The best 250 songs of the noughties: 3-1

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Finally. It's taken a while to get here but I'm glad I stuck it out. So without further stalling, here are my top three songs of the Noughties.

3. Johnny Cash – Hurt

The Noughties in music had its fair share of losses, but not many come close to the death of Johnny Cash. After almost 50 years and 96 albums, his career was already pretty incredible. In the nineties Cash slowed down, and in comparison to his nine album releases in the eighties, he only released four. However, it was the start of a project that Cash would find to be his last. In 1994 Johnny Cash released ‘American Recordings’, produced by Rick Rubin. It became the first in a series of 6 albums that would chart from then until his death in 2003, with two released posthumously. The albums consisted of songs by Cash, but also covers of songs by a range of different artists including Leonard Cohen, Glenn Danzig, Soundgarden, Beck, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (Will Oldham), U2, Depeche Mode, Hank Williams, The Beatles, Gordon Lightfoot, Hank Williams and, of course, Nine Inch Nails.

Trent Reznor admitted that he was initially "flattered" but worried that "the idea [of Cash covering "Hurt"] sounded a bit gimmicky," but when he heard the song and saw the video for the first time his feelings changed; “I pop the video in, and wow… Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps… Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore… It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning — different, but every bit as pure.”

Reznor’s original is taken to be about struggling with a drug addiction and the numbness to pain that comes with it. Johnny Cash, took that original sentiment and turned it into a song about old age. At first, that may seem like a step backward, but the emotion and true hurt in his version of the song is felt with every word. Rubin accentuates every moment of the song incredibly, using the chorus as a build up to an eventual end. For me, the song is perfect, and it gets to me every single time. It is a truly magnificent song.

2. Arcade Fire - Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)

When I originally heard Arcade Fire’s album, I didn’t get it. By the second listen, I was tapping my foot along to the beat. By the third listen I was humming along. By the fourth listen I was dancing about the living room, wondering where this album had been all my life. ‘Funeral’ was a revelation, with every track brilliant in it’s own right, but the album taking on a life of it’s own. It’s a celebration packed up in wonderful music that is fuelled by emotion that is, in it’s own way, entirely life-affirming. Neighbourhood #1 is, of course, the best of the bunch. Never wanting to single out any song from this album, I would always make sure to listen to the album in full, but no song filled me with such warmth and love as the opening track. It swells as it pulls you in with a child-like wonder, wondering what is this treat you have before you, and with you thinking of ways to prolong the feeling for as long as possible.
It’s incredible sound is definable to this album and no other, giving it a sense of identity unique, which I will always associate with my family home. As Ian Cohen wrote at pitchfork, "Will there ever be another album like Funeral?... something tells me that as music becomes even more readily available to us in the next decade, we'll still go through it all in the hopes we can find something with the unifying force and astounding emotional payload that only albums like Funeral can provide."What’s more, the incredible guitar sound, the lovely warm vocals, the perfect piano, the perfectly attuned bass, and the ghostly but lively chorus of vocals make it an entirely gorgeous song; One which always has a place in my, and many other music fans hearts, forever.

1. Reuben - A Short History Of Nearly Everything

This is it. It’s my number one song of an entire chunk of my life. Possibly of my whole life, considering how short it has been so far. Reuben have been one of the most important influences on my musical taste that without them, I may not even have been doing this list. Since 2002, the band has impacted my ears on many occasions, with three albums, twelve singles, and two EPs. Starting with the ear-latching single ‘Stux (Tell Me It’s Alright)’ I was immediately interested in the band, but until their next single ‘Let’s Stop Hanging Out’ I would remain a outside observer of the Reuben fanbase. When it came out, I was hooked and I yearned for more, as were many fans, but it would be two years until their debut album ‘Racecar is Racecar Backwards’ was released. Upon that release I began my tradition of heading to the Fopp in Glasgow to pick up a copy of their album on the day of it coming out.

I was flabbergasted at how good it was. I would again be flabbergasted a year later when their follow up was just as good. When their third album 'In Nothing We Trust' came out, I was shocked. Not because it was bad, but because it beat my idea of what it would be and what it could sound like by a million. It was their finest album, and as they say, you always save your best for your last. Not only was their final album their best, but the last song on this release was ‘A Short History Of Nearly Everything’, my number one song of the noughties.
Everything is perfect. It has probably the best lyrics that Jamie Lenman ever wrote, Jon Pearce’s bass-line is at it’s finest, and Guy Davis’ drums were at their peak. Not to mention that Sean Genockey is the finest producer the band ever worked with, as he made sure every moment was as crystal clear as a lucid dream, cementing the album’s effect on it’s fans. The build up is incredible, the break-down better and the finale is outstanding; something I think I captured better in my Definitive top 25 of Reuben “This one is my personal favourite. It starts with this huge lumbering bass riff, and slowly brings the other instruments in, ready to charge forward with the great intensity that Reuben fans can expect by the end of the third album. As Reuben do so well, they show great emotion and burgeoning passion for their music, especially in this song, with piano taking the lead for a while, before the song breaks down to complete silence, only to explode into a chasm of wonderful storytelling and sound. Essentially, the song is about a time when Jamie and a friend climbed a big hill, and had a great day doing it, but it feels like so much more. Even Barry Ronayne agrees stating, “It’s one of the best songs to close an album that I've heard.” He also states that on more than one occasion, the song gives him “chills”. I know that feeling.”

Take note friends, I don’t think it gets better thank this.
Goodnight.
Carl.

