Top 100 Songs of the Millennium (2000-2019) - #10-2

[transformers2]

And of course, as I think about it, Woke Up This Morning is actually a 90s song so DISQUALIFIED

Well, SHIT. I honestly thought this song came out at the same time as the TV show. Really, I wasn't trying to slip one past y'all, I just didn't do my homework.

If this were lower in my countdown, I could find a replacement... but it isn't, and I can't. Sorry to spoil the sanctity of our countdown. (hangs head in shame)

Two pre-2000's songs in one countdown? You're slipping old man

[Geezer]

I did it too, luckily the song fell outside the top 100.

[transformers2]

No better time to start commenting on people's songs than the top 10, so here it goes.

#10
Chien: Have to echo the sentiment that this is a surprising pick considering how mellow most of your picks have been. How I've yet to tire on a song that is played so frequently (particularly at sporting events) is a testament to how great it is.

Geezer: Competent, but not overly memorable alternative rock pseudo-ballad. The strings before the outro are pretty nice though.

John: Pretty good! Believe it or not, I can get down with some of this country/Americana stuff from time to time.

Leestu: Grunge is a genre I feel ran out of gas once the iconic bands hung it up. While respectable, this didn't do anything to change my mind.

Nspan: Vocals were pleasant enough, but musically this was flat and repetitive.

Screen: Way too straight-up electronic for my tastes.

Shryke: Sounded like a less cheesy Duran Duran. Not particularly enjoyable.

Six: This was really nice. Ideal mix of dance grooves and punk energy.

Surfer: In Rainbows is the Radiohead album several friends of mine have said would appeal to me the most since it's more guitar-driven than a lot of their stuff. After hearing Bodysnatchers the other day, I felt like that may have been an accurate assessment as it was one of the few Radiohead songs that I dug. My enthusiasm to check out the whole record took a pretty big hit after hearing this. This sounded like a sad, British barbershop quartet whose harmonizing consists of aimless moaning.

[transformers2]

#9 (Was already very familiar with most of these songs, so this was a breeze!)

Chien: Sad French piano music isn't exactly in my wheelhouse
Geezer: Have to agree with surfer. Jimmy Eat World always seems far more comfortable writing more uptempo tracks and even though there is some genuine emotion present in the vocals, the tracks still manages to fall flat.
John: Not bad. Sounds like a rockier REM.
Leestu: Used to loathe this song when it was initially released. The vocals grated on me to the point where I would get legitimately pissed when it came on. While I'm still not crazy about the vocals, I can appreciate it to an extent now. The instrumentals are far more intricate and spacey than I remember them being (prior to this countdown, I hadn't heard this in at least 5 years).
NSpan: Completely indifferent to this.
Ron: When Daft Punk hits, they're fucking fantastic. This falls into that camp. Electric and catchy from start to finish.
Screen: I really wish I liked Adele. She seems like a god damn delightful person and the vocal chops are there. However, her hooks are almost always awful and the melodramatic delivery/constant backing vocals drives me up a fucking wall.
Shryke: Won't be joining in on the whole Korn pileup party. As mediocre as Untouchables was on the whole, this is easily one of the better songs they've released since the dawn of the new millennium.
Six: Have an anecdote that's far long to share here involving a few of my close friends, this song and Rock Band 2, but let's just say I enjoy this for different reasons than you do
Surfer: Top-tier Queens of the Stone Age track. The hook is smooth as hell and the riffs are fucking fantastic. If this countdown was 200 songs, this would've been on my list.

[numbersix]

#9
Six: Have an anecdote that's far long to share here involving a few of my close friends, this song and Rock Band 2, but let's just say I enjoy this for different reasons than you do

Now I need to hear this...

[Shrykespeare]

And of course, as I think about it, Woke Up This Morning is actually a 90s song so DISQUALIFIED

Well, SHIT. I honestly thought this song came out at the same time as the TV show. Really, I wasn't trying to slip one past y'all, I just didn't do my homework.

If this were lower in my countdown, I could find a replacement... but it isn't, and I can't. Sorry to spoil the sanctity of our countdown. (hangs head in shame)

Two pre-2000's songs in one countdown? You're slipping old man

Um... what other song are you referring to?

