Noughtie: My 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade (Part 6)

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.

Welcome to the second half of this large listing. Part 6 out of 10 to be exact. Today I’ll countdown my favourite singles from the last decade, from #50 to #41. So let’s get down to’t.

#50. “Killing the Fly” – The Union Underground

Released: Unknown, 2001

Album: An Education in Rebellion

It’s really frustrating; I can’t find a release date anywhere. It simply says on Wikipedia that the track was released as a single in 2001. Hey ho.

This song is one of the best tracks this band did on their only album. It’s slowler than their usual stuff, it’s quite a serious song and it has some really cool lyrics as well. I thoroughly love this song and always have, I was quite surprised to hear it got released as a single as it isn’t really the type of song that you’d expect to be released on its own. It charted relatively well in America mind!

#49. “Voices” – Disturbed

Released: 3/7/00

Album: The Sickness

After the success of “Down with the Sickness”, Disturbed released this song as a single. It was a fantastic follow up and it’s also the first track on the album. David Draiman’s very unique vocals stand out very well in the chorus. The video is good too, the song talk about insanity, a theme in some Disturbed songs. It just sounds really good and I love listening to this track, it’s one of the best off the album.

#48. “Slam” – Pendulum

Released: 19/9/05

Album: Hold Your Colour

Listings: Best Videos

The video includes the prelude from the album too. Together the track “Slam” is brilliant. It’s easily one of the best dance songs of the decade, the video, which was highlighted in my Best Videos listing, completes the song for me. You just want to dance to this track, even if you can’t, just get up and get moving. It really does make you feel that way and it’s just a fantastic sounding song. I love it.

#47. “Bonkers” – Dizzee Rascal

Released: 18/5/09

Album: Tongue ‘n’ Cheek

I know I’ve said it before, but 2009 was an absolutely shite year. But this song was a huge highlight, this had a lot of airplay and I always loved listening to it. After “Fix Up, Look Sharp”, I didn’t like a great deal of Dizzee Rascal, I respected him as an artist but I didn’t think much of his music. Then he came out with this and it’s just a killer track. His mix of grime rap and house dance really paid off, it sounds great and it also was a huge hit, getting him to #1. Man, that bass just sounds fucking fantastic.

#46. “Another Way to Die” – Jack White and Alicia Keys

Released: 30/9/08

Album: Quantum of Solace Soundtrack

I’m not a huge Bond movie fan, and I’ve rarely liked the songs they tend to choose as the theme for the films. But this was great. Jack White is a fantastic guitarist and a decent vocalist on his own. But mixing Alicia Keys was a gamble. They have very different styles, the rock and R&B genres being the beginning. But they meshed perfectly for this song. Jack White’s guitars and Alicia Keys, though not my genre of music, is a vocalist that I respect. The song was a success, at least I think so.

#45. “Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja” – Lostprophets

Released: 19/11/01

Album: Thefakesoundofprogress

Listings: Best Riffs

This is by far the best song Lostprophets have ever done, in my opinion. I’ve never been that big on their stuff but they do a song once in a while that catches my eye. But nothing is on this one, that guitar riff is just fantastic. The riff makes the song, because without the riff it’s very similar to their other songs. So all together it’s a very good track, but the riff is the main reason why, it’s just so kick ass.

#44. “Red and Black” – Kill Kenada

Released: 10/11/03

Album: The Pink Album

As I’ve said before, not many people have heard of Kill Kenada, if you like your slightly odd and eccentric bands like Sonic Youth and The Pixies, then give these a listen. The video is right there, just click it! Anyway, Red and Black is probably their most popular song and it’s probably the best too. It has about 3 or 4 different parts to the track, the song just transcends into a different sound over and over again and it sounds fucking fantastic. I really like this track and their other stuff is okay as well.

#43. “Chop Suey!” – System of a Down

Released: 20/11/01

Album: Toxicity

From an unknown track to a worldwide huge metal anthem, that will inevitably appear on the unbiased listing too. Chop Suey! is just classic track now, nearly 10 years old, every metal fan has heard this song. It’s definitely SOAD’s biggest hit and has been parodied very well by Richard Cheese and Tenacious D. It’s quick vocals that at first glance sound like gibberish, and the slowed down chorus, the opposites in tempo, a common theme in some SOAD songs, just make it stand out. It’s just a mega hit, and doesn’t need any justification from me with regards to why it’s so popular.

