Top 40 Songs of 2008

Well it is officially that time of year again, where thousands of wildly eclectic musical selections are dissected and broken down to fit on a set of neatly compiled lists. Today we’ll be focusing on the Top 40 songs of 2008, a first for Fuzzy Thoughts. The top 50 albums of 2008 will be revealed tomorrow.

40. “Shoulda Known” by Atmosphere

When Life Hands You Lemons, You Paint that Shit Gold

Using an absolutely wicked synth bass lick, “Shoulda Known” exemplifies the immensely satisfying style that Ant and Slug discovered on this album– a sizeable departure from their previous works. Slug’s lyrics are no longer completely personal, but rather slices of life pieces and “Shoulda Known” is perhaps the grittiest and most gripping still life of them all. A hard hitting track to be sure, but very addicting as well.

39. “75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)” by The Roots

Rising Down

(explicit)

Black Thought absolutely destroys this track, as the Roots sum up everything that makes them so well renowned within the span of three minutes on this song. Intricate production? Check. Powerful lyricism? Also there. Politcally motivated? You bet. Furthermore, “75 Bars” is the prime example of precisely what made Rising Down such a challenge to listen to– it not only hits you over the head, it darn near knocks you out with the unsettling messages they’re conveying. You have no choice but to listen, and on songs like “75 Bars,” that’s certainly not a bad thing.

38. “Everyone Nose (All The Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom” by N*E*R*D*

Seeing Sounds

An absolute left-field anti-coke party anthem as only Pharrell and company could do it. While the song quickly wore out its welcome (especially with its repetitive chorus), there is no denying that “Everyone Nose” is one hell of a tune– the bombastic drums and horns truly put the song over the top.

37. “Going On” by Gnarls Barkley

The Odd Couple

While The Odd Couple suffered greatly from inconsistency, “Going On” was one of the many true stand outs that could’ve easily held their own on St. Elsewhere. Danger Mouse never steps on the feet of Cee-Lo, as his vocals merely soar over the instruments, rather than compete with them.

36. “Modern Guilt” by Beck

Modern Guilt

From one Danger Mouse project to another, “Modern Guilt” is yet another strangely addictive Beck tune. With Danger Mouse bringing a new sound to the table, Beck truly sounds much more engaged on this album than he had in the past, especially on this track.

35. “We Are Rockstars” by Does It Offend You, Yeah?

You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Sounding like a saccharin-infused high school dance party DJed by Daft Punk, Does It Offend You, Yeah? kicked down the door with this one. If it weren’t for the excessive hype leading up to the release of their album, this album wouldn’t received the proper acclaim that it deserves.

34. “The Box” by Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit

A Larum

The lyrical witticisms and smart arrangements on this track make it easy to appease a wide reaching audience, even those who aren’t necessarily interested in folk. The guitar intro leads to a very unique sound that bleeds London, and continues to build with increasingly complex rhythms towards the second half of the song. A very fun tune indeed.

33. “Red Socks Pugie” by Foals

Antidotes

Easily one of the most distinctive bands to come out in 2008, “Red Socks Pugie” exemplifies all that made Antidotes such an appealing album. Highly complex rhythms are offset by poly-rhythmic guitars and finally frontman Yannis Phillipakis’ urgent vocals.

32. “Losing Out” by Black Milk

Tronic

(explicit)

Detroit’s own Black Milk did not disappoint at all with the outstanding Tronic, and with the help of Royce da 5’9,” “Losing Out” is simply mesmerizing between the incredible wordplay and the equally impressive production.

31. “Dance Wiv Me” (feat. Calvin Harris & Chrome) by Dizzee Rascal

Dance Wiv Me

An absolute gem of a party single that was appropriately released in the summer, Dizzee Rascal is in top form with Calvin Harris and Chrome both making strong contributions as well. “Dance Wiv Me” is about as fun as it gets in 2008.

30. “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2″ by My Morning Jacket

Evil Urges

Another left field release from a major rock band, “Touch Me I’m Going to Scream, Pt. 2″ was one of the whacky experiments on the part of My Morning Jacket that really worked. A sprawling eight minute track, Jim James lets loose on this song more so than any of the others, and the theatrical nature of the song plays right into what My Morning Jacket does best, seemingly creating a soundtrack to a non-existant movie.

29. “Psychotic Girl” by The Black Keys

Attack & Release

Easily featuring the best Danger Mouse production on the album, “Psychotic Girl” is a uncomfortably sexy song, with the production really selling the chorus of “Just a psychotic girl and I don’t want to get lost in your world.” Dan Auerbach surprisingly holds his own on this song, as the structure forced him to be a bit more restrained than usual. Even with that in mind, “Psychotic Girl” is a great tune.

