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THE TOP 100 TRACKS OF 2008
Sun December 28, 2008
words_andrew steinthal & nadine cheung
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Yep, it’s another year-end list, but this time around you’re getting the Top 100 Tracks of 2008
brought to you by two good friends, metro.pop music editor Andrew Steinthal and freelance
music and culture writer Nadine Cheung. At the risk of sounding cheesy and clichéd, songs play
a huge part in defining our lives and we’re excited to share our world with you.
The following 100 jams are our “Soundtrack to 2008.” We combined our individual favorites to
form one of the most eclectic year-end lists out there—complete with Andrew’s obscure electronic tracks and Nadine’s mainstream party pop picks. We’re not proclaiming these as the absolute best songs of the year, but they are certainly the songs we rocked hard in ‘08. Seriously,
we’re all over the place, but the broad spectrum makes for a great playlist and a great friendship.
So read on and enjoy our selections and commentary. We guarantee you’ll find yourself cheering
for your favorites, or discovering new gems to love, regardless of what genre gets you off.
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#1: T.I. – “Whatever You Like”
Album: Paper Trail
The words every girl wants to hear, hence the bomb
party nature of this song. This single crosses all
genres and all walks of life. It’s that good. –NC
If Megan Fox were a hip-hop song, this would be it.
The ultimate smash of the year. –AS |
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#6: Bon Iver – “Skinny Love”
Album: For Emma, Forever Ago
Justin Vernon gets into the nooks and crannies of a breakup, pulling out darkness you didn’t even know was there. –NC
Powerful is something usually reserved to describe TV or movies, but in “Skinny Love”’s case, music can evoke that emotion as well. What an unbelievable song. And their performance of it on Letterman was one of the best TV performances of the year. –AS |
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#2: MGMT – “Electric Feel”
Album: Oracular Spectacular
Such an amazing summer jam. I know it’s good because I still like it even after some loser made me listen to it 100 times while we were making out. –NC
Never met a person who doesn’t think this song is amazing. –AS |
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#7: Jack’s Mannequin – “The Resolution”
Album: The Glass Passenger
Andrew McMahon has triumphed over many things, among them cancer. He says he doesn’t have all the answers, but this song represents his search for that resolution—eventually. –NC
It’s hard to explain exactly what makes Jack’s Mannequin so special. I bet there are a lot of people out there who lump JM into “emo crap” and never listen to it just because of their preconceived notions. It’s a shame because Andrew McMahon is one of the best songwriters of this generation. Read this Bob Lefsetz article on why JM is great; he’s a way better writer than I am. –AS |
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#3: Estelle Feat. Kanye West – “American Boy”
Album: Shine
Addictive mellow beat, pretty vocals and Kanye equal a winning combo for a monster single. You and your friends who don’t even like music can’t get enough of this song. –NC
OK, pretend you haven’t heard this song 9,000 times in the past six months. Think back to how you felt about this song the first 100 times you heard it. Even my white Jewish friend named Wang can get down to this jam and he usually only likes Wu-Tang-related songs or the Sporty Thievz’ “No Pigeons.” –AS |
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#8: T.I. Feat. Rihanna – “Live Your Life”
Album: Paper Trail
Hello, big anthemic hip-pop jam! Seriously, can you really deny that yodeling action and the mantra-like lyrics? –NC
Nadine wanted this over “Whatever You Like” for #1 of the year. It’s close, she’s got a legit beef, but at the end of the day this is the second best T.I. song of the year. It’s been a remarkable year for T.I., whose whole outlook on life has now changed for the better since he’s going to the slammer next summer. –AS |
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#4: Kings of Leon – “Use Somebody”
Album: Only By the Night
I heart this song!!! However, I don’t believe Caleb Followill when he sings “…while you live it up, I’m off to sleep.” Total crap coming from the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands out there. Also, who wouldn’t want to be Caleb Followill’s “somebody”? –NC
Wow, this band wrote the record that The Killers should have written to follow up their debut. And this should have been the lead single. –AS |
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#9: Santogold – “L.E.S. Artistes” and “L.E.S. Artistes (Xxx Change Remix)”
Album (s): Santogold and L.E.S. Artistes EP
An inspired middle finger to the naysayers. Also a mainstay in my workout mix. –NC
Alexxx Xxx Change of Spank Rock’s Remix is better than the original, and that’s impressive. Crack open a Bud Light w/lime and enjoy. –AS |
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#5: The Gaslight Anthem – “The ‘59 Sound”
Album: The ‘59 Sound
Seriously, there’s no way to pick the best song on this album, which is why we chose three (which really began as six). But this song truly embodies the “anthem” in the band’s moniker, while celebrating, love, life and music. –NC
Hands down my favorite album of the year. Picking out my favorite song off this disc is like picking your favorite child, but of all the jams, this is the jam. As corny as it is, I think of my own life through what song I want to hear when and what song reminds me of what, and the first line of this song asks a question I’ve always thought about: “I wonder which song will play when we go?” –AS |
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#10: Frightened Rabbit – “The Modern Leper”
Album: The Midnight Organ Fight
This is the song that made me fall in love with this band. The dude was a downtrodden, brokenhearted bastard, who compared himself to a “modern leper.” Brilliant. –NC
Talk about a song with an amazing build… The anticipation kills me every time. –AS |
1/10
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