My Top 100 Favourite Music Videos: #65

#65: "Clint Eastwood" - Gorillaz
Release Date: 2001
Director: Jamie Hewlett
Fun Fact: There's lots of tributes to film and games in this video... see below for more details!

What a video. I fondly remember this video coming out and blowing everyone away, just because of how cool it was. Damon Albarn had left Blur and created this cartoon band out of nowhere, creating a lot of intrigue. Then this comes out and it's just amazing.

There's lots of tributes and homages to different things in this video, some you may have picked up on, others you may not have:

• The obvious is the reference to the legendary actor and director, Clint Eastwood.
• The "howling" at the beginning of the song is a reference to the howling in the beginning of his film, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly".
• The Japanese text at the start is the same text at the beginning of the film "Dawn of the Dead".
• The main singer 2-D is wearing what looks like a T-Virus shirt, which is a reference to the Resident Evil games.
• The guitarist Murdoc gets grabbed at the crotch at one point - this is homage to the film Braindead when the scene happens in that film as well.
• Another obvious one is the zombie apes dancing in the same style as Michael Jackson in "Thriller".

It's just an amazing video, and if you didn't pick up all of those references re-watch the video again to spot them!

Here's the video for your enjoyment!

Click here to see #64 on the list or here for #66!

Mixtape: Best of UK #1s 1982 - 2012

Yesterday I posted my favourite UK #1 hits between the years 1952 and 1981. Why? Because the UK #1 is now sixty years old. We've had sixty years of popular music, and the charting of the popularity of it. So I decided I wanted to celebrate the past sixty years of music by revealing my favourite #1 hits. Because sixty years is such a long time I've made two lists, and this is the second one.

This Mixtape celebrates my favourite #1 hits from 1982 to 2012. This list of songs isn't as good as the list I put up yesterday, in my opinion anyway, because my favourite songs from the past 30 years hardly chart, nevermind get to #1. But there are some great tracks here, I'm sure you'll appreciate.

Don't know much about Mixtapes? Here are the rules. 

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong! 

So here we go! Here's a list of my favourite #1 hits from 1982 to 2012, with the date it got to the #1 spot! Enjoy!

This Mixtape is now available to listen to fully on YouTube so subscribe to me if you want to listen to it properly. Enjoy!

1. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (04/09/1982)
2. Let's Dance - David Bowie (09/04/1983)
3. Stand By Me - Ben E. King (21/02/1987)
4. Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant (12/06/1982)
5. Should I Stay or Should I Go? - The Clash (03/03/1991)
6. House of Fun - Madness (29/05/1982)
7. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (15/12/1991)
8. Dancing in the Street - Mick Jagger and David Bowie (07/09/1985)
9. Your Woman - White Town (19/01/1997)
10. Country House - Blur (20/08/1995)
11. Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Mix) - Cornershop (22/02/1998)
12. Don't Speak - No Doubt (16/02/1997)
13. The Importance of Being Idle - Oasis (28/08/2005)
14. When the Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys (22/01/2006)
15. Paradise - Coldplay (01/01/2012)
16. Deeper Underground - Jamiroquai (19/07/1998)
17. Dare - Gorillaz (04/09/2005)
18. Pretty Fly (For a White Guy) - The Offspring (24/01/1999)
19. Rollin' - Limp Bizkit (21/01/2001)
20. Killing in the Name - Rage Against the Machine (20/12/2009)

Don't like some of these? Give these five a try...

1. The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve (07/09/1997)
2. Stay - Shakespears Sister (16/02/1992)
3. Bring Me to Life - Evanescence (08/06/2003)
4. Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs (25/02/2007)
5. Vertigo - U2 (14/11/2004)

So that's it! I hope you enjoyed both of these playlists, or Mixtapes as I call them. Sure, I complain about the lack of quality songs getting up the charts nowadays, but that's obviously my opinion, an unpopular one based on the fact that in the end, it's a popularity contest for musicians. But we have had some great songs get up to the top, and I used to really love listening to the chart show when I was younger, so this was a trip down memory lane in a certain way. I hope it was for you too.

