My Favorites of the ’00s: Songs

In Rolling Stone‘s latest issue, I was disappointed by the list of the 50 best albums of the decade. But nonetheless, with a little bit of hope, I kept flipping the pages until I came to the decade’s best songs, according to musicians, journalists and those closely affiliated with the music industry.

Sitting pretty (next to a not-so-pretty band photograph) was Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” 2006′s summer jam that soon became just as annoying as anything Fatboy Slim had ever done. Although not a bad track overall, “Crazy” is certainly nowhere near deserving of such a high honor.

Again, I felt letdown by the list. Again, I figured it’d be wise to create my own. Again, I did. Like my list of the 2000s’ best albums, this list was created fairly quickly, assuming I’d be moving “Do You Realize??” here and “Clint Eastwood” there. Now, as a side note, I was only nine years old at the decade’s start, and I didn’t have much musical taste until I hit my teen years — keep that in mind. But without further adieu, let the list begin:

50 | Afroman: Crazy Rap (Colt 45 & 2 Zig Zags) |

49 | Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out |

48 | City High: What Would You Do? |

47 | Dido: White Flag |

46 | Audioslave: Doesn’t Remind Me|

45 | Say Anything: Alive With The Glory Of Love |

44 | Gorillaz: Feel Good Inc. |

43 | Justin Timberlake: What Goes Around…/…Comes Around |

42 | The White Stripes: Seven Nation Army |

41 | N.E.R.D.: She Wants To Move |

40 | Kid Rock Featuring Sheryl Crow: Picture |

39 | Kelly Clarkson: Since U Been Gone |

38 | Gavin DeGraw: Belief (from Chariot – Stripped) |

37 | Rage Against The Machine: Renegades Of Funk |

36 | Alicia Keys: If I Ain’t Got You |

35 | Kings Of Leon: Use Somebody |

34 | M.I.A.: Paper Planes |

33 | R. Kelly: Ignition (Remix) |

32 | OutKast: Hey Ya! |

31 | JET: Are You Gonna Be My Girl |

30 | U2: Beautiful Day |

29 | Kanye West: Gold Digger |

28 | Jimmy Eats World: Sweetness |

27 | The Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood |

26 | Coldplay: Yellow |

25 | MGMT: Time To Pretend |

24 | Justin Timberlake: My Love |

23 | Tech N9ne: Caribou Lou |

22 | The Killers: Mr. Brightside |

21 | The Lonely Island: Dick In A Box |

20 | Eminem: ‘Till I Collapse |

19 | Kanye West: Homecoming |

18 | The Flaming Lips: Do You Realize?? |

17 | James Blunt: Goodbye My Lover |

16 | Jack Johnson: Flake |

15 | A Fine Frenzy: Almost Lover |

14 | Kanye West: Jesus Walks |

13 | Eminem: When I’m Gone |

12 | Jason Mraz: I’m Yours (Original) |

11 | Coldplay: Lost? |

10 | Lupe Fiasco: Little Weapon | Starting off with a small snare drum solo worthy of Nick Cannon’s Drumline, “Little Weapon” only gets better from there. The story begins with a child soldier earning rewards as his head count rises and ends with a kid unleashing his inner demons through violent video games.

One liner: [They've got] AK-47s that they shootin’ into heaven like they’re trying to kill the Jetsons.

9 | U2: Elevation | This song is literally epic. It keeps building up and up and never comes down. This song single-handily brought U2 to the forefront of ’00s pop-rock. They were truly elevated on a pedestal and they weren’t letting anyone knock them off.

One liner: Love, lift me up out of these blues. Won’t you tell me something true?

8 | Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova: Falling Slowly | It’s the ballad of love that won an Oscar. It’s the song that made Once what it is. It’s the best poetic, heart-wrenching duet of the decade.

One liner: I don’t know you, but I want to.

7 | Jay-Z: 99 Problems | The sample of Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat” works better here than in its original usage. This whole song is a verbal bashing of every critic, lawman, radio DJ and asshole that’s had a problem with Jays’ persona, image or music. It’s obvious Hov’s got beef — but at least his lady’s sweet to him. Oh, Beyoncé…

One liner: If you don’t like my lyrics you can press fast forward.

6 | Jon Hopkins: The Wider Sun | This song is absolutely beautiful. That’s really all that can be said. Hit play, close your eyes, and let the violins take you where ever you want to go. The mind is at its freest in Hopkins’ hands.

One liner: There are no lines. No words could improve upon this lullaby.

5 | Train: Drops Of Jupiter | Pat Monahan, the vocalist, wrote the song after the passing of his mother; the song is practically a letter to her. Inquisitive of our galaxy’s beauty, Monahan pictures heaven as not a basket of cloud nines, but rather a destination where every question has an answer and a lightyear is nothing but a block down the street.

One liner: Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded and that heaven is overrated?

4 | John Mayer: Dreaming With A Broken Heart | I honestly think Mayer made a deal with the devil, and sold his soul for magical fingers. Not only can they play the hell out of a Fender Stratocaster, but they also have the ability to write some of the best lines in song-writing history. No one makes me think like John Mayer makes me think.

One liner: Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?

3 | Coldplay: The Scientist | Chris Martin and his band of British buddies craft some incredible tales: a scientist realizes all too late that he focused too much of his time on “numbers and figures,” rather than the love of his life. It’s the classic fable of regret and sorrow, but Coldplay removes the classicism, and through warm memories and saddening awareness, makes this classic all their own.

One liner: Questions of science — science and progress — do not speak as loud as my heart.

2 | The Killers: All These Things That I’ve Done | The song changes pace so many times. A constant tempo never lasts more than 40 seconds. It’s practically five miniature songs rolled into one triumphant anthem. Brandon Flowers’ voice in the forever-memorable set of soul vs. soldier lines goes from monotone to zealously boisterous in the grandest of fashions.

One liner: I got soul, but I’m not a soldier.

1 | Eminem: Lose Yourself | My favorite song of the decade is five and a half minutes of raw anger and passion. This song helped every teenager in America release a good amount of pent-up aggression. There’s something deeper to “Lose Yourself,” though: he doesn’t want us to know, but Slim is spittin’ a motivational speech. Hidden beneath the words of a failing father and disgraced rapper are life lessons. In simpler terms — and explained without rhyming — when the opportunity arises to achieve our ultimate goal, we cannot sit idly by and wait for said goal to seize us. It is ours for the taking, and we must grasp it with all our might.

One liner: The moment you own it, you better never let it go.

Well, I’m done here. What do you have to say? Anything I’m leaving out? Anything that shouldn’t have made the cut?