Maybe I'm a whole year late. Then again, maybe it takes a whole year to come up with the songs of the decade.Or maybe I'm really bored. Anyway, here's my list (and if your don't like it, make your own):
100. Johnny Cash - Hurt (2002)
Why: Possibly the best cover of all time. Cash takes the Nine Inch Nails original and carries it to another level of melancholy. When he plays that single note over and over you feel as if you'll never be happy again. only Johnny Cash can stay relevant for four decades at such a high level.
99. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (2007)
Why: The French electronic duo made the ultimate Micheal Jackson tribute with this song.And they did it before he died too. Complete over the top melody with a child chorus hook, this song remained infectiously catchy even with all the overexposure.
98. The Streets - Dry Your Eyes (2004)
Why: British hip-hop usually isn't taken seriously. After hearing this you'll change your mind. The biggest hit off the concept album A Grand Don't Come for Free is also the most realistic portrayal of a break-up by someone in hiphop ever.
97. Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly (2006)
Why: An Academy Award winning song form the movie Once. Haunting vocals fused with great chemistry between Hansard and Irglova (who also start in the movie). A song with minimalist accompaniment which is all the better to appreciate the lyrics and vocals.
96. Twista ft. Kanye West & Jamie Foxx - Slow Jamz (2004)
Why: A slow jam about slow jams. Back in the the almost forgotten days when Kanye used to do more rapping and less being insane, he had excellent lyrics. Twista unleashes super-fast lyrics as always and Jamie Foxx name drops every soul singer since Motown came around. It somehow works.
95. Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows (2002)
Why: The most rhythmic QOTSA song ever? Probably. And that's saying a lot. A running guitar riff coupled with some serious slap bass still manages to give a mournful tune that catches the mid-decade mood.
94. Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley - More Justice (2001)
Why: Has Damian Marley ever dropped a bad verse? Or even a bad lyric? Releasing socially conscious music as always, he again speaks of the struggle for the poor youths of Jamaica while maintaining a smooth lyrical flow over an overdriven guitar backing.
93. Gorillaz ft. De La Soul -Feel Good Inc.
Why: Switches from electronically drenched to a chord based guitar chorus seamlessly.The lyrics move from the sublime to the senseless but it all fits. And any time De La Soul get included is good.
92. Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
Why: They may have used every instrument they could find for this song. It's in Icelandic but it doesn't matter because it works. The continuous drums crescendos and acoustic guitars are what make this a great track.
91. The Roots ft Cody Chesnutt - The Seed 2.0
Why: The best rock song from a hip hop group in a while. A catchy guitar hook which completely sticks with you. And completely takes away from the fact that the song is about leaving a legacy of multiple children with different women.
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