dizzying sonic assault courtesy of N.E.R.D.'s minimalist production. Popular music has had its share of sexual innuendos, but few are as adventurous as this tune with Kelis demanding payment to teach how she makes milkshakes that not only bring the boys to the yard, but are better than yours (damn right). A synth-funk masterpiece.

"Apply Some Pressure"

Maximo Park

A Certain Trigger (2005)

Maximo Park had the unfortunate timing of arriving to the new-wave/post-punk revival after the likes of Kasabian and Bloc Party had already made splashy well-hyped debuts thanks to the British rock press. "Apply Some Pressure" deserves a place in the pantheon of songs. The adrenaline heavy track benefits from machine gun drums and wiry guitar that lives up to its title.

"Valerie"

Amy Winehouse

Version (2006)

BBC's Radio 1 Live Lounge show has become a perennial favorite for bloggers. The radio show features artists performing a hit of their own as well as covering another song which immediately hits the web and improves the search engine optimization of whatever blog posts it. The most famous song to spring from the show is Amy Winehouse's cover of the Zuton's "Valerie". The fact that Winehouse is singing about a woman is a moot point in this bouncy danceable retro-flashback.

"Never Let Me Down"

Kanye West

The College Dropout (2004)

Kanye West has come to be known more for his pop songs and controversial outburts, but his greatest moments are his goosebump inducing singles that pull at your heartstrings. "Never Let Me Down" is Ye's statement on love. Teaming up with Jay-Z and J. Ivy, he made the most emotional song of his career. It strays from Jay-Z's massive ego to Kanye's grandfather's battle with racism to the kind of love that inspires fierce loyalty.

The Decade: A Retrospective The Best Songs 55-41

"Poker Face"

Lady Gaga

The Fame (2008)

"Who'd have thought the greatest popstar of the noughties would appear in the decade's final 18 months?" wrote Popjustice. It is pretty phenomenal. After ten years of America being fed pop puppets, Lady Gaga emerged as a true pop artist. She wrote her own songs. She sang. She played instruments. She had a vision of her art and her image. She became famous through hard work and playing at dingy clubs in New York, not the Mickey Mouse club. Of the amazing impact she's had in such a short time, "Poker Face" is her supreme single.

"I Will Follow You Into The Dark"
Death Cab for Cutie
Plans (2005)

Nominated for Best Performance by a Duo or Group at the 2007 Grammys, Death Cab's "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" was beat out by the Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps". No, I'm serious. Obviously, the Grammys aren't always the measuring stick for music's cultural value as they would have us believe, because this song's beauty and simplicity beats out the Peas' brash schoolyard ditty any day. In what amounts to a Ben Gibbard solo track, the Death Cab front man ponders love, life, and death.

"Rehab"
Amy Winehouse
Back To Black (2006)

In the decade's best neo-soul song, Amy Winehouse managed to reference Motown without ripping it off. Winehouse's brassy rebellious "Rehab" is also the decade's best example of art imitating life, as the singer soon became more famous for her addictions and wild behavior than her music. Her frank lyrics and Etta James style crooning won Winehouse a slew of awards and kickstarted the modern retro revival.

"The Middle"
Jimmy Eat World
Bleed American (2001)

Jimmy Eat World has always had a knack for taking lyrics that others would sound corny singing, and pulling it off. "The Middle" is filled with motivational lines like, "don't write yourself off yet," and "everything will be alright," that Jim Adkins flat out sells. It's little wonder J.E.W. can make music like this though, after all, they were dropped by their record label and recorded their airtight power-pop smash of an album, Bleed American, on their own dime and had labels begging to sign them. Don't write yourself off yet is right.

"Somewhere Only We Know"
Keane
Hopes and Fears (2004)

There's something about Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know" that reminds me of a Disney movie. It's an epic power ballad that would fit perfectly in the scene right before the climax where the prince and princess declare their love for each other, and reprised as the credits begin rolling. The insistent fluttering piano and Tom Chaplin's promise that there is a paradise somewhere out there is pure magic.

