[Shaun]

I've had this file sitting on my laptop since 2019, of songs that I considered to be the best of the century so far. As such: it's missing a lot of music from 2020... so I guess it could be interpreted as a "Best of 2000-2019"... twenty years of music, etc.

I've been chopping and adding to the list at random over the past year or two and - let's be honest - the whole thing is meaningless and not really concrete at all. There are a good 1000 other songs that, on a good day, could wriggle their way into this list because of personal attachment, objective banger status, or artistic merit. I also tried to keep the list pretty diverse: the most one particular artist will pop up in this countdown is thrice. Otherwise this pretty much becomes a Sufjan Stevens, Beyonce and Kanye West love-in.

All that preamble out of the way... we'll be taking this ten songs at a time! Feel free to share your thoughts on the songs... do they conjure nostalgia? are they complete unknowns? are your comments going to be unanswered because of the ignore list? So many mysteries! So many songs!

Spoiler:

#250 - "Rock Star (Jason Nevins Remix)" by N*E*R*D

Youtube video

Fresh off the back of producing one of the 90s' biggest remixes (Run DMC's "It's Like That"), Nevins loaned his hand to this random N*E*R*D single and set off a wave of copycat dance-rock bangers at the start of the century. Pharrell Williams actually sounds relatively cool here... or at least, in a 2002 "appearing on soundtracks for snowboarding and racing video games" kind of way.

#249 - "Watch The Sun Come Up" by Example

Youtube video

There was actually a brief period where Example was capable of releasing extremely enjoyable singles! Emphasis on the brief. This song was one of a handful that defined 2009 for me... not necessarily in a good way, but... it's a pretty song.

#248 - "Be The One" by Dua Lipa

Youtube video

As I've already mentioned, I composed this list waaay before Dua Lipa went and brought back disco in a major way last year... so I was working with scraps when it came to her pop material and this - her very first single, I believe?* - is by far my favourite. It's breezy, summery, seductive and wonderful. *It was her second. Well... ****.

#247 - "Daniel" by Bat for Lashes

Youtube video

Both of BFL's best songs are titles consisting of just a person's forename, and it was really difficult to choose between this and the stunning ballad 'Laura'. This eventually won out for being more identifiable as her signature style: a slice of 2000s indie-pop that was released with a cover of The Cure's A Forest. A pretty good companion, sonically.

#246 - "Reptilia" by The Strokes

Youtube video

Picking two Strokes songs for this list was pretty much impossible, since Is This It? and Room on Fire are so stacked with excellence... this was my pick off the latter since it's just got endless guitar highlights and a bassline that thuds away underneath in a captivating way.

#245 - "Open" by Rhye

Youtube video

Perhaps now better known as "that song off the dating website advert" (I don't remember which one, sorry, but it always catches me off guard), this has been slowly ebbing away at me since 2013 and making me swoon and swell in slightly embarrassing ways.

#244 - "Style" by Taylor Swift

Youtube video

I have to get her out of the way early because whilst there's no denying her impact since 2009, very little of her music has stuck with me in a significant way. As such: here's her best pop song, taken from 2014's 1989. Punchy lyrics, a richly melodramatic synthpop backing, and still just as catchy as it was seven years ago.

#243 - "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice

Youtube video

For a brief period between 2005 and 2010, French act Justice had the world in their talented hands. Aside from their many, many remixes of hits from that period (Klaxons, Franz Ferdinand, Justin Timberlake, MGMT) they also released a hugely-successful album called † and set the world dancing.

#242 - "Let's Make Love And Listen to Death From Above" by CSS

Youtube video

Brazilian band Cansei de Ser Sexy found unexpected success back in 2005 with their debut album: this single really encapsulated their appeal and set off around Europe and America thanks to their tours with Diplo (who himself pretty much defined a lot of 2000s alternative pop). The album was, sadly, very much a one-off - the band have released three others that are largely crap. But this was a wonderful time capsule of how indie really did take over the world, and is one of those immediately-recognisable hits from that era.

#241 - "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)" by Freemasons & Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Youtube video

Despite having a string of extremely enjoyable solo hits, Sophie Ellis-Bextor makes this list twice for collaborations she did with dance and electronic acts. Her voice really lends itself well to floorfillers, and this was no exception: the last of Freemasons' singles to hit the charts (and it apparently dominated in Europe for a while, which is lovely!) came at the tail-end of 2009, crowning off a stellar decade for both the producers and herself.

[Ammi]

......I love these type of lists that you do...there will be so many that I’m not familiar with and it always gives me the opportunity to do that and sometimes, to listen to artists more in depth......and also it reminds us to revisit great songs that we haven’t thought about for a while...

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Ammi

......I love these type of lists that you do...there will be so many that I’m not familiar with and it always gives me the opportunity to do that and sometimes, to listen to artists more in depth......and also it reminds us to revisit great songs that we haven’t thought about for a while...

