Grammy Predictions

I don't normally care about the Grammys, nor do I really watch them--particularly in a year such as this one where they dissed A+ pop music for "quality" shit--but I just wanted to share who I think wildly guess will win and who should win in the main categories.

Record of the Year
The Black Keys "Lonely Boy"
Kelly Clarkson "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"
fun. featuring Janelle Monaé "We Are Young"
Gotye featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used to Know"
Frank Ocean "Thinkin About You"
Taylor Swift "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"

Will Win: "Somebody That I Used to Know" seems like the safest pick: a monster Top 40 hit that you can see "real" musicians supporting.
Should Win: "Stronger"

Album of the Year
The Black Keys, El Camino
fun., Some Nights
Mumford & Sons, Babel
Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
Jack White, Blunderbuss

Will Win: Mumford & Sons for selling as many albums as Bieber and One Direction
Should Win: Is the fun. album really the only one on this list I've listened to?

Song of the Year
"The A-Team" (Ed Sheeran)
"Adorn" (Miguel Pimentel)
"Call Me Maybe" (Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay)
"Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" (Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi)
"We Are Young" (Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess)

Will Win: "We Are Young". Sheeran's too green, "Call Me Maybe" and "Stronger" are too mainstream pop
Should Win: As I've stated on Twitter, people underestimate just how hard it is to write a catchy pop song. For this reason alone, Jepsen & Co. should win for "Call Me Maybe". But, honestly, I'd be fine with anyone but Ed Sheeran.

Best New Artist
Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean

Will Win: The Lumineers, I guess? That song of theirs is completely awful but sounds like the kind of shit Grammy voters will go apeshit over.
Should Win: Not exactly sure how they got nominated here as they've released an album a couple years ago, but fun. I guess? But, seriously, how many albums do One Direction have to sell to be included in a category that previously nominated the Backstreet Boys, the Jonas Brothers and The Biebz?

Best Pop Solo Performance
Adele "Set Fire to the Rain [Live]"
Kelly Clarkson "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"
Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"
Katy Perry "Wide Awake"
Rihanna "Where Have You Been"

Will Win: Adele. They nominated a live performance just to award her again.
Should Win: But, by all means, Adele is the most deserving of the award.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Florence + The Machine "Shake It Out"
fun. featuring Janelle Monaé "We Are Young"
Gotye featuring Kimbra "Somebody That I Used to Know"
LMFAO "Sexy and I Know It"
Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa "Payphone"

Will Win: fun. or Gotye. I'm guessing Gotye.
Should Win: Florence Welch.

Best Pop Vocal Album
Kelly Clarkson, Stronger
Florence + The Machine, Ceremonials
fun., Some Nights
Maroon 5, Overexposed
P!nk, The Trouble With Love

Will Win: Going out on a limb and picking Florence. fun. can't win everything and I don't think any of the others are quite beloved enough to win.
Should Win: Cut about four or five songs and Stronger would be unstoppable. As it stands, it's quite a good album.

A Look at the 2012 VMAs Best Female Video

Last year, I took a look at what I thought would be potential nominees for Best Female Video at the VMAs. Surprisingly, I did quite well, picking four of the eventual nominees out of the top seven while surprise nominee Beyoncé for "Run the World (Girls)" was highlighted towards the bottom of the list (before the video had even premiered!). The other night I was thinking of that post and decided to try again to come up with what I thought this year's race might look like. Not sure if I can match my predictions last year, but let's give this a shot and see what happens.

The Top 5:

Katy Perry "Part of Me"

4 Noms/0 Wins

In Her Favor: After two years, six #1's and a 3D concert movie, the Teenage Dream Era is coming to an end. Can you think of a more fitting farewell to Katy's immense success than with another nomination here?

But: Nothing. She's in.

Rihanna "We Found Love"

2 Noms/1 Win

In Her Favor: Rihanna manages to pump out hit after hit, but "We Found Love" was her biggest song since "Umbrella." Plus, "We Found Love" is without a doubt her best video to date.

But: Only two nominations? As big of a star as Rihanna should have more.

Kelly Clarkson "What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger)"

3 Noms/2 Wins

In Her Favor: Sometimes all it takes is a #1 hit like this to remind everyone why we fell in love with Kelly in the first place. Girlfriend already has two wins so they clearly love her.

