John's top 25 songs of 2007

[Dean Winchester]

I figured 50 or 100 would be too much, so I'm going to count down the 25 songs I loved the most, listened to the most and will remember for this year.

[Dean Winchester]

25. Good Charlotte - Dance Floor Anthem (I Don't Wanna Be In Love)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=r_mhpRz0liA
I think for the most part, people had given up on Good Charlotte awhile back. They had a nice brief run around 2002-2003 but "The Chronicles Of Life And Death" killed them quite a bit and their recent album "Good Morning Revival" initially flopped. Yet out of the ashes came this track, which has given their flagging career the boost of caffeine it needed. The song is loaded with the melodies and pop sensibility that initially launched them in the first place several years back. Granted, Joel is better known as Nicole Richie's babydaddy than as a singer, but the media fame may very well have helped propel this song into smash status.

24. Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d14511Amd08
I defy this song to not get stuck in your head after you hear it. Kaiser Chiefs have been huge for some time in Europe but this was the first song I discovered from them, and it was enough to buy their album. The melody is fantastic, and the band gels together perfectly

23. Paul McCartney - Ever Present Past
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gtoN_qFv6MA
While his legendary status is undisputed, a lot of people have dismissed McCartney as an over-the-hill old fart for some 20 years now. However, every few years he comes out with a song so fantastic (This One, Hope Of Deliverance, The World Tonight) that it shuts everyone up for a few months. Between this and "Dance Tonight", McCartney proved that at 65, he is still as relevant as ever. Despite all of the personal turmoil he's gone through lately with ex-wife Heather Mill$, Paul is back in full form as a singer. If radio wasn't so fixated on age, I think "Ever Present Past" would've made a huge hit for him, it's as catchy as anything he did with Wings and the production is stellar. The video is cute and well-done as well, and what other 65 year old can dance around with a bunch of women young enough to be their granddaughters? LOL..

22. Scissor Sisters - She's My Man
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MjNLAG6bKno
The third single released from "Ta-Dah" was a rather unconventional choice but definately a great song nonetheless. I think this track was aided by one of 2007's most interesting videos. Shot in one take with stunt-men dressed in all black (since you're not supposed to see them), they made one of the most original and unconventional videos shot in some time. The song itself is another neo-late 70's/early 80's type pop-rocker not unlike an Elton John track from the period.

21. Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NWt7JlRCVes
It was but two years ago that many of us thought Kylie might not even still be alive now, much less releasing new material. "2 Hearts" marked her long-awaited return after a hiatus where she beat breast cancer and performed a triumphant homecoming tour. In typical Kylie fashion, she came back with a totally new sound. Granted, "2 Hearts" sounds like a Goldfrapp ripoff, but it works very well for her.

[Dean Winchester]

20. MIKA - Happy Ending
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl4WN-aOWDY
Mika has certainly had quite a year with "Life In Cartoon Motion", the final single from the album is one of the standouts from the album. While Mika has certainly carved out quite a niche for himself with cute catchy pop songs, "Happy Ending" is quite a detour for him. The video for the song is perfect because it captures the "floating in mid-air" feel of the track. Definately one of Mika's most powerful tracks at this moment, showing that there is a bit more depth to him than all the catchy fluff songs he had released to this point.

19. Tori Amos - Bouncing Off Clouds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSGMjB3HbGM
"American Doll Posse" was Tori's best album in quite a number of years, and "Bouncing Off Clouds" is definately up there with why this album was so great. It's one of those midtempo songs that really does capture what the song says, the music is well-composed and Tori's performance is fine as usual. I think this should've been the leadoff to the album instead of "Big Wheel", which I enjoyed but likely scared off as many potential buyers as it turned others onto it.

18. Gwen Stefani - 4 In The Morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIvNB3WnvFs
One of the biggest chart disappointments of 2007 to me in America was this song. After "The Sweet Escape" became one of the top hits of the year, I was certain that this, one of my top 3 off the album ("Early Winter" and "Wonderful Life" being the other two), would follow it's predecessor up the charts, but instead stalled in the 50's. While "L.A.M.B." was certainly the stronger solo venture for Ms. Stefani, I do believe "The Sweet Escape" was a much stronger album that initially credited. "4 In The Morning" is a standard half-ballad, half-1980's dance track and it is perfectly suited for Gwen.

