#60: Kanye West- Jesus Walks (2004)
“Jesus Walks” may straddle
the line between “preachy” and “fiery”, but there’s no denying that the
under-appreciated West is impassioned. A single that dares radio to play it-
“They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus/That means guns, sex,
lies, video tapes/But if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?”-
“Jesus Walks” is energetic and invigorating, and because West laid his views
out on the line, an act far too few mainstream rappers accomplish, it is
refreshing. Yeah, we’re probably not all going to agree with West’s sentiment,
but far too few people try to take a stand for what they believe in on the
radio- especially in rap- so it’s good to see this single setting an example.
#59: Billy Talent- Devil In A Midnight Mass (2006)
It’s been said that “Devil In
A Midnight Mass” is a song that rails against the Catholic Church but this is
not the case. Written about the priests who abuse their power and become sexual
predators, “Devil In A Midnight Mass” is bold and explosive rock, being the
classic that many potentially saw in Billy Talent’s self-titled first release.
If Billy Talent can keep this pace up- and signs suggest they will- they will
be one of the most memorable and influential bands of our generation.
#58: Good Charlotte- Girls & Boys (2004)
Nickelback may be the best
band that’s been unrecognized because of their popularity, but a close second
would be Good Charlotte, derided as “boy bands” of the punk-pop scene. Yet the
band has a lot of energy and usually has something to say with each record, and
while “Girls & Boys” may not have the same kind of vitriol that “Lifestyles
Of The Rich And Famous” has or the feistiness of “The Anthem”, “Girls &
Boys” is the band’s most interesting work. This particular song has a nice
retro feel to it, a catchy and funky song that still packs the same punch as
the rest of Good Charlotte’s work, and while the topic may be juvenile, there’s
genuine emotion attached to it. Hopefully longevity will rid Good Charlotte of
most of their critics, but in the meantime, they just may be one of the best
bands to simply get no respect.
#57: Rebecca St. James- Wait For Me (2003)
This song was written to
encourage abstinence, an issue Australian Rebecca St. James is an outspoken
advocate for. I’m not in agreement with her on that issue, but “Wait For Me”-
which never directly talks about abstinence and could very much also be about
someone telling their significant other that they’re not ready for a committed
relationship (which is what I thought it was about initially)- is still a very
beautiful song. Peacefully mellow and beautifully sung by St. James, it’s a
compelling reason why this artist is a Christian Contemporary Radio mainstay.
#56: Chumbawamba- The Wizard Of Menlo Park (2004)
Long more political activists
than musicians, they’re better known for “Tubthumping”- probably an unintended
hit- and while the band can spend a little too much time railing against issues
instead of working on songcraft, when Chumbawamba puts their mind on making a
great song, they do it. “The Wizard Of Menlo Park” is entertaining driving
pop-rock, an infectious song that railed against Thomas Edison’s doubters that
sticks in your head but still gets its point across. This is an interesting
single from an enigmatic band.
#55: Mr. Lif- Live From The Plantation (2003)
Boston’s Jeffrey Haynes,
better known as “Mr. Lif”, forged an impressive career in underground hip-hop
and “Live From The Plantation” is his opus. Not only is it a song railing
against the mundane “9-to-5” job, it’s a song where he fantasizes about killing
his own boss for harassing him. Crazy, but the song is highly entertaining and
invigorating.
#54: The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army (2003)
A lot can be said about
simplicity, and here, the simplicity turns up mind-blowing results. Featuring
rhythmic and repeating drum beats from Meg White, effective but impressive
blues-inspired guitar riffs from Jack White and relatively few but timely
lyrics, “Seven Nation Army” is a song that is more than the sum of its parts.
Separately, none of the performances are that stunning but mashed together it
produces a rock classic. “Seven Nation Army” is a band that’s hit its stride
and after the success of Get Behind Me Satan, it’s a band whose only
trajectory is up.
#53: Talib Kweli- Get By (2003)
A bold but unmistakably
catchy and danceable single from Brooklyn’s Talib Kweli, “Get By” was so
invigorating that it gave the under-appreciated Kweli well-deserved chart
success. “Get By” is a song railing against poverty and its ills, but it’s more
than just angry- it’s a fight to correct the wrongs of the economic gap, with
Kweli lifting a lyric- “life is a beautiful struggle”- to title his follow-up
album. This may be his most successful single to date, but based on all of the
energy and the passion contained here and on his other works, Kweli doesn’t
look to be done just yet.
#52: Brooks & Dunn- You Can’t Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The
Girl (2004)
Levity is the name of the
game from this Rolling Stones-inspired track from country veterans Brooks &
Dunn. A song about a country girl who gets invited to “uppity” functions but
never wants to “fit in”, “You Can’t Take The Honky Tonk Out Of The Girl” is a
fun, entertaining single. It is, simply put, the top-notch, can’t-miss honky
tonk you’d expect from veteran performers.
#51: Lene Marlin- Another Day (2005)
Her best single is
“Unforgiveable Sinner”, a song so angry it puts Alanis Morissette to shame, but
“Another Day” is pretty close. Reflective, pensive AC-pop, “Another Day” is
beautifully sung by the Norwegian Marlin and very peaceful. Marlin has been a
star on her side of the globe for the past decade but with songs like this, it
won’t be long before she’s a star in North America as well.
