Top 100 Songs of the '00s

1. Outkast: Hey Ya!

2009-12-28T03:58:00.002-06:00

Found on: Speakerboxx / The Love Below (2003)
Picked by: RN, MT, TF, SL, KT, WA, PA

Why would you want to read about Hey Ya! when you could be dancing to it instead?

Watch this:

2. Gorillaz: Feel Good, Inc.

2009-12-28T03:57:00.003-06:00

Found on: Demon Days (2005)
Picked by: RN, BG, MT, SL, PA, WA

Gorillaz weren't a real band as much as a chance for Blur frontman Damon Albarn to mess around in hip hop and electronica and for cartoonist Jamie Hewlett to draw apes playing instruments. However, De La Soul are the real stars here, stealing the show a full 16 years after their last list appearance.

3. Missy Elliot: Get Ur Freak On

2009-12-28T03:56:00.004-06:00

Found on: Miss E...So Addictive (2001)
Picked by: RN, MT, TF, SL, KT, WA

For four straight albums, Missy and Timbaland were the Captain and Tennielle of hip-hop, a perfectly complimentary music-making team. Tim provided the minimalist, otherworldly beats, and Missy did her thing all over the top of them. The, well, addictive Get Ur Freak On is the apex of their partnership.

4. Gnarls Barkley: Crazy

2009-12-28T03:55:00.002-06:00

Found on: St. Elsewhere (2006)
Picked by: MT, TF, SL, KT, WA, PA

Lovely neo gospel pop from Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse. Oh, and if you have the faculties to worry whether or not you're crazy, doesn't that mean you're really not? Rest easy, Cee-Lo.

5. *NSYNC: Bye Bye Bye

2009-12-28T03:54:00.007-06:00

Found on: No Strings Attached (2000)
Picked by: KT, RN, SL, SVH, WA, PA

As loathe as I am to do it, let's just go ahead and crown Justin Timberlake the king of the Aughts. Despite a "one song per artist" rule he managed to make appearances at numbers 71, 45, 23, and 5, narrowly edging out Jay-Z (numbers 69, 60, and 6). Now watch this:

6. Nelly: Hot In Herrre

2009-12-28T03:53:00.001-06:00

Found on: Nellyville (2002)
Picked by: RN, MT, TF, WA, SL, PA

Anytime a song becomes a part of everyday vernacular, you know it's a big deal. In this case, you couldn't say any variation of "it's hot" without someone responding, "so take off all your clothes." Or was that just me?

7. Beyonce (feat. Jay-Z): Crazy In Love

2009-12-28T03:52:00.004-06:00

Found on: Dangerously In Love (2003)
Picked by: RN, MT, TF, WA, PA

I've listened to this song literally dozens of times, and I just finally realized how disjointed it is. One one hand you've got Beyonce singing about how great her man is and how she's so head over heels in love that her sanity is actually in question. Then Jay-Z, the object of her obsession, comes in for a rap, and instead of returning the favor by lavishing her with praise he spends 40 seconds bragging about himself. Not cool, Jay. You're lucky she married you anyway.

8. Kelly Clarkson: Since U Been Gone

2009-12-28T03:51:00.001-06:00

Found on: Breakaway (2004)
Picked by: RN, BG, SL, WA, PA

The I Will Survive of the Aughts, sung by a talented young woman who rose to prominence by winning a televised singing competition and written by a team of professional Swedish songsmiths. What's not to like?

9. Dixie Chicks: Not Ready To Make Nice

2009-12-28T03:50:00.001-06:00

Found on: Taking the Long Way (2006)
Picked by: RN, TF, MT, WA, PA

Okay, so this one may not make much sense when taken out of historical context. But with the context, it's a killer. The context, you ask. In 2003, lead singer Natalie Maines expressed her dissatisfaction the war in Iraq with a throwaway comment between songs at a concert. Conservative country folks lost their shit, vilifying, black-listing, and threatening the band out of a misguided, hysterical sense of "patriotism." In Not Ready To Make Nice Maines makes her point by keeping it personal, revealing the toll whole sequence of events has taken on her, but never apologizing for her initial dissent.

10. Alicia Keys: Fallin'

2009-12-28T03:49:00.005-06:00

Found on: Songs In A Minor (2001)
Picked by: KT, TF, SL, WA, PA

Fallin' is a great song and one that will outlive all of us, but did you know it's not really in the key of A minor? Nope, it's in G major. And on that note, if you're playing on her name (A=Alicia) why not go the next step and call the album "Songs In the Key of A"? This is why a record label should hire me as a consultant.

11. Modest Mouse: Float On

2009-12-26T03:54:00.002-06:00

Found on: Good News For People Who Love Bad News (2004)
Picked by: RN, MT, TF, SL, PA

Is it me or is Isaac Brock's idea of bad luck a little extreme and off kilter? Here's a list of things that happen to him: He accidentally hits a police car, he and his significant other get fired from their jobs on the same day, and a guy impersonating a Jamaican scams him (wha-huh?!). Good song, nevertheless.

