Charts >>> 2008 >>> songs



#50 Fergie & Nelly Party People
First off, I know, I know. Nelly and Fergie on a Best Of list? Hear me out here! Firstly, Nelly. He's certainly not close to being my favourite of anything. I've liked a few of his songs but for the most part, I'm not interested. I think for this song, it's all based on Fergie. She raps in this song and she storms through the verses and I find it amazing just how versatile she is vocally. To be able to sing a song like 'Big Girls Don't Cry' or the Disney-sounding 'Finally' to being able to do a pretty decent cover of 'Baracuda', and yeah, I think she is capable of being a rocker if she wanted. And on top of that, she can rap. This song sounds quite messy but I did quite enjoy it.

#49 Gym Class Heroes Cookie Jar [featuring The-Dream]
This is a song that I think, had it been a big hit, I wouldn't really like it as much. It's a song that uses the analogy of "cookies" as being, well, parts of a woman that he can't keep his hands out of. Nothing substantial in this song. It's catchy and dumb. But I liked it.

#48 Lucinda Williams Well Well Well
You can always depend on Lucinda Williams for some good Americana music. Her last album was the first of hers that I heard and I liked it. Apparently, I *should* hear her 1998 record 'Car Wheels On A Gravel Road' to hear her at her best. 'Well Well Well' is a track from her new CD 'Little Honey' that got my attention more than any of the other tracks. Old style recording but Lucinda's electric strum accompanying her reverbed vocals with an instant classic song.

#47 Royal Wood A Mirror Without
I saw Royal Wood open up for Sarah Slean earlier this year and while his music wasn't really my cup of tea (he reminded me of a much more hip Michael Bublé), there was one song he did that really stood out. It wasn't because Sarah came out on stage midway through to join him and the band either. I just really liked the hook. It doesn't jump right out at you but it is evident. It's a nice sounding yet slightly upbeat mellow song.

#46 Stars The Night Starts Here
I'm alittle late on the latest album from Stars as apparent by this song being on a 2008 list but this appropriately was the opening song on their setlist from their latest tour. This song just simply has a good beat and is a great recording.

#45 Alicia Keys & Jack White Another Way To Die
I don't think I'm surprised that this song didn't become a hit at all. First off, it features two artists who are pretty much on opposite ends of the musical spectrum. You have Alicia Keys, an R&B songstress known for her clear, crisp vocals and then you have Jack White, known for being the vocalist of the alternative band the White Stripes as well as other projects and musical contributions but it's hard to imagine many fans of one being fans of the other. And as far as radio airplay goes, Urban formats wouldn't dare touch this and Rock formats are also unlikely. So thus the song has to rely on videoplay (if there's a video?), and internet word of mouth. Personally, I think their voices go GREAT together. I was surprised when I first heard the song as they didn't clash at all and yet both singers keep true to their styles.

#44 Sara Bareilles Love Song
Despite the intro to this song being a blatant rip-off of 'Sweet Ones' by Sarah Slean, I think this song is pretty good. I like the story behind the song being that she refuses to write a love song by request (or demand) of her record label who needed a relatable love song to be her first single. Turns out, her refusal was her first single and the one that will inevitably make her a one-hit-wonder? Oh c'mon, we all know it! Doesn't mean it's bad!

#43 O.A.R. Shattered (Turn The Car Around)
This song is another example of, had it been a massive hit, it wouldn't be on this list. During the summer, I dubbed this 'The Reason' of 2008 (i.e., it would be as big as 'The Reason' by Hoobastank was a few years back.) Needless to say, it wasn't. And that's probably a good thing. This song is pretty generic sounding a la The Fray or the aforementioned Hoobastank or OneRepublic but I still do quite like it. Very primetime teenage drama-like and that's a-ok!

#42 Matt Costa Mr. Pitiful
Having a voice that slightly resembles Gavin DeGraw, Matt Costa hit the mark with me this year on this catchy piano-based track that I got introduced to by iTunes (another Free Song of the Week!). Umm... it's a good song. Not sure what to say about it but it's a nice fluffy folk/pop song. Check it out!

