via//chicago

"Gonna go back in time..."

As the end of 2006 rapidly approaches and the time for annual list-making draws near, I thought it would be an appropriate time to look back at the history of via//chicago and some of the favorites from the last couple of years. Here's a look back at the top 20 singles and albums of 2003, 2004, and 2005 - the first three years of this site's existence.

2003

Top 20 Singles:
20. "The Way You Move" - Outkast
19. "Where Have All the Rudeboys Gone?" - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
18. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" - The Darkness
17. "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" - The Postal Service
16. "12:51" - The Strokes
15. "Cry Me A River" - Justin Timberlake
14. "Beautiful" - Snoop Dogg f. Pharrell Williams
13. "Ghettomusick" - Outkast
12. "Stand Up" - Ludacris
11. "In Da Club" - 50 Cent
10. "Gossip Folks" - Missy Elliott f. Ludacris
9. "Move Your Feet" - Junior Senior
8. "Hurt" - Johnny Cash
7. "Stacy's Mom" - Fountains of Wayne
6. "Such Great Heights" - The Postal Service
5. "Ignition (Remix)" - R. Kelly
4. "Me & Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard" - !!!
3. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
2. "House of Jealous Lovers" - The Rapture
1. "Hey Ya" - Outkast

Top 20 Albums:
20. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
19. Jay-Z - The Black Album
18. Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
17. Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
16. Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
15. The Decemberists - Her Majesty
14. Wrens - The Meadowlands
13. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying
12. Notwist - Neon Golden
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
10. Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
9. Jet - Get Born
8. Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance
7. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
6. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
5. Manitoba - Up in Flames
4. The Strokes - Room On Fire
3. The White Stripes - Elephant
2. The Postal Service - Give Up
1. Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below

Thoughts:
Obviously 2003 was all about Outkast and the Postal Service over here, with good reason for the most part. Both released a couple of killer singles and solid albums. To be honest, SB/TLB has slipped a little in my estimation since then and if I had it to do over Postal Service would snag the number one spot. But "Hey Ya" still cannot be denied, I think that would take #1 in any of the years since as well. Surprised to see how much love I gave that Jet album, but I'll still defend it as a fun little rip-off album. Sad to remember how much I loved that Exploding Hearts album, hopefully they will be remembered elsewhere (but more on that in days to come). Also interesting to see how much love I gave Fiddy that year, considering how much he grates on my nerves as of late. The Massacre did suck, but his debut is still a solid rap debut.

2004

Top 20 Singles:
20. "Matinee" - Franz Ferdinand
19. "Drop It Like It's Hot" - Snoop Dogg f. Pharrell Williams
18. "The Rat" - The Walkmen
17. "iGeneration" - MC Lars
16. "This Love" - Maroon 5
15. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
14. "Breathe" - Fabolous
13. "Heartbeat" - Annie
12. "99 Problems" - Jay-Z
11. "Move Ya Body" - Nina Sky f. Jabba
10. "Burn" - Usher
9. "Crown of Love" - The Arcade Fire
8. "Me & Mia" - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
7. "Jesus Walks" - Kanye West
6. "Dry Your Eyes" - The Streets
5. "Somebody Told Me" - The Killers
4. "Float On" - Modest Mouse
3. "Toxic" - Britney Spears
2. "The Show" - Girls Aloud
1. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand

Top 20 Albums:
20. Green Day - American Idiot
19. TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes
18. Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands/Nino Rojo
17. The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
16. The Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South
15. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
14. Iron & Wine - Our Endless, Numbered Days
13. Snow Patrol - Final Straw
12. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
11. Dizzee Rascal - Showtime
10. Interpol - Antics
9. Madvillain - Madvillainy
8. The Ponys - Laced with Romance
7. The Futureheads - The Futureheads
6. Brian Wilson - Smile
5. Junior Boys - Last Exit
4. Kanye West - The College Dropout
3. The Arcade Fire - Funeral
2. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
1. Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News

Thoughts:
Wow, even still I think I have a hard time picking which of those top four albums I would place at number one. Depending on my mood, I think a strong case could have been made for any of them. But damn, that Modest Mouse just astounded me throughout 2004 and has continued to do so, such a great album. I think the top singles should have been rearranged slightly - now I'd put "Toxic" on top, followed by "Float On", then "The Show", with "Take Me Out" in at number four. But ah well, half the fun is looking back to see what I was thinking that December. Very, very surprised that "Mr. Brightside" was so low, should have been top five and well ahead of "Somebody Told Me". Oops.

2005

Top 20 Singles:
20. "Still Tippin' (Diplo Remix)" - Mike Jones
19. "Rebellion (Lies)" - The Arcade Fire
18. "So Good" - Rachel Stevens
17. "I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)" - Rachel Stevens
16. "Hounds of Love" - The Futureheads
15. "Black and White Town" - Doves
14. "Love Me Like You" - The Magic Numbers
13. "Stay Fly" - Thee-6-Mafia f. Eightball, MJG, & Young Buck
12. "I Turn My Camera On" - Spoon
11. "Long Hot Summer" - Girls Aloud
10. "Dakota" - Stereophonics
9. "Feel Good Inc." - Gorillaz
8. "Two More Years" - Bloc Party
7. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West f. Jamie Foxx
6. "Abel" - The National
5. "Negotiate with Love" - Rachel Stevens
4. "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" - LCD Soundsystem
3. "Krafty" - New Order
2. "Sugar We're Goin' Down" - Fall Out Boy
1. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson

Top 20 Albums:
20. Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
19. Babyshambles - Down in Albion
18. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
17. Magnolia Electric Co. - Trials & Errors
16. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
15. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
14. Rachel Stevens - Come and Get It
13. Gorillaz - Demon Days
12. Akron/Family - Akron/Family
11. The National - Alligator
10. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
9. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
8. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
7. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
6. M.I.A. - Arular
5. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
4. Dungen - Ta Det Lungt
3. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
2. The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
1. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Thoughts:
Three Rachel Stevens singles? Damn skippy, I was enthralled by that girl last year. But not quite as much as I was with that Bloc Party album, one of my favorite debut records since Interpol's first one. I am so excited to hear new material from them early next year. But the biggest WTF moment of 2005 will always be Kelly Clarkson. If you had told me shortly after she won American Idol that she would one day be topping a list of my favorite songs, I would have punched you in the stomach and stolen your lunch money. Not really, but I would have called you a liar for sure. I hated her on that show, less than Justin to be sure, but I still couldn't stand her singing. Well. I was shown, but good. Damn is that a great, great, great pop tune. Oh. And see those albums numbered 11-9? Still slept on, go check them out.

For those of you Americans that are probably wondering who in the hell Rachel Stevens is, check out the songs below. Wonderful pop, trust me. I couldn't decide which one, so here are four that I absolutely adore:

Rachel Stevens - "Some Girls"
Rachel Stevens - "Crazy Boys"
Rachel Stevens - "I Said Never Again But Here We Are"
Rachel Stevens - "Negotiate With Love"

Enjoy.