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 10-4

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10. Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
And now for something completely different. For most people, Bright Eyes almost seemed to appear out of nowhere when this single was released. Little did they know that Conor Oberst was a hard-working musician for more than a decade already. Who knows whether it was something specifically about this song or whether it was just his time to bloom from indie hit to big time star. For me, this song was just everything I needed to get interested in Bright Eyes. It was all here; brilliant sentiment, lovely guitar sound, incredible bass, and the rest were just left alone. That was enough. And within, they created one of the best love songs that has ever and will ever exist. It marks the beginning of my top ten here, because I listen to it and feel my heart swell. I just threw up a little in my mouth, but it’s true.

9. System Of A Down - B.Y.O.B.
Right from the first moment I heard ‘B.Y.O.B’ I got it. It had an entirely serious point, but because of its feel-good pop chorus it would reach a wide audience. But it wasn’t just a gimmick; it was perfect. It was easy to dance to, but it was also easily the most chaotic thing that System Of A Down had done in the noughties. In using this combination, it made sure not to alienate fans while also appealing to new fans while it spread it’s message. Even if you were to forget all that though, it’s simply a furiously fast and thumping song that uses it’s heavy sections to equally balance out it’s pop sections, and does it in such a way that felt fresh and new. It brought something to the System Of A Down table, which was already pretty diverse, involving eastern European styles and tones in metal. System Of A Down may have split up now, and formed two bands who try to capture that signature sound elsewhere, but this will remain their finest hour in the spotlight, and rightly so.


8. CSS - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
I was never a big fan of electronic music at the start of the decade. It just didn’t really appeal to me. It’s not like I didn’t ever hear it either, with my parents playing it in its droves. Now, I don’t know when that changed, but if it hadn’t, this song wouldn’t even be in the list at all. It’s exactly the kind of thing I would ignore. Thankfully, it did change and it is here and I honestly think my life would have been a little bit worse if I hadn’t of let it in. ‘Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above’ is easily CSS’s best song, and it’s probably thanks to the incredible effortlessness of it’s sound. It’s the little choppy guitar which barely plays two notes; it’s the simple drum beat, it’s the little scratches that pop in and out of each ear; it’s the superbly attuned bassline; it’s the lovely swaying vocals; it’s definitely the heavy rock breakdowns; it’s everything about it. If there’s one thing that truly defines this song though, it’s the theremin. It’s eerily haunting tone sits just in the background of the track, but it defines the whole thing. Say I’m wrong. I dare ya.

7. Million Dead - Living The Dream
Million Dead meant and mean a lot of things to a lot of people. I had barely just gotten into them when they announced their intentions to split up after forthcoming tour. However, seeing them on that one incredible night at the Glasgow Barfly was enough, because I was hooked. It’s then that I realized the importance of ‘Living The Dream’. Every lyric is about brilliant music and what it means to people, and it surely has become something of a comfort to mourning Million Dead fans. It’s an incredible song, and it’s definitely Million Dead’s best. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t let them tell you themselves? “And every line that made me lose my reasoning, every chord that made my conscience ache, every sound a memory that's all I ever need, I always have a song inside my head.” This song seemed to define how I felt about the band as they split up, and still does today. If anything makes it harder to know they will never play live again, it’s those lyrics. Brilliant. Just Brilliant.

6. Reuben - Freddy Krueger
“The anthemic chorus and sing-a-long lyrics are so potent and evident that you can understand it being the biggest acclaim the band ever got, getting a huge amount of play on music channels, and even circulating the radio stations at high velocity. Of course, it’s just a song that shows Reuben are just fun at heart, a message that came through with every interview and live show they ever did.” Two years ago I ran a poll on the Reuben official forum after their ‘indefinite hiatus’ was announced, to find out just what were the definitive songs by the band. While this came in seventh, take that as no small thing, as the top ten was incredibly close and well fought. Freddy Krueger is catchy and infectious and as soon at it has you it won’t let go. From it’s big thunderous drums at the beginning, through it’s incredibly high-spirited choruses, to it’s hugely anthemic ending, it’s a winner. No wonder it sparked huge interest in the band, and built up their fanbase as quickly as you can say ‘This band is fucking great.’ Yeah, I think so too. Ahhhhh.

5. New End Original – Lukewarm
Ever since I heard this amazing little song on a Rock Sound cover CD, I was hooked on New End Original. I sent away for the CD and when it came I was graced with something completely different from what I was expecting. Where this was light, it was dark. Where this is pop, that was heavy. Where this was happy, that was sad. It was a huge thing for me at the time and it’s shaped my musical taste hugely. However, even this, the unshakably pop-punk single for this dark album had hidden darkness within. “People always tell me how happy I could be, I'm never gonna find out.” Still, the pop sensibility wins out here, with its incredible hook taking charge and leading the song like a victory march. It’s a song that means a lot to me, and it was also my first introduction to the incredible music by Jonah Matranga (Onelinedrawing, Far, Gratitude).

4. Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad
This song is huge to me. When I had heard rap or hip-hop music in the first half of the century it had always been Eminem or Dr Dre or something like that. So when I heard this for the first time, it was huge. It was so much more important than that ilk, and to be fair, a whole lot better too. No messing around at the beginning establishing who’s on the song, the beat or what year it is; just a simple ‘Yeah’ and we get thrown in the deep end, sink or swim. It dives right out of the speakers with every beat shaking your core, and simple backing music being entirely enough to get you moving. As for the incredible vocals? The lyrics themselves aren’t even fantastic, but it’s the rythym and pure speed that they are delivered at that is the most important thing. In truth, both Big Boi and Andre only have one verse each, but that’s all they need, they pack so much into that tiny amount of time that the last three minutes of a five-minute track are almost pure experimentation. Wailing guitars and turntables fly over the top of the beat for a bit before the whole thing descends to another level entirely and the whole song gets lifted up to somewhere completely new. It’s fantastic, so no wonder it made it to number one elsewhere on these fine internets of ours.