#41 Sia The Girl You Lost To Cocaine
Sia is the voice behind a lot of Zero 7's songs. Zero 7 is an English trip-hop/downtempo ambient group. Sia is an Australian pop singer who put out her second solo album this year. Her vocals on this song are much more upfront and aggressive compared to when she does Zero 7, which is obviously going to happen, and the music is quite bouncy. Good track!

#40 Estelle American Boy [featuring Kanye West]
I didn't particularly listen to this song a whole lot this year but I did recognize it as being a great track. I think Kanye's raps on this are probably among the best I've ever heard from him while newcomer Estelle introduces some British R&B to this side of the Atlantic. All in all, this song is upbeat enough to dance to but still makes a good listen while sitting (or at work) as well. I think Kanye makes this though.

#39 KT Tunstall The Beauty Of Uncertainty
I think this song is at its best near the end when it builds up to its somewhat epic finale. It's no 'Black' (Pearl Jam) or 'Lodestar' (Sarah Harmer) but it's definitely a song that I have to make use of in one of my DVDs. lol!

#38 Weepies All This Beauty
I think it's weird that the Weepies are known as indie pop/folk but this song is in the Sex In The City movie. But of course, what "indie" used to be isn't what it is now. Some would say that's not good but I dunno, now it's a label for music/movies/whatever. I heard this song on the radio system at work and it immediately stuck with me. I had to run back to find out who it was before the song ended. It's just a pleasant song!

#37 M.I.A. Paper Planes
Apologies to anyone offended that I'm including this song in my Best of 2008 and not 2007. I was one of the late bloomers to discover it during its resurgence (re: when it actually became a hit) and I liked it!

#36 Cyndi Lauper Into The Nightlife
Cyndi didn't quite have the instant success that Cher had in 1999 when she put out her dance record this year. Perfectly suited for the gay clubs but even then, I don't know how much attention or play it got. Too bad because this song that I've heard from it is quite catchy! It's nice that Cyndi can go from her 80s persona to a jazz standards album and then do a complete 180 with this album and song and have it still work.

#35 Kanye West Love Lockdown
It's weird to hear a song like this from Kanye, who's usually known for his over-the-top, perfected raps and production and lots of stuff going on. Musically, this song is quite simple with the heavy bass, keyboards and drums, and his autotuned singing. It sounds so out there that it feels just right.

#34 Kathleen Edwards Scared At Night
This track wasn't a standout from Kathleen's record this year, until I saw her live and she explained it. The song was written about her father and some of the memories of him growing up. She specifically mentioned the story about a pet cat she had that makes up the second verse of the song: "As a young man you were shooting rats/By accident you hit the farmyard cat/He ran for the fields and came back the next day/You have blown out his eye and you could see his brain/Your dad said, 'Boy, there are some things in life you don't want to do/but you know is right/So take him out back and finish him off.'/You got your gun off the shelf/It only took one shot." The song is very heartfelt and the backing vocals by Justin Rutledge do it more justice and add to that.

#33 Nicole Atkins The Way It Is
This was my first time hearing Nicole Atkins and I instantly liked the full sound of the recording. The first thing one would notice about her songs is the complete wall of sound that's going on. Lots of instrumentation with the backing of strings and what sounds like a room full of drums. By the time you've gotten accustomed to that, you realize just how incredible her vocals are. She can really hold a note and push it way out there. By the time the song is over, the room has expanded into a concert hall and there's a standard ovation.

#32 Yoav Club Thing
'Club Thing' is the complete opposite of a Nicole Atkins song with its simplicity. The start is a simple beat which apparently he makes with his guitar. Actually, I just looked it up and Wikipedia says that his entire sound is completely made with his acoustic guitar which explains the clear sound and airiness of his music and also makes me appreciate this song much more.

#31 Flobots Handlebars
The first time I heard this song, just based on the first minute or so, I thought it was absolutely terrible. Firstly, there's the amateur sound of the guitar in the intro, the opening line "I can ride my bike with no handlebars/no handlebars/no handlebars" x2, and then the first verse, semi-rapped by a guy who sounds like he's trying to make a terrible sounding, sarcastic song. By verse 2, he sings about commercialism and I wonder, so this song is going somewhere? And the music itself is sounding more developed and he sounds less sarcastic. Wait, there's more! Yeah, third verse is referring to war, weapons, takeovers and ending the planet in a halocaust. All before ending full circle.

