What are YOUR ten favorite singles of the year?

i am going to do just the list, unordered, now, and save the enumeration and pith for when i don't feel so lousy ...
'n sync, 'bye bye bye'
outkast, 'bombs over baghdad'
mandy moore, 'candy'
d'angelo, 'untitled'
band ohne namen, 'boys'
le tigre, 'hot topic'
robbie williams, 'rock dj'
primal scream, 'kill all hippies'
christina aguilera, 'what a girl wants'
janet, 'doesn't really matter'

October is not nearly the end of the year! You're worse than Persi, I swear!

Anyway, wait and see. I don't think I've heard them all yet. And it'd be a devil to restrict them to just 10. But go ahead everyone else!

Fred's list is by no means bad, Maura's is OK but I shudder to think how the Scream's sad, self-parodic rant made it in there ...

Anyway, my top ten so far (and it might well be different *tomorrow*, let alone on 31st December) goes something like this, and remember this in no order whatsoever:

Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad Kelis - Caught Out There Sisqo - Thong Song Jay-Z featuring UGK - Big Pimpin' Saint Etienne - Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi) Broadcast - Come On Let's Go DMX - Party Up Eminem - The Real Slim Shady Dead Prez - Hip Hop The Beta Band - To You Alone / Sequinsizer

As I said, such a chart as this is, by definition, an of-the-moment affair and should not be held up as anything other than what its compiler thinks *at the precise moment of compiling it*. Nevertheless I'm pretty sure I'll still hold all these in high esteem come my final end-of-year chart / the third focus group / whatever.

Right, I wonder whether this will sort it out and make the list more instantly readable ...

Kelis - Caught Out There

Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad

Sisqo - Thong Song

Jay-Z featuring UGK - Big Pimpin'

Saint Etienne - Heart Failed (In The Back Of A Taxi)

Broadcast - Come On Let's Go

DMX - Party Up

Eminem - The Real Slim Shady

Dead Prez - Hip Hop

The Beta Band - To You Alone / Sequinsizer

I emailed you about this, but didn't give my list.

The following are guaranteed to appear:

Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad Sisqo - The Thong Song All Saints - Pure Shores Kelis - Caught Out There

These songs are contenders:

Eminem - Stan Britney Spears - Oops I Did It Again Aaliyah - Try Again Fragma - Toca's Miracle Disturbed - Stupify The Beta Band - To You Alone Destiny's Child - Bug A Boo Ghostface Killa - Cher Chez La Ghost Q-Tip - Breathe And Stop Poem-Cees - Sha Sha (of course) Sonique - It Feels So Good Eminem - The Real Slim Shady

If "Optimistic" or "Idioteque" is deemed to be an "official" single off of _Kid A_, those will be guaranteed as well. Alas, no Cure, as "Maybe Someday" is the second worst song on _Bloodflowers_ and aggressively average right up until the last 16 bars, which are genius.

You know, the more I think about it, the more I need to add "Party Up" to my list. What a blazin' tune that is!

Ah now, Dan's mention of "Try Again" reminds me that it's probably the best single of this year that I *didn't* mention in my provisional list. In terms of pop's essential nowness, the only song in there I think possibly lacking is Broadcast's "Come On Let's Go", with its debts to the Meek / Briscoe / Derbyshire era. Doesn't mean it *shouldn't* be in there, though it might be the first casualty if modernism is the overriding priority.

I'm not sure this Fredorian calendar is altogether accurate, but anyway: 1. Mystikal - "Shake Ya Ass" (by a fucking mile)
2. Third Eye Blind - "Never Let You Go"
3. Britney Spears - "Lucky"
4. Gluecifer - "I Got A War"
5. Aaliyah - "Try Again"
6. Nelly - "Country Grammar"
7. Wheatus - "Teenage Dirtbag"
8. Slipknot - "Wait And Bleed"
9. Green Day - "Minority"
10. Britney Spears - "Oops...I Did It Again"

...or something like that. "Bombs over Baghdad" is indeed great, but it's also the 4th best song on a disappointing album. It therefore will not make any top ten of mine.

