Best Songs of 2004

For all of 2014 (and some of 2013), I have been working on lists representing 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 years ago, along with a list for this year. As it was the last time I tried this, I have discovered new artists and new songs in the interim years and, in some cases, during this process of trying to fill out a 100-song list.

Most of the songs on this particular list arrived in my life between the years of 2004 and 2007, with an increasingly small number added in the years since. A couple of these tracks even found their way into my library during my chronological listening year in 2012.

For the most part though, what you see below is an honest attempt to assess a year in time, merging the idealistic nature of a list made 10 years after the fact with the idea of what I actually loved and was into at the time. Given that it was only 10 years ago, the only thing that truly makes this different from the one I would have made then is its size.

For these year-end lists, I like to undertake the seemingly impossibly task of creating an hours-long mix. The order you see below represents that effort, which you can listen to via Spotify and my preferred outlet, Rdio. Sadly all 100 tracks aren't available, but you get the general idea. Track notes to come eventually or maybe never.

Show Grid

Float On

Modest Mouse

Good New for People Who Love Bad News

Epic

Notes
Take Me Out

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand

Domino

Notes
Talk Shows on Mute

Incubus

A Crow Left of the Murder

Epic

Notes
Fortress

Pinback

Summer in Abaddon

Touch and Go

Notes
Goods (All in Your Head)

Mates of State

All Day

Polyvinyl

Notes
Rad

Smoosh

She Like Electric

Pattern 25

Notes
Hollaback Girl

Gwen Stefani

Love. Angel. Music. Baby.

Interscope

Notes
Drop It Like It's Hot

Snoop Dogg

R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece

Star Trak

Notes
Sunshinin’

Cancer Rising

Sunshinin’

self-released

Notes
All Day Love Affair

Cee-Lo Green

Cee-Lo Green… Is the Soul Machine

Arista

Notes
1980

Estelle

The 18th Day

V2

Notes
The Fact Is (I Need You)

Jill Scott

Beautifully Human - Words and Sounds Vol. 2

Hidden Beach

Notes
Ordinary People

John Legend

Get Lifted

Columbia

Notes
Why (What’s Goin On?)

The Roots

The Tipping Point

Geffen

Notes
Sun Q

IQU

Sun Q

Sonic Boom

Notes
Universal Traveler

Air

Talkie Walkie

Astralwerks

Notes
Against All Odds

The Postal Service

Wicker Park

Lakeshore Records

Notes
Finally Woken

Jem

It All Starts Here

ATO

Notes
My Way Home

Citizen Cope

The Clarence Greenwood Recordings

RCA

Notes
Breakdown

Handsome Boy Modeling School featuring Jack Johnson

White People

Elektra

Notes
Everyone Knows Everyone

The Helio Sequence

Love and Distance

Sub Pop

Notes
Ladyflash

The Go! Team

Thunder, Lightning, Strike

Memphis Industries

Notes
Going Nowhere

Cut Copy

Bright Like Neon Love

Modular

Notes
You Can’t Hurry Love

The Concretes

The Concretes

Astralwerks

Notes
Me, You and Everybody

Gomez

Split the Difference

Virgin

Notes
Spitting Games

Snow Patrol

Final Straw

Polydor

Notes
Slow Hands

Interpol

Antics

Matador

Notes
Mr. Brightside

The Killers

Hot Fuss

Island

Notes
Rebellion (Lies)

Arcade Fire

Funeral

Merge

Notes
From Now On

Ron Sexsmith

Retriever

V2

Notes
Looking Up in Heaven

Paul Westerberg

The Wired CD

Vagrant

Notes
Can’t Exist

Joseph Arthur

Our Shadows Will Remain

Vector

Notes
The Rat

The Walkmen

Bows + Arrows

Record Collection

Notes
Pressure Point

The Zutons

Who Killed… The Zutons?

Epic

Notes
Hoist That Rag

Tom Waits

Real Gone

Anti-

Notes
Better Version of Me

Fiona Apple

Extraordinary Machine

leak/bootleg

Notes
Princess on the Porch

Josh Rouse

The Smooth Sounds of Josh Rouse

Rykodisc

Notes
At the Beach

The Avett Brothers

Mignonette

Ramseur

Notes
Well, Well, Well

Ben Harper & The Blind Boys of Alabama

There Will Be a Light

Virgin

Notes
The Lengths

The Black Keys

Rubber Factory

Fat Possum

Notes
Munky River

The Presidents of the United States of America

Love Everybody

PUSA Music

Notes
Song for the Orca

Travis Morrison

Travistan

Barsuk

Notes
One More Time

French Kicks

The Trial of the Century

Star Time

Notes
James

Maritime

Glass Floor

DeSoto

Notes
When I Goosestep

The Shins

Wicker Park

Lakeshore Records

Notes
Endless Shovel

Rogue Wave

Out of the Shadow

Sub Pop

Notes
I'm a Wheel

Wilco

A Ghost Is Born

Nonesuch

Notes
Tear Me Down

Spoon

Wig in a Box: Songs from & Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Off Records

