Rolling Stone's 100 Best Singles Of 2008
Yesterday we gave you Rolling Stone's top 50 albums of '08. Here, they break it down to singles and expand the list to 100. This assures extra room for as many "feat. Lil Wayne"'s as possible. It marks '08 as an election year via will.i.am's "Yes We Can" (the the cringe-worthy video is likely why it's only at no. 100). Also, Axl continues proving Dr. Pepper wrong. There are a couple big surprises in the top five, one by a band from the west coast (Portland) and one from the east (Brooklyn). Any guesses? That woman in the above picture makes a good showing, too.
100 will.i.am - "Yes We Can"
99 The Enemy - "You're Not Alone"
98 Teyana Taylor - "Google Me"
97 Sheryl Crow - "Now That You're Gone"
96 Little Joy - "Brand New Start"
95 Lucinda Williams - "Real Love"
94 Los Campesinos - "Miserabilia"
93 Madonna - "Candy Shop"
92 White Denim - "Shake Shake Shake"
91 O'Neal McKnight - "Check Your Coat"
90 Busta Rhymes - "Don't Touch Me (Throw da Water on 'Em)"
89 Old Crow Medicine Show - "Alabama High-Test"
88 Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"
87 Friendly Fires - "Jump in the Pool"
86 The Rumble Strips - "Cowboy"
85 M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
84 Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
83 Get 'Em Mamis - "Cold Summer"
82 Santogold & Diplo - "Icarus"
81 The Knux - "Cappuccino"
80 Mudcrutch - "Crystal River"
79 Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"
78 Love As Laughter - "Holy"
77 Hercules And Love Affair - "Blind"
76 The Roots - "Rising Down"
75 Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - "Low"
74 Ra Ra Riot - "Dying is Fine"
73 Ciarra feat. Ludacris - "High Price"
72 Sam Sparro - "Black and Gold"
71 Phantom Planet - "Do the Panic"
70 Busy Signal - "Tic Toc"
69 Missy Elliott - "Ching-A-Ling"
68 Fall Out Boy - "I Don't Care
67 M.I.A. - "Shells"
66 Jenny Lewis - "Acid Tongue"
65 The Virgins - "Rich Girls"
64 She and Him - "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here"
63 LCD Soundsystem - "Big Ideas"
62 The Gaslight Anthem - "The '59 Sound"
61 Robyn - "Cobrastyle"
60 Ne-Yo - "Closer"
59 Low vs Diamond - "Don't Forget Sister"
58 Jazmine Sullivan - "Bust Your Windows"
57 Charles Hamilton - "Brooklyn Girls"
56 The Hold Steady - "Constructive Summer"
55 Sigur Rós - "Gobbledigook"
54 Cat Power - "I Believe In You"
53 AC/DC - "Big Boi"
52 Lee Ann Womack - "Last Call"
51 Ashlee Simpson - "Rule Breaker"
50 Jackson Browne - "Time the Conqueror"
49 Jonas Brothers - "Video Girl"
48 John Mellencamp - "Troubled Land"
47 Janelle Monáe - "Many Moons"
46 Taylor Swift - "Fifteen"
45 Foals - "Cassius"
44 Panic At The Disco - "Nine in the Afternoon"
43 Erykah Badu - "The Healer"
42 The Raconteurs - "Salute Your Solution"
41 Duffy - "Warwick Avenue"
40 Kings Of Leon - "Sex On Fire"
39 The Academy Is... - "About a Girl"
38 Jamey Johnson - "High Cost of Living"
37 Bob Dylan - "Someday Baby"
36 Usher feat. Beyoncé and Lil Wayne - "Love in this Club, Pt. 2"
35 Kaiser Chiefs - "Addicted to Drugs"
34 Gnarls Barkley - "Run"
33 The Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me"
32 N.E.R.D. - "Everyone Nose"
31 Conor Oberst - "Moab"
30 Weezer - "Pork and Beans"
29 Pink - "So What"
28 Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne - "Let It Rock"
27 The Ting Tings - "Shut Up and Let Me Go"
26 The Rapture - "No Sex for Ben"
25 Leona Lewis - "Bleeding Heart"
24 Lykke Li - "I'm Good, I"m Gone"
23 The Black Keys - "I Got Mine"
22 Jay-Z and T.I. - "Swagga Like Us"
21 Vampire Weekend - "One (Blake's Got a New Face)"
20 Katy Perry - "I Kissed a Girl"
19 Guns N' Roses - "Better"
18 Kid Rock - "All Summer Long"
17 The Killers - "Spaceman"
16 Young Jeezy - "My President"
15 Al Green - "Lay It Down"
14 The BPA feat. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal - "Toe Jam"
13 Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - "Magick"
12 TV On The Radio - "Golden Age"
11 Rihanna - "Disturbia"
10 T.I. - "No Matter What"
09 Coldplay - "Viva la Vida"
08 My Morning Jacket - "I'm Amazed"
07 Estelle feat. Kanye West - "American Boy"
06 Beck - "Gamma Ray"
05 Lil Wayne - "Lollipop"
04 Blitzen Trapper - "Furr"
03 MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
02 Santogold - "LES Artistes"
01 Beyoncé - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
You can read the accompanying blurbs at Rolling Stone.
