Almost half way there. Here's from #60 to #51 in my list of important songs of the decade!
To view part 1, click here. To view part 2, click here. To view part 3, click here. To view part 4, click here.
#60. "Standing in the Way of Control" - The Gossip Released: 24/1/06 Album: Standing in the Way of Control Accolades: #23 in NME's 50 Indie Anthems Ever, Chart Positions: UK - #7, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #25 "Standing in the Way of Control" was THE indie anthem in the middle of the decade. It got released three times, initially as a remixed version in 2005 (that's the above cover, I can't find the non-remix single cover), then in '06 it got its first release, which was a decent hit. But then the song grew and grew that summer, and The Gossip were one of the biggest acts around at the time. It got re-released in 2007 and climbed into the Top 10. Not bad for a song that got released a year after its initial penetration of the charts. The indie anthem, along with Beth Ditto's striking image, are very strong memories of the decade, it's a shame that The Gossip have since become a bit of a one trick pony and have never come close to topping this track. Regardless, this song is still played in moderation now, and is a big track from the decade.
#59. "That's Not My Name" - The Ting Tings Released: 9/5/08 Album: We Started Nothing Appearances: BBC Radio 1 (cinema advertisement), Mobitel (mobile advertisement), Post Grad (movie trailer), 90210 (TV series), Brothers and Sisters (TV series), Taking the City (TV Series), The City (TV series), Fired Up (movie) Chart Positions: UK - #1, US - #39 (#4 in Hot Dance Club Songs), Best Elsewhere - Czech Republic - #7 Wow this song was a big hit. It was a much bigger hit across Europe, and even America, than I realised. The Ting Ting are one of those poppy indie bands that just appeal. They're not the most talented of groups (granted, they make a decent racket for a duo, but still) yet as the charts'll tell ya, you don't have to be. You just need a sound, something that sticks in people's heads, and then there you go, you have a hit. "That's Not My Name" was a really big hit in 2008, but something tells me that this isn't a song that you will hear all the time as a classic in the future, but regardless, it had an impact, it was popular, it got to #1 here in the UK and deserves a decent mention in this list.
#58. "Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz Released: 5/3/01 Album: Gorillaz Appearances: Daria (TV series), Smallville (TV series), The Andy Milonakis Show (TV series), Angel (TV series), Dark Angel (TV series), Walker Texas Ranger (TV series), Fair Game (movie) Chart Positions: UK - #4, US - #57 (#3 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Italy, Norway and Spain - #1 Wow this song has virtually no accolades worthy to mention at all. I'm surprised. Another thing is that it got to #1 in three European countries, but not in the UK itself. That being said it goes without saying why this song is featured in the list. Gorillaz are arguably more popular and more important than Blur ever was. The mix of the original Brit pop sound, merged with hip hop and electronic genred music gives this band the opportunity to reach out to many different people with many different music tastes. "Clint Eastwood", although in my opinion isn't their best song, it had a huge impact upon release and it's still fondly thought of now. And the music video is fantastic too.
#57. "Butterfly" - Crazy Town Released: 13/11/00 Album: The Gift of Game Appearances: Orange County (movie), Somethings Gotta Give (movie), Herbie Fully Loaded (movie trailer), Saving Silverman (movie), Intel (computer advertisement) Chart Positions: UK - #3, US - #1 (#1 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Denmark, Germany, Norway and Switzerland - #1 Yay! A song on the listing that actually got to #1 in the official American charts! It got to #1 in many places as you can see, but not the UK. But this was a huge hit at the time, and it was quite catchy too, I can't deny I like the song (although the video is a bit greasy...). With its Red Hot Chili Peppers sample (the song being "Pretty Little Ditty"), the rapping, the catchy chorus, it was just destined to be a hit. Unfortunately for them, as you have noticed, they haven't had a big hit since then, although they are still going now. The song was just popular amongst a lot of different fans as it has a good rap/rock/funk/pop merge going on. It was definitely one of the highlight tracks of the decade.