Notes
On the Table

A.C. Newman

The Slow Wonder

Matador

Notes
Portions for Foxes

Rilo Kiley

More Adventurous

Brute/Beaute

Notes
Walking With a Ghost

Tegan and Sara

So Jealous

Vapor

Notes
Jigsaw

Amelia

After All

self-released

Notes
To Destruction

Dolorean

Violence in the Snowy Fields

Yep Roc

Notes
The Dreaming Dead

Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter

Oh, My Girl

Barsuk

Notes
Portland Oregon

Loretta Lynn featuring Jack White

Van Lear Rose

Interscope

Notes
Look Me Over

M. Ward

Duet for Guitars #2

Merge

Notes
Narcotic Prayer

Chris Whitley

Weed

Messenger

Notes
Electric Love Letter

Langhorne Slim

Electric Love Letter

Narnack

Notes
Twilight

Elliott Smith

From a Basement on a Hill

Kill Rock Stars

Notes
Don’t Wait Too Long

Madeleine Peyroux

Careless Love

Rounder

Notes
Above Ground

Norah Jones

Feels Like Home

Blue Note

Notes
Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime

Beck

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Hollywood

Notes
Mad World

Gary Jules

Trading Snakeoil for Wolftickets

Universal

Self-released in 2001.
Human Nature

David Mead

Indiana

Nettwerk

Notes
Living Life

Eels

The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered

Gammon

Notes
Dreams

TV on the Radio

Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes

Touch and Go

Notes
Snooks (Progress Report)

Elbow

Cast of Thousands

V2

Notes
Kiss of Life

Supergrass

Supergrass Is 10

Capitol

Notes
Take Your Mama

Scissor Sisters

Scissor Sisters

Polydor

Notes
Emerald City

United State of Electronica

U.S.E.

self-released

Notes
Ch-Check It Out

Beastie Boys

To the 5 Boroughs

Capitol

Notes
Jesus Walks

Kanye West

The College Dropout

Roc-a-Fella

Notes
Public Service Announcement

Jay-Z + Danger Mouse

The Grey Album

bootleg

Notes
Selfish

Slum Village

Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit)

Capitol

Notes
Dry Your Eyes

The Streets

A Grand Don't Come for Free

Locked On

Notes
Don’t Tell Me

Avril Lavigne

Under My Skin

Arista

Notes
Since U Been Gone

Kelly Clarkson

Breakaway

RCA

Notes
Common People

William Shatner featuring Ben Folds & Joe Jackson

Has Been

Shout! Factory

Notes
Me and Mia

Ted Leo and The Pharmacists

Shake the Sheets

Lookout!

Notes
C’mon C’mon

The Von Bondies

Pawn Shoppe Heart

Sire

Notes
Fall Behind Me

The Donnas

Gold Medal

Atlantic

Notes
Miracle Drug

U2

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

Interscope

Notes
Around the Sun

R.E.M.

Around the Sun

Warner Bros.

Notes
About Today

The National

Cherry Tree

Beggars Banquet

Notes
Windmills

Mutual Admiration Society

Mutual Admiration Society

Sugar Hill

Notes
When It Doesn’t Come Easy

Patty Griffin

Impossible Dream

ATO

Notes
What You Want

John Butler Trio

Sunrise Over Sea

Atlantic

Notes
Hold You in My Arms

Ray LaMontagne

Trouble

RCA

Notes
The Battle

Caitlin Cary featuring Ryan Adams

The Battle

Yep Roc

Notes
Calamity Jane

Grant Lee Phillips

Virginia Creeper

Zoe

Notes
Sinning Hands

Iron & Wine

Sinning Hands

Sub Pop

iTunes exclusive. Eventually compiled on Around the Well
At the Hop

Devendra Banhart

Niño Rojo

Young God

Notes
The Dress Looks Nice on You

Sufjan Stevens

Seven Swans

Sounds Familyre

Notes
Hand on Your Heart

José González

Stay in the Shade

Imperial

Released in the US in 2006.
Homesick

Kings of Convenience

Riot on an Empty Street

EMI

Notes
Not for All the Love in the World

The Thrills

Let's Bottle Bohemia

Virgin

Notes
Two Way Monologue

Sondre Lerche

Two Way Monologue

Astralwerks

Notes
On My Way

Ben Kweller

On My Way

ATO

Notes
Bruised

The Bens

The Bens

Attacked by Plastic

Notes
Float On

Ben Lee

Ben Lee/Pony Up Split EP

self-released

Notes