The Top 100 from 1997-2002: No. 21-40
No. 40: Everlast- What It's Like
"It's a hip-hop song," claims Everlast during his 2000 visit to MuchMusic to promote the song and "Whitey Ford Sings The Blues" the album it came off. Well, not quite- you're singing, not rapping- but that still won't take away from the overall meaning of this song, featuring touching stories of three lives gone horribly wrong. It enlightened the listener on two fronts: one, to never make the same mistakes, and two, to realize that no matter how bad your life may be, somebody always has it worse. He never did another song quite like this even in terms of quality, a pity since he definitely had something going with this track.
No. 39: Everclear- Wonderful
Frontman A.P. Alexakis and his band in Everclear have always provided poetic and well written rock songs, at least early in their career (I think the boys may want to forget "AM Radio", if you ask me). Anyway, of all the songs they've ever done, this one is their most well written. The song is about a child who can't understand why their parents keep on telling them to stay positive when their parents can't. Every time it comes on I can't get over how well written it is, as the track sounds almost like a child speaking- and this coming from a grown man. Definitely one of rock's better tunes.
No. 38: R. Kelly- I Wish
Before I begin, let me tell you that while I can't respect R. Kelly the man (if proven guilty), I still respect R. Kelly the musician because the music he does is very well done, even if he can't put that same effort in his life. Anyhow, this track, a soulful and emotional lamentation for "All The Homeys We Lost" (what the remix includes in the title) is very deep and intense, with the power to heal anyone going through hard times. I remember putting on the track right after a funeral and I felt better, a feeling this song has probably incurred in several other people since it was released in late 1999.
No. 37: Sarah MacLachlan- Sweet Surrender
Entering airplay when the Pop Explosion was blossoming into a full forced phenomenon, this song was a deep and very artistic ballad where MacLachlan surrenders to somebody or something which is never known. "Are you an angel?/From where I cannot turn/I only hope that I don't disappoint you," sings MacLachlan, almost in lamentation, unsure of where her new life would take her. Back in 1998, when the song came out, her promising career started to flower: now, I just hope she'll return, since she definitely deserves a lengthier career.
No. 36: Moby- Porcelain
In my review for The Red Hot Chili Peppers' lifeless new album "By The Way", I stated that this song was "the way to do a relaxation track" and here's why: it's soothing but contains enough energy that it managed to keep the listener awake, unlike the Peppers. Moby says he takes several months to write his songs, and, in this slam dunk, I definitely believe him.
No. 35: Vertical Horizon- Everything You Want
Like Train- also among this list, this one-hit wonder American outfit managed to give us an amazing track before fading out quickly. In this case, it's a deep track all about the love a guy has for a girl who doesn't love him or her current boyfriend. Amazingly written and among 2000's best.
No. 34: Lou Bega- Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of�)
I think I'm the only one left who still likes this song, but I do have my reasons: it's a modern swing hit, using dance elements to spice up a stale swing sound. I remember back in 1998 there was a "swing revolution" that spawned many swing acts- the Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Cherry Poppin' Daddies and Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra, to name a few- hailed as "the next big thing" and it didn't pan out (considering most was bad, it should figure). Then Bega comes along a year later with a fresher, more modern swing sound and proceeded to tear the charts with this beauty. His only problem? A lack of creativity, as he wasn't able to make a truly diverse album and thus lost his career, despite this song's success.
No. 33: LiveonRelease- I'm Afraid Of Britney Spears
Probably one of the most creative and clever tracks ever released in the last few years, Canadian rocker girls LiveonRelease pulled no punches in blasting the Pop Explosion to oblivion. "They're so worried about what we'll think/They all took the time to learn to lip sync" sings frontman Colette Trudeau in one of the song's more memorable stanzas. Yeah, it may not be amazing musically, but what sells this song is the clever lyrics, and their excellent songwriting allows them to make up for their shortcomings. Certainly a promising act.
No. 32: Eminem f/Dido- Stan
I think Carson Daly of MTV's "Total Request Live" put it best when he stated that of all the songs on the album it comes off of- "The Marshall Mathers LP", this song was THE song of the album and I agreed with him. This song, when I first heard it, instantly stuck out, making me clamour to Eminem "please release this" and he did. The song, about an over-obsessed fan who kills himself when the rapper won't reply to his letters, is one of rap's few deep and thoughtful tunes, and was further proof for Eminem supporters that he does care about the well-being of his fans.
No. 31: Amanda Marshall- Shades Of Grey
I've long held that those who believe Marshall's third single off her latest album "Everybody's Got A Story", "Double Agent" is a deep and thoughtful song about how she is a mulatto probably hasn't heard this song, a much deeper, more artistic and thoughtful version. "My grandmother held me on the very first day/She thanked God that I looked like my daddy," sings Marshall, cutting very deep and evoking sympathy in the listener. This, like "Dark Horse", is an example of what Marshall once was, a very deep, poetic, and talented songwriter and a true artist, as opposed to today's still enjoyable- but significantly less artistic- "poppy" image, and I just hope that one day Marshall will come back.
