The best 250 songs of the noughties: 10-4

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

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: 150-126

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

150. Linkin Park – Faint
Although, that being said, there’s nothing wrong with the most poppy of ‘Metal’ I’ve heard. Linkin Part aptly mix hip-hop and metal in a way no-one else has been able to accomplish, and while their first album may have been a bit pubescent in retrospect, their second album was full of club thumpers that stood their own in a Metal environment. ‘Faint’ is probably the best example, with great big riffs, soaring stings, a superb drum beat, excellent sampling and a cracking rap section.

149. Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
Do you remember when, do you remember when, this single came out? I do. Top Of The Pops was on it’s last legs and Gnarls Barkley did a slow-down version of Crazy which was superb, and showed that this song is brilliant even if you strip it down to it’s basics. The single itself just caught fire when it came out though, and it was a smash hit for Cee-Lo and Dangermouse, apparently one which was unprecedented, due to it being one of the first online singles which had no physical release to back it up. If you didn’t know about the single the previous week, you definitely knew about it the next week, as it was number one for seven weeks in a row. It’s a delight that the first digital sales only number one was crafted with such superb songwriting. Listen

148. Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles
I like pop, when it’s good. Someone much smarter than I said, “There are two kinds of music; good, or bad.” This falls into the ‘good’ category, and sometimes I think I must be nuts to have it here, but one word explains it. Choon. It’s poppy, it’s sappy, but it also has a bloody masterstroke on keys, along with super string-work that I would love to hear anywhere else. It also has a brilliant sentiment that echoes the inspired hit by the Proclaimers ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 miles)’ which is so damn good it was in the running to be the next Scottish national anthem! And for those reasons, I welcome it into the list. Listen

147. Jenny Owen Youngs - Keys Out, Lights On
You may not be familiar with the works of Ms. Young, but I’m telling you now, you should be. She has a lovely warming voice that keeps all her music incredibly toasty and enjoyable, yet her lyrics often trip into the dark, giving her music a deadly double edge. This is one of her lighter songs, and from the moment I heard the demo of the song, I was hooked. Whether it’s the simple arrangement, the lovely sound of Jenny Owen Young’s voice, the sparse yet varied instrumentation or the so-light-it’s-a-whisper drums or some combination of the above, the whole 5 minutes is worth soaking yourself in again and again. The icing on the cake, though? The superb trumpet solo, which is neither overbearing or cheap, but in fact warm and thick. [Can't find a listen link for this, just gonna need to take my word, or buy it.]

146. This Town Needs Guns – Baboon
I know I won’t need to convince Hear New Music readers of the incredible power that Big Scary Monsters has to find all the best damn bands in Britain and beyond, but for the others here is a fine example. This Town Needs Guns are a spectacular band who always seem to perform with energy without confusing it with noise (not that it’s a bad thing to do both, mind) in fact giving the music a sense of solemn emotion. It’s a tender mix and it would be very easy to blow with one note out of place, but with ‘Baboon’ as a perfect example, it’s clear that TTNG are incapable of doing so. What they are capable of, however, is creating brilliant music. Listen

145. Regina Spektor - On The Radio
I was never much of a fan of Regina Spektor’s music, and haven’t really been much interested in anything past this album either. But ‘Begin To Hope’ is a record with almost no faults, and ‘On The Radio’ is it’s biggest triumph. It’s a lovely little song that is brimming full of love for the craft of music and some great lyrics to go along with it too. And without sidestepping into comedy, it’s also a really fun and quirky little song. Video

144. System Of A Down - Boom!
It may have been discarded from the ‘Toxicity!’ album recording sessions, but it’s one of the many songs on ‘Steal This Album!’ that is entirely worthwhile in it’s own right. It’s energetic, it’s pointed, it’s big and it always has me second guessing System Of A Down’s decision to leave it off of ‘Toxicity!’. I’m definitely glad it got to see the light of day, along with the rest of the discarded record. Listen