#30 Robyn Cobrastyle
I press trigger, I don't press people button. I don't know how songs like these get made up. Who writes them? Turns out this isn't a Robyn original but from the sounds of it, she makes it her own. How can you not (attempt to) sing along to this?

#29 Alanis Morissette Incomplete
While this isn't the best song on Alanis' newest album, I think it's one of them but I also think that this song is probably one of the more important songs that Alanis has done this decade. I think it's fitting that this track is the last on her album and, following a lot of the songs she's done in her career, if this were the last song she ever recorded, it does feel like a happy ending for her. At least a happy ending that is in sight. She sings that one day she'll find happiness despite what has happened before.

#28 Infadels Free Things For Poor People
This song has the musical stylings of the Killers without the egotism, and they actually are from England. 'Free Things' is a dancy rock song that I am determined to get people to hear because it is one of those instant attention grabbers.

#27 My Chemical Romance Mama
This song I kind of passed over at first until staying at a friend's house one night, this was used as the alarm clock for school the next morning and it replayed like five times before we all got up to turn it off. I realized that it's a great song! I love how dramatic it is when Liza Minelli makes a cameo near the end and from then on, they're off!

#26 Sarah Slean Looking For Someone
Sarah's final track to close off 'The Baroness' makes no mention of her past experiences with love but looks ahead at what should be. "There's got to be one face/one pair of eyes/that will light me on fire/when they're looking in mine." I always see this song as a song of hope following the rest of the album. It's a good closer.

#25 Raine Maida Careful What You Wish For
The first thing I notice about this song is the piano. Played by Chantal Kreviazuk. The second thing I notice is the production. The sounds are all very separated but still fill the entire spectrum of sound and there's no noise. The next thing I notice are the background vocals. They accompany well the lead vocals from Raine. I like the references to children's characters in the second verse "I said God do you back this/This town is a black list/Oh boy what a big mess/Even Mickey's on acid/I'm willing and able/My cards on this table/Come on, Alice, we're too good to wait tables." The lyrics overall are quite depressing and almost hopeless depending on how you look at it. I'll just stick to the amazing crisp production.

#24 Coldplay Viva La Vida
'Viva La Vida' sounds almost out of place from most Coldplay songs I hear. I see this song as being a bright sweet colour whereas a lot of their other ones are pale colours, some dark, some light. This one is a bright light reddish. I hold the beat responsible for that. My theory is that this song wouldn't be what it became without that simple kick drum and I can't help but wonder how the song would sound without that placed in there because other than that, there are no other drums and no other indication that this is a song by a rock band. I just think that beat puts this song in its place and adds colour definition to what would likely have been a pale song.

#23 Heart Shaped Heart Masquarade
This is a song I've included on here that none of you (likely) have ever heard (of). Unless you were involved with its creation. Why? Because I helped record it. I know it's tacky of me to have included it on my own list of Best Songs of the year. But I'm basing its inclusion completely on the song itself and nothing else. To hear the song, you can check out a stream uploaded by the group here http://www.purevolume.com/heartshapedheart . The vocals are spot on, the music is great and I think it needs to be heard but don't ask me, ask HSH!

#22 Feist Honey Honey
Another song I heard while at work, I mostly just heard the eerie backing vocals and the electric piano. I had no idea it was Feist. I just love the sound of it. It's like an electric song but sounds so simple and intimate. You can even hear a chair squeaking in the right speaker near the end of the second verse.

#21 Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl
This song was one of the most polarizing songs of the year, for so many different people. Firstly, religious people hate it because of the homosexual content. I know some gay people that hated it because of the idea that the song makes girls kissing girls sound like a trend and in itself is anti-gay. Music purists hated it because of its obvious processed sound and the incredibly huge novelty factor. (I also penned her as a one-hit-wonder but she surpassed that!) Looking past all of that, I think this song was a worthy song. It got people talking. It was catchy. It's a topic that you don't hear about much in mainstream music. It pissed people off. It made people sing.

