Johnny Mercyside

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Monday, April 04, 2011

Noughtie: The 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade (Part 3)

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.

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