1. Craig David - Fill Me In 2. Destiny's Child - Bugaboo 3. Kelis - Caught Out There 4. DJ Luck & MC Neat - Masterblaster 2000 5. Outkast - Bombs Over Baghdad 6. Sweet Female Attitude - Flowers 7. Aaliyah - Try Again 8. MJ Cole - Crazy Love 9. Britney Spears - Ooops... I Did It Again 10. Ghostface Killah - Apollo Kids

But...but...but... How can I leave it there?!?! There's so much that should be included!

Christina Aguilera "Come On Over (All I Want Is You)" (I think that's what it's called...)
Eminem "Stan"
Jay Z "Big Pimpin"
Aaliyah "Try Again"
Robbie Williams "Rock DJ"
*NSync "It's Gonna Be Me"
Nelly "Country Grammar"
Destiny's Child "Jumpin Jumpin"
Dr. Dre "Forgot About Dre"
Eminem "The Way I Am"

damn it, once again i forgot "to you alone." throw that on there.

i'm going to try and locate the top ten songs folks are putting up on here that i haven't heard yet. so far, i've heard "boys" and "hot topic," on maura's list, which i hadn't heard before. both are kind of questionable, and i can go either way on them, but right now, "hot topic" is sounding just a wee bit indie for my ears.

1. Sonique - It Feels So Good 2. Future Bible Heroes - I'm Lonely (And I Love It) 3. Aaliyah - Try Again 4. Spiller - Groove jet 5. Don't Call Me Baby - Madison Avenue 6. A-ha - Summer Moved On 7. Andreas Johnson - Glorious 8. S Club 7 - Reach 9. All Saints - Pure Shores 10. Mel C - Never Be The Same Again

i know, i know -- it's more than ten, it's very predicatable...sorry.

but at least i didnt include the new bsb song. zzzzzzzz...

oops i did it again it's gonna be me bye bye bye big pimpin forgot about dre jumpin jumpin try again the way i am thong song bomb over baghdad there you go hip hop idioteque dismemberment plan gets rich (i had to squeeze some indie rock on there)

i can't think of an order:

dismemberment plan "get rich" ying yang twins "whistle while you twurk" versus "shangri-la" clinic "distortions" clearlake "winterlight" q and not u "washington monument" outkast "b.o.b." blur "music is my radar/black book" (eat it) the wrens "miss me" b/w "this boy is exhausted" les savy fav "rome"

Hm. *scratches head, thinks* Hm. Do I even have five? Or one? *ruminates* *shrugs* Odd, nothing leaps to mind. And I've heard a fair slew of the songs already mentioned, find a few enjoyable, but nothing really making me go 'yeah!' This may be a year where a lot of good stuff came out but nothing actually stuck. For instance, "Bombs Over Baghdad," which seems to already be winning this particular poll, has a nice chorus and all, neat drum pattern...uh, yeah. Mm.

Does anyone actually listen to the radio anymore? I thought most stations exist for the sole purpose of being switched off.

Instead, I will name the best shows I've seen this year:

Asian Dub Foundation, Royal Festival Hall Mark Burgess, Great American Music Hall Thingy (or was it Pinback?), Koo's Arts Cafe Oasis, Berkeley Community Theatre The Cure, Irvine Meadows Ampitheatre

...and I'll add Terrastock IV in advance, in that I figure at least a few of the performances will be jawdropping; similarly with the Chameleons' upcoming show in LA. I reserve judgment on Radiohead for when I actually see them on Friday.

I *will* boldly state that any list of the worst singles of the year would have to have Eminem on it somewhere. And I'm not talking about him himself, I think the music eats, Dre trying to convince people he still matters, somehow, somewhere, no really, please believe me, I don't have many good years left, etc. The result is like when Duran Duran had a semi-comeback in 1988 or so, where the moves were the same and there were chart hits but the end result wasn't much. That Eminenya thing was far more amusing in comparison...

Kris, a disappointing album? Just wait till you read my euphoric review :).

And David, "Groovejet" in the Top 5? I sincerely hope it's the first and only such instance ...

Outkast - "Bombs Over Baghdad" Kid Rock - "American Badass" Nelly - "Country Grammar" DMX - "Party Up" Dre. & Snoop - "Tha Next Episode" Jessica Simpson - "I Think I'm In Love With You" Britney Spears - "Oops!...I Did It Again" Ghostface Killah - "Cherchez Laghost" Wu-Tang Clan - "Protect Ya Neck 3 (The Jump Off)" Daphne & Celeste - "U.G.L.Y.", "Ooh Stick You", whatever was a single this year

A surprisingly good year. I could easily list a completely different ten songs.

