The 50 Best Songs Of 2008: 50-41

41. Bob Mould – Stupid Now
Mould has fallen in and out of fashion countless times since Husker Du’s demise, but he hasn’t sounded so invigorated—or pissed off—since 1992. Yes, that was the year of Sugar’s first album. And yes, District Line is really that good.





42. Duffy – Mercy
Who knew the Welsh had a weakness for Sixties girl-group 45s?





43. Lindsey Buckingham – Did You Miss Me
Close your eyes, and it’s Tusk all over again. Minus the 1979 fashions and marching band cameos.





44. Weezer – Pork And Beans
At this point, Rivers Cuomo may write songs like this in his actual sleep—which certainly explains the line about “I'll eat my candy with the pork and beans”—but it’s hard to begrudge one of the few simple pleasures from The Red Album, a disc otherwise consisting of Weezer working very hard to sound like a bad Weezer cover band.





45. Pretenders – Boots Of Chinese Plastic
Chrissie Hynde’s umpteenth comeback delivered the goods almost immediately, thanks to this popped-cork rocker, a kissing cousin to 1980’s “Tattooed Love Boys.”





46. Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor
Frothy dance effervescence, wrapped in the kind of indie threads guaranteed to make bloggers foam at the mouth.





47. Rihanna – Disturbia
With her jetsetting looks and ice-princess vocals, Rihanna is the pop star for this time, underplaying what could’ve been a conventional love song until it morphs into something far creepier.





48. The Killers – Human
Are we human? Are we dancer? Apparently, we are all Killers.






49. Beck – Modern Guilt
The bright spot on a soggy album, with our favorite indie wunderkind milking the 21st-century blues by way of Danger Mouse.





50. Beyonce – Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
But only if you put Justin Timberlake in heels first.