But: Is she "hip" enough for MTV in these days of Katy Perry and Teen Wolf?

Nicki Minaj "Starships"

1 Nom/0 Wins

In Her Favor: Having just notched its 20th week in the Top 10, the song has proven to have massive staying power.

But: Does anybody remember the video? Like, at all?

Lana Del Rey "National Anthem"

0 Noms

In Her Favor: This is my No Guts, No Glory pick. This line-up is in clear need of a Critical Darling. Although Lana is not quite as huge as Adele, last year's Darling, is, she does have a rabid fanbase who were salivating over her material even before her Born to Die album came out. She seems like a long shot, but every once in awhile this category does embrace lesser-known artists with great, buzzworthy videos.

But: This only happens every once in awhile. As odd as it sounds, she probably has a better shot in the Video of the Year category, which is much more open to artistic videos like "National Anthem."

In the Running:

Lady Gaga "Marry the Night"

4 Noms/2 Wins

In Her Favor: I know I sound crazy for betting against Gaga, considering her rabid fanbase who are only out-crazied by the Beliebers. And this video was everything those fanatics could have possibly wanted from an artiste like Lady Gaga.

But: Come on. For an artist who has made a living off turning everything about her persona into pretentious bullshit, this fourteen minute, ultra serious video exploring the inner torment of Gaga The Person was Pretentious Bullshit.

Carly Rae Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"

0 Noms

In Her Favor: A zeitgeist hit...

But: ...That's only mildly less trashy than Rebecca Black's "Friday." More likely than not, expect her to pop up with One Direction in the Best New Artist category.

Madonna "Give Me All Your Luvin'" OR "Girl Gone Wild"

12 Noms/4 Wins

In Her Favor: In very different ways, these two videos have proven why Madonna is still the undisputed Queen of the Music Video.

But: The Gays have completely turned on her. If they don't care, why will MTV?

Britney Spears "I Wanna Go" OR "Criminal"

5 Noms/1 Win

In Her Favor: "I Wanna Go" and "Criminal" were both far better videos than the previous Femme Fatale singles produced.

But: I read somewhere that "I Wanna Go" debuted on the cutoff date for last year's VMAs. I refuse to believe this as that masterpiece received zero nominations while the mediocre "Till The World Ends" nabbed her a Best Pop Video trophy. And if she couldn't get a Best Female Video nomination with that massive track, I doubt either of these songs has the legs to get her there this year.

Jessie J "Domino"

0 Noms

In Her Favor: For better or worse, her loud, painted on jumpsuits were certainly eye-catching in this video.

But: Despite the fact that this song was a hit in the U.S., I still don't feel like she's that big over here. Do you ever hear people talking about her (well, I mean, despite complaining about her singing/wailing)?

Never Say Never:

Demi Lovato "Give Your Heart a Break"

0 Noms 

In Her Favor: With her upcoming X-Factor gig, people are finally taking notice and trying to make her happen.

But: I don't think it's her moment yet. We'll see where she's at after X-Factor debuts this fall.

Cher Lloyd "Want U Back"

0 Noms 

In Her Favor: Against all odds, it appears that she's crossing over into America.

But: She's only just hit the Top 40 here. And if Carly Rae doesn't make it, Cher certainly won't.

Dev "In the Dark"

0 Noms 

In Her Favor: An ubiquitous singer with her own big hit.

But: The song is nearly a year old; has her Moment passed already?

15 Albums

Over on my Facebook page, I was tagged in a new meme asking for "fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you." I completed the challenge on Facebook, but I thought I should take some time and explain my reasoning behind my choices. These are not necessarily what I believe to be the "best" albums of all time; rather, each of them has some sort of personal significance in my life, whether they remind me of someone or a particular moment in my life or simply have come to define me as a person.

Paula Abdul Forever Your Girl

As I've stated multiple times before, Paula Abdul was the first music artist I ever loved. I remember being in kindergarten, on the way to school and getting excited whenever 'Straight Up' came on the radio. My first exposure to the entire album came from perhaps the strangest of circumstances: my mother's co-worker's daughter had the album on cassette and let us borrow the now five-year-old album so we could copy it onto our own blank cassette. Yes, I was illegally downloading music before illegally downloading music was cool. Since it was the only album I owned for quite a few years, I played the shit out of it whenever I could. To this day, I still get a rush of nostalgia whenever I hear 'Cold Hearted' or 'The Way That You Love Me' on my iTunes. Because of this album, Paula is forever my girl.