"Like I Love You"
Justin Timberlake
Justified (2002)

"Sometimes people just destined, destined to do what they do," Justin Timberlake muses at the end of his debut solo single, "Like I Love You". Becoming the next Michael Jackson wasn't exactly a sure thing though. Timberlake had a massive task in front of him, having to shed his boy band image and rebrand himself as the new king of pop. With the help of Pharrell, this funky R&B song was crafted, and the rest is history.

"A Thousand Miles"
Vanessa Carlton

Be Not Nobody (2002)

"This must be the white song that all black people like, you know every year there's a song that black people like and this is that," said Kanye West about Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles" on his iTunes celebrity playlist. Kanye, don't kid yourself, this is a song everyone likes. The track managed to retain its beauty even with made-for-radio percussion and guitar slapped on, making it perfect for both pop and adult contemporary radio.

"Chicago"
Sufjan Stevens

Illinois (2005)

Sufjan Steven's "Chicago" is a life affirming celebration of a song. It begins soft and understated before blossoming into a kaleidoscope of sound. Rich strings, sleigh bells, xylophones, trumpets, and a choir weave in and out to set the backdrop the Steven's tale of driving to Chicago and New York in a van. He repeats the phrase "I've made a lot of mistakes," but its drowned out by the choir triumphantly singing the spiritual line, "You came to take us, all things go to recreate us."

"B.O.B."
OutKast
Stankonia (2001)

When OutKast released "B.O.B." in 2000, there were no bombs over Baghdad. By decade's end, Iraq's capital has seen more than enough bombs. "B.O.B." was like a crystal ball, foreshadowing not only a global war on terror (and a "White House painted black" according to Pitchfork , in reference to the cover of Stankonia featuring a black and white American flag), but the disorienting collision popular music would face in the coming ten years.

"Last Nite"

The Strokes
Is This It (2001)

By the end of the 1990s, the term "alternative" had been hijacked, appropriated, and warped beyond all recognition. A decade later, the term "indie" found itself in a similar position. Still, there are a few songs that stand for what those words mean. For alternative, its "Wonderwall" or "Save Tonight". For indie, "Last Nite" by the Strokes takes the crown. Bursting into the scene in 2001 with incredible amounts of goodwill from the rock press, the Strokes deserved every bit of it.

"Say It Right"

Nelly Furtado

Loose (2006)

Nelly Furtado emerged as an innovative earthy folk pop singer in 2000, but after interest faded with her second album, she turned to Timbaland to re energize her career. Her album Loose was a smash hit, but its 80s inspired electro-pop veered away from her organic sound. "Say It Right" was the one exception. Emerging from a jungle soundscape, the song employed Timbaland's trademark yelps and percussion as Furtado tried to convince herself that, "you don't mean nothing at all to me".

"Be Mine"

Robyn

Robyn (2005)

Dance-pop doesn't get more emotional than "Be Mine" by Swedish singer Robyn. Her anguished lyrics are suffocated by frantic orchestral arrangements and racing beats, creating a desperate soundscape. If her declaration that, "you never were and you never will be mine," doesn't get you, the bridge detailing her man having his arm around, and get this, tying the laces of "whatshername", will. Robyn's stripped down performance of the track at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize show will bring a grown man to tears.

"Everything Is Everything"

Phoenix

Alphabetical (2004)

Using rapidly chiming triangle better than anyone else has all decade, Phoenix crafted a catchy ditty that harkens to the soft-pop of the late 1980s with "Everything Is Everything". "Things are gonna change, and not for better," sings Thomas Mars. The lyrics are all that ambiguous, which only adds to the track's carefree atmosphere. The guitar, reveling in staccato neo-disco, is ever present, but at times understated.

"When You Were Young"

The Killers

Sam's Town (2006)

Brandon Flowers boldly declared that his band's sophomore album Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums in the past twenty years". Whether the Killers did it, or even if they managed to top the ridiculously good Hot Fuss is questionable, but "When You Were Young" is without a doubt one of the best songs in the past twenty years. Channeling Bruce Springsteen, the band wrote the great American rock song complete with Jesus, highways, and riding on the backs of hurricanes.

