One thing that I will happily allow people to define me by
is my love of music, plus my annoying habit of listing all of my music by year.
Today I begin a look back, in five year increments, into my
musical past, listing when possible, my Top 20 songs from that year, starting
by highlighting my Top 20 songs from the year 2008. I'm only giving little notes about each song. This is just a little blog, not Rolling Stone.
Remember, this is only my opinion based on what I was exposed to. If I didn't happen to list your favorite song, I'm not saying it wasn't worthy. I probably just didn't hear it. But any thoughts are welcome, for now.
Remember, this is only my opinion based on what I was exposed to. If I didn't happen to list your favorite song, I'm not saying it wasn't worthy. I probably just didn't hear it. But any thoughts are welcome, for now.
2008 was not a particularly exciting year for music, as it
falls into what I consider to be a musical dark period which has existed in my
view since 2005. (more on that at a later date) And as such I wouldn't expect to sound very enthusiastic about the songs I have listed here. There were a few bright spots,
and they shall be revealed as we work our way down (or up) the list beginning
with...
#20. "Viva La Vida" - Coldplay
Let me start by saying I hate Coldplay. Specifically, I do
not like Chris Martin. I don't really want to get into the specifics of that.
Maybe some other time. This song was the first single released from the album
of the same name, subtitled "or Death and All His Friends." This song
got lots of promotional help from various media sources and was way overplayed
in my opinion. It's still somewhat catchy and I didn't hate it as much as some
of their other releases. The fact that it is the first entry on this list shows
just how weak 2008 was musically.
#19. "Mercy" - Duffy
One of the many "Amy Winehouse" clones which was
all the rage at the time, Duffy had this 60s vibe in this song which made it instantly
likeable. Unfortunately, as with the previous song, it did suffer from
overexposure. Unless she is still popular in Europe, she
has fallen prey to the "one-hit wonder" syndrome.
#18. "Pocketful Of Sunshine" - Natasha Bedingfield
This song made my 2008 list if for no other reason that once
it was in my head, I was singing it all day. Usually with my own made up
lyrics. She is best known for the song "Unwritten" a few years
earlier. Her follow-up album was popular, but again it's because the song is
catchy, and not particularly noteworthy for any other reason.
#17. "Sleep When I'm Dead" - The Cure
At some point it will be revealed that The Cure is my all
time favorite band. Actually, I guess I just revealed it. So in 2008, when they
released four singles from their worst album, 4:13 Dream, it says a lot about this year that three of them made my
Top 20. Supposedly this song was a demo that Robert Smith "unearthed"
from the Head On The Door days
(1985). In the 90s, when it started to be cool for older bands to release
previously unreleased material, my father told me that there was a reason they
didn't release it in the first place. Clearly this song does not reflect the
quality of the band's 80s recordings. It is catchy enough, but if I had to list
my 100 favorite Cure songs, this one would be hard pressed to make the cut.
#16. "The Shock Of The Lightning" - Oasis
I have to admit I've always had a thing for the Gallagher
brothers. As much as they are pains in the ass, and though Noel had a tendency to
rip off The Beatles fairly blatantly, they just kicked ass in the 90s. So it
was nice to see them return with a strong effort as they did with what would
turn out to be their final album Dig Out
Your Soul. A very upbeat rocker, it has all those Oasis trademarks we all
loved from the heyday of Britpop. One that I enjoy listening to even to this
day.
#15. "Shadow Of The Day" - Linkin Park
I guess eventually they had to write a song that was
something other than rapped verse/screamed chorus. Slower tempo, this song is
almost a ballad. I do like this song, though upon further review it is rather
unremarkable. I guess I just always tended to like these guys.
#14. "The Only One" - The Cure
Yeah, here they are again. This was the lead single from 4:13 Dream, and the song all of us Cure fans
waited four years to hear. It had potential, and it is one of the better songs
from what is otherwise a horrible album. But for a Cure pop song it is rather
formulaic, especially if you know some of The Cure's better known pop songs.
