It’s that time of the year once again. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, in fact. I have been doing this since 2004 (but that was a very bare-bones version, and left a lot to be desired), and it’s always a ton of fun to do (with the added joy of looking at all of your own lists). What can you expect on this year’s year-end?
- It will all begin with the Top 10 Singles of 2010. In fact, it should be posted very shortly after this message.
- Top 5 (?) Music Videos.
- 30 Movies to look forward to in 2011
- Top 20 Movies of 2010 (It was a much weaker year at the movies, which is why it isn’t a top 30 like last year. Like last year, however, this list will be posted very late into the list, as to get a chance to see everything I possibly can).
- Top 31 TV Shows of 2010 (Unlike movies this year, this was an amazingly strong year of television. Numerous great new TV shows debuted, while many veterans had series best seasons).
- The Albums that just missed the Top 40.
- There may be other lists as well, including praise for the best Comedy albums of 2010.
And, of course: The Top 40 Albums of 2010. This was a really strong year for albums, and places as high as the top 5 have shifted many times as I have tried to put it together. In fact, there will likely be shuffling up to the very last second. Except for the #1 album, though. That's all but locked in.
Coming up very soon will be the Top 10 Singles list, and then followed this weekend by the music video list and movies of 2011 list. Part 1 of the Top 40 Albums won`t start likely until Monday.
It’s that time of the year once again. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, in fact. I have been doing this since 2004 (but that was a very bare-bones version, and left a lot to be desired), and it’s always a ton of fun to do (with the added joy of looking at all of your own lists). What can you expect on this year’s year-end?
- It will all begin with the Top 10 Singles of 2010. In fact, it should be posted very shortly after this message.
- Top 5 (?) Music Videos.
- 30 Movies to look forward to in 2011
- Top 20 Movies of 2010 (It was a much weaker year at the movies, which is why it isn’t a top 30 like last year. Like last year, however, this list will be posted very late into the list, as to get a chance to see everything I possibly can).
- Top 31 TV Shows of 2010 (Unlike movies this year, this was an amazingly strong year of television. Numerous great new TV shows debuted, while many veterans had series best seasons).
- The Albums that just missed the Top 40.
- There may be other lists as well, including praise for the best Comedy albums of 2010.
And, of course: The Top 40 Albums of 2010. This was a really strong year for albums, and places as high as the top 5 have shifted many times as I have tried to put it together. In fact, there will likely be shuffling up to the very last second. Except for the #1 album, though. That's all but locked in.
Coming up very soon will be the Top 10 Singles list, and then followed this weekend by the music video list and movies of 2011 list. Part 1 of the Top 40 Albums won`t start likely until Monday.
As mentioned last year, this isn't a definitive list. It's the list I spend the less amount of time on. These are just 10 singles that were commercially released in some form that I really loved.
10. Erykah Badu - Window Seat
This song got a lot of attention earlier this year for its music video, which involved Badu stripping down in front of the JFK assassination site. However, the song itself is something definitely worth noting too. ?uestlove, along with the great James Poyser, produce/play on this track that really signifies where part 2 of her New Amerkah series of albums will go. Part 1, while amazing in its own right, isn't as funky as the songs featured on Part 2, such as "Window Seat." There really isn't much else to describe this song, beyond that it was a song that ruled the first quarter of 2010 for me.
09. Steve Earle - This City
This song wasn't released as a single, but it's too good of a song to not put on.
This song first appeared over the closing credits of the season finale of David Simon's incredible HBO series Treme (as shown in the above YouTube video). I was moved by it as I watched the episode, but I wondered if that was because of the episode tied to it or the song itself. Listening to the song on its own merits (which was released on the must-listen Treme soundtrack) I realize that it actually is a beautiful piece of work. With a wonderful horn arrangement by Allen Toussaint only adding to its poignancy, "This City" is a great tribute to New Orleans that only grows the more times you listen.
08. Robyn – Dancing On My Own
I don't need to tell you why Robyn is great. You already know that. You already know that she's doing this sort of pure-ABBA-like pop that no one else is doing currently. So you know why this song is on this list. Because a Top singles of 2010 list without "Dancing On My Own" is from a person who either a) has never heard it, b) is Satan.
07. Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
You get this many times every year. A legend decides to have a comeback, and enlists a hip producer/songwriter to steer him/her to the highest spotlight they have had in decades. Sometimes it comes off as a calculated move to get a younger audience, and it falls on its face. In the case of Mavis Staples, who enlisted Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy to produce her latest album, it's a move that makes artistic sense. They are both natives of Chicago, and Tweedy comes at this as a fan of Mavis' work. The best example of the collaboration is the stunning title track (which was also written by Tweedy), and it's a really wonderful song. It really showcases Mavis Staples' talents without appealing to a younger demographic. She is doing the same music she has always done, and it's just such a nice thing to hear.