This will be my last piece of work before Christmas. As you have probably noticed, I don't write much at the moment. I would like to see if I can address that properly in the New Year, but we'll see. Either way, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, and a Happy New Year. Take care!

If you liked this article you might want to read:

• Best of Teenage Angst II - Mixtape
• The Diamond Jubilee - Mixtape
• Metal is Dead - Article

For the latest updates on my work, follow me on Facebook and Twitter here!

Mixtape: Best of B-Sides

Hey there. Here's another one of my Mixtapes. This one celebrates the art of the B-Side. The B-Side is an underrated tool in music. Always initially considered inferior to its A-Side, it has to hope that some people like the A-Side enough for it to be listened, and then hope that its greatness some how outshines the song it's actually supporting. It's a bit like a support act for a gig really. There have been some fantastic B-Sides in music and I'm here to celebrate my favourites. I have a few from all sorts of different eras here so there's a decent selection. Not familiar with my Mixtapes? Here are the rules.

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong!

Before I get into the Mixtape, I have to set some caps. First and foremost, the B-Sides in this list were not released as singles, not before, not afterwards. They are not to appear on an album before or after either, unless it was a bonus track or on a bonus CD, or released on the album as part of a re-issue at a later date. EPs don't count either, but it can however, appear on an album full of B-sides, rarities, a mixture with live tracks and compilations. It can also appear on soundtracks. Another rule, is that Double A-Sides don't count. I know there's a stringent criteria here but it gets messy easily if you let lose all these criterias.

Anyway, let's get to it! My favourite B-Sides!

1. I Am the Walrus - The Beatles (A-Side: Hello, Goodbye) [Also appears on: Magical Mystery Tour (Soundtrack)]
2. Everyday - Buddy Holly (A-Side: Peggy Sue)
3. There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards - Ian Dury and the Blockheads (A-Side: Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick) [Also appears on: Do It Yourself (Re-issued Album)]
4. I Heard it Through the Grapevine - The Slits (A-Side: Typical Girls)
5. Did You No Wrong - Sex Pistols (A-Side: God Save the Queen)
6. Turn Around - Devo (A-Side: Whip It)
7. Rosegarden Funeral of Sores - Bauhaus (A-Side: Telegram Sam) [Also appears on: In the Flat Field (Re-issue)]
8. Dead Beat Descendant - The Fall (A-Side: Cab It Up!) [Also appears on: Seminal Live (Live Album)]
9. Espionage - Green Day (A-Side: Hitchin' a Ride) [Also appears on: Shenanigans (B-sides Album)]
10. Van Tango - Franz Ferdinand (A-Side: Darts of Pleasure) [Also appears on: Franz Ferdinand (Limited Edition Bonus Disk)]
11. Map of Your Head - Muse (A-Side: New Born) [Also appears on: Hullabaloo (B-sides Album)]
12. 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix) - Gorillaz (A-Side: 19-2000) [Also appears on: G-Sides (B-sides Album)]
13. Sex Never Goes Out of Fashion - Garbage (A-Side: Shut Your Mouth)
14. Aneurysm - Nirvana (A-Side: Smells Like Teen Spirit) [Also appears on: Incesticide (Rarities Album)]
15. Rock Star (Jason Nevins Mix) - N.E.R.D. (A-Side: Rock Star) [Also appears on: SSX3 (video game soundtrack)]
16. Jolene - The White Stripes (A-Side: Hello Operator) [Not to be confused with the live recording that was released as a single many years later]
17. Professionalism - The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster (A-Side: Mister Mental)
18. I Love to Say Fuck - The Murderdolls (A-Side: White Wedding) [Also appears on: Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls (Re-issue)]
19. Memorabilia - Nine Inch Nails (A-Side: Closer) [Also appears on: The Downward Spiral (Re-issue Bonus Disk)]
20. Johnny - System of a Down (A-Side: Chop Suey!) [Also appears on: Toxicity (Special Edition Bonus Disk)]
21. Astonishing Panorama of the Endtimes - Marilyn Manson (A-Side: Disposable Teens) [Also appears on: The Last Tour on Earth (Live Album)]

Want some alternatives? Here you go!

