Best Songs of 2007
I came across some amazing songs this year, so I’ve taken the time to list a full 100 of them. This is no Pitchfork list either—I’ve got pop songs, country songs, rap songs and yes, indie rock songs too. All irony- and snobbery-free. The first of many year-end best-of lists, here then are my top songs from the year that was: 2007.
- “Wet and Rusting” — Menomena
An easy choice. From the first time I heard it back in February all the way to the 50-somethingth time I heard it in December, this was my #1 of this or most any year. - “Keep the Car Running” — The Arcade Fire
Whether it was a cover version or a special guest joining in or just the band on record, this was a fabulous song from first listen. - “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” — Spoon
Spoon doing Motown mixed with Philly soul? It works, brilliantly. Possibly the catchiest song they’ve ever written, which is saying something. - “D.A.N.C.E.” — Justice
Get up and groove, kids. A little daft disco punk for the masses. The video is pretty fantastic, too. - “Muscle’n Flo” — Menomena
Almost as good as “Wet and Rusting,” this has one of my favorite lyrics of the year: “Tiny scores, tiny rooms, lofty goals met too soon.” - “Plasticities” — Andrew Bird
Moody, pretty, memorable: I didn’t see much of his set at Bumbershoot, but I was lucky enough to catch this song, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. - “Thirteen” — Elliott Smith
I didn’t know this was a Big Star cover until I stumbled on Rob Sheffield’s excellent Love is a Mix Tape, but I actually like it better than the original. - “No Cars Go” — The Arcade Fire
One of my all-time favorite songs, this recording—despite being cleaner, tighter and altogether more assured than the original EP version—is just a hair short of greatness. - “Hard Sun” — Eddie Vedder
I had the Into the Wild soundtrack before I saw the movie, and loved this song then. Seeing it on film though only made the song that much more powerful. One of Ed’s finest vocal performances. - “I Feel It All” — Feist
“1234” got all the pub, what with that iPod commercial and all, but this one’s the real winner from Feist’s fabulous breakthrough album. - “Reckoner” — Radiohead
The whole album is quite remarkable, but for whatever reason this song grabbed me above all others. I think it’s the pulsating drums, mesmerizing guitar and ethereal vocals. Yeah, that’s it. - “We’re Not Alone” — Dinosaur Jr.
My favorite kind of Dinosaur Jr.—jangly and melancholy with a hint of autumn. - “McFearless” — Kings of Leon
The most-underrated song on what seems to be a very underrated album. This one’s especially killer live. - “Florida” — Modest Mouse
It’s still weird to think I hated this band just four or five years ago. I’ve come around in a big way. - “You! Me! Dancing!” — Los Campesinos!
A jubilant ode to dancing for those of us who can’t really/don’t like to dance… in public, at least. Yay exclamation points! - “The Ghost of Old Bull Lee” — Arthur & Yu
Sounding like it’s coming out of an old AM radio, “Bull Lee” is a lo-fi indie/country/pop gem. - “Four Winds” — Bright Eyes
The harmonies and violin seal this one for me, overtaking the fact that I don’t even like Bright Eyes all that much. - “Young Folks” — Peter Bjorn & John
Whistling is in, apparently. What never goes out of style is a catchy poppy love song with boy/girl vocal give-and-take. - “While You Were Sleeping” — Elvis Perkins
This is like a soundtrack to one of my favorite The State sketches. Funny but pretty at the same time, and a great introduction to a new talent. - “Hungry” — Ben Lee
Unlike much of Ripe, “Hungry” is a pretty track that doesn’t suffer from unnecessary production touches. The beauty of this little love song shines through on its own. - “Precious One” — Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts
My most played song of the summer, particularly around dusk. Joseph Arthur seemed to dominate my iPod this year, and this led the pack. - “Do U” — Gabriel Teodros
Northwest hip-hop is in full effect. This is a Jam with a capital J. Roll down the windows in the sunshine and blast this one and you will be conspicuously happy. - “Umbrella” — Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
Sometimes there’s a reason for a popular song to be popular. This is no “Glamorous,” but I’m pretty sure people will remember this summer jam long after Fergie has come and gone. - “Darkmatter” — Andrew Bird
This song makes me want to break out Operation again, even though I always kind of disliked that game. - “No Bad News” — Patty Griffin
One of my favorite country ladies strikes again with a rockin’ anthem. - “Unless It’s Kicks” — Okkervil River
Will Sheff scream-sings about as well as anyone in rock these days. - “The Sons of Cain” — Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
I think I liked this song cause it sounded like X’s “New World,” but I won’t hold that against this power pop nugget from Ted Leo. - “To Be Surprised” — Sondre Lerche
Jens Lekman kind of took the northern-European pop-smith mantle away this year, but I’m not sure why. Sondre’s still a marvelous writer & performer, and he put out not one but two solid albums this year. - “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” — Glen Hansard & Market Irglova
I’m kind of disqualifying the two best songs from Once (“Falling Slowly” and “When Your Mind’s Made Up”) cause they were on last year’s The Swell Season, so instead I pick this lovely Bob Dylan cover. - “Herculean” — The Good, The Bad & The Queen
The rest of the album wasn’t great, but I found this song quite enchanting. It was as if Damon Albarn put all his other projects (Blur, Gorillaz, Mali Music) into one song. - “Rehab” — Amy Winehouse
