The best 250 songs of the noughties: 75-51

250-226 | 225-201 | 200-176 | 175-151
150-126 | 125-101 | 100-76 | 75-51
50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11
10-4 | 3-1

75. Bomb The Music Industry! - I Don't Love You Anymore
This free song is a brilliant little song. It’s proof that just because something is given away free on the internet, doesn’t mean that it’s not worthy of your devotion. Everything you could possibly want from music is here. Brilliant sing-a-long vocals, Saxophone, trumpets, Jeff Rosenstock, Keyboards, Whistle, Guitars, Trombone, drums, Jeff Rosenstock’s mates doing gang vocals and a Wurlitzer. Put it all together and you have a superb party song. Beast! Download

74. Beloved - Insult To Injury
This song has, hands down, the best, hands up, beatdown in it. It’s so fucking brutal, and it spawns itself into other beatdowns, which are even more brutal. One time, one of my mates crept into my house while I was sleeping and put this one at full volume to wake me from my near-comatose dream state. To my mind, the second best wake up call I could ever hope to receive. Beloved were an inspiringly good band, just a shame that they had to split up after creating one of the best modern Hardcore albums of the noughties. Listen

73. Comeback Kid - Wake The Dead
Another member of the best modern Hardcore bands out in the noughties, Comeback Kid have had a few good albums in that time. This is an undeniable song that is just so fucking energetic and fun that you can’t help but move with it. It’s a beast, and if it came on ANYWHERE, I’d be up there with the rest of the smart people rocking out till my head fell off.


72. Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
It’s poppy, it’s twee, it’s light and airy, it’s everything that defines Vampire Weekend. They may be relatively new, but as soon as they were on the scene, ‘A-Punk’ was a bona fide hit of stellar proportions. Like a freight-train, you’d be unable to stop them becoming a household name, and now that they are, I’m sure we’re all better off, right? Video

71. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip - Letter From God To Man
Even if the entire rest of the song was terrible, the lyrics would make up for it. Luckily that’s not the case, as Scroobius Pips beats are as good here as with any of the dynamic duo’s music, and that is nothing short of superb. However, it’s Dan Le Sac that shines here, as always. His tongue is one of the most overworked elements of his entire body, and I am certainly glad for it, as this song is full of fire and brimstone. It is exactly as it described; a ‘Letter From God To Man’ and God isn’t best pleased with us, and quite rightly so. “It was you that invented bombs, and the fear that comes with them, and it was you that invented money, and the corrupt economic systems, you invented terms like just-war and terms like friendly fire.” Listing this and many other atrocities that man has committed, and it’s fan-bloody-tastic. It’s so on point and so poignant, and so full of everything that is wrong in the world that it creates a clear and concise picture of exactly how fucked we all are. Beautiful. Listen/Lyrics

70. Take A Worm For A Walk Week - Whip It (Devo Cover)
Now, you may have noticed, but I’ve tried to keep covers out of this list so badly. I decided that I’d let one or two slip through. Sure, you could argue that Futureheads ‘Hounds Of Love’ was ‘deserving’ of a place, but I could argue “fuck you! It’s my bloody list!” And so, one of the best bands in Scotland, let alone Britain, Europe or the World, Take A Worm For A Walk Week are a stupendously good band. My dad is an absolutely huge Devo fan, but he bloody hates TAWFAWW. He said that he loved it, and as much it might sound crazy, this chaotic cover is exactly what Take A Worm For A Walk Week are like… well, maybe a little more mental. Anyway, it’s a perfect cover, it never looses the brilliance of the original or everything that makes TAWFAWW what they are. It’s superb. Listen

69. Paramore - Misery Business
Fuck the haters. Anyone who can’t see that Paramore are a Pop-Hardcore band are silly folk. Sure, It’s light on the heavy elements, but it still has the brilliant drums, guitar and bass working for it. It has a very confident swagger, something which Paramore earned from their first go on the album roundabout. It’s everything that makes Pop work with quite a few elements of Hardcore working for it too. It’s fun, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything it’s not. Perfect. Video