"American Badass"???!

first off, let me just say that i'm suspect of everyone here's taste now.

robin: well, thanks for the compliment. ;) anyhow, in a year filled with so many gems, you put "heart failed" in the top 10? are you that desperate of a st. et fan? ;) "hip hop" is dull on record, but quite nice live, and "the real slim shady": are we not over that yet? mind, if "stan" becomes a single, and all signs point to yes, it makes the list.

dex: "toca's miracle"?!?!? DISTURBED?!?!?!?!?! nepotism is always nice to see. ;)

kris: do you really think "shake ya ass" is *that* good? and wheatus, green day, *and* slipknot. hmm! care to tell us what your 3 faves on _stankonia_ are?

tim: where to begin with you! that "masterblaster" song is disappointing: stevie's "jammin'" with the "c.r.e.a.m." keyboard line set to a garage beat *sounds* nice, but so does communism. these kids and their garage, i swear. maybe melody maker is on to something. ;)

april: scraping the bottom of the battle with that christina track, aren'tcha? ;)

david: well, you're the only one here, besides myself, sagacious enough to realize a-ha's brilliance. for that, i'll leave you alone. ;)

larmey: bsb puts you to sleep?! and you put 'nsync on your list?! bah! never im me again. ;)

brent: i just can't get beyond pussies farting in "twerk." perhaps i need to hear a radio mix or some such. i remember looking at the rap charts not too long ago and seeing "whistle while you twerk" and "wobble, wobble" at the top and thinking those are the two best titles ever. and they are: a shame about the songs, though. i'd love to hear why you hold the blur single in such high regard.

ned: you're such a wet blanket. at least put in the good word for "go let it out" ;)

otie: i share tom's "american badass"?!?!?!?!? don't get me wrong, i love the kid, but come, come now.

and that's that.

yeah rilly, i mean, if you're going to sample a metallica song, sample something from 'ride the lightning'! jeez ...

Hmm, slightly surprised that no one had mentioned: Life Without Buildings' The Leanover / New Town.

As for the others: Distortions (Clinic); B.O.B. (Outkast); Heart Failed (St. Etienne); American Trilogy (Delgados); Jumpin' Jumpin' (Destiny's Child); I Want You More Than Ever / 6 a.m. Morningside (Clientele); Try Again (Aaliyah); Poodle Rockin' (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci); Come On Let's Go (Broadcast)

in no particular order:

aaliyah - try again

royal trux - dirty headlines (jagz kooner mix)

peaches - lovertits (mostly 'aa xxx')

white stripes - jolene

queens of the stone age - feelgood hit of the summer (in advance)

destiny's child - say my name

destiny's child - jumpin jumpin

calexico - ballad of cable hogue

eminem - the real slim shady

nebula - clearlight

thankyou very much, goodnight!

Don't be ridiculous, Fred. I'd rather not give you the satisfaction. ;-)

Fred:
3 best songs on Stankonia: 1. Spaghetti Junction 2. Red Velvet 3. Humble Mumble...4th would actually be the "untitled" thing so actually BOB is number 5. Does anyone actually think this album is as good as the last two Outkast albums? Has anyone actually listened to the last two Outkast albums (I'm pretty sure you have, Fred). So much of Stankonia is just sub P-Funk, psychedelic bullshit. The slowed down and sped up voices are particularly annoying..."Stanklove" is one of the most excruciating things I've heard in a long time.
Wheatus makes it because it reminds me of the alt-radio heyday...1994-95 or so, back when modern rock stations were overestimating the intelligence of 15 year olds (now they seem to underestimate it, though it may just be that Britney and N'Sync have stolen their audience...).
I still believe Slipknot is rap-metal's answer to the Boredoms, though "Wait and Bleed" is the only Slipknot song I've ever heard. It's short and has a catchy chorus, which puts it leagues beyond most of the rest of the rage against the korntones crowd. Plus there's nine of them and they wear masks.
"Minority" may not wear well, but it's the catchiest thing on the radio right now.
I forgot "The Kids Aren't Alright" by the Offspring, which rocks better than anything else that made the radio this year and is probably somewhere around #3 or #4 on that list.
And, yes, the Mystikal song IS THAT FUCKING GOOD. "We gonna have to go into a quiet corner just us two and / don't you worry about who lookin you just keep on doing what you been doin..." -- he just murders that track with all his barking and hollering, and then the Superfly "playas and pimps" part. Mind you, on the James Brown/P-Funk debate, I'm fiercely on the side of the Godfather. Stankonia fans may beg to differ, I don't know.