#56. "Teenage Dirtbag" - Wheatus Released: 17/7/00 Album: Wheatus Accolades: Nominated for UK Record of the Year in 2001 Appearances: Loser (movie), Generation Kill (TV series) Chart Positions: UK - #2, US - #7 (in US Modern Rock Tracks Chart), Best Elsewhere - Australia and Austria - #1 This song is so well thought of that last month it re-entered the UK charts and got to #35 due to promotion from iTunes. It's one of thos great teenage pop punk songs that's about "perfect" romance, and it stands out so well in the decade as such. It's funny, the song was appeared on the movie "Loser" yet because Jason Briggs and Mena Suvari (who is also fricking hot) were both in the American Pie films, people associate the song with that series. Yet it was the much less successful "Loser" that it was the feature track for. But it's another credit to the song, the song is too good for a less successful film, it should have been in the American Pie film, the bigger, better, more successful film. It's a great poppy punk song, one that will live long in the memory of teenagers like myself who grew up listening to it in the year 2000.
#55. "For Lovers" - Wolfman feat. Pete Doherty Released: 12/4/04 Album: None Accolades: Nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriting Chart Positions: UK - #7 For a song by an artist who has barely registered on a national scale (Peter Wolfe) this song was surprisingly popular and even more successful. Having Pete Doherty's name on your single does help mind. But this song got to #7 and was nominated for an extremely prestigious songwriting award. But why is it on this list? And why so high? Simply, because since the track has come out, it still gets a respectful amount of airplay. This song is just a beautiful track, very nice and soothing, it's a song that is radio friendly and many DJs like playing it. It's a good song, a very good song, and I think come 10 years time, it'll still be played, it's just a shame Wolfman won't ever top the song, popularity wise.
#54. "Paper Planes" - MIA Released: 11/2/08 Album: Kala Appearances: Pinapple Express (movie), Slumdog Millionaire (movie), Capitalism: A Love Story (movie trailer) Accolades: Nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards, #17 in Triple J's Hottest of 2007, #6 in Village Voice's Top 40 Singles of 2007, #1 in Village Voice's Top 40 Singles of 2008, #3 in Entertainment Weekly's 10 Best Singles of 2008, #2 in Blender's Top 144 Songs of 2008, #1 in Rolling Stone Brasil's Best Songs of 2008, Entertainment Weekly's Best of the Decade List, #5 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of the Decade, #236 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Listings: Top 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade Chart Positions: UK - #19, US - #4 (#1 in Hot Dance Singles), Best Elsewhere - Canada - #7 It may appear confusing with the fact that this song appeared in "Best of" lists for both 2007 and 2008, with the single being released in the latter year. The album "Kala" was released in 2007 so that's the only explanation I can give really. Anyway this song was a huge hit, it was well received univerally for its fantastic use in both "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Pinapple Express" before it. It's another one of those "probably won't be topped" songs by MIA, she's a unique case, mixing rap, RnB, dance, alternative and world music very well. It's a nice blend, and the lyrics are great too where she talks about the perception of immigrants in this country, her streetwise attitude and going to America, although they have been sometimes misinterpreted as pro-terrorism which is silly. It's just a good sounding alternative hip hop track, and the gun sounds mid-chorus work fantastically in to the music. It's one of those songs that I reckon will continue to get a lot of airplay in the next few years. With Slumdog Millionaire being one of the biggest films of the decade, and this song being a very big track in the movie, this further affirms my prediction that this song won't go away, and is a very important moment in music in the decade.