06. J. Cole – Who Dat
J. Cole had what some may call his Lupe Fiasco moment last year (which refers to Lupe's "holy ****! who is THAT?" verse on Kanye West's "Touch The Sky.") Cole had that moment on the otherwise lackluster Blueprint 3, when he stole "A Star Is Born" from Jay-Z. "Who Dat", J. Cole's debut self-produced single, is a really great moment of classic rap showmanship that places him as one of hip-hop's most shining up-and-comers. Another nice touch is the Andre 3000 sample from "Spottieottiedopilicious", which shows J. Cole knows his hip-hop history. "Now who else wants to **** with Hollywood cole?"
Here's hoping he doesn't go off the rails like Lupe did, and lose focus to what made him great in the first place. I have a feeling that won't happen, though.
05. Kanye West featuring Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz – Power (Remix)
The release of the original version of "Power" was one of the great music moments of 2010 for me. It was the perfect single to reestablish Kanye West as the force that everyone knew he was. However, as great as "Power" was, the remix improved on it somehow. Featuring one of Jay-Z's best verses in a while, and Kanye West ripping the track apart, it's one of the most FUN songs of the whole year. You aren't a hip-hop fan if this remix didn't make you run around the room when you first heard it. Just me? OK, i'm the weird one then. Regardless, this is just a perfect example of improving on something that was already great and turning it into a transcendent moment for everyone involved.
04. Big Boi featuring Cutty – Shutterbugg
Last year I put 2 Big Boi songs on as a tie, thinking this was the best he could do for singles. Wrong! The best was yet to come, and "Shutterbugg" is just..... It's just the best. The classic Roger Troutman-style vocoder, the best beat Scott Storch has ever been involved with (I still can't believe he was involved in this), and just Big Boi being the Big Boi we all know and love. There is nothing new or original about this song. It's just all of those things done really well.
03. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – Bottled In Cork
Ted Leo is the gentleman of rock. There may be other gentlemen, but Ted Leo is tops among everyone. What does that have to do with "Bottled In Cork"? Nothing, really. Just that he and his band The Pharmacists are the greatest, and this song was one of my most played of the year. You haven't lived until you have played this song as the sun is shining. So, make that your homework for next year, if you didn't do that this year. Wait for great weather, and just blare this. Your life will be significantly better because of it. Trust me.
02. Superchunk – Digging For Something
Don't you love it when artists come back after years of hiatus, and return stronger than ever? Me too! Which is why "Digging For Something" was one of the great moments of the year for me. It's a classic Superchunk song that could have been recorded in 1994, and is as good as anything they have ever done. It makes me so happy. As an added bonus, John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats does some great backing vocals during the chorus. There's a very good chance that if I had to choose a song to be put in my brain, like that classic Adam McKay digital short for SNL starring Willem Dafoe, it would be "Digging For Something."
01. Jay Electronica – Exhibit C
NOTE: Since this song debuted after I did my 2009 singles list (it went up for sale on iTunes in late December 2009) I decided it should count for 2010. I understand how this may be debatable, but hey! It’s my list!
I have been a fan of Jay Electronica since Act 1 mysteriously came out, in when? Maybe 2006? 2007? "Act 1" was an 18 minute song that included testimonials from Just Blaze and Erykah Badu, as well as Jay Electronica rapping over Jon Brion's Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind score. It put him on the hip-hop nerd map. Years came by, with promises for Act 2, and nothing came.
It wasn't until early 2009 when he released "Exhibit A" that he finally released another song. It was great, but didn't live up to Act 1. Then, Just Blaze, in late November of 2009, went on Sirius radio and premiered "Exhibit C" to a rapturous response. He gained many new fans, as well as satisfying the people who were still waiting for "Act 2."
"Exhibit C" is just a masterfully crafted song. A classic build-up, leading into one of Just Blaze's greatest beats in a resume full of them, and Jay Electronica just demolishing the song for a good 4 minutes. It is everything a fan of hip-hop could ever ask for. Since the release of "Exhibit C", he got signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, and released a new song that was pretty great. Whether he gets around to recording a full-length album or not, we still have "Exhibit C" and the feelings and emotions that came from the surprise of that happening and the joy of hearing something we haven't heard since.
- Top 31 TV Shows of 2010 (Unlike movies this year, this was an amazingly strong year of television. Numerous great new TV shows debuted, while many veterans had series best seasons).
Definitely have to agree with this statement.
I just can't at Window Seat, Dancing On My Own, and Power, epic!