I 100% agree with everything in this post.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, but I love to know peoples Music tastes.

[Smithy]

Omg I just added SEB to my AM the other day

A bop

[Jake.]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Omg I just added SEB to my AM the other day

A bop

Same! Bittersweet is a banger

[Alf]

Seasick Steve wins.

[DouglasS]

Be the one by dua lipa is her best song I agree

[Elliot]

Why do you dislike Taylor Swift so much?

[Shaun]

she (and you for raising the question) is exhausting. NEXT.

[Shaun]

240-231

Spoiler:

#240 - "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Youtube video

Whilst there's certainly a thick layer of "corniness" about this song, there're few more unique and sing-along-able to come out of the past fifteen years and there's something just inherently sweet and nostalgic about it, from the very first whistle to the horns.

#239 - "Everybody Wants to Be Famous" by Superorganism

Youtube video

One of the most recent singles that managed to argue its way into this list came from the little-known Superorganism. I love their whole sound, it's very The Go! Team, very CSS and a little bit of Gorillaz thrown in for good measure. This track really deserved to hit charts; it's just so effortlessly catchy and full of hooks.

#238 - "When I Grow Up" by The Pussycat Dolls

Youtube video

Picking one of the Pussycat Dolls' singles was a difficult task: in a sense they're all pretty much the same, and a lot of them were just annoying (I'm sorry, Stickwitu!) But back in 2008, they came back with a second album and this was its lead: a commanding pop banger that perfectly encapsulates the ridiculousness that was mid-2000s celebrity culture. The song is probably the most-performed drag queen number of all time, too.

#237 - "The Bay" by Metronomy

Youtube video

The music video is literally filmed in my hometown and does a marvellous job of making it look like a nice place to live, so I had to include it by virtue of encapsulating my upbringing.... but it's also just a wonderfully groovy song and the whole album it came from is worth checking out.

#236 - "All Night Long" by Alexandra Burke

Youtube video

Before embarking on a career in linguistics and introducing the UK to the concept of an "elephant in the room", Alexandra Burke had a fruitful string of hits at the start of the 2010s. This was her peak: a swooning club anthem that really didn't need a Pitbull feature but got one anyway.

#235 - "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks

Youtube video

From one talent show discovery to another: American Idol didn't really launch many careers but there aren't many that could've competed with a pop-ballad as strong as this one. Most pop songs on this list will be very much cases of "songs that I think would be performed very dramatically on a Drag Race lipsync", and the vocal runs on display here are perfect.

#234 - "Young Blood" by The Naked and Famous

Youtube video

I am struggling to recall a song that was used in more promotional material for BBC Three programming than this one: a wonderful time capsule of 2010's indiepop boom that saw the likes of Two Door Cinema Club, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Florence + the Machine become pretty much inescapable when channel-hopping. This song particularly stands out: a pretty simple hook, really.

#233 - "Unforgettable" by French Montana & Swae Lee

Youtube video

There was a brief period in 2017 when it seemed like the dominant force in music might actually shift to dancehall over trap. Unfortunately, the wrong decision was made, because if the charts today were dominated with derivatives of this they'd be a ****ing ****-ton more tolerable. I can't say I've really followed either of their careers since this, but... this was one of the songs of the year and just... so, so catchy and understated.

#232 - "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane

Youtube video

It is easy to forget just how huge Keane were in 2004 because it's the sort of stratospheric radio presence and chart domination that we would typically associate with Coldplay, Muse or U2. The band were often derided as being incredibly uncool, producing bland albums and boring everyone to tears who was forced to listen to BBC Radio 2 at work... but there's no denying they had a handful of wonderful songs. Ten years on, this would go on to top the charts with Lily Allen's John Lewis christmas advert.

#231 - "Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior

Youtube video

I was twelve when this came out and even though I was raised on a diet of the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and Aqua... this is probably the catchiest thing I had ever heard at that point. Junior Senior were a Danish duo that never really matched the majesty of this #3 single, but then... how on earth would you? I did enjoy their follow-up "Rhythm Bandits" though.

[Shaun]

230-221

Spoiler:

#230 - "Closer" by Tegan and Sara

Youtube video

Tegan and Sara have spanned the entirety of the twenty-first century (and a couple of years prior) trying their hand at a ton of different styles of pop, but fully embraced the cheese in 2012 with the build-up to their album Heartthrob. This was the twins' most raucous and earwormy single of all time, and is just explosive fun.

#229 - "Glowed Up" by KAYTRANADA & Anderson .Paak

Youtube video

99.9% was one of my favourite 2016 albums (and that's saying something in a year stacked with Lemonade, Blonde, Blackstar, A Seat at the Table, A Moon Shaped Pool, Anti and Coloring Book)... and this was my favourite track from it. This eerie, extraterrestial-sounding, 808-heavy jam is a perfect backdrop for Paak to deliver his signature style and the whole thing is this alien experience that's fascinating.