28. “Winter ’05″ by Ra Ra Riot

The Rhumb Line

A subtle, bittersweet song that is backed by a beautifully lush string arrangement, “Winter ’05″ is a wistful highlight from an equally good album.

27. “A Milli” by Lil’ Wayne

Tha Carter III

At this point, it’s been overplayed to death, but this song is absolutely addicting. Lil Wayne’s free flowing style suits the beat perfectly, offering the playful and eccentric rhymes that we’ve come to expect from him.

26. “Blind” by Hercules and Love Affair

Hercules and Love Affair

A superb dance groove from DJ Andy Butler, “Blind” caught on like wildfire when released. Featuring guest vocalist Antony Hegarty, the song walks the fine line between disco era and 80′s dance music genres with surprisingly wonderful results.

25. “In The New Year” by The Walkmen

You & Me

The Walkmen is light years away from where they were just a few years ago, and that’s a good thing. The incredible maturation on You & Me allowed for them to make a song like “In The New Year,” with its soaring organ and wonderful drums all backed by a barely restrained Hamilton Leithauser. Instead of taking it too far as they would have in the past, The Walkmen do just enough to enrapture the listener.

24. “The Rabbit, The Bat and the Reindeer” by Dr. Dog

Fate

« | »

Like an old tune coming through on your AM radio, Dr. Dog’s heavy use of harmonizing, and classic chord progressions that are now trademarks of the band all make for a wonderfully composed song in “The Rabbit, the Bat and the Reindeer” that’s also a lot of fun.

23. “Sequestered In Memphis” by The Hold Steady

Stay Positive

The anthemic single off of Stay Positive is as catch as it is self-referential as it not only references pop culture but also much of their own music. That being said, “Sequestered in Memphis” hardly feels stale, it’s a definite good time song.

22. “Tape Song” by The Kills

Midnight Boom

A dirty, gritty, semi-sexy song, Alison Mosshart seems to channel Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O, and then ratchets up the intensity level tenfold by the end of the song. Built on a simple yet perfectly effective drum and bass part, Mosshart really steals the show here.

21.“Son The Father” by Fucked Up

The Chemistry of Common Life

Flutes grace the modest opener to what turns out to be a riot of a track, with the screaming vocals leading the charge of a barrage of sound that lasts the entire length of the song. “Son The Father” is the perfect intro for a very well done album.

20. “Gettin’ Up” by Q-Tip

The Renaissance

Q-Tip’s “Gettin’ Up” is like a blast from the past, recalling the late 80′s-early 90′s golden age of Hip-Hop, and bringing a refreshing sense of optimism that has been missing from the genre. “Gettin’ Up” is an instant classic.

19. “No Sex For Ben” by The Rapture

Grand Theft Auto IV

Like a mad science experiment, the pairing of Timbaland and The Rapture may seem jarring at first, at least until you hear “No Sex For Ben.” What’s essentially a diss song about British DJ Ben Rhymer, The Rapture work wonderfully off of Timbaland’s beat-boxed productions, with a scathingly funny track that surprisingly (so far) has only been attached to the Grand Theft Auto IV video game soundtrack.

18. “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

What became a profound anthem for most everyone, “Viva La Vida” appears larger than life, a very U2-esque song that is as powerful as it is accessible. Despite two accusations of plagiarism (with neither case holding any water), Coldplay is clearly sitting on top of the world, and a lot of that has to do with this very tune.

17. “Gobbledigook” by Sigur Rós

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

While the song is very atypical to what Sigur Rós fans are used to, with most people comparing it to something Animal Collective might release, it’s hard to dislike its freewheeling energy. With heavily layered vocals, handclaps and forceful drums, “Gobbledigook” is much more rhythmically driven than most Sigur Rós songs, and it pays off wonderfully.

16. “You! Me! Dancing!” by Los Campesinos!

Hold On Now, Youngster

Even at nearly seven minutes, Los Campesinos! never loses your attention on “You! Me! Dancing!” The nervous energy that permeates through their music is what sets the listener up for the intro to this song, as an assuming guitar suddenly swells into a full on rush of sound. “You! Me! Dancing!” is like a Broken Social Scene on steroids.

15. “Black & Gold” by Sam Sparro

Sam Sparro

While the album as a whole was relatively disappointing, Sam Sparro broke out with a huge hit in “Black & Gold.” With a decidedly 80′s synth R&B vibe, Sparro’s voice croons with such conviction that it’s almost hard to believe that he wasn’t able to carry it through the rest of the album. Even so, “Black & Gold” makes for a incredibly good listen.

