Saturday, January 05, 2008

Top 75 Singles Of 2007

75. Off The Hook (CSS)
I “discovered” CSS yonks before they became cool, so it was all a bit passé in 2007. I’m only jesting; this is a fantastic dance-a-long stomper.
74. Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne)
Showing a sense of humour far from the sullen and, frankly, miserable persona she shows in interviews this one had the trendies spitting out their dummies but lets not forget that Avril Lavigne is a pop-star, and this was a fantastic pop single.
73. The Girls (Calvin Harris)
Great retro-electro pop.
72. You Are The One (Shiny Toy Guns)
Never likely to be huge stars, despite the hype from well placed sources, but that doesn’t really matter does it. A cracker.
71. Pussy’Ole (Dizzee Rascal)
People STILL don’t believe me but Dizzie Rascal is brilliant. This is a great, if rather rude, banger.
70. Perfect (Mason Vs Princess Superstar)
Against my better judgement perhaps I like Princess Superstar so it was nice to see her get some recognition beyond the, frankly, dreadful Bad Babysitter with this dance smash.
69. My Velocity (Maximo Park)
The rise of Maximo Park in my estimation in 2007 should prove once and for all that I’m not biased. I couldn’t care for them when they first hit the scene but that changed with this great single.
68. Saltbreakers (Laura Veirs)
Veirs at her ethereal best.
67. Golden Skans (Klaxons)
The Klaxons annoy me, not least given the proclamation from the Mercury Awards judges that they’d picked their album because it was a fresh sound! Yes. An album of 80’s sounding relics is bang on isn’t it. That said, Golden Skans is a fantastic song.
66. I Wish I Could Have Loved You More (Candie Payne)
Proof in one foul swoop that the hype was largely justified.
65. Misery Business (Paramore)
Underwhelmed by the album I may have been, but to hear this song once was to have the infectious chorus lodged in your brain.
64. 4 In The Morning (Gwen Stefani)
She took her time releasing perhaps the best track off her disastrous last album but she finally got around to doing so. If only someone could reign her in a bit and make sure her album is full of more songs like this than the dreadful likes of Wind It Up she could well hit top form again.
63. Peg (Nerina Pallot)
Pointless cover version to tide over the gap between albums this may have been, but even Popjustice had to admit how good this track was.
62. Do It Again (Chemical Brothers)
Inconsistent they may be over a full album, but you can always guarantee at least one stormer of a single from these boys. This was this years.
61. Men’s Needs (The Cribs)
The fact remains that the guys are funnier on TV appearances than they are good on record, it would nevertheless be churlish to ignore this track.
60. Fidelity (Regina Spektor)
BBC Radio 2 airplay meant that even my old boss was proclaiming Regina’s greatness in 2007. Long term fans knew how good she was prior to that.
59. Low Happening (Howling Bells)
A song I couldn’t find for ages as I’d mistaken (read that as drunkenly) tapped it into my mobile phone as Howling BALLS late one night. That it never left my head in the meantime is a clue to how good it is.
58. Prescilla (Bat For Lashes)
A haunting tune with a naggingly catchy chorus.
57. Sad Song (Au Revoir Simone)
They're not quite the sum of their parts but this is a sweet little electo ditty that I just love.
56. While You Were Sleeping (Elvis Perkins)
One of those songs that never got the acclaim it deserved.
55. Ice Cream (New Young Pony Club)
Live they were disappointing but on record they just scream "hit". Of course its not their fault that the general public are idiots.
54. Merrymaking At My Place (Calvin Harris)
Ignore the fact that its an LCD rip-off; its a damn catchy tune.
53. Shut Up & Drive (Rhianna)
About three hundred times better than that bloody Umb-er-ella-ella-ella one this was perhaps the sexiest pop song of 2007.
52. Sexy In Latin (Little Man Tate)
Not bad at all for what, for all intents and purposes, are a shit band.
51. It’s Getting Boring By The Sea (Blood Red Shoes)
One of my tips for 2007 and no doubt tips for 2008 given their low-key year in many respect. A stomper.
50. Terra Firms (The Young Knives)
"Fake rabbit, real snake" has to be one of the lyrics of the year. The really really crap opening bit did have me worried though on first listen.
49. Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time (Jarvis Cocker)
Proof that Jarvis still has it.
48. When I’m Here With You (Sarah Nixey)
If the Pet Shop Boys were female, they'd sound a little something like this.
47. Valencia (The Decemberists)
So good even Radio 2 picked it up.
46. Keep Your Hands Off My Girl (Good Charlotte)
Good Charlotte are shit, but this works on the "monkeys can write Shakespere" principle. It's really rather good.
45. Gotta Work (Amerie)
Another "better than Beyonce" track from Amerie.
44. The Bomb (New Young Pony Club)
In an alternative world NYPC are having number one hits all over the world.
43. I Wish I Was Someone Better (Blood Red Shoes)
With songs like this stardom surely awaits them in 2008.
42. Jimmy (MIA)
It was as if Boney M were still with us on this camp classic. I’m not sure she meant it to be camp, but that’s how these things can go.
41. Gilt Complex (Sons & Daughters)
A great teaser for 2008's upcoming album.
40. Tonight The Streets Are Ours (Richard Hawley)
The one moment where I saw where the hype was coming from.
39. Take Control (Amerie)
She's here again. Amerie really is fanstastic you know.
38. Oh MJ! (The Little Ones)
One of my tips for 2007, they of course didn't do very much but this is a great song that did pick up some airplay.
37. Heatseeker (The Hedrons)
Ignore the Oasis nod and just recognise this is a pumping tune.
36. Saving My Face (KT Tunstall)
The singles buying public may be avoiding her, but this is still a class song.
35. Books From Boxes (Maximo Park)
I know exactly what is going on in the lyrics of this song despite the fact they have nothing to do with me whatsoever.
34. Oh My God (Mark Ronson feat. Lilly Allen)
The best thing you can ever attribute, in however small a dose, to the Kaiser Chiefs.
33. Let Me Know (Roisin Murphy)
This time around Murphy remembered the killer dance tunes and this was a great one to “bop” to. See I’m still with all the kids lingo you know.
32. Don’t Lose Yourself (Laura Veirs)
Veirs is one of the great singer-songwriters of her generation.
31. Tony The Beat (The Sounds)
Catchy, intelligent pop. So naturally the general public largely ignored it.
30. Direct Hit (Art Brut)
It wasn’t a Direct Hit but it was proof that for all Art Brut’s arch sophistication, they know how to bang out a great guitar led tune.
29. Boring (The Pierces)
The best Bond theme they’ve never had.
28. Shine (Take That)
The fact that it became the theme tune for Morrisions in 2007 hurt it slightly but it’s proof that if only Take That weren’t so obsessed with being Coldplay they could be ace once again.
27. Let’s Dance To Joy Division (The Wombats)
Almost like the anti-Hoosiers, this song was one of those that I didn’t really want to like at first but then I gave in and embraced it.
26. One Kiss Don’t Make A Summer (Lucky Soul)
Sublimely sweet.
25. Crush (Amerie)
Amerie was perhaps the most consistent singles artist of the year. And this was her best.
24. Thou Shalt Always Kill (Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip)
If only for the fact it takes the piss out of the NME this is a winner.
23. One More Chance (Candie Payne)
Mark Ronson beefed this one up a bit for a crack at chart stardom. Of course it didn’t come but more proof that Candie Payne has real talent.
22. You Can’t Rap (Example)
You’re white and you’re from Fulham indeed. Funny + catchy = memorable.
21. A House Is Not A Home (Field Music)
The first great single of 2007, and the best single you’ve probably never heard from the year.
20. Acceptable In The 80’s (Calvin Harris)
At one time this would have been one of the front-runners for the number one spot but it’s not Harris fault that there have been so many top-class songs this year.
19. Teddypicker (Arctic Monkeys)
My favourite track off the album so naturally I was pleased when this became a single.
18. Alfie (Lily Allen)
As 2007 came to a close I was getting bored of Lily Allen but you cannot deny the catchy “puppet on a string” tune that this was.
17. She’s Madonna (Robbie Williams & The Pet Shop Boys)
The curse of PSB strikes again as Robbie’s success disappears down the pan. That ignores the fact that Rudebox was his best and most exciting album and that this was a superb single.
16. This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race (Fall Out Boy)
In four minutes Fall Out Boy went from a bunch of no-name Emo’s into a band I really rather quite like.
15. Silver Lining (Rilo Kiley)
As one of the standouts on the album, this had to be sneaked into the list.
14. Hold On (KT Tunstall)
I’m still not sure why it took KT six months to get the tune right on this one but I love this song. Which is even more bizarre because at first I didn’t really care for it.
13. Birds (Kate Nash)
This song makes me cry. Even now, 6 months or so after it’s release. This is the proper version by the way, not the “improved” album version.
12. Chelsea (Steffy)
Ok so superstardom never happened in 2007, although Stefy Rae did have the ultimate experience of meeting me, but this is still a brilliant song.
11. Stop Me (Mark Ronson)
Better than the original! Well those that know me will know I’ve never been a Smiths fan but this was proof of what a genius Mark Ronson is.
10. What’s A Girl To Do (Bats For Lashes)
From the first moment I heard the intro to this I was entranced.
9. 1,2,3,4 (Feist)