"Sex On Fire"

Kings of Leon

Only By The Night (2008)

"Fire" is a word bands love to throw around. It evoke edginess, unpredictability, and a general feeling of hardcore-ness, but if everyone else is doing it, how do you use it and stand out? Kings of Leon threw in "Sex". Can you get any edgier than that? "Sex on Fire" isn't actually about sex though, don't worry, it was just a filler word the Followills used until they decided it would make a good song title. The track is a stirring rock anthem made for the arenas.

Issac Hayes Dies At Age 65

Best known for his 1971 #1 hit "Theme From 'Shaft'", Issac Hayes passed away Sunday. Not only did he write, produce, and perform his chart topper, Hayes went on to win both an Oscar and a Grammy for the track. You might have also heard him as the "voice of Nick At Nite" as well as Chef on South Park. Collin Stanback, A&R executive at Stax said of Hayes, "A lot of artists owe Isaac his career because a lot of music was based on his foundation".

Britney Returns To VMAs, Charts

Chatting with comedian Russell Brand and oblivious to the elephant mumbling around behind them, Britney Spears takes her first steps toward a proper comeback in a recent VMA ad. Will she perform? So far, only Lil Wayne and the Jonas Brothers are slated, but anything could happen. A Spears performance would give the network a ratings boost. Her 2007 appearance lip syncing and swaying to "Gimme More" put the show 23% more viewers than 2006. Spears also reports that her next studio album is due out in six to nine months. "I think it is more urban," she says in an interview with OK! Magazine. "I'm writing every day, right here at the piano in this living room. This is my best work ever."

Amy Winehouse To Release Bond Theme No Matter What

After being rejected in favor of Alicia Keys and Jack White to compose and perform the theme for the latest James Bond film, "Quantom of Solace", Amy Winehouse vows that she will release hers anyways. Wanting to prove the move makers wrong, Winehouse plans to release it the same day as the official track for an epic chart showdown. Talking to Britain's New Magazine she said, "If they want a worldwide hit I have them all up here (pointing to her beehive)."

Soundtrack To Mama Mia! Tops US Charts

Abba's greatest hits compliation, Gold, remains at #1 in the UK, an incredible feat considering it was released 16 years ago. Due to chart rules in the US, older albums can only chart on the album catalouge chart, which Gold currently sits atop. On the Billboard 200 however, the soundtrack to the film "Mama Mia!" is #1 after five weeks in the charts already. This is the second #1 soundtrack to do so in 2008 after "Juno" did so in January.

The 50th Annual Grammy Awards

Maynard James Keenan of Tool once said of the Grammys, "I think the Grammys are nothing more than some gigantic promotional machine for the music industry. They cater to a low intellect and they feed the masses. They don't honor the arts or the artist for what he created. It's the music business celebrating itself. That's basically what it's all about."

This year, being the fiftieth anniversary seemed no exception. There was plenty of celebration, plenty of mixing the old and new. Alicia Keys opened up with Frank Sinatra for instance. He was still black and white. Kid Rock performed with Keely Smith. She was still black and white...but she she was still alive. Beyonce teamed up with Tina Turner after proclaiming her a queen. Aretha had a problem with that.

It was such a stark contrast having the vetran performers and the young guns perform beside each other. It was so blatently evident what years of experience can do by watching John Fogerty, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis perform as compared with Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, or even just watching Miss Miley/Hannah Montana/Mini Hilary Duff present an award. Fogerty, Richard, and Lewis didn't even use synthesizers.

Highlights of the night include Carrie Underwood singing "Before He Cheats" with a troupe of backup dancers, Amy Winehouse's performance live via satelitte in London, and Kanye rapping both "Stronger" and "Hey Mama". West took home four more Grammys bringing his grand total to 10. During his acceptance speach, the "wrap it up" music started playing but he promptly put his foot down, especially when he talked about his late mother. His "Hey Mama" performance really said it all though.



Herbie Hancock won album of the year. Winehouse won record of the year, song of the year, and best new artist. "Umbrella" was awarded best rap/sung collaberation which is kind of funny seeing that Jay-Z's rap contribution to the song was limited and tacted onto the front for good measure. Oh well, that song deserved to win something didn't it? For a complete listing of the year's winners, see:

http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2008/grammys.htm