Top 100 Songs of the Millennium 2000-2015
We are now in the sixteenth year of the millennium. There
have been many great new bands and singers to emerge over the past few years
such as Coldplay, Norah Jones, Sharon Jones, Adele, Cousteau, Mando Diao, The
Editors, White Lies, Maximo Parks, Minus The Bear and others. As well as the
new discoveries several longtime super-greats have continued to record and
release some great music over these past years including David Gilmour, Tom
Petty, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta), Jack White (White Stripes), Bjork,
Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Brian Eno, Justin
Hayward, Donna Summer and so many more I can’t name them all.
This list displays what I feel are the 100 best songs from
the years 2000 – 2015. It spans a multitude of genres and artists. My main
musical interests lie with in Modern rock, Alternative rock and jazz (of all
types) therefore the majority on my list will fall with in these categories.
Oddly, though as much as I love jazz very few jazz songs ended up on this list
as most of the jazz albums I enjoy I enjoy as a whole and not as individual
songs.
Now I am happy to present to you my Top 100 songs of the
last sixteen years. At the end of this list the Top Ten songs will each be
reviewed individually as to give more insight to these very special songs.
Enjoy!
100. Far Cry – Rush (2007)
99. Clocks – Coldplay (2002)
98. Pretty Boy – Young Galaxy (2013)
97. Who Killed Tangerine? – Tears For Fears (2004)
96. Electric Rainbow – Minus The Bear (2014)
95. Rumour Has It – Adele (2011)
94. A Tu Lado – Julieta Venegas (2003)
93. We Are All Made Of Stars – Moby (2002)
92. A Man Wakes Up – Brian Eno/Karl Hyde (2014)
91. The Western Sky – Justin Hayward (2013)
90. Sidekick – Walk The Moon (2014)
89. On An Island – David Gilmour (2006)
88. Your Day Will Come – Cousteau (2001)
87. Stop – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (2003)
86. That’s The Way It Is – Donna Summer (2004)
85. Something In The Air – David Bowie (2000)
84. The Grass Is Blue – Dolly Parton (2000)
83. Earth Intruders – Bjork (2007)
82. Ice On The Motorway – Roger Daltrey/Wilko Johnson (2014)
81. The Blackest Lily – Corinne Bailey Rae (2010)
80. Speed Of Sound – Coldplay (2005)
79. If You Call – Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (2010)
78. White Shadows – Coldplay (2005)
77. Don’t Panic – Coldplay (2000)
76. Lonestar – Norah Jones (2002)
75. In This Light – The Editors (2009)
74. Rattle That Lock – David Gilmour (2015)
73. Bottomliners – Brian Eno (2005)
72. In Flight Wave – Beat Spacek (2015)
71. I’m Shakin’ – Jack White (2012)
70. Bells At The Slipstream – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2000)
69. Kentucky – Billie Jo Armstrong + Norah Jones (2013)
68. The Party – Ceremony (2015)
67. Lost Weekend – Tiny Victories (2012)
66. I Want Love – Elton John (2001)
65. December – Norah Jones (2009)
64. Heavy Weather – Cousteau (2002)
63. Long Black Train – Liam McKahey (2014)
62. Wall Street – Battles (2011)
61. Televators – The Mars Volta (2003)
60. Since We’ve Been Gone – The Mars Volta (2009)
59. A Whisper – Coldplay (2002)
58. Meet My Friends – Gold Fields (2013)
57. Swimming In Lava – (((s))) (2012)
56. Porushka Paranya – Bering Strait (2003)
55. Our Velocity – Maximo Park (2007)
54. Stamp Your Feet – Donna Summer (2008)
53. Here – Jackson Browne (2014)
52. A Device Imagined To Turn – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2009)
51. Black – Dangermouse (featuring Norah Jones) (2011)
50. Dream On – Depeche Mode (2001)
49. It’s Not Over Yet – Klaxons (2007)
48. I Love Music – Donna Summer (2008)
47. Romeo – Mando Diao (2014)
46. Stars – t.A.T.u (2008)
45. To Paris With Love – Donna Summer (2011)
44. For The Good Times – The Little Willies (featuring Norah
Jones)(2012)
43. American Dream – Tommy Petty (2014)
42. Catch The Sun – The Doves (2000)
41. The Whole Enchilada – Keb ‘Mo (2011)
40. Creepin’ In – Norah Jones and Dolly Parton (2004)
39. Firelight – The Thievery Corporation (2014)
38. Lovely Rain – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2013)
37. Oz Is Ever Floating – Oysterhead (2001)
36. Cold Cold Heart – Norah Jones (2002)
35. Flaws – Bastille (2013)
34. Lovers and Fools – Liam McKahey (2009)
33. Louder Than Words – Pink Floyd (2014)
32. Conflagration – Massivivid (2002)
31. All Sparks – Editors (2006)
30. Into The Galaxy – Midnight Juggernauts (2008)
29. Where Are You Going? – Dave Matthews Band (2002)
28. Extreme Ways – Moby (2002)
27. Salt Lines – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2013)