12. Jason Mraz: The Remedy (I Won't Worry)

2009-12-26T03:53:00.002-06:00

Found on: Waiting For My Rocket To Come (2003)
Picked by: MT, WA, TF, SL, PA

It's cheesy, but there's something to songs as sources of comfort and confidence. When this song came out, I had just started student teaching, and I was basically terrified every morning. Often, on my way to school this song would come on the radio and give me a boost with its uplifting, "I won't worry my life away" chorus.

13. The Postal Service: Such Great Heights

2009-12-26T03:51:00.002-06:00

Found on: Give Up (2003)
Picked by: RN, MT, WA, TF, PA

I gave the voters a choice between this and the Iron and Wine version, and The Postal Service delivered a decisive smack-down. I was not-so-secretly pleased. While the Iron and Wine version has a simple beauty, it doesn't match the majesty of the original.

14. U2: Beautiful Day

2009-12-26T03:50:00.001-06:00

Found on: All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
Picked by: RN, MT, WA, TF, PA

Artists better known for their work in the '80s and '90s didn't make the list unless they truly created a new cultural moment for themselves. And by that I mean, people who didn't know U2 from UB40 could hear their new song and dig it for what it was. That's what happened with Beatiful Day.

15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Maps

2009-12-26T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Fever to Tell (2003)
Picked by: RN, MT, WA, TF, PA

Maps are inanimate objects incapable of human emotion, therefore the statement, "Maps, they don't love you like I do" is kind of belaboring the obvious. Even as a metphor, it's kind of awkward. Why then, is it so darn affecting?

16. Feist: 1 2 3 4

2009-12-24T03:53:00.002-06:00

Found on: The Reminder (2007)
Picked by: RN, MT, SL, PA

Her Grammy performance of the song was nothing short of terrible, but let's forget about that and enjoy the banjo, trumpet, and honkey tonk piano; the alternatively girlish and soulful vocals, and the way the song builds to a satisfying climax.

17. Keane: Somewhere Only We Know

2009-12-24T03:52:00.001-06:00

Found on: Hopes and Fears (2004)
Picked by: RN, BG, MT, SVH

Your run-of-the-mill epic romantic ballad.

18. The Killers: Somebody Told Me

2009-12-24T03:51:00.000-06:00

Found on: Hot Fuss (2004)
Picked by: RN, TF, PA, SL

Unnecessarily intriguing chorus on this song. The obvious interpretation of "you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year" is that the person in question had a female-to-male sex change. But it's also possible s/he was always a man and was just pulling the wool over Brandon's eyes back in February. Is that why they broke up after just a month? And is the "you" in the song a man or a woman? I'm assuming it's a man, because the person just changed genders, not the way s/he swings.

19. Kylie Minogue: I Can't Get You Out of My Head

2009-12-24T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: Fever (2001)
Picked by: RN, MT, WA, SL

If you get bored sometime, listen to this song and count the number of hooks, both instrumental and vocal. I always lose track around 15.

20. Ok Go: Here It Goes Again

2009-12-24T03:49:00.001-06:00

Found on: Oh No (2005)
Picked by: RN, BG, TF, SVH

Watch this:

21. Katy Perry: I Kissed a Girl

2009-12-22T03:58:00.000-06:00

Found on: One of the Boys (2008)
Picked by: RN, BG, TF, MT

It's not hard to tell what formula led to this song's success: Hot singer, arena ready music, suggested lesbianism. The only drawback is what this has done to poor Jill Sobule. She was only known for one song, and then Katy Perry stole that away. It's the equivalent of someone coming along with a huge hit called Somebody's Watching Me, and sending poor Rockwell into complete obscurity.

22. Snow Patrol: Chocolate

2009-12-22T03:57:00.002-06:00

Found on: Final Straw (2003)
Picked by: TF, SL, WA, PA

What's chocolate have to do with this song? The word is never mentioned anywhere in the lyrics, but I suppose both are beloved by the ladies (Steph excluded).

23. Regina Spektor: Fidelity

2009-12-22T03:56:00.001-06:00

Found on: Begin to Hope (2006)
Picked by: BG, TF, MT, PA

Some artists' voices are their strongest musical instrument, and Regina Spektor is one of those. What separates her from every other broken-hearted girl in front of a piano is her wide vocal range, her hip hop syncopation, and her odd phrasing. Fidelity displays them all proudly.

24. Train: Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)

2009-12-22T03:55:00.000-06:00

Found on: Drops of Jupiter (2001)
Picked by: RN, MT, WA, PA

Honestly, this one has just been drilled into my head so many times that I can't resist it. It is a pretty catchy melody. Even so I could do without the Tae-Bo and soy latte references.

25. KT Tunstall: Black Horse and the Cherry Tree

2009-12-22T03:54:00.000-06:00

Found on: Eye to the Telescope (2004)
Picked by: RN, MT, SL, PA

I didn't fully appreciate KT until I saw her live. She didn't blow me away with her performance necessarily (the songs sounded basically the same as they do on record) but she was surprisingly funny and quite cute on top of that. That's really all I need.

26. Kanye West: Jesus Walks

2009-12-22T03:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: The College Dropout (2004)
Picked by: MT, TF, SL, PA

I have issues with Kanye, not because he frightens Taylor Swift or has a big ego, but because he's just not that great of a rapper. But as a writer, producer, and as a critic of George Bush? He's got it goin' on there. On Jesus Walks he puts it all together (though could you imagine how much better it would have been if Jay-Z had taken the mic?).