#50: KT Tunstall- Black Horse And The Cherry Tree (2006)
If you looked up “infectious”
in the dictionary, you’d see “Black Horse And The Cherry Tree” right beside it.
Simply put, there is no song that’s catchier. It’s also pretty interesting
lyrically too- it follows the travails of a horse and his lover who take turns
rejecting each other at the cherry tree, which also becomes their place of
solace. This means not only is entertaining, it’s creative and that’s
impressive.
#49: Default- All That She Wrote (2004)
After Chad Kroeger got his
chart success with Nickelback, it became no surprise he got into the act of
signing artists himself so they could cash in on his fame. One of those acts
didn’t work out so well- Theory Of A Deadman (although they did pick themselves
up after a rocky start)- but Default did. Default produced a bluesier version
of Nickelback’s descriptive, country-influenced hard rock, and here “All That
She Wrote” shows the band at its emotional best. This song is a reflective and
heartfelt song about the love that got away, nicely sung with simple but
captivating musicianship. Hopefully one day the band’s Nickelback connection
won’t get the negative connotations it now gets, because this is a band that
definitely deserves respect.
#48: Authority Zero- Revolution (2004)
Fiery and energetic punk,
“Revolution” is a song that’ll get you revved up to tackle the day ahead.
Performed at a furious pace while imploring the listeners to gear up for war
against society’s ills, the song is explosively catchy, making it a memorable
anthem for the social revolutionists Authority Zero hope to cultivate.
#47: Blink 182- I Miss You (2004)
Lost in Blink 182’s frat-boy
demeanour is just how serious they really can be, and this is a fine example of
that. A heartfelt song about lost love, “I Miss You” is memorable and very
relatable, a mellow track that dares the listener in. While the band got close
to matching the quality of this single’s therapeutic attractiveness, they never
quite got there, making “I Miss You” a deserved opus for a band that will be
missed.
#46: The Stellar Project f/Brandi Emma- Get Up Stand Up (2006)
Euro-beats meet trance in
what was one of 2006’s most enduring and endearing dance songs from Italy’s
Stellar Project, the alias of Stefano Sorrentino. Catchy but at the same time enchantingly
enthralling, “Get Up Stand Up” has pulsating but mellow beats that drags the
listener in to be captivated by Brandi Emma’s wonderful singing ability. An
enchanting single that had great staying power on my chart, it’s sure to be
remembered for years to come.
#45: Dimmu Borgir- Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse (2004)
A rousing single that’s as
epic as it is entertaining; “Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse” was the leadoff
single from Dimmu Borgir’s stunning symphonic black metal offering “Death Cult
Armageddon”. It is more precisely a fight song describing The End Times, but
despite its sullen tone, it’s still an enthralling fun track. This piece is a
stunning winner from one of black metal’s greats.
#44: Hilary Duff- Why Not (2003)
I don’t think you could
define a “summer single” better than “Why Not”. Simple but catchy and capturing
Duff’s bubbly spirit, “Why Not” is a sunny day when thunderstorms ruin the
family picnic. It also has a very positive message imploring the listener to be
daring like Duff was in departing from acting to singing. This song also
encapsulates her career- a spunky single that flew under the radar, “Why Not”
captured the youthful energy that has made Duff a mainstay and will continue to
do so in the future.
#43: Benny Benassi- Satisfaction (2003)
If the Dirty South ever
recorded a dance song, this would be the result. A naughty but cheeky single
from the Italian DJ Benassi, “Satisfaction” is groovy and infectiously
entertaining, being a deservedly dance-floor staple, but the trance-like
effects indicate an artist that’s also bent on creativity. You’ll be hearing a
lot of this song for years to come, but based on this song’s success, you can
also be certain that Benassi will follow it up wonderfully.
#42: 1 Giant Leap f/Neneh Cherry & Speech- Braided Hair
(2002)
This was the catchiest of the
songs off of “1 Giant Leap”, a collaboration of Jamie Catto (a founder of
Faithless) and Duncan Bridgeman that sought to bind the sounds of the world in
one disc. It was one of the most interesting projects in recent memory, and
here, Neneh Cherry’s hooky folk-pop sensibilities met with the African rhythms
of African-American rapper Speech (of Arrested Development) to produce an
infectious and highly danceable single. Compared to the other works, it lacked
the complexity of the other tracks, but despite its simplicity, it was
enthralling anyway, meshing beautifully with the album’s dynamism. Given the
track’s chart-like qualities, it’s only a matter of time before 1 Giant Leap take
their interesting approach and tear up the pop charts themselves.
#41: Rammstein f/Viktoria Fersh- Moskau (2005)
Their live shows have been
described as “making Marilyn Manson’s look like Disneyland”, but the German
industrial rockers are more than just dark. Here, the darkness gets moulded
into a song that’s ready-made for the arena, with anthemic guitar riffs and
drumming as well as a great call-and-response chorus featuring Till Lindemann’s
gruff tones and Viktoria Fersh’s beautiful squeals and lyrics that put Moscow
and its corruption in its place. Although never officially released as a
single, it was the album’s catchiest song and spent considerable time on my own
chart because its dark infectiousness was too much for me to ignore. They’ve
slipped a little under the radar since “Du Hast”, but given this stunning
effort, chart success isn’t too far away for these rockers.
-DG