Fred,

I included "Heart Failed" (in a *provisional* list, remember) only because it seemed so frustrating in its brilliance, as though they still had "it" in them, whatever "it" was, but it was becoming thinner and thinner, almost to the point of invisibility. Genius that could mentally torture you, wishing they showed it more often these days, and I do have a penchant for singles that rage against the dying of the light in their creators.

I included "The Real Slim Shady", which sounds tired and overplayed *now*, because *when it's less prominent* it will sound far fresher than it does after these months of overexposure. "Stan" will overtake it when it's released as a UK single in December, though, rest assured.

"Hip Hop" has the best drone production I've heard in years! What are you talking about :)?

Whatever happens, "Try Again" has to be in there.

To Robin -- 'drone production'? It just sounded damn lazy to me. But then some would say that about real droners, like myself. ;-)

What's with all this "Stan", "Stan", "Stan", you lot? Yes, it's good and interesting (nowhere near as effective/interesting as "Kim") but it's also kind of simpering and ultimately that Dido sample gets on your nerves. And there are no jokes in it!! "The Real Slim Shady" all the way, no matter what else he puts out as a single.

thanks, Brent...i almost forgot Q and Not U. Qatar!! Stankonia IS good. fine, fred! and after the first 2 listens, "stan" is kinda dull.

I will firmly and staunchly stand behind "Stupify" and "Toca's Miracle" as being two singles that I absolutely adored this year. "Stupify" is just bouncy fun and I appreciate the fact that their singer actually can sing (I call this the Tool Effect). Mind you, the other songs I've heard on the Disturbed album are horrid, but I still really like "Stupify". "Toca's Miracle" is mindless trance goodness which builds up into a great breakdown. It's uplifting and it makes me want to dance. Big points right there.

And to all of the Stan-haters: there are so many wonderful touches to that song! The scribbling noise during the verses, the slowly building mania in the narrative, Eminem's epilogue after the tragedy... It's all good, yo.

you say "tool" and now everything makes sense. ;)

Jesus, Fred, what the fuck? IT'S OCTOBER. IN NO WAY IS IT EVEN NEAR THE END OF THE YEAR. It's not even the end of October!! You're like those sad, pathetic tossers who are in the lower eschelon of print reviewers (ie not RS, Village Voice, Spin, NY Times) who print their top tens in November just so they can "scoop" everyone else and get the attention before the important reviewers have their say. It is SO pathetic; I just said, "Oh, how sad, it's only early October, he must really have nothing to write about this week" when I saw your blog :P

Anyhow, if we have to be premature ejaculators and discuss this now, I'll toss off a few singles that might make my list. Since it's OCTOBER and a LOT of ALBUMS and SINGLES are slated to come out for CHRISTMAS, like EVERY OTHER YEAR FOR GOD'S SAKE, this list is subject to change, *will* change, and, quite frankly, isn't even in any sort of order. ;P

"Rock DJ", Robbie Williams (or possibly "Kids", I can't decide if I'm sick of that one though); "B.O.B.", OutKast (not having heard the album, I won't comment on whether it's good in context); "Party Up", DMX; "Country Grammar", Nelly; "I'm Like a Bird", Nelly Furtado (is this a single? It's on Radio SonicNet a lot, but I don't know if it's actually a single since they play a lot of album tracks); "Oops, I Did It Again", Britney Spears; "Shape of My Heart", Backstreet Boys; "Big Pimpin'", Jay Z; "Thong Song", Sisqo (a song I could've sworn came out LAST year, but since everyone is including it I will too); "Pure Shores", All Saints; "It Feels So Good", Sonique.

Stuff that I'm less sure about than the stuff above: "Beautiful Day", U2; "Stan", Eminem (immenently overrated, starting to drive me crazy); "She Bangs", Ricky Martin (shut up); "Heart Failed", St. Et (do I like this because it's good, or do I like this because it's the only good track off the first St. Et album I can't bring myself to buy?); "Untitled", D'Angelo; "Independent Women", Destiny's Child (will be much better once Charlie's Angels bombs and they release a remixed version dropping the Angels shout-outs); "Lucky", Britney Spears.

