Best Songs of 2008

Every genre, from indie rock to hard rock, alternative rock to pop rock, hip-hop, R&B, pop, folk. Everybody from Death Cab to Q-Tip, Metallica to Shwayze, Beck to John Legend, Coldplay to Lil Wayne, Duffy, Santogold, Kanye, Jason Mraz, Vampire Weekend, Deerhoof, ETC. Listen and enjoy. And if you don't have time, then just look at the top 25 at least! Haha.

I know you may be laughing at my obsession, that's cool. I know I'm ridiculous, haha.

Please note: This list, of course, is not definitive. Please keep in mind that my main goal is for people to enjoy the inclusions, not lament the exclusions. It's mainly for people to: A) celebrate songs on here that they know and love, and B) discover new music that they've never heard. Obviously, some aren't going to agree with many choices, but celebrate the ones that you do agree with. Yeeeah.

My list of the best albums of 2008 is forthcoming. Don't get too excited.


75. Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) - Gnarls Barkley
MTV had to yank the video because it could cause epileptic seizures.
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74. Everything is Borrowed - The Streets
A British, white, suburban rapper. Haha.
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73. Never Miss a Beat - Kaiser Chiefs
Danceable apathy.
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72. Machine Gun - Portishead
Ominous industrial indie
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71. Life in Marvelous Times - Mos Def
Took me a while to get used to this track, but now I can't get enough of it.
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70. Human - The Killers
Are we human or are we dancer? Uhh, what?
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69. Low - Flo Rida feat. T-Pain
Haha. Ha. Yeah........
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68. Grounds for Divorce - Elbow
You may recognize it from the trailer for Burn After Reading. But I knew the song before that, so there. Haha.
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67. Id Engager - Of Montreal
Their new album wasn't as good as last year's, but this is a great song.
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66. Green Light - John Legend feat. Andre 3000
High-end R&B
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65. Always Where I Need to Be - The Kooks
They released a trivial second album, but their single was catchy enough.
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64. Single Fins & Safety Pins - Japanese Motors
The sun-soaked L.A. version of the Strokes
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63. Can't Believe It - T-Pain feat. Lil Wayne
It's kind of ridiculous, and who knows what in the world Lil Wayne is saying, but it's got a great hook.
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62. Sun Is Shining - The Fireman
The Fireman consists of two members: an ambient/electronic bassist who goes by the name of Youth...and, uh, some guy named Paul McCartney.
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61. Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
Such a great debut album. Every song is great, here's one of the better ones.
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60. Lollipop - Lil Wayne
Stupid? Yes. But I have good memories of the summer when I hear it.
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59. L.E.S Artistes - Santogold
In a year of great debut albums, here's another one.
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58. Little Bit - Lykke Li
Strangely haunting.
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57. GfC - Albert Hammond Jr.
And now, here's the guitarist from the actual Strokes.
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56. Brooklyn (Go Hard) - Jay-Z feat. Santogold
This track just came up a few days ago and it is sick, especially the line about Jackie Robinson. And Santogold is killin. Also noteworthy: it's produced by Kanye West.