Spice Girls Spice

To be honest, I can't exactly remember where or how I first heard about the Spice Girls. At the time, my favorite radio station was my mother's 70's/80's/90's station that wasn't exactly hip when it came to new music. All I know is that when I fell for Emma, Victoria, Geri and the Mels, I fell for them HARD and there was no turning back. Spice was my go-to album for a long, long time and I still stand by it as a legitimate pop classic and not the teeny bopper shit many accuse it of being.

Spice Girls Spice World

Almost as soon as I was addicted to Spice, the Girls' follow up album was released in America. I believe I got it for my birthday a few months after, but I loved it as much, if not more, than Spice. I listened to that album so damn much, particularly 'Stop,' my favorite song they've ever done, it has the distinction of being the first cassette I broke. One day, the tape inside the cassette just went haywire and spooled out. It was a sad day for me (probably not my parents who I'm sure were sick of the damn thing) but at least I had my memories with the album.

Mariah, Gloria, Shania, Aretha & Celine Divas Live '98

Along with NSYNC's debut album, this was the first album I ever got on CD. I can't remember if I watched the live special when it aired, but I'm guessing my parents bought it for me because I was fucking obsessed with Mariah and both Celine and Gloria were two of my favorite singers at the time. Good instincts on their part as I simply couldn't get enough of this album. Not only was it packed full of amazing divas, foreshadowing both my homosexuality and my immense love of over-the-top personalities, but I also loved the banter and spoken intros between each of the songs. I'm sure if I listened to the album right now I could mime accurately to about 80% of it.

Britney Spears ...Baby One More Time

Back when Brit actually attempted to sing, I thought she had one of the best voices I had ever heard. I had a lot to learn about music, apparently, but it's easy to see why this woman and this album meant so much to me during a time when my one true love, the Spice Girls, were splitting up. Her carefree dance-pop was just what this 11 year-old needed to get pumped for another grueling day of elementary school. Trust me, I have a handful of dance routines I choreographed in my free time before I had to catch the bus. My father must be proud.

Madonna The Immaculate Collection

I knew and liked Madonna through songs like 'Holiday' and 'Into the Groove,' but it wasn't until I checked out this album from my library that I became a superfan. This album has become so ingrained in me, I find it hard to dig into the rest of her discography; everytime I try one of her old albums, I instantly grow restless and want to listen to these wonderful singles all over again.

Janet Jackson Control

I think Janet Jackson obsession started with Design of a Decade, but Control will always be the album I'll think of when I think of her.

Various Artists Music from the Motion Picture "Chicago"

When I saw Chicago on DVD, I liked the movie but I wasn't as crazy about it as I am. It wasn't until the school play my sophomore year of high school when my castmates would sing the songs from this soundtrack over and over again when I became obsessed with it. I actually owned the soundtrack before I ever bought the film, so by the time I saw the movie again, I knew every damn word of the soundtrack.

Kelly Clarkson Breakaway

My God, I don't know if kids these days understand just how huge this album was back in the day. You couldn't spend an hour listening to the radio without either 'Since U Been Gone,' 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' or 'Because of You' coming on. People I knew who weren't fans of pop music were obsessed with Kelly and this album. And, most of all, I just love Kelly. She's the reason my obsession with American Idol lasted for as long as it did.

Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols

I'm not exactly sure what exactly I watched or read that convinced me that I needed to give Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols a listen, but I'm eternally grateful for inspiring something in me to take a chance on something way out of my music comfort zone. The first few times I listened to the album, I was unimpressed and quietly ignored it for awhile. Then, something happened and I decided to give it another listen. It was like I was listening to a brand new album. The Sex Pistols are one of the few punk bands I've encountered (in my very, very limited experience) who didn't sacrifice melody for hardness, vocal quality for loudness. This is quite literally the one anomaly in my iTunes, as evidenced by the fact that they are wedged between Selena Gomez & the Scene and Shakira.

