Hey folks, happy holidays! It's time for my first annual Top 100 Countdown! That's right, it's finished already...Christmas break leaves me with way too much free time on my hands. Anyway, it's time for a look back at the year that was: 2004, the year Boston broke the "Curse of the Bambino," the year the Patriots became a dynasty, the year America thoroughly embarassed itself in the voting booths (again). We were flashed by Janet Jackson, shocked by Ron Artest, inspired by Lance Armstrong, Michael Phelps and Carly Patterson, enraged by Michael Moore, embarassed by our Olympic basketball team, and fooled by Kobe Bryant (but thanks to Detroit, and later Shaq, he didn't get the last laugh). We got a flippin' sweet movie, Napoleon Dynamite, which came out of nowhere and will almost assuredly be THE cult classic of the decade. We respectfully said goodbye to Rodney Dangerfield. We said goodbye - and hello again - to Roger Clemens' pitching career. Britney Spears - well, you know all about her. We welcomed with open arms the Hilton sisters ("That's hot!") and the Duff sisters. Lindsay Lohan became a household name when everyone suddenly noticed her...singing voice
Everybody forgot all about both Ben AND J-Lo thanks to Nick and Jessica. We saw just about every conceivable reality show idea take fruition, from fat people losing weight to a phony boss freaking out potential employees - and of course, there was always the real Donald himself. We watched the beginning - and hopefully the end - of the Olsens' movie career. Oh, and did I mention the Red Sox won the World Series? After the Yankees choked away a 3-0 series lead? In Alex "Slappy" Rodriguez's face?
It was also a fine year musically, as dozens of exciting newcomers like Franz Ferdinand, the Killers, the Darkness, and more made a splash while we welcomed back Eminem, Blink 182, Liz Phair, U2, and of course Green Day.
Alright, alright, enough setup, here are the ground rules: In order to be eligible, each song had to be released as a single (same deal as my regular countdown), disqualifying several deserving songs (notably "Jacqueline" and "The Dark of the Matinee" by Franz Ferdinand, "Carolina Pride" by Nomb, and "I Can't Get Behind That" by William Shatner feat. Ben Folds, although three of which are potential singles for 2005). Rules are rules, though; besides, none of those songs would've cracked the top 25.
The rest of the process is primarily based on my own countdown, with all the other countdowns I read over the year, including those here. The reason for this: from time to time, I'll discover a great song far too late to put it on my countdown. Velvet Revolver's "Slither" and The Strokes' "Reptilia" are two examples of songs that are in my top 100 despite never charting in my top 30 at any point.
The top 10 was REALLY tough to put together, with a specific bunch of songs at the top that were virtually tied for my favorite song of 2004. Who came out on top? Well, let's find out...the top 100 begins now!
Close Calls:
Usher - "Burn"
Jessica Simpson - "Take My Breath Away"
Frickin' A - "Trend"
Jimmy Eat World feat. Liz Phair - "Work" (Note: I have a feeling this one will be MUCH higher on the 2005 countdown...)
Outkast - "The Way You Move"
Beyonce - "Me, Myself & I"
Train - "Ordinary"
THE TOP 100 SONGS OF 2004!
100. Counting Crows - "Accidentally in Love"
99. Beyonce - "Naughty Girl"
98. Britney Spears - "Everytime"
97. Janet Jackson – “Just a Little While”
96. Velvet Revolver – “Slither”
95. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Maps”