Stuff that you will never see on my list even if a gun was put to my head: Anything besides "Stan", Eminem; anything by Melanie C (what is wrong with you people???); anything by NSync; "Try Again", Aaliyah.

well, i noticed that, while thinking of songs for the next focus group, there were a whole new batch of great tunes and i felt like retooling my top ten. we don't all *have* to be premature ejaculators, you know. it's easy enough to just say no. ;)

top 5 so far, in no special order:

future bible heroes -- i'm lonely (and i love it)

saint etienne -- heart failed (in the back of a taxi) [no, i'm not a desperate st et fan. in fact, i've still yet to hear anything from before _sound of water_, of which i am quite fond.)

black cat 13 -- wrist toward the elbow etc

third eye blind -- never let you go

that gandharvas song about the girl who straddles the world like a snake eats its own tail

American Badass. Y'all are bonzo to even q' it, coming from me - I did, after all, call Devil W/O A Cause one of the top 10 albums of the '90s, not even pullin' anyone's leg. I mean, yeah, "Try Again" and "Shake Ya Ass" and so much else is way better, but fuck, can ya mudbog to it? All y'all flatlanders got not even a concept of how K-I-D, even subpar K-I- D, feels pumpin' out of a Cummins diesel, leanin' on the rollcage, with mud in yer eye. And what the hell else am I gonna listen to for that? I need my rock. The Green Day song's okay but not RAWK, haven't heard Slipknot, that Gluecifer I've only heard once, but so like the only other contender I can see is Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff", which was pretty funny and better by far than any previous Limp output but not exceptional or anything. "Tracks that mack and slap back the whack" is the silliest lyric I heard all year other than "fuck high school, pissed off my diploma, smell the aroma, check my hits, I know it stinks in here, it's cuz I'm the shit". And superfly, livin' doublewide, summed up the year 'round here, so that's that.

Oh, and I can see where Kris' coming from re Outkast. Which is not to say that I've heard the album, but just that I can see being disappointed by it. Their last two, not to mention the first half of Goodie Mob's last, are about as good as hip-hop, hell, music gets in album format.

In other words, Sundar, you've never heard any of the good stuff :).

Ally, I can see why you can't bring yourself to buy "Sound of Water"; it's depressing how vague and empty they've become. My purchase of it was a triumph of hope over expectation / reality.

Ah, Ned, when I listen to "Hip Hop" it's all in the drone :). From track seven onwards the album flounders, but the desperation and determination of that song is enough in itself.

Kris, there are worse sins in this world than "psychedelic funk", and the vaguely late 60s spaced-out feel to much of "Stankonia" goes some way to endear it to me. But then I'm not familiar with any of their previous work, and maybe it might outstrip it ...

can you describe the older st et stuff and why i would like it better? since big st et fans all seem to hate _sound of water_, it really makes me wonder whether i'd like the old stuff.

oh, and if the youth's "nevermind (what was it anyway?)" was actually released as a single like it was supposed to be it makes my list as well. so suck on that dicrescenzo.

don't get me wrong though -- i could definitely see why someone might find _sow_ vague and fluffy if that's the criticism.

i really should listen to outkast sometime.

Yes, Sundar, you should. This talk from Kris is a bit worrying, though. I'm an album man, and here I was all looking forward to buying a new Outkast _album_, not a CD containing "Bombs Over Baghdad" and some other junk. I suppose now I'll have to take the time to listen to the MP3s on my ailing machine, doh.

I must reluctantly - RELUCTANTLY, mind - agree with Dan that "Toca's Miracle" is kinda cool. I mean, I hated it at first, but the underachieving vocals, the guitar, the whole works is somehow inexplicably swoony. Plus it works a treat when you're out and about, especially when it's a choice between that and hearing Barbera Tucker's "Stop Playing With My Mind" ONE MORE F***ING TIME!

(breathes slowly)

Okay, I'm alright now.

Tim,

Thank you for your reluctant support. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's succumbed to that song's charms. I don't think I'm going to live Gabrielle's "Rise" down after the last pop focus group.