143. The Ocean Fracture - Polaroid Intimacy
The Ocean Fracture have steadily degraded their sound over the years to be this incredible and rough sound we see here. They’re going to hate me for saying it, but they started as a post-rock band with some hardcore elements, most of which slowly took over their sound. Eventually progressing to become a post-hardcore band, The Ocean Fracture messed around with all three elements of the genres to create this unique and interesting band which ‘Polaroid Intimacy’ displays in full. It’s brash and discordant, but never without loosing a sense of melody and passion, with some small yet fantastically laid back sections keeping it all fresh. Listen

142. Hot Chip - Over And Over
Right, put your hands up if you would deny that this song is one of the best of the noughties. You didn’t put your hand up did you? So we’re agreed, you’re not a tit. It’s a perfect little dance track that keeps as interesting as it does odd. The whole songs has a gleam of dancibility, yet keeps an ambiguously dark tone behind it all giving the song many levels on which to impress you with. It works well in many situations where dancing is a factor; clubs, parties, loos. You know yourself, you can’t not tap a foot or dance along. It’s a wizard track. And I don’t mean ‘wizard’ as in ‘cool’ I mean ‘wizard’ as in ‘it has magical powers that will force you to dance whether you want to or not.’ Listen

141. Yourcodenameis:milo - All Roads To Fault
No matter how much I gloss over the majority of Yourcodenameis:milo’s back catalogue as ‘not bad’ I cannot deny this song has just such an immense power and ferocity that can’t be denied. While the whole song is pretty damn awesome, it’s all about the break down/build up at 1:40 that makes the whole thing worthwhile. Genius.


140. Thrice - Stare at the Sun
Thrice are pretty much me. When Thrice brought this out, I got really into them, and this was exactly the kind of music I liked the time. Anything Thrice had before this was kinda scrappy and only some of it was good, which is a bit like my taste in music before I got into this. Fast forward to Vheissu, they’re fourth album, which is more advanced and complex than before, and where my taste had grown to as well. Then, ‘The Alchemy Index’, which has big dollops of post-rock and electronica mixed in with hardcore and acoustic elements. Again, my taste exactly. It seems like Thrice have been looking at my last.fm account all these years and just catering to me. Back to the point, Stare at the Sun is a brilliant record, and probably the cream of my adolescent hardcore crop. Video

139. Sum 41 - We're All To Blame
I’ve always liked Sum 41, but when on their fourth album, they started to add elements of Metallica into their pop-punk style, and I was genuinely impressed. I mean, it wasn’t a progression by traditional standards, but in my book it was better, capturing a sense of anger and hardcore roots with some metal riffs. A better mix they never made, as they never kept it up, and the guitarist who was probably responsible for the change left the band, and they’ve become entirely boring since that time. So let’s raise a glass to a Pop-punk band on a major label coming out with a Metallica influenced fourth album (which obviously didn’t impress the execs) and naming it after a man who saved their lives, ‘Chuck’. Brilliant. Video

138. Lostprophets - Burn Burn
From moment one, I loved this bloody song. It came right out of left field that Lostprophets would drop their Metal edge for a more Hardcore-orientated sound that was a lot closer to Refused than Linkin Park. It’s safe to say that ‘Start Something’ means a hell of a lot to me, and it’s in no small part due to ‘Burn Burn’. Let’s give it some props; it’s energetic, it’s anthemic and it’s boisterous. Not to mention, it has a killer riff driving it, which is as simple as it is bangin'. Video

137. NOFX - Theme from a Nofx Album
I don’t think I can explain this one. You’ll just have to come up with a reason. Alright, I’ll give it a go. It’s punk rock, with an accordion… and it’s very silly. Good enough? Listen

136. Down I Go - Ivan The Terrible
I have no doubt in my mind that Down I Go are one of the most underrated bands on this list, and it remains a mystery to me why that is. Even the indie kids running the NME gave them a feature, but still nothing. If anything ‘Ivan The Terrible’ is a brilliant example of just how good this band are. They can drive their loud brash hardcore to the extreme one-minute and drop down to strings the next and never have it sound odd. They can do something that most bands seem to be inept at, which is writing a heavy song which is also slow. This is a perfect example of a band at the top of their game. Listen