If only Ms. Winehouse would actually say “yes, yes, yes” to rehab and make some more music as good as this inescapable hit. - “London Bridges” — Josh Rouse
Sounding like an old Eric Matthews tune, this little bit of sunny/wintry bliss fits perfectly next to Rouse’s equally stellar “Winter in the Hamptons.” - “Carrying a Stone” — Loney, Dear
Thank you, Sub Pop, for importing this band to the States. “Stone” is easily the best song Low never wrote. - “Lazy Girls” — Jill Cunniff
The former Luscious Jackson front woman breaks out with a bit of summer time magic. Grab an orange popsicle and enjoy. - “Back In Your Head” — Tegan & Sara
Yet another band on this list that I didn’t care much for until this year, Tegan & Sara won me over with The Con. - “Sun Is Out” — the apples in stereo
I like songs about sunshine and songs that sound like sunshine. This indie ray of light kills two birds with one stone. - “Dancing On Our Graves” — The Cave Singers
The biggest revelation of the year. The Cave Singers’ gothic undertaker folk is hauntingly beautiful. - “White Winter Hymnal” — Fleet Foxes
The theme for the Bumbershoot trailer became a favorite around the office from the opening note. - “She’s Fantastic” — Sondre Lerche
This was overtaken by “To Be Surprised” later in the year, but my favorite song from Phantom Punch is still worthy of a high rank. - “Is There a Ghost” — Band of Horses
The lyrical content is completely lackluster, but it’s hard to ignore the anthemic, plaintive singing of Ben Bridwell. - “Good to Sea” — Pinback
For some reason things song reminds me of the ’80s. Believe it or not, that is a good thing. - “Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn” — The White Stripes
Right there in the middle of one of the sludgiest, crunchiest White Stripes albums ever, there’s this: an acoustic, stomping jig of a country song. - “Teardrop” — Jose Gonzalez
The third cover on my list, this Massive Attack classic is great in any incarnation. - “Open Your Heart” — Lavender Diamond
Live, Lavender Diamond’s Becky Stark comes off as a little too precious and a wee bit flighty, but on record it somehow works. - “Rise and Shine” — Guster
A B-side that’s as good as anything on Ganging Up On the Sun, this has quickly become one of my all-time favorite songs for a Sunday morning. - “Someone Great” — LCD Soundsystem
Not to be a contrarian or anything, but I like this song a lot better than the universally acclaimed “All My Friends.” - “Int’l Players Anthem” UGK feat. Outkast
Hip-hop is not dead. It’s just not pushing my buttons these days… except for tracks like this. - “I Will Carry You” — Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts
Sounding like it was recorded in one take in someone’s living room, this gospel-ish ballad scores with simplicity. - “When I Paint My Masterpiece” — Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang
Posthumously released in Australia two years ago, _Dislocation Blues_—featuring this the wonderful little Band cover—finally made its way stateside this year. - “Welfare Bread” — King Khan & The Shrines
I don’t know what the deal is with the rest of this band’s output, but I’m certainly going to seek it out after hearing this. - “The Trouble With River Cities” — Pela
Call me a JitM follower if you want, but I like this band and this song especially. - “Peg and Awl” — Freedy Johnston
After hearing this, I’d love to hear what Freedy could do with an album full of folk & americana hidden treasures. - “Time to Pretend” — MGMT
- “Whatever (Folk Song in C)” — Elliott Smith
Classic Elliott Smith: quiet, short, sweet and sad all at once. - “Here Comes the Water Now” — Tom Brosseau
- “From This Moment On” — Mark Mulcahy
Former Polaris front man Mulcahy takes a glossy pop/country mega-hit from Shania Twain and makes you realize that under all that sugar is a really great love song. - “Marine Life” — Oakley Hall
- “Put It On Me” — Ben Harper
- “Straight Up” — Luna
- “Home” — Ben Lee
- “Here Comes One” — Lavender Diamond
- “I Believe” — Simian Mobile Disco
- “West Coast” — Coconut Records
Former Phantom Planet drummer turned actor/screenwriter Jason Schwartzman is back making music, but now he’s singing and writing his own material. Surprise! It’s pretty darn good. The guy can do no wrong. - “It Makes No Difference” — My Morning Jacket
The covers just don’t stop! My favorite track from The Band tribute album Endless Highway. - “Challengers” — The New Pornographers
- “All I Need” — Radiohead
- “Start a War” — The National
- “Phantom Limb” — The Shins
- “All My Friends” — LCD Soundsystem
- “Phantom” — Justice
- “Stronger” — Kanye West
- “Boy With a Coin” — Iron & Wine
- “House of Cards” — Radiohead
- “On Call” — Kings of Leon
- “Fire It Up” — Modest Mouse
- “Videotape” — Radiohead
- “Christians In Black” — Rogue Wave
- “Dashboard” — Modest Mouse
- “Heretics” — Andrew Bird
- “Give It To Me” — Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake & Nelly Furtado
- “Princess” — Datarock
- “Elephant Gun” — Beirut
- “1234” — Feist
- “Arizona” — Kings of Leon
- “Rotten Hell” — Menomena
- “The Underdog” — Spoon
- “Champion” — Kanye West
- “(Antichrist Television Blues)” — The Arcade Fire
- “Diamond Ring” — Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts
- “My Body Is a Cage” — The Arcade Fire
- “Like I Needed” — Rogue Wave
- “Roc Boys” — Jay-Z
- “Is This How Love’s Supposed to Feel?” — Ben Lee
- “Hate It Here” — Wilco
- “No One’s Gonna Love You” — Band of Horses
- “The Pretender” — Foo Fighters
- “Timebomb” — Beck
- “The Plot” — White Rabbits
- “The People” — Common
- “Killing for Love” — Jose Gonzalez