[Shrykespeare]

#7



CHIEN

Daft Punk, Aerodynamic (2001)

If there had to be only one song of Daft Punk, Aerodynamic would be the one for me. It has everything that makes the french duo so great. It’s an electro vibe that rocks. It’s so good it’s almost perfect to me, and it doesn’t need lyrics. The different moods of the song are like lyrics. It grabs you and takes you into its universe, and you never really come back from it.





GEEZER

Lucero, Nights Like These (2002)

This is another song from Lucero's masterful "Tennessee" album, which makes three songs in the top 17 of this list. Unlike Darby's Song which they never play, and Starlite, which like I noted, I've only seen once, this song they play every single night. It is probably their most popular song and definitely one of the best to sing along to. It's another sad song in my string of them, but I'm sure we've all had a few nights like these ourselves. I must mention that I always have to call bullshit on the line "She had a weakness for writers and I was never that good at the words anyways." Fantastic line, which just proves how false a statement it is. His words are brilliant.

I'm going with a live version to share with you, just to switch it up. Maybe John will find the live recording of Ben's voice less cringe-worthy, who knows.





JOHNERLE

My Morning Jacket, The Way That He Sings (2001)

"Why does my mind blow to bits every time they play that song?"

For my money, this is the ultimate My Morning Band Of Fleet Foxes song, and the one against which all others are judged.

Also: Golden, Rollin' Back





LEESTU

Thee Oh Sees, Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster (2013)

The song that introduced me to Thee Oh Sees (thanks Surfer) who have become one of my favourite bands since then.





NSPAN

Black Mountain, Stormy High (2008)

My favorite track from my favorite Black Mountain record. This rocks.





RON B

Tame Impala, Feels Like We Only Go Backwards (2012)





SCREEN203

Disturbed, Down With The Sickness (2000)

I am probably the last person that would be expected to have a nu-metal "classic" in my list, let alone my top ten. But I think this is one of the few modern rock songs I really love. Everything about it, from the drums to the vocals, is heavy and loud, creating a sense of chaos.





SHRYKE

Muse, Hysteria (2005)

I knew from the opening notes of this song that it was going to be high any list I did regarding music of the millennium. That grinding bass chord digs in like an anchor, then Matt Bellamy just lets ‘er rip. His vocal range, which just astonishes me every time I experience it, place this song among my all-time favorites. That solo nears the end is just phenomenal. And there’s still one more Muse song coming up…





SIX

Radiohead, Pyramid Song (2001)

After Radiohead divided fans in 2000 with an album incorporating electronic music, many wondered where could they go from there. Some feared they’d become rock band bores by bring in orchestral accompaniments, but once again they defied expectations with Amnesiac, a collection of different ideas and experiments that turned out to be another incredible record. In Pyramid Song Yorke relies on a very simple piano melody, with some haunting strings floating in the background which musically parallel the lyrics about going to heaven in a little row boat (a nod to Tom Waits, for anyone who cares), giving a subtly cinematic feel while the rest of the band go a tiny bit jazzy, but in the right way.





SURFER

Vampire Weekend, A-Punk (2008)

Surprised this band haven't appeared more than they have really, they are pretty much one of a few bands who have epitomised the music of this millennium, with their ability to craft melodies which sound refreshingly laidback and uncomplicated, and with simple set-ups that make good songs sound exceedingly easy. Which is very, very hard to achieve. Taking influence from West African pop within their brand of indie pop, Vampire Weekend's debut was clean and smart and addictive as hell. And top of the pile from that record was A-Punk, a breezy and fun song impeccably crafted. It's a household favourite for us, with the whole family joining in for the ''hey, hey, hey's'', which just epitomises the band's ability to work addictive songs that reach way beyond what your average band can achieve.





TRANSFORMERS

The Black Dahlia Murder, A Shrine to Madness (2011)

"A Shrine to Madness" is an incendiary tone-settler for Black Dahlia Murder's extreme metal masterpiece "Ritual"-a concept album about (*gasp*) various macabre rituals. Aided by ominous violins and an undercurrent of sinister debauchery, this song detailing the exploits of a fictional pagan cult engaging in disturbing behavior on Halloween would've been a perfect fit for the Midsommar soundtrack if Ari Aster had decided to make the music as extreme as the content of the movie.