27. Lily Allen: Smile

2009-12-22T03:52:00.000-06:00

Found on: Alright, Still (2006)
Picked by: BG, WA, MT

My sister is not someone you want to piss off.

28. Black Eyed Peas: Where Is the Love

2009-12-22T03:51:00.001-06:00

Found on: Elephunk (2003)
Picked by: KT, PA, WA

Let's remember back to a time when Black Eyed Peas weren't ubiquitous, annoying, and vapid. Before anyone had a feelin' that tonight was going to be a good night, and before anyone knew what lovely lady lumps were (I still don't, personally), the Peas recruited Justin Timberlake to record an ode to peace.

29. Mary J. Blige: Family Affair

2009-12-22T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: No More Drama (2002)
Picked by: MT, TF, PA

A bumpin' Dre track and some Mary J. preachin' will help you get it crunk. Bonus points to Blige for her word creation skills, even if "dancery", "hateration", and "holleration" never really did catch on.

30. Death Cab For Cutie: I Will Follow You Into the Dark

2009-12-22T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Plans (2005)
Picked by: TF, WA, PA

I didn't like this song all that much when it came out, but I wasn't in love then either. Now whenever I hear it the room gets inexplicably dry and water forms in the corners of my eyes. It's a pretty weird phenomenon.

31. Eminem: Lose Yourself

2009-12-20T03:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: 8 Mile: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture (2002)
Picked by: MT, WA, PA

Lose Yourself is a great song, but it's basically the last time Eminem was truly impactful in any way. And to think, back in 2002, I came dangerously close to declaring him the game-changer of the Aughts (a game-changer is an artist who revolutionizes the music industry; there are only five, roughly one-per decade: Elvis Presley, Beatles, Ramones, Michael Jackson, Nirvana). In retrospect, I don't think your game-changer can be someone who picked fights with the likes of Chris Kirkpatrick, Christina Aguilara, and Moby.

32. Fountains of Wayne: Stacey's Mom

2009-12-20T03:52:00.001-06:00

Found on: Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
Picked by: TF, RN, PA

For me the best part of Stacey's Mom was not the Cars-esque music, the Rachel Hunter-starring video, or the fact that it finally gave Fountains of Wayne the attention they deserved. No, it's the poor deluded narrator who really truly believes he's got a shot with his friend's mom.

33. David Gray: Babylon

2009-12-20T03:51:00.000-06:00

Found on: White Ladder (2000)
Picked by: SL, RN, PA

Why is it that pop songs almost always have an all-or-nothing take on romance? They're either over the moon or under the wheels. Babylon is an exception, actually following its narrator from despair to hope, all in the course of a single weekend!

34. Green Day: Wake Me Up When September Ends

2009-12-20T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: American Idiot (2004)
Picked by: MT, SVH, TF

No one could have predicted that Green Day would be more relevant and beloved in the '00s than they were in the '90s, but those kinds of surprises are what makes following pop music so fun. Any number of American Idiot songs would have been suitable for this list, but Wake Me Up When September Ends has the 9/11 advantage going for it (you could call it the Rudy Guliani effect).

35. Guster: Careful

2009-12-20T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Keep It Together (2003)
Picked by: BG, SVH, PA

Proving that strong melodies and sweet harmonies will never go out of style.

36. Jimmy Eat World: The Middle

2009-12-18T03:52:00.001-06:00

Found on: Bleed American (aka Jimmy Eat World) (2001)
Picked by: RN, WA, TF

Jimmy Eat World recorded Bleed American (renamed after 9/11) with their own money after being dropped from Capital records. Dreamworks recognized a winner and the album became a hit, thanks mostly to The Middle, the aural equivalent to a hug from your mom.

37. Leona Lewis: Bleeding Love

2009-12-18T03:51:00.000-06:00

Found on: Spirit (2008)
Picked by: RN, TF, BG

Let's get this sorted out. American Idol is based on a British show called Pop Idol, which also featured Simon Cowell. Pop Idol ceased production in 2003 and was replaced by a nearly identical show called The X Factor, which also features Simon Cowell. Leona Lewis won the third season of it, and then had this hit song.

38. Maroon 5: Makes Me Wonder

2009-12-18T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: It Won't Be Soon Before Long (2007)
Picked by: BG, TF, MT

Adam Levine doesn't have good luck with the ladies. His whole first album, Songs About Jane (which featured list-worthy songs like Harder To Breathe, This Love, and She Will Be Loved), was dedicated to an ex. Superstardom didn't make things better, as the muscular rock soul of Makes Me Wonder demonstrates.

39. John Mayer: No Such Thing

2009-12-18T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Room For Squares (2001)
Picked by: TF, WA, PA

Before he became a tatted-up GQ cover model who goes through starlets like Kleenex John Mayer was a fresh-faced singer-songwriter trying to deal with becoming an adult.