14. “Grounds for Divorce” by Elbow

The Seldom Seen Kid

The video for this song was appropriately set in a bar, as it has all the traits of being a raucous drinking song (complete with the guttural background vocals). The song knocks you off of your feet and continues to pound with an unrelenting force, especially with that wicked bass leading into the chorus.

13. “Just For Me” by Al Green

Lay It Down

Al Green was back with a vengeance this year, and “Just For Me” was the crown jewel in the album that has rightfully brought Green back into the spotlight. ?uestlove and James Poyser both did a wonderful job in producing Lay It Down, paying homage to his older releases while also bringing a fresh approach to his music– it’s easy to see that Al Green had a lot of fun while recording.

12. “The Rip” by Portishead

Third

As a whole, Third is an extremely difficult listen, yet a rewarding one. However, “The Rip,” somehow, stands out with its relatively sparse arrangement that sends the focus all on vocalist Beth Gibbons. The Radiohead-esque build up at the end is simply magnificent.

11. “M79″ by Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend

Every year there’s at least one standout act that simply rubs me the wrong way, and this year Vampire Weekend takes that prize (sorry, but a bunch of smug Columbia students aping Paul Simon and Talking Heads doesn’t do it for me). That being said, it’s hard to argue against a song like “M79,” a beautifully arranged song with its lively baroque strings that still builds upon the African rhythmic timings that Vampire Weekend is known for. “M79″ is an unassuming stunner, the kind that grows on you more and more over time.

10. “So Haunted” by Cut Copy

In Ghost Colours

“So Haunted” is just one of the many standout tracks on the terrific In Ghost Colours, but what sets it apart is the simply addicting chorus, and the absolutely dead on breakdown that starts at the 2:48 mark. “So Haunted” is a rare breed– a song that would be as fitting in a live performance as it would be in the clubs.

9. “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here” by She & Him

Volume One

While Scarlett Johansson was busy channeling her inner Tom Waits, actress Zooey Deschanel had the brighter idea of teaming up with singer/songwriter M. Ward and producing an album that featured such charming songs as “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here.” While other songs on Volume One showed the potential for great things with She & Him, “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here” is the one true song where it all genuinely comes together. Deschanel’s layered vocals at the end are particularly impressive.

8. “Dancing Choose” by TV on the Radio

Dear Science

Whether you like it or not, Dear Science was a thoughtful party album in the way that only TV on the Radio could do it. “Dancing Choose” is one of the best examples of this new approach, sounding like the funky indie-take of R.E.M.’s “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It,” it’s as catchy as TV on the Radio gets.

7. “American Boy” (feat. Kanye West) by Estelle

Shine

Estelle really lived up to her album title in 2008, solidifying her worldwide popularity with the pop gem “American Boy.” Featuring Kanye West, who thankfully left his auto-tune at home for this recording, Estelle exudes confidence and polish, as she sweetly name-drops various US destinations.

6. “Another Day” by Jamie Lidell

Jim

Ultimately the theme song for spring 2008, “Another Day” showed not only the maturation of Lidell as a singer, but also his increased interest in Motown era R&B. The organic production fits Lidell like a glove, particularly during the Bacharach-esque ending, “Another Day” is a definite charmer.

5. “Never Stops” by Deerhunter

Microcastle

“Never Stops” is the type of song that really crawls under your skin. Brandon Cox’s unassuming vocals are elevated by the shoegaze-influenced wall of guitars, leading up into a beautiful, if a bit unsettling, chorus. A terrifically written song.

4. “I Will Possess Your Heart” by Death Cab For Cutie

Narrow Stairs

Probably no other song from 2008 surprised as much as “I Will Possess Your Heart.” The eight and a half minute stalker opus is far creepier than you could ever imagine Death Cab being, yet at the same time the song is also inconceivably endearing. A very elaborate song, the secret to its success is the outstanding drumming by Jason McGerr as well as the addicting bass line provided by Nicholas Harmer.

3. “Skinny Love” by Bon Iver

For Emma, Forever Ago

“Skinny Love” is just about perfect, truth be told, from Justin Vernon’s haunting voice to the minimalist production, it’s a masterpiece in the way it expresses solitude and regret.

2. “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon

Only By The Night

Unfortunate title notwithstanding, Kings of Leon truly outdid themselves on “Sex on Fire.” Not only does it outshine everything else on the album, it’s arguably one of the better songs the guys from Tenessee have come up with as of late. The chugging bass and drums underly the immediacy of the song, with the guitars soaring perfectly along the chorus line. An absolutely stunning song.

1. “White Water Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes

Fleet Foxes

A lush, gorgeous track that simply mesmerizes the ears and mind, “White Water Hymnal” is built around a relatively simple lyrical passage, but it’s layered vocals and superbly done harmonizing are what really takes the cake.

Tags: Best of..., Music, songs, Year End Lists