#228 - "Feel So Close" by Calvin Harris

Youtube video

Harris is, of course, known for collaborating with just about every huge popstar around over the past ten years. He's seen mega-hits with Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding and Florence + the Machine, and many of those hits are fantastic indeed... but there's something about his singles where he displays his own voice that endear themselves to me more. This single, the follow-up to Kelis' wonderful Bounce, was pretty much everywhere during my time at university and it was just very euphoric.

#227 - "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" by The Libertines

Youtube video

It honestly seems a lifetime away from the days where Pete Doherty would be plastered all over the tabloids for two hundred different crimes and drug sprees... and as a result his music can feel like something of a relic. This, his biggest hit with the Libertines, is pretty much synonymous with that whole 2000s indie-rock craze, and it's also impossible to think of Gavin and Stacey without hearing that intro fire up in your head.

#226 - "Thank You" by Jamelia

Youtube video

This is a harder song to justify because the reason it stuck with me for so long (and still does) is so esoteric and random, lol - I remember having this CD/radio player that looked very futuristic and compact at the time (it was 2003), and would laze around on my new bunk bed (with a pull-out sofa bed underneath the top bunk) listening to it all the time. For some reason, this song sticks out as a fond memory... it's emotionally forthright, a fine vocal, and one of those embarrassing little instances of being a 13 year old and pretending to relate to emotional abuse and breakups

#225 - "We'll Live and Die In These Towns" by The Enemy

Youtube video

Basically the 2000s' version of The Jam's That's Entertainment!... but it certainly has its own charms and is a very pretty and poignant indictment of how futile British life can seem sometimes.

#224 - "Nothing In This World" by Paris Hilton

Youtube video

The tabloids spent most of the 2000s trying their damnedest to ruin the lives of the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and this lady and whilst her appeal at the time was certainly questionable (no discernable talent, that awful "stop being poor" t-shirt), there is no denying that this is a fantastic pop song.

#223 - "Good Times Gonna Come" by Aqualung

Youtube video

Okay, so I spent my latter teenage years growing up on the Skins soundtrack and as a result, this song sticks out like a sore thumb. This featured in the episode that centred around Maxxie's stalker "Sketch", and I guess I was fascinated by the bleak, emotionally-damaged melodrama of it all. Aqualung were a shortlived band best known for their single 'Strange and Beautiful' (which peaked at #7.)

#222 - "Misery Business" by Paramore

Youtube video

For some reason, I didn't really 'get' Paramore at the time they were their hugest: back in 2007 this was absolutely everywhere and I guess I subconsciously associated it with all of the annoying girls who'd wear 200 wristbands and have xD </3 in their MSN usernames. Looking back... this was a cultural reset

#221 - "Black and Gold" by Sam Sparro

Youtube video

This sounded so ****ing cool in 2008, and honestly still does.

[Jordan.]

Miz Biz

[Shaun]

220-211

Spoiler:

#220 - "All The Things She Said" by t.A.T.u.

Youtube video

Did lesbians even exist before this cultural landmark? I am transported back to the smell of smoke machines at school discos, where I wore jeans with chains on them and black shirts with flames. My hair was probably gelled to high heavens. We "moshed" to the likes of this and Sum 41. It was a simpler time (I might've placed this higher, had it not transpired that the Russian duo weren't in fact lesbians, and one of them is actually pretty openly homophobic and repulsive. Stan the other one though!).

#219 - "Solo Dancing" by Indiana

Youtube video

An entire music video full of euphemisms for masturbation, culminating in flicking a picture of Mr. Bean? Wonderful. The song is a dark house/pop banger and I often forget how good it is.

#218 - "New York" by Paloma Faith

Youtube video

Since her breakthrough in 2009, Paloma Faith has pretty much trot out the same album four or five times and expected different results... Einstein penned that as the definition of insanity. For a brief moment though, her music was utterly charming and her voice was showcased on the best songs of her career: this was my favourite, by virtue of being impossibly beautiful and heartwrenching.

#217 - "Climax" by Usher

Youtube video

As someone who has gone through a multitude of genre shifts since his early-90s days, it was kinda difficult to pinpoint a favourite Usher song. There were some real nadirs; remember 'OMG?' remember discovering Justin Bieber? But it came down to a toss-up between the anthemic 'Yeah!', the eurodance banger 'DJ Got Us Falling In Love' and this... I opted for this; a more recent, understated Usher that showcases his phenomenal voice with a lilting, ebbing electronic beat.

#216 - "Lush Life" by Zara Larsson

Youtube video

One of many 2010s examples of an explosive pop debut by a promising new star followed up by teems upon teems of disappointment came in 2015 with this; Lush Life is one of those perfect pop songs where every different segment is as catchy and memorable as the last.

#215 - "Retrograde" by James Blake

Youtube video

Having written off his debut record with a petulant and immature swipe, I don't really know why this (and its accompanying album) really changed my mind so suddenly. The synths in this are so hypnotic and mesmeric.