40. MGMT: Electric Feel

2009-12-18T03:48:00.000-06:00

Found on: Oracular Spectacular (2008)
Picked by: MT, PA, WA

The instrumental hook of this song always reminds me of Down Under by Men At Work, which is of course a good thing.

41. Peter Bjorn and John: Young Folks

2009-12-16T03:59:00.003-06:00

Found on: Writer's Block (2006)
Picked by: RN, BG, WA

If I'm not mistaken, Young Folks is the the first song since Billy Joel's The Stranger to successfully incorporate whistling. Oh, and I just noticed that the band's name can be shortened with the acronym PB & J.

42. Gwen Stefani: Hollaback Girl

2009-12-16T03:58:00.000-06:00

Found on: Love Angel Music Baby (2005)
Picked by: SL, MT, PA

Gwen Stefani as a solo star was a no brainer, but that it happened on the strength of a minimalist R & B track with nonsense lyrics? That shit was B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

43. The Strokes: Last Nite

2009-12-16T03:57:00.000-06:00

Found on: Is This It? (2001)
Picked by: TF, SL, WA

The Strokes ushered in a thrilling (if brief) rock revival and made us realize that "garage band" doesn't have to mean "untalented" or "hard to listen to." Though Julian Casablancas sings "Your grandsons / They won't understand," I think that he just might be wrong.

44. Glen Hansard & Marketa Iglova: Falling Slowly

2009-12-16T03:55:00.001-06:00

Found on: Once (2008)
Picked by: SVH, WA, PA

For legal reasons I can't post the scene from Once where Glen Hansard and Marketa Iglova perform this song in a music store, but that says more about it than I ever could. Go seek it out yourself.

45. Justin Timberlake: SexyBack

2009-12-16T03:54:00.000-06:00

Found on: FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
Picked by: KT, SL, WA

46. Rufus Wainwright: Want

2009-12-16T03:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: Want One (2003)
Picked by: RN, WA, PA

Like many artists, Rufus could have placed several songs on the list. But the title song from his best Aughts album is as good as any, if only for the killer line: "I don't want, no I really don't want / To be John Lennon or Leonard Cohen / I just want to be my Dad / With a slight sprinkling of my mother."

47. Amy Winehouse: Rehab

2009-12-16T03:52:00.002-06:00

Found on: Back To Black (2006)
Picked by: RN, WA, BG

Before Amy Winehouse entered our lives we always wondered what it would be like if Elvira and Skeletor had a daughter who could sing like Etta James. Rehab has a retro-soul musical thrill with a very modern lyrical twist, and rarely do singer and song fit so snugly together (in many ways).

48. 50 Cent: In Da Club

2009-12-16T03:51:00.000-06:00

Found on: Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)
Picked by: WA, KT

If you don't, at some point during your birthday, sing the opening few lines of this song to yourself, then you just aren't trying hard enough. Have some Bacardi and loosen up. Maybe get a hug from 50 if you don't mind getting rubbed.

49. Ryan Adams: New York, New York

2009-12-16T03:50:00.001-06:00

Found on: Gold (2001)
Picked by: RN, PA

I need more songs about New York about as much a I need more canker sores, but New York, New York endures because it's not just a rote celebration of the "capital of the world," it's a goodbye. As Adams mourns a "busted up and broken up" relationship he also gives a fond farewell to the city where it took place.

50. Fiona Apple: Extraordinary Machine

2009-12-16T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Extraordinary Machine (2005)
Picked by: RN, WA

Though a complete lack of self-doubt is foolhardy, we need songs like Extraordinary Machine to remind us of our own individual power. It's a pep talk and an "eff you" rolled into a sweetly off-kilter showtune.

51. Arcade Fire: Wake Up

2009-12-14T03:59:00.000-06:00

Found on: Funeral (2004)
Picked by: MT, PA

Wake Up was a great song before, but it was put over the top by this:

52. Natasha Bedingfield: Unwritten

2009-12-14T03:57:00.001-06:00

Found on: Unwritten (2005)
Picked by: RN, PA

Her brother Daniel's career tapered off, but Natasha took off on the strength of Unwritten. Its genius is its soaring optimism: "Drench yourself in words unspoken / Live your life with arms wide open / Today is where your book begins / The rest is still unwritten." Every generation needs its Break My Stride.

53. Coldplay: Clocks

2009-12-14T03:56:00.000-06:00

Found on: A Rush of Blood To the Head (2002)
Picked by: RN, WA

Coldplay could have placed any number of songs on the list: Yellow, Trouble, Don't Panic, The Scientist, In My Place, Fix You, Speed Of Sound, or Viva La Vida to name a few. Clocks is good, though not especially better than any of those, nor was it the biggest hit (that's Viva La Vida, surprisingly). It simply got more votes.

54. Dandy Warhols: We Used To Be Friends

2009-12-14T03:55:00.000-06:00

Found on: Welcome to the Monkey House (2003)
Picked by: PA, WA

The theme to Veronica Mars, of course. I also like how the album cover somewhat absolves the horrible band name by combining Andy Warhol's two most famous album cover designs (Velvet Underground and Nico's banana and Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers zipper).