#20 Jason Mraz Details In The Fabric [featuring James Morrison]
I don't really know what to say about this song. I think it's the best track on his new album but even in comparison to some songs from his first two records, it wouldn't measure up. It's just simply a nice song and I think the vocals are pretty spot on as far as doing slow-tempoed songs go for Jason. Although I have to admit, including James Morrison in this really showcases how unimpressive Jason's vocals are because James sounds so good in it. This song is also the first track I think I've ever heard to mention the word "diarrhea". hmm...

#19 Martha Wainwright You Cheated Me
Yet ANOTHER singer that reminds me of Sarah Slean. Unlike Nicole Atkins, Martha Wainwright doesn't quite have the theatrics so I guess she sounds like what Sarah Slean would if she played guitar and incorporated some slight country/folk influences. 'You Cheated Me' is more on the pop side of Martha's sound. My favourite line: "You left the keys in the door when you left that night/I don't wanna point the finger but I can't help it/Why don't you run your scared lil' ass down the block/I'll catch up to you when you come back..."

#18 Kate Maki To Please
The music to this track sounds like something out of a 1930s Mickey Mouse cartoon, thanks in part to the optigan (old-style keyboard) and the crazy beat in the right speaker. The left speaker has the guitar and the vocals. If anything, this song has to be heard just to hear something completely conventional wrapped in a completely unconventional package.

#17 Kimya Dawson & Antsy Pants Tree Hugger
I love this song simply for the lyrics, how the backing singers sound like they forget the words, and how it doesn't sound like Kimya is trying to sound great in this song. It's just press record, play and that's the final take. But the innocence makes it sound great!

#16 Kathleen Edwards I Make The Dough, You Make The Glory
This was an instant standout when listening to Kathleen's album. Mostly it was the title, which is quirky but completely defines the rest of the song, complete with analogies and examples from hockey, music and travel: "I'm the concorde, you're economy."

#15 Rihanna Take A Bow
Rihanna's come a long way from being #1 on my list of the WORST songs of 2006 to being featured on my Best Of list two years in a row! Last year it was 'Umbrella'. This year it's 'Take A Bow'. Why?! I actually think Rihanna sounds great in this song. Yeah, her voice might be grating but I think I got used to it. She finally has some control and this song is really fun to sing along to. After hearing it on the radio for most of the year, I'm STILL not sick of it in the least. Best line in the song: "Grab your clothes and GET GONE!" (me and Gina's line! :)

#14 Sheryl Crow Shine Over Babylon
Hearing this song for the first time, I was quite impressed. Sheryl seemed to have gone back to her roots with a song that sounds more like Dylan musically than her last couple of albums where she took a more pop-sounding approach. Like Dylan and his political approach, Sheryl goes the environmental route with the lyrics of this song. I think this might be one the best songs of her career so far.

#13 Ingrid Michaelson The Way I Am
This is simply a sweet sounding song.

#12 Chris Brown Forever
Here is another song that I included because of its production value. Pop perfection.

#11 Madonna with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland 4 Minutes
Timbalake (Justin Timberlake and Timbaland...) has struck again, this time bringing Madonna with them. I'm not sure how necessary it was for Madonna to go this route but she did succeed with this song at least. Far from her best, obviously, but I think I'd place this one near the top of anything she's done this decade so far.

#10 Sarah McLachlan U Want Me 2
I still don't know how I feel about Sarah McLachlan. On one hand, she does have some good songs but I find that they don't hold my interest for too long. Some days I can LOVE a song and other days, I can't press the "next" button fast enough. I've seen her live and I really wasn't impressed. I don't even think I can say she's too mellow because I like much more mellow artists that don't have dance remixes put out of most of their songs. When I first heard this song though, I was impressed. And it was probably the first time I was instantly impressed by anything Sarah has ever done. It's the verses that hooked me in. I have this thing for Canadian-sounding female singer/songwriter types. It's how I got into Sarah Harmer, Sarah Slean, Martina Sorbara, and various songs by Tara MacLean, Damhnait Doyle, Holly McNarland, Heather Nova, etc, etc. I can pick out a female Canadian singer/songwriter in .5 seconds. This song matches that sound and that's probably why it stuck to me immediately. The simplicity of the lyrics can still do a lot as well.

