Top 100 Songs of 2010
Feb 02, 2011
Under the Radar's writers re-listened to many of 2010's notable tracks, debated, and then each submitted a list of their top 30 tracks of 2010. A shorter version of this list appears in our Year-End/Best of 2010 Issue, but below we’ve expanded it to include our top 100 favorite songs.
1
Janelle Monáe (Featuring Big Boi)
“Tightrope”
Bad Boy/Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic
The ArchAndroid’s ubiquitous lead single quickly liquefies discussions about Janelle Monáe’s Metropolis geek-outs and sexy Colonel Sanders meets-James Brown attire. It’s an old-school R&B-funk earworm that’s lovesick, wobbly, and poised for stardom. Added bonus: Big Boi keeps up with Monáe’s classy high-wire act.
By Kyle Lemmon
2
Arcade Fire
“Ready to Start”
Merge
3
Mark Ronson and The Business Intl.
“Somebody to Love Me”
RCA
4
Sufjan Stevens
“Too Much”
Asthmatic Kitty
5
The National
“Bloodbuzz Ohio”
4AD
6
Avi Buffalo
“What’s In It For?”
Sub Pop
7
Deerhunter
“Helicopter”
4AD
8
Everything Everything
“MY KZ, UR BF”
Geffen
9
Yeasayer
“O.N.E.”
Secretly Canadian
10
Belle and Sebastian
“I Want the World to Stop”
Matador
11
Yeasayer
“Ambling Alp”
Secretly Canadian
12
Plants and Animals
“Kon Tiki”
Secret City
13
Cee Lo Green
“Fuck You!”
Elektra
14
Interpol
“Barricade”
Matador
15
Motorifik
“Ghosts”
Modern Language Recordings
16
The Black Keys
“Tighten Up”
Nonesuch
17
Mumford & Sons
"White Blank Page"
Glassnote
18
Cults
“Go Outside”
Self-Released
19
MGMT
“Flash Delirium”
Columbia
20
The Radio Dept.
“Heaven’s On Fire”
Labrador
21
Club 8
“We’re All Going to Die”
Labrador
22
Delphic
“Doubt”
Dangerbird
23
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
“I Learned the Hard Way”
Daptone
24
Gayngs
“The Gaudy Side of Town”
Jagjaguwar
25
Rose Elinor Dougall
“Start/Stop/Synchro”
Scarlett Music
26
Gorillaz (Featuring Little Dragon)
“Empire Ants”
Virgin
27
Summer Camp
“Round the Moon”
Moshi Moshi
28
Caribou
“Odessa”
Merge
29
Jónsi
"Go Do"
XL
30
Shine 2009
“New Rules”
Cascine
31
Twin Shadow
“For Now”
Terrible
32
Broken Bells
“The High Road”
Columbia
33
Hooray for Earth
“Surrounded By Your Friends”
Dovecote
34
Twin Shadow
“Castles in the Snow”
Terrible
35
Glasser
“Home”
True Panther
36
Grinderman
“Heathen Child”
ANTI-
37
Here We Go Magic
“Collector”
Secretly Canadian
38
Joanna Newsom
“Good Intentions Paving Company”
Drag City
39
Hot Chip
“One Life Stand”
Astralwerks
40
Lost in the Trees
“All Alone in an Empty House”
ANTI-
41
Wild Nothing
“Chinatown”
Captured Tracks
42
The New Pornographers
“Crash Years”
Matador
43
The Chap
“We Work in Bars”
Lo Recordings
44
Hooray for Earth
“Comfortable, Comparable”
Dovecote
45
Surfer Blood
“Anchorage”
Kanine
46
Local Natives
“Stranger Things”
Frenchkiss
47
Sleigh Bells
“Rill Rill”
Mom+Pop/NEET
48
Tanlines
“Real Life”
True Panther
49
Viernes
“Sinister Love”
Kanine
50
Beat Connection
“In the Water”
Tender Age
51
Deerhunter
"Desire Lines"
4AD
52
Sufjan Stevens
"Get Real Get Right"
Asthmatic Kitty
53
Arcade Fire
"Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"
Merge
54
Rose Elinor Dougall
"May Holiday" "
Scarlett Music
55
Arcade Fire
"We Used To Wait "
Merge
56
Local Natives