Only the top 3 now!
Carl

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 20-11

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20. Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple
Wow. When Gogol Bordello burst onto the music scene it was hard to conceive a band like this doing as well as they have done. In the wake of The Darkness being a mock-up of power-rock bands, could Gogol Bordello have been a mock-up of eastern European folk music? Whether they are or not is all now secondary, as the power and pure incredible fun found within their music is just undeniable. This is their serenading song and the single that launched them into the public eye. Rightfully so, as it packs a punch and is just incredibly fun and silly too. However, it is one song of many impressive songs, and thankfully Gogol Bordello are much more than one-hit-wonders.

19. Down I Go - Saparmurat Niyazov
While the band have been featured in magazines like NME and Kerrang! it’s safe to say that Down I Go may be a well kept secret. With their debut album ‘This is Disastercore’ storming through historical events with a new passion and flame for the terrible, terrifying and downright odd times in the past, their second album ‘Tyrant’ moved focus over to the terrible men who created many more awful situations. While songs focusing on Pol Pot, Joseph Stalin and George W Bush Jnr showed us the terrible in the world, ‘Suparmurat Niyazov really takes the biscuit. It’s this spectacularly odd and horrid man, I think, that lends itself to being a much greater song, inspiring Down I Go to write their best music surrounding him. After all, a man that leads his country to ‘Chew on Bones,’ ‘Shave your beard’ and build a ‘twelve metre high spinning’ statue of himself ‘made of gold’ which turns ‘to face the sun all day long’, is surely a man that inspires brilliant songwriting. This is evident here, in Down I Go’s crowning achievement. Listen

18. Anathallo - Don't Kid Yourself You Need A Physician
Having only heard this song from Anathallo, this could be a fluke. However, I would like to think not, as every second of ‘Don't Kid Yourself You Need A Physician’ fills itself with pure sunshine of stunning brilliance fuelled by a love for the warm sound of instruments. Every element of the song is perfect; the vocals are light and yet full of emotion, the backing vocals are a perfect accompaniment, the guitars are airy without being transparent, the bass is perfectly situated within the song and the drums are striking yet sedate. I haven’t even touched on the brass yet. It’s so warming and so uplifting, and every note fills me with a sense of energy and love. Put this all together and you have one of the greatest songs of the noughties, without an inkling of a shadow of a doubt. Inspired. Listen

17. The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
It’s hard not to be impressed with the Postal Service’s singular album. Every single moment is like driving home after a long trip, staring out of the window watching the world fly by. It’s one of those amazing times when your ears are highly receptive, and music like this is comes into its own. Each and every single blip and bloop of ‘Such Great Heights’ seems meticulously planned and caringly introduced to the song. The incredible electronic sound washes over you with intense warmth and blanketed soundscapes, when some people still argue that Electronic music is cold and unlovable. It can only mean one thing. They haven’t heard ‘Such Great Heights’. It’s a revelation.

16. 65daysofstatic - Retreat! Retreat!
Of course, not all electronic music is set to warm your heart with emotion. Some is meant to inspire explosions in your conscious and body. This is that very kind. Every single moment of this electronic fuelled post-rock experience is filled with superb love for the craft of the music which 65daysofstatic own as their own. ‘Retreat! Retreat!’ is from the band’s debut album and is as brilliantly crafted as it is chaotic, which sums up exactly what they were during that period. The fire in their bellies streamed out of their fingers and into their instruments. We, in turn, got to hear the various psychologically joy inducing sounds live and on CD and stood stunned as this incredible sound came from these boys. It’s an incredible song from an incredible album by an incredible band. What more is there to say?

15. Lostprophets - Last Train Home
I thought long and hard about which song from this album would make it high onto my list. When this album came out it was a revelation for a younger me, and while they further tarnish any hope I had in them with every succeeding album, I always return home to their first two superb works. Every single damn moment of ‘Start Something’ meant something to me and associates my memory with a good time. Before all that though, it was an album that I was dreading hearing, for the fear that it would never live up to it’s first single ‘Burn Burn’ or it’s predecessor ‘The Fake Sound of Progress’. I pressed play on my CD player and listened to every moment, and from that first listen, it was a favourite in my collection for years. Choosing one song to represent it though was an obvious choice when it came down to it, really, as ‘Last Train Home’ captured everything that the album meant to me. It was fun, reliable and still heavy. Most of all it conjured up feelings and memories inside me that far surpass any of the others.