#53. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley Released: 23/3/06 Album: St. Elsewhere Appearances: NBA Live 07 (video game), Kick-Ass (movie) Accolades: Winner of Best Urban/Alternative Performance Award at the Grammys, Nominated for UK Record of the Year, Winner of the Best Song Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards, Best Song of 2006 by Rolling Stone, Best Song of 2006 by Village Voice, #11 in Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the 2000s, #45 in Acclaimed Music's Best Songs Ever, #100 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, #1 in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Songs of the Decade Listings: Top 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade Chart Positions: UK - #1, US - #2 (#1 in the Adult Top 40 Chart), Best Elsewhere - Austria, Canada, Europe, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland - #1 Wow this song got to #1 in a lot of different countries. So far down this list it's got the most #1s worldwide which on its own gives you an indication why this song deserves a place on this list. This song was huge. There's that bridge between hip hop and alternative music that people just love. When people mix rap and the alternative genres magic happens, there's a lot of songs in this listing that fall in that category. "Crazy" was #1 in this country for 9 whole weeks. "Crazy" was in the UK Top 40 for months. The only reason why it didn't last longer is because Gnarls Barkley and their record company agreed to remove it themselves so people would remember the song fondly and not get sick of it". Kudos to them, they want to make their own legacy, although their first single "Run" from their second album flopped (although I think I personally like it more than this but hey ho). Let's hope Gnarls Barkley stay around long term as they're a more than credible act and gave us this fantastic hit, a song that won't be forgotten easily.
#52. "Brianstorm" - Arctic Monkeys Released: 2/4/07 Album: Favourite Worst Nightmare Appearances: 07-08 Writers Guild (strike theme), Guitar Hero 5 (video game) Accolades: #62 in MTV Asia's Top 100 Hits of 2007 Chart Positions: UK - #2, US - #114, Best Elsewhere - Canada - #1 Sorry to say it, but man, that single cover sucks. But anyway, this song on the overhand, doesn't. I love this track, the riff is fantastic, and kudos to Matt Helder for those absolutely kickass drums. This song is apparently sold more than any other Arctic Monkeys single... worldwide. Obviously that's not the case in the UK on its own but it's a nice interesting fact I thought you'd like to know. "Brianstorm" was the first single off their second album, which like the song itself, was a critical success yet its still considered inferior to the debut album. But, it's a great song, it was very well received and it still gets a good amount of airplay today.
#51. "Dance Wiv Me" - Dizzee Rascal Released: 30/6/08 Album: Tongue n' Cheek Appearances: Entourage (TV series) Chart Positions: UK - #1, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #5 Dizzee Rascal's first #1 hit is probably his biggest so far, although as I've said many times before the guy is very young and the sky is the limit in terms of how successful he can be long term. Featuring R&B artist Calvin Harris, this was a song that both the mainstream and alternative audiences felt comfortable with. It was a nice balance of alternative, hip hop, grime and R&B. The song was very catchy, and although the lyrics aren't as good as some of his other tracks, it was very easy to hear the lyrics in his raps, and the song was further cemented in the century when he did an acoustic version at Glastonbury 2008. It's just got a mix of everything music wise, it's hard to ignore this song.
To view part 6, click here. To view part 7, click here. To view part 8, click here. To view part 9, click here. To view part 10, click here. To view the winner, click here. To view my methods and explanations, click here. To view a full archived stats index of the songs listed, click here.
Let's continue this daily listing, from #70 to #61!
To view part 1, click here. To view part 2, click here. To view part 3, click here.
#70. "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" - Jet Released: 25/8/03 Album: Get Born Accolades: APRA's Most Performed Australian Work Overseas Award Listings: Top 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade Chart Positions: UK - #16, US - #29 (#3 in Alternative Songs), Best Elsewhere - Australia - #20 What happened to Jet recently? Doing a little research brings me to the conclusion that they're striving as a band in Australia but overseas, they haven't really been relevant since their first album. Which of course, this was the debut single from. This song was a sleeper hit here, where as it strived in America. Jet re-released the song and it then climbed the charts better on its rerun. But you can't deny the catchiness of the track. You can't deny the Motown beat resurrected into an indie track, wasn't a successful merge. This song was fucking awesome when it was released. It's still played sometimes now, especially in clubs as it's just a proper toe-tapper. Jet really paid homage to 60s and 70s rock 'n' roll with this track and it was brilliant. It was a good highlight in the decade.