#214 - "Begin Again" by Purity Ring

Youtube video

Speaking of perfect synths... I hadn't actually seen this music video before, and giving the song a visual of vampiric rituals of old/young sacrifice is a deft touch. I already just loved the song though: it pounds away menacingly.

#213 - "Danger! High Voltage" by Electric Six

Youtube video

I am hard-pressed to recall a more bat**** insane moment in 2000s music. I don't understand how the band were allowed to get away with this music video... but the song itself is just this fantastic, camp nonsense (...gates of hell... Taco Bell!) that I've only just discovered features Jack White (of the White Stripes) as the vocal of the woman in the video.

#212 - "My Number One" by Helena Paparizou

Youtube video

The early 2000s in Eurovision were heavily defined by this Turkish sound infiltrating into pretty much every entry.. and when done right, it resulted in perfect, indisputable winners like this. Greece's 2005 entry won by a landslide, and deservedly so.

#211 - "Bad Girls" by M.I.A.

Youtube video

Without a doubt one of the coolest music videos of all time, and the song isn't far behind.

[Smithy]

Adding loads of these bops that id forgotten about to my AM

[Shaun]

Glad to be bringing up relics!

210-201

Spoiler:

#210 - "Round and Round" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Youtube video

I really enjoyed this album (and 'Mature Themes' too) so it was pretty disparaging to discover the creative force behind the band is a Trump supporting abusive dick

#209 - "Plug In Baby" by Muse

Youtube video

I am now so entirely alienated from the idea of being a 'Muse fan' (they have been diabolical since 2009, and were for most of that year too) that it's very easy to overlook how fantastic the albums Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations were... but my favourite was always 2001's Origin of Symmetry. I was 11 years old and boys at school (and older brothers) were lapping them up, and this song sticks out as a particular highlight. I wanted to put 'Bliss' or 'New Born' in instead but they were later discoveries for me... but that run of singles from 2000 until 2007 is just... *chef's kiss*

#208 - "5 Dollars" by Christine and the Queens

Youtube video

It was probably quite low down the list of probabilities that one of the musicians from the past decade that has the broadest appeal should be a French woman with a penchant for breaking gender norms. It still feels very much like she's very much on the ascent; every album seems to get better and her artistry is only getting more compelling. This track, from her last LP, is my favourite of hers... immaculately produced, heartily sung and full of emotion.

#207 - "Miasma Sky" by Baths

Youtube video

I remember loving the hell out of Baths' 2012 album, but he seems to have gone completely off my radar since... so as a result, this track feels like something of a time capsule of electronic creativity. I'm now looking him up and vaguely remembering 2017's Romaplasm (but I believe I found it something of a let-down?) I don't know. I do know that this song is transfixing.

#206 - "Electric Lady" by Janelle Monáe and Solange

Youtube video

I've loved Janelle Monáe since she danced her way onto our TV screens with coverage of 2011's Glastonbury festival (well, I loved the album before that, but shut up). Her performance of the hits from her breakthrough record 'The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)' really stood out and earned her a cult following that only grew and grew. 2013's The Electric Lady was a real event: a masterclass in funk, R&B and soul that boasted collaborations with Erykah Badu, Miguel and... oh, just Prince. This title track with Solange was just... so, so good. I just hope her burgeoning acting career doesn't hinder the music, because 2018's Dirty Computer, whilst very good, felt... a little less creative than we've grown accustomed to

#205 - "Love On My Mind" by Freemasons and Amanda Wilson

Youtube video

I've already mentioned my infatuation with the Freemasons' grip on dance music in the 2000s, and it all started with this 2005 single. It would go on to create a tsunami of excellent singles, and infamous remixes of the likes of Beyonce, Shakira, Kelly Rowland and Kylie Minogue. This itself is a reworking of a 1979 disco hit, 'This Time Baby' by Jackie Moore but given a contemporary lease of life and turned into a floorfiller. I... really miss that period of UK music

#204 - "Point of View" by DB Boulevard

Youtube video

Every time this song comes on I am immediately transported back to 2001 and being an annoying ****ing child replaying the same songs, over and over, on my copy of Now! 51 on my walkman This hit #3 in the UK, and turned Italian singer Monica Bragato (otherwise known as 'Moony') into an overnight star. Pretty well deserved, because her voice on this is just honey.

#203 - "Crying Lightning" by Arctic Monkeys

Youtube video

I had to whittle down the Arctic Monkeys to two songs in the end to make this list, and this is the first... I remember feeling somewhat disappointed with 2009's Humbug, so much so that for a while it really clouded my judgment of most of its contents. Its lead single was this, this insane lyric of rhymes that come out of nowhere and a menacing, pulsing guitar riff.

#202 - "Good As Hell" by Lizzo

Youtube video

To many, she is the woman who took over the world with 'Juice' and 'Truth Hurts'. To the gays, she'd already conquered because of this.