94. To My Surprise - “Get It to Go”
93. Avril Lavigne – “Nobody’s Home”
92. Jet – “Cold Hard Bitch”
91. Sheryl Crow – “The First Cut is the Deepest”
90. JoJo – “Leave (Get Out)”
89. Kelis – “Milkshake”
88. Ryan Cabrera – “On the Way Down”
87. Liz Phair – “Extraordinary”
86. Los Lonely Boys – “Heaven”
85. White Stripes – “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself”
84. Christina Milian – “Dip it Low”
83. Simple Plan – “Perfect”
82. Muse – “Hysteria”
81. Slipknot – “Duality”
80. Lazyboy feat. Greg Giraldo – “Underwear Goes Inside the Pants”
79. Destiny’s Child – “Lose My Breath”
78. Gwen Stefani – “What You Waiting For?”
77. Badly Drawn Boy – “Year of the Rat”
76. Kimberley Locke – “Eighth World Wonder”
75. Hilary Duff – “Come Clean”
74. Nelly feat. Tim McGraw – “Over and Over”
73. Beastie Boys – “Ch-check it Out”
72. Alicia Keys – “If I Ain’t Got You”
71. Kelly Clarkson – “Breakaway”
70. The Strokes – “Reptilia”
69. Coheed & Cambria – “A Favor House Atlantic”
68. Baby Bash & Frankie J – “Suga Suga”
67. Liz Phair – “Why Can’t I?”
66. Jessica Simpson – “With You”
65. The Hives – “Walk Idiot Walk”
64. Seether feat. Amy Lee – “Broken”
63. Vanessa Carlton – “White Houses”
62. New Found Glory – “All Downhill From Here”
61. No Doubt – “It’s My Life”
60. Three Doors Down – “Away From the Sun”
59. Bowling for Soup – “1985”
58. Ashlee Simpson – “Pieces of Me”
57. Snow Patrol – “Spitting Games”
56. Chronic Future – “Time & Time Again”
55. D12 – “My Band”
54. Kanye West feat. Syleena Johnson – “All Falls Down”
53. Maroon 5 – “Sunday Morning”
52. William Shatner feat. Ben Folds & Joe Jackson – “Common People”
51. Sugarcult – “Memory”
50. Usher, Ludacris, & Lil’ Jon – “Yeah”
49. stellastarr* - “My Coco”
48. Eminem – “Just Lose It”
47. They Might Be Giants – “Experimental Film”
46. Linkin Park – “Breaking the Habit”
45. Snow Patrol – “Run”
44. Franz Ferdinand – “This Fire”
43. Modest Mouse – “Ocean Breathes Salty”
42. John Mayer – “Daughters”
41. Finger Eleven – “One Thing”
40. Avril Lavigne – “Don’t Tell Me”
39. John Mayer – “Clarity”
38. The Von Bondies - "C'mon, C'mon"
37. Scissor Sisters – “Take Your Mama”
36. U2 – “Vertigo”
35. Five for Fighting – “100 Years”
34. Velvet Revolver – “Fall to Pieces”
33. Black Eyed Peas – “Let’s Get it Started”
32. Gavin DeGraw – “I Don’t Want to Be”
31. Maroon 5 – “She Will Be Loved”
30. Britney Spears – “Toxic”
29. Outkast – “Roses”
28. Jet – “Rollover DJ”
27. Cake – “No Phone”
26. Nickelback – “Someday”
25. 3 Doors Down – “Here Without You”
24. Blink 182 – “Down
23. Steriogram – “Walkie-Talkie Man”
22. Jimmy Eat World – “Pain”
21. The Killers – “Mr. Brightside"
20. Switchfoot – “Meant to Live”
19. Yellowcard – “Only One
18. Avril Lavigne – “My Happy Ending”
17. Green Day – “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”
16. Dashboard Confessional – “Vindicated”
15. Linkin Park – “Numb”
14. Black Eyed Peas – “Hey Mama”
13. Jet – “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?”
12. Maroon 5 – “This Love”
11. Incubus – “Talk Shows on Mute”
10. The Darkness – “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
9. Blink 182 – “Feeling This”
8. Outkast – “Hey Ya”
7. Modest Mouse - "Float On"
6. Evanescence – “My Immortal”
5. Blink 182 – “I Miss You”
4. Green Day – “American Idiot”
3. Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”
2. Yellowcard – “Ocean Avenue”
And the number one song of 2004...
1. The Killers - "Somebody Told Me"
It was a virtual four-way tie for #1, but "Somebody Told Me" earned the edge in my opinion. What a year for the Killers, easily one of the biggest breakout bands of 2004 along with the Darkness, Maroon 5, the runners-up, Yellowcard, and the #3 band, Franz Ferdinand (personally my favorite new band of 2004). Green Day's renaissance earned them #4, while Blink 182 rounded out the top 5 (and was the only band to appear twice in the top 10).
Thanks for reading, and for voting - I'll have the latest top 30 up at some point this week, probably tomorrow. Don't miss it, and happy holidays!
One more thing...I never realized how awesome the smilies were!
:meatwad: :shake: :frylock: