2005's Best Songs

[AwallaceUNC]

Forgive me if there's too much of this year-end stuff around here. As I was coming up with my 5 nominations for the UD Media Awards, I ended up composing a much longer list of the songs that I consider to be some of the best from 2005.

I think that music -- especially mainstream music -- has been in a slump for most of this decade. 2005 offered a somewhat more pleasing slate of new music than the last few years have, though I still don't think it was a particularly strong year. Kelly Clarkson is the best thing pop music (as in dance music and ballads, which don't get much exposure these days thanks to rap and r&b) has going for it right now.

These are the songs that were released as singles in 2005 that I most enjoyed (it's entirely possible that I'm forgetting some). Feel free to post your own favorites, or discuss particular songs or reflect on the year as a whole.

Amy Grant - "Believe"
Amy Grant - "Jesus Loves Me/They'll Know We're Christians/Helping Hand"
Amy Grant, Vince Gill - "Rock of Ages"
Amy Grant - "What Is The Chance of That"
Backstreet Boys - "Incomplete"
Britney Spears - "Do Somethin'"
Britney Spears - "Everytime"
David Gray - "The One I Love"
Destiny's Child - "Lose My Breath"
Eminem - "Just Lose It"
Eminem - "Like Toy Soldiers"
Eminem - "Mocking Bird"
Green Day - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
Green Day - "Wake Me Up When September Ends"
Hilary Duff - "Beat of My Heart"
Howie Day - "Collide"
Jack Johnson - "Sittin', Waitin', Wishin'"
Jars of Clay - "Waiting for the World to Fall"
Jason Mraz - "Wordplay"
Jesse McCartney - "Beautiful Soul"
Jesse McCartney - "Because You Live"
Jesse McCartney - "She's No You"
Jessica Simpson - "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"
Kelly Clarkson - "Because of You"
Kelly Clarkson - "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"
Madonna - "Hung Up"
Mariah Carey - "Don't Forget About Us"
Mariah Carey - "It's Like That"
Mariah Carey - "Shake it Off"
Mariah Carey - "We Belong Together"
Mercy Me, Amy Grant - "Silent Night"
Nickelback - "Feelin' Way Too D*mn Good"
Nickelback - "Photograph"
Papa Roach - "Scars"
Reba McEntire - "Somebody"
Rob Thomas - "Lonely No More"
Rob Thomas - "This Is How a Heart Brakes"
Ryan Cabrera - "True"
Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake - "Signs"
Steven Tyler, Santana - "Just Feel Better"
Switchfoot - "I Dare You to Move"
Weezer - "Beverly Hills"
Will Smith - "Switch"

-Aaron

[MadonnasManOne]

I think 2005 was a great year for music.

For one, it was a great year for established artists.

Madonna and Mariah Carey come to mind. They both had albums that are the talk of the town, so to speak, and the sales to back them up. Worldwide, Madonna's Confessions On A Dance Floor has sold over 4,100,000 copies, in just 6 weeks. Worldwide, Mariah Carey's album, The Emancipation Of Mimi, has sold 6,972,000 copies in 52 weeks. This is according to actual worldwide sales, tracked by MediaTraffic on the United World Chart. Green Day had the biggest selling album, worldwide, of 2005, racking up sales of 7,986,000 copies.

Kelly Clarkson also had a great year, and she should be nominated for more Grammy awards.

I also enjoyed music from INXS, Depeche Mode, Alanis Morissette, Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects (my hometown boys!), Weezer, Ryan Cabrara, Switchfoot, Howie Day, and MANY more!

My favorite is Madonna's newest album, Confessions On A Dance Floor. Not just because I've been a fan of Madonna, but, because the album really is one of her best. I have been listening to it, almost non-stop, since I got it. It's very addictive!

All in all, not a bad year in music. I do not like rap, however, and actually stopped listening to any radio station, because they play entirely too much trash. It was a great year to invest in a portable MP3 player, so I wouldn't have to listen to so much CRAP, just to hear a decent song once every few hours. I'm in love with my iPod nano, and can now program my own personal radio station.

[brownie]

If we're talking about singles from 2005, then my top picks would be Time to Waste and Mercy Me by The Alkaline Trio. Alkaline Trio's fairly popular..they play sold out shows constantly, and they've been on the billboard charts's top 20 (or whatever number it was..) once or twice. There weren't really any other singles that I liked too much..I'm not one for Christian or mainstream music.