#69. "Cochise" - Audioslave Released: 14/10/02 Album: Audioslave Appearances: Guitar Hero (video game), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (movie), The Simpsons (TV series), Super Bowl XLII (American football game montage), Iron Man (movie trailer) Chart Positions: UK - #29, US - #69 (#2 in Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart) In terms of successful supergroups of the Naughties, two bands really stand out, the first was Velvet Revolver, but Audioslave were incrimentally more successful. They were a better supergroup as well, in my opinion. "Cochise" was their debut track, and it was their biggest hit in the UK (although they had better success with other singles in the US). "Cochise" had the great innovative riff by Tom Morello, and combined with Chris Cornell's easily recognisable vocals, we had a hit on our hands. This was another hard rock great from the decade, and on a personal note, it's a great song to play on the original Guitar Hero!
#68. "Feeling This" - Blink-182 Released: 2/10/03 Album: Blink-182 Appearances: Madden NFL 2004 (video game) Chart Positions: UK - #15, US - #102 (#2 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Australia - #20 Wow, a song about sex getting high up in the charts? Who would have thought! Of course I'm being sarcastic but you can't deny that this song was catchy, and it was a successful transition for the band, who had clocked that there was a transition in music preferences (from the poppy punk songs of the early decade, to the alternative emo sound that was rising around this time) and changed their style slightly. The change was a success, as this charted very well. "I Miss You" charted higher mind, but this song has had more airplay since of the two tracks. "Feeling This" was a soft punk track that appealed to both old and new Blink audiences, and that's why it appears at #68.
#67. "Sugar, We're Going Down" - Fall Out Boy Released: 26/8/05 Album: From Under the Cork Tree Accolades: #4 in Blender's "The Top 100 Songs of 2005", #3 in About.com's "Top 100 Pop Songs of 2005 Appearances: Lips (video game), Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol (video game), Band Hero (video game) Chart Positions: UK - #8, US - #8 (#1 in Hot Digital Tracks Chart), Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #33 "Sugar, We're Goin Down", like many songs in this list, is important because it was the song that raised the profile of Fall Out Boy, for better or worse. With its poppy emo sound, many teenagers loved listening to this track and the video was inventive enough to get it good airplay. The song went up and down the American charts for many weeks, but the constant promotion and the online community raised the song and the bands status to new heights, heights that would stay at a similar level for many a year with "Dance, Dance" and "This 'aint a Scene..." and the horrifically titled "Thnks fr th Mmrs". Fall Out Boy were here to stay.
#66. "Foundations" - Kate Nash Released: 18/6/07 Album: Made of Bricks Accolades: #17 in Slant Magazine's Top 25 Singles to be Released in the US, Chart Positions: UK - #2, US - #16 (in the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Charts), Best Elsewhere - Canada - #7 Kate Nash's 2007 hit "Foundations" hasn't actually been topped by the Lily Allen-esque indie pop chapess. It was a surprisingly big hit in a lot of countries, more so critically than commercially, everyone loved this song when it came out. I have no idea what's happened to Nash since, she has gone off the rader. But there was no denying that this song was popular upon its release. It's light hearted and easy to relate to lyrics to romance and breaking up was definitely a factor that many people considered. It's not my cup of tea, but this listing isn't bout my cup of tea, it's about what I perceive to be the big and important songs of the decade.
#65. "King and Queens" - 30 Seconds to Mars Released: 13/10/09 Album: This is War Accolades: #7 on AOL's Top Alternative Songs of 2009, #1 in Virgin Radio Italia's Top Songs of 2009, Rock Sound's Top in Rock Award, Best Single of 2009 according to Rock Sound, #30 in Alternative Addiction's Top 50 Songs of 2009, Chart Positions: UK - #28, US - #82 (#1 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Portugal - #9 After a four year break, 30 Seconds to Mars returned stronger than ever in 2009 with their hit album "This is War" and the even bigger hit single "Kings and Queens". The songs almost stadium rock approach, howling and inventive video gave it critical and commercial acclaim worldwide. It got very high in the charts in many countries, as you can see Portugal and Italy love it, but also New Zealand, Belgium, Austria, Holland, Germany and Norway found the song entering their Top 40's. If Jared Leto was under any illusions his aspirations for being a singer and an actor was failing, then looking at the success this song had should change his mind. The video got many awards too, but I'm not going through those as it's the songs I'm reviewing here. But yeah, the video is worth checking out below if you haven't before.