68. Reuben - Song For Saturday
Welcome back, Reuben. Reuben released their first album in 2004 and it was the best album I owned for years. This is, I feel, one of the best tracks on there. It’s down-tempo, which for it’s surroundings was little odd for Reuben at the time. However, it paved the way for Reuben to expand their sound to more down-tempo numbers, which became a staple of Reuben albums from then on. The lyrics for me, are some of the best that Reuben ever put out, and the album was never off my CD player for months on end. It’s a song that means a great deal to me and thus, it’s place here is more than deserved, it’s earned. Listen here

67. Taking Back Sunday - Make damn sure
Ever since I heard this song I was in love with it. It’s a brilliant song with fantastic pop elements that play on all of the best elements of TBS’s signature sound. Lazzara’s vocals are at their best here, giving out all the emotion he can muster. From their final album with Fred Mascherino, for me the definitive TBS line up, this was the best song that they ever made together and Mascherino’s rasping vocals boost Lazzara’s to be exactly where they need to be. If anything this song is proof that without Fred, Taking Back Sunday are not worth the time. Video

66. Finch - Worms of the Earth
When Finch hit out with ‘Worms Of The Earth’ I was taken aback by the sheer visceral sound that I was hearing. It was purely different from anything that they had recorded previously and was truly a fantastic step on the road to their second album and the self-titled EP. It blows out of your speakers with pure ferociousness and spits fireballs into the eyes of kittens. It’s that fucking crazy, and it’s the best song they’ve ever cultivated from the ground up. Superb.


65. Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc
Are you going to sit there, and tell me this wouldn’t be in your list? No. You’re not. Gorillaz collaboration with De La Soul was much better than I had ever hoped it would be, as this song gets better with every listen. Everything about it creates an eerie sound that is undeniably creepy yet endearing; the thumping bass, the laughter, the human whisper beatbox, the low-emotion Damon Albarn on vocals. It’s bloody good, innit? Video

64. Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
This song is so stripped back it’s almost not a song. But it is. It’s basically only got vocals running through a keyboard which distorts the output, and that’s it. It’s amazing, though. ‘Hide And Seek’ has been used in a lot of TV and films, so it’s clear I’m not the only person who thinks it. Imogen Heap’s vocals are usually pretty damn unique without the added vocal effects, but here they shine brighter than ever before, and the song immerses you almost entirely in a wash of beautiful sound. It’s god damn wonderful. Listen

63. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
Killswitch Engage have a habit of writing immensely brutal riff and pairing them with incredibly melodic singing vocals. Here, it works better than ever, acting almost as a question and answer session between Howard Jones on vocals and the rest of the band. I fucking love it. It really is Killswitch Engage at their very best, with every player in the band in the best of their element, and what more can you want from them? Video

62. My Chemical Romance - I'm Not Okay (I Promise)
Let’s face it, this is one of the best pop songs that the Noughties produced. My Chemical Romance stepped out from the shadows on their second album and wowed absolutely everybody by releasing this incredibly upbeat song, even if the lyrics are what they are. With it’s queen-esque solo, a bursting teenage ambition and rock n roll swagger to boot, ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ is just an incredible bit of songwriting. Video

61. Billy Talent - Red Flag
Billy Talent have always been very good. Only here, they’re better. It’s ferocious, it’s anthemic, it’s chaotic, it’s angsty and it’s full of fucking bass. They’ve always been able to capture their live sound very, very well, and this is not only no different, it’s the best example of it. I may not have ever had as much fun at a gig as I did at the Billy Talent gig when they played this. I had went to see the support, Reuben, but found myself pulled into the crowd of the main show. It was a highly enjoyable evening, and the response to this song was exquisite. If you could bottle it, it’d be priceless. Video

60. Hundred Reasons - I'll Find You
Oh wait, I think I just lied about that last one there. Every time I’ve ever seen Hundred Reasons has been the most fun I’ve had at gigs… maybe. Well, that’s because of songs like this. It’s so energetic and gets you so pumped up that you can’t help but jump up and down to it! I’ve seen HR quite a few times over the years, and I always manage to have fun, cept for that time I got my wallet stolen, but that wasn’t their fault. Anyway, they are champs as this kind of energetic music. At least, they used to be… Video

59. Million Dead - To Whom It May Concern
It took me longer than it should have to originally warm up to Million Dead, but once I had there was no cooling me down. Except, it took me really fucking long, and I only got to see them live once, at their last ever Glasgow gig. Sigh. Anyway, this is one of their best songs. It’s full of brilliant lyrics and excellent guitar/bass/drums. But what’s really good about this song is the ending. It does a bit of a fake ending, and we already know how much I love those. It then comes in like a summer hit with a chorus of dispirit workers screaming to be heard “I’m only working here, cos I need the fucking money!” It’s beautiful. Video