1. Dead Souls - Joy Division (A-Side: Atmosphere)
2. Paperbag Writer - Radiohead (A-Side: There There)
3. Guacamole - Super Furry Animals (A-Side: If You Don't Want Me to Destroy You) [Also appears on: Out Spaced (B-Sides Album)
4. Beat My Guest - Adam and the Ants (A-Side: Stand and Deliver) [Also appears on: Antics in the Forbidden Zone (Rarities Album)]
5. Rock and Roll Part 2 - Gary Glitter (A-Side Rock and Roll)

And that's it! If you like some of the artists above but have never heard these great B-Sides give them a whirl. Do you have any ideas about what other Mixtapes I can make? Have you got any other B-Sides you want to mention? Comment below if you do. That's it from me today to take care and spike your hair. Have a good night.

Noughtie: The 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade (Part 7)

Overall Favourite Artists | Best of 2000 | Overall Least Favourite Artists | Best of 2001

Where Are They Now? | Best of 2002 | Best New Artists | Best of 2003 | My Guilty Pleasures
Best of 2004 | My Favourite Riffs | Best of 2005 | Underrated Artists | Best of 2006
 My Favourite Albums | Best of 2007 | Best Videos | Best of 2008 | Most Important Artists
Best of 2009 | 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade | 100 Most 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.
To view part 5, click here.
To view part 6, click here.

Here's the beginning of my official Top 40, from #40 to #31!

#40. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs
Released: 1/11/04
Album: Employment
Accolades: #36 in NME's 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever
Chart Positions: UK - #9, US - #34 (in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #25

For a song with no appearances in the media and one major accolade it's ridiculous that this song hasn't gone more. This song is just simply one of the biggest anthems of the decade. It's a proper lads song, it's one of those songs that you can just shout the lyrics to at the top of your voice. It sounds great, it's got awesome lyrics and it's quite simply one of the most important songs of the decade. If it wasn't for this song or the popularity of it, the band wouldn't have been the same.

#39. "Fell in Love With a Girl" - The White Stripes
Released: 23/4/02
Album: White Blood Cells
Accolades: Rolling Stone's 40 Songs That Changed Rock History Chart
Appearances: Rock Band (video game)
Chart Positions: UK - #21, US - #121 (#12 in Modern Rock Tracks Chart)

Another song that makes you wonder how it hasn't got any more accolades or appearances to its name. But this isn't a list just about accolades and appearances, it's about other things. It's about airplay, it's about how often the song was played at the time, and more importantly, going in to the future. And "Fell in Love" is one of those songs that just stand out so well in the decade as a quick little ditty of greatness. It's a song that sounds so raw yet it has such fantastic charm it's unbelievable. How often can you describe something as raw and charming in the same sentence? Well this song does both. Naturally the video is the appeal to a certain extent, such a simple idea of getting band playing in lego form made such cool viewing. But the song itself, while probably wouldn't have been commercially as successful without the video, can stand on its own two feet against other songs and win many climatic battles as one of the most important songs of the decade. This song won't leave our radio stations and music channels anytime soon, trust me.