"Sun Hands"
Frenchkiss
57
Big Boi
"Shutterbugg"
Def Jam
58
Plants And Animals
"Tom Cruz"
Secret City
59
Beach House
"Norway"
Sub Pop
60
Titus Andronicus
"A More Perfect Union"
XL
61
Broken Social Scene
"World Sick"
Arts & Crafts
62
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl
"Bang Bang Bang"
RCA
63
Everything Everything
"Photoshop Handsome"
Polydor UK
64
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
"Vocal Chords"
Quite Scientific
65
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti
"Round and Round"
4AD
66
Lord Huron
"Into The Sun"
Self-Released
67
Kanye West
"Monster"
Def Jam
68
The Red River
"When We Are Wild"
Brave
69
Crystal Castles
"Not in Love"
Motown / Universal
70
of Montreal
"Coquet Coquette"
Polyvinyl
71
Mark Ronson & The Business Intl
"You Gave Me Nothing"
RCA
72
Sufjan Stevens
"I Walked"
Asthmatic Kitty
73
Smith Westerns
"Weekend"
Fat Possum
74
Sun Airway
"Oh, Naoko"
Dead Oceans
75
Tame Impala
"Solitude Is Bliss"
101 Distribution
76
The Love Language
"Pedals"
Merge
77
Caribou
"Sun"
Merge
78
Jenny and Johnny
"Big Wave"
Warner Bros.
79
Summer Camp
"Ghost Train"
Moshi Moshi
80
The Divine Comedy
"Can You Stand Upon One Leg"
Divine Comedy
81
Porcelain Raft
"Dragonfly"
Acephale
82
Club 8
"Dancing With The Mentally Ill"
Labrador
83
Jamie Lidell
"Compass"
Warp
84
MGMT
"Congratulations"
Columbia
85
She & Him
"In the Sun"
Merge
86
The Fresh & Onlys
"Waterfall"
In the Red
87
El Guincho
"Bombay"
XL
88
Nightlands
"300 Clouds"
Secretly Canadian
89
Future Islands
"In the Fall (Featuring Katrina Ford)"
Thrill Jockey
90
Surfer Blood
"Floating Vibes"
Kanine
91
The Middle East
"Blood"
Self-Released
92
Kanye West
"Runaway"
Def Jam
93
Robyn
"Dancing On My Own"
Cherry Tree
94
Club 8
"Western Hospitality"
Labrador
95
LCD Soundsystem
"All I Want"
DFA/Virgin
96
Toro Y Moi
"Blessa"
Carpark
97
James Blake
"I Only Know (What I Know Now)"
Atlas
98
jj
"Let Go "
Secretly Canadian
99
Future Islands
"Tin Man"
Thrill Jockey
100
Wolf Gang
"Back to Back"
Alantic
Comments
Submit your comment
February 26th 2011
4:32pm
we disagree:
http://pop-analysis.blogspot.com/2011/01/cable-viewer.html
March 30th 2011
7:36pm
Great albums these were, but the songs you picked in my opinion were not the best on them, like Empire Ants for the Gorrilaz? There are way better songs than that on the album. And Runaway being towards the bottom? After Monster? For High Violet Bloodbuzz Ohio? Not Terrible Love? Or Lemonworld??? I still somewhat respect you all’s taste in music even that been said.
Much Love.
April 1st 2011
12:38pm
This was a rather good list, but as with all lists of this type I must insert some of my own additions:
LCD Soundsystem - Dance Urself Clean
This song was desperately needed in the top 35 of this list - it was definitive LCD, laid back, natural and extremely unique.
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs & the Suburbs Cont’d
Both of these songs are tunes that have that rare quality of starting out good, but being so much better after the hundredth listen. They deserved a shout out.
January 20th 2012
9:30am
Oh, thanks for the sharing, I like these songs very much. I will add them to my favorite list.