Top 100 songs of the noughties

It was the decade that brought us nu metal, nu rave and nu disco, but how will the noughties be remembered musically? Rip It Up's online editor Jimmy Bollard gives his top 100 songs of the noughties. Is he on the money?

There were so many musical highlights this decade. There were also plenty of lowlights. But never before has music been diversified in terms of genre, trend and accessibility. The noughties will be remembered for a lot of musical innovations - the iPod, the influence of the blogosphere, manufactured talent show pop stars - but it will also be remembered for the music itself. So without any further ado, here are my 100 best songs of these 10 years past. The top 10 are ordered, but the rest are just listed alphabetically.

Please note, this is a PERSONAL list and does not reflect the collective opinions of Rip It Up and its staff/contributors. If you have any comments about it, please leave them at the bottom of this page.

10. ARCTIC MONKEYS – A CERTAIN ROMANCE (DOMINO)

The final track on the Arctic Monkeys debut album sees Alex Turner demonstrating what he does best – romanticising on his surroundings in trademark laddish street-smart style. While the anglicised vocals that dominated Britain’s indie scene in the early part of the decade grated on us after a while, there’s something particularly warming and ingratiating about Turner’s northern inflexion here. A Certain Romance is a jumpy ride through the streets of Sheffield, primarily poetic but knowingly rocky at the same time.

9. THE ARCADE FIRE – WAKE UP (MERGE/ROUGH TRADE)



Chances are everyone’s heard it by now. You know, it’s the song from Where The Wild Things Are. But Wake Up was a classic long before Spike Jonze got his hands on it. It’s just so big; full of big, uplifting sounds. A chorus for the young sung in major key. But like the monsters from the aforementioned film, Wake Up is a gentle giant. It cradles you from your slumber and tempers the demons inside of you. It gives hope to us all.

8. MGMT – TIME TO PRETEND (COLUMBIA)



The subject matter alone instils this song as one of the greatest of the decade. Never before or since has Generation Y been so accurately encapsulated. “I’m feeling rough, I’m feeling raw in the prime of my life. Let’s make some music, make some money, find some models for wives”. Who else has captured Gen Y’s impatient, idealistic tendencies better than this? The fact that it’s backed by an almighty synth-based electrical storm only makes Time to Pretend all the more magical.

7. M.I.A. – PAPER PLANES (XL)

I find the best pop music is that which crosses boundaries and genres. Paper Planes is essentially a hip hop song, based on a sample and down-tempo beat with rhymes rapped over the top of it. Yet you can drop this song in the hippest of indie clubs and most banging of rave parties and people from all walks will groove to it. Who would have thought The Clash’s Straight to Hell could have sounded so damn danceable? Who would have thought gunshots could replace lyrics? M.I.A. did, and that’s why she’ll go down as of the heroes of the noughties.

6. AUGIE MARCH – HEARTBEAT AND SAILS (BMG)

Before they told their bloody choir to moo songs that were resigned to live on mainly in pub jukeboxes and cover bands’ back catalogues, Augie March were a different sort of band. Sunset Studies is a tragically forgotten album of this decade, full of expansive musical gems. Heartbeat and Sails is one of its poppier moments, a neo-classic folk yarn played on banjo in 6/8 timing. The lyrics are whimsical and poetic, the ideas prophetic. This stands up to any bogan rock anthem you care to throw at it.

5. THE RAPTURE – HOUSE OF JEALOUS LOVERS (DFA)

From the moment that incessant cowbell hits, you can’t but nod your head. Next comes the delay-stoked guitar and groove-inflected bass line. By the time Luke Jenner’s deranged vocals come in, you’re already hooked. Taking elements of scratchy post-punk a la Gang Of Four and hosing it down with an upbeat disco jive, House of Jealous Lovers is arguably the best song in the indie-disco genre and the forerunner of the nu rave scene. Whatever it may be, there’s one thing it definitely is: awesome.