14. Reuben - Return Of The Jedi
While I have waxed on about how important Lostprophets second album is to me, it still doesn’t match how important Reuben were to me throughout the decade. While their second album may have been slightly disappointing on first listen, it quickly grew on me. However, one song had always impressed me from first listen to last, without ever waning in my eyes. ‘Return Of The Jedi’ is an inspired, seven-and-a-half minute long behemoth of gigantean proportions. I don’t think I can say it any clearer than I did in my Top 25 Reuben article where the song reached number 1, so I won’t. “In truth (and the words of Dave Venom), it’s a song that “rages against the music industry with such venom”, while still keeping the Reuben upbeat pop sensibility, and utter lyrical grace. It’s Reuben at their most truthful, stating, “these here Helmet rip offs, they don't buy my lunch, so I will get a real job in the office, and I wont bother to make my music, and I wont bother to sing my songs”… Felix Carter explains, “the "Sure..." sung in the last seconds of the song, I always took to be a sarcastic retraction of the previous verse (“I wont bother to make my music”). As if he was so in love with music that it had become an indispensable part of him, and regardless of how poor he was, or unsuccessful, he could never give up music. It's an inspiring sentiment for any musician; now bathed in the twisted light of irony, given Reuben's decline.” What else is left to say?” Nothing, really, Carl of two years ago. Nothing at all… [Was only able to find a live video from their DVD 'What Happens In Aldershot Stays In Aldershot']

13. Battles – Atlas
If you have never experience Battles, you haven’t lived life. If you haven’t seen Battles live, I feel very sorry for you and your wonder-less existence. This band of aliens from another planet heard our music from a distant world and beamed down to show us what they did with it. Let me tell you, it’s inspiring. This seven-minute riot anthem is their crowning achievement and is full of wondrous riffs, vocals, bass, and most of all, drums. The drums in this song sound like a 4-armed man plays them; so thick and so beefy, yet so precisely executed. This is perfect for any party you attend; a club, a kids birthday, the inauguration of a president, a birth or a death. Put this on, everybody be lovin’ it. Try at it your next convenience. Listen [below is the Radio-edit length video]

12. Anthrax - Safe Home
A song title that has become synonymous with parting friends in my circle, ‘Safe Home’ is an excellent song. It’s pure metal energy and ferocious attitude perfectly offset the lovely notion of getting home safe. “You have always been my safe home” Keanu Reaves mimes in the video, and Anthrax sings on CD. Everything about this song is just right there, being brilliant; the vocals, the Drums, the bass and the guitars? Oh, the guitars. The solos here cry out to be heard and are perfectly situated within ‘Safe Home’ giving the song an oomph factor above any of the other Anthrax tunes. To call it anything less than essential music from the noughties would be to do it and yourself a disservice.

11. A Wilhelm Scream - The King Is Dead
Officially, this has the best intro to any song ever. That could be an over-exaggeration, why don’t you have a listen and tell me what you think? Oh, you agree. Exactly! It’s as epic as it gets and the dirty little secret is… it’s Hardcore! No-one does it, at least not in this generation of hardcore. It’s something so hard to find and it something that is unique to A Wilhelm Scream. The epic-etude continues for the whole 3 minutes of fast, potent music and absolute wonderful guitar mastery. Everything comes together here so damn well and there is no better way to open up your album than with something this damn good.


Top 10 very soon!
Carl

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 75-51

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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

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 100-76

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

100. Reuben - Shambles (Long Version)
I think I said it well enough on my Top 25 Reuben article… “When the Pilot EP came out back in 2001, the band named Angel had just decided to change their name to Reuben. On that EP, for the first 100 copies anyway, a two minute long song called Shambles graced the ears of fans, and they were intrigued. A rumour started to float around that the band were going to put a bigger, longer version of it on the EP, but the studio time ran out, and the short, two minute version was added instead. For years, Reuben fans cried out to hear the long version, and in 2008, they got their wish. The re-recorded song was much more in depth and showed Reuben’s progression as a band to the fullest extent, bursting with a kind of unrealised brilliance. Just before Reuben were laid to rest, their final song showed them at perhaps their most alive.” Listen

99. Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
As soon as I heard this huge song shout ‘GO!’ I could not get it out of my head. It’s fucking furious and beltingly fast, but still has such a ridiculously brilliant melodic and anthemic chorus. Not to mention an incredible drum-line leading the whole song. It’s one of the best songs that Alexisonfire have ever delivered and in fact, every album they put out seems to beat the previous one, with their latest certainly being their greatest. This is a fine example of why, and if you haven’t heard them in a few years, it’d be a good idea to give this one a shot. It’s a superhero. Video

98. Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without The E
Gong way back in Taking Back Sundays history can be a very good idea. On their first album, there weren’t a lot of great songs, but this was one of them. So good, in fact, it remains one of their best 3 albums later. It’s fast and catchy, it’s got a brilliant string of vocals that can be brilliant to join in with. Everything that Taking Back Sunday do well, they do it best here. Video

97. The Holiday Plan – Stories
Nobody has heard of this band. If you have, you were probably one of the 20 people that tuned in to see MTV’s Breaking Point and saw The Holiday Plan go head to head with other bands to compete for Island to buy them up. Even if they didn’t win, it gave them a big launch as Island put out singles from each band. The double A-side single Stories/Sunshine was a stellar thing, both songs being awesome to the point of mind blowing. The Holiday Plan were just simply one of the best, most under-appreciated bands out there, and only their break-up and subsequent reformation hurt their career more than their small following. A brilliant band, a brilliant song. Just a shame they never released the recorded debut album. Sigh. Video

96. Million Dead - I Gave My Eyes To Stevie Wonder
As a one off single in-between albums one and two, you might expect ‘I Gave My Eyes To Stevie Wonder’ to be less than good. You’d be wrong, you nutter. To put it simply, Million Dead were one of the best bands of the noughties, and this is a perfect example of why. Frank Turner’s vocal prowess gave him command of a wonderful set of lyrics while some stellar guitar and bass harmony work gave the song it’s backbone and the drums gave it it’s legs. It’s a superb song and one which marries the thought of the song brilliantly with the video. Everything about it is just so darn good. It’s a wonderful song. Nobody puts baby in the corner.