Posted at 10:55 AM by brandon in Year-End List
#18 makes me want to punch myself in the face.
Score = 39
haha true, although decidedly better than his national guard song
Score = 5
#19 makes me want to punch myself in the face
Score = 6
It makes me want to punch Kid Rock in the face
Score = 13
#20 makes me want to punch humanity as a whole in the face.
Score = 12
Hmmm, pretty eclectic. Some good choices, I'm glad they included "Everyone Nose" by N.E.R.D. and "Rising Down" by The Roots those were two of my favorites this year. But they kind of blew it with including that horrible Kid Rock song, the Jonas Brothers (again!) and did Ashlee Simpson really release an album this year? I had no idea.
Score = 3
I smell some angry "Why are there no Radiohead songs on this list?" comments to commence shortly.
Score = 0
In Rainbows came out in '07
Score = 5
but the singles came out in 08 idiot
Score = -3
Easy tough guy. Why all the anger?
Score = 0
Blake's Got A New Face? They could have chosen at least 6 better tracks from that album.
Score = 13
Same goes for VW, Ra Ra Riot, Beck, Kings of Leon and Low vs Diamond. Very happy to see Low vs Diamond on here though! Same goes for RRR.
Score = 0
Completely agree, Blake's Got a New Face was the worst song on the album i.m.o., I'm shocked to see it's up there instead of say, A-Punk or Oxford Comma.
Score = 0
its a good list. the shity songs are few and far between. and you can't go wrong with MGMT at number 3
Score = -6
"Electric Feel" is a superior single - should be @ #3
Score = 4
not to me.
Score = -5
I feel as though many songs from the early beginnings of this year get weighed differently because they've been forgotten about in the last 11 months or people have tired of them. Go figure Beyonce just comes out with an album and immediately her song, without having any lasting value, lands at #1. I couldn't disagree more.
Score = 13
ryan adams and the cardinals with magick!!?!?? wft?
I am admittedly a ryan adams fanboy, and i still think that is ridiculous.
Score = 2
who's gonna save my soul is eons better than run.
Score = 5
I can't say how happy I am to see "Do The Panic" on this list. That song is so freaking catchy, a little gem of mid-90s-esque power pop.
Score = 4
Put a freaking ring on it. Wow.
Score = 3
UGH. Why did I read this?
Score = 2
whoops, wrong Blitzen Trapper song! the correct answer is "Black River Killer."
Score = 0
... or "God & Suicide". Either would do.
Score = -2
that BPA feat. david byrne and dizzee rascal tune is THE JAM. yes.
Score = 0
IS Blake's Got A New Face even a fucking single?
Score = 2
also:
85 M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
84 Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
the two best (IMO) singles of the year get assraped
Score = -4
So, Ashlee Simpson is better than Little Joy, Ra Ra Riot, Sigur Ros, She and Him, Hercules and Love Affair, Los Campesinos, Bon Iver, M83, the Roots, Cat Power, and LCD Soundsystem.
Now we know.
Score = 17
in the new year? no? really? hmm...
Score = 1
this list is not half bad if you just ignore all of the shitty songs. check it out:
96 Little Joy - "Brand New Start"
94 Los Campesinos - "Miserabilia"
92 White Denim - "Shake Shake Shake"
85 M83 - "Kim & Jessie"
82 Santogold & Diplo - "Icarus"
77 Hercules And Love Affair - "Blind"
76 The Roots - "Rising Down"
12 TV On The Radio - "Golden Age"
06 Beck - "Gamma Ray"
03 MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
02 Santogold - "LES Artistes"
see? that's 11 songs, and yeah okay so there are 89 shitty songs on the list but so what it's rolling stone. i'm taking the optimistic route and settling on pleasantly surprised.