135. Reuben - We're All Going Home In An Ambulance
This is the infinite Reuben. Their music will live on in my soul, even if the three boys have went their separate ways. This is one of their crowning achievements, and it’s perfectly plucked from their extensive back catalogue of wonderful, wonderful music. It’s vocals are perfectly aggressive for the subject matter dealt with in the vocals, and the musicianship as always, is in no doubt of being any better than incendiary. It’s always been a great wonder to me why Reuben was never more widely accepted. As this song demonstrates, they have the sheer power to write some of the heaviest rock, veering on post-hardcore, I’ve ever heard. But what’s also true is that the song never trails like most heavy rock bands seem incapable of not doing. I love this song. Listen

134. The Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone
Choon. It lights a fire under yer arse and has fun while doing it. It’s a great little song. True, the keyboard part sounds rudimentary at first, but that’s part of the charm. Give it a second, or third spin and you’ll hear the intelligent musicianship come out of it’s shell. Video

133. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
Fuck off. An explanation? For this? You really need one? Right… hold on, and I’ll copy paste one from somewhere else. “Scottish pretend poshos swallow Funky America whole and spew out dancefloor classic...” NME.com Video

132. Cursive - Some Red Handed Slight of Hand
When it came right down to it, choosing a song from Cursive’s ‘The Ugly Organ’ was very hard. I knew I had to include at least one of the tracks off this incredible piece of work. Unfortunately, it’s hard to pick just one, as the whole album has not only a narrative flow, but also a musical one. Picking just one is a little like saying which one of your organs is your favourite, and saying you don’t need the rest. Well, this song is not only the cream of the crop, but it’s also one of the shortest at just 1:52. It’s packed full of punch and has an incredible sound that runs throughout the album, including intense string work and a superbly discordant guitar line that seems to swim in and around the other instruments. Altogether, it’s bloody beautiful. Video

131. Frou Frou - Let Go
Saying that this song frames one of my favourite films of all time is putting it lightly. It’s also a completely wonderfully put together piece of music, which incorporates Imogen Heap’s ear-catching indelible voice magnificently while also bringing in a slew of other key factors. It never makes any one instrument more important than another, with Heap’s voice becoming another instrument in the Orchestra of Frou Frou. It creates some unforgettable sounds with synths that warm the whole track up like a champ, while keeping an upbeat tempo that offsets the song’s solemn tones. It’s a wonderful track. Listen

130. Maybeshewill - He Films The Clouds Pt. 2
Maybeshewill are a band I got into when their Debut album had already been out for a while, and I was apparently late to the party. But what a party it is. Maybeshewill have the power to write anthemic epic songs with Post-Rock elements overlapping the Post-Electronica that 65daysofstatic have made their own in a beautiful way. It helps immensely to have a choir singing your tracks rallying cry however. “Now we’re apart, though not through choice, do we stay mute, or raise our voice?” Not only is it a superb question, it’s also simplistic, which I feel is a brilliant reason in itself to love this song. Not to mention the brilliant guitar’s towards the end of the song. Listen

129. The Streets - Don't mug yourself
Don’t be a prat! Listen to that! The Streets released one of the best albums of the decade with ‘Original Pirate Material’ so you’d have to have expected a second cut from the record! It’s lyrical gold, with a beat that kills kittens nationwide. Need I say more?


128. N.E.R.D. - She Wants To Move
It’s all about the Bass. And the rythym. And the handclaps. And the guitar. Fuck it, it’s the whole damn package. Who among you can deny that this song is worthy of a dance? Who among you can deny that this song is a fucking champ? Nane a ye’s. Listen

127. Kings Of Leon - The Bucket
See most people? They liked Kings Of Leon either now (Albums three and four) or they liked them for their debut. At least, that’s how it is in my experience. In my opinion, Kings Of Leon were never, and will never be as good as their second album ‘Aha Shake Heartbreak’. ‘The Bucket’ is a perfect example. It’s quaint, it’s rhythmic, it’s fun and it’s uplifting. It’s everything that I want from KoL, and it’s everything that they rarely are. As this song proves however, it’s when they are at their best. It’s just a shame they’re too busy contracting STD’s these days to realise it. Listen