95. Hundred Reasons - Casual Friday
Safe to say even if you have heard of Hundred Reasons, if you’re not a fan, you won’t know ‘Casual Friday’. As a B-side on their ‘Kill Your Own’ single, who really would? Me, that’s who. I went to all the fucking trouble of finding this, somehow, somewhere and making a playlist that led straight to it. Give it a go, eh? Listen

94. Beyonce - Crazy In Love (Feat Jay-Z)
Fuck sake, viewers, do I need to define everything for you? Here’s the 10-year old version of why it’s good. Eh… it’s got those good trumpet bits, and she sings dead good… I like the bits with the fire in the video too. That’s good. Here’s Rolling Stone: It “…roars out of the speakers on the strength of a propulsive horn sample and the charged presence of her pal, Jay-Z.” Good enough, you vultures?! Video

93. Misery Signals - Weight Of The World
If you don’t like your songs to be fucking loud, you won’t like this. Misery Signals are simply one of the best bands in their field right now. Their music is brutal, it’s got a lot of heart in it and it’s also a lot of fucking fun to listen. Somehow this man growling in your ear and the loud guitars and thundering bass and drums cheers me the hell up. Maybe it’s the melodic interludes that feature heavily in Misery Signals music that makes it work. Maybe it’s the sheer passion for the music that shoots out of the lads like lightening. Whatever it is, it works like a hellish little charm. Weight Of The World is the band at their most brutal, and is certainly a fine example of how to get it done. Listen

92. Rihanna - Umbrella (Feat Jay Z)
We’ve bounced from Hardcore to Pop to Metal and now were back at Pop again! I don’t think anyone can deny that this song is worthy of entry. It’s so perfect, yet so simple. You’ve got Drums and you’ve got Rihanna. And then a bit of synth for effect. And a bass hit here and there. But that’s about it. Add the unbeatable chorus line, and the lovely little sentiment and it’s perfect. It works wonders. Video

91. Funeral For A Friend - Recovery
This is officially the most danceable intro to ‘Emo’ music ever. Funeral For A Friend have had a good bunch of hits over the years, before becoming U2 anyway, so why did I pick this one as their best? Everything is here that you can find in their music; Brilliant chorus line, fantastic guitar work, superb song structure, a good dash of pop power thrown in for good measure. Listen

90. Brand New - Jude Law And A Semester Abroad
While Brand New are more concerned with writing ridiculously moody music (however fucking great it is) I still love the days when they were hateful little guys with pop brains. With lyrics perhaps on par with their hero of the time, Morrissey, Jude Law is perhaps one of their best songs from their debut album. Whether it’s “So here's a present to let you know I still exist; I hope the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips” or “And even if her plane crashes tonight she'll find some way to disappoint me, by not burning in the wreckage or drowning at the bottom of the sea,” it’s clear that he has a distinct dislike for a certain somebody. That dislike fuels the lyrics, clearly, but the music itself seems to oppose it, seemingly much more happy than the spit out words would have you believe. It’s a perfect combination; even if doesn’t sound like it here. Video

89. 65daysofstatic – Awaitrescue
65daysofstatic are an incredible band. This is an incredible song. It’s post-rock. But it’s more than that. It’s post-electro, if you will. Enjoy it; I think if I said any more I’d ruin it. Listen

88. Blakfish - Jeremy Kyle Is A Marked Man
A relatively young band compared to it’s companions here, Blakfish are hot off the press. This song was featured not long ago on Hear New Music 002, so since I’m having a hard time not saying ‘They have a Big Scary Monsters type sound’ I’ll see what I wrote back then. “This is the other headlining band from the Tubelord gig I was at. Boy, that was a night to remember. Their set was great and had an incredible ending too. The three members of tubelord ran on during the last song, stole to instruments from everyone but the drummer, and proceeded to play the end of the song, while Tubelord ran around the 13th note starting pits and jumping on tables. Great gig, and this song is great too. Their a little heavier live, but that is no bad thing!” Again, I avoided it there, but did I really say much about the song? Fuck did I. Oh well, It’s a great wee pop song. Get it in yer mind-grapes. Listen | Download Big Scary Monsters compilation

87. Queens Of The Stone Age - You Think I Ain't Worth A Dollar But I Feel Like A Millionaire
There is nobody who doesn’t love this song. If you say you don’t, you’re lying. It’s the intro to Queens Of The Stone Age’s best ever album ‘Songs For The Deaf’, and it might well be the best track one of the whole noughties. Coming straight out of your speakers like an off road 4x4, it’s blasts suckers left and right, before doing a fake ending and blasting more suckers after it. It’s a fucking beast of a riff, do it now. (Watch out, song doesn't start til two minutes in) Listen

86. Bayside - I And I
Am I the only person who likes Bayside? Answers on a postcard. Chiefly, Bayside may just be the best band signed to Victory Records. Admittedly, that wouldn’t be hard, but they are still a brilliant band. This song shows just exactly why that is. Listen

85. Devil Sold His Soul - Like It's Your Last
This behemoth stands at seven minutes and thirty seconds. Every single second is filled with incredible music. It’s somewhere between ridiculously heavy Metalcore and Post-rock. It’s something that, if you had asked me about it years ago, I would have laughed it off as a terrible fucking idea. However, this is a perfect example of how stupid I am. It’s a brilliant song and looses no brilliance from either genre to create something new. It’s something that, in small parts, has been pulled off well by a number of bands; most notably Misery Signals and Architects, to varying degrees. It’s a very interesting challenge at first, but as seen here, it definitely pays off. Listen