[Loomis]

These are the songs that were released as singles in 2005 that I most enjoyed (it's entirely possible that I'm forgetting some). Feel free to post your own favorites, or discuss particular songs or reflect on the year as a whole.

Ok, some of mine won't necessarily be singles, and almost certainly won't be mainstream, but here goes:

Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure
What an awesomely catchy tune! Big single found on their 2005 album, A Certain Trigger, this is one of the catchiest 'alternative' singles that you will ever hear. "You know that i would love to see you next year/I hope that I am still alive next year/You know that i would love to see you in that dress/I hope that i will live to see you undressed!"

Nine Inch Nails (NIN) - The Hand That Feeds & Only
Trent Reznor's two big singles this year are indicative of the first NIN album (With Teeth) that is truly accessible by all sectors of the music market. While it doesn't quite have the epic qualities of 1999's introspective - yet brilliant - The Fragile, With Teeth certainly has the most 'catchy' set of songs on a NIN record. These two singles are definitely two that will have you singing along.

Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Possibly the #1 anthemic song of 2005! The first 'proper' single off their Employment album will be played for years. Everyday I Love You Less and Less is a close second for this slot.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Ain't No Easy Way
BRMC's third album, Howl, delivers in a way that only BRMC can. This single is not so much a 'return to form' as a continuation of an already excellent form.

The Dandy Warhols - All The Money or The Simple Life Honey
This is their current single off Odditorium or Warlords of Mars. I mainly included this because I saw the band again (for the fifth time I believe) last night. Anything has to be better than the woeful first single, Smoke It.

Tim Rogers & The Temperence Union - Do It Again
Although not released as a single, this has essentially been the radio single for the double-album Ghost Songs/Dirty Ron. You Am I frontman Tim Rogers goes solo for the third time, and although I am a HUGE You Am I fan (as well as Rogers solo work) this album was a disappointment. However, this song is full of strut and ballsy rock that we've come to expect.

Small selection, but I'm sure I'll think of more later...

[brownie]

Apply Some Pressure is a pretty good song.

Also, any song off of Minus the Bear's Menos el Oso deserves to be mentioned in this thread.

[The Little Merman]

1. "A Love That Will Never Grow Old" - Emmylou Harris

2. "Seasons of Love" - Tracie Thoms, Jesse L. Martin, Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Idina Menzel, Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp

Both my favorite and second favorite are from film soundtracks. Written by Gustavo Santaolalla and Bernie Taupin for the film Brokeback Mountain, has some of the most beautiful lyrics I've heard in quite some time, and I cannot stop thinking about them.

"Seasons of Love" was written by Jonathan Larson for his hit musical Rent, which in 2005 was turned into a film. This version, in my opinion, is much further improved with the addition of Tracie Thoms as Joanne (Also added to the cast: actress Rosario Dawson)

*tlm

[Mushu2083]

Hmmmm, let me see.....

Ricky Martin- "I Don't Care"
Backstreet Boys- "Incomplete"
Backstreet Boys- "Just Wan You To Know"
Rob Thomas- "Lonely No More"
Rob Thomas- "This Is How A Heart Breaks"
Rob Thomas- "Ever The Same"
Black Eyed Peas- "My Humps"
INXS- "Pretty Vegas"

[jambo*rafiki]

Nine Inch Nails (NIN) - Only
Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict a Riot
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Ain't No Easy Way

I agree with you here, Loomis . . . and if I had heard the new Dandy Warhols I might have agreed with you there too, but I haven't yet. I have no idea how to possibly write about all the songs I loved in 2005 . . . or all the singles, even, especially since I have no idea which songs are singles. Arg. I'll try.

The White Stripes - "My Doorbell" and "The Denial Twist"
I'm a sucker for the White Stripes. "Blue Orchid" is fun, but these two are better (in my opinion) and more indicative of their new album, Get Behind Me Satan, as a whole. For some reason 2005 elevated the Stripes to relative superstardom and its unavoidable backlash. I still love them, and I got to see them live for the first time this fall : )

Gwen Stefani - "Hollaback Girl"
Yeah, I'm a closet Gwen Stefani fan . . . DON'T KILL ME. A lot of her album was terrible, but when it wasn't, it defined pop music in 2005. Same goes for Kelly Clarkson.