Score = -10
Ah, right. indie rock = good. anything else = bad. now i get it.
Score = 14
I think you might want to go read some of the older pitchfork reviews, kid. Missed some great bands.
Score = 0
You forgot The Raveonettes - Aly Walk with Me. And yeah the other 88 are shitty.
Score = 1
I think I've actually heard maybe fifteen of the these songs. Because, on the whole, I don't listen to crappy music.
Score = 1
miserabilia is not and will never be a single....
Score = 0
i'm not even sure where some of these songs came from the one of santogold and diplo is a very uninteresting track/was it even a single or played anywhere other thena diplo show? and the m.i.a. song shells? never even heard of it before. i konw paperplanes was 2007 but it would have made a hell of alot more sense to put that on the list.
Score = 0
I'm just thankful that Lady Gaga isn't on there.
Score = 3
Ugh, Video Girl??
There are SOOOO many better Jonas Brother songs.
Score = -7
Um... no Kanye?
They mention "Heartless" in the Bon Iver blurb, but Ye himself is nowhere to be seen on the list. Seems RS is trying to show just how unimpressed they were by 808s. Too bad for them. They'll probably bump up their Album Guide rating in a few years to 4.5 or 5 like they did for College Dropout.
Score = -1
I say it's easier to go wrong with a songs list than with albums...and this lists proves me right! Even worse when you narrow it down to just singles, when pretty much anyone knows the best songs of a lot of albums are not "single material".... whatever that means.
Score = 1
25 Leona Lewis - "Bleeding Heart"
wait, isnt bleeding LOVE? OH. FAAAAIILL.
some hits, some misses...seriously, they picked "I'm Amazed" from Evil urges? WTF? That is like one the worst songs from the album....
and #1...*SIGHS,YAWN,GROAN*
Score = -1
Did you guys even listen to that Beyonce song... It is unreal!!! Ponytail Beg Waves was my #1 of the year, but Put a ring on it was easily in my top 20.. Its sooo good.. If anyone hasn't heard it.. Listen to it now, and I guarantee you change your tune.....
But overall the list is as bad as expected... 17, 13, 9, and 8 were on my worst of list...
Score = -4
you can't be serious.
Score = 0
hey hazim here...again
lol at their love for Axl Roses's patheticacism (I know that's not a word but Chinese Democrac is not music)
and "Love n The Club" part 2? And finally...a list where Ashlee Simpson trumps Sigur os! lol
Rolling Atone is Really Stupid
Score = -1
Weird seeing "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper at number FOUR in Rolling Stone. I mean, I think it's one of the best songs of the year and well, I don't know, something seems awry given that Rolling Stone things so too. SOMETHING IS WRONG
Score = 0
woot phantom planet at #77
Score = 2
Should I know what that Beyonce song is?
Score = -1
yes
Score = 1
Who the fuck is Rolling Stone?
Score = 0
I like Beyonce, but Single Ladies is the shittiest Beyonce song I've ever heard. Boo this list. And Kid Rock at number 18? Seriously? That song is one of the worst songs I've ever heard by anyone ever in my entire life. Horrible. Oh and Katy Perry is the phoniest piece of shit ever. I'm canceling my subscription to Rolling Stone right now.
Score = 1
What the hell, RS?
Beyonce? Really? I love her, but do you REALLY think she belongs at #1? Did you have a bad trip while writing this?
I'm not even one of these pretentious hipster music aficionados, but I know a mis-ranked (I won't say necessarily bad, there are some nice cuts here) list when I see one.
Thanks for playing. Try again next year.
Score = 0
1. Deerhunter- Never Stops
Score = 1
Any list with Swagga Like Us on it should immediately get thrown into the trash and burned. That song was complete phoned in shit from a group who should have no trouble making a great song. Anyone who liked that song has totally garbage taste in music.
Score = 0
mm where's chris brown forever??.. if chris brown won ARTIST OF THE YEAR.. in "AMERICANN MUSIC AWARDS!!".. at least he should be somewhere in this list.. i think
Score = 1
there is no question that the #1 single of the year is:
Passion Pit: Sleepyhead.
thank you, good night.