#201 - "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" by Florence + the Machine

Youtube video

I was in a pretty bad place, psychologically, in 2009, so I guess the idea of this Midsommaresque setting of pagan sacrifice tapped into a wandering and dramatic mind. Lungs was one of the year's biggest albums with good reason; it was just... unique. Some genres come and go, but no one made or makes music that sounds the same as her.

[Shaun]

I just realised this thread is probably hella slow to load for people with dodgy internet connections, so I've put all the videos/placings in spoilers so people can open them at leisure without getting annoyed at Sam Sparro taking so long to load.

200-191

Spoiler:

#200 - "My Love" by Justin Timberlake & T.I.

Youtube video

Something about being a popstar called Justin makes you a bit of an insufferable asshole with more terrible output than good... but there was a brief period in the mid-2000s where Timberlake was definitely good. With Timbaland at the helm at the peak of his production powers, he released the genuinely-fantastic album FutureSex/LoveSounds. 'SexyBack', 'What Goes Around...' and 'Lovestoned' were all fantastic singles, but my favourite was this.

#199 - "It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy" by Passion Pit

Youtube video

Passion Pit have been a favourite band of mine for a long time (although the quality is starting to wane ) because of their poppy sounds, their ear for a good hook, and their forthright and emotional lyrics; frontman Michael Angelakos has been upfront about his struggles with bipolar disorder and that sort of all culminated in this track towards the end of their second album, Gossamer. The song to me rings with this sense of trying to put on a good front whilst you're struggling, and happened to come out at a time when I was, so that was cathartic.

#198 - "Get Away" by Yuck

Youtube video

The band Yuck recently announced that they were formally splitting ten years after the release of the self-titled album that featured this, but to be honest the band pretty much fell apart the second frontman Daniel Blumberg left in 2013. Still, the debut album was genuinely fantastic and full of singalong grunge/pop belters like this.

#197 - "Super Bass" by Nicki Minaj

Youtube video

The single that launched her into the stratosphere. It is hard to imagine a 2010s pop landscape that didn't begin with Super Bass... because it was so ubiquitous and wonderful, and defined a period of time. I don't know many times I tried to keep up with the lyrics when drunk with uni housemates. I did rather ruin the song for myself though when I tried to record a parody of it for TiBB

#196 - "Time Of My Life" by Patrick Wolf

Youtube video

I am a little worried as to where Patrick Wolf has actually gone, because I don't remember him releasing anything after 2011's Lupercalia this was one of my songs of that year, though; a wonderfully dramatic strings arrangement underpinning it all.

#195 - "Jealousy" by Will Young

Youtube video

One of those sadbangers that still feels fresh every time I hear it. Very much in the same league as Robyn, and his voice lends itself well to electro-pop.

#194 - "Braveheart" by Neon Jungle

Youtube video

The fact that the UK gave up on this girlband in favour of ****ing Little Mix remains one of the biggest injustices this side of the slave trade.

#193 - "Swimming Pools (Drank)" by Kendrick Lamar

Youtube video

Truth be told, I still feel a tinge of disappointment when this comes on and it isn't the Mutya Keisha Siobhan cover of it, but the real magic behind the song is in its production so it doesn't matter too much.

#192 - "1901" by Phoenix

Youtube video

French band Phoenix have been at the forefront of the whole indie-disco movement since the mid 2000s and haven't really gone off the rails at all. They hit their poppiest peak in 2009 with the release of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, and this was one of their biggest singles.

#191 - "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys

Youtube video

In spite of that bloody awful stint welcoming in the new year for 2021 on the BBC, Keys has a broad appeal and has endured whilst many R&B fads have come and gone since her breakthrough hit Fallin'. I struggled to pick a favourite song of hers because there are a lot of great ones, but this one is probably her best vocal masterclass.

[Babayaro.]

Some solid choices

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Babayaro.

Some solid choices

I like the fact that it feels like it is his genuine opinion rather than playing it safe like you can see with some lists on Youtube.

[Shaun]

thanks all!

70-61:

Spoiler:

#70 - "Into You" by Ariana Grande

Youtube video

Grande's career doesn't seem to be showing any signs of stopping any time soon, which is fantastic for her and yet frustrating for me. The last two or three albums have been incredibly blah and it feels like everything post-Dangerous Woman has been the same mumbling tedium. Compare the likes of thank u, next with the hits she was churning out (Be Alright, Break Free, Problem, One Last Time) and it just feels like what was once a bright poppy spark has been dulled into the same trap-infused crap that everyone else is doing. She peaked with Into You, an urgent and passionate sex-banger that has been at the forefront of every gay with a performative aspect's mind for a good half decade now. That whistle tone during the final chorus? Changed lives. I'm bald now. Irretrievable.