Various Artists Music from the Motion Picture "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut"

I was a late bloomer to discovering the genius of South Park. Up until my junior year of high school, I thought it was nothing but television made for immature people who loved endless fart and shit jokes. But then my friend lent me South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut and I immediately changed my tune. This was some smart shit made by people who knew what the fuck they were talking about. And the smartest thing about the movie has to be the soundtrack, which manages to be both a parody of the typical movie musical and insightful social commentary. Plus, any soundtrack that has a song with a lyric that goes, "Shut your fucking face, Uncle Fucka!" can't be all bad, can it?

ABBA Gold

I have always known about ABBA and even knew a handful of their songs courtesy of The A*Teens, but it wasn't until my last couple years of high school when I actually realized just how kickass they were. It all started with an innocent car trip with my friend and her grandparents. Her grandmother is a huge ABBA fan and had Gold playing the CD player. My friend and I were bored so we started making dumb choreography to the songs. This continued through many songs until her grandmother, never one to not let her annoyance and opinion be heard, yelled at us, "Shut. Up. Back. There." I had so much jammin' to the songs that I asked my friend to burn me a copy and the rest, as they say, is history.

Justin Timberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds

JT's FutureSex/LoveSounds had the fortunate distinction of coming out right as I was settling into my freshman year of college. The album really has nothing to do with all the changes I was going through at the time, but it's the one that's most deeply associated with that period of my life.

Britney Spears Blackout

I was pumped for the Britney comeback ever since she divorced Kevin Federline in 2006. When the album finally came around in late 2007, I was ridiculously excited for what was being called Britney's best album yet. On the day of its release, I was like a meth addict waiting impatiently for my next hit. I didn't have a car at that point so I asked my friend who lived down the hall if she would take me to buy it. She agreed and by the time we left, another younger girl I only slightly knew had joined us. We went to the first store and I ran like a madman to the music section only to discover that it was sold out. I was upset, but my friend who drove started yelling at the guy working in the electronics department like it was his fault. We ended up going to two more stores, coming out both times empty-handed, and I was more crazed with each rejection. I looked like a madman in front of the new girl, but I didn't care; I wanted Britney, damnit (in case you're wondering, the girl who accompanied us became a very good friend whom I lived with until a couple weeks ago).

Girls Aloud Out of Control

By the time the release date for Girls Aloud's Out of Control rolled by, I was already a devotee of the Way of the Aloud. I started after the release of Tangled Up and it quickly grew over the following months. Out of Control was the first Girls Aloud album where I could join in on the pre-release ritual for any of my favorite acts. When 'The Promise' came out, I listened to that song at least 30 times the day I first got it. There was no turning back after that. I should also let the record show that Out of Control is still my favorite Girls Aloud album ever.

Top 100 Songs of the 2000's: #20-1

Previous installments: #100-81 #80-61 #60-41 #40-21

20. Jessica Simpson 'I Think I'm In Love With You'
2000. From Sweet Kisses.

Of the four teen pop princesses who emerged in 1999-2000, Jessica Simpson (along with Brit, Xtina and Mandy Moore) gets the least amount of respect these days. I find it a shame that she's nothing more than tabloid fodder because underneath all of the Newlyweds, "dumb blonde" foolishness, there's a legitimate talent. When she gets a great pop song, she nails it (see also: 'A Little Bit,' 'With You,' 'Irresistible'). 'I Think I'm In Love With You,' sampling the fantastic hook from John Cougar Mellencamp's 'Jack & Diane,' is the perfect pop song, the embodiment of how I want to feel when I fall in love with someone. I want to sing that big note without a care in the world. One more than one occasion I've said that I love this song more than nearly every member of my extended family; it's still true and probably always will be.



19. Leona Lewis 'Run'
2008/9. From Spirit.

My only gripe with Britpop of the 2000's, a decade which saw the Brits deliver consistently more clever and creative pop music than us lazy Americans, is the way they constantly cover pop songs that had no business being covered (and the fact that they get to #1 again and again at an alarming rate). Just think of all Christmas #1's, X-Factor finalists/winners and charity singles that hit the top of the chart and then were quietly forgotten two weeks later. One of the very few exceptions to this rule is Leona Lewis's 'Run,' a cover of Snow Patrol's so-indie-it-hurts ballad. Leona turned this dire song into one of the biggest and most emotive power ballads since Celine Dion's heyday. Now, this how you cover a song.



18. Lady GaGa 'Bad Romance'
2009. From The Fame Monster.

A future classic. 'Bad Romance' is the moment everyone realized that GaGa wasn't fucking around.