#64. "We Are All Made of Stars" - Moby Released: 29/4/02 Album: 18 Chart Positions: UK - #11, US - #13 (in the Hot Dance Club Play Charts), Best Elsewhere - Italy - #4 It's funny, this song hasn't won any major accolades, or been featured in anything worthwhile. It also wasn't that big a hit in the states. Yet this song is one of those songs that you tend to forget about, and then like a lightbulb, you remember it and feel ashamed to have forgotten about it in the first place! It's arguably Moby's finest moment, the lyrics, the video (which did win some awards), and just the general feeling about it was all good. Critics and European sales were fantastic, I still can't believe this got to #4 in Italy! It's good though, it's frustrating that it's not recognised more often, but when people play it they have that "who sung this again" moment. Good stuff.
#63. "Gay Bar" - Electric Six Released: 2/6/03 Album: Fire Appearances: Rock Band (video game) Listings: Best Videos Chart Positions: UK - #5 Gay Bar is one of those songs that will be played for a long time as it's just too simple, too silly to forget. The good thing about modern day life is the fact that we are open to homosexuality and that we frown on homophobes. So this song being played today, so openly is fantastic. And it's just taking the piss from start to finish. It's a catchy track, with a hilarious (yet slightly hard to watch video) that just plays on homosexuality. Kudos have to go to the appropriately named (at least for this song) lead singer Dick Valentine for the fact that he's more than open to doing this silly stuff for our entertainment.
#62. "Fat Lip" - Sum 41 Released: 3/7/01 Album: All Killer No Filler Appearances: NHL 2002 (video game), American Pie 2 (movie), Guitar Hero (video game), GuitarFreaks V4 (video game), DrumMania V4 (video game), Guitar Hero 5 (video game), Smallville (TV series), Chart Positions: UK - #8, US - #66 (#1 in the Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Austria - #21 Fat Lip has always been Sum 41's most popular song. It's also arguably their best. They mix a good level of modern punk with modern rap to make a song that sounds really cool. It's also got lyrics that really appeal to a general teenage audience, just about hanging out, having fun, getting drunk and maybe causing a bit of trouble. The video is very lively as well, it's a very popular video. My favourite part definitely has to be the "Pain for Pleasure" segment featuring fake metal band Satan's Sluts (a mock of Iron Maiden), it's really good stuff.
#61. "Time to Pretend" - MGMT Released: 3/3/08 Album: Oracular Spectacular Accolades: #8 in Time's Songs of 2008, #3 in Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of 2008, #4 in NME's Best Singles of 2008, #18 in Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2008, #3 in Bringgoodstuffbout's Best Songs of the 2000s, #12 in Rolling Stone's Best Songs of the 2000s, #493 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, #2 in NME's Best Songs of the 2000s Appearances: Pacquiao-Hatton 24/7 (boxing programme), Gossip Girl (TV series), Skins (TV series), 90210 (TV series), Sex Drive (movie), How to Lose Friends and Alienative People (movie), 21 (movie), Eagle Eye (movie), Alice in Wonderland (movie trailer), Warrior (movie), Exitosos Pells (TV series), Total Football (radio show theme), Ferrero SpA (chocolate advertisement), Shaun White Snowboarding (video game), NHL 2K10 (video game), LittleBigPlanet (video game), Champions League (live football coverage) Chart Positions: UK - #35, US - #109 (#23 in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks Chart), Best Elsewhere - Latvia - #17 Wow it's been a long time since we've had a song produce so many accolades and appearances on this listing. Just in case you didn't know I made this listing before I saw any accolades or appearances on the songs, they're there to justify why they appear on this list. But man, totals like the above do make me contemplate jigging the listing around. But sometimes I wonder why, I mean "Time to Pretend" is a decent track, I like it, and it has a unique sound to it, like many MGMT songs, but I just sometimes think... will this song be remembered in 10 years time? That's what drives this list. The songs at the top are songs I'm convinced will be. But this song might, it's unique electronic sounds are memorable, and it's used on TV very very often. It's definitely a possibility, and I think with that being said, it's going to stay at #62 for the time being. Agree or disagree? Let me know!