4. RADIOHEAD – EVERYTHING IN ITS RIGHT PLACE (PARLOPHONE/CAPITOL)

No one saw it coming. When Radiohead took a three year leave of absence after OK Computer and the well documented strenuous world tour that accompanied it, no one could have possibly predicted the drastic change of direction they took for its follow up Kid A. The first track, Everything In Its Right Place, opened up Radiohead fans to a dreamy electronic world of spaced out keyboards and frustrated glitchy vocals. This is Radiohead at the crossroads of accessible pop music and experimentation sans frontiers.

3. THE LIBERTINES – TIME FOR HEROES (ROUGH TRADE)

In 2003 Britain needed heroes. The good ship Albion had sailed well off course and someone had to steer it back in the right direction. The impact Pete Doherty and Carl Barat had on the British indie scene is often understated in the rest of the world. But the fact is they kick-started a movement that countless others benefited from. Time For Heroes was a call to arms, a resounding klaxon that implored the masses to stand up and take action against apathy. Suffice to say, they got the reaction they were looking for.

2. THE STROKES – LAST NIGHT (RCA)

In a time of severe rock mediocrity, there were five devilishly good-looking kids in New York with lots of cash. They had a penchant for old-sounding music and their debut single resounded this in a wash of catchy vocal hooks and snappy guitar jangles. Seemingly without even trying The Strokes stole the hearts of a new legion of music fans and became the archetypal rock stars of the noughties. Last Night is the closest thing to pop perfection this decade ever came across.

1. DAFT PUNK – ONE MORE TIME (VIRGIN)

“One more time, we’re gonna celebrate. Oh yeah, alright, don’t stop dancing.” It’s the simplest of lyrics, but in that couplet, Daft Punk changed the course of popular dance music. This was the moment the rock kids stopped caring about messing up their hair and getting their shoes dirty. No one can resist the urge to get up and dance to this song. And isn’t that the whole point of music in the end?


And the rest...

ANIMAL COLLECTIVE – MY GIRLS (DOMINO)

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI – DO THE WHIRLWIND (MOSHI MOSHI)

THE AVALANCHES – SINCE I LEFT YOU (MODULAR)

BABYSHAMBLES – FUCK FOREVER (ROUGH TRADE)

BADLY DRAWN BOY – ONCE AROUND THE BLOCK (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

BASEMENT JAXX – WHERE’S YOUR HEAD AT? (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

BATTLES – ATLAS (WARP)

BLOC PARTY – POSITIVE TENSION (WICHITA)

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE – 7/4 (SHORELINE) (ARTS & CRAFTS)

CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH – OVER AND OVER AGAIN (LOST AND FOUND) (SHOCK)

COLD WAR KIDS – WE USED TO VACATION (V2)

COLDPLAY – SHIVER (PARLOPHONE)

THE CORAL – DREAMING OF YOU (DELTASONIC)

CRYSTAL CASTLES – ALICE PRACTICE (MEROK)

CSS – LET’S MAKE LOVE AND LISTEN TO DEATH FROM ABOVE (SUB POP)

CUT COPY – HEARTS ON FIRE (MODULAR)

DEATH IN VEGAS – SCORPIO RISING (CONCRETE)

DIGITALISM – POGO (KITSUNE/VIRGIN)

DIZZEE RASCAL – FIX UP, LOOK SHARP (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

THE DODOS – FOOLS (FRENCH KISS/WICHITA)

DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH? – WE ARE ROCKSTARS (VIRGIN)

THE DRONES – THE MINOTAUR (ATP)

ELLIOTT SMITH – TWILIGHT (ANTI-)

EMPIRE OF THE SUN – WALKING ON A DREAM (EMI)

THE FIERY FURNACES – SINGLE AGAIN (ROUGH TRADE)

THE FLAMING LIPS – DO YOU REALIZE?? (WARNER)

FRANZ FERDINAND – TAKE ME OUT (DOMINO)

FRIENDLY FIRES – SKELETON BOY (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

FUCK BUTTONS – BRIGHT TOMORROW (ATP)

THE FUTUREHEADS – DECENT DAYS AND NIGHTS (679)

GERLING – FIGHT REVOLUTION TEAM (FESTIVAL MUSHROOM)

THE GO! TEAM – LADYFLASH (MEMPHIS INDUSTRIES)

GORRILAZ – DARE (PARLOPHONE)