17. Robyn featuring Kleerup 'With Every Heartbeat'
2008. From Robyn.

Whenever I hear some annoying twat complain about how shallow pop music is (especially in comparison with whatever precious indie shit they adore), I, first of all, want to shake them. After that, I would tell them to listen to Robyn's 'With Every Heartbeat,' a searing, unconventional portrait of a broken heart that is unashamed of its pop roots. The way she repeats "And it hurts with every heartbeat" over and over at the end is more emotive and real than all of your "real" music put together.




16. Destiny's Child 'Say My Name'
2000. From The Writing's on the Wall.

America's premiere girl group bounced right back from the nasty departure of two of its members with 'Say My Name,' the song that solidified their then-burgeoning fame. I simply adore the way this song plays around with tempo and pacing, oscillating back and forth, constantly surprising with what's coming next. Bonus points for that iconic music video--which girl's room do you want to be in?





15. Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland 'SexyBack'
2006. From FutureSex/LoveSounds.

This song should have gotten old quickly. Thankfully, it hasn't. I can still listen to JT's sexy growling and Timbaland's constant "Yup!" and never get sick of it.








14. Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z 'Crazy in Love'
2003. From Dangerously in Love.

I don't fall head over heels in love with a song on first listen, but 'Crazy in Love' had me right from that opening trumpet wail. Beyoncé always had star power--'Crazy in Love' just proved that she had the ability to take over the pop world. Seven years later, we are still captivated by her.






13. Leona Lewis 'Bleeding Love'
2008. From Spirit.

My God, those lyrics! I simply can't get over how rich, emotive and surprisingly dark they are, even after hearing this song approximately 1400 times since its American debut in the spring of 2008. But this isn't the song's sole claim to success. Jesse McCartney, one of the song's co-writers, sang a version of it, but it never worked for me. Leona has this amazing knack to emote on my exact emotional level at all times. She turns 'Bleeding Love' from a great poem to an amazing musical experience.





12. Girls Aloud 'Sexy! No No No...'
2007. From Tangled Up.

The first Girls Aloud song I ever heard. What a way to start, hm? I love the absolutely relentless beat that gets heavier and heavier as the song moves along. It's so f-ing addictive, and I'm sure it is what made me a Girls Aloud convert right from the get-go (the insane punctuation in the song title sure didn't hurt either).






11. Mariah Carey 'We Belong Together'
2005. From The Emancipation of Mimi.

The moment America seemed to remember how much they truly loved Mariah after all those years of calling her crazy and washed up. I loved Mariah, even during those dark years (I still think Charmbracelet is an underrated album), but 'We Belong Together' reaffirmed those feelings like a renewal of marriage vows. A couple times a year, some R&B songstress tries to come out with a smooth R&B slow jam and try to out-Mariah Mariah. A couple times a year, those songs fail. No one does 'We Belong Together'-style balladeering better than the originator.





10. Kylie Minogue 'Love at First Sight'
2002. From Fever.

The idea of "love at first sight" is technically not a very groundbreaking concept in pop music. With 'Love at First Sight,' however, Kylie is able to capture that emotion like it was a startling breakthrough. In much the same way 'I Think I'm In Love With You' does, 'Love at First Sight' relates an idea or feeling that you hope to experience someday. Only pop music, I feel, has the power to take some emotion so mundane and make it completely zesty.




9. Ciara 'Like a Boy'
2007. From The Evolution.

Ciara stands up to all the wannabe gangsters and tough thugs in one of the cleverest take downs of this decade's rap culture...and no one pays attention. Sigh.







8. Missy Elliott 'Work It'
2002. From Under Construction.

This may not be Missy's most accomplished jam (which sounds like complaining about your least favorite track on Blackout), but it's the one I'm most fond of even after all these years. 'Work It' is Missy at the height of her powers, when she was making music for herself and having a damn good time doing it. The great thing was, everyone else was enjoying it too. 'Work It' was popular among my group of friends in high school, and I remember often talking about how insane and in-your-face this song is--especially that epic lyric in reverse during the chorus.