#13. "The Time Of My Life" - David Cook
Okay, before I get any grief for this, I did watch American
Idol, and I was a fan of this guy that season, seven or eight or whatever it
was. This was the song he recorded and released after winning the season and
maybe I was just swept up in it, but I really did like this song, and it left
me very anxious to see what he could do given the opportunity to record his own
album.
#12. "Sky Is Over" - Serj Tankian
I'm not really into music and politics mixing, but since the
beginning it's been inevitable. Some of it more overtly than others. Serj
Tankian, singer of the very socially conscious band System Of A Down released
this ditty in 2008 which has some subtle environmental overtones. It's a decent
song, but musically it is a watered down version of SOAD's 2005 hit
"B.Y.O.B." even including a round of "la-la-la's" at one
point.
#11. "Falling" - Paul Oakenfold featuring Cee-Lo
Okay, I'm not even sure if this song was commercially
released, but it was played during a trailer for a "Jason Bourne"
video game released that year. As I was a part of an industry that involves
video games that year I heard this song quite a lot. Cee-Lo started to see his
stock rise after landing a huge hit with Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and
Paul Oakenfold used him to great effect. Very upbeat, very danceable.
#10. "Lost!" - Coldplay
I don't need to go into why I dislike this band again, but I
will say that it's that whole music/politics thing. That's all I'll say for
now. Anyway, a follow up single to "Viva La Vida" this song was
fairly unremarkable for Coldplay, but catchy enough for it to land in my Top 10
for this year. A steady beat, lots of clapping sounds and a vibrant organ track
make it a little different than what they usually offer. Not their best, but
not their worst.
#9. "Freakshow" - The Cure
The third entry by The Cure shows how poor of a year overall
2008 was considering that all three songs hail from what is the band's worst
album. This song, clocking in at 2:30
harks back to some of The Cure's bouncier and fun material. It is my favorite
song from 4:13 Dream and though I don't think this would have been
a Cure single 10 years prior, clearly they had to do the best with what they
had.
#8. "Long Road To Ruin" - Foo Fighters
I love this band. From 1995 to the present, there isn't a
single band or artist who appears in my Annuals more that Foo Fighters. What
can be said? Their music works on so many levels. It rocks! It's melodic and
catchy. Dave Grohl is an amazing singer. Great song, and not the last time we
hear from them in 2008.
#7. "The Day That Never Comes" - Metallica
Some people loved 2003's St.
Anger and some hated it. The only issue I had with it was the awful snare
sound Lars used. Well by the time this album came out, there was promise that
it was a return to the glory days of Metallica. This was the lead single, and
while the promise may have been somewhat of an exaggeration, I really enjoyed
this song. It kinda has a late 90s Metallica vibe to it. Most importantly it
had a different snare sound.
#6. "Discipline" - Nine Inch Nails
It's a good thing Trent Reznor decided to give this album
away because I decided a long time ago that he wasn't getting anymore of my
money. It's actually a decent song. Quick tempo and dark toned, it has elements
of that NIN flair we all love. Nothing like his classic mid-90s period, but
very good nonetheless. My favorite part of this song is the vocal false
start. I'd love to know if that was intentional or not.
#5. "Chinese Democracy" - Guns N' Roses
I know, I just lost a bunch of you. So I was the one guy anxiously
awaiting the release of this album. I was also the one guy who actually liked
this album! I still remember collecting tracks as they'd leak. This was not one that leaked. It was released as the first single in October if I recall, then the album came in November. It has a rather spooky intro which gets punctuated by a Nine Inch Nails sounding guitar riff. When the vocals come in, it's Axl in his lower register. Not a lot of screaming, but it's a pretty intense track. I still like this song as much as I did back then. Maybe I was just happy to have some GNR back.
#4. "Light On" - David Cook
I mentioned earlier that I was anxious to see what Mr. Cook would do post-Idol. This song, partially penned by Chris Cornell of Soundgarden did not disappoint. A mid-tempo straight up rocker, it did a fantastic job of highlighting his talent. Hard for me to say that about someone involved in American Idol, but I really did like this guy. Sadly, his career has never really taken off, but we'll always have this song.
