Best Songs of 2010 - Part I

This is part 1 of my favorite songs released in 2010. Part 2 is here.  If someone happens to read this and downloads one or more of these that would be awesome. And if this leads someone to be introduced to new bands or older acts that you may have forgotten about that's great too. I present these songs in no particular order. 



I've included YouTube links to these songs so you can get a listen.   I didn't embed the links so you can stop the song without all of it downloading.  If you'd prefer them embedded let me know.  All of the songs are available on iTunes. At least one of them is free on Amazon.

Most of these songs are about how they sound rather than what they mean. If the lyrics catch my ear along with the sound that's noted.  Lyrics often turn me off rather than draw me in.

By coincidence, it turns out there's 20 songs on this list but that wasn't on purpose. 

Vampire Weekend - “Giving Up The Gun”

This is the second single off the excellent Contra album (which is my Album of the Year). It was introduced to me by 'XRT. This song is low key but fun. It makes my toes tap, which can be said for most of the songs on this list. I enjoyed “Holiday” more, which you can hear a snippet of at the end of the video, until I heard it 1000 times in Honda commercials over the holidays. I still like it but it will take a while before I can listen to it again.

Taio Cruz - “Dynamite”

This is one you can't miss if you've listened to any popular music this year. I likely heard it first on Kiss FM.* It's got a nice beat and is easy to dance to.** It's got that catchy chorus that's hard to get out of my head.

*Back off! It's one of the buttons in my car radio!

** Yes, that's an American Bandstand reference.

Pomplamoose - “Another Day”

With regards to holiday commercials, Pomplamoose was featured in many Hyundai Commercials over the holidays. These commercials were complained about on Jim Derogatis' blog who then links to a Seattle Weekly blog which has a funny rant about them. So I listened and agreed but then thought their music had some potential (it helped that I found the lead singer Nataly Dawn kinda cute) and found this song. This is way better than their Christmas songs and seems a lot better than most of their other stuff. The music is great and the lyrics are down to earth. This is a really catchy song. When did the term “hipster” get so popular?

Ke$ha – “We R Who We R”

The woman I refer to as “Ke-dollarsign-ha”, similar to the way I refer to the show “Numb3rs” as “numb-three-arr-ess”, caught my ear with this song. I think I mostly like the stuttering - “hard-hard-huh-huh-huh-hard”. Some of the lyrics are funny too. There's also a hipster reference.

The Hives - “Early Morning Wake Up Call”

I was introduced to this song by a set of free downloads on Amazon for alternative music. It turns out this is a cover of a Flash and the Pan song. You get five seconds – 5...4...3...2...1 – ding – they did “Hey St. Peter”. When I start the “Misplaced Songs” feature I'll be sure to include it. Anyway, this version is way better than the original although the ending detracts from it a little. Exactly the rocker one would expect from The Hives. I hate to say I told you so (see what I did there?)

Dirty Revolution – “50p” Live version, I couldn't find a studio version.

This is also a song from the free downloads on Amazon. It's called “Experience Music: a TuneCore Alternative Sampler”. I've got a thing for sassy British Female singers. I'm a Lily Allen fan and we'll get to Kate Nash later in the list. I also enjoy songs that include the British terms “wanker” and “bum”.

Cee Lo Green - “Fuck You”

or  “Forget You”

The lead singer from Gnarls Barkley* released this and, well, you have to love the anger. Tuneful angry songs are awesome. Cee Lo released a clean version called “Forget You” which Gwyneth covered on “Glee”. I almost puked when I heard that version on the Mix. Come on generic corporate radio programmers, give Cee Lo some props!

*I still chuckle about Neff saying he was going to start a band called Gnarry Bird.

Bruno Mars - “Grenade”

Wait, I heard this list would be filled with power punk pop! How'd this one make it? Mainly because the chorus is so damn catchy. The spare parts keep it from seeming overproduced. It's a good thing I don't like “Firework” by Katy Perry or we'd have a trend.*  Get it - “Dynamite”, “Grenade”, “Firework”?

* She seems like she yells the chorus and the song makes no sense. “Baby you're something that explodes and instantly dies!” Why would anyone want to be that? “Teenage Dream” almost made the list until I realized I only liked the last part of the song.

Rihanna - “Only Girl (In The World)”

Here's another mega-popular song. It's a great song with an amazing vocal. I likely have more Rihanna on my iPod than any other Top 40 artist. I think her songs are pretty good.

Superchunk - “Digging For Something”

Ahh, that's better. Finally the power pop. I was introduced to this song on Little Steven's Underground Garage on 'XRT. I probably have 500 songs like this one on my iPod but that doesn't make me like them any less.

Click here for part 2