55. Fall Out Boy: Thnks Fr Th Mmrs

2009-12-14T03:54:00.000-06:00

Found on: Infinity On High (2007)
Picked by: BG, TF

Fll t by my hve trd t dvsfy by gttng R nd B mstr Bbyfc t prdc ths sng, bt thy'r stll prtty dmn [emo]. Wtness the chrs ln: "Thnks fr th mmrs / vn thgh thy wrn't s grt."

56. Flaming Lips: Fight Test

2009-12-14T03:53:00.002-06:00

Found on: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
Picked by: MT, RN

That part where the guy says, "The test begins now," creeps me out every time, but Fight Test one of the Lips' most lucid songs. It's a regretful and melancholy tune about about a guy who backed down when he should have stood up and fought. It's also quite pretty.

57. Ben Folds: You Don't Know Me

2009-12-14T03:52:00.000-06:00

Found on: Way To Normal (2008)
Picked by: PA, SVH

Ben Folds is the king of the bitter break-up song in the Double Zeros. You Don't Know Me, a duet with Regina Spektor, besides being a good song also demonstrates the new way we experience and react to music. Before the Way To Normal album even came out, you could go on YouTube and see a bunch of high school dudes performing the song in their living room.

58. Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out

2009-12-14T03:51:00.000-06:00

Found on: Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Picked by: WA, BG

Luckily The Strokes had pretty big coattails, but points go to Franz Ferdinand for adding disco elements to the garage pop sound. Cool video too.

59. Frou Frou: Let Go

2009-12-14T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: Details (2002)
Picked by: PA, WA

Is it me, or does Imogean Heap sound a little bit like Billy Corgan on this track? Never mind. Let's make it clear. Zach Braff used Let Go supremely well in the climactic scene in Garden State. Did the scene make the song or did the song make the scene? You decide.

60. Jay-Z: 99 Problems

2009-12-14T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: The Black Album (2003)
Picked by: PA, TF

How did the Aught's treat Hova? 7 number one albums, multi-platinum sales, retirement, presidency of Def Jam, unretirement, marriage to the hottest girl in R & B, more memorable guest raps than ANYONE, at least one instant classic album (2001's The Blueprint), and 99 Problems, a Rick Rubin-produced rap-rock throwback full of attitude and social commentary.

61. Jack Johnson: Flake

2009-12-12T03:54:00.000-06:00

Found on: Brushfire Fairytales (2001)
Picked by: EV, SVH

I let Eliza, our resident JJ expert, have this pick all to herself, and Flake got the nod. Eliza recommends seeking out a live version, because that's just the ways she rolls. I must add that I like the steel drums and the funky "please please" bit at the end.

62. Junior Senior: Move Your Feet

2009-12-12T03:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: D-D-Don't Stop the Beat (2003)
Picked by: PA, BG

I could write some sentences about how well this Danish gay/straight dance duo managed to joyously mix disco and electronica. But instead, I'll just let you watch this:

63. Kings of Leon: Sex On Fire

2009-12-12T03:52:00.000-06:00

Found on: Only By the Night (2008)
Picked by: PA, WA

One of 2008's most unlikely success stories was Kings of Leon. After three indie-approved albums, they made a huge mainstream splash on the strength of Sex On Fire and Use Somebody. Some fans called sellout, but I was more than happy to buy in.

64. Lady Gaga: Poker Face

2009-12-12T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: The Fame (2008)
Picked by: BG, RN

I am admittedly a little late to the Lady Gaga party, but everytime I hear this song I think of the episode of Parks and Recreation where Leslie Knope (Amy Pohler) performs a wedding for two male penguins and goes to a gay club where she hears Poker Face for the first time. She ends up repeating the "puh puh puh poker face puh puh puh poker face" part over and over and over.

65. LCD Soundsystem: Daft Punk Is Playing At My House

2009-12-12T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: LCD Soundsystem (2005)
Picked by: RN, WA

Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, besides being the only song on the list to name-check another artist, is the story of a truly great party. Musically it finds that delicate balance between new wave, punk, and I.D.M (intelligent dance music).

66. MIMS: This Is Why I'm Hot

2009-12-10T03:53:00.001-06:00

Found on: Music Is My Savior (2007)
Picked by: KT, PA

Main reason why This Is Why I'm Hot made the list? When the song came out I was teaching second grade and my students loved it. In fact, one student filled up the entire back side of a math test by writing the title repeatedly in the manner of Jack Nicholson in The Shining, e.g. This Is Why I'm Hot This Is Why I'm Hot This Is Why I'm Hot This Is Why I'm Hot This Is Why I'm Hot This Is Why I'm Hot, etc.

67. Nada Surf: Always Love

2009-12-10T03:52:00.002-06:00

Found on: The Weight Is a Gift (2005)
Picked by: RN, SVH

A left-field but very welcome choice for this list (Shal and Richard nominated it independently of one another) comes from a band that was supposed to go away after scoring a '90s novelty hit (that'd be Popular). Always Love is a shimmery pop ditty full of peaceful wisdom: "Always love / Even when you oughtta fight."

