2009 was a great year for music. For those of you who think that rock n' roll is still dead, this past year proved you wrong. Rock stole the scene this year as bands like Kings of Leon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Phoenix released epic albums; new bands like Silversun Pickups, Passion Pit, and Grizzly Bear quickly burst onto the scene and onto the charts; and legends like Pearl Jam, Kiss, and Wilco released albums that rival work that they put out a decade ago. 2009 also saw the formation of several amazing supergroups like The Dead Weather, Chickenfoot, Monsters of Folk, and Them Crooked Vultures, which brought together talent from five decades of rock music (60's/70's - John Paul Jones, 80's - Sammy Haggar, 90's - David Grohl, and 00's - Jack White).
All in all 2009 was a great year for rock. Now, it's time for me to list IN MY OPINION...the Top 15 Songs of 2009.
#15
Song: "United States of Eurasia"
Artist: Muse
Album: Resistance
This song is just purely epic. As the song builds from it's soft piano beginnings, to the instant the guitar wails for the first time I can't help but think that the song reminds me of classic Queen mixed with modern rock. Muse had a big year in 2009, and from the looks of their touring schedule, 2010 could be even bigger for Europe's biggest band.
#14
Song: "Why I Am"
Artist: Dave Matthews Band
Album: Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
This song was written as a tribute to the band's late woodwinds player, LeRoi Moore. From the moment I heard it I knew it was an instant Dave classic. It sounds more like old Dave than new Dave, which is always a good thing. Plus, when you mix Dave and Tim Reynolds, there is no bad consequences.
#13
Song: "Percussion Gun"
Artist: White Rabbits
Album: It's Frightening
The drums at the beginning of this song are intense...reminds me of Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher". Just when you think the drums are gonna stop...they don't...they carry on for most of the song. I'm also a big fan of the bands vocals. White Rabbits are one of the better bands to have burst onto the scene this year, and this song is their testament to it.
#12
Song: "Hang You From the Heavens"
Artist: The Dead Weather
Album: Horehound
Is there any instrument that Jack White can't play? Besides the awesome playing of him and his fellow Raconteur, Jack Lawrence, the thing I love most about this band is Allison Mosshart. I haven't heard such a strong lead female voice in rock since Karen O burst onto the scene. I wish the best for this band, but I'd still rather see the Raconteurs back.
#11
Song: "While You Wait For the Others"
Artist: Grizzly Bear
Album: Veckatimest
Although "Two Weeks" could easily have been chosen in place of this song, I chose this tune because I find it to be a better song, artistically speaking. It's very soft and subtle, and it really brings out Ed Droste's amazing vocals. This tune just has a great vibe to it. Grizzly Bear has got to be one of the most original bands to come out in the last year.
#10
Song: "Manhattan"
Artist: Kings of Leon
Album: Only by the Night
Everybody knows "Use Somebody", "Sex on Fire", and maybe even "Notion". However, I think this is by far the best song on Kings of Leon's latest album. Caleb's vocals on this song are unprecedented by most any other song the band has ever done. The song just has parts that just hit on so hard you can't help but scream along with him when you listen to it driving alone in the car. Also, nothing is cooler than a bass line that involves heavy slides.
#9
Song: "New Moon Rising"
Artist: Wolfmother
Album: Cosmic Egg
Their first single off of their brand new album has some of the best guitar of 2009. When Andrew Stockdale broke up the original band (once compared to Led Zeppelin) a couple years ago their was a lot of skepticism about what the band would turn in to. So when they released this first single and it started up with this bad ass guitar riff there were a lot of expectations for the album. It proved that it wasn't the band the made Stockdale sound good, it was Stockdale that made the rest of the band sound good.The album turned out to be fantastic, but this song is its crowning achievement.
#8
Title: "Wilco (The Song)"
Artist: Wilco
Album: Wilco (The Album)
Although it sounds like not a whole lot of thought was put into this song...starting at the naming...this song is actually quite complex. "Wilco (The Song)" starts off very simple musically, but it gets more complex as it plays. I think that the lyrics are truly what makes this song one of the best of the year. The fact that the jam rockers use the phrase, "Wilco will love you baby", is classic rock n' roll at its finest.
#7
Song: "Zero"
Artist: Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Album: It's Blitz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs hit it big a few years ago with the song "Maps". That song first put the band on the radar and they've been soaring ever since. Their latest album is probably their best work to date and the first song on the album sets the tone for the rest. "Zero" first introduces you to the best female vocals in rock today. Karen O is this generation's rock goddess...eat your heart out Joan Jett. It's rock, it's dance, it's electronic...it's a little bit of everything.