Beck - "Girl"
Beck is awesome. Cool music video as well. Second singles tended to be better than first singles this year.

Franz Ferdinand - "The Fallen"
Excellent return to form for these guys . . . the only problem is, now everybody sounds like them, which makes them less unique and therefore less refreshing. If You Could Have It So Much Better had slimmed down a little and gotten rid of some filler tracks, and the Killers and Kaiser Chiefs and Arctic Monkeys and all of them weren't around, this record would have been the talk of the year, like their first one. Another great second single and the best album-opening track of the year.

Sufjan Stevens - "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts"
Ok . . . so I've never heard it on the radio . . . but it's the most likely single candidate from a simply unbelievable album. Illinois is the most amazing record I've heard in a long time. We should all pat Sufjan on the back and tell him it's ok if he doesn't make it to all 50 states, as long as he keeps making albums that are half as good as this one (for the record, my favorite songs from this album are "Chicago", "The Predatory Wasp . . .", "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "Out of Egypt . . .".

Wolf Parade - "You Are A Runner and I Am My Father's Son"
I DID hear this on the radio! Once! It made my week! They stole the Canadian-indie-band spot on this list from the Arcade Fire, though just barely. If you can get past the hype, which there's a lot of, and you like good soul-crashing fist-pumping grainy angular rock music, please check them out.

I have too many more, I'm stopping now. Actually I'd also like to mention M.I.A., Fiona Apple, the aformentioned Arctic Monkeys, Art Brut, Kanye West's "Gold Digger", the aforementioned Arcade Fire (who did release singles this year, if not an album), and Bright Eyes. Dang. This looks like a critic's list.

[Loomis]

jambo*rafiki - looks like we share the same taste in music.

You've actually reminded me of quite a few I should have included, but as you said, it is virtually impossible to list all the songs you liked in 2005.

Beck's Girl was a huge omission on my part (although I think ALL of Guero is worth a spin for those of you that haven't put in on yet). The White Stripes latest offering, Get Behind Me Satan, just hasn't clicked with me on the same level as the other albums. Mind you, I thought Elephant was patchy, with moments of brilliance. Will be seeing the band for a third time this month, as they are out here for the Big Day Out festival. I also have tickets to their own show, so if I bother checking them out at the festival it will be the FOURTH time

Interpol - C'Mere - off the 2004 album, this is a maginificent song! All time favourite. Sinister and beautiful all at the same time.

Oh! .... Cloud Room - Hey Now Now - Completely forgot about this. I'm not sure if this was actually a single, but it got lots of airplay here. It is from a New York band who sound a little bit like Interpol. Really catchy.

And yes, Arcade Fire was another big omission on my part - the album was 'officially' released this year (i.e. released by a corporation rather than self-released) and it is currently rocking my world.

I should also add Tegan and Sara - Walking with a Ghost. It was off a 2004 album, but the single came out this year. I believe it was also released as a single by The White Stripes recently. Wacky, huh? Seeing both bands within the next month.

Other songs that may or may not be singles have included:
Bloc Party - Helicopter (and/or Banquet)
Bravery - An Honest Mistake
Expatriate - Get Out, Give In
Faker - Hurricane
Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
Morning After Girls - Shadows Evolve (a bit like the Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Have toured with both)

Oh, and quite possibly the biggest omissions on my part were...

Ryan Adams - Let It Ride & Easy Plateau - The man released THREE ALBUMS in 2005, and these singles still contained b-sides. Both of these singles were off the first of three, the brilliant double-album Cold Roses. The other two albums, Jacksonville City Nights and 29, didn't really yield any singles in the US, although The Hardest Part was easily the best track on Jacksonville City Night, and I believe it had a UK single release.

[AwallaceUNC]

Beck - "Girl"
Beck is awesome. Cool music video as well. Second singles tended to be better than first singles this year.

Great song! I was just singing its praises to a friend yesterday. There were quite a few songs like this that didn't really break into the mainstream in 2005 that were quite good, but alas, lists of those songs aren't as easy to come by as for mainstream releases, making year-long reflection more difficult.

-Aaron