And so it ends how it begins. With reflection and a hint of regret. I’ve saved some of my favourites for the finale here, hope you’ve enjoyed this feature!
Just to recount, here are the first 20 songs that bring us to where we are now…
1. The Killers – All These Things That I’ve Done
2. Bloc Party – This Modern Love
3. Beck – Lost Cause
4. Stars – Your Ex-Lover is Dead
5. Arcade Fire – Rebellion (Lies
6. Matthew Good – Weapon
7. Metric – Monster Hospital
8. M.I.A. – Paper Planes
9. The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army
10. Ryan Adams – New York, New York
11. Feist – 1234
12. Broken Social Scene – Cause = Time
13. Flobots – Handlebars
14. Kanye West – Jesus Walks
15. DJ Dangermouse – Encore
16. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
17. Justin Timberlake – Sexy Back
18. Flo Rida featuring Kesha – Right Round
19. Outkast – Hey Ya
20. Rihanna featuring Jay-Z – Umbrella
And that brings us to…
Track #21
Album: Deep Cuts (2003)
A perfect bridge between the sublime of the past five songs and the serious of the remaining tracks. This really is a song that showed me how good electronic music can be. Sure it is known for its erratic and shallow nature, but it is not bound by that in any way, shape or form.
This makes the song itself such a perfect allegory. The characters in the song go for a one night stand and it ends up developing into something more, even if it is just for a moment. Just like this song, you can find something meaningful in places you least expect it.
This is one of those beautiful songs to listen and reflect on some special person about. Because chances are once you strip past the synthetic distractions, you’ll find something that matches your own experiences.
Favourite Lyric: “One night to speed up truth”
Track #22
LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends
Album: Sound of Silver (2007)
I’m going to be honest here: I used to skip past this song when listening to the album.
I bought Sound of Silver for it’s great dance tracks like “North American Scum” and loved the more ambitious tracks like “Someone Great” and “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”. But this song just didn’t quite connect with me the way it was with other people in 2007.
When I first heard this I was confident (probably a little bit too confident) and I knew exactly where all my friends where. So the message of this song just didn’t quite connect to me immediately.
But now, after having my bravado shaken, and moving halfway around the world. This song rings loud and clear with me.
Because it helps me ask a question that I’m probably too scared to ask on my own: where are my friends?
Favourite Lyric: “Yeah, I know it gets tired only where are your friends tonight?”
Track #23
Album: Fever to Tell (2003)
In a decade where we saw the rise of some incredibly pretentious music, it is fitting that one of its best songs is one of its simplest. Karen O and crew are able to create a classic and make it seem effortless.
The heart-piercing chorus hits like a ton of bricks and never leaves. It brings back memories not only of every heart break I’ve ever had, but of every heart break anyone has ever had. It’s nice to know that there are still some collective experiences in this day and age.
Favourite Lyric: “Wait, they don’t love you like I love you”
Track #24
Album: Illinois (2005)
A few years ago I decided to make members of my family mixed CDs for Christmas. This was the second song on the playlist that I made for my mother. Later she told me that it took her repeated listenings to get past this song and hear the rest of the CD, because this track always made her cry.
At first, I didn’t quite get it. I always thought of this as a happy song. But that’s what makes it so beautiful, it’s a song for everyone and it can mean just about everything. Each time I hear this it means something else.
Right now, for me, it is a song about growing up. Like youth it is ambitious, broad, and feels like it lasts forever. It is impulsive enough to drive to Chicago and fall in love, but it can admit a mistake and grow. But maybe it means that to me because that’s what I need it to mean right now. Two years ago it meant pure joy to me, and maybe later it may mean heartbreak.
Favourite Lyric: “If I was crying/In the van, with my friend/It was for freedom/From myself and from the land”
Track #25
Album: Boxer (2007)
What have we been doing for the past ten years?
Does any of it matter?
Has it all been just a waste of time?
This may not be the most popular song of the decade, it may not be the happiest, it may not be the saddest, it may not be the grandest, hell it may not even be the best. But for me this is the song of the decade. Because it dares to ask those incredibly daunting questions.
Of course, it only asks the questions, it never answers them. But that’s what the next ten years are for.
Favourite Lyric: “Tiptoe through our shiny city with our diamond slippers on”
And that concludes The Decade List! Come on back in 10 years time for the next one.
Until next time,
G
Tags: lcd soundsystem, special songs, the national