To view part 5, click here. To view part 6, click here. To view part 7, click here. To view part 8, click here. To view part 9, click here. To view part 10, click here. To view the winner, click here. To view my methods and explanations, click here. To view a full archived stats index of the songs listed, click here.
We continue our countdown of the most important music singles of the Naughties from #80 to #71!
To view part 1, click here. To view part 2, click here.
#80. "Everyday I Love You Less and Less" - Kaiser Chiefs Released: 16/5/05 Album: Employment Appearances: Run, Fatboy, Run (movie) Chart Positions: UK - #8, Best Elsewhere - Netherlands - #52 I always find it difficult when a song was very popular, very well received in the UK in this listing. Just in case you didn't know, I'm British. This is a biased listing with respect to the fact that all the research and sorting out I've done to make this listing the way it is, is done with a British hat on. Yes some artists were more popular in America than in the UK, some artists have done jack in the States. It does count to a certain degree how well they do across the pond, but it all stems from the fact that if they didn't succeed in these great British isles, they 'aint getting in the list. Sorry for rambling, but this song is one of those songs. The Kaiser Chiefs at this moment were nothing in America (in fact, "Ruby" aside, they aren't anything in America even now) but this song solidified them as a fun and quirky little band from Leeds who were living the British dream of mainstream popularity. Personally? I liked the Kaisers when they first started, and this was a good little ditty, and many people agree.
#79. "Duality" - Slipknot Released: 4/5/04 Album: Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) Appearances: Madden NFL 10 (video game), Rock Band (video game), nail'd (video game trailer), Chart Positions: UK - #15, US - #106 (#5 in Mainstream Rock Tracks), Best Elsewhere - Germany - #28 What do you know, this song was released on my birthday! Anyway, "Duality", yes, you've heard it many times in the blog with many artists, but it was the song that got Slipknot mainstream success. You've heard it many times and you'll continue to hear it because it's a very strong connection for rock artists, and most certainly metal artists. If you can get people who don't like heavy music to like your song(s) then you've done a good job. Going mainstream is different from having a song that was successful in the mainstream charts. Slipknot aren't mainstream. They're far from it I'd say. But "Duality" got people rocking. It was really successful. It was a great metal track, it was definitely one of the bigger metal anthems of the decade.
#78. "Bohemian Like You" - Dandy Warhols Released: 31/10/00 Album: Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia Appearances: Summer Catch (movie soundtrack), Igby Goes Down (movie), Fool Proof (movie soundtrack), Flushed Away (movie), Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale (TV series soundtrack), The Replacements (movie), Clockstoppers (movie), Little Nicky (movie), Man of the Year (movie), Numb3rs (TV series), 6-0-6 (radio show), Chuck (TV series), Le Mans 24 Hours (video game), Delirious (movie), Dancing with the Stars (TV series), Vodafone (mobile phone advertisement), Burton Albion FC (football team intro music), Ford Focus (car advertisement), Ford Mustang (car advertisement), Holden Astra (car advertisement), Citroen C4 Picasso (car advertisement), Next (clothing advertisement) Chart Positions: UK - #5, US - #105 (#28 in Mainstream Rock Tracks), Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #17 The one thing I've found had whilst writing this listing is comparing songs from the year 2000 to songs from the year 2009. People have heard this song for up to 11 years, where as a song from 2009 has been heard for 2 of those 11 years. But what you're seeing is my attempt at doing that. Yes this song was incredibly popular, on it's release it got very very popular because of Vodafone using the song on its adverts. On it's original release it didn't get very high in the charts though. But as you can see, this song has been used in so many different advertisements and movies. It's just a great track, one that people love singing as the words are easy to hear and sing. It's just a song so memorable and classy it deserves its place in this list.