#38. "Last Resort" - Papa Roach
Released: 23/4/00
Album: Infest
Appearances: The One (movie), Training Day (movie), Pay it Forward (movie), Smallville (TV series), Cold Case (TV series), Rock Revolution (video game), Rock Band (video game), Tap Tap Revenge 2 (iPhone game), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (movie)
Chart Positions: UK - #3, US - #57 (#1 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Germany - #4

Wow I never knew this song got to #3 in the UK. For a song of its genre, of its lyrical theme, you wouldn't have imagined it getting this high up our pop and RnB orientated charts. You can easily make a case for this song to being on of the first true modern "emo" songs, although it was in the badly reputable "nu-metal" genre at the time. "Cut myself into pieces, this is my last resort" is arguably one of the most well known lines in any song of the decade. The video, while very simple in its broadcast, is very iconic, showing poor little kids being depressed in their homes, and then apparently enjoying a Papa Roach gig. Papa Roach have had a decent career, their lifespan is longer and more respected than Limp Bizkit's and they haven't "sold out", something a lot of people Linkin Park have done. But this song will never be beat for popularity, and most importantly, it's significance and impact on the world of music.

#37. "Dare" - Gorillaz
Released: 29/8/05
Album: Demon Days
Chart Positions: UK - #1, US - #87 (#8 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Belgium - #3

For a song with no appearances, no major accolades, this song gets a TONNE of airplay. Surely this song is one of the most played songs of the decade, in clubs, radio stations and music stations? This song was much more prominent on its release than "Feel Good Inc" was, although the former was a bigger hit in the US. "Dare" was just a fantastic blend of alternative rock, brit pop, techno and dance music. This song pretty much sums up the Gorillaz in one sweep in terms of what their music sounds like. It's still the bands only #1 hit in the UK so far, and you could argue it was universally accepted by all music fans of all diversions. It's a true quality track that lives up as arguably the bands most popular time in their career so far.

#36. "Supermassive Black Hole" - Muse
Released: 19/6/06
Album: Black Holes and Revelations
Appearances: Twilight (movie), Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (video game), FIFA 07 (video game), Supernatural (TV series), Doctor Who (TV series)
Chart Positions: UK - #4, US - #6 (in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Denmark - #7

It's quite hard to choose one single by Muse as their most important, their most groundbreaking, their most popular, their best song in the decade. My punt is "Supermassive Black Hole". It's arguably their first worldwide hit, with it hitting the Danish, Finnish, European, Irish, Italian Top 20's.  When "Time is Running Out" came out, America still paid very little attention to the band. When "Uprising" came out they were all over Muse. Yet this was the middle ground, this was when America started to notice this cool British band, yet Europe embraced them. It's still their biggest hit in this country. It's also, in a biased way, one of their coolest songs, the riff is fricking awesome. So that's my justification for it being the highest Muse entry in this listing.

#35. "The Pretender" - Foo Fighters
Released: 21/8/07
Album: Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Accolades: #47 in Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of 2007, Nominated for Best Rock Song at the Grammy Awards, Nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards, #5 in Triple J's Hottest 100 Songs
Appearances: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (video game), Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades (video game), Rock Band (video game), Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (video game), Californication (TV series), CSI: Miami (TV series)
Chart Positions: UK - #8, US - #37 (#1 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Norway - #3

This was a huge song. For a hard rock track it got very high in many charts and it topped the US Alternative Songs Chart for longer than any other song in the year 2007. It was #1 for 18 weeks. Not only is it a big song chart wise but look at those appearances and accolades, despite it not winning, I don't think any song so far on this chart has been nominated for two Grammy awards. The Foo's always pull big about of the bag and have done so now consistently for a good 12 years, they're just this big and fantastic band that has universal praise. I just have an infinite amount of respect for this band and this song was easily one of their biggest of the decade, there is one more song by the band that I think is more important however... stay tuned to see it and how high it gets on this chart!

#34. "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon
Released: 8/12/08
Album: Only by the Night
Accolades: Winner of Record of the Year Award at the Grammy's, Winner of Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Award at the Grammy's, Winner of Best Rock Song Award at the Grammy's, Nominated for Song of the Year Award at the Grammy's
Chart Positions: UK - #2, US - #4 (#1 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Belgium - #1

What was the bigger song? "Use Somebody"? Or "Sex on Fire"? They were both HUGE hits, and both are responsible for the Kings of Leon being on top of the rock world right now. For me, "Sex on Fire" is the bigger song, you'll find out how much bigger in this listing later on.
"Use Somebody" was the song that finally brought the band's breakthrough in America. It was a beautiful ballad, and was proof that the band's sound was changing, for better or for worse. It was definitely a more mainstream sound that's for sure. But the transition of Kings of Leon, including their beards, is a fascinating story, it's one of the most interesting stories of the decade artist wise. I remember, and I'm sure many of you do too, a time when Kings of Leon were just random Americans singing country and garage rock hybrid songs on MTV2. Now look at them, you couldn't have imagined this song being any wheren near as big as it was six or seven years ago. It's fascinating, and kudos to them for that.

#33. "Oh My God" - Kaiser Chiefs / Mark Ronson
Released: 17/5/04 / 16/7/07
Album: Employment / Version
Appearances: Driver: Parallel Lines (video game)
Chart Positions: UK - #6, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #27 / UK - #8, Best Elsewhere - Ireland - #21
 /
I was debating whether or not to put this original song in, the very well received Mark Ronson cover version. So I thought I'd put both as one entry as they're both important and successful. Also, it's the same song.
Now I'm effectively cheating as this is the fourth and final Kaiser's song on the list, when I said in the beginning that I'd be setting a cap of three songs per artist. But if we're getting THAT picky, consider it Mark Ronson's entry.
"Oh My God" is still arguably the Kaiser's most important song, it's got one of the greatest, catchiest and simplest choruses in the decade. The song, while being released the second time, did very well in the charts and shows you how far the band had came. In 2004, this song got to #66, yet in its re-release it jumped 60 places. The Kaiser Chiefs, as explained in other entries, are just a great, humble band that are just so happy making music and enjoying the fame they are getting. "Oh My God" was their little baby that started it all off, and it's arguably their finest moment. The Mark Ronson cover version was great, the band also appeared in the video and it was just a really cool jazz version of the song. Mark Ronson did a great job of covering many songs, and this one is one of the bigger and more important songs. I don't think you can go through this decade of music without mentioning Mark Ronson.

#32. "Hurt" - Johnny Cash
Released: 8/3/03
Album: American IV: The Man Comes Around
Accolades: Winner of Single of the Year Award by the Country Music Association, #1 in Rate Your Music's Top Singles of the 2000s, #1 in UpVenue's Top 10 Best Music Covers, #60 in Triple J's Hottest 100 Songs of All Time, #15 in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Songs of the Decade, #2 in CMT's Songs of the Decade
Listings: Best Videos, Top 100 Songs of the Decade
Chart Positions: UK - #39, US - #33 (in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Norway - #8

No song in the world, even the original Nine Inch Nails version, gives me the goosebumps, the feeling, the emotion that this song gives me. I could probably babble on for paragraphs about how this song makes me feel, I've already talked about it twice on thie site before, on the Best Videos page, and on the Favourite 100 Songs page.
It's not hard to explain why this song was important. No, the song didn't chart well, but some songs on this list have a legacy no sales records can touch. Johnny Cash, country rock 'n' roll legend, took a song from an industrial metal artist from 1994 and turned it into this heart wrenching, tear dropping, dark yet elevating masterpiece. It's hard to imagine a better way to end your long 50 year career than this way. Most rock stars (I know he's a country star but I always see him as a rock star too, he's far cooler than other people who call themselves "rock stars") die in their prime, or just after their prime. But was there a prime with Cash? Was there a sparkling moment in his career? You could argue it was the Folsom City Blues era, yet "Hurt" is arguably more prominent than any of his original songs, I think "Ring of Fire" is the only song that touches the song for popularity and "I Walk the Line" for importance. This was a man around half a century in his career. And look at the song. It's just so amazing, so real, his iconic vocal chords trembling through the guitar and piano. It's just an iconic moment in the decade, and in music history in my personal opinion, it's the hardest song to place in this list that's for sure, but I've put it here at #32.