7. Amy Winehouse 'Rehab'
2006/7. From Back to Black.

Come back to the music world, Amy Winehouse, Amy Winehouse. This place simply isn't the same since your hasty, drug-induced departure. Who else but Amy Winehouse can make a song about refusing to get help for a drinking problem so beautiful and every so slightly sad at the same time (maybe Ke$ha, but less enthusiastically and soulfully)? I will never give up on this woman and her eventual re-ascension to the top of the music world.





6. P!nk 'Just Like a Pill'
2002. From M!ssundaztood.

P!nk's rebellious attitude had become her stock in trade by the time she released this single. Never before had she dabbled in such a dark, eerily moody place as she does in 'Just Like a Pill.' This song is often remembered only as a footnote after the twin mega-successes of 'Get the Party Started' and 'Don't Let Me Get Me,' but 'Just Like a Pill' stands on its own merits and showed the world a side of P!nk that hadn't been seen before.





5. Sugababes 'Push the Button'
2005. From Taller in More Ways.

The sexiest song ever recorded. I wasn't convinced at first, but now I want to make babies to this song.










4. Eve and Gwen Stefani 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind'
2001. From Scorpion.

The best example of post-Spice Girls "Girl Power." Rock and rap collide in this piercing take down of celebrity-hungry culture and rappers more concerned with bling than writing good rhymes. If only more people had paid attention to Eve's warning back in 2001, maybe we wouldn't have had to endure Souljaboy.

P.S. I know every word to this song. It's probably the only rap song I can say that about.





3. Kelly Clarkson 'Since U Been Gone'
2005. From Breakaway.

I'm sure this song is near the top, if not at the top, of everyone else's best of the decade list. But when a song has proven this influential (for good or for bad) and this monumental in such a short span of time, there's nothing left but to give it due credit and follow consensus. Never have I been happier to follow a trend.





2. Girls Aloud 'Biology'
2005. From Chemistry.

I still remember the moment when I realized 'Biology' was one of the greatest songs I had ever heard. I was driving home from work one random night, listening to my Girls Aloud mix CD. I had always liked 'Biology,' but something happened with the song that gave me chills. As weird as it may sound, I felt like I was having some grand epiphany of sorts. This is what pop music is about.

I love the way 'Biology' keeps on playing with your expectations without you even realizing it. The structure doesn't follow the typical verse/bridge/chorus we've come to expect from a three and a half minute pop song. Then, there's the way the first verse builds up to a heated, sexual frenzy, pausing more seductively with each "Closer," only to, for lack of a better expression, give you blue balls with the abstinence-friendly second verse. How many songs do you know that can take you up and then take you down like that all in a matter of seconds?




1. Nelly Furtado 'Say It Right'
2007. From Loose.

Surprised that a semi-serious song from everyone's favorite Canadian warbler is my favorite of the entire decade? I was rather surprised myself when I sat down to make this list that I kept coming back to this one as the song I felt most strongly about, the one that defined the whole decade for me. 'Say It Right' is a perfect, and admittedly strange, combination of mid-90's hip-hop, Eurthymics-style 80's synth pop, late 2000's American pop and East Asian zen. Add to that conflicting pile of influences the fact that I, nor even Nelly herself, knows exactly what this song is about or trying to be about. That hardly matters in the long run, though. When you have a song as mysteriously vague as 'Say It Right,' it's more fun trying to dissect its meaning rather than knowing straight off. For this reason (plus the fact that it's compulsively listenable), 'Say It Right' is officially my favorite song of the 2000's.

Top 100 Songs of the 2000's: #80-61

The countdown continues. For #100-81, click here.

80. Aaliyah 'More Than a Woman'
2002. From Aaliyah.

It figures that as soon as I became interested in Aaliyah's music she was killed in a tragic plane crash just weeks before 9/11. 'More Than a Woman,' her first posthumous hit, may not be her best song, but it's the one I always think of first when I think of her. The song is a fitting tribute to the artist she had grown into and the artists she could have become. RIP Baby Girl.




79. Dixie Chicks 'Landslide'
2002. From Home.

While countless artists over the decade tried their hands at covering previous hits, very few realized that you had to do more than just sing the notes to make it work. The Dixie Chicks understood this when adapting the Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks classic to their signature country sound. And while they stay true to those roots, the Chicks also make it listenable to non-country fans (can you imagine how someone like Gretchen Wilson would have mangled the song's poignant beauty?). For that I'm eternally grateful.