[transformers2]

Well, SHIT. I honestly thought this song came out at the same time as the TV show. Really, I wasn't trying to slip one past y'all, I just didn't do my homework.

If this were lower in my countdown, I could find a replacement... but it isn't, and I can't. Sorry to spoil the sanctity of our countdown. (hangs head in shame)

Two pre-2000's songs in one countdown? You're slipping old man

Um... what other song are you referring to?

Make Me Bad by Korn. The album it appears on (Issues) was released in November 1999.

[Leestu]

#7 playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7levD ... 0cQqO_L-0Q

Our millennium selections were well represented in new releases this week :-

First IDLES single from their next album - 20 seconds into the song and I was already adding it to my favourite songs of 2020 playlist
New Jeff Rosenstock album
New Steve Earle album
New Airborne Toxic Event album
Green Day covering a Blondie song
New Disclosure single

[transformers2]

#9
Six: Have an anecdote that's far long to share here involving a few of my close friends, this song and Rock Band 2, but let's just say I enjoy this for different reasons than you do

Now I need to hear this...

Alright, I'll try to make it as concise as possible. Back about 11-12 years ago, my friends and I would get together to play Rock Band pretty frequently. The kid who hosted was particularly great at drums and could rip through every song on the game without too much difficultly. Maps happened to be one of the easier songs to play on drums in Rock Band 2 and it eventually got to the point where he didn't have to look at the screen to get 100% on the hardest difficulty. One he learned how to do this, we would play Maps every time we got together just to see him make him stupid faces, hit the drums with different parts of his body, do other stupid shit without missing a note and collectively laugh our asses off. Because of those gloriously stupid times, I still can't hear this deadly serious song without bursting out laughing (last November, someone performed this at a karaoke night all of the aforementioned parties were present at and we all had to bury our heads in our hands/sleeves because we were keeled over from laughing so hard).

[Leestu]

Back working in the office this week has impacted my keeping up, plus one day lost to a migraine (when I stuffed up the playlist for that day with two versions of the QOTSA song due to brain not working) but catching up now...

#9

The I Love It

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maps - sorry I had it so low in my list...such a good song that even Beyonce interpolating it made for a decent Beyonce song

The Great

Danny Brown, Ain't It Funny - the first time I heard anything by Danny Brown was seeing him live at a festival and did I wish I had heard of him before because he was incredible and had the crowd bopping along (or whatever it is the crowd do to hip hop performers)...I fixed that mistake afterwards so next time (I wish!) I will be familiar with his material...anyway this is one of my favourites of his, a great song!

Daft Punk, Robot Rock - unlike most I like Human After All more than other Daft Punk albums, and this song is the highlight...I think I like that in this song, although repetitive like all their music, the repetition is based around a rock-like riff, and there are some interesting electronic flourishes throughout the repetition...possibly my favourite Dart Punk song

The Very Good

Queens Of The Stone Age, Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret - I like QOTSA enough that even their middling songs, from a middling album, are still really good songs...just a personal taste thing but their are so many of their songs I like better

Benjamin Biolay, Ton Héritage - first listen...this seems to have copped an unfair reaction here, I found this to be quite an interesting piece of music and a little bit more unique than most chanson française I've heard, maybe I respond to the singer/songwriter vibe here (despite not understanding the lyrics which I'm sure would enhance it even more) instead of the normal french pop vibe...I think I've liked his other songs you've posted too

Korn, Here To Stay - yes that bass at the start does kick ass

The Tragically Hip, My Music At Work - first listen...<insert obligatory R.E.M. reference here>...nothing wrong with resembling one of the best college rock bands ever imo

The Good

XTC, I'm the Man Who Murdered Love - I listened to their 1980 album Black Sea last month, man that's a strong album...but compared to last time this appeared now I feel this pales in comparison a bit

Jimmy Eat World, Hear You Me - first listen...it's fine, nothing that changes my mind to want to listen to their albums but I like their songs enough when I hear them