#31. "Run" - Snow Patrol
Released: 26/1/04
Album: Final Straw
Appearances: The Chumscrubber (movie), Rescue Me (TV series), The Guardian (movie trailer), Doctor Who Confidential (TV series), Cold Case (TV series), Jericho (TV series), Life As We Know It (TV series), Wide Sargasso Sea (TV series), One Tree Hill (TV series), Empire Falls (TV series), Mad Dogs (TV series)
Accolades: #874 in The Rock FM's The Rock 1000 Songs
Chart Positions: UK - #5, US - #15 (in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Netherlands - #22

Someone like myself, who doesn't hasn't (until now) done a great deal of research on Snow Patrol, never knew that "Run" was on their third album. Third time lucky I guess, as this was a mega hit. It was also the second single off that album too, so the song's quality shines very well. More evidence is the fact that Leona Lewis chose to cover this song, and got it even more mainstream attention, so much in fact that it this original version re-entered the charts as a result four years later. Snow Patrol would later have more chart success than this track, yet when I, as someone who isn't a fan of the band, think of one song by them, this comes to the front straight away. I'm sure a lot of people feel exactly the same.

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.

Noughtie: The 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade (Part 5)

Overall Favourite Artists | Best of 2000 | Overall Least Favourite Artists | Best of 2001

Where Are They Now? | Best of 2002 | Best New Artists | Best of 2003 | My Guilty Pleasures
Best of 2004 | My Favourite Riffs | Best of 2005 | Underrated Artists | Best of 2006
 My Favourite Albums | Best of 2007 | Best Videos | Best of 2008 | Most Important Artists
Best of 2009 | 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade | 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade

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.

Noughtie: The 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade (Part 2)

Overall Favourite Artists | Best of 2000 | Overall Least Favourite Artists | Best of 2001

Where Are They Now? | Best of 2002 | Best New Artists | Best of 2003 | My Guilty Pleasures
Best of 2004 | My Favourite Riffs | Best of 2005 | Underrated Artists | Best of 2006
 My Favourite Albums | Best of 2007 | Best Videos | Best of 2008 | Most Important Artists
Best of 2009 | 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade | 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade

We continue our countdown of the most important music singles of the Naughties from #90 to #81!

To view part 1, click here.

#90. "Feel Good Inc." - Gorillaz
Released: 5/4/05
Album: Demon Days
Accolades: #308 in Pitchfork's Best Songs of the 2000s, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the Grammy Awards, Best Record of the Year at the Grammy Awards (nominated)
Appearances: Torchwood (TV Series), Guitar Hero 5 (video game), Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3 (video game), Dance Dance Revolution X2 (arcade game), iPod (portable media player advertisement), House MD (TV Series), DJ Hero (video game), SingStar Pop (video game), SingStar Vol. 1 (video game), Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (movie)
Chart Positions: UK - #2, US - #14 (#1 in Hot Modern Rock Tracks), Best elsewhere - Spain - #1

This was a huge hit. At the time there was high expectation for Gorillaz after the success of their self titled debut album and this follow up single, and more importantly, the follow up album "Demon Days" solidified Damon Albarn's side project as his new priority band, throwing more earth on the Blur grave (although recently Blur are back, but are most definitely not Damon's priority band). "Feel Good Inc." was well received across the board, it sent waves in America and in Spain, and it featured in many video games and in other media. And most importantly, it did a brilliant job in the Grammy Awards. It's a no brainer why this song deserves its place in this list.

