The 100 Best Songs of 2008

The last two weeks of December are my favorite time of year but not because of the Christmas spirit and goodwill and peace towards all. It's because I love lists. Kind of to the point of obsession. Gripe all you want about the cheapening of journalism… tell me there's a list inside a magazine featuring the Top 10 or 40 of something and I'm probably breaking out my wallet. Why? Lists are fun. They instantly provide food for thought in the most simple design interface of all: a column of content in ranked order.

Covering the best singles instead of albums is a big step for me. Historically I've always sent around lists of my favorite records but the times are a-changin' and in an age where everything is available it's frankly much more fun to act like Girl Talk and just sample obsessively from everywhere.

Any list worth it's weight has criteria and caveats. Here are mine:

• This list is in reverse order because that is the only way to put together a list. Anyone who starts with #1 gets no joy out of life and isn't paying attention to whatever poet talked about the journey being at least as enjoyable as the destination (I may have butchered that).
• These are tracks, not singles. Why? Because radio is dead, as is MTV. I have no idea with most of these if they are singles or not. It's like knowing when your favorite TV show is on in the age of Tivo. Who cares?
• I only feature one song per artist because the list is much more interesting that way. No one wants a list with a surplus of tracks from one artist hogging the ranks. This is about appreciating the wide variety of great music in 08.
• These were all released in one form or another in 2008. A few are from albums in 2007 but were released as singles in 2008 (OK, so sometimes I know what songs are singles). The point is I bend the rules at will to make the list better. Work with me on this.
• If I'm wrong about the release date of something, direct your blogger hate at Wikipedia and Rhapsody, not me.

The list is below with links to every song. This took me far too much time to put together. If you have Rhapsody, you can listen to the complete playlist. Just know that the Rhapsody list is missing songs # 48, 58 and 59 so you'll have to revert to this post if you're a completist (and bravo if you are). Either way, set aside just under seven hours to make it through the list. And enjoy.

• 100

  Three Little Birds by Alvin and the Chipmunks

  When your list is 100 songs long, you should be able to have a little fun with number 100. What a testament to Bob Marley.
• 99

  Black & Coustaud by My Brightest Diamond

  Probably the most atmospheric on this year's list. Sounds to me like an opera about a carnival.
• 98

  Another Way to Die by Jack White & Alicia Keys

  Two people I love teaming up to make a James Bond theme guaranteed them a spot on the list. It would have been much higher if it sounded like they took more than 1/2 an hour to write this.
• 97

  Soul on Fire by Spiritualized

  The plodding beat, the choir and strings that kick in for the chorus - Classic Spiritualized.
• 96

  Lazy Days by Mochipet (featuring Kflay)

  Any song that name checks toupees, Food Network and Ikea cutlery has earned a spot as far as I'm concerned.
• 95

  Sing Along by Virginia Coalition

  This one feels a bit like a scientifically formulated Star FM hit to accompany the season finale montage on Grey's Anatomy. A guilty pleasure I can't get out of my head.
• 94

  Cappuccino by The Knux

  What's more hip hop than asking for a "fresh cappuccino with a mocha twist"?
• 93

  Lights & Music by Cut Copy

  Brings back memories of Depeche Mode extended dance remixes from high school.
• 92

  Kissing the Beehive by Wolf Parade

  About as prog rock as I'm willing to go. Love Wolf Parade's lead vocalist.
• 91

  See That Train by Shawn Mullins

  Ever wonder what happened to the dude that wrote "Rockabye" and then disappeared? Me too! Apparently now he's writing catchy blues-lite with train noises in the background.
• 90

  Let The Beat Build by Lil Wayne

  Goes on way too long but I think it showcases Lil Wayne's rapping better than the singles off this album.
• 89

  The Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets

  Zorro meets James Bond.
• 88

  Hangman by Fire on Fire

  Like an eerie old tyme revival choir, a song that comfortingly reminds us that "even the hangman has friends."
• 87

  Dear Jenny by The Dresden Dolls

  More accessible than older Dresden Dolls, but still featuring attitude-laden vocals and piano that sounds like it's being played by a five-year old banging on the keys.
• 86

  Make the Road By Walking by Menahan Street Band

  Roc Boys in da building tonight!
• 85

  Problematic Girls by Team Waterpolo

  Group chants are a pretty surefire way to make it onto the list.
• 84

  Free at Last by The Blind Boys of Alabama

  Obama gives a speech on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech and no Blind Boys to accompany? An outrage.
• 83

  Just Stay by Kevin Devine

  Falling somewhere between folk, power pop, and emo, a song that makes feeling bad feel good.
• 82

  Play Your Part (Pt. 1) by Girl Talk

  I seriously doubt anyone had more fun than Gregg Gillis in 2008.
• 81

  The Hollows by Why?

  Fantastic lyrics, including some uncomfortable graphic details about one certain basketball court in Germany.
• 80

  More News From Nowhere by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

  Great guitar riff and bass line behind Cave's usual storytelling.
• 79

  We Are Rockstars by Does It Offend You, Yeah?