#69 - "Hold On, We're Going Home" by Drake and Majid Jordan

Youtube video

Speaking of musicians who've been dominating at the top of the charts long past their quality of output faded, Drake has been huge ever since the latter end of the 00s and has had an endless tirade of #1 singles and albums. The critical praise for the man has definitely faded over the last handful, but for a time he seemed inescapable. That nightmare was at least made bearable by the release of this phenomenal single in 2013. Hold On, We're Going Home is Drake at his best: emotional, vulnerable, honest and immaculately produced. Those synths swooning throughout... wonderful.

#68 - "I Dare You" by The xx

Youtube video

Since their Mercury Prize-winning debut album in 2009, The xx have revolutionised the way bands and artists play with minimalism, and really paved the way for experimentalism to be more featured and prominent in mainstream pop. They truly carved out a niche; combining Jamie xx's gentle take on house and dance with Romy's sublime, aching voice and Oliver Sim's hollow, commanding drawl. I could've picked any of their songs to be honest; I've adored all three albums but I think I took to their most recent - 2017's I See You the most and thus I pick I Dare You. Those punchy, short lyrics give the track this sense of having to get it off their chests, and nothing feels more important. Millie Bobby Brown pops up in the video, too, which is odd.

#67 - "when the party's over" by Billie Eilish

Youtube video

I've reflected a lot on the angsty, emo trends that dominated during my formative years with the occasional musical nostalgia in here, and it's that sort of teenage anxiety and uncertainty that is forever associated with those years of your lives. This generation's biggest star giving a voice to those sorts of feelings is Eilish, a woman whose star is almost certainly still on the rise even if she's already got two Record of the Year GRAMMYs to her name. Before she was being thrown opportunities like recording a Bond theme and mega-budget music videos, she was appealing to fans with these incredibly stripped-back songs and there wasn't one more laid-bare and vulnerable than When the Party's Over. Vocally, the song is haunting; layered with reverbs and echoes to such an extent that it's almost ethereal. Visually, the music video is so intensely unsettling and visceral that it's impossible to not feel moved by it. She's already released a lot of fantastic singles, but the one that really jolted me awake and made me pay attention to her artistry was this.

#66 - "Q.U.E.E.N." by Janelle Monáe and Erykah Badu

Youtube video

I've already explained my love of Janelle Monáe in here so I'll just jump straight on the song: 'QUEEN' was the lead single from her second album, The Electric Lady. I remember waiting for the music video to premiere because I knew it would be an event, and I was not wrong. There aren't many songs from the 2010s that are more powerful than this: it's a feminist and black anthem that harnesses so much in its lyrics that it's almost impossible to unpack here. Especially when the music is so compelling, full of funk and groove and the wonderful interruption of Badu's signature drawl. The spoken word outro, though, is phenomenal:

"Are we a lost generation of our people?
Add us to equations but they'll never make us equal
She who writes the movie owns the script and the sequel
So why ain't the stealing of my rights made illegal?
They keep us underground working hard for the greedy
But when it's time to pay they turn around and call us needy
My crown too heavy like the Queen Nefertiti
Gimme back my pyramid, I'm trying to free Kansas City
Mixing masterminds like your name Bernie Grundman
Well I'mma keep leading like a young Harriet Tubman
You can take my wings but I'm still gonna fly
And even when you edit me the booty don't lie
Yeah, I'ma keep sangin', I'mma keep writin' songs
I'm tired of Marvin asking me "What's Going On?"
March through the streets 'cuz I'm willing and I'm able
Categorize me, I defy every label
And while you're selling dope, we're gonna keep selling hope
We rising up now, you gotta deal you gotta cope
Will you be electric sheep? Electric ladies, will you sleep?
Or will you preach?"

#65 - "Slow Burn" by Kacey Musgraves

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2018's Golden Hour is an album that demands to be listened to in the gentlest way possible. I cannot understate how calming and serene an experience it was to listen to the first time, and it only gets better with repeated listens. Its standout - for me - was Slow Burn, this picturesque snapshot of time and ecstacy that still gives me chills and probably will for years to come. I've never tried heroin but I'd imagine the high, that everyone addicted to it is chasing, feels something like this.

#64 - "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand

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One of the greatest intros to a rock song of all time, period. Franz Ferdinand burst onto the UK music scene in 2004 with Matinee and immediately followed it up with this monster, jam-packed with catchy guitar riffs and lyrics that are practically begging to be shouted along to in a packed pub. It's been a long time since the Scots put an album out, and truth be told they were petering out for a while, like most bands do, but god they were amazing in the 2000s.

#63 - "Bohemian Like You" by The Dandy Warhols

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The second that drumbeat kicks in and the organs fire up on the intro, I am immediately teleported back to 2001 and the feeling of effortless cool. There aren't many songs more iconic or universally loved than Bohemian Like You; a song that extended way beyond your casual rock fans into the hearts of just about everyone it reached through radio waves. Five years later it was re-released as a mashup with Mousse T's "Horny" and given a new lease of life, but honestly I think the song was already destined to go down as an all-time classic without it.

