Let the music listing begin! Today, we have our longest list, the 30 best songs of the 2000s. Feel free to make it into an awesome mix. We did. Sound off in the comments!
30. “Dry Your Eyes” – The Streets
Few rappers show as much vulnerability as Mike Skinner does on the penultimate track of his rap opera A Grand Don’t Come For Free. “Dry Your Eyes” is one of the few rap break up songs out there, and it puts on the display of a musician not content to stay within the boundaries of a genre. (M)
29. “Biomusicology” – Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
As Ted Leo’s solo career moved forward, and the world got worse and worse, his music got more direct, like William Shatner in The Twilight Zone, shouting louder and louder about the gremlin on the wing. But on songs like “Biomusicology,” from 2001’s The Tyranny of Distance, Leo hinted at a much more eclectic sonic palatte. Blending punk with folk, traditional Irish music, sweeping pop balladry, and classic rock, “Biomusicology” was and still is a minor revelation, declaring Leo an intellectually daring songwriter and musician, and there are few songs in his catalog as purely uplifting as this one. (J)
28. “Hey Ya!” – Outkast
There were very few songs to dominate the radio that never grew tiresome in the 2000s, and “Hey Ya!” is one of them. Though Stankonia remains the groups best record to date, this undeniably catchy track from Andre 3000 is a party classic that’s just as fun at the end of the decade as it was in the middle when it was released. (M)
27. “Long Distance Call” – Phoenix
Before SNL and Sophia Coppola, Phoenix were just four French dudes who liked The Strokes so much that they did them one better, making a dancey pop confection so perfect that you can’t help but move around to it. Giving the title to 2006’s Its Never Been Like That, “Long Distance Call” may start off sounding like something from Is This It, but then the spacey synth kicks in and, by the time it reaches its soaring chorus, its obvious that Phoenix may have beat the masters at their own game. (J)
26. “My Girls” – Animal Collective
Beach Boy-esque vocals and pounding base drive one of the decades best songs from one of its best bands. Animal Collective made a name for themselves with their unique sound, but “My Girls” blew them into the mainstream. Above all through, it’s just a really fun song to listen to. (M)
25. “Pushover” – The Long Winters
“Pushover” starts The Long Winters third record with a fake-out. “You’re going to be hearing some pleasant, wintery folk rock,” it says. “This is a Barsuk record.” Then the guitar and drums kick in and “Pushover” becomes a Big Star-esque ode to the ridiculous things we do for the people we love (and who don’t necessarily love us back). While not new ground for John Roderick (see “Stupid”), “Pushover” packages it with a great guitar part and some of Roderick’s finest lyrics, that leave so much unsaid (like “As you wade through the crowd/I sit next to you, the seat still warm”). (J)
24. “Wolf Like Me” – TV on the Radio
With the distortion turned up to 11, TV on the Radio blows “Wolf Like Me” like it’s the last song they’ll ever play. The closing lyrics, “Been howlin’ forever” might as well apply to the whole track, a raw, amped up song that is always fun to listen to. (M)
23. “Skinny Love” – Bon Iver
Somewhere (perhaps, but not necessarily, the backwoods of Wisconsin), a team of scientist gathered in lab and, after months of fierce experimentation filled with numerous setbacks, they created the perfect four minute delivery system for Justin Vernon’s rich, soulful, haunting voice. The result: “Skinny Love.” There’s a guitar on that song, and there’s drums, and even Bon Iver’s distinctively compressed production, but its Vernon’s raw, emotional vocals that make “Skinny Love” such a singular love song. (J)
22. “Someday” – The Strokes
Leader of the garage rock revival in the early 2000s, the Strokes had bigger hits than “Someday,” but few songs that were as catchy. A relatively simple song with driving guitars, bouncing drums, and Julian Casablanca’s howl dominate a track that’s symbolic of the sound the Strokes brought to the first part of the 21st century. (M)
21. “The Rat” – The Walkmen
“The Rat” takes the post-adolescent malaise that dominated so much music in the 2000s and fashions it into a giant mallet. It’s a violent, whirling ode to getting too old to go out every night. Hamilton Leithauser sounds even more manic than usual and that thumping drum combines with the bass and guitar to make a whirling propeller, pushing the song forward at thrillingly dangerous speeds. All of this makes the ending, when everything drops out as Leithauser sings “Can you hear me I’m calling out your name,” hit that much harder. (J)
20. “Hoppípolla” – Sigur Rós
A lush, grandiose song about stepping in puddles, “Hoppipola” is like the sound of the sun emerging from the clouds. Jónsi Birgisson’s falsetto floats over pounding drums, tinkling piano, and triumphant strings and horns as the song builds to a climax that will make you feel warm inside every time. (M)
19. “Seven Nation Army” – The White Stripes
As Jack White turned into a Rolling Stone-approved rock god, his music became less and less stripped down. So “Seven Nation Army” stands as a kind of last hurrah for the minimalist rock aesthetic that permeated every element The White Stripes. Building and collapsing around one of the most memorable basslines ever. “Seven Nation Army” is pure rock and roll, distilled to its simplest pieces. (J)
18. “Westfall” – Okkervil River