  Every year has one tune that makes me wish I was a clubber. Here is this year's.
• 78

  Ripped Knees by No Age

  Garage punks who know three chords and play them well.
• 77

  Drum and Bone by Elvis Costello and the Imposters

  Not his best but Elvis can still write a solid tune.
• 76

  Living Well Is The Best Revenge by R.E.M

  From the opening chords it is clear that R.E.M. has finally woken up again. Thank God.
• 75

  Good Day by Jukebox the Ghost

  Shamelessly upbeat, not that there's anything wrong with that.
• 74

  New Soul by Yael Naim

  If you can get the Mac Air out of your head, this song is totally simple and ridiculously catchy.
• 73

  Hercules Theme by Hercules And Love Affair

  Proves the suspicion that Hercules was actually both Greek hero and disco dancing fool.
• 72

  California Girls by The Magnetic Fields

  The perfect gloomy indie-rock retort to the Beach Boys original.
• 71

  Compacto by Curumin

  Brazil's answer to Ben Harper?
• 70

  Wait for Me by Jamie Lidell

  Poor Motown, even their soul singers are being defeated by imports these days.
• 69

  Sleepwell Chicago by Trent Dabbs

  A pretty lullaby to the city I left this year.
• 68

  Submarine Symphonika by The Submarines

  Has this been used for a Target ad? It sounds like it was lab-developed for specifically that purpose.
• 67

  Rich Girls by The Virgins

  Did The Strokes change their name and stop singing through the vocal filter?
• 66

  Highly Suspicious by My Morning Jacket

  Just plain weird and tons of fun. Can't help but imagine The Muppets singing this.
• 65

  Blood Bank by Whalebones

  Like an old mariner's song. But played by a Jefferson Airplane/Led Zeppelin supergroup.
• 64

  Walk Thru Walls by Apes

  Shouldn't this at least have been a hit in the UK?
• 63

  Out of Time by Jason Collett

  Country rock meets 70's Rolling Stones (with a synth solo thrown in for kicks!).
• 62

  Gamma Ray by Beck

  Makes me want to pretend Beck slicks back his hair and drives muscle cars.
• 61

  Academia by Sia

  Like a nursery chant for breathy voiced preschoolers.
• 60

  Never Miss a Beat by Kaiser Chiefs

  Kinda makes you want to be a hooligan.
• 59

  Womanizer by Lily Allen

  Lily steal's Britney's brand new single and gives it an instant sultry upgrade. Poor Brit Brit just can't catch a break.
• 58

  The Lesson by Victor Wooten

  Jazz flamenco? Sign me up!
• 57

  Top Drawer by Man Man

  Like Tom Waits backed by Peter Pan's Lost Boys.
• 56

  Bad Kids by Black Lips

  A mea culpa from those rotten snots who live down the street.
• 55

  Surprise by Gnarls Barkley

  If this song doesn't feature backup singers dancing in unison, I will be sorely disappointed.
• 54

  The Silence Between Us by Bob Mould

  Welcome back, Mr. Mould. Your guitar missed you.
• 53

  Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) by Beyonce

  Proves that Jay-Z does not wear the pants in their relationship.
• 52

  Just Impolite by Plushgun

  Like OMD if OMD compared themselves to Johnny Cash.
• 51

  Hold Up by The Raconteurs

  I love the White Stripes but Jack White so clearly has more fun with The Raconeteurs.
• 50

  When Water Comes to Life by Cloud Cult

  In case Danny Elfman is ever busy, Tim Burton has found his next film scorer.
• 49

  For Shame Of Doing Wrong by Ida

  Maybe the perfect rainy day lost love song.
• 48

  Bye Bye Bye by Plants and Animals

  Someone please write a Broadway musical and make this the over-the-top finale.
• 47

  Love Lockdown by Kanye West

  I hate Auto-Tune and Kanye's ego. But when those tribal drums start in for the chorus....
• 46

  Black & Gold (Marcussen Album Version) by Sam Sparro

  Proving once and for all that dance songs are about the beat, not the lyrics.
• 45

  Buriedfed by Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson

  Probably the highest death toll of any song on the list this year.
• 44

  West Coast by Coconut Records

  This and Phantom Planet's "California" were the anthems for someone who actually did go back to the West Coast this year.
• 43

  42 by Coldplay

  Starts like any pretty Coldplay song and then goes all Mission Impossible on us (but with hand claps).
• 42

  Out At The Pictures by Hot Chip

  Only Hot Chip could pull off a dance track with what sounds like bike horn in the background and a bridge that brings to mind banshees doing a Russian folk dance.
• 41

  Houses by Vetiver

  The part of Wilco will be played by Vetiver for tonight's performance.
• 40

  American Boy by Estelle (featuring Kanye West)

  Makes America still seem like a pretty OK place. Also makes me miss old Kanye.
• 39

  Great DJ by The Ting Tings

  About time someone wrote a love song for the DJ.
• 38

  The Real Morning Party by Marco Benevento

  What Pee Wee Herman would play if he were throwing a lounge party...
• 37

  Hurricane Jane by Black Kids

  Surprise, surprise. This year's best 80's rip-off didn't come from The Killers.
• 36

