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The ATRL Top 50 of 2005
Member Since: 12/27/2003
Posts: 3,307
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27. B.Y.O.B.
Think back to the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Political songs everywhere, from The Beetles, to Crosby, Stills, and Nash, to Linda Ronstadt to Bruce Springstien. There's been a little bit here and there recently, such as MxPx's War on Errorism and Bad Religion's The Empire Strikes First, but political music had really been an insignificant spectacle in today's music until B.Y.O.B (along with a little less blatantly Green Day's American Idiot and Holiday) catapulted it back into the mainstream. That should be enough to make it a great song, but a catchy beat and the "always awesome" stamp System puts on their records.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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Thanks Nick for fixing my mistake!
Now, we have a bunch of writeups from our 2nd best Canuck poster, Roger!
24. Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Going Down
What is your filthy, dirty, guilty pleasure? Take that, multiply it by, oh who knows, 100?, and there you have it. Undeniably one of the catchiest singles of 2005 that catapulted Pete Wentz & friends to embark upon the new wave of MySpace
junkies everywhere. Many may attest otherwise, but it became painfully obvious that fall out Boy sealed the deal and became the poster boys for the "emo-punk-pop" regime that inspired a new legion of music listeners and concert goers. "Wishing to be the friction in your jeans", is a nice way to sum up how Pete Wentz can make 12 year old girls feel, but the rest of their carefully crafted lyrics help solidify the gang as a force to be reckoned with.
23. Kelly Clarkson - Because Of You
There is such a thing as sincerity, beauty, exquisiteness (is that even a word?), and there is also such a thing as pop perfection. Kelly Clarkson seems to embrace all of those admirable qualities and channel them towards the greater good; resulting in one of the best pop albums of the new millennium, 'Breakaway'. Spawning 4 consecutive top 10 Hot 100 hits, Kelly Clarkson has deviated from the American Idol stigma and sound and has evolved into one of the most respected and sought after talents. 'Because Of You' is yet another example of her elegant craftsmanship as a contributor to the song writing process, and her voice resonates through the enduring pain the song is meant to represent. The "girl next door", the one apparently all 12-year old girls can relate too, released a single that even got the punk and funk junkies listening. 'Because of you', no no, because of Kelly Clarkson, there is hope for pop music.
22. Interpol - Evil
How cool are these guys? Some people might not think it's cool to think you're cool because you like obscure, "out there" type of music and entertainment ("indie kids"), but Interpol attract that attention through their insanely inspiring underground NYC 80's pub scene sound and classy sense of style. 'Evil' is no exception to this sound that everyone seems to critically acclaim. Shifting from low-brow, to intense heavy chorus and bridges, this song is exactly what it suggests, "weightless, semi-erotic". It has bearing on the soul, the hardships people endure, and it's captured magnificently by the incredible talent that Interpol encompass in everything they put their minds too.
21. Green Day - Holiday (A very special writeup, courtesy of Chad!)
Holiday is a fun rock track that anybody can love. It’s definitely a car jammer. The song may have been majorly overplayed, but it’s still a song that most people love. It had a fun video to go along with it too.
20. Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance
Now that they have sold close to 2 million copies of their sophomore album, it becomes incredibly easy to clump these guys into the Simple Plan, Good Charlotte, "sell out - power pop punk" molding. What's unfortunate is that this is the same music that was out well over a year ago and made "cool" to like by an underground movement via the MySpace generation. What's fortunate though is that this song still registers high on the year-end catalogue. And with just cause too. Clocking in just over 3 minutes, it grabs you by the wrists, molests you on the dance floor, and tosses you aside with no feeling of remorse or resentment. Jump, jive, and wail everybody.
19. Jem - 24
Remember the days when people used to think Amy Lee was haunting through her vocal capability and the way that voice resonated through her songwriting? Push those thoughts aside, because Jem has made it clear she is the new forefront of mesmerizing female leads. '24' is a striking portrayal of death, agony, and the torment associated with the 'wait' and the anticipation surrounding such feelings. This was the clear-cut winner off Jem's stunning album 'Finally Woken', and she was able to evoke feelings of fear and apprehension from her listeners in just fewer than 4 minutes of carefully crafted production. '24' is simply breathtaking (pretty sure Jack Bauer even gets the jitters listening to it).
We'll be back with more!