68. Phoenix: Lisztomania

2009-12-10T03:51:00.001-06:00

Found on: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
Picked by: PA, RN

The newest song on the list. I really like it as of this moment, but only time will tell if it truly belongs. In the meantime, enjoy this:

69. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z: Umbrella

2009-12-10T03:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
Picked by: BG, PA

Points to this song for being one of the few R & B songs to not create a double entendre out of a seemingly harmless object (see Kelis' Milkshake, 50 Cent's Candy Shop, etc.). When Rihanna says "you can stand under my um-brella-ella-ella" she really means it. Whether its literally or figuratively (the rain in that case would be a metaphor for the hard times in life) at least it's not sexually.

70. Rilo Kiley: Portions For Foxes

2009-12-10T03:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: More Adventurous (2004)
Picked by: PA, RN

A band comprised of barely-famous child actors isn't the most likely candidate for indie rock stardom, but Rilo Kiley beat those odds. I was so fascinated by Portions For Foxes when it came out that I wrote 320 words dissecting its meaning. My conclusion: Jenny Lewis is going to break your heart, but it'll hurt her as much as it hurts you.

71. Andy Samberg's SNL Digital Shorts

2009-12-08T03:59:00.006-06:00

Found on: Saturday Night Live (2005 - 2009)
Picked by: KT, PA

This is a cheat of course, a way to get 3 songs for the price of one. I make no apologies.

The first is 2005's Lazy Sunday, a hard-hitting chronicle of two friends (Samberg and Chris Parnell) preparing to watch The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe together and boasting about their Matthew Perry trivia knowledge.

For 2006's Dick In a Box Samberg got an upgrade in partners (Chris Parnell to Justin Timberlake is no contest) and parodied Color Me Badd in both style and substance. Any resemblance to a scene in Diner is purely coincidental.

Finally, 2009's I'm On A Boat found Samberg, Akiva Schaffer (who co-wrote the previous two songs as well), and T-Pain bragging about their nautical adventures. My favorite part is when an Autotuned T-Pain warbles dreamily, "I never thought I'd be on a boat."

72. The Shins: Caring Is Creepy

2009-12-08T03:57:00.001-06:00

Found on: Oh Inverted World (2001)
Picked by: MT, WA

Okay, so the Shins may not change your life, but they are pretty good. Caring Is Creepy, besides having an awesome title, is a dreamy, off-kilter pop number that could be about a messy break-up or the aftermath of an apocalypse. You know, either one.

73. Britney Spears: Toxic

2009-12-08T03:56:00.002-06:00

Found on: In the Zone (2003)
Picked by: BG, WA

The video is beyond ridiculous, but Toxic is the last Britney moment that everyone could basically agree on (3 might have earned that distinction if not for its insinuation that Peter, Paul and Mary got it on). It sounds like a Bond theme from the year 3978.

74. Spoon: I Turn My Camera On

2009-12-08T03:55:00.001-06:00

Found on: Gimme Fiction (2004)
Picked by: WA, SL

Spoon's Gimme Fiction album could have placed any number of tracks in this spot, from the Replacements-lite of Sister Jack to the enigmatic The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine to the chugging I Summon You. I think Steph and Wendy picked I Turn My Camera On mostly because it was featured prominently in a Veronica Mars episode.

75. Ting Tings: Shut Up and Let Me Go

2009-12-08T03:54:00.001-06:00

Found on: We Started Nothing (2008)
Picked by: PA, BG

An uberdanceable hook suitable for commercial use plus some bratty vocals and fun, nonsense lyrics ("your jeans were once so clean I bet you changed your wardrobe since we met") add up to a late '00s standout.

76. Usher feat. Ludacris & L'il Jon: Yeah!

2009-12-08T03:53:00.002-06:00

Found on: Confessions (2004)
Picked by: PA, TF

Li'l Jon gets a few Chapelle-approved "okay!"s in and Usher provides a pretty face, but Yeah! is really Ludacris' show. His quotable moments are off the charts. Consider: "I won't stop 'til I get 'em in they birthday suits," "take that and rewind it back," and the immortal "we want a lady in the street but a freak in the bed."

77. Vicious Vicious: Shake That Ass On the Dancefloor

2009-12-08T03:52:00.001-06:00

Found on: Blood and Clover (2003)
Picked by: WA, PA

The only truly indulgent choice on the list is a song most people have never heard. Vicious Vicious is Twin Cities musician Erik Appelwick, a songwriter, performer, producer, and currently the bassist for Tapes 'n Tapes. Shake That Ass On the Dancefloor has a hip hop title but a cocktail lounge backing and lyrics about a girl who listens to 8 tracks. It's a little funny, a little sexy, and all good.

78. White Stripes: Seven Nation Army

2009-12-08T03:51:00.001-06:00

Found on: Elephant (2003)
Picked by: RN, WA

Several White Stripes songs emerged as viable candidates, including Fell In Love With a Girl, We're Going To Be Friends, My Doorbell, and You Don't Know What Love Is. So you know a band was pretty important to a decade when people can't agree which of their songs was the best. The Zeppelinesque Seven Nation Army got one extra vote and the nod, fitting since it's the song that pushed the Stripes to that next level of notoriety.