Before Okkervil River became one of the bigger indie buzz bands on the scene, they Will Sheff and company released this dark and bouncy tune about an unrepentant murder in hiding. The music itself doesn’t suggest such a grisly scene, which makes Sheff’s line, “evil don’t look like anything,” that much more chilling. (M)
17. “Do You Realize???” – The Flaming Lips
After making music for over two decades, The Flaming Lips released a song that sounds like a thesis statement. “Do You Realize???” says that terrible things happen in the world and will continue to happen. Wayne Coyne is a realist, but he’s also an optimist and nothing quite sums up the worldview communicated by his music quite like “Instead of saying all of your goodbyes/let them know you realize.” A cathartic, climactic moment on an album full of them, “Do You Realize???” is a clear-eyed anthem that could be a first dance, a funeral song, or last call at the bar. (J)
16. “One Big Holiday” – My Morning Jacket
Few songs explode with as much energy as “One Big Holiday,” a standout track from It Still Moves. Louisville’s finest rip through the southern rocker so hard on the record, it’s hard to believe that live it’s even more energetic. A phenomenal song by a band unafraid to push itself to higher and higher heights. (M)
15. “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” – Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’s troubled backstory sometimes overshadows how beautiful and thrilling and weird the actual music contained on that record is. Words like cryptic don’t really begin to describe Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics like “you’re quite a quiet domino” or “take off your band aid because I don’t believe in touchdowns” but feelings of sadness permeate through the beautiful, ambient noise of the song. “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” serves notice to listeners in the first few moments of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: this record will be unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. (J)
14. “Mushaboom” – Feist
Before she taught us to count and buy iPods, Leslie Feist treated us to a peppy little number about wanting more but being happy with what you have. A song that’s guaranteed to get your toe-tapping, “Mushaboom” announced Feist as one of the decade’s best songwriters. (M)
13. “Digital Love” – Daft Punk
If A.I. taught us anything, it’s that deep down, even robots want to be loved. The concept of a Daft Punk love song sounds, in theory, like it could be creepy or stupid or wildly insincere, but they pull it off, thanks to a gorgeous beat and some legitimately emotive vocals. It starts off wonky, but by the time it builds to its “why don’t we play the game” crescendo, you suddenly realize that you kind of love the robots back. (J)
12. “Paper Planes” – M.I.A.
For a song with gunshots in it’s chorus, “Paper Planes” has done pretty well for itself. Those who knew M.I.A. before the track knew it as a response to her visa being denied to come record in the U.S. For those new to M.I.A., it’s just fun to sing the chorus and pretend to shoot a gun with your hand. Either way, it’s a hell of a catchy song that will soundtrack parties and bars for years to come. (M)
11. “The Funeral” – Band of Horses
The 2000s saw dozens and dozens of blog-approved bands who put out one great song, only to see the rest of their arcs go down in a flame of backlash at not being able to produce anything else that great. When sketched out like that, the story may apply to Band of Horses, but the difference between them and someone like Voxtrot is just how great their one song is. Combining twangy vocals, Explosions in the Sky-esque dynamics, and My Morning Jacket’s soaring guitars, “The Funeral” is a song that reaches its climax in about 45 seconds and then improbably keeps building and building into an anthem that’s still as powerful the 3,000th time listening to it as the 1st. (J)
10. “Casimir Pulaski Day” – Sufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens has a talent for finding beauty and warmth in even the saddest of circumstances, as is evidenced most in “Casimir Pulaski Day,” a personal song about the death of a friend to cancer. The plucky guitar and banjo, combined with horns as the song progress mask Stevens’ sadness and instead add a sense of nostalgia and warmth to an absolutely beautiful song. It’s a fitting tribute to Stevens’ departed friend and a reminder to remember the good things in life in the face of sadness. (M)
9. “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” – Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene, for the most part, takes 90s cornerstones like Pavement and Archers of Loaf and blows them up to orchestral levels. But then where does that leave “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl,” a jangly slow-burner that features Broken Social Scene’s women contributors like Feist, Metric’s Emily Haines, and Stars’Amy Milian. The answer is that it doesn’t really matter. “Anthems” is a gorgeous, sweeping pop song that lends a sympathetic ear to the troubles of life as a 17 year old girl, one that is lyrically simple but emotionally potent. (J)
8. “Mr. November” – The National
What exactly is this song about? Hanging on to your glory days? Finding the strength inside yourself to triumph? Obama? Who cares? There may have been better musical moments this decade, but there’s nothing as cathartic as screaming along with Matt Berenger’s impassioned shout of “I won’t fuck us over! I’m Mr. November!” Every element that makes the National the National, from the Dessners’ guitar skills to Bryan Devendorf’s thumping, innovative drum rhythms, is in peak form here, making an anthem to whatever the hell mood you’re in right now. (J)
