A few notes before the games begin:
*Singles like "Sensual Seduction" or "Say" don't qualify for any of this year's countdowns because they were out for a significant amount of time in 2007.
*Singles such as "The Fear" or "Circus" will be eligible for 2009, but not this year.
*Britney landed four different spots among my six countdowns (three good, one bad), feel free to leave your feedback and state your disagreement
but please do not turn this into a Britney thread. Thank you.
The 50 Best Singles of '08 (#'s 50-41)
50. “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid”-The Offspring
I haven’t been interested in this band since their
Americana heyday ten years ago and they don’t seem to have evolved much, but I’ve at least got to hand it to them—this song is amusing and sharp.
49. “I Hate This Part”-The Pussycat Dolls
The lyrics here aren’t anything to write home about but the vocal delivery is strong and it ventures into darker territory without abandoning the beats we’ve all come to expect from PCD.
48. “Everyone Nose”-N.E.R.D.
I’m not fond of
Seeing Sounds, but this still deserves credit for being one of the most spontaneous and eclectic songs of the year.
47. “The Promise”-Girls Aloud
Not my type of music but for a pop song, it really delivers. Girls Aloud are one of the few pop groups these days that actually create music that sounds fresh, too bad they’ve got no crossover appeal to the U.S.
46. “Love Song”-Sara Bareilles
I loathe this song. The lyrics meander and the verses are overwrought, but it’s got a killer chorus which is why it is one of the biggest singles of the year. For that, she deserves huge props.
45. “All Summer Long”-Kid Rock
I can’t give this too much praise since a good portion of it was taken from two already popular songs, but Kid Rock wins my vote for snubbing iTunes and still triumphing. This song is pure fun.
44. “Take Back the City”-Snow Patrol
This band’s got the gift of melody; I haven’t been disappointed with any of their offerings yet. Although this song is uplifting, it resembles “Hands Open” a little too much.
43. “Should’ve Said No”-Taylor Swift
Her music is all a bit sophomoric, but it’s age appropriate so I can’t fault her. This song is über-catchy and she deserves kudos for writing and playing an instrument.
42. “Hearts Burst Into Fire”-Bullet for My Valentine
This isn’t anything we haven’t already heard before, but it’s still a great song. It’s mainstream-friendly without going over the top (like MCR) or getting too vapid (like Disturbed).
41. “Touch My Body”-Mariah Carey
People complained that this song sounded “cartoon-ish,” but I guess they didn’t understand that’s the way it’s
supposed to sound! Even if it failed to meet expectations, both the song and video were campy and fun. Mimi’s in a happy place, why should she be bogged down with more ballads?
#'s 40-31 will be posted tommorow.