Dec 29, 2010

2010 Year in Review Part III: The Songs

I've decided to switch things up a little bit this year when it comes to my favorite songs of the year. Normally this list is composed of my favorite "singles" of the year, but as that distinction becomes more and more difficult to ascertain in the internet age (promo singles, "street" singles, video tracks, and different types of promotional tools really muddy the water), it made more sense to just call it "songs" of the year. Anyway, with that out of the way, here are 100 songs that via//chicago really loved this year, complete with YouTube links when possible.

100. "I Only Know (What I Know Now)" - James Blake
99. "Cheaters" - Teengirl Fantasy
98. "Returnal" - Oneohtrix Point Never
97. "Moses On A Snail" - Robert Pollard
96. "Solitude is Bliss" - Tame Impala
95. "American Slang" - The Gaslight Anthem
94. "Flash Delirium" - MGMT
93. "Breathe The Fire" - The Soft Moon
92. "You Put A Smell On Me" - Matthew Dear
91. "Forever and Ever Amen" - The Drums
90. "Mirrors" - Dam-Funk
89. "The Curse" - Josh Ritter
88. "Superfast Jellyfish" - Gorillaz f. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul
87. "Jesus Stole My Girlfriend" - Violent Soho
86. "Stay Close" - Delorean
85. "Friendly Ghost" - Harlem
84. "Valley Hump Crash" - No Age
83. "Beautiful Complication" - Guido
82. "Pyramid of the Sun" - Maserati
81. "Soldier of Love" - Sade
80. "Marathon" - Tennis
79. "Sleep Forever" - Crocodiles
78. "Apply" - Glasser
77. "Little Golden Age" - Wolf Parade
76. "A More Perfect Union" - Titus Andronicus
75. "I Was A Teenage Anarchist" - Against Me!
74. "The Haunted Rider" - The Jameses
73. "Daydream" - Beach Fossils
72. "Make Up Bag" - The-Dream f. T.I.
71. "One Life Stand" - Hot Chip
70. "Aston Martin Music" - Rick Ross f. Drake & Chrisette Michele
69. "Younger Us" - Japandroids
68. "The House That Built Me" - Miranda Lambert
67. "Good Intentions Paving Co." - Joanna Newsom
66. "Live In Dreams" - Wild Nothing
65. "Nothin' On You" - B.o.B. f. Bruno Mars
64. "Celestica" - Crystal Castles
63. "Born Free" - M.I.A.
62. "Angela Surf City" - The Walkmen
61. "She Makes Me Feel Alright" - Freeway & Jake One
60. "Sing" - My Chemical Romance
59. "New Yorker Cartoon" - Jenny & Johnny
58. "Playing the Part" - Jamey Johnson
57. "Boyfriend" - Best Coast
56. "Out of Tune" - Real Estate
55. "Right On" - The Roots f. Joanna Newsom & STS
54. "Love the Way You Lie" - Eminem f. Rihanna
53. "Telephone" - Lady Gaga f. Beyonce
52. "Swim Until You Can't See Land" - Frightened Rabbit
51. "Hard In Da Paint" - Waka Flocka Flame
50. "Zebra" - Beach House
49. "Destroyer of the Void" - Blitzen Trapper
48. "Sun Hands" - Local Natives
47. "There Are Listed Buildings" - Los Camepsinos!
46. "Shine Blockas" - Big Boi f. Gucci Mane
45. "I Can't Write Left Handed" - John Legend & The Roots
44. "Laredo" - Band of Horses
43. "Speechless" - Lady Gaga
42. "Rest of Our Lives" - Dum Dum Girls
41. "Lightweight Jammin'" - E-40 f. Clyde Carson & Husalah
40. "Written In Reverse" - Spoon
39. "Odessa" - Caribou
38. "Answer To Your Self" - The Soft Pack
37. "I Can Change" - LCD Soundsystem
36. "Winterwind" - Bottomless Pit
35. "Undertow" - Warpaint
34. "King Night" - Salem
33. "Shutterbugg" - Big Boi f. Cutty
32. "Madder Red" - Yeasayer
31. "Only Girl (In the World)" - Rihanna
30. "Rill Rill" - Sleigh Bells
29. "Cold War" - Janelle Monae
28. "We Want War" - These New Puritans
27. "Round and Round" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
26. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" - The National
25. "White Sky" - Vampire Weekend
24. "Yamaha" - The-Dream
23. "Cry" - Gayngs
22. "Window Seat" - Erykah Badu
21. "Airplanes" - B.o.B. - f. Hayley Williams
20. "Not Afraid" - Eminem
19. "Mr. Peterson" - Perfume Genius
18. "Crossed Wires" - Superchunk
17. "Mine" - Taylor Swift
16. "Spanish Sahara" - Foals
15. "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)" - Arcade Fire
14. "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" - My Chemical Romance
13. "Wut" - Girl Unit
12. "End of a Spark" - Tokyo Police Club
11. "O.N.E." - Yeasayer

10. "Swim" - Surfer Blood
Blog-buzz couple Best Coast and Wavves got all the attention for being great summer records but, in my mind, there wasn't a single better tune this year to pull my mind immediately to the sunny beach, watching the waves crashing in. Part of the problem was that this single and its parent album were released way back in the darkest part of last winter, but this should have propped up many a summer 'Beach Mix'.