26. Outer Space – War (2014)
25. Saving Grace – Tom Petty (2006)
24. The Right Effect – Stereo MC’s (2001)
23. Schism – Tool (2001)
22. Bottles – VV Brown (2010)
21. Boomerang – Massivivid (2002)
20. Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae (2006)
19. Airstream Driver – Gomez (2009)
18. Eyes Wide Open – King Crimson (2002)
17. It’s Only Love – Donna Summer (2009)
16. Smile – David Gilmour (2006)
15. Sailor – Twin Danger (2015)
14. Ampersand – Adrian Belew (2005)
13. Last Good Day Of The Year – Cousteau (2001)
12. The Things We Lost In The Fire – Bastille (2013)
11. Rapid Fire Tollbooth – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2007)
The Top Ten:
10. My Superman – Santigold (2008)
Featured on the album Santogold
Written by Santi White, J. Hill, W. Penz and Siouxsie and
the Banshees
This song lists Siouxsie and the Banshees as one it’s
co-writers. Santigold (real name Santi White) has commented she based the music
of this song on the Siouxsie and the banshees’ 1980 song “Red Light.” This song
has a great 80’s new wave sound with heavy bass and beat backing. Santigold
gives us her best vocals in this dark goth influenced song.
My Superman by Santogold (aka Santigold)
9. Into The Frying Pan – King Crimson (2000)
Featured on the album The ConstruKCtion of Light
Written by Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn and Paul Mastelotto
Fractured perfection is how I best describe this song. This
is one of those songs that keeps my ears perked up. With it’s dark harmonies,
understated vocals and soaring guitar chords the song threatens to fall into
chaos yet in the end delivers a melodic resonance that makes it irresistible to
my ears. It is more than a song but an experience in adventure and experimentalism
in a slice of seven minutes. Other bands become mellower and more commercial as
they age but it seems that King Crimson has taken a different route with louder
guitars and a deeper dive into experimentalism than ever before. What I love
most about this song is the odd time shifts throughout the entire song and
Adrian Belew’s always-recognizable guitar solo. Probably the most intriguing
feature of the song is the opening where Robert Fripp (or maybe it’s Adrian
Belew) goes up the guitar scale and the other goes down the scale
simultaneously… what a musically mesmerizing effect.
The lyrics of the song examine the condition of life how we
grow and experience life but in the end we’re right back where we began.
Into The Frying Pan by King Crimson
8. Rockin’ Alone In An Old Rockin’ Chair – Billie Joe
Armstrong & Norah Jones (2013)
Featured on the album Foreverly
Written by Bob Miller
Norah Jones and Green Day front man teamed together to
record the 2013 album “Foreverly” which was a remake of the Everly Brothers’
1958 album “Songs Our Dady Taught Us.” Billie Joe and Norah recorded the album
true to the genre with great acoustic guitars and wonderful harmonic vocals.
The album is full of gem after gem. Every song is great
though “Rockin’ Alone In An Old Rockin’ Chair” stands out amongst the bunch
primarily due to it’s emotionally charged lyrics. The song is about an old
silver haired mother that is neglected sitting alone in an old rocking chair. Every
time I hear this song it touches my heart and brings a mist to my eyes.
7. Moves – Gold Fields (2013)
Featured on the album: Black Sun
Written by: Vinci Andanar, Rob Clifton, Ryan D'Sylva, Mark Fuller, Luke Peldys
This song starts out with an infectious percussive rhythm
and electronic bass line. Every time I hear this song I become energized. It’s
simply a great synth-rock tune with a dance beat that never ends. I primarily
enjoy the lyrics that talk about a person named Ashley who breaks her arm… and
then about a person named Ashley who broke his arm. It’s sort of confusing to
figure out what they meant in this lyric by changing the sex of Ashley as they
mention this person.
Moves by Gold Fields
6. Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo – Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (2009)
Featured on the album Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo
Written by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
It’s the mysterious sounds that attract me to this song. The
dark sci-fi synth work combined with Omar’s thick, crunchy, distorted guitar
work which is accented with heavy treble that brings the song into a fourth
dimension of sound. It’s hard to give a description that gives this song its
proper justice. This is one of those must listen to songs. It’s a work in
guitar and electronic soundscape experimentalism.