84. Sikth - Bland Street Bloom
Sikth were an incredible band. They were ridiculously heavy, very techy and incredibly singular. If you heard a Sikth song, you knew it was a Sikth song. ‘Bland Street Bloom’ is one their best from their second and last album ‘Death Of A Dead Day’. Every single person in the band was an integral cog in a stupendously awesome machine; Foord’s drums were unbeatable, Pin and Weller’s guitars were crazed killer riffs, Leach’s bass was indefeasible, and Mikee and Justin’s double-teaming vocal chaos is what made the whole thing worthwhile. Live and on CD, Sikth were and are a force to be reckoned with, and any band contemplating a career in Metal should strive to be half as good as these giants of the genre. Video

83. Mastodon - Blood and Thunder
If someone had said to you “Oh yeah there’s an album that’s based on the book Moby Dick,” you’d back away slowly for fear that they’d play the entire prog-opus to you. Luckily for you, it’s by Mastodon, and while they may have moved into more Prog territory of late, ‘Leviathan’ is a bloody huge awesome metal album. The musicianship is, as always, fucking fantastic, and really helps you feel like you are on a big bloody ship. The lyrics too, have strong grounding in the book, and actually sound like the most Metal fucking lyrics ever. “Split your lungs with blood and thunder, When you see the white whale, Break your backs and crack your oars men, If you wish to prevail.” Mastodon pulled it off and with pure style. ‘Blood And Thunder’ stands out as their finest track not only on this album but of their whole collection.



82. The Killers - All These Things That I've Done
I really fell out of favour with the Killers. Not least because they only had about 3 good songs on their first album, and none on any follow up. However, doing this list made me re-think my decision to ostracize them from my ears, and while I can never forgive ‘Mr Brightside’ or ‘Somebody Told Me’ which I think I’ve heard enough of for 10 lifetimes, ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ shines like a diamond in the dirt. It’s a wonderful little song, and it still holds a little place in my heart. Video

81. Every Time I Die - Ebolarama
What a fucking beast of a song. It’s got a kind of swagger that I think only Every Time I Die can really pull off in hardcore music. It’s big, it’s shouty and most of all it’s fucking fun. What more, could you possibly, ever, want? Video

80. The Futureheads - A To B
This is the third and final Futureheads song to make the list, so it must be obvious by now that they are a fantastic little band. This much is true. This song is their best, too. Funny that. Listen

79. The Coral - Dreaming Of You
While I think that everything else this band has ever done has been a big pile of shite, it’s impossible to deny that ‘Dreaming Of You’ is worthy of inclusion here. It’s a brilliant little pop song that has a fantastically little dark edge to it. It’s got a great hook, and the band’s playing is never called into question. Not to mention the incredible vocals and lyrics. Working together they create a little heartfelt vision that perfectly pushed the song to be this damn good, and up to that point, their best performing single. Video

78. Justin Timberlake - My Love ft T.I & Timbaland
Christ almighty. You’d probably have been sitting there thinking “Where the fuck is JT?!” This is the first non-guest appearance of Justin on the list, and it’s well deserved to be this high. Everything about it is just perfect. It’s got a brilliant beat (Thank you Mr Timbaland), it’s Justin Timberlake singing at his very, very best and it has a slightly eerie appearance of a singing lady just in the distance. This combination gives us JT’s best single to date, and a fucking brilliant song to boot.



77. Queens Of The Stone Age - No One Knows
‘No One Knows’ is just brilliant. Dave Grohl’s drumming is a masterclass in brilliant drumming, innit? You know the song. You know the brilliance. Video

76. Saves The Day - At Your Funeral
This is a lovely little song. I always liked this song ever since I heard it, again, on Gonzo after a day of school. It took me ages to actually get into anything else by the band however, but this song has always remained a staple of my Mp3 player, and numerous mix CD’s. It’s brilliant every time I listen to it; it feels like a journey from beginning to end. From life to death, the song breathes and lives only to come to a final resting place at the end of the song. I absolutely love it. Video

Next part soon folks!
Carl

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 125-101

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

125. Between The Buried And Me - Ants Of The Sky
Snatching this song from the middle of ‘Colours’ is almost criminal, as with the album Between The Buried And Me have created their best yet. It’s complex and it’s fluid, and it’s also not afraid to try some daring moves in the middle of Metalcore that most would deem ‘suicide’. Just listen to 11:20 for a perfect example. Yes, eleven minutes and twenty seconds into the song, which itself is a mere thirteen minutes long. Don’t worry, not a second is wasted, and every one is brimming with fantastic love for the craft and intense musicianship. Well, guitar wanking. There’s that. Listen (in two parts!!)

124. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Rumours of The Avalanches split have been greatly exaggerated, and while they only have one album in their repertoire, what an album it is. As ‘Since I Left You’ demonstrates, it’s a wonderful thing that they have done. In this age of worry about our planets resources and looking for reusable resources, The Avalanches have already found one! Taking thousands (3,500 to be exact) of samples, they crafted this album with such love and care that you wouldn’t even know that it was recycled! It’s a lovely song, with a lovely tone, and it will lighten up anybody’s day. Lovely.