No. 30: Lifehouse- Breathing
This song was, wrongfully, a rarely played 2002 song that showed just how good a songwriter frontman Jason Wade was. This piece, very deep, poetic, thoughtful and providing a myriad of different sounds not often heard in pop music, was by far the most poetic and best song on Lifehouse's excellent album "No Name Face", as it was a refreshing break from the standard-ness of pop music these days. Alas, the boys had to one-hit with the still excellent "Hanging By A Moment", a shame considering that they definitely had other worthy radio hits like this one.
No. 29: P.O.D.- Youth Of The Nation
There are many tracks about fallen comrades and the hardships of teenagers, but they're rarely ever done as well as P.O.D.'s "Youth Of The Nation". This song offered a thoughtful and very provocative message underneath a very deep and dark song. The band, born-again Christians (though not officially Christian rockers), offer what Christian music, to me, should sound like: provocative and thoughtful without being preachy, exactly what this track does.
No. 28: Econoline Crush- "All That You Are (x3)"
This 1997 song is another fine example of what Canadian rock used to be, dark, smooth, deep and very artistic. There isn't a lot of lyrics, but the lyrics that are there are strung so beautifully together that it completes the song and takes it to another level, exhibiting the type of craftiness that is the pen of frontman Trevor Hurst and his band. So far the band's most successful and best hit.
No. 27: Linkin Park- In The End
The boys of Linkin Park always sung very deep, thoughtful and dark songs about anger, even if half of them are ruined by Chester Benington's yelling. This one is easily the band's best, as Benington's yell, instead of ruining the track, actually compliments it, adding to the overall richness of the dark song. This song debuted back in September 2001 and managed to stay on the Billboard charts until around July 2002, peaking at No. 2, and it deserved every minute of airplay it got.
No. 26: The Rascalz f/Choclair, Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall & Thrust- Northern Touch
The breakout track for Canadian hip-hop in general, "Northern Touch" didn't really offer much in lyrical depth, offering instead a wicked vibe and an overall rap delivery rarely ever bettered. It showed that Red-1, Misfit, Choclair, Checkmate, "Kardy" and Thrust could definitely rap with the best of them, effectively creating a Canadian urban scene and winning a Juno (Canada's Grammy) in the process for their work. They refused it, though, as they felt, back then anyway, that urban music wasn't represented enough, but now, with Canada's new urban scene, they must be at least a little impressed with the doors they've opened.
No. 25: Train- Drops Of Jupiter
Lyrically, the song doesn't offer too much, using words, when strung together, that really don't make a lot of sense. However, this song as a whole is one of the most beautifully constructed pieces to come out in a while, putting a classical spin on rock 'n roll. They may one-hit, but that doesn't matter to me: at least they'll leave with one excellent track to their name.
No. 24: Method Man & Redman- Da Rockwilder
Method Man opens his rap by stating "microphone lecture" and, my, what a lecture it is. "Meth's" delivery is crisp, smooth and efficient, laying out words that cut with proficiency, and, although his rap is a little weaker, Redman manages to do the same thing. This track has been copied but rarely ever duplicated or bettered, showcasing just how strong a hit this piece was.
No. 23: Our Lady Peace- Thief
Before stumbling with "Gravity", Canadian rockers OLP were always known as writers of clever, dark and thoughtful songs, sometimes rocking out as was the case with songs like "Is Anybody Home?" and "Automatic Flowers" or providing a mellow pace as was the case with this track. It's actually based on the same formula as "4AM", a well-done hit from the band's second release "Clumsy" (this particular track is from the third, "Happiness�Is Not A Fish You Can Catch") but is a lot smarter and deeper, plus the production is far better. "Thief" signaled the beginning of something further and better for OLP, a potential that, alas, just may be wasted with the dull "Gravity", the band's effective U.S. debut.
No. 22: Nickelback- How You Remind Me
If there ever was proof of the excellence that is frontman Chad Kroeger is as a storytelling songwriter, this song was it. This song is a very deep and thoughtful one about how a rotten girl reveals how bad a man Kroeger is, and was one that reaffirmed what many had felt about Kroeger and the boys previously. Apparently, this song was once played somewhere in the world every three minutes- amazing since the song is more than three minutes long- and still earning sizeable airplay now. Is it too big for the band? Maybe, but since Kroeger's shown his talent, it wouldn't be far off for me to state Nickelback will be back and better than ever in the future.
No. 21: Goo Goo Dolls- Iris
Even though frontman John Rzeznik penned the song for the movie "City Of Angels" (which I found to be pretty dreadful, but that's another matter), the song was still a deep and spiritual one even if one didn't see the movie. The piece, where a man is yearning for the love of a girl he can't get, actually fits the male lead (an angel from Heaven played by Nicholas Cage) almost perfectly, as (for those who haven't seen the movie) the man fell for an Earthly woman (Melanie Griffiths) that he couldn't get unless he made himself human by plunging to his doom from a skyscraper. Still, in the end, the song is still beautiful and wonderfully written, no matter if one saw the movie or not.
-DG
The Top 100: Nos. 40-21
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