79. X-Press 2 feat. David Byrne: Lazy

2009-12-08T03:50:00.002-06:00

Found on: Muzikizum (2002)
Picked by: PA, WA

Talking Heads leader David Byrne teamed up with a British electronic dance trio for this charming track. Though the lyrics find him bragging about how lethargic he is ("I'm lazy when I'm lovin' / I'm lazy when I play / I'm lazy with my girlfriend a thousand times a day"), Byrne sounds as energized as ever. In fact, one might say its his best song since the Heads disbanded.

80. "Weird Al" Yankovic: White 'N' Nerdy

2009-12-08T03:49:00.001-06:00

Found on: Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)
Picked by: PA, WA

"Weird Al" has been doing song parodies for 26 years now, but only a small handful of them have actually eclipsed their source material the way White 'N' Nerdy does (the original is Chamillionaire's Ridin' in case you were wondering). Al reels off a litany of dorky boasts ("My rims never spin / to the contrary / you'll find they're quite stationary") and throws in references to Earl Grey tea, pi, Minesweeper, Javascript, Segueways, X-Men comics, ergonomic keyboards, Monty Python, the Gap, fannypacks, Renaissance fairs, Kirk vs. Picard, and Stephen Hawking.

81. Daniel Powter: Bad Day

2009-12-06T05:54:00.000-06:00

Found on: Daniel Powter (2005)
Picked by: KT

I know, I know. But this song was huge, and it's got a pretty darn good melody and lyrics. It's not Powter's fault that it got played into the ground and came to symbolize overly dramatic American Idol eliminations. What's interesting to me is that the song is mostly a statement of fact ("you had a bad day") and offers no absolution or consolation for it. It's as if Powter is your own personal play-by-play announcer, there to comment but not interject his opinion.

82. The All-American Rejects: Gives You Hell

2009-12-06T05:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: When the World Comes Down (2008)
Picked by: PA

One thing that will hopefully never go out of style is the conflicted kiss-off. You know the song: the dumpee tries to pretend he's over it, but his anger betrays the fact that he still cares a little too much. This pop/emo/stadium shouter is another fine addition to the pantheon: "Truth be told I miss you," Tyson Ritter admits before contradicting himself. "Truth be told I'm lyin'" Extra points for admitting in the lyrics that the song was written for the express purpose of pissing off its subject.

83. Aqualung: Brighter Than Sunshine

2009-12-06T05:52:00.001-06:00

Found on: Strange and Beautiful (2005)
Picked by: SVH

Sure, he rode Coldplay's coattails just a little bit, but Matt Hales' also named himself after a Jethro Tull album, so there's that. Brighter Than Sunshine is a sweet love song that was genetically programmed to accompany dramatic moments on television dramas, and it fulfilled that promise and then some.

84. India Arie: Video

2009-12-06T05:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: Acoustic Soul (2001)
Picked by: WA

Like a hip-hop Tracy Chapman, India Arie made waves in 2001 with Video. It's a sassy, self-confident rejection of the music industry's objectification fixation. "Keep your Kristal and your pistol / I'd rather have a pretty piece of crystal / Don't need your silicone I prefer my own."

85. Matt Pond PA: Halloween

2009-12-06T05:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Several Arrows Later (2005)
Picked by: PA

Matt Pond might be a bit of a misanthrope. Halloween details a party on the titular holiday, where our narrator is so disgusted by the vapid partygoers around him ("Heard it's modern to be stupid / You don't need a thought to look good") that has visions of breaking windows and setting a fire. Let's be glad he worked out his impulses in a pretty song.

86. M.I.A.: Paper Planes

2009-12-04T05:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: Kala (2008)
Picked by: PA

Paper Planes made a splash in the trailer for Pineapple Express and in Slumdog Millionaire, but it's strong enough to stand on its own. An ode to general thuggery, it earns points for the best use of a handgun on a pop track since The Escape Club's Wild Wild West.

87. My Morning Jacket: Golden

2009-12-04T05:52:00.000-06:00

Found on: It Still Moves (2003)
Picked by: PA

Kentucky's My Morning Jacket may have made artistic strides on Z (2005) and Evil Urges (2008) but only one of their songs has been or ever will be covered by '70s soft rock patriarchs America. That's this gentle ditty, in case you didn't figure it out.

88. Bloc Party: Banquet

2009-12-04T05:51:00.001-06:00

Found on: Silent Alarm (2005)
Picked by: SVH

Angular guitars, slightly distant vocals, subtle but clear melodies. New new wave may have been little more than a replication, but if you're going to revive a time in music history, the rich and diverse post-punk of the late '70s and early '80s is a pretty darn good choice. Bloc Party were one of the best at it, and Banquet is a great example of that (though personally I would have chosen This Modern Love).

89. Loretta Lynn: Portland, Oregon

2009-12-04T05:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: Van Lear Rose (2004)
Picked by: RN

In 2004 Jack White took country legend Loretta Lynn under his wing and they made the album Van Lear Rose. The showcase duet Portland, Oregon has an intro you can shave on and the lyrics are all about a drunken one night stand. It might as well be a White Stripes song with Loretta Lynn on guest vocals, but as far as career revivals go, you can't ask for much better.