123. The Futureheads - Think Tonight
Whoa! Completely unexpectedly, The Futureheads decided to stop being a post-punk band for a song, three albums in, and decide that the way Andrew W.K. and Kiss do things is much better. It’s fast, it’s charging and it’s anthemic and it’s got an absolutely inspired guitar riff that leads the whole track into being brilliantly fantastic. Lead them in, boys. Listen

122. Slipknot - Before I Forget
Do you want to hear one of the best, award-winning Metal songs of the decade? Here you go then. A chaotic riff that thunders along taking no prisoners; an aggressive man shouting words like ‘I’; A drummer so good he’s… eh… great. Look what do you want? It’s the best song Slipknot has ever written and they’ve written some bloody good metal songs. No question about it! Video

121. Thrice – Firebreather
The first track from The Alchemy Index, and of the first of four disks, this one named ‘Fire’. It was a huge leap from where they were to what they became across these four disks, but as any fan of Thrice should, we had faith that they would prevail. Little did we know they’d release one of the best collections of songs for the entire decade. ‘Firebreather’ is Thrice at their most energetic and adrenaline-fuelled with one of the best, and most simplistic riffs ever. With a hint of Post-metal driving them forward, Thrice took their Hardcore sound to a new level of experimentation, an idea that continued throughout the 24 songs, albeit with varying genres. With this, Thrice show just how good a band they are. Listen

120. Killswitch Engage - My Last Serenade
Looking for more ridiculously good metal? Welcome back, traveller. It’s nice to see you. Not only was this one of the themes of my youth, it also features some brilliant riffage that just doesn’t give up. Even at that, and with it’s heaviest points, it still resolves back to an amazingly melodical chorus that has become Killswitch Engage’s signature sound. We see Killswitch Engage 1.0 at their best here, with vocalist of the time Jesse Leach giving the song his all, and it really pays off. The melodic vocals are the songs charm, but the heavy growling vocals are made his own, with the emotional tone coming through on every line. It’s superb. Video

119. The Fall Of Troy - F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.
Originally released, slower and much less fun, as ’F.C.P.S.I.T.S.G.E.P.G.E.P.G.E.P.’ on the bands first album, ‘F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.’ is a re-imagining of a song that is probably best forgotten. Not only is it faster, but the more complex parts of the song are handled with much more ability than that of the original, and even a more ferocious vocal is encouraged. The whole song is a wonderful exercise in ‘guitar wankery lesson one: Tapping!’ which in truth is part of the songs charm. It’s tapping is relentless, but so deftly pulled off that even if the song were terrible, it’s still an impressive feat. Luckily, that’s not the case. Video

118. Architects - You Don't Walk Away From Dismemberment
I’m sorry, you were looking for really heavy Metal? Oh! Here you are! As the title may suggest, this band are fucking brutal. The guitar work is brilliant (another lesson in tapping here), the bassist is even in on it, and the drummer is the sort of man you’d be jealous of even if you’d never wanted to be a drummer ever. Over the top of this, you have an incredible vocal talent by the name of Matt Johnson, who has since left the band toiling in the wake of their incredible first album, feeling much less inspired. The sound, altogether is much heavier than anything so far, but also includes guitar work that almost floats onto Post-Rock. It’s a lovely thing to hear in Metal, long may it continue. Listen

117. City And Colour - Sometimes (I Wish)
Let’s bring the tone down a bit. I love this man. His words are lovely, his voice is lovely, his guitar sound is lovely, he writes incredibly powerful songs and he has a lovely beard. What more can you want from a man? This acoustic giant shows off his best emotional chops here as his song asks many questions, leaving without any answers being given, much in the way we all feel sometimes. Bloody Lost! But seriously. He’s a delight to listen to. Get on it, folks. Listen

116. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Setting Fire to Sleeping Giant
And now, back up to the insane metal folks! Hello! Nice to have you back! So, really heavy, really riffy, really melodic, none of that did it for you? Okay, how about Jazz? Come back! D.E.P. are almost indefinable. Their music is as pop and jazz as the rest of them, but they are undeniably a metal band. Their vocalist has one of the most interesting voices in music, which is always a great thing when you replace Mike Patton isn’t it? Even they know they’re close to pop, having covered ‘Like I Love You’ by Justin Timberlake like pros! This song is their best, and most interesting, and showcases everything they are good at. Boom.


115. Lostprophets - The Fake Sound of Progress
When I was a young’n, Lostprophets didn’t sound like some shiny new dickheads. They sounded like ambient fucking metal. It’s a huge difference, and even although their first step to their clean image (‘Start Something’) was their best album, this is a very close second. It’s heavy and poppy in equal measure, which is it main charm. It also features a bloody good wee beatdown section. You want more? Read pitchfork! Listen

114. Goldie Lookin Chain - Guns Don't Kill People Rappers Do
Can I even explain my affinity for this song? No, not really. It’s got a good beat, it’s lyrically tight and it’s fun. What do you expect from a comedy record? I expect this, and I got it. Listen

113. Reuben - Let's Stop Hanging Out
While ‘Stux’ may have been the first song I heard by Reuben, it’s fair to say that ‘Let’s Stop Hanging Out’ is when I got hooked on them. Reuben are a band that continually created interesting, fun, emotional and just plain brilliant music all throughout their career. It is highly evident here that Reuben were higher than their peers in terms of songwriting, leaving bands like Hell Is For Heroes and Hundred Reasons dead in their wake. It’s charged and it’s got a fucking incredible drummer behind the kit. Get on it. Video

112. Jenny Owen Youngs - If I Didn't Know
Ah, Jenny. I’m not exactly sure how I stumbled across your website, but when I did, you had only released a 4 track demo. I loved it so much that I sent off for your debut album as soon as it came out, and I instantly fell in love with that too. Now, while your second album may have lost a little of the charm of the first, there are still some fucking stellar tracks on there. Some of which I loved from the moment you finished playing them live at King Tuts. ‘If I didn’t know’ is one of those very songs, and the recorded version is everything I loved about the live version and more. What a brilliant song it is. Video

