Top 10 Songs of 2004 and More

Top 10 Songs of 2004

10. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out - The first time I heard this, I was amazed. The 5432543532th time, not so much, but taken on its own merits, this is one hell of a rockin' song. The build to the first chorus is brilliant. Good choice for Madden and mising music too.

9. Muse – Hysteria - Musically, this song is completely ridiculous. The guitar work, especially the bass is truly something to hear, and the theme played throughout the song never gets lazy and instead remains strong up until the last note. This is the perfect example of a song that I want to hear every single day, but really no more than once a day. When you're getting ready for some sort of competition though, there might not be too many better songs.

8. Relient K – Be My Escape - Speaking of music that will perk you up when you need it, this is the quintessential example from the past year of a song that does just that. I understand that it's technically Christian Rock, but they don't deny that, and it really doesn't intrude on the music, which is great. I think a huge key to the band is the soothing vocals, which is a nice departure from most pop/punk bands. This song is very simple, but there's nothing wrong with a Return of Simple (wink).

7. The Used – Take It Away - From one extreme to the other, soft soothing vocals give way to the screams of Bert McCracken as his rage carries this song (and his band). So mad. A very intense track, one that gets the blood flowing after a long day of doing something tedious or before something that requires effort. The one problem with this song is you have to be in the mood for it, which as I write this, I'm not so I don't feel like saying much more about the song. What an awkward way to end a paragraph...

6. Straylight Run – Existentialism on Prom Night - "Siiiiiinnnnnnnng Liiiiiiike Yooooooooou Thiiiiiiiiiink Noooooo Onnnnnnnnne's Liiiiiiissssssteniiiiiiing"

5. Jimmy Eat World – Pain - Interesting thing about this song is that it was near impossible to find on LimeWire or other similar services. Part of the reason I like the song so much is that I could only hear it on the radio for a solid 3 weeks before I finally acquired it to play at home. That made the song less overplayed and gave it a strong shelf-life for me, which weighs heavily on the placing on this list.

4. Taking Back Sunday – A Decade Under the Influence (w/piano!) - Great tempo changes throughout this song, and the piano at the end is very haunting and makes the whole song great. Something underrated here and in music in general: mood. The song really puts the whole "desperate but resigned" mood out there for all to see in a wonderful way.

3. Coheed and Cambria – A Favor House Atlantic - Good eye, sniper! The whole song rules in a way reminiscent of last years #1 song, AFI's Girl's Not Grey. A song that holds up today even though I originally heard it in December of 2003. That means only one thing, and that is A Favor House Atlantic is a terrific song.

2. MC Lars – Hurricane Fresh - I would be lying if I said I didn't download this just because of the name, but it went on to become an anthem for an entire year (or at least the second half of one). An awesome road-trip song, as discovered on the road to GP: New Jersey, Hurricane Fresh held up because of the cool, smart lyrics and FRESH Scorpions sampling throughout.

1. My Chemical Romance - I'm Not OK (I promise) - In the end, there can only be one #1 song of the year 2004, and this is it. Pure emotion, with some completely ridiculous lyrics and feeling during the song capped by the simply ridiculous bridge/final chorus combo which has not been topped often in my musical listening. Extra props for a very cool video.

Artist of the Year: Death Cab for Cutie - No one put out a better album in the past year than these guys, who in addition to making a kick-ass record are amazing live, giving them the edge as the 2004 artist of the year. They have so many awesome songs just off of Transatlanticism alone that they could fill a "best of" list. Recommended tracks include The New Year, Tiny Vessels, and Transatlanticism itself. You really cannot go wrong with Death Cab, so check them out if you haven't yet.