80. The White Stripes
Fell In Love With A Girl
[XL, 2002]
Just in case you were wondering why they called it “garage rock.” A two-minute blast of frenzied singing and tin-can production that wouldn’t be out of place on a Nuggets comp, dragged into the present by Michel Gondry’s brilliant Legos video.
79. Dr. Dre featuring Eminem
Forgot About Dre
[Aftermath/Interscope, 2000]
The moment when Marshall Mathers became a superstar and Dre became relevant (again). Seems so long ago, doesn’t it?
78. Snow Patrol
Run
[Fiction/Polydor, 2004]
Every third band in Europe borrowed from the “Coldplay handbook” in the 2000s, but only one managed to transcend it. Thanks to Grey’s Anatomy, “Chasing Cars” became Snow Patrol’s American breakthrough, but this was the Scots’ true lighters-in-the-air moment.
77. Weezer
Hash Pipe
[DGC, 2001]
In the months before The Green Album, “Hash Pipe” felt triumphant, a validation that geekdom’s favorite cult heroes had finally returned, strong as ever. Nowadays, it feels like a last grasp at greatness for a career that has cratered with the likes of (seriously) “The Girl Got Hot.” Either way, it still rocks.
76. Christian Falk featuring Robyn
Dream On
[Data, 2008]
Few singers straddle the line between darkness and uplift as perfectly as Robyn does here, and fewer still could turn a tiny Swedish dance song into a bonafide hit across Europe. (Or, in the case of America, a bonus track on the genius Robyn album.)
75. MGMT
Kids
[Columbia, 2008]
Feel free to substitute “Time To Pretend” or “Electric Feel” in this slot, as MGMT singlehandedly found a way to unite the hipsters with the clubbers and make the whole thing sound like the best party in history.
74. Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
Crazy In Love
[Columbia, 2003]
Ms. Knowles’ first solo effort remains her best, a horn-inflected summer jam in which Shawn Carter professes his thug love, only to get shown up by a vocal performance that absolutely buries everything in its path.
73. TV On The Radio
Staring At The Sun
[Touch And Go, 2004]
TOTR sing about love and sex with the sultry, sweaty air of men who spend most of their time yelling about politics. “Sun” was the band’s calling card even before the release of Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes, and while years of musical refinement have improved the band’s albums, they’ve never topped this song’s raw power.
72. Pearl Jam
The Fixer
[Monkeywrench, 2009]
Seattle’s finest wrote a handful of solid tunes over the last decade, but who knew it would take a Target campaign to make them kick loose with something so vital, so urgent, and (perish the thought) unapologetically catchy?
71. The Roots featuring Cody ChesnuTT
The Seed (2.0)
[MCA, 2003]
The Headphone Masterpiece was a 4-track love letter to throwback soul, all tape hiss and authenticity. Credit The Roots for recognizing raw talent and giving Cody his well-deserved victory lap, plus their best single since “You Got Me.”
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