126. Weezer - The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)
Weezer are something of an anomaly to me. They always write solid music, but their albums are never fleshed out very well. Five great songs, and five naff to average ones does not make for brilliant albums. However, it does make for five great songs, and that can never be denied. This is part of their best half. TGMTEL is a superb song that charts many different genres but never feels like it isn’t Weezer at the helm. They aptly take control of grunge, glam rock, surf rock, 80’s electro and hard rock without breaking a sweat. It’s a brilliant experiment with music that most are, quite rightly, scared to touch as it rarely pays off as well as this wonderful song has. Admittedly, the crowning achievement of the entire song can only be attributed to one band. Well done Beach Boys, another hit! Listen

It might take a while but I'll get there!
Carl

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 225-201

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

225. Nelly - Ride Wit Me
Look all you want, you won’t find ‘Hot in Herre’ on my list. However, Nelly did produce something I think is entirely worthwhile of entry onto the songs of the decade list. It’s perfectly fun, light and laid back, and it doesn’t try and impress much on you. It does what it does and doesn’t mind if you walk on by, it doesn’t need your attention. And I love it for that. Listen

224. Hundred Reasons - Kill Your Own
Hundred Reasons were, at one point, my favourite band. By the time this had rolled around, I had moved on to better things, but this showed me what I was missing and tempted me back to the Hundred Reasons fan club once more. I mean, Andy did ruin it by leaving, and they’ve never been the same since, but this was certainly one of the best songs they created together. Listen

223. Ne-Yo – Closer
I hated the stuff by this man. He’s rubbish. He really is. But somehow, I can’t deny this utter charmer on this excellent pop song. It’s so stripped back, yet so danceable, and it has a brilliantly catchy chorus that will stick in your head for days. I almost didn’t include it for petty pride, but I just couldn’t, it’s that damn good.


222. Metric - Monster Hospital
It’s a great little rock song that perfectly pulls off the line “I fought the war, But the war won.” It’s so small, yet opens up a world to the listener that should make them think at least a little. And if not, you can definitely shake your booty to it on the dancefloor! Listen

221. Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
It’s a perfect little slice of pop heaven that has a subtle darkness to it. And that is what makes it perfect. The kid is ‘Suicidal’ when the girl breaks up with him. It’s lovely and slightly OTT, but works like a charm. Listen

220. Mastodon - Hand Of Stone
It’s that sultry riff that lures you into a false sense of security and your lapped up in the waves of ‘Hand Of Stone’ until it’s closing second. This song is a beast and it will take you away on a magical trip of epic guitar playing proportions. The axe work on this one is just the stand out work from ‘Blood Mountain’. Listen

219. Paul Anka - Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden Cover)
Even Paul Anka, who’s been making hits for decades can still bring out something that will impress anybody. This sensational cover of Black Hole Sun is superb, and about as far away from the original as possible. It’s brilliant, if a little odd at first! Listen

218. Deftones – Hexagram
Most of Deftones’ best stuff came out came out before the decade had even begun, but they were still able to hand in a good effort with this incredible number that is packed full of punch. It has a great wee melody at it’s heart too, which makes the whole thing ramp up a level. Video

217. The Streets - The Irony Of It All
If there were ever a song that aptly pitted a drunken lout against a lovely weed-smoking bloke, this is it. Actually, I think this is the only one. Still, it’s a genius little number that Mike Skinner perfectly crafts in a way that only a man who is just a little of both could do. It’s got a good beat too.

216. Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades
It’s the bass line. That super little bass carrys this tune on it’s back that makes the whole song feel dirty, and pulls an absolute gem along with it. It’s a little sultry number with an explosive chorus that shows up the rest of the albums weak points by being so damn good. Video

215. System Of A Down – Toxicity
Right then, System entry 2. This is where I should mention there can be more than one track by any artist… because I’m not a fucking idiot. Anyway, this song is great. What more do you want? Fuck you. Alright then, It comes from System Of A Down’s superb second album, and while I could probably have picked any song from it, I picked this one because it tends to hold the album together, encompassing everything that makes the album what it is. Probably why it has the same title, you muppet. Listen

214. Dave House - You Are On My Frequency (Live Band Version)
This is the single version of Dave House’s brilliant song of the same name from his superb debut album ‘Kingston’s Current.’ This version adds just about everything it can, but never feels crowded, and never feels forced. This is something that obviously was a superb idea and completely changed what Dave House thought he knew about making acoustic music. “You don’t have to do it acoustically,” he said. He didn’t but for a second there you thought you were reading the NME didn’t you? Just thought I’d bring you down to earth. [So, this is the first one I couldn't find on the web! Here's the original acoustic version and the first 30 seconds of this is a snippet of the full band version.]