It took an advert for the wonderful Feist to gain recognition but her higher profile as a result in 2007 only confirmed what we all knew anyway.
8. Call The Shots (Girls Aloud)
I don’t care what you might say to me, Sexy No No No was pretty average and completely forgot the tune. This on the other hand was a superbly pitched slice of pop.
7. Giddy Stratospheres (The Long Blondes)
I’ve not just put this here because Kate Jackson is a complete fox you know.
6. Potential Break Up Song (Aly & AJ)
Rarely do American’s do “pop” quite as superbly as this.
5. Song #2 (Sebrero)
The best Eurovision song ever? Maybe not quite but they’ve not had anything this good since the days of Abba.
4. Song 4 Mutya (Groove Armada feat Muyta Buena)
Muyta Buena’s album was an atrocity. Thankfully Groove Armada provided her with one great song.
3. Foundations (Kate Nash)
At her worst Nash can seem, thanks to rushed production of the album, a Lily Allen knock off. At her best, like she is here, she’s unbeatable. Some criticise her lyrics, but no-one else encapsulated the end of a relationship as well as this in 2007.
2. Give It To Me (Timbaland, Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake)
How much of a “Timbaland” record this is in terms of his “singing” is of course open to question but it IS one of the best and catchiest records he’s ever been involved in, and that covers some ground.
1. The Beat That My Heart Skipped (Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip)
Quite simply no other single released in 2007 had the impact on me that this one did. It’s a sad state of affairs when muppets like Just Jack are feted on high and this wonderful duo are largely ignored.