#42. “Baby Fratelli” – The Fratellis

Released: 12/3/07

Album: Costello Music

When The Fratellis were on a bit of a high (I maintain they should stay there but unfortunately interest in the band has waned) this was chosen to appear on the soundtrack for “Hot Fuzz”, the film with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (fantastic film by the way) so it got a great amount of airplay upon its release. It’s a great song, one of the better songs on the great debut album by the band. I really wish people would give The Fratellis the respect I believe they deserve because they’re a fantastic band.

#41. “We Used to Be Friends” – The Dandy Warhols

Released: 24/7/03

Album: Welcome to the Monkey House

The Dandy Warhols are a funny band; they once in a while appear out of nowhere and release a decently successful song, then disappear again. Nothing will beat the popularity of “Bohemian Like You” but while I like that song, I prefer this track. I like the added electronica into the track, it works really well, and the hallowing “ah-ahh-ah-ah” hook at the end of the chorus is fantastic too. This song was used in a few commercials as well actually.

There we go, 6 parts done, 4 to go. We’ll continue with this tomorrow. Have a good night.

To view part 7, click here.

To view part 8, click here.

To view part 9, click here.
To view part 10, click here.

Noughtie: Best of 2006 (Mixtape)

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

Here we are, Part 14 of the Noughtie series. This is the seventh Mixtape, celebrating the year of 2006 in rock and metal. When I looked back on the year 2006 I wasn't really that excited about covering it. But, when I made this mixtape, and listened to it back, I really enjoyed it. It was a sleeper year, but it's not like there wasn't good songs coming out, there was.

Also, another interesting thing. Back in the year 2007, I actually made a "Best of 2006" mixtape to celebrate the previous year. I can't find that mixtape at the moment, but it's actually much different to this mixtape. I'll highlight the tracks I think were included, but I can't be sure. Anyway, the rules of the mixtape.

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!

Let's get to it, my favourite songs of 2006!

1. 30/30-150 - Stone Sour
2. Coming Undone - KoRn
3. Beast and the Harlot - Avenged Sevenfold
4. Vicinity of Obscenity - System of a Down
5. Shut Me Up - Mindless Self Induglence 
6. ...To Be Loved - Papa Roach
7. POD - Tenacious D
8. Meds - Placebo
9. No Way Back - Foo Fighters
10. Here it Goes Again - OK Go
11. A Town Called Hypocrisy - Lostprophets
12. Steady, As She Goes - The Raconteurs
13. Gold Lion* - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
14. Shoot the Runner - Kasabian
15. Red Flag - Billy Talent
16. I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News) - Eagles of Death Metal
17. Burn the Witch - The Queens of the Stone Age
18. White and Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic
19. Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis
20. Knights of Cydonia - Muse

 Don't like some of these songs? Try these five:

1. The Fallen - Franz Ferdinand
2. Foxy Foxy - Rob Zombie
3. Don't Give Up - The Noisettes
4. Why Won't You Give Me Your Love? - The Zutons
5. She's Attracted To - The Young Knives

Green Text = Songs that were in my original 2006 Mixtape I made back in 2007.

* = I preferred "Turn Into" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs back in my original 2006 mixtape. I've changed it to "Gold Lion" in this one.

Yes, so as I said, the songs have changed, that's for a few reasons. The first is that I didn't know some of these songs came out that year, for instance "Vicinity of Obscenity" by System of a Down. At the time I never knew it was released as a single. Other songs were discovered at later dates, or just plain forgotten about when I made the original mixtape. Remember I've made a huge amount of research into this Noughtie series, so my resources are vast this time.

Anyway, what were your favourite songs of 2006? You can comment below if you want to put in your two shillings. I shall be back on Wednesday for one of the biggest listings of the series, my Top 20 favourite albums. I'll see you then.

Noughtie: My Favourite Riffs

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

Here we are, Part 11 of the Noughtie series. In chapters, this is the halfway point of the series, but the last two parts are going to be very long, so in days, we're no where near finished! Anyway, here's an interesting listing for you, where I talk about my 10 favourite guitar riff songs. This isn't to say they are the best, but that I love them the most. These are different riffs with different sounds, a nice variety. If you're a fan of the guitar, and have not heard some of these songs, I'd recommend you give them a listen. I've got six videos for six of the entries below, for ease. Anyway, let's go!

10. "Hash Pipe" by Weezer

As I said, I didn't claim best, but favourites. I love this riff, and I love the "uh" noises that work with the riff too. Hash Pipe is a cracker of a track, it's my favourite Weezer song. The video is good too. Weezer really did shine with this song, it's a shame it's not as popular as other tracks by the band.

9. "Bad Things" by Jace Everett

Yes I'm a True Blood fan. It's pretty much guaranteed that you are if you've heard this song before. I love the guitar in this song, the first guitar strums that bring you into the song, the guitar solo, everything. It's a killer track. Not a True Blood fan? Never heard this song? Here it is below:

8. "Beast and the Harlot" by Avenged Sevenfold

If you're a metal fan, I'd be amazed if you've not heard this song. It's featured on Guitar Hero 2 as well. The entire song, the guitars are just brilliant. I love the main riff as well, it's some great work by this band. I don't really know what else to say, apart from shame on you if you've not heard it!

7. "Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja" by Lostprophets

I don't claim to be a huge Lostprophets song but one thing is for sure is that they really got hold of a killer riff with this song, a riff that hasn't even come close to being rectified. While they're off trying to keep up with the emo bandwagon, this song remains as awesome as ever, remaining their best song, probably not going to be beat anytime soon.

6. "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

Chances are, this is the most memorably riff of the decade. If this was an unbiased list, I'd probably place this at number 1. It's just so easy, so memorable, it just clicks. Jack White can play very difficult guitar riffs, he's a phenomenal guitarist, yet how ironic that his most famous song will be one of his simplest riffs?

5. "Feel Good Hit of the Summer" by The Queens of the Stone Age

I'd put the music video up... but it's NSFW. So this is just the song with the album cover in the background. The riff from this song is another simple one but fuck me, it kicks ass. Not as much as the guitar riff at 1:02 mind. That is a ridiculous piece of guitaristry (new word, if it gets into the dictionary I'd like you to at least credit me for it) right there. I love this song so much, it's one of my favourites by this fantastic band.

4. "Grounds for Divorce" by Elbow

This song was a sleeper hit on me. I never really paid much attention to it when it came out. Then it got put on some adverts and I kinda thought it sounded cool. Then not too long ago, I remembered it and started playing it a lot. Man, this song really kicks ass. The riff is just gorgeous, and pretty much serves as a chorus for the song.

3. "Keine Lust" by Rammstein

This is probably the heaviest riff on the listing. Being a huge fan of industrial metal, the guitar riff in this song will just blow your ears off with those machine guitars. The song is about a premonition for the future, when the band retire they'll just become lazy and fat. The video for this song represents this and is fantastic, with the band all huge and fat (apart from the keyboard who apparently doesn't eat much). It's great. Anyway, the riff for this song is just fantastic, as I said, if you like industrial metal.

2. "Romantic Rights" by Death From Above 1979

This is one of my favourite songs of the decade. You will see it very high in the biased Top 100 list that will be posted later on in the series. If you have not heard this song, seriously, listen to the song below. Yes, that's a base. That's a fucking base. How the fuck is he making that noise with a base?! It's just amazing this song, it truly is. I love the guitar in this song, I love that riff. It's so innovative. I told you in a previous listing that they have reunited, I really hope they make more songs like this, it's just awesome. By the way, I can't actually find the music video on Youtube, if you have it, let me know. They have "the making of" but not the actual video. What's up with that?!

1. "New Born" by Muse

It's hard choosing one Muse song it really is. I was close to choosing "Knights of Cydonia", but the main riff from this song just pips ahead. Man, the guitar riff on 1:04, is just, in my opinion, one of the best guitar riffs of all time. My ears just melt when I hear it. There's a reason why Matt Bellamy is considered the decade's best guitarist, this song being one of them. Say what you want about Muse, but there's no denying the talent Matt Bellamy has as a guitarist. Sorry, it's just not even under dispute.

I hope you enjoyed this listing, paying homage to some of rock's best guitar riffs. If there's songs on here that you've not heard before and like the sound of, you're welcome. So, what are your favourite guitar riffs of the decade? I'll be back on Thursday, starting off the second half of the decade mixtapes, with 2005.