#6
Song: "Panic Switch"
Artist: Silversun Pickups
Album: Swoon
Silversun Pickups may have been my favorite bands of 2009. Swoon, the follow up album to 2006's Carnavas, was easily one of the years top albums, and "Panic Switch" was an easy pick for one of the top songs of the year. Brian Aubert's soft, but grungy vocals are addicting to say the least. His heavily distorted guitars can't even match the power of his voice as he screams, "I'm waiting and fading and floating away...", over and over again.
#5
Song: "Summertime Clothes"
Artist: Animal Collective
Album: Merriweather Post Pavilion
I don't know if there is a "tripier" band out there today than Animal Collective. Their mix of electronic and psychadelic music creates a blend of insanity sometimes, but "Summertime Clothes" is a very melodic tune that can reach out to people who aren't huge fans of their style of music. I find Animal Collective to be an extremely talented group (even though their live performances are lacking) and this song was left on my IPod for most of 2009. Definitely a song for the summer, but this song just some sort of "feel good" quality to it.
#4
Song: "Say Please"
Artist: Monsters of Folk
Album: Monsters of Folk
Regardless of whether or not they ever play together again (hopefully, not until several more MMJ albums are released), the formation of Monsters of Folk may have been one of the highlights of the year in music. Putting together 3 of rocks greatest front men (Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, M. Ward, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket) was sheer genius. Not only are they great front men, but they proved not only on this song, but on the rest of the album...that they are all very accomplished musicians. The three, along with guitarist Mike Mogis, apparently swap positions during their live shows, each playing all of the instruments over the course of the night. If that's not talent, what is? "Say Please" was an incredible tune because all 3 of them take turns singing during the song. It is a showcase of talent from the collective and is overall, a fantastic tune.
#3
Song: "Amongst the Waves"
Artist: Pearl Jam
Album: Backspacer
When Backspacer was first released I remember hearing a lot of critics say that the record just wasn't PJs style, but man were they wrong. I think that this song proved that Eddie and the gang are getting more and more back to their original grunge roots. The guitar riffs are all fantastic, and Mike McCready's guitar solo in this song is one of the best he's put onto an album in years (NOTE: McCready shows off his talent a lot more live, than on studio albums). Eddie's vocals are also very strong on this track as he does what he does best...starts slow and soft and builds his vocal strength over the course of the song, until he opens up his powerful voice as the song nears its conclusion. Although, "The Fixer" and "Unthought Known" could be considered better songs by some, as a Pearl Jam fan, I think this song is one of the best they've put out since the Ten album...and that's saying A LOT.
#2
Song: "Little Secrets"
Artist: Passion Pit
Album: Manners
"Little Secrets" by Passion Pit was my original pick for song of the year, but it came just a little bit short. The Massachusetts based band has an awesome blend of electronic and rock music, but the band's lead singer, Michael Angelakos, stands out amongst the rest of the band. Angelakos' vocals are extremely high at some points during this song, but I think that his voice is a perfect fit for this type of music. This song has sooooo much energy to it...you can't help but move to it. I remember watching them perform this song at Bonnaroo (see below) as I stood next to the tent in line waiting to see Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. As soon as they started playing this song it was like the tent went into a frenzy. Glowsticks were flying, gigantic balloons were bouncing around, and everyone in the tent was smiling and laughing while dancing their asses off! While it may have been a very drug-induced moment for many of those in the crowd, it was one of my favorite moments of the year...there is nothing like observing several hundred fans just instantly lose themselves completely in a song. The whole Manners album is a masterpiece and I can't wait to hear what this band has in store for the future.
#1
Song: "1901"
Artist: Phoenix
Album: Wolfgang Amadus Phoenix
The best thing to come out of France since the invention of the croissant has been the band Phoenix. These guys are simply amazing artists, and "1901" was just an anthem of the year 2009. It was everywhere...you could hear it video games, car commercials, and in your favorite TV show. In reality the song is about what Paris was like in the year 1901 and about how much better it was then, rather than now. While all of that may be true, the song's lyrical pattern is what truly makes it magnificent. Thomas Mars is quickly becoming one of the most well-known voices in rock n' roll and I think that this album could easily be one of the best of the decade, but that's for another day (hopefully by New Years I'll have the list out). I can't help but drumming along on my steering wheel as the pre-chorus begins, "It's twenty seconds till the last call. You're going hey, hey, hey!" (who hasn't done that while trying to get one more drink?), and of course everybody knows the tune once it gets to, "Fallin', fallin', fallin', fallin." This song is one for our generation, and without a doubt, is my pick for the Best Song of 2009. The End. Stay tuned later this week for the Top 15 Albums of 2009.