17. Erasure - I Could Fall In Love With You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ZDG6eNDAA
Although most people dismiss them as an over-the-hill 80's synth-pop band, the truth of the matter is that Andy and Vince have been recording some fantastic music in recent years. "I Could Fall In Love With You" falls into the same catagory with "Breathe" and "Don't Say You Love Me" with recent Erasure songs that definately deserve to be in their canon of classics. Andy's voice is still in fine form as ever and the song is a by-the-numbers Erasure midtempo. It's the type of song Vince comes up with in his sleep, but it's a formula that has never gotten tired with them.

16. Scissor Sisters - Lights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbT8YCC1is0
The fifth (and limited) single from "Ta-Dah" was yet another good one for them. Borrowing liberally from the theme song to "Grease", "Lights" is yet another catchy pop/disco/rock number from the group. To a lot of people "Ta-Dah" was a huge disappointment compared to the lightning the debut album struck, I actually believe that even though the sophomore album wasn't quite as successful, that it was equal to it's predecessor, the medleys and production was just as strong

[Dean Winchester]

15. Mary J. Blige - Just Fine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETfNxDVlpQ
While she could've easily released a "Be Without You" sequel as the leadoff to her latest album, Mary let loose and put out a song that is pure fun. The message of the song is one of total optimism, and musically sounds like something Janet would've done in the mid-90's. While Mary is a passionate, dramatic songstress and that's why we love her, it's fun to see her let her weave down and just dance.

14. Justin Timberlake - LoveStoned/I Think She Knows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIYXHLlxD8U
"FutureSex/LoveSounds" was one of the most inescapable albums of the past year and a half. The fact that a song this good wasn't released until the fourth (fifth in the US) single is a testament to how much of a roll Justin is on today. The song is another great song that gets your toes tapping. With the aid of Timbaland, Justin has been at the forefront of a new mini-invasion combining r&b, electro and pop, and this song is a perfect blend of the three genres.

13. Bjork - Earth Intruders
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wioa74MsBYA
The idea of Bjork working with Timbaland scared the hell out of Bjork and Timbaland fans alike. But as soon as Earth Intruders leaked online, fans realized that the brief collaboration would actually be much better than it sounded on paper. "Earth Intruders" was a perfect leadoff single and generated quite a bit of buzz for the album. The song and video were both a return to the classic Bjork of the 90's

12. Maroon 5 - Makes Me Wonder
http://youtube.com/watch?v=70FGeQmPjeg
After taking a lengthy break after the success of "Songs About Jane", Maroon 5 came back with a bang this spring with "Makes Me Wonder". While they had so many more tracks that would've easily been an easier sell, they still managed a massive #1 hit with this track that sounded a hell of a lot more like a funk track from 1982 than anything on radio today.

11. The Killers featuring Lou Reed - Tranquilize
http://youtube.com/watch?v=12bgWhzgJSQ
To promote "Sawdust" as an actual album (instead of just throwing the album out and expecting it to sell on the name alone), The Killers recorded a few new tracks on top of the Hot Fuss/Sam's Town b-sides and outtakes. This was the obvious choice for a single and was one of the riskiest, yet most interesting singles they've released to this point. Bringing in a seasoned vet like Lou Reed in gave them quite a bit of credibility.

[Dean Winchester]

10. Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xsRWpK4pf90
One of the only artists actually able to score US radio airplay with dancy material. This single, her current in America mixes a hot dance beat with a vintage Michael Jackson sample. The remixes of this song hit #1 three months before it was even sent to radio in America, showing just how fast people were responding to this track.

9. Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around... Comes Around
http://youtube.com/watch?v=FKXm3Qg7sBo
Despite the fact that the video was overly pretentious (seriously, Michael Jackson is the only artist who can get away with credits in a video and not be totally embarassing doing it), the song was one of the true standouts of FutureSex/LoveSounds and is the perfect post-breakup song when you hear about bad things happening to an ex. The epilogue truly took the song into another level

8. Alicia Keys - No One
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ktUSIJEiOug
After a long hiatus, Alicia came back with one of the catchiest songs of the last third of 2007. I've never been a huge fan of hers, although I did love "Fallin'" all those years ago, but this song did make me stand up and take a listen. It's one of those songs that you feel all good inside listening to.

7. Beyonce - Green Light
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RaNLdKbu1iM
From the moment I bought "B. Day", this was a fave. When Beyonce finally released it, I was all "it's about time". I just think this song is fun and catchy and has a great groove to it.

6. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3vfLvZCdT9g
Every now and then a song comes out and slowly creeps into your consciousness. At first you don't know what to think but you want to listen to it again, and then you realize you love the song. This is one of those songs to me. I admit like most Americans, I usually associate Robyn for the teen pop songs she did in the 90's, but rediscovering her self-titled album made me realize how much more there is to her than "Show Me Love". With Every Heartbeat is a truly unique song and it deserved all the success it got abroad.

[JT]

I so agree with you about "4 in the Morning." That was definitely one of my favorites over the summer, and I was shocked to see how poorly it did on the charts. I never really got the supposed 80s style of it (but I probably just don't want to get it lol, considering I'm not too big a fan of 80s music), but it's an amazing ballad that should have did better than it did. Gwen says it was her favorite song on the album.

[Dean Winchester]

5. Scissor Sisters - Kiss You Off
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bGvBuVH4cek
While Jake Shears is the "star" of the band (even though all five members have their own distinct personas, which is different from most groups), it's nice to see Ana Matronic take center stage for a change (she only gets one song per album). The song has one of those choruses that you will sing along with after you know all the words. While the song isn't quite on the same level as "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" (which IMO was a classic the moment it was released) was for them, the psuedo-Blondieness of this track definately makes this one of my favorite singles on 2007. The song would've been a huge hit in Europe had Universal been smart enough to release this as the followup to "Dancin'" in late 2006 instead of holding it until the fourth release.

4. The Killers - Read My Mind
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3Oec8RuwVVs
2007 was another great year to me for The Killers. Between continuing to release tracks off last years masterpiece "Sam's Town" and the "Sawdust" b-sides collection, they've remained one of my favorite bands on the scene. Read My Mind IMO was an instant hit for them and I am surprised they waited until the third single to release this, when I believe this would've been a hit on the same level as "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr. Brightside" if this was the leadoff to Sam's Town instead of "When You Were Young".

3. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z - Umbrella
http://youtube.com/watch?v=a4X7eFbP3u4
One of the biggest hits of 2007 spending pretty much the entire summer at #1 in both America and Europe. Umbrella was another one of those songs that just got in your head and never let out. To me, this is one of those songs that truly defies genre, even with the intro rap from Jay-Z, the song is at all times r&b, pop, dance and even rock (well, this is certainly closer to rock than a lot of the emo crap out there, lol). Rihanna has turned into one of the most dependable singles acts in recent years, a shame her albums in general aren't as consistant.

2. Bjork - Declare Independence
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LGC0VVobi6E
While I considered the Volta album to be disappointing as a whole. This track, the most recent single choice off the album was an instant classic upon first listen. Considering the mellow kick she's been on since Vespertine, hearing her rock harder and louder than she ever has before is a nice change of pace. The song itself is angry, combative and in-your-face and has a wonderful message. This one is up there with Joga and Army Of Me on the short list of all time favorite Bjork tracks. I defy anyone to listen to the song and not have "Declare Independence... DON'T LET THEM DO THAT TO YOU!!!!" in their head for days.

1. MIKA - Grace Kelly
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uzA0nG_PurQ
While he didn't really break out in America, Mika is without a doubt the find of 2007 for me. Part Freddie Mercury, part Jake Shears, part Robbie Williams, Mika came out with a fantastic debut album that was pure pop from start to finish. No pretention, no Grammy pandering, just pure good old pop music. While "Grace Kelly" was definately overplayed early this year, enough time has passed to realize that it was one of the best singles of 2007 without question. The song was one of those songs that was just so damn catchy and well-crafted that you had to love it.

[Dean Winchester]

I so agree with you about "4 in the Morning." That was definitely one of my favorites over the summer, and I was shocked to see how poorly it did on the charts. I never really got the supposed 80s style of it (but I probably just don't want to get it lol, considering I'm not too big a fan of 80s music), but it's an amazing ballad that should have did better than it did. Gwen says it was her favorite song on the album.
Early Winter is also flopping right now, it's kind of sad because both of those tracks are much better than The Sweet Escape or Wind It Up were IMO. I think it didn't help that L.A.M.B. was such a tough act to follow and TSE was a good album, but after the instant pop classic that the L.A.M.B. album was, TSE had shoes that it just couldn't fill. I do think the album was still pretty good, but Wind It Up was a terrible lead-off single choice