9. "Me and the Moon" - The Drums
From the insistent opening drums to the soaring chorus to the tightly-wound guitar lines, this is one of those absolutely timeless pop songs - though one that is especially indebted to 1960s pop and 1980s indie rock. Few songs in 2010 brought a smile to my face as large as this one did.

8. "Desire Lines" - Deerhunter
While most of us are well aware of the boundless energy and talents of Bradford Cox, the best track on Deerhunter's altogether excellent 2010 album featured guitar and vocals from one of the less, well, prolific members of the band. "Desire Lines" The first half, on its own, would have been an outstanding track, what with the uber-melodic guitar line. But it is the second half that endeared me and led it its placement on this list. As great as the entire album is, nothing topped the section where this really took off on the motorik groove and rode off into the krautrock sunset.

7. "Power" - Kanye West
The well-deployed King Crimson sample is what immediately pulled me in, but subsequent listens proved just how well crafted this song was and how well it worked as an opening salvo for his 2010 onslaught. If the rest of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy was going be navel-gazing and soul-searching, it was important to lead it off with a defiant shot of adrenaline.

6. "Stylo" - Gorillaz f. Bobby Womack & Mos Def
On an album full of high points, this was easily the highest. A sleek and sexy electro beat that gave the soulful Bobby Womack plenty of room to do his thing. Whomever dreamed up this collaboration and made it happen deserves some sort of major award. This song is so engaging and memorable, it doesn't even matter that Mos Def's verse is a complete non-starter.

5. "Tightrope" - Janelle Monae f. Big Boi
I've spent a good chunk of this year enthusing to anyone within earshot about how amazingly talented Monae is and, if my target shows even the slighting interest in hearing more, I immediately point them to this song. I just love the way the tightly clipped verses explode into the soulful chorus, it was also a highlight of her live show. A great verse from Big Boi (who also had himself a stellar 2010) was just icing on the cake.

4. "Dancing On My Own" - Robyn
I'm amazed that the average American STILL only knows Robyn for her late '90s hit "Show Me Love", because this girl should be mentioned in the same breath as the Britneys, the Kylies, and the Rihannas of the world. Not only does this track feature an undeniably great hook, I love how the narrator just keeps powering through her misery, refusing to cede HER dancefloor even if she is being forced to watch the object of her desire kiss someone else. Its hard not to project this dedication to the music onto Robyn in general, sticking it out through some thin years and becoming a critical darling all over the world. Now if only we could get her the same kind of mainstream love.

3. "Monster" - Kanye West f. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, & Bon Iver
Even if this entire song was Nicki Minaj's INSANE verse (a verse that is not likely to be topped by any rapper, male or female, for years to come) and Kanye's funky-ass beat, it would have claimed a spot near the top of this list. But add in an endearingly odd Ye verse and decent verses from Jigga and Ross, then sprinkle on some unexpected Justin Vernon on the outro and you've got the weirdest, most entertaining rap song of the year.

2. "Not In Love" - Crystal Castles f. Robert Smith
The original, album version of this track was fairly entertaining, but once it was reworked to allow the Robert Smith to add his inhuman wail, it became not only the most catchy thing the band has ever had a hand in, but also the most darkly gorgeous. I'd really love to hear a full-length collaboration between these two.

1. "Fuck You" - Cee-Lo Green
From this instant I heard this via the short-lived initial YouTube leak, I knew there was no other place for this track to land come end of the year list time - I was hooked from the get-go. As if we didn't already consider Cee-Lo as one of this era's master pop creators ("Crazy" alone guaranteed his place in history), he one ups himself and creates a tune for the ages. No matter how easily offended one may be by vulgarity, I challenge anyone to not be nodding a head, tapping a toe, or even singing along by the time this track reaches an end. The instrumentation is pure 1960s pop and just about as joyous as it could get, but it really is his charming delivery that pushes this song from one-off novelty to timeless classic. Ten years from now, this will be rivaling "Hey Ya" for a prominent spot on wedding reception playlists. And I'll be out there dancing every single time. Even if it is the "forget you" version.

1 comment:

Reed said...

That's some list, Jon. The ones I know I really dig. Looking forward to checking out the others!