Score = 0
So I am not very happy with this list. The list makes me think that the compilers decided to be "fair" and spread the love around to every genre, even if they were not deserving. Kid Rock, Ashlee Simpson, and the Jonas Brothers? Seriously? Didn't the entire world decide a little while ago these people were novelty and not worth even the press coverage outside of trailer park guide books and the Disney Channel? And just how much did Lil Wayne pay to be on this list as many times as his name is mentioned? I am pretty open with the music I listen too, but I fail to see the value of any of his "music." Beyonce the number one single? Did the person who finalized this list really go along with that? Seriously? Did they honestly believe they were doing the right thing by putting that at number one? Holy Cow Rolling Stone. Way to go and become another puppet of pop culture.
Score = 0
well, i am no music freak, i have a certain type of music that i like (rock music), and dislike pretty much all other modern day(non rock) music pretty much till the mid to early nineties, but i have to say that some of the stuff that comes out of my ass os better to listen to than this tripe, i mean cmon, disturbia ahead of better by GN'R and beyonce? OMFG the world surely has turned effin gay. ladies, you are excused, coz its your sorta music, but men who like this sorta crap, get rid of your metrosexualism or poofterness and grow a set eh?, mate, who compiled this list? well thats my two cents, cant wait to hear the retaliation. Let it begin.
P.S.
Clearly the world is being dominated by poofs, judgin by this list...so ladies i am free.
Score = 1
How is "Single Lady" on this list, that was the most anoying song ever, and Spaceman shouldve been higher and Human shouldve at least been in the 90's. "Roll On" was way better than "All Summer Long" and neither of them shouldve been on the list.
Score = 0
Obviously, no one is going to agree with the list but just because you think (as I do) that some of the songs listed are shit doesn't mean 90% of America disagrees with us. Also, it's "single" not "song" of the year. You're favorite song may not have been released as a "single." I'm glad #72 was included. Also, pretty much all of these songs sound good when you're fucked up, so shove a tampon in your bleeding vagina, down a few shots, smoke some hash, and have a good time instead of whining.
Score = 0
Rolling Stones is not that credible anymore! This list proves it patheticness even more. The list didnt include any of the top acts this year like Kanye, Madonna, Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks and even Leona Lewis. I got tired scanning the songs! And why the hell is Madonna's candy Shop included on the list? It wasnt even releaesed as a single! and further 4 minutes is better! take a hint RS!
Score = 0
MIA is at 67 with Shells??? It is the worst track she ever released. I feel that sometimes songs are chosen randomly after the top 10. For example, Santogold released fabulous tracks, and among the best are Anne, LES Artistes, and You'll Find A Way. She ranks #2 with LES Artistes. It's a fantastic song, it's a hit. The track chosen for MIA isn't even her real voice, it;s a joke song with a voice machine! I understand it was released in 2008, and that's why it was chosen, but so was her Boyz EP. That is certainly a step up from such a ridiculous song.
Score = 0
Musicunderfire's comment want to make me puch him in the face.
GN'R for Life!
Score = 0
Better should be #1.
And where is Chinese Democracy? It was the first single released off of the CD!
Score = 0
Of all the Vampire Weekend songs to include, why would you include Blake's Got A New Face...which despite being fun once or twice, has very limited appeal when you put it next to Oxford Comma, A-Punk or M79...
Where on EARTH is Fleet Foxes on this list and why is Bon Iver so far down??
...and what possessed RS to put Kid Rock at #18? Sheer absurdity!
The Beyonce song actually isn't bad, but Time to Pretend is flat out the best song of 2008...by a country mile.
Score = 0
WHAT ABOUT BRITNEY SPEARS - WOMANIZER?!?!?! I MEAN THE SONG JUMPED FROM NUMBER 96 TO NUMBER 1 ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTzZ IN ONE WEEK!!! AND ITS BRITNEY'S FIRST NUMBER ONE SINGLE SINCE ....BABY ONE MORE TIME!!! IT EVEN WAS RELEASED BEFORE BEYONCE'S ALBUM WAS RELEASED!!!! ITS UNFAIR!!
