The Top 95 Songs of 1999

Long break.  Between vacay and work acting up, I’ve lost a lot of writing time lately, which blows.  Anyways, my 4 favorite albums from this year, The Soft