BTW, general question for all: Broadcast - "Come On Let's Go" WHY??? I mean, it's not as awful as "Legal Man", but that's about the only thing in its favor. Okay, and the chord progression in the chorus is cool, but there's no ENERGY in the song at all. It's completely flat and uninspiring.

SS and Josh:

If it's Outkast albums you want, _Atliens_ is the one to get (though going to napster and downloading "Elevators" and "Wheels of Steel" would be a much more efficient thing to do). Hip hop albums almost always put me to sleep, cause they're SO FUCKING LONG and generally filled with all those stupid skits and intros and bullshit. It's clearly a singles genre, if ever there was one. Kris.

This has been well-acknowledged for quite some time. So why are there still so many people putting out fucking long hip-hop albums with skits, etc.? Are there people that really like that sort of thing?

Sometimes it semi-works, I think. That penultimate track on the Ghost Face Killah album, delivered in that fucked-up drawl...when it started the first time I thought, Oh God, a skit, and then it just went on and on and ON and ended up being like listening to Nurse.

Speaking of skits, i was just telling fred how i actually edit the skits out of the mp3s; it makes for more continuous listening (of actual music). This practice was especially effective on Aquemini, which actaully has a few (short) "skits" worth keeping (ie, The mad scientist before "synthesizer"), but a few more longer talking bits that don't interest me at all. Now, my Aquemini playlist is nothin but one stank track after another, and, of course, I love it!!

I guess it just depends which ones work for you. For some reason I like the record store and pot-buying skits on _Aquemeni_, but I don't really think they're all that funny or interesting. On the other hand, the one with "grammama" yelling at the kids just annoys me.

"Vague and fluffy", though something of a generalisation, is pretty much a description of how a lot of old Saint Etienne fans perceived "Sound of Water" ... I think there was a perception that it was bland, inexpressive, an empty canvas with no geographical suggestions whatsoever, a feeling I articulated in my FT review of the album.

If SoW is your first Saint Etienne album, though, their first two albums might sound brash and overtly fusionist, and their third might sound too "epic" and ruralist. On the other hand you might love them (I *hope* you do, anyway...) - Sundar, I'd recommend "Foxbase Alpha", "So Tough" and "Tiger Bay" unreservedly.

is it still the year 2000?

you want ten? that could be tough. some of these might have been 1999, but i bought them this year. so ner.

these are in the order in which i think of them. thus, they are tilted towards what i've been listening to lately and, therefore, are strew around my room.

twist - i am kloot overload - the sugarbabes the foolishness we create through love is the closest we come to greatness - airport girl* don't falter - mint royale with lauren laverne be my postman - the chemistry experiment** said and done - kicker do or die - the super furry animals the great beyond - rem music for girls - baxendale ***

* not released until the end of october, but it's the best jumpy-up- and-down-y indiepop record ever ** i'm in the band, so i'm bias. but i think it's fab. *** don't think it's even been released as a single, but it's great and i first heard it in this mighty milennial year.

RE: St. Etienne older stuff: I don't know. If you really love Sound of Water, you might hate the older stuff, but you might love it, so I think you should go out and buy Too Young To Die, which is the greatest hits, and judge from that. If you like it, the rest of their albums aren't that expensive, so you can buy the rest; if you hate it, it's only a waste of one slightly expensive album. If I had to describe the main difference, I suppose I'd say St. Et were a lot more pop in the old days than they are now.

Dan says:

[BTW, general question for all: Broadcast - "Come On Let's Go" WHY??? I mean, it's not as awful as "Legal Man", but that's about the only thing in its favor. Okay, and the chord progression in the chorus is cool, but there's no ENERGY in the song at all. It's completely flat and uninspiring.]

It's the lack of energy that's the clincher for me. One man's flat and uninspiring is another's detached and achingly languid. Sod innovation, more enervation, that's what I want.

1. is the best and 10 sucks-Whistle While You Twerk-Ying Yang Twins 2.E.I.-Nelly 3.Limp Bizcut Rules! Rollin 4.Eminem and his sexy @$$ 5.Kitty- all the way 6.Sisqo-Thong Song 7.Trina-and all them 8.Faith Hill is okay in that sort of way 9.Backstreet Boys.......NOT 10.Everything from Brittney Spears and all that!Nsuck too!

DMX? Sisqo? THE BACKSTREET BOYS?

