As we near the end of via//chicago's 2007 wrap-up, its time for the first of the two big categories - the best singles of the year. As usual there were a couple of stellar mainstream standouts that will forever be linked to this year (numbers 1, 3, 5, and 9) and some fantastic tunes overlooked by the masses (numbers 2, 7, and 10). Let's take a look back on the year in singles...
1. "Stronger" - Kanye West
This was an easy and obvious choice for my favorite song of the year. Anyone sampling my favorite Daft Punk song would win points, but only 'Ye could make something completely fresh and exciting out of it. But its not just the killer hook that makes this song so fantastic, West's flow is on fire for the whole thing. His oversized ego served the braggadocio in this song perfectly.
2. "You! Me! Dancing!" - Los Campesinos!
As mentioned in yesterday's EP rundown, this is an absolutely fantastic single from a very, very promising young Welsh band. The anticipatory intro builds to a fever pitch before exploding in youthful energy all over the place. The male/female vocals almost topple over into too cutesy territory, but that killer chorus makes everything alright.
3. "Umbrella" - Rihanna f. Jay-Z
An inescapable song earlier this year, but for good reason. A great verse from Jigga that doesn't overstay its welcome, Rihanna's best vocal performance to date, and that awesome "ella ella ey ey ey" hook. In the wrong hands it would have been the most grating song ever, only she could have pulled this off so charmingly.
4. "Phantom Limb" - The Shins
It seems like a lot of people have forgotten about this album already, as seems to happen with lots of January releases. That's a shame because it stands up well with the rest of this fantastic band's catalog, especially this slice of Beach Boys-inspired pop heaven.
5. "Girlfriend" - Avril Lavigne
Quite possibly the most polarizing song of the year, but I fully believe that this is a perfect example of simplicity being the best approach. Between the cheerleader chanting chorus and the bratty snarl of the verses, this is the best argument yet for the continued existence of Avril singles. And "she's like, so whatever" - brilliant.
6. "Atlas" - Battles
Hands down the best math-rock single of the year! Tyondai Braxton's creepy Smurf-on-acid vocals combine with one of the most engaging and insistent beats on any single track I've heard all year to make for a truly unforgettable experience. Watch the video and dig John Stanier reaching waaaaaaay up there to hit that cymbal. Awesome.
7. "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
A heartbreaking treatise on growing up and letting go of the glory days set to a fantastic New Order bassline and the greatest one-note piano line I've heard in years. It takes a couple listens for the power of the song to completely envelop you, but once the magic of lines like "and if I'm sewn into submission / I can still come home to this" hit you like a punch in the gut - this song owns you.
8. "Thrash Unreal" - Against Me!
I'd written off Against Me as another band in the endless Hot Topic mall-punk assembly line, but all it took was this sharp hook digging under my skin to make me a believer. The juxtaposition of the bubbly "ba-ba-ba-ba" melody and the lyrics about addiction make for a jarring, but wholly compelling pop tune.
9. "D.A.N.C.E." - Justine
A fantastic French duo, the kiddie chorus, a fantastic video, and lyrical nods to classic Michael Jackson made this one of the easiest to love singles of the year. Did I mention how great the video is?
10. "Fireworks" - Animal Collective
A lot of people tell me they just don't "get" Animal Collective when I try to push this song on them, but I think they may be trying way too hard to look for something that isn't there. For me this is all about the visceral experience, kicking back and let the sound wash over you. Maybe not the most accessible single on the list, but it deserves to be given a chance.
11. "Four Winds" - Bright Eyes
12. "And She Would Darken the Memory" - The Twilight Sad
13. "Must Be the Moon" - !!!
14. "I Still Remember" - Bloc Party
15. "Wrong Galaxy/Triumph" - Shit Robot
16. "Rocket" - Working for a Nuclear Free City
17. "Tonight I Have to Leave It" - Shout Out Louds
18. "See You at the Lights" - 1990s
19. "Teenagers" - My Chemical Romance
20. "Gunpowder & Lead" - Miranda Lambert
21. “Thnks fr th Mmrs” – Fall Out Boy
22. “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse” – Of
24. “Throw Some D’s” – Rich Boy f. Polow Da Don
25. “Can You Feel It?” – Apples In Stereo
26. “Tonto” – Battles
27. “1, 2, 3, 4” – Feist
28. “Hello
29. “I’m A Flirt (Remix)” – R. Kelly f. T.I. & T-Pain
30. “O Katrina!” – Black Lips
31. “What Goes Around…/…Comes Around” – Justin Timberlake
32. “Beautiful Life” – Gui Boratto
33. “Roc Boys (And the Winner is…)” – Jay-Z
34. “Ruby” – Kaiser Chiefs
35. “To the East” - Electrelane
36. “If the Brakeman Turns My Way” – Bright Eyes
37. “Melody Day” - Caribou
38. “Tears Dry On Their Own” – Amy Winehouse
39. “Golden Skans” – Klaxons
40. “Sister Rosetta (Capture the Spirit)” – The Noisettes
41. “Read My Mind” – The Killers
42. “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)” – UGK f. Outkast
43. “Foundations” – Kate Nash
44. “2080” – Yeasayer
45. “Off the Hook” – CSS
46. “Jimmy” – M.I.A.
47. “The Prayer” – Bloc Party
48. “Someone Great” – LCD Soundsystem
49. “Ankle Injuries” – Fujiya & Miyagi
50. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” – Kanye West
51. “I’m Like a Lawyer with the Way I’m Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)” – Fall Out Boy
52. “Make Em Mad” – B.G. and the
53. “Straight Lines” – Silverchair
54. “Dashboard” – Modest Mouse
55. “Our Velocity” –
57. “Boy with a Coin” – Iron & Wine
58. “The Game” – Common
59. “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” –
61. “Peacebone” – Animal Collective
62. “Hang Me Up To Dry” – Cold War Kids
63. “Jesus Christ” – Brand New
64. “Is There a Ghost” – Band of Horses
65. “Office Boy” – Bonde do Role
66. “Misery Business” – Paramore
67. “Piece of Me” – Britney Spears
68. “Drivin’ Me Wild” – Common f. Lily Allen
69. “The Heinrich Maneuver” – Interpol
70. “Direct Hit” – Art Brut
71. “Giddy Stratospheres” – The Long Blondes
72. “The Magic Position” – Patrick Wolf
73. “Same Jeans” – The View
74. “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do as You’re Told)” – The White Stripes
75. “With Love” – Hilary Duff
76. “Big Casino” – Jimmy Eat World
77. “What’s a Girl To Do?” – Bat For Lashes
78. “Two of Us” – Supermayer
79. “Earth Intruders” – Bjork
80. “Go Getta” – Young Jeezy f. R. Kelly
81. “Flux (JFK Remix)” – Bloc Party
82. “Absolutely No Decorum” – The
84. “Shut Up and Drive” - Rihanna
85. “Cold Hands” – Black Lips
86. “I’m A Fool Wit It” – Twisted Black
87. “Baby Girl, I’m A Blur” – Say Anything
88. “
89. “Flathead” – The Fratellis
90. “Icky Thump” – The White Stripes
91. “In the Belly of a Shark” – Gallows
92. “Tonight the Streets Are Ours” – Richard Hawley
93. “Men’s Needs” – The Cribs
94. “You are the Space Invader” –
96. “Coffee” – Aesop Rock f. John Darnielle
97. “She is the New Thing” – The Horrors
98. “Dry the River” – Maylene and the Sons of Disaster
99. “Someone To Love” – Fountains of
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