55. Move - Q-Tip
The legendary frontman of A Tribe Called Quest released a sick album.
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54. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
Made famous by the iTunes commercial
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53. Top Yourself - The Raconteurs
Perfect slide-guitar blues
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52. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Just a good pop song.
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51. Forever - Chris Brown
You're probably pretty surprised to see a song like this on my list. But there's no denying it, it's a tight "club banger," ahaha.
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50. Mercy - Duffy
What a great voice.
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49. The Shock of the Lightning - Oasis
Very Beatles-esque. Maybe too much so.
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48. Crawl - Kings of Leon
Reminds me of Zeppelin.
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47. Lost! - Coldplay
Catchy.
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46. Dancing Choose - TV On the Radio
One of my favorite new discoveries, TV On the Radio.
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45. Creator - Santogold
Yeeeah, bumpin!
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44. Superstar - Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos
Lupe Fiasco, one of the most respected names in rap.
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43. Another Way to Die - Jack White & Alicia Keys
This is the theme song for the new Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. A lot of reviewers weren't fond of the song, but I thought it was awesome.
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42. Pork and Beans - Weezer
This sounds like the Weezer of 1994. By the way, best video ever.
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41. Cheap and Cheerful - The Kills
Catchy electro-punk.
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40. Acid Tongue- Jenny Lewis
Lead singer of Rilo Kiley.
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39. Strange Overtones - David Byrne & Brian Eno
Ah man, great song. The frontman of the Talking Heads teams up with the legendary producer to create a track straight out of the late '70s.
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38. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur - Sigur Rós
What could be better than joyous Icelanders? Haha.
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37. Mrs. Officer - Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne disgusts me, but even he can't ruin this beat.
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36. I'm Amazed - My Morning Jacket
Classic rock anthem from 2008.
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35. Can It Be - Murs
Sick track, complete with Jackson 5 sample from the best underground rapper out there.
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34. Paranoid - Kanye West
Controversial new sound for Kanye and I dig it.
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33. My Drive Thru - Santogold, Julian Casablancas, & N.E.R.D.
An epic collaboration for a Converse commercial.
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32. Olympic Airways - Foals
Try to not like this song.
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31. Strange Times - The Black Keys
Very different from their earlier, bluesier work, but still awesome.
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30. Buzzin' - Shwayze
Critics railed on Shwayze, but how can you not like this track? So chill and laid back, SoCal style.
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29. DLZ - TV On the Radio
These guys made one of the best albums of the year.
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28. Can You Tell - Ra Ra Riot
One of most interesting new bands of the year.
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27. Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand
Best Franz Ferdinand song since "Take Me Out."
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26. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
Bon Iver is a folkie who retreated to the Wisconsin wilderness and cut one of the best albums of the year.
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25. Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z & T.I. feat. Kanye West & Lil Wayne
All-star lineup, samples "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.
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24. Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt. 1 - My Morning Jacket
Epic.
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23. Better - Guns N' Roses
One of the best tracks from Axl's finally-released Chinese Democracy
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22. Grapevine Fires - Death Cab For Cutie
Great track from Narrow Stairs.
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21. Lost Verses - Sun Kil Moon
Beautiful stuff.
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20. Violet Hill - Coldplay
The last minute of the song gives me chills every time.
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19. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
Mix between Crosby Stills & Nash and The Shins. Beautiful stuff.
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18. Stay With Me (By the Sea) - Al Green feat. John Legend
As smooth as it gets.
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17. One Day Like This - Elbow
This song reminds me very much of "Hey Jude," but it's different enough that it's not derivative.
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16. Rich Girls - The Virgins
There's two versions of this song, both are good in their own way. Here's the earlier, more raw version.
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15. If I Had Eyes - Jack Johnson
Such a feel-good song.
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14. Heartless - Kanye West
No matter what you think of this song, the power of this melody is undeniable.
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13. The Tears and Music of Love - Deerhoof
The perfect combination of garage, pop, and Japanese singers.
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12. Electric Feel - MGMT
So catchy.
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11. Going On - Gnarls Barkley
It's no "Crazy", but it's still awesome.
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10. The Day That Never Comes - Metallica
Metallica is back.
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9. Re: Stacks - Bon Iver
Hauntingly beautiful. Supposedly this song was on an episode of House as well, for you House fans.
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8. Gamma Ray - Beck
Beck + Danger Mouse = Excellence.
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7. A-Punk - Vampire Weekend
Simple and super catchy song from 2008's biggest debut band.
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6. The Most Beautiful Girl (In the Room) - Flight of the Conchords
I love Flight of the Conchords. Not only are the lyrics hilarious, but the music itself is actually awesome.
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5. Salute Your Solution - The Raconteurs
Just another awesome blood-pumping song from Jack White.
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4. American Boy - Estelle feat. Kanye West
The beat to this song is amazing.
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3. I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
Groovy bassline and creepy lyrics.
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2. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
It was so overplayed in the summer, but the fact that every type of radio station played it was a testament to it's greatness. Pulsating strings, world instruments, and Chris Martin's transcendent voice.
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1. Gettin' Up - Q-Tip
This is, hands down, one of the freshest rap songs ever. It's not flashy, it doesn't try to make a statement. This track is exactly what rap should be: a hot beat, clever lyrics, a smooth flow, and a catchy chorus. Just sit back and feel the groove (and make sure you have the bass turned up). This is the best song of 2008.
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Here are my favorite songs from each year of the decade:
2000: Yellow - Coldplay
2001: Short Skirt Long Jacket - Cake
2002: Lose Yourself - Eminem
2003: Hey Ya! - Outkast
2004: Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
2005: You Only Live Once - The Strokes
2006: Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
2007: Icky Thump - The White Stripes
2008: Gettin' Up - Q-Tip