90. New Pornographers: The Bleeding Heart Show

2009-12-04T05:49:00.000-06:00

Found on: Twin Cinema (2005)
Picked by: PA

Power pop "supergroup" New Pornographers made quite a splash on the indie scene in the aughts, and any number of their songs might deserve a spot on the list. The Bleeding Heart Show gets my nod thanks to its stunning second half, which is about as joyful as two minutes of music can safely get.

91. Ray LaMontagne: You Are the Best Thing

2009-12-02T05:57:00.000-06:00

Found on: Gossip In the Grain (2008)
Picked by: SL

Steph and her husband Josh danced to this love song at their wedding this past June, so it's a sentimental pick for her. Not that it isn't deserving. The horns are old school, LaMontagne's whiskey-voice sounds like it should be coming from a grizzled black bluesman, not a white bearded hippie, and the background vocals remind me of a different Ray, Ray Charles (with the Raylettes, of course).

92. Owl City: Fireflies

2009-12-02T05:56:00.000-06:00

Found on: Ocean Eyes (2009)
Picked by: PA

The success of Owl City highlights the ways the music industry has changed and why the old business model needs to go out the window. Owatonna, Minnesota native Adam Young recorded some songs in his basement, put them on the Internet, and built a fanbase through word of mouth. Fireflies went to #1 on the Billboard charts for two weeks in November while at the same time being available as a free single-of-the-week on iTunes, and still posted for free listens on Owl City's MySpace page (it currently has 17 MILLION plays). It certainly helps that Young has a knack for a pop melody and composition, a dreamy singing voice akin to Death Cab for Cutie / Postal Service frontman Ben Gibbard, and boyish good looks.

93. A.R. Rahman: Jai Ho

2009-12-02T05:55:00.000-06:00

Found on: Slumdog Millionaire (Music from the Motion Picture) (2008)
Picked by: KT

An unlikely song for America to embrace, but a deserving one nonetheless, Jai Ho won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2008. The song is driving Indian pop with a soaring chorus, a bit of hip-hop flavor, and even a brief country passage. Rahman is assisted by singers Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, and Mahalaxmi Iyer.

94. Santogold: L.E.S. Artistes

2009-12-02T05:54:00.001-06:00

Found on: Santogold (2008)
Picked by: RN

Santogold (now known as Santigold) is a black singer who loves punk and '80s pop, and her music shows it. On L.E.S. Artists the verses are early '80s new wave by way of '00s new new wave, and the chorus is dreamy no wave a la Sonic Youth. By the way, L.E.S. is an acronym for Lower East Side. That's not knowledge you need to enjoy the song, but I thought you might like to know.

95. Scissor Sisters: Take Your Mama

2009-12-02T05:54:00.000-06:00

Found on: Scissor Sisters (2004)
Picked by: WA

One of the best bands to come out of the aughts are New York's Scissor Sisters. They have alter egos, they're inter-gender, at least two of them are gay, and they write songs that hearken back to the British pop glory of the '70s. Take Your Mama is a danceable ode to coming out of the closet to your mom in a most fabulous way.

96. Jill Scott: Golden

2009-12-02T05:53:00.000-06:00

Found on: Beautifully Human - Words and Sounds, Vol.2 (2004)
Picked by: PA

Note to all aspiring musicians. Take good childhood photos, because you're going to use one of them for album art one day, I guarantee. Golden is a wonderfully optimistic/self-confidence-boosting song with an old-school R & B spirit.

97. Shakira: Whenever, Wherever

2009-12-02T05:52:00.000-06:00

Found on: Laundry Service (2001)
Picked by: KT

She may be a she-wolf with hips that don't lie, but Whenever, Wherever was Shakira's breakthrough song. Her very distinctive singing voice and unique pronunciation (she's a native Colombian) separated her immediately from the early-2000s cavalcade of blonde pop singers. The pan flute is a nice touch, too.

98. Soulja Boy: Crank That (Soulja Boy)

2009-12-02T05:51:00.001-06:00

Found on: Souljaboytell'em.com (2007)
Picked by: KT

The second song in a row to mention Superman, and the second with nearly indecipherable lyrics. To truly measure the impact of Crank That, you would have to travel back with me to a middle school dance two years ago and witness the sheer pandemonium that erupted when this song came on. Its popularity certainly wasn't hurt by the fact that it had its own built-in, easy-to-replicate dance.

99. Sufjan Stevens: The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts

2009-12-02T05:50:00.000-06:00

Found on: Illinois (2005)
Picked by: TF

Metropolis, Illinois is a tiny little town that embraces its part in the Superman mythology. They've got statue of the Man of Steel and in their visitors' center you can buy tiny bags of "Kryptonite" (which is kind of insidious if you think about it). This mysterious song doesn't have much to do with any of that, but it is an excellent example of Stevens' indie operettas, with shifting tempos, trumpet solos, and a choir.

100. Yellowcard: Ocean Avenue

2009-12-02T05:49:00.001-06:00

Found on: Ocean Avenue (2003)
Picked by: SVH

The 2000s saw the rise of emo as a commercially viable genre, and then inexplicably saw it become synonymous with goth (hence the one-liner "I wish my lawn were emo so it would cut itself"). But Ocean Ave. demonstrates what it true emo: pop punk with lyrics about messed-up relationships.