#62 - "Hung Up" by Madonna

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Nowadays whenever you hear about Madonna reinventing herself you can't help but grimace and brace yourselves for the onslaught of true cringe... but back in 2005 she did it with such a meticulous attention to detail and just the perfect list of ingredients to back her up. Confessions on a Dance Floor is my favourite Madonna album of all time, and I have no qualms putting it over her 1980s and 1990s masterpieces. She'd already confirmed herself as the queen of pop, and a queer icon, so why not go full disco and take an ABBA sample and ****ing run with it? Hung Up is a phenomenal song, and truly shook up pop and the idea that women of a certain age should retire gracefully and put the pink leotards away. WHAT a moment iconic.

#61 - "Since U Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson

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After winning the first series of American Idol all the way back in 2002, Clarkson quickly established herself as one of the most bankable popstars around. Teaming up with masters of the craft like Max Martin was a recipe for success, and in 2004 she came back with a second album led by this... this lightning bolt. She's had a lot of fantastic bedroom-karaoke moments, but for me the best was always this... those guitar licks and crashing drums all combining to create something truly cathartic and adrenaline-rushing.

[Shaun]

cheers lad

190-181

Spoiler:

#190 - "I Love It" by Icona Pop and Charli XCX

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Back in 2013, Charli XCX was fixated with topping the charts and briefly turned to releasing the cheesiest, poppiest crap imaginable... and I mean that as a compliment. Penning this for the Swedish pair finally saw that dream become a reality, and what a wonderful banger it was Wherever Icona Pop are now, we light a candle for them. (But no seriously they released like 5 or 6 other wonderful bops and we should never have slept on them!)

#189 - "Let Love Be Your Energy" by Robbie Williams

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Williams' grip on the UK music industry's throats for nigh-on twenty years was something that may never really be replicated, but then that's probably because the idea of a male releasing genuinely fantastic pop songs for such a prolonged period of time is alien. It was difficult narrowing down his songs to just one, but I ended up picking one I loved then and still do... 'Let Love Be Your Energy' is an often-forgotten 'fourth single' that had the unenviable task of following up 'Kids', 'Supreme' and 'Rock DJ' but is just a radiant, relentlessly optimistic belter.

#188 - "No Church in the Wild" by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Frank Ocean and The-Dream

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Despite their numerous collaborations, and despite Kanye's penchant for releasing an album with just about anyone, there was only one feature-length project between him and Jay-Z and it was the excellent 2011 album Watch the Throne. At the very height of their shared powers, they tackled weighty subjects with wordplay and humour and the highlight (for me, anyway) was this; No Church in the Wild is a firecracker of a production.

#187 - "Coffee" by Miguel

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Okay, so on the surface it probably just looks like I love this because the music video is ridiculously sexy and turned Miguel into an instant pin-up... and yeah that is definitely what made me wake up and pay attention. But the song itself is a mix of pulsating beats and crooning vocals that combine to make something gorgeous.

#186 - "Everything is Embarrassing" by Sky Ferreira

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Not gonna lie, I'm still pissed off over her taking forever to follow this (and its album, Night Time, My Time) up. It's been 9 ****ing years, Sky! Anyway... this was wonderful.

#185 - "Apocalypse Dreams" by Tame Impala

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Another instance where I took a band that I love and struggled for a long time to hand-pick just the one song from them to make the list; Tame Impala have been kings of reviving psychedelic rock since 2010, and for me they really hit their peak in 2012 with Lonerism. This song is both urgent and relaxing; a real slice of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with a contemporary twist.

#184 - "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes

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It's impossible to accredit this song with its full impact: it wasn't enough being a fantastic rock record, it had to go on and literally change the way fans chant in a stadium, be they music or football fans. A lot of my list is obviously just personal preference, but if I were to compile a list of the 21st century's most iconic musical moments, this would feature far higher up the list. Also deserves a mention because Jack White is now busy boring music critics to tears with his 30 tedious side-projects rather than honing all of his ideas into something as majestic as this.

#183 - "Magic" by Ladyhawke

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When documenting the history of indie-pop artists and their takeover of the charts around 2005-2015, there's one who's often overlooked in favour of your La Rouxs and your Klaxons. New Zealander Ladyhawke released an album in 2008 and it was absolutely brilliant: spawning hit singles like 'Paris is Burning', 'My Delirium' and 'Dusk Till Dawn'. Magic however, remains my favourite.

#182 - "Merry Happy" by Kate Nash

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Topping the album charts in 2007 with Made of Bricks, Kate Nash divided the nation between those who were singing about holding onto the cracks in our foundations, and those who found her affected Cockney accent too grating. I'll admit that I found myself flitting between the two moods; perhaps recoiling from her inescapability at the time... but with hindsight, I loved this album and this viciously catchy closer.