7. “Portions for Foxes” – Rilo Kiley
The narrative of the song is quite simple: Jenny Lewis is a girl that loves too fast and comes to regret it. But there is a sadness in her voice which helps differentiate this song from all the rest exactly like it. The song is indicative of a trend on the whole album, as Lewis ceases being just the pretty voice in the midst of the guitars, instead soars over it. Sennett matches it with a guitar line that weaves through Lewis’ as Pierre De Reeder’s bass and Jason Boesel’s drums anchor them to the ground. The result is a song that is crushing, pulsing, and soaring all at once. It is easily one the catchiest pop songs of the decade. (M)
6. “Stuck Between Stations” – The Hold Steady
The comparisons to Springsteen are obvious, but the opener to The Hold Steady’s third album, Boys and Girls in America, is the band at its best. Craig Finn is easily one of the best songwriters of the decade, and here he is at the top of his game, channeling literary references, hipster plight, and partying into one place. Franz Nicolay’s piano and Tad Kubler’s guitar combine perfectly underneath Finn, who thanks to songs like this, became one of rocks premier wordsmiths of the 2000s. (M)
5. “Maps” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
On “Maps” the Yeah Yeah Yeahs stopped trying so damn hard and just played music. The drums, the guitar, and Karen O’s voice for once feel united and they form a single force. “Maps” sounds like the end, of a relationship sure, but also of something much bigger than that. Karen O’s voice is open but not exposed, shaky but confident, and the band behind her has never sounded more assured of itself. Its funny listening to this song in the glo-fi, shitgaze context of 2009 and think about a time when everyone was worried about it was “sincere” enough. (J)
4. “No Children” – The Mountain Goats
“No Children” is a song has become a crowd favorite at Mountain Goats shows over the years, with fans merrily singing along at the top of their lungs. But the song is far from joyous, but rather an incredibly bitter argument told through the husband’s perspective. John Darnielle sings of abandoning friends, getting away from the town, and even bleeding all day from a shaving-induced cut. For a song as bitter as it is, it shouldn’t be this fun and highlights Darnielle as one of the best songwriters of his generation. (M)
3. “Rebellion (Lies)” – The Arcade Fire
It starts off simple enough, as the swirling outro to “Haiti” gives way to a bass drum. Then comes that epic bassline and ringing piano. And they never stop. For the song’s entire five-plus minute running time they drive forward, continually pushing as, around them, the rest of the band gets more and more out-of-control passionate. Like the disaffected youth that dominate Funeral, Win Butler is angry, and he’s angry about everything and nothing in particular in the way that we all were in late 2004. Paranoia, sorrow, fear, and anxiety are all in this song and yet, improbably, you feel better about the world when its over. “Rebellion (Lies)” is less a eulogy than a call to arms. It was “yes we can” when Obama was still in the Illinois State Senate. (J)
2. “Idioteque” – Radiohead
It’s important to remember when evaluating “Idioteque” just how different it sounded in 2000. There are no guitars hardly any actual drums, and in their place are atmospheric tones and drum machines. The song draws on trance and early electronic music, while still managing to pull in Thom Yorke’s bleak lyrics about ice ages and the end of the world with ease. Nine years later, the influence of this song is seen in every indie song with a drum machine in it, which can’t be understated. Of all the songs on this list, “Idioteque” is by far the most influential and the one that didn’t so much break the mold as it did completely disintegrate it. (M)
1. “All My Friends” – LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy came on to the scene with his humorous worrying that he was losing his hipster credibility on “Losing My Edge,” but his bleak examination of growing old in “All My Friends” finds him actually feeling out of place the older he gets. He has no regrets, but finds a certain amount of displeasure in growing old (“with a face like a dad and a laughable stand”) while “the kids look impossibly tan.” The song builds strongly despite the fact that it’s driven by a repetitive piano line (which one disapproving listener once told me could be used as torture), until it finally breaks open with Murphy asking “where are your friends tonight?” It’s an amazing song that decades down the road will remain an influential, perfect piece of music. (M)
Trying to put the effect that “All My Friends” has on me in words is pretty much impossible, the thrilling, off-rhythm piano line, the New Order song that springs up around it, James Murphy’s shockingly forthright lyrics. “All My Friends” is about The Scene, sure, but it’s more about the turbulence of life and friends and relationship and the fact that there comes a day when you miss all the bullshit that you complained about when you were going through it. Murphy is a realist and he doesn’t idealize the past but he still knows that its all worth it for all the amazing stuff you go through. “All My Friends” is a song that came along at a particularly turbulent period in my life and has stayed with me ever since. (J)
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