Se Dice Bisonte, No Bufalo by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
5. Haifisch – Rammstein (2009)
Featured on the album: Liebe Ist Alle Da
Written by Rammstein
Rammstein is an industrial metal band from Germany. Their
sound is hard hitting and guttural. The word haifisch translated to English
means shark. The song takes a different look at the shark of which many people
are afraid. On their website Rammstein says about the song “Haifisch,” "the
shark not only has teeth – he's got tears as well. But since it lives in the
briny deep, no one sees them. A shame. After all, this cartilaginous fish is
one of the oldest of the world's many misunderstood creatures. A bit more
sympathy couldn't hurt!"
I have always had this curious interest in this dark and foreboding song.
Liebe Ist Alle Da (Click here to see album on Amazon)
I have always had this curious interest in this dark and foreboding song.
Haifisch by Rammstein
4. The Satellites – Brian Eno and Karl Hyde (2014)
Featured on the album: Someday World
Written by Brian Eno and Karl Hyde
When I heard that Brian Eno was releasing a new album (that
featured his vocals) I was so ecstatic. I am such a huge fan of his music…
predominantly his 70’s solo albums and his early 70’s work with Roxy Music.
Brian Eno is one of the most exciting producers, arrangers and musicians ever
in the history of music. Everything he does has several layers of depth and
experimentalism.
This collaboration with Karl Hyde is no exception the entire
album “Someday World” is great from beginning to end. Though I love every track
it is “The Satellites” that first caught my interest and remains my favorite
song from the album with it’s electronic beats and slick guitar grooves.
The Satellites by Brian Eno and Karl Hyde
3. Transmission – Complot Bronswick (2010)
Non-album track
Written by Joy Division
I have long been a fan of Joy Division and was thrilled
several years back when I discovered Moby’s intensely excellent cover of “New
Dawn Fades,” after that I searched for other covers of Joy Division songs but
really did not find anything that interested me. This was back in 1998 and
Complot Bronwick had yet to record “Transmission. At that I still hadn’t even
discovered Complot. I came to discover Complot Bronswick back in 2007 as I was
doing an internet search to discover new wave related bands from the 80’s. Of
course I knew all the known bands such as U2, Tears For Fears, The Fixx, etc. I
was looking for some lesser-known bands. I did several searches over a span of
2 years and I found Complot Bronwick on youtube. I downloaded a few of their songs and forgot about them for
a few years. In 2010 I began listening to one of their songs from 1985 called
“Born In A Cage” and that spurred my interest in them again. I came across a
tribute album to Joy Division recorded by French recording artists called “30 Years With(out) Ian Curtis, which
contained their recording of “Transmission” and I was blown away from what I
heard. I played this song maybe three or four times in a row and soaked in all
the nuance and sounds. I fell in love with the electronic (there’s that word
again… you see a pattern here) sounds and the dark vocals. To this day I still
play this song from time to time.
Transmission by Complot Bronswick
2. Big TV – White Lies (2013)
Featured on the album Big TV
Written by Charles Cave, Jack Lawrence-Brown and Harry McVeigh
I came across this group in 2014… several months after the
release of the album “Big TV.” I found them on Amazon. com and I very much
enjoyed the snippets I heard. I ended up buying the album and of course loved
it as much as I knew I would. The title track “Big TV” is the song that
captured my attention most. Such a great post punk tune with a synth undertone.
The song has a drive that moves so fantastically well. This is one of those
songs that is equally at home in a dance club or on a sunny day at the beach. I
hear elements of David Bowie meets U@ with a huge 80’s influence in this song
and all the songs on the album. I am completely stuck on this song and will be
for years and decades to come.
Big TV by White Lies
1. The Blue – David Gilmour (2006)
Featured on the album: On An Island
Written by David Gilmour and Polly Samson
This is the song that has touched me the most in these past
15+ years. It’s everything from David Gilmour’s vocals to his guitar work to
the lyrics and the ever so smooth music. This is one of the most beautiful and dreamy songs that sends me to heaven every time I hear it. The recently
deceased Richard Wright lends his backing vocals to this song which gives the
song a bit of a Pink Floyd touch. The song is ethereally textured and full of
space-age sonics that bring a sort of an ambient feel of restoration, revival
and refreshment.
The Blue by David Gilmour
LOVE MUSIC!!!