#181 - "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" by My Chemical Romance

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The year is 2004, and the emo trend amongst MySpace teenagers is born thanks - almost single-handedly - to My Chemical Romance and their Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge. Although the band were yet to reach their biggest heights, they were still pretty ****ing massive (as evident with the budget of their music videos) and really tugging at the heartstrings of some very confused and angsty kids. This is the song that sticks out most to me from their heyday, but really... there's like 20 others that were all just as great as this.

[Alf]

I'll come back to this in November, when maybe you've reached the top 10.

I'll also be posting 10 songs that you missed off this list.

[Shaun]

and I won't be caring

[Jake.]

Originally Posted by Shaun

and I won't be caring

[Janet Jackson]

I’m rooting for Nasty, or Together Again

[Shaun]

Nasty? the Janet song from 1986?

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Spoiler:

#180 - "Body Party" by Ciara

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One of the 21st century's most underrated and enduring singers is Ciara, who's always been the media's second fiddle to Rihanna (a fact not helped by their public spats). There've been a ton of hits I could have picked for her - Goodies, Oh, 1 2 Step, Work, Love Sex Magic - but my favourite came a bit later than her 2000s prime and saw her turn down a more sensual, sexual route. The song interpolates a little bit of "My Boo" by Ghost Town DJs, to great effect.

#179 - "Thursday" by Asobi Seksu

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I mentioned earlier the impact that the Skins soundtrack had on my formative years, and the track that stands out with the most affection in my heart was this, which I believe featured on the premiere of the 2nd series. The song is a beautiful chunk of shoegaze, dream-pop, whatever you want to call it: the sort of song you'd see doing the rounds in a "best bits" compilation for a saccharine portion of a TV show.

#178 - "Real Love" by Florrie

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The majority of the 2010s (and, I should imagine, the 2020s as well) were or will be spent not at all understanding why certain popstars never really take off or land on the charts. Florrie has been chipping away at the British pop scene for well over a decade now, and this - from 2016 - is the best single of hers that I can recall... but god that's underselling it. This is a shot of adrenaline; a magnificent pop confection that rolls along with gusto.

#177 - "Acapella" by Kelis

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Having completely dominated the 2000s with a string of bizarre hits, you might have forgiven Kelis if she bowed out by 2010 with a "back to basics" album. Instead, she reinvented herself again and served up one of the decade's greatest dance records; Flesh Tone came along in 2010 with an insane amount of energy and this was its lead single. The video isn't surprising - she's always been fantastic with visuals - but dedicating a song to her newborn son whilst ushering in an EDM floorfiller? Iconic ****.

#176 - "On the Floor" by Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull

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A far more literal floorfiller, you ask? Have this! I am fairly confident that I absolutely hated this song when it came out, and... I don't know what I was thinking (especially since I remember adoring its copycat follow-up, Dance Again, a year or two after this release). I suppose on the surface it's an autotuned nightmare, and Pitbull was a tyrant that would not be overthrown at the time... but it was the soundtrack of the summer of 2011 and with good reason; it's an undeniable earworm and an irresistible urge to dance.

#175 - "Always Like This" by Bombay Bicycle Club

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This is very much the dancing portion of my countdown, and I remember this one indie club in my hometown (now gone </3) always putting this on rotation at some point. As such, the song conjures memories of snakebites, piss-stained toilet floors, and putting together terrible dance routines with female friends that just embarrassed other attendees (and ourselves, probably). BBC are still going, but I firmly attach them to the period of 2009-2011 when I was still actually interested in a night out

#174 - "The Bucket" by Kings of Leon

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Years before Kings of Leon went briefly stratospheric with the likes of Sex on Fire and Use Somebody, they were a thoroughly enjoyable band that didn't actually get on my tits! It's hard to imagine, now, but they were! This was the lead single from their 2004 album Aha Shake Heartbreak, and is a wonderfully pretty take on the band's brothers vowing to keep going and not kill themselves. I'm really not selling it but it's a song I remember fondly.

#173 - "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santigold

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The whole wave of 2006-onward alternative pop wasn't just going on in the UK; across the pond the likes of M.I.A. and this lady were really taking off. In 2008, Santigold released her self-titled debut and with it a slew of hits that corporations would later clamor to use in their adverts. There are few songs that sound truly unique to a particular artist, but this is definitely an example of a defining moment in 21st century music.

#172 - "Left Outside Alone" by Anastacia

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It's easy to forget just how huge Anastacia was (particularly in Europe, despite being an American) in the very early 2000s... this was the sixth highest-selling record of 2004 in Europe, and one of the biggest selling of the decade in Australia, and really confirmed her legacy as one of the best power-vocalists of a generation. Every bar on this sounds like the climax, her voice is that commanding and gifted.

#171 - "Naive" by The Kooks

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I think this was one of those songs that pretty much everyone in the country loved at the time, but not enough to keep the Kooks in their hearts for more than a couple of albums. 'Naive' was everywhere in 2006