#77. "Dry Your Eyes" - The Streets Released: 31/5/04 Album: A Grand Don't Come For Free Accolades: #19 in Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004 Chart Positions: UK - #1, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #1 Another thing that is difficult to list, songs that got to #1. "Dry Your Eyes" is the first song on the list that got the #1 spot in the UK, but that doesn't mean it deserves to be higher in this list, at least I don't think so (if you do, comment and tell me why). Some songs get to #1 then disappear into the decade. This song didn't quite do that, but it wasn't as prominent afterwards, this isn't a song that pops into my head when I think of the most important tracks of the decade. But getting to #1 is a merit that is well respected, and it's something all artists who work in the alternative music (although Mike Skinner's project is garage rap, he does have a strong indie following) worlds would love to do. So kudos to The Streets, they did something probably every artist on this list strive to achieve. Only a few do it.
#76. "Monster" - The Automatic Released: 5/6/06 Album: Not Accepted Anywhere Appearances: Lego Rock Band (video game), Kinect Sports (video game), FIFA 08 (video game), Igor (movie), Slither (movie), Torchwood (TV series), Doctor Who (TV series), Primeval (TV series), Hollyoaks (TV series), Le Grand Journal (TV series), Tittybangbang (TV series), Bones (TV series), Serious Ocean (TV series) Chart Positions: UK - #4, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #37 You could call The Automatic a one hit wonder, but their career is quite young and they haven't quite disappeared, they've just took a step backwards in their career. Love it or hate it "Monster" was a big hit upon its release. It was everywhere, on the radio, on music channels, on loads of different TV shows. It's even been used in Hollywood films, although the Welsh band haven't even come close to cracking America. It's just a simple catchy soft rock tune that appeals to all ages and has a light hearted comedy music video. I personally liked the track when it came out but I can easily see why some people dislike it. Regardless, I think it deserves a place in this listing and you'll find it at #76.
#75. "The Shock of the Lightning" - Oasis Released: 22/9/08 Album: Dig Out Your Soul Accolades: #96 in NME's 100 Tracks of the Naughties Appearances: K-20: Legend of the Mask (movie), Jaguar (car advertisement), Honda (car advertisement), Top Gear (TV series), Soccer AM (TV series) Chart Positions: UK - #3, US - #93 (#12 in Alternative Songs chart) Best Elsewhere - Sweden - #5 I'm quite secretive about the listing you are currently seeing, and what songs will appear later on in it. But I'll tell you one thing: this is the only Oasis song to make the Top 100. *gasps from Oasis fans* Let's get something clear here. I like Oasis, as a band they are were great. The key word in that previous sentence is were. Oasis in the nineties, well, they produced hit after hit, they had two MEGA albums. If (or likely, when) I cover the nineties, you'll see them a lot more. But in the Naughties, they were flat. What annoys me about Oasis is that they use their presence and commercial success to big up their new releases, they then release their singles and get success, then they disappear again. This happened throughout the last decade. Their songs didn't stand out that much. In fact, if 2008 was a better year for music you wouldn't see ANY Oasis songs in this decade listing. "The Shock of the Lightning" was probably their last great single, but their singles were few and far between in quality and memorability in the decade. I'm saying this as a critical journalist, not as a biased music fan. I like Oasis, and a lot of their songs in the decade personally. But for popularity, they get little from me. I'm jus' sayin'.