Score = 0
Wow! what a pitiful year of music. where the hell is "Who's Gonna Save my Soul now?" By Gnarls Barkley? that song directly calls out this kind of shit. and it ain't even on here.
no doubt there's a few good songs on here. but Gamma ray? come on. that song is just average. lots of average songs on this list. however if you REALLY wanna see some half-hearted, pretentious, pseudo-intellectual gimmickry, check out pitchfork's top 100
Score = 0
Oh, not that song of Beyonce please. So freakin scary, i mean it shouldnt be on 1st half of the list at the 1st place.
Score = 0
Is Rolling Stone serious with Single Ladies at #1? That song is so repetitive and awful, also Let It Rock is way to high, and A Milli is far lower than it should be. A Milli is definitely top 10, not 84.
Score = 0
ya that get em mimmies are the ones to look out for ive been following them for years that cold summer is the sh@t.... get get get em mommies
Score = 0
Well, overall (and yes I know this is pretty late considering that this came out more than three months ago), this Rolling Stone "100 Best Singles of 2008" List is disorganized and not very well thought out.
Most of these songs I have not heard of, but one that I can disagree with immediately is Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)". This song was not necesarily a bad song, and although I agree that Beyonce is hot and a good singer, this was definitely not her best work. It sounded as if it had come from a 50's movie or something, and it was pretty repetitive.
The next artist I should probably comment on is Lil Wayne. I am a huge fan of Weezy, and before he started attempting to rock, he was my favorite rapper. Although the Rolling Stones people have honored some of his work, in my opinion, they honored the wrong songs. "A Milli" deserves to be higher than #84, and "Lollipop" was placed well at #5, but what about "Got Money" and "Mrs. Officer"?
Another two artists who I feel were ripped off are T-Pain and Ne-Yo. "Closer" is one of my favorite songs of 2008, and even one of my favorite songs of all-time, but Rolling Stone also left out "Miss Independent" and "Mad". Moving on to T-Pain, out of curiousity, every time you see a song, doesn't it feature T-Pain? A lot T-Pain's song are really good and should have been added to this list, in my opinion.
Some other thoughts: "Low" and "Swagga Like Us" should have been switched places, "Mercy" by Duffy should be there instead of that other crappy song that they put up, "Viva la Vida", "All Summer Long", "I Kissed A Girl", and "Bleeding Love" should have been lower, and why do they not have any T.I. songs on here??? (except "No Matter What")
I know that this is leaving out a hell lot of the songs on this list, and it is mostly covering only one genre of music, and that this is only one person's opinion, but I hope that you take the time out of your day to read and respond to my comment. Thanks and hoping for another year of great music!
Score = 0
87 Friendly Fires - "Jump in the Pool"
84 Lil Wayne - "A Milli"
82 Santogold & Diplo - "Icarus"
79 Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"
72 Sam Sparro - "Black and Gold"
67 M.I.A. - "Shells"
45 Foals - "Cassius"
41 Duffy - "Warwick Avenue"
37 Bob Dylan - "Someday Baby"
27 The Ting Tings - "Shut Up and Let Me Go"
22 Jay-Z and T.I. - "Swagga Like Us"
21 Vampire Weekend - "One (Blake's Got a New Face)"
09 Coldplay - "Viva la Vida"
03 MGMT - "Time to Pretend"
02 Santogold - "LES Artistes"
01 Beyoncé - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
^^ the ones I think deserve to be on the list. At least the ones I've heard anyway. IMO though, A Milli should be in the place of Lollipop, Lollipop's awful, and MGMT should be number 1. I do like Single Ladies but I wouldn't say it's the BEST song of the year, though it is the one on the list that had the greatest CULTURAL impact of all the songs. Why Leona Lewis is above M.I.A. is beyond me. And they could have chosen another Vampire Weekend song than One, it's the worst song on the album! Jonas Brothers? Kid Rock? Katy Perry? Why? :@ And only Rolling Stone would put Pink above Bob Dylan.
Score = 0
lol Foals gets no love at all, i bet no one's even listened to Cassius let alone any other song by them.
Score = 0
"AC/DC - "Big Boi"
Umm...what is this?
Score = 0
BITCHES NEED TO STOP COMPLAINING
SINGLE LADIES WAS ARGUABLY THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SONG IN THIS LIST SO IT DESERVES NO.1
WHAT SOME PEOPLE THINK SHOULD BE AT NO.1 SPOT MIGHT NOT BE SO WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
STOP WHINING YOU NUTS
Score = 0