#3. "Chemtrails" - Beck
I've always been a Beck fan. I think he falls into that rare category of musical genius. Listen to his output during the 90s, and some of his stuff last decade. I love how this song seems to start and stop. The fast parts with its pounding drums and bassline. And of course those eerie lyrics about the trails that jets leave behind from time to time. I've liked a lot of Beck songs and this is one of my favorites.
#2. "Let It Die" - Foo Fighters
I love this band. This is my favorite song from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and it was nearly my favorite song of the year. Starts off with a little guitar lick and a soft vocal. It gently builds in intensity before it seems to level off, but then it just crashes through the speakers and you're inundated with loud drums, crunching guitars and screaming vocals. One of their best ever, in my humble opinion.
#1. "Better" - Guns N' Roses
This was one of the leaked tracks, so it sort of had a head start. Released as a single along with the album, it did differ slightly from the leaked version, but as I said earlier, it was just nice to have their music back, even if it is just Axl and some other guys. Typical GNR rocker with some electronic and even industrial elements to it, for my taste, it just works. Has a good melody to it, and that higher register Axl Rose vocal style that doesn't peak as well as it did 20 years ago, but it still sounds good to these ears.
And there's the look back on 2008 viewed through my eyes (or ears, if you will) Not the greatest year by any stretch, but it's interesting to look back with even five years of perspective. That's one thing I love about music. It serves as a time capsule of sorts. Always there when we need it. We can recall where we were and what we were doing and maybe even who we were doing it with. It's an old friend that never goes away or gives up on you. No matter how bad the music may have been in a particular year. For the record, 2007 is actually the worst musical year of the last decade. I'll be skipping that one.
Next up will be a look back at 2003, which was a much, much better year than 2008.
I'm glad to have this one out of the way.
#4. "Light On" - David Cook
I mentioned earlier that I was anxious to see what Mr. Cook would do post-Idol. This song, partially penned by Chris Cornell of Soundgarden did not disappoint. A mid-tempo straight up rocker, it did a fantastic job of highlighting his talent. Hard for me to say that about someone involved in American Idol, but I really did like this guy. Sadly, his career has never really taken off, but we'll always have this song.
#3. "Chemtrails" - Beck
I've always been a Beck fan. I think he falls into that rare category of musical genius. Listen to his output during the 90s, and some of his stuff last decade. I love how this song seems to start and stop. The fast parts with its pounding drums and bassline. And of course those eerie lyrics about the trails that jets leave behind from time to time. I've liked a lot of Beck songs and this is one of my favorites.
#2. "Let It Die" - Foo Fighters
I love this band. This is my favorite song from Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and it was nearly my favorite song of the year. Starts off with a little guitar lick and a soft vocal. It gently builds in intensity before it seems to level off, but then it just crashes through the speakers and you're inundated with loud drums, crunching guitars and screaming vocals. One of their best ever, in my humble opinion.
#1. "Better" - Guns N' Roses
This was one of the leaked tracks, so it sort of had a head start. Released as a single along with the album, it did differ slightly from the leaked version, but as I said earlier, it was just nice to have their music back, even if it is just Axl and some other guys. Typical GNR rocker with some electronic and even industrial elements to it, for my taste, it just works. Has a good melody to it, and that higher register Axl Rose vocal style that doesn't peak as well as it did 20 years ago, but it still sounds good to these ears.
And there's the look back on 2008 viewed through my eyes (or ears, if you will) Not the greatest year by any stretch, but it's interesting to look back with even five years of perspective. That's one thing I love about music. It serves as a time capsule of sorts. Always there when we need it. We can recall where we were and what we were doing and maybe even who we were doing it with. It's an old friend that never goes away or gives up on you. No matter how bad the music may have been in a particular year. For the record, 2007 is actually the worst musical year of the last decade. I'll be skipping that one.
Next up will be a look back at 2003, which was a much, much better year than 2008.
I'm glad to have this one out of the way.