#89. "Warriors Dance" - The Prodigy
Released: 11/5/09
Album: Invaders Must Die
Appearances: Colin McRae: Dirt 2 (video game)
Chart Positions: UK - #9, US - #7 (in the Hot Dance Singles), Best elsewhere - Ireland - #44

Man 2009 really sucked. It really fucking sucked. Even as someone who is doing unbiased freelance journalism, this was a shit year. Anyway, mind my language! The Prodigy were a dim light in the end of a very deep dark tunnel in 2009, and "Warriors Dance", was their highlight track, despite it being the second (or arguably third) single off their album. It sounds like a proper nineties Prodigy track, it's really old school in its sound. It also has a very memorable music video with humanoid cigarette packets ending up setting other similar packets on fire. A very odd anti-Smoking video. It's a good song anyway.

#88. "Filthy/Gorgeous" - Scissor Sisters
Released: 3/1/05
Album: Scissor Sisters
Appearances: Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (video game), Kath & Kim (TV Series), It's a Boy Girl Thing (movie), Torchwood (TV Series)
Chart Positions: UK - #5, US - #1 (Dance Club Play Charts), Best elsewhere - Ireland - #13

I hope you're not surprised by this entry. Yes Scissor Sisters in recent years have become a more all round pop group but their debut album is a good dance/pop/alternative effort that got decent airplay on MTV2, and had a great sound. Filthy/Gorgeous is arguably their highlight track, it's just filthy, gorgeous, disgusting, nasty, oh sorry I'm supposed to be reviewing this track! Well it is though. The songs lyrics and my feelings towards it, and many others, are comparible. It's a dirty track but it just sounds fantastic, it's very popular in clubs and for a very good reason. I wish Scissor Sisters would make more songs like this, but they're maturing as a group so I doubt it will happen.

#87. "Uprising" - Muse
Released: 3/8/09
Album: The Resistance
Accolades: Best Single in the Music Producers Guild Awards
Appearances: Knight and Day (movie trailer), V (TV Series advertisement), Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (video game), Sydney Roosters (rugby team entrance music), Calgary Flames (ice hockey entrance music)
Chart Positions: UK - #9, US - #37 (#1 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best elsewhere - Poland - #1

You can argue that this is the song that final knocked the American wall down for Muse. They tried and tried and tried to get the attention of the Yanks yet they kept turning their back on the band. They kept getting closer and closer and they finally won them over with this. Is it the guitar riff? Is it the scary teddy bears? Or is it just the persistence? Who knows, but "Uprising" was a very popular song in America, and was #1 in the Alternative Charts for 17 weeks. That's a really long fucking time. That alone warrants them an entry in this list. But the bonus kudos go for the fact that they got to #1 in Poland. That's awesome.

#86. "Last Nite" - The Strokes
Released: 27/11/01
Album: Is This It
Accolades: #66 in Q Magazine's 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks, #1 in NME's Great Tracks of the Decade, #9 in NME's Greatest Indie Anthems Ever, #16 in Rolling Stone's Best Songs of the Decade, #478 in Rolling Stone's Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
Appearances: Get Him to the Greek (movie advertisement)
Chart Positions: UK - #14, US - #108 (#5 in Alternative Songs Chart), Best Elsewhere - Australia - #47

I'm sure all the fans of The Strokes are groaning that this song deserves a better place in this list. That's not because it deserves to be higher, but that all Strokes fans groan. Seriously though, maybe they're right. You can't argue, there's fewer songs in the decade that were as well recieved by critics. But I'm trying to balance critics, fans, sales, accolades, appearances, and most importantly, how memorable and important the songs are going into the next decade. And in honesty, this song is an odd anthem. It's not the catchiest of songs, Julian Casablances sounds like he'd rather be at home sulking in the corner. It doesn't really stand out. Then again, these are all qualities in your typical indie track and it's got a huge following. What do you think, does it deserve to be higher? Convince me!

#85. "Empire" - Kasabian
Released: 24/7/06
Album: Empire
Appearances: ITV's FIFA World Cup (sports coverage), Top Gear (TV Series),
Chart Positions: UK - #9, Best elsewhere - Ireland - #32

"Empire" was the song that further solidified Kasabian as an exciting modern indie band in the UK. They had other songs, probably more popular songs, but this really got a lot of airplay, it had a nice riff, it had a good video, it had everything working in its favour to further emphasise them as one of the decade's best bands. I'm quite surprised it didn't get any more accolades as it's played quite often, even today.