Jesus H. Ramone, I am fucking STUNNED. Now I'm not one of those "Sleater-Kinney is the greatest rock band in the world and if you disagree you're a corporate tool of the Billboard charts" elitists, but DAMN. Blather all you want about 'great pop hooks' and 'catchy this' and 'danceable that', but my god, people! Agh! You might as well cram a 'best films of the 1970s' list with a load of Dino DeLaurentiis garbage. Anyhow. Here's my list. So far. In no particular order. Proceed to bitch. I don't care. DMX still fucking sucks. And "Stankonia" is the best album of the year, HA.

*Titan, "1,2,3,4" (They're not from Brighton. They're from MEXICO. And they still had a better album ['Elevator'] than Mr. Norman Cook...) *Fatboy Slim, "Drop the Hate" (...though they wouldna' if all the tracks from Halfway Between were this goddamned jump-up-and-freak-out- tastic.) *Blackalicious, "If I May" (Mystikal can try to Xerox Curtis Mayfield's falsetto all he wants- but Gift of Gab's the one that can actually emulate his *soul*.) *Papas Fritas, "Way You Walk" (I keep trying to place it in the context of a specific area, but I can't tell if it sounds '60s, '70s, '80s, or what. Maybe I'm reluctant to just stick it in the here and now because it works better as pop than any other song I've heard this year and may ever hope to hear in a while.) *Air, "Dead Bodies" (The percussion alone broke my jaw.) *De La Soul feat. 2/3 of the Beastie Boys, "Squat" (The creators of the two best hip-hop records of 1989- together at last.) *Elastica, "Generator" (Britney doesn't get me horny, but Justine Frischman does. Even my hormones crave the talented over the 'pretty'.) *Outkast, "Ms. Jackson" (OK, so I put 'B.O.B.' on more mixtapes, but this one's just got more to it, lyrically and melodically and FUNK-EH- ly..) *Roni Size and Reprazent, "Railing Pt. 2" (Best sequel since 'Empire Strikes Back'.) *BT feat. M. Doughty, "Never Gonna Come Back Down" (If "Firestarter" was "Search and Destroy", this is "Life During Wartime". Or some other stupid analogy. Whatever. It just rocks out, OK? Can I just say that instead?)

That's that. Feel free to flame me for my decisions. Or, if you're not compelled to, then flame me for the fact I like Radiohead more than teenypop.

1. DJ Dee Kline-"I dont smoke"...PURE FUNK...and the only dance tune to sample mike Lewigh's "Abagails party"...quite simply it just rocks 2. Outkast-"B.O.B"..mindblowing...Dre said it was inspired by hearing MC's rapping over drum n' bass in London..good to see a hip hop artist being open enough to see dance isnt "fag disco shit" 3. Lambchop-"Up with people"..I think this was a single anyway..best intro of a song this year 4. Eminem-"Stan"...probably the most poignant rap tune I've ever heard 5. Zed Bias-"Neighbourhood"-For the twin bass attack 6. Doves-"The cedar room"-My fav new band...huge, majestic, melancholic.. 7. Jurrasic 5-"Quality control"...I prefered "jurass finish first" from the album but this is great too 8. Yo La Tengo-"Saturday" 9. Dr Dre-"Still Dre" 10. Wyclef Jean -"It doesent matter"

all that says, nate, is that your hormones crave the conventionally gorgeous young woman sex symbol over the conventionally beautiful adolescent girl sex symbol. i think justine frischmann's hot too but i'm not pretending it's not because she's pretty.

add bon jovi's "it's my life" to my list too. tommy and gina return!

i admit to liking "south side" and "beautiful day."

But Lloyd Cole didn't release a single in 2000!

Did he?

Er, in no particular order, and from my limited buying/knowledge of singles this year:

'Going Blind' - The Go-Betweens 'Slender single/Carcrash EP' - Tompaulin 'Groovejet' - Spiller 'American Trilogy' - The Delgados 'Actually It's Darkness' - Idlewild 'U.G.L.Y' - Daphne and Celeste 'Good Fruit' - Hefner 'Tucahoe' - Tacoma Radar 'Up With People' - Lambchop and yes, even 'Legal Man' - Belle and Sebastian

Special runner-up prizes to the singles by Airport Girl and Teenage Fanclub, I think.