  Heavy Water by Foals

  Pulls the same trick Coldplay did with "42." It starts as one song and then lets down its hair to become another.
• 35

  Big Sound by The M's

  The other surefire way to earn your way onto this list - a horn section!
• 34

  Mr. Pitiful by Matt Costa

  This song is the musical equivalent of crack (but in a good way).
• 33

  Love is Noise by The Verve

  My favorite moody Brits are back to their old ways.
• 32

  Lay It Down by Al Green

  Came out in 2008 but may as well have been '78 or '68 or '58. Timeless, just like The Reverend.
• 31

  Lassoo by The Duke Spirit

  The Duke Spirit's formula is simple: Singer Liela Moss's haunting vocals over driving guitars. Works every time.
• 30

  Lost in the Light by The Heavenly States

  A song that spends the first two minutes dousing the place in gasoline and the last two minutes burning it down.
• 29

  Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? by She & Him

  M. Ward plays Phil Spector while Zooey Deschanel gives us yet another reason to harbor a crush.
• 28

  Everything You're Breathing For by The Parlor Mob

  What to listen to while waiting for that Led Zeppelin reunion tour to materialize.
• 27

  Lose Big by Eef Barzelay

  The perfect song for Wall Street.
• 26

  Hiphopopotumus vs. Rhymenocerous by Flight of the Conchords (featuring Rhymenocerous and the Hiphopopotamus)

  Proof that Nas was wrong. Hip hop isn't dead, it's just owned now by New Zealand's second most famous folk duo (and the creators of this year's best TV show).
• 25

  Gilt Complex by Sons and Daughters

  A great guitar riff goes a long way toward offsetting puns in song titles.
• 24

  Tell Me What It's Worth by Lightspeed Champion

  Sensitive college rock has a new flag bearer.
• 23

  Pro Nails (Bag Raiders Remix) by Kid Sister

  What gets you better street cred than rapping about matching mani/pedis?
• 22

  My Only Offer by Mates of State

  A husband-wife team that probably even harmonizes perfectly when arguing over who left the fridge door open.
• 21

  That's All by Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis

  This year's most unlikely pairing makes you ask "Why did this not happen sooner?."
• 20

  Parachute by Shugo Tokumaru

  Like bounding through a Japanese wonderland where the only word you make out is a tweaked out "prachute."
• 19

  Shout by De Novo Dahl

  Pure 100 percent grade power pop. Gotta have at least one of those each year.
• 18

  The Arm by Islands

  An incredible genre-tripping tour through Beatlesque symphonic flourishes, surf guitar, calypso and back.
• 17

  L.E.S. Artistes by Santogold

  Sorry Gwen. Sorry Pink. We have our new Blondie and she ain't blond.
• 16

  Mercy by Duffy

  Overplayed? Sure. Amy Winehouse redux? Maybe. But since when is a Top 40 hit that sounds like Dusty Springfield a problem?
• 15

  Skinny Love by Bon Iver

  Written in isolation in the dead of the winter and, man, does it sound like it.
• 14

  Transliterator by Devotchka

  I have no idea what this song is about but I'm a believer by the time the lead singer is screeching the final chorus.
• 13

  Halfway Home by TV on the Radio

  A Beach Boys song for after the apocalypse.
• 12

  Swimming Pools by Thao and the Get Down Stay Downs

  A two minute whirlwind about bee stings, cannonballs, and sweet little girls.
• 11

  Trashcan by Delta Spirit

  Like the riff from "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in reverse. And on piano.
• 10

  I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie

  Ben Gibbard gets a little menacing and creepy and the results are brilliant.
• 9

  Oliver James by Fleet Foxes

  Oh, sorry, this isn't the Best Tracks of 1808? Either way, Puritanical and gorgeous.
• 8

  Swagga Like Us by Jay-Z and T.I. (featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne)

  Leave it to Jay-Z to make better use of Kanye and Lil Wayne than the MCs did themselves.
• 7

  Right Hand on My Heart by The Whigs

  Southern rock has a new anthem (and an incredible drummer to go with it).
• 6

  Strange Times by The Black Keys

  It's snowing in New Orleans, banks are failing, we almost elected a beauty pageant queen. The song for our ages.
• 5

  Hang On by Dr. Dog

  Like The Band backed by White Album-era Beatles. I just fainted even typing that.
• 4

  A&E by Goldfrapp

  As comforting as your mother putting you down for an afternoon nap.
• 3

  Walcott by Vampire Weekend

  On a album full of excellent songs, the tie-breaker goes to the one that brings back memories of summers on Cape Cod.
• 2

  Paper Planes by M.I.A

  A chorus consisting of shotgun blasts and cash register rings plus the source for "Swagga Like Us." Amazing.
• 1

  Kids by MGMT

  A synthed-out track fronted by world-weary vocals creates a song that doesn't wear out after infinite repeat listens.

So what do you think? Got a song that you think should've made the list? Or one that shouldn't have? Post a comment and speak your mind!