#84. "Famous Last Words" - My Chemical Romance
Released: 22/1/07
Album: The Black Parade
Appearances: Guitar Hero II (video game), HBO (cable television network advertisement),
Chart Positions: UK - #8, US - #88 (#4 in Modern Rock Chart), Best Elsewhere - New Zealand - #6

I'm quite surprised that this song hasn't won any major accolades as it was very prominent on its release. Following the surprise #1 hit "The Black Parade", "Famous Last Words" followed My Chemical Romance's success as one of the hottest new metal bands. It got in the Top 10 in the UK, even though once again, it's not the type of song you'd expect to hit the charts hard in a pop and RnB fueled world. Kudos to them. Famous Last Words has a very flashy video with a lot of fire, fire that actually gave the drummer 3 degree burns upon the finishing of the video. But the song itself, is one of their biggest, one that got them the success they now currently have.

#83. "Gives You Hell" - The All-American Rejects
Released: 30/9/08
Album: When the World Comes Down
Appearances: Rock Band (video game), Guitar Hero 5 (video game), Band Hero (video game), Tap Tap Revenge 2 (iPhone game), Missouri Mavericks (hockey team)
Listings: Guilty Pleasures
Chart Positions: UK - #18, US - #4 (#1 in Mainstream Top 40), Best Elsewhere - Australia and Belgium - #3

I hope all aren't surprised by this entry. It was a surprise as this isn't a band that really did mainstream very well. They had a lot of emo fans but no chart success. Then "Gives You Hell" changed that. I even liked it, if I'm honest. It was a catchy little song and man, the Americans loved it. It was everywhere over there, and it did very well here too. I don't think the All-American Rejects will top this, but if they do, their new album that is due out this year, the first single should be the one to attempt it with.

#82. "B.Y.O.B." - System of a Down
Released: 2/8/05
Album: Mezmerize
Accolades: Best Hard Rock Performance at the Grammy Awards, #76 in Total Guitar's Best Riffs Ever, #63 in Digital Dream Doors's 100 Best Metal Riffs, #134 in Y2KROQ's Top 200 Songs of the Century
Listings: Top 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade
Chart Positions: UK - #26, US - #27 (#4 in Mainstream Rock Tracks), Best Elsewhere - Australia - #42

Moving away from the emo sub genres, here's some metal (or shall I pronounce that metol?)! This was easily one of the biggest metal anthems of the decade. It's always satisfying when a metal track does some damage in the mainstream charts. Metal artists must get a good buzz when that happens. "B.Y.O.B." might not have had the same impact "Chop Suey!" did, but it's a song strongly attached with the decade, and considering it won a Grammy, it seems SOAD got a lot of respect from the critics and most certainly, the peers. This song solidified the band's spot as one of the best heavy metal bands of the decade.

#81. "Time is Running Out" - Muse
Released: 8/9/03
Album: Absolution
Appearances: FLYING-DOG (movie soundtrack), Entourage (TV series), Torchwood Declassified (TV series), Running Scared (movie trailer), Turner Classic Movies (movie TV channel), 2008 Olympics on NBC (sports coverage montage), Hollyoaks (TV series)
Chart Positions: UK - #8, US - #9 (in Alternative Songs), Best Elsewhere - Italy - #14

While "Uprising" was the song that finally broke the American mainstream audience, this song is a much more well received track in the alternative audiences, and probably, hardcore Muse fans too. This was the song that got Muse to break the Top 10 in the UK milestone, something that "Plug in Baby" just about failed to do. The video was well received as well, and it's just a genuinely great rock track. I'm not surprised to see it make so many appearances in the media, in fact I'm surprised it's not won any accolades. But regardless, it's definitely one of Muse's most famous songs.

To view part 3, click here. 
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.