78. Britney Spears 'Stronger'
2000. From Oops!...I Did It Again.

As the third single from her second album, Brit's 'Stronger' was unfortunately forgotten amid her usual controversy-starting antics. Thankfully, the song has recently begun to be reappraised by Brit fans as one of the, er, strongest singles of her career. The song may not have been earthshattering like 'Baby, 'Oops' or 'Slave,' but it's a fun girl power anthem and contains Brit's best vocal performance to date.




77. Justin Timberlake 'Cry Me a River'
2003. From Justified.

And speaking of Britney, JT finally proved his worth as a solo artist with this Timbaland-produced valentine to the woman who completely fucked him over (Or so he says. Funny, he's made two songs about what a whore Britney was yet she's remained mum on the whole situation). Besides starting his winning relationship with producer Timbaland, 'Cry Me a River' also solidified Timberlake as THE male solo artist of the decade and the one R&B singer every young white singer could look up to and emulate.




76. Natasha Bedingfield 'Unwritten'
2006. From Unwritten.

Say what you want about it--and I'll be the first to say that's it's neither the most sophisticated or subtle song ever written--but I find 'Unwritten' to be a wonderful song. I must admit that this is more of a sentimental pick as it became popular around the time I graduated high school and its message was terribly important to me. Plus, if you think about it, there are so many ways its inspirational message could have come off as extremely cheesy (think 'The Climb' or 'No Boundaries').




75. P!nk 'Don't Let Me Get Me'
2002. From M!ssundaztood.

The moment P!nk went from pop star to musical icon speaking directly to and for me. As a 13 year old boy working through his own issues, you can't imagine how glad I was to find such an artist in a genre perhaps best defined by dance songs and love ballads.







74. The Saturdays 'If This Is Love'
2008. From Chasing Lights.

Before The Saturdays (aka "Girls Aloud for the Recession") took a complete nosedive with Wordshaker, they released a slew of bitchin' singles from their debut album. 'If This Is Love,' with its big chorus and addictive "call and response" structure, just happened to be the best of them.






73. Kanye West featuring Daft Punk 'Stronger'
2007. From Graduation.

Never in a million years would have I predicted that combining the 'Jesus Walks' rapper with the electropop group that brought us 'One More Time' would have made something as epic sounding and feeling as 'Stronger.' Say what you want about him after "TaylorGate" a couple of months ago, but I'm glad rap music has someone like Kanye constantly taking risks and pushing his music beyond the limits of the genre. I'd rather have a cocky asshole like Kanye than any of these one-hit-wonders-in-the-making rappers making the dreck on the radio I'm continuously forced to listen to.





72. Beyoncé 'Ring the Alarm'
2006. From B'day.

Beyoncé went from an artist I adored to one I completely worshipped with every new, batshit crazy thing she came up with the moment I heard her sputter out "Ring the alarm/I've been through this too long/But I'll be DAMNED if I see another chick on your arm" in her now infamous "B ain't takin' no bullshit" voice. 'Ring the Alarm' was a turning point in her career and, unfortunately, it was ignored by the public. Let's hope this song gets rediscovered for the gem it truly is.





71. Kylie Minogue and Robbie Williams 'Kids'
2000. From Light Years (Kylie), Sing When You're Winning (Robbie)

When two enormous pop stars collaborate on a song, one of two things usually happens: the song is a monster hit ('The Boy Is Mine') or the song is popular for five minutes and then damned to obscurity for all eternity ('Beautiful Liar,' Girls Aloud and 'Babes version of 'Walk This Way'). Thankfully, 'Kids,' the one-time pairing of the two biggest music icons in the non-US world, falls in the former category. I'm not exactly sure what the song is about, but its anthemetic chorus and the way Robbie and Kylie's voices somehow sound made for each other despite being completely different make this one a can't miss.






70. Kelly Clarkson 'Behind These Hazel Eyes'
2005. From Breakaway.

Similar in sound and theme to her mega-smash 'Since U Been Gone,' 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' may seem like a curious and ultra-safe choice as the follow-up single, but I find the song still has merit on its own. While 'Since U Been Gone' celebrated the end of a relationship with a swift kick in the ass and a "Good riddance," 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' is more pensive and acknowledges that, yes, the break-up does hurt. "Here I am, once again/I'm torn into pieces" is still one of the most emotional lines of the decade; it's hard not to feel and understand what she is going through.