213. The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Mister Mental
It’s a speedy little number that blisters through it’s 3 minutes as if it were nothing at all. But you? You’re changed forever. You have to go back and listen, again and again. It’s a fantastic song by a band that aren’t that fantastic… but they look cool. I guess you can’t have everything. But is this song enough? Yes, it is. Listen

212. Puffy Ami Yumi - Tokyo I'm On My Way
This song is brilliant. It’s written by Dexter Holland from the Offspring, and sang by the same girls that sang the Teen Titans theme. Clearly, a match made in Pop-Punk heaven. That is all. Video

211. Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
Some people may think that this is really low for a song that is this good. However, those people are idiots, as every song on this list is BRILLIANT. And at some point you have to make choices. I made this one. This is a super little song that is too good to analyse really. So I won’t. Except… That solo is fucking sweet. Listen

210. A Wilhelm Scream - The Rip
Right from moment one, this song will floor you. It’s a little beast that kicks you in the teeth and jumps on your bleeding face for 3 minutes relentlessly… or whatever is the best equivalent of that. Ice cream. This is like a whole big double cone of awesomeness… with blood for raspberry sauce. It’s a belter. Listen

209. Fony - Circles
Let’s get serious for a moment. This is the song that introduced me to Post-Rock. I know, fucking dumb huh? This little nu-metal band brought out the album ‘Circles’ and aside from having a couple of acoustic songs you can find on most metal albums nowadays, it was entirely angsty nu-metal. Apart from slap bang in the middle, they had a post-rock song. A post-rock song. It was amazing. Sure, it made me think “why are the band wasting their time on the other 90% of this album,” but that doesn’t matter. The rest of the album was good, but this was from another world. I love this song, and what it introduced me too, so I thank Fony for the impact they had, even if they did became a terrible indie band on album number three. Go figure. Listen

208. No Comply - The Price Of You
There is nothing bad I can say about No Comply. No way. They took hardcore, and threw in brass instruments, and somehow, it really fucking works. Not to mention that there is some superb riffs in here, along with really emotional vocal work from Kelly. They played the Thursday night at Leeds festival one year, and I met the band the same weekend and they were the nicest people I’ve ever met. Well, apart from my family and friends, but they don’t count. Super wee band, shame their gone. Video

207. Head Automatica - Beating Heart Baby
The cheesiest thing one of the best Hardcore frontmen ever could do? Yes. Does it work? Absolutely! It’s an excellent experiment into pop by a legendary man. However, the album surrounding it was god awful, and there was really no need to draw it out for two of them, was there? Really, he should’ve just gotten back to GlassJaw sooner, rather than be a dick and fire everyone. Still, it’s a choon! Video

206. Protest The Hero - The Dissentience
It’s math-metal. Now that all the fuck-o’s have gone, all you geniuses have a listen and tell me that’s not just the finest motherfucking stuff you’ve heard since the last time you tapped your guitar like it was a typewriter, Shakespeare. I don’t care if you don’t agree, I fucking love this guitar wankery, especially that bit at 2:55. Superb. Listen

205. From Autumn To Ashes - The After Dinner Payback
You won’t like this song. But I do and I know someone else who does too. Get it up ye. It’s like Pop invaded emo and they had a deformed child that didn’t understand pop too much, but gave it a shot anyway. It’s sloppy, it’s trying to hard, and it has a bloody great drummer. It’s the love that you feel that makes this track what it is. Do you feel it? Right there. That’s love. Probably. Video

204. Rise Against - Prayer of the Refugee
This is what happens when one great song has sex with another great song. It switches back and forth between the two positions and each one has it’s merits. It’s calm and loving at one minute and a powerful thrusting beast at the next. It’s brilliant.