THE GOSSIP – STANDING IN THE WAY OF CONTROL (BACKYARD/KILL ROCK STARS)

GRAHAM COXON – RIBBONS AND LEAVES (TRANSCOPIC/PARLOPHONE)

THE HIVES – WALK IDIOT WALK (INTERSCOPE)

THE HORRORS – SEA WITHIN A SEA (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

HOT CHIP – ONE PURE THOUGHT (EMI)

INTERPOL – OBSTACLE 1 (MATADOR)

JOY ZIPPER – 2 DREAMS I HAD (MERCURY)

JUNIOR BOYS – IN THE MORNING (DOMINO)

JUSTICE VS. SIMIAN – WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS (TEN)

KANYE WEST – GOLD DIGGER (ROC-A-FELLA/ISLAND DEF JAM)

KASABIAN – CLUB FOOT (COLUMBIA/SONY)

THE KILLERS – WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG (ISLAND/MERCURY)

THE KILLS – LAST DAY OF MAGIC (DOMINO)

KINGS OF LEON – KING OF THE RODEO (HANDMEDOWN)

KLAXONS – GRAVITY’S RAINBOW (MODULAR)

THE KNIFE – HEARTBEATS (EMI)

LADYHAWKE – PARIS IS BURNING (UNIVERSAL/ISLAND)

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM – ALL MY FRIENDS (DFA)

LITTL’ANS – THEIR WAY (ROUGH TRADE)

THE LONG BLONDES – GIDDY STRATOSPHERES (SHOCK)

M83 – RUN INTO FLOWERS (MUTE)

MAXIMO PARK – APPLY SOME PRESSURE (WARP)

METRIC – HELP I’M ALIVE (LAST GANG)

METRONOMY – RADIO LADIO (BECAUSE MUSIC)

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS – ROAD TO RECOVERY (SIBERIA)

MIIKE SNOW – ANIMAL (DOWNTOWN)

MODEST MOUSE – FLOAT ON (EPIC)

MUSCLES – ICE CREAM (MODULAR)

MUSE – HYSTERIA (EAST WEST)

N.E.R.D. – ROCK STAR (VIRGIN)

OUTKAST – HEY YA (LAFACE)

PASSION PIT – SLEEPYHEAD (COLUMBIA)

PEACHES – THE BOYS WANNA BE HER (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

PETER DOHERTY – LUST OF THE LIBERTINES (UNRELEASED)

PHOENIX – TOO YOUNG (SOURCE)

PLACEBO – SLAVE TO THE WAGE (VIRGIN)

THE POSTAL SERVICE – SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS (SUB POP)

PNAU – WILD STRAWBERRIES (UMA)

THE PRESETS – ARE YOU THE ONE? (MODULAR)

PRIMAL SCREAM – SOME VELVET MORNING (SONY)

SIA – BREATHE ME (GO! BEAT/UNIVERSAL)

SIGUR ROS – HOPPIPOLLA (EMI)

SILVERSUN PICKUPS – LAZY EYE (DANGERBIRD)

THE SLEEPY JACKSON – GOOD DANCERS (EMI/CAPITOL)

SOULWAX – NY EXCUSE (PIAS)

SPOON – THE UNDERDOG (SPUNK!)

THE STREETS – WEAK BECOME HEROES (679)

THOM YORKE – BLACK SWAN (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

THE TING TINGS – GREAT DJ (COLUMBIA/SONY)

TV ON THE RADIO – WOLF LIKE ME (4AD)

VAMPIRE WEEKEND – A-PUNK (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

THE VINES – GET FREE (EMI/CAPITOL)

THE WHITE STRIPES – SEVEN NATION ARMY (XL/REMOTE CONTROL)

WOLF PARADE – I’LL BELIEVE IN ANYTHING (SUB POP)

WOLFMAN FEAT. PETE DOHERTY – FOR LOVERS (ROUGH TRADE)

YEAH YEAH YEAHS – MAPS (INTERSCOPE)

THE ZUTONS – PRESSURE POINT (DELTASONIC)


So what do you think's missing from this list? Not enough hip hop? Too much pop? Let me know

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