#9 Sarah Slean Parasol
Sarah shows her quirky side again with 'Parasol', a song she did at her last few shows that I attended. For those Sarah fans that haven't been able to appreciate 'The Baroness', this song is definitely for you to check out NOW! It's just a fun song! "Only apes wearing capes get the curtain call!"

#8 Ne-Yo Closer
see 'Forever' + 'Viva La Vida'. Another song with pop production perfection with a front and centre beat to keep your attention. Throw an acoustic guitar in for good measure and you have this epic R&B dance song.

#7 Tegan and Sara Call It Off
This is the only song this year to make my Best Of list two years in a row. And last year it was #7 too! Why did I include it again? Well, basically it was because I think this song was my most listened to song of 2008. Before I formatted my computer, its total number of plays from buying 'The Con' CD in 2007 until the format was over 150, the most of any song on my iTunes/iPod, which I think represents over 90% of my music listening. lol. And with lyrics that I think I completely related to from the beginning, not to mention the fact that I just simply love the song.

#6 Kate Nash Foundations
There's a slight guitar flubb in the beginning of this song that I can't overlook but I won't let it interfere with the rest of it. I love the accent in the singing (who says British singers don't sound British when they sing?!). I think the lyrics to this might have been the most sung by me this year. And with lyrics like "You said I must eat so many lemons/because I'm so bitter!!!", "You've gone and sick on my trainers/I only got these yesterday!!!!" While everyone obsessed over the lyrics of 'I Kissed A Girl', I obsessed over this one.

#5 Serena Ryder Brand New Love
I first became familiar with this song on the acoustic version that was on Serena's iTunes EP 'Told You In A Whispered Song'. To my surprise, there was a new version on her studio-recorded 'Is It OK!'. It's just a pop/rock affair but it's glowing! I think Serena is a Canadian legend in the making.

#4 Moldy Peaches Anyone Else But You
A slightly old song that was made fresh thanks to its inclusion in the Juno movie. Just a phase? Likely. But that doesn't make it a bad song. It's plain fun and cute. Nothing more, nothing less.

#3 Frou Frou Hear Me Out
This IS an old song. 2002 to be precise. From Frou Frou's only album 'Details'. I got that CD in 2006 and it seems I still discover songs from it as if they were new. I don't think I can think of a song that suited me more this year than this one. It starts off with a very casual beat and electronic vocal isms that give me the illusion of driving after midnight in a downtown highly urban metropolis while the city sleeps but all the street lights are on and shining bright but the streets themselves are completely desolate. I think it all comes down to the verses: "Go ahead and lie to me/You could say anything/Small talk will be just fine/Your voice is everything" and "So how do I do normal?/A smile I fake/the permanent waves of/cue-cards and fix-it kits/Can't you tell?/I'm not myself/I'm a slow motion accident/Lost in coffee rings and fingerprints/I don't wanna feel anything but I do/And it all comes back to you."

#2 Kathleen Edwards Alicia Rose
Kathleen captures what I think she tried to capture perfectly in this song. You immediately get the image of a small town setting with a typical girl that has hopes and dreams after school, crushes, the whole nine yards. The piano strike near the end of the first verse in "maybe by then I could get my own place" always sends shivers down my spine because of how abrupt it is. The quiver in Kathleen's vocals in the chorus come through clear when she sings "and then he took me, Mamma/So I could never tell you about it." By verse 2, you realize now that this song is about the murder of a girl, what she missed: "Inside of this moment there were things I wish I could know/Like my ring size, yor ring size/and the hour I was born/My dad's middle name/your favourite song/Was your darkest day as dark as this one?", and how the killer was someone close to home "And he laid me in his garden/All the years I've watched him tend." The song opens with "I am a girl with a forgettable face" and closes with "Now I'm a girl whose face they'll never forget." The story lies in the middle.

#1 Sarah Slean Get Home
My favourite song this year was this one. Having to do mostly with the striking way Sarah lays things out in the song and tells her lover to "get home." I always thought of this song as a self-depressing song in that she could continue to have this married man but instead she takes the higher road, one which is likely much more difficult to do and essentially tells him to go back to his wife, "don't you dare profess to love me/when you're lying to another." To me, this song is a huge step for anyone in this position to have to give something up because in the end, it doesn't work. "You know that you'll never change/and I don't play the game/of liars and cowards/like you."