58. Biffy Clyro - Saturday Superhouse
I think I and anyone else who watched T in the Park highlights last year, almost got sick of hearing the opening riff from this song. However, it’s so bloody good it prevailed that, and the song itself is a bloody brilliant one. The riff itself, the chorus, the fact that it’s Biffy Clyro, who tend to not ever go wrong, at least on singles. It’s great and it’s lovely and poppy too. Video

57. Sikth - Scent of the Obscene
And now for something completely different… This was the first thing I think anybody who has heard of Sikth heard. For one thing, it definitely leaves a lasting impression. Quintessential Sikth, ‘Scent Of The Obscene’ came out of nowhere to be one of the best damn songs I heard in that year. Everything that can be off kilter is, yet the noise you’d expect from that kind of statement isn’t as messy as all that. It’s all structured so well, and Sikth themselves are just a brilliant mix of musicians that it never fails and it never ever gives up. Sounding a bit like a horse with 9 legs, Sikth race to the finish, which happens to be an exploding sun, all while staying pretty melodic and bringing in a bloody brilliant chorus. Well done, Sikth! Video

56. Andrew WK - Party Hard
Hands down, the best fucking party song ever created by any person ever. The man, the myth, the legend; Andrew WK. What a fucking genius. Clearly went a bit sideways with the solo piano album, but everything else is just a blinding fun time, innit?


55. The Bled - My Assassin
The Bled are a brilliant, underestimated little band. When they brought out ‘Pass The Flask’ I tended to think they were good, but too messy to make a great record. Thankfully, I was wrong. They were just messy enough to create ‘Found In The Flood’, an absolutely mesmerising album, which includes this brilliant song. It so captivates me that sometimes I can’t believe it’s even the same band. However, it is and this incredible song is more than enough proof of how damn good this band can be. Listen

54. Sigur Ros - Untitled (Njósnavélin)
I first heard this song on a brilliant little movie I absolutely loved called Vanilla Sky. I especially loved the soundtrack, which featured this brilliant song as it’s closing piece. Sigur Ros are known for making incredibly atmospheric music that puts every foot right, and this is no different. Maybe a little different, as it is high above most other music the band have produced. It’s got such a warm sound that washes over you, pulling you along with the current and taking you to a magical island full of light and sound. (How fucking pretentious was that, eh? True though.) Listen

53. Thrice - The Earth Will Shake
This is the first time I ever heard Thrice that I had to take a step back from the song for a minute and think long and hard. Before ‘Vheissu’ Thrice were a good post-hardcore band, there’s no doubt about that. However, upon releasing ‘Vheissu’ Thrice emerged as something altogether more interesting and evolved. They took their signature sound and brought it to the next level, and incorporated some incredibly interesting elements of musical history into the mix. For this particular song, Thrice mixed in an incredible section of chain gang chant choruses that took the song, and in fact the entire album to a higher level than I thought they would ever have achieved. It’s one that they have continued since, and I am more than happy to watch them bloom with every album. Listen

52. *Shels - The Conference Of The Birds
On Hear New Music 002 I said “This one was on a Rock Sound CD, where I was first introduced to the band, and sat in awe as I listened, then replayed it at least twice, before using my hard earned cash to import this album on Amazon. Incredible song and album.” I feel exactly the same now as I did then. *Shels have proved their worth by continuing to appear in my CD player over and over again. Bloody superb. Listen

51. No Comply - A Waking Dream
This epic album closer from No Comply is a perfect reason to get into the band. Not only did they marry Hardcore with Ska music in the best example possible of Ska-core, but they also weren’t afraid to take a few risks with it too. Giving this song, already a superb song at 3-4 minutes, an extra 4 minutes of experimentation and intense build up was a stroke of genius, and it more than deserves a place here in the list. They bring in the one thing that makes Post-Rock not just Ambient Rock; the build-up. Start low, take a long period of time, and build up slowly over time, until a massive eruption of music finishes it off with style. No comply do it wonders here. Listen

Top 50 soon, folks!
Carl