69. Jennifer Lopez 'Do It Well'
2007. From Brave.

After years of making great hip-hop influenced pop music, J. Lo capped off an incomparable decade with this final dance masterpiece. The song starts off with a bang--a chorus of "Do it, do it, you're doing it well!" followed by that unrelentingly heavy dance beat--and honestly never lets up during its three minute runtime. Naturally, since this song is possibly the greatest of J. Lo's career, the public ignored it and went back to listening to Soulja Boy.






68. Evanescence 'Going Under'
2003. From Fallen.

Goth rock is not my thing at all, but for a brief period of time Evanescence, led by the vocally underrated Amy Lee, held my attention and proved that not everything in that genre is tuneless garbage. Coming between their breakthrough 'Bring Me to Life' and the gorgeous 'My Immortal,' 'Going Under' was a bit of a bust on the charts, but it is always the one I associate with Evanescence in the few times I ever think about them. I'm a sucker for a big note and Lee has got a million of them in that chorus alone.





67. Sneaky Sound System 'Kansas City'
2008. From 2.

Sneaky Sound System's ode to internet relationships contains what is no doubt one of the top 3 hooks of the decade: "Someboddddddy in Kansas City loves meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee." If that does not suck you in and make you instantly fall in love with this song, there is simply no hope for you my friend.








66. Ciara featuring Missy Elliott '1, 2 Step'
2004. From Goodies.

To this day, I'm not sure what it is about this song that has held my attention all these years. Ciara is not exactly known for her big voice, but her vocals are practically monotone here. The lyrics are nothing noteworthy (it's a simple ditty about dancing) and Missy's rap certainly doesn't rank among the best things she's ever done. Whatever it is, I have to give it up to '1, 2 Step' for working against all odds and becoming one of the few songs I heard on the radio a million times and never grew tired of.





65. Boomkat 'The Wreckoning'
2003. From Boomkatalog One.

Taryn Manning and brother Kellin were the masterminds behind the little-remembered pop group Boomkat and their ballsy minor hit 'The Wreckoning.' It's such a shame this song never caught on because it was one of the few songs of its time to take the newly in-vogue combination of pop music and hip-hop beats and create something wholly new with it. If there was one song on my countdown I wish people would listen to and give another chance, 'The Wreckoning' would be it.






64. Britney Spears 'Oops!...I Did It Again'
2000. From Oops!...I Did It Again.

The music video, complete with infamous red leather jumpsuit, is probably one of my most cherished of the decade. I don't think I'll ever forget her divalicious entrance and that highly-imitated choreography. While the video is often well-regarded, people forget that the song is actually still quite a stunner. As she did with '...Baby One More Time,' Brit has fun at our expense toying with the naughtiness of the title while going "Who me?" since the song is nowhere near as dirty as one might imagine. Not that innocent, indeeed.






63. Jason Mraz 'The Remedy (I Won't Worry)'
2002. From Waiting for My Rocket to Come.

I've been waiting in vain for seven years for Jason Mraz to make a song as urgent yet still upbeat and fun as his breakthrough hit 'The Remedy.' He's come close at least once ('Geek in the Pink') but over the years he's matured into more of a mellow indie rocker who is hellbent on chilling out to the point of insanity (or so it seems). Oh well, I suppose. At least we'll always have this song to remind us that he once had the ability to be this amazing.





62. Rihanna 'Don't Stop the Music'
2008. From Good Girl Gone Bad.

Forget your umbrellas, hating that I love you and rehab, 'Don't Stop the Music' was the song on Good Girl Gone Bad. With its heavy bass and that "mama say mama sa mamacusah" chant, 'Don't Stop the Music' is absolutely delirious and entirely effectively as a dancehall song; who doesn't want to get up on a table and start dancing for its entire 4-1/2 minute runtime?





61. David Archuelta 'Crush'
2008. From David Archuleta.

Any fears that I had supported the wrong Idol contestant were quickly put to rest after I heard this song. On first listen, the song may seem like nothing more than 90's boy band cheese, but Archie sells it. Also, I love the way he plays with the duality of the song's meaning (is it about a shy guy gathering the nerve to ask a girl out or is it really about a guy coming to terms with his sexuality?). Archie may not have a signature sound yet, but I'll definitely be curious to see where he takes his music as he matures in both age and musical style.