#74. "Danger! High Voltage" - Electric Six Released: 6/1/03 Album: Fire Accolades: NME's Single of the Week, #234 in Pitchfork Media's Best Songs of the 2000's, The Pitchfork 500 Appearances: Charlie's Angles: Full Throttle (movie), White Collar (TV series), Diary of a Wimpy Kid (movie), Balls of Steel (TV series), The Simpsons (TV series), Malcom in the Middle (TV series) Chart Positions: UK - #2, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #15 Danger! Danger! High Voltage! When we touch! When we kiss! This song was brilliant when it came out. It's one of those songs where you just think... "what the hell was that?" But it was fucking successful. It makes me laugh that this song is so well received in the UK yet only a few eccentric and intelligent groups of people in America like it. It makes our country look good when we accept American imports like Electric Six in to our music charts to create havok amongst the pop machine. And "Danger! High Voltage" did just that. I never knew the song got to #2 until I rereviewed it, but I'm pretty damn happy it did. It's a hilarious yet peculiar effort by the estranged band. Awesome stuff.
#73. "Break Stuff" - Limp Bizkit Released: 18/4/00 Album: Significant Other Appearances: UFC (theme song for fighter Tito Ortiz) Chart Positions: US - #123 (#14 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Australia - #41 This song didn't chart in the UK and it doesn't have many accolades or appearances. Yet it's probably considered as the song that elevated Limp Bizkit's career. This song, it's famous video, the many cameos by already established artists such as Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jonathan Davis of KoRn amongst many others, and most importantly, the controversy at Woodstock '99 that is attached with this song, gave Limp Bizkit ground to start on when it came to their next album (Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water). It's also their most popular song amongst the more hardcore Limp Bizkit songs. It's a great "nu-metal" track, and it's very catchy, although the lyrics are shit and immature (then again Fred Durst wasn't really renowned for his great lyrics). It's a good track, a very important one in the start of the decade.
#72. "Tribute" - Tenacious D Released: 16/7/02 Album: Tenacious D Accolades: Most Requested Song on Kerrang! TV in 2002 Appearances: Rock Band (video game) Listings: Best Videos Chart Positions: US - Never Charted, Best Elsewhere - Australia - #4 This song actually wasn't released in this country and it never charted in the US. Yet... despite that... it's incredibly important. I'm amazed while I'm writing this that this song never got released in this country. You would have thought, with the success on Kerrang! TV, Jack Black and Kyle Gass would have at least took a punt on releasing the single here. Hey ho. The video is what makes this song. The video is hilarious. It's featured in my best videos listing and it would amongst a lot of peoples. But the song is great too. The lyrics are fantastic. The song and the video together just make greatness. I'm sure Jack Black, already a successful actor, wanted to prove himself as a lead singer without being ripped, and with his own little duo with Kyle Gass, this song was perfect. It's a rock song yes, but it's just so funny. It's a classic to be honest, this song won't go away any time soon.
#71. "Bonkers" - Dizzee Rascal Released: 18/5/09 Album: Tongue n' Cheek Appearances: Need for Speed: Nitro (video game), DJ Hero 2 (video game) Listings: Top 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade Chart Positions: UK - #1, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #3 This was Dizzee Rascal's second #1 hit and the alternative grime rapper really found a style that got critical and commercial success at this point. He has since had two more #1 hits, although they were more pop orientated hits. Dizzee Rascal is having a fantastic time recently, as I said in my "Best New Artists" listing Dizzee is very young yet he's been around for a good part of this decade, and he's going nowhere. He's got a lot of respect from his peers in rap and in rock, he's got a lot of fans. He's a good guy actually as well, he comes across like a top bloke in interviews. The bass in "Bonkers" is what makes me love this track personally, it's just so heavy and so loud, it sounds great. The lyrics are good too, he explains that he's rather live free than pay for thrills, and that living this way makes him... "bonkers". Good stuff innit!
To view part 4, click here. To view part 5, click here. To view part 6, click here. To view part 7, click here. To view part 8, click here. To view part 9, click here. To view part 10, click here. To view the winner, click here. To view my methods and explanations, click here. To view a full archived stats index of the songs listed, click here.