203. Laura Marling - The Captain And Hourglass
Laura Marling is something of a brilliant little songwriter, and this song is the perfect example of her songwriting prowess. It’s got a distinct air about, and nothing much happens, but it’s enough. It’s just so powerful, without doing very much, and that’s the kind of song that no-one can deny. Listen

202. Matchbook Romance - You Can Run, But We'll Find You
I hear you moaning “Ugh… emo.” I hear you. You can fuck right off. Denying this perfectly dark little pop song into your heart just because it has connotations of “emotional hardcore” is your bad. It broods, it sways and it bleeds glorious little beads of enigmatic sweat that it will use to drown you in a superbly good guitar lick and tempo change. It’s amazing, so fuck you unbeliever! Hello? Anybody there? Come back! Listen

201. Sparta - Cut Your Ribbon
Will I get shot for putting this above ‘One-Armed Scissor’? Probably, but I couldn’t care less, as this song is just far superior. It’s got a power and drive that At The Drive-In dive right over, while Sparta bathe in and come out with a dark and light blend that is one half hardcore and one half pop. Superb. Listen

Part three soon!

The best 250 songs of the noughties: 250-226

Fuck I've put myself right in it. I gave myself a target of 100. But then when it came to it I had 600 songs that I thought were all worthy of inclusion. I've spent any free time in December and January writing this or continuing my Lost rewatch in the run up to the finale in February. It might be why this blog disapeared for about 2-3 months to be honest. Don't worry though, after all this is done and dusted, I'll get right back to the HNM10 comp which is brimming with songs currently, and just needs a bit of trimming. Let's get on with it then shall we? Part one of 10... or 12.

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

250. Jimmy Eat World - Hear You Me

This has obviously been a brilliant decade for music, as this is an incredible song, and it’s this low on the list! It’s so small, yet immensely powerful. Listen

249. Fightstar - Phalahniuk’s Laughter (Out Swimming In The Flood)
It’s just that bloody riff. It’s a superstar. Fightstar have put out some crackin’ singles this decade but this one, their first since the busted split, really surprised and impressed me. Listen

248. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
Whether you think he said “Owl Stealer” or “Bowl Reaper” it’s impossible to deny this song’s charm, and sheer pop fun. Listen

247. Guillemots - Trains To Brazil
I almost left this one out, due to my annoyance with their debut album being utter bollocks, but I couldn’t deny this amazing song entry into this list, it’s just too damn wonderful. Listen

246. Editors – Bullets
Really, Editors are a band it took me a long time to get into, but if any song was the reason for me changing my mind on them, it’s this one. It’s a powerhouse of superpowers, harnessed in 3 minutes of music. Video

245. Cartel - Burn This City
These guys busted out 2 albums this decade, and when they made Chroma, it may have turned out that they were at the top of their game as their second was piss poor. However, this song shows just how good the top of their game is. Listen

244. Bullet For My Valentine - 4 Words (To Choke Upon)
Ah, B4MV. You had a very niche style, but when it worked, it was impossible to deny the sheer pop-metal genius that was at work. This song showed just what they could do when they weren’t fucking about. “Oh! It was water all along!” Video

243. Bomb The Music Industry! - 25!
Sir, you are the best man in the world. The man behind BTMI! Is Jeff Rosenstock, and he is a one-man genius. Whether it’s ‘Get Warmer’ or ‘Scrambles’ or anything else this moniker does, it’s brilliant and it’s free. You can’t ask for more. You can? A Physical copy too?! Don’t say he’s not good to you. Listen/Download

242. Bloc Party - Blue Light (Engineers Anti-Gravity Mix)
Know how I know you’re gay? You heard this in The O.C. Engineers takes a good song, and make it a great song. It’s a rare thing for a remix to be better than the original, but this achieves it. Listen

241. At the Drive-In - One Armed Scissor
Released right on the opening of the decade, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was much older, and wiser. It’s a song that keeps on giving, and loves you as much as you love it. It’s a behemoth of huge proportions, and cannot be denied. Listen

240. 30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill
Many people can slag this band, and to a point, they’d be right to. However, sometimes a band that are very easily slagged for being rubbish, can still write a song or two that just impress more than you could think. This is that song. It’s a choon. Video

239. Timbaland - Give It To Me (Feat Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake)
Dude, Timbaland is a fucking genius hip-hop producer. Now it’s obvious that the same skills work in pop, with this Nelly and Justin collaboration blowing the roof off the dancefloor, but never being too loud to enjoy anywhere. Video

238. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill
This song always kills, whether it’s the perfect script of words that any sane person will agree with but that pretty much hasn’t ever been said. The ‘Just a band’ speech is perfectly anti-name dropping and the beats bring the whole thing home to the dancefloor it so easily rips to shreds. It’s perfect, and it’s a shame I haven’t seen it on more lists. Video

237. The Snake The Cross The Crown - The Great American Smokeout
It’s lovely, it’s sweet, it’s light, it’s got a warm tone that cannot be denied and I love this band. What more could you want? Download

236. System Of A Down - Radio/Video
This is a great band, and this is one of the songs that made the Mesmerize album entirely valid and worthwhile. It’s well put together and it’s fun without ever parodying itself, and it was obviously was one of the more interesting songs to record on the album. The Greek speed up at the end is inspired and makes the song. Listen

235. Sum 41 - Fat Lip
When this decade started, I was 12. There’s no way I could let myself get away with not putting this song on here. It’s an immensely fun pop record and Sum 41 were perfect at bringing a sense of Beastie Boys to Pop Punk. Not really an element that the genre was lacking, but it certainly made it more interesting for a while. Listen

234. The Spinto Band - Oh Mandy
Unfortunately, I think pretty much everything else this band has put out has been piss poor. It’s unfortunate, because this song is so full of delight and wonder that I wish they sounded like this at all times. It’s a quaint little song that never gets too heavy, but never goes right over the kitschy line. Perfect. Video

233. Prizzy Prizzy Please - Too Many T-Shirts
I would never have discovered this song, and this band, if it weren’t for Hear New Music. I’m so happy that I started the blog, and even if no-one else ever downloaded the mix tapes, it’s still worth it to find gems like this one. It’s chaotic, it’s manic, it’s fun as hell, and it explodes from the first second to the very last with energy and love for the craft. Listen

232. OK Go - Get Over It
Before they were responsible for probably the best video of the decade, OK Go brought out this utter gem, that I loved from the first time I heard it. I came back from school, flicked on MTV2, and bathed in the glowly light of OK Go’s superb video and song mixture. I live for that little jump at 1:55. Listen

231. Nikola Sarcevic - Lovetrap
This song is just too nice. Well, maybe not entirely nice, considering the lyrics, but in every other way. Sarcevic literally tears his lungs out for the final few lines and you can tell it’s really personal. “It's all over now, we lost our love somehow, you left through that door, you'll never come back here no more.” I love it. Video

230. New Mexican Disaster Squad – Tightrope
It’s just a good fucking song. They blow right out the door with a booming opening and never loose the fire from moment one. It’s a great song, by a great band, and the production is super, with the bass coming out on top form at all times. Listen/Download

229. Operator Please - Just A Song About Ping Pong
I’m a bit gutted for these kids. I have yet to see this song on a songs of the decade list, and I don’t know why! It’s perfectly booming with lyrical flow and great energy and the intelligence of teenagers, which is hard to best as soon as you’re not one. But I suppose, it’s just a song about Ping Pong! Video

228. The Hives - T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S.
If you’d said to me when ‘Your New Favourite Band’ first came out, that The Hives would write anything other that fast punk music for the rest of their lives, I wouldn’t have believed you. However, when ‘The Black And White Album’ rolled around I was pleasantly surprised to hear this utter gem flow out of my stereo and creep up to being the best damn thing on the album. It’s a fantastic song, and they’re a fantastic band. Listen

227. Muse - Time Is Running Out
When it first came out, I was entranced in the bass line and clicking fingers, and suitably rocked out by the chorus. On further listen, I proclaimed it to be the best thing they’d ever written. And on even further listen, I’d proclaim it to be really fucking good, but not quite as good as that other one. Listen

226. Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm
I don’t like the Arctic Monkeys much. The music is alright, but it’s not great. So I was surprised to find myself tapping my toe along to Brianstorm on first listen. Even more surprised, I was rocking out by the second one. It’s an undeniably fantastic song. You can’t deny it. Hence “undeniably.” You love it and you know you do, so stop saying you don’t.

Part two as soon as I can folks!
Carl