Adele, Rolling In The Deep - as much as I want to dismiss Adele, this is actually quite a decent retro song musically, and she does have some decent vocal chops (if a tad weak on the really high notes if I am going to be picky)...I've probably heard this less than a handful of times so I can still appreciate it

[Leestu]

#8

The I Love It

Eminem, Without Me - classic song

The Excellent

The Dillinger Escape Plan-Farewell, Mona Lisa - first listen...I obviously need to hear more than just Miss Machine because this was excellent...there's a bit of post-hardcore to their metal here that works for me and this was a fascinating and enjoyable journey

William Shatner - Common People - Huh! I never knew that was Joe Jackson...a fascinating cover of one of my favourite songs, and as a Star Trek fan I can't help but love Shatner's OTT interpretation...loved the video

TV On the Radio, Wolf Like Me - excellent song, one of my favourites from them

The Great

Animal Collective, My Girls - yes I am very impressed with all AC have done (incuding the Avey Tare and Panda Bear material), although this album took a bit for me to get accustomed too

Lucero, Here at the Starlite - quality singing and songwriting on display here

The Very Good

Alabama 3 (aka A3), Woke Up This Morning - great way to start the show

The Okay

Band of Skulls, Love is All You Love - I was disappointed with this at first but I think that's because it was coming from them...it's a decent song otherwise

Sufjan Stevens, Mystery of Love - not one of the Sufjan songs I get into

[Shrykespeare]

I have added Screen's #8 and #7 into the posts. Great to have all the children together again!

But if you don't want to scroll backward (or upward), here they are:

8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Ts9ZVOAfc

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea6JCPUfito

[Leestu]

#7

The Awesome

Vampire Weekend, A-Punk - I loved this song for a while at the time (and Oxford Comma) but I wonder if not really enjoying later Vampire Weekend, and I didn't think they were that great live when I saw them, has taken the shine off a bit for me?

The Excellent

Radiohead, Pyramid Song - beautifully eerie song, and my favourite from the album...Amnesiac > Kid A

The Great

Muse, Hysteria - as usual a great song from Muse...nice pick!

Lucero, Nights Like These - cool live version

Daft Punk, Aerodynamic - another great Daft Punk song...the first half of this album is all very good

The Very Good

Black Mountain, Stormy High - first listen...some big riffs, a driving rhythm, and good rocking fun

Tame Impala, Feels Like We Only Go Backwards - Elephant (which has already been on my list) and Apocalypse Dreams are the standouts from this album, but this song has grown on me over time, and definitely an indicator of the synth-psych direction he was going further in

The Okay

My Morning Jacket, The Way That He Sings - first listen...nice, but a dull nice for me

The Black Dahlia Murder, A Shrine to Madness - is this two different singers or the same underworld entity?

[Shrykespeare]

Utterly fantastic round.


#8

I'm Kind of A Big Deal - Without Me - Our SIXTH crossover. Just...wow. (And yes, I totally get the irony that this comes up again right after I had a Moby song, so there's no need to point it out.) 10/10

ScreenMyCalls - Precious Illusions - I love Alanis. Very much. Details to follow... (wink) 8.5/10

VI - My GIrls - I adore the retro-vibe of this song. It sounds like some of the best alt-rock of the late 80ss, like something Daniel Ash or Simple Minds might have done back in the day. 7.5/10

Norrin Radd - Wolf Like Me - Can't quite put my finger on why I like this song, so I won't even try. Some songs are just good. 7/10

JonUrl - Common People - You're weird. I must be too... 7/10

Stulee - Giant Tortoise - This was pretty awesome, actually. Imagine it would be great live. 7/10

Mr. Postman - Here at the Starlite - This guy seriously got his Cobain on for this song. Or his Staley. Anyway, I liked it (the song and the story that went with it). 7/10

Phantom Dog - Mystery of Love - Not a huge fan of Mr. Stevens, but this is a very nice song. 6.5/10

N(notC)Span - Love is All You Love - Love the bluesy feel to this. The vocals blend very well together. Nice choice. 6.5/10

ExRockBandJunkie - Farewell Mona Lisa - As Judge Reinhold said in Ruthless People, that was some thigh-slappin', blood-pumpin' nuclear brain damage. The change in tempo made this much more palatable than your usual fare. Very cool. 6/10