Sunday, December 20, 2009

Top 210 Songs of the Decade 60-31

We're getting ever so close...I know you're all excited!

60. Pete Yorn - Strange Condition (singer-songwriter...released this great song, then kind of lost me after that)
59. Bad Religion - Broken (punk rock)
58. Avril Lavigne - Naked (this is one instance where I broke my rule that I would only include songs that were released as commercial singles if they were by an artist whose songs were played on radio...this was the best song on Avril's debut CD, and best she's done since)
57. Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You
56. Jonathan Kingham - Grace (only know this guy from seeing him open for Glen Phillips...great song, but according to my sister, who bought his CD at the show, the rest of it is crap)
55. Anna Nalick - Shine (this singer-songwriter inexplicably dropped off the face of the Earth after this song was released as the first single off her upcoming album...it's still "upcoming" after 2 years - probably record label red tape? Anyway, really talented at mixing great lyrics with catchy hooks - plus, she's smokin')
54. Alkaline Trio - Mercy Me (accidentally stumbled across this rock gem just this year, even though it came out 4 years ago)
53. Weezer - Pork & Beans
52. Unbroken (Hotel Baby) - Monster Magnet (I don't even know how to describe Monster Magnet...they have a few great songs...check out Negasonic Teenage Warhead or Powertrip from the 90's)
51. Poison - I Never Cry (a remake of an Alice Cooper song I had never heard of...awesome)
50. Augustana - Sweet and Low (one of the standout tracks off of my favorite album of last year)
49. +44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating (one of two bands to rise from the ashes of the previously broken up Blink-182 (the other being Angels and Airwaves) - this album was great...wasn't so crazy about A&A...now Blink is back together, so I guess that's it from these guys)
48. Leona Lewis - Run (how Bleeding Love and Better in Time were huge hits and this Snow Patrol cover wasn't even originally included on her debut CD is beyond me...as is the fact that this didn't make it on radio - the only song that appears on my list by two different artists)
47. A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover (I could probably make an argument (with myself?) for this to be as high as the Top 10...a lesson in perfect pop balladry)
46. The Alternate Routes - Time is a Runaway (an overlooked pop/folk-rock band...their 2007 debut CD was awesome, the follow-up - not so much)
45. Suzie McNeil - Hung Up (one of the "losers" from Rock Star: INXS, but easily the most talented singer of that bunch - somehow couldn't parlay the TV exposure to success in the States - you wouldn't even know her debut CD was released anywhere but Canada...sang her ass off on her first CD - the follow-up didn't impress me much)
44. Natalie Imbruglia - Beauty on the Fire (her 2005 CD, White Lillies Island was a pop masterpiece - one of the best of the decade in my opinion - plus, she is one of the most beautiful humans ever to walk)
43. Nina Gordon - Kiss Me 'Til It Bleeds
42. Jesse Cook w/ Danny Wilde - Fall at Your Feet (world renowned spanish guitar virtuoso accompanied by lead singer of The Rembrandts on vocals on a remake of a Crowded House song...how can you go wrong?)
41. Angie Aparo - Cry (otherwise known as "the Faith Hill song" even though Aparo wrote it...as he explained in concert, his ex-wife is enjoying the royalties from this one)
40. U2 - The Hands that Built America (I'm probably one of the only people on the planet who would count this classic from Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York as U2's best song of the decade...but I do)
39. Collapsis - Wonderland
38. Mike Garrigan - See You Tonight
37. Lifehouse - Spin
36. Coldplay - Fix You (why does every "Best of" list on Earth count "Clocks" and "The Scientist" as this groups top songs? This one far surpasses any other song they've done in my opinion)
35. Natalie Imbruglia - Wrong Impression (the best from the Aussie princess)
34. Dan Wilson - Breathless (if you haven't listened to Free Life by the ex-Semisonic singer, and you want to know what perfect pop songwriting sounds like, then give it a whirl)
33. Our Lady Peace - Is Anybody Home
32. Glen Phillips - Sleep of the Blessed
31. Fountains of Wayne - Mexican Wine (ah...the fickle nature of the music-listening public - Stacy's Mom goes berzerk and then the band returns to virtual obscurity with this next (and light years better) single)

2 comments:

Bryce said...

"Grace" is on Jonathan Kingham's brand new album. Check it out here: http://jonathankingham.bandcamp.com/ His last album was much more R&B influenced (which may be why you didn't dig it as much), but it fits in nicely here.

Jeremy said...

Yeah, I saw that he had a new album out. I'll check it out when I get a chance. Although, I never sampled the older one...it was my sister who didn't care for it.