111. Pendulum - Propane Nightmares
Go on. Deny that this is a fucking choon. Do it. You can’t. You need no convincing. End. Video

110. The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love
I thought by this point that The Darkness’s first album may have fallen out of favour with me, but every time it comes on I just love it. It’s hard to deny that, while it had a very silly air, they weren’t great songs. I certainly can’t. I remember seeing them open the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury before they had even released ‘Permission To Land’ and just being utterly flabbergasted by everything. Firstly, the size of the crowd was immense, as big as it would be all day. Secondly, the performance was incredible and they were one of the best of the weekend. Thirdly, this joke band had come fucking great songs! ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ is a fucking great song, and while they may have fallen into obscurity and drug holes it remains as such forever more. Video

109. Fall Out Boy - Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Fall Out Boy confused me. I never thought they were very good. Then I heard a couple of singles from their album ‘Infinity On High’ and ran out and bought it, because they were brilliant. Then I heard some songs from the follow up and immediately revoked my decision to like them, because they had went back to being not very good. However, ‘Infinity On High’ retains it’s worthy spot in my CD collection, as it is packed full of superb songs, ‘Thnks Fr Th Mmrs’ being one of the best. It’s perfectly pop, with just the right amount of Punk and swing thrown in for the best effect. Genius! Video

108. Britney Spears – Toxic
This is probably one of those songs that I just had to admit to liking. Britney Spears singles career has been atrociously bad. Whether it’s over the top fluff like ‘…Baby One More Time’ or sentimental hogwash like ‘Lucky’ or ‘Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know’ it’s pretty much been awful. Okay, you could probably argue it’s not really directed at me, but I don’t care. If the general public can look at alternative music with a musing eye, I must be able to do the same here. When all’s said and done, the girl has had a small few stellar songs. ‘Toxic’ has it all. It’s perfect to dance to, it has incredible production value, a chorus to die for and most importantly of all, a brilliant hook. Listen

107. Frank Turner - The Real Damage
I heard this song, what seems like, decades ago. Of course, it wasn’t, but I feel like I’ve known it for a long, long time. It’s a brilliant song, one which shows Mr Turner’s strengths to a huge degree. It’s lyrically rhythmic, while keeping the story flow up but it also features a brilliant musical accompaniment. After Million Dead had split, I thought that Frank Turner’s days of putting pen to paper and writing intensely good songs had been halted. ‘The Real Damage’ shows just how wrong I was. Video

106. The Lost Patrol - Alright
Another song that I can’t remember never existing, ‘Alright’ is a lovely song. The love that has went into the song can be felt with every instruments involvement. In fact, coming from a similar background as Frank Turner, Dennis Lyxzén has a musical mythology steeped in hardcore, yet has used the break up of his hardcore band to focus on more acoustic, folk-driven music. However, in Lyxzén’s case, it’s rather more miss than hit. ‘Alright’ is the exception to the rule. Video

105. Eminem - Stan (Feat. Dido)
How could I possibly have a list of the best songs of the Noughties and not include Eminem? I could have, actually, but I’d have been lying to myself. Strip back the ego, strip back the video, strip back everything you know about it and just listen. The constant patter of rain on the ground is an eerie yet familiar sound, but it more than adequately fulfils its role of making the song real. Eminem’s flow here is a masterstroke, and the lyrics are astoundingly held back. He’s always had an acerbic tongue, and he could have used every spiteful, hateful phrase in his mind to get the story across. Instead, he paints a picture that is unmistakeably devouring. The simple bassline accompanied by simple drums is, simply perfect. Any more and the song would loose it’s point. Not to mention Dido’s sample, which holds the whole song together in the eyes of a third player in the story. Let’s face it; it’s almost a masterpiece. Discuss. Listen

104. The Streets - Lets push things forward
When this boy first hit the ground running, the mass media referred to him as the British Eminem. Idiots. Although, the same rules apply here as above. It’s a simple beat; simple drums and simple bass with a little hint of organ hits and a lovely muted trumpet. It never feels empty, but always feels spaced out, enough so that every instrument has an individual voice and Mike Skinner can use the remaining space to be exactly what he is on every track on ‘Original Pirate Material’. Masterful. And with the lick of his sharp tongue, and Kevin Mark Trail’s wonderful chorus the song is complete. And superb, too. Video

103. Michael Jackson - You Rock My World
Michael Jackson had many troubles throughout his life, especially in the noughties. One of those was that he was never able to make his newer music live up to the classics of his youth. While ‘You Rock My World’ is obviously nowhere near as good as those classics, it stands up in its own right, and is truly a brilliant pop song. Full length Video

102. Weezer - Hash Pipe
Hello Weezer! I remember when this first came out. It was way back in the early noughties, and I loved it. It was a giant of Rock then and still is to this day. It has a very powerful riff that’s so simple it hurts, yet wields it like a champion’s sword. Beast. Listen

101. Eagles Of Death Metal - I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)
I’ve seen Eagles of Death Metal twice now, and they are one of the most fun bands I’ve ever seen live. The energy and ferocious rock n’ roll balls are just bursting out of every seam. It’s good then that it translates well on record, especially with this utter triumph of a hit. It’s an incredibly fun song, and it deserves to be played at every party held by anyone ever. The boy is, indeed, bad news.


Top 100 as soon as possible, folks!
Carl