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 1/20/2004
Posts: 46,574
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30. T.A.T.U. - All About Us
27. Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country
27. System of a Down - B.Y.O.B.
25. Backstreet Boys - Incomplete
24. Fall Out Boy - Sugar, We're Going Down
20. Fall Out Boy - Dance, Dance
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Member Since: 1/22/2005
Posts: 13,429
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haha, i hate seeing my own writeups lol.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
Posts: 14,726
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ace Reject
Thanks Nick for fixing my mistake!
Now, we have a bunch of writeups from our 2nd best Canuck poster, Roger!
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You're too kind.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 12/21/2002
Posts: 20,569
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Eh, if there really was somebody who enjoys the new System of a Down albums but not even Toxicity, I'd slap them really hard. Twice: once for Hypnotize and again--with much more force--for Mezmerize.
"Holiday" is way too high. That shouldn't have been a single.
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Member Since: 10/5/2005
Posts: 11,422
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Hmmm. I thought FOB would be higher.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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You guys! We're getting closer to the top ten! This round, we'll be finishing Roger's contributions. We'll start with track 18 - a song that he didn't write about. I understand why he couldn't do it; its' genius is hard to realize (until like the twentieth play), and it's almost impossible to describe.
18. Gorillaz featuring De La Soul - Feel Good Inc.
17. Amerie - 1 Thing
Innovative, stimulating, and JAAAAM come to mind when thinking of Amerie's ass-shakin', hip hop romp into dance floor heaven that we like to call '1 Thing'. It wasn't just the "one thing that got me trippin"; it was the clever infusion of big band sounds, off key vocals, and the production that sounded absolutely nothing like the Rihanna, Missy Elliot, or Ciara flava that was topping the charts at the time. The accompanying video was nothing short of shimmering gold, lace, and big lights - an ode to the sound that this song is clearly inspired from. Despite her inability to follow-up with anything not nearly as trailblazing, it was in this one moment that Amerie became cool again.
16. The Killers - All These Things That I've Done
"I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier", is just one of those lyrics, one of those defining musical moments; that whether you hear it on the radio, on the television, or have the opportunity to hear it live, you become completely absorbed. This one tune was able to escalate the Las Vegas natives into stadium synth-rockers, with their first "clap along and sing in unison" anthem, much like Coldplay & U2 have been able to consistently achieve with their music. This was Brendan & co's very own 'Clocks' or 'Vertigo', it's the tune to end all tunes, and it always closes a show. If The Killers are able to put down the synthesizers for at least a moment while recording their new album, hopefully they can churn out another fan favorite such as this and firmly establish their role in being able to engage an audience into complete unison.
15. Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends
Even if you didn't like the 7-minute, over-dramatic zed, epic of a video, Green Day stir up another heart-breaker tugging at those emotional heartstrings. A reason this was able to find such broad and global appeal was for its excellent portrayal of war and how it does not only affect those families immediately involved, but our society as a whole. Many people may have taken this song as means of coping with heading back to school, first year at University or College, leaving friends behind; and although that interpretation isn't necessarily accurate - it conveys some sort of insight in to why the tune was able to strike a chord with a large audience, for everyone was able to get out of it what they wanted.
14. Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Billy Joe said this at the Grammy's, "It's so cool that pop radio plays rock music."
Despite how butchered this song became as a result of it's multi-format appeal as not only pop, but Hot AC, AC, and even Alternative itself *****d the tune to death, it is a pinnacle and defining song of our generation. Green Day were able to manifest a tune that was hardly a representation of their politically charged masterpiece, 'American Idiot', but that's what made it so likeable. Being able to target more than just their core demographic is what led Green Day to reaching 'Dookie' level success this year. For simple melodies, a heavy chorus, and a bridge you couldn't get out of your head, 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' is one of the first memorable songs of the new millennium.
Next up, we get writeups from the big dog. Also, I want people to guess what songs will end up being in the top 13?
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Member Since: 1/26/2005
Posts: 12,720
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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And now, we get to the real deal Holyfield: writeups by Ryan. We'll be stopping at eleven, because I want - nay, demand - guesses on the top ten!
13) Madonna - Hung Up
-- One of the few pop songs I heard in 2005 that was actually not all that bad at all. For a while, I kinda liked it. It has this spirit in it that most musicians wish they could have. It's alive and pulsating and the best Madonna song in over a decade. It got annoying after hearing it all the time, but it was good while it lasted. Viva God Madonna.
12) Gwen Stefani - Cool
-- Probably the best pure pop song of 2005. Almost every single Gwen released off of LAMB (minus that and "Crash"), I either stopped liking (What You Waiting For), didn't care for (Luxurious, Rich Girl) or flat-out HATED (Hollaback Girl). Cool was the exception. I love Gwen's vocals in the song and the video only enhanced the song for me. Reminds me of the fun time I had in the summer as well and that is ALWAYS a plus.
11) The Bravery - An Honest Mistake
-- No song that is this catchy should ever go unnoticed, and if it hadn't had been for the awesome video that came with it, "An Honest Mistake" probably would have been forgotten and left to rot by the mainstream. Even now, I think this is a wonderful dance song. I love how people think The Bravery are The Killers rip-offs, though, even though they sound nothing alike.
NOW GUESS.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
Posts: 14,726
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3 great tunes there.
Well we will definitely see Kelly with SUBG.
Probably Gwen's Hollaback Girl, a BEP tune.. Some more Killers?
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Banned
Member Since: 10/21/2001
Posts: 25,547
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I think the #1 will be either Breakaway, Since You've Been Gone, We Belong Together (don't know if it's been there yet), or Hollaback Girl
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Member Since: 8/9/2004
Posts: 21,889
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This will be the cheeziest list ever if i saw "We belong together" or "Since U been gone" on #1 .
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Geez, Roger you can freaking write very well. COnsider Journalism.
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Member Since: 10/5/2005
Posts: 11,422
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I like 18-14. Good job to whomever is doing these write ups.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
Posts: 14,726
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Quote:
Originally posted by Roy Worser
Geez, Roger you can freaking write very well. COnsider Journalism.
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Hey, thanks a lot.
Writing about music and popular culture in general is something I just enjoy doing.
I don't think I could ever be good enough for the real deal though.
But again, good to know some people enjoy it.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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And now we enter the top ten, with Ryan as our attentive tour guide - but I'll be inserting my own opinion once or twice! Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride/night.
10) Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
-- I have nothing nice to say about this song, so I’ll just say that Crooked Teeth is better in this blurb.
Editor's Note:Has there ever been such an ethereal, otherworldy song to make it onto MTV's playlist? There probably has, but I can't remember it. Soul Meets Body isn't so much a song as it is an experience. It's also the perfect example of reaching the mainstream without "selling out." Well done boys.
9) Nine Inch Nails - The Hand That Feeds
-- The biggest alternative song of 2005, no matter how much Billboard Magazine tries to tell you otherwise. "The Hand That Feeds" STORMED up the charts and became an instant smash and for good reason. The music is danceable and fun to listen to and Trent's voice actually sounds mainstream compared to most of his past efforts. This song (and the album [With Teeth]) gives Trent and the Nails the spark they needed and now they're back on top of the rock world, with three consecutive #1s (including their newest song, "Every Day is exactly the same"). Just like I figured it would go down.
8) My Chemical Romance - The Ghost of You
-- As time goes by, I usually fall out of love with plenty of songs the more and more I listen to them. I either think they have gotten old, I grew out of them or, for me the worst one of all, overplay them to the point where I can't listen to the songs anymore. "The Ghost of You" is one of the few songs I heard in 2005 that didn't fall into ANY of those categories. I loved it ever since the first time I heard the song. It's so powerful and gut busting that it deserves more love than it gets. People usually put Helena as their favorite MCR song, but I would never even consider another song over "The Ghost of You". I adore it.
7) Nine Inch Nails - Only
-- Some of you know this already, but expect a GLOWING blurb here. This is my #1 song of 2005. It was not only clearly the #1 song of 2005; it was a foregone conclusion for me. Any song with that great of a beat and that good of a harmony between the instruments and the vocals is going to be #1 every single time, no matter what. This is the masterpiece of the new millennium I have been waiting for from Trent Reznor and it will be song I remember for a long, long, looong time.
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Member Since: 6/6/2005
Posts: 17,088
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The Hand That Feeds ^__________________________________________^
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Member Since: 6/21/2005
Posts: 4,456
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Cannot wait for the top 6!!
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 10/1/2002
Posts: 14,726
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A lot more rock orientated than I expected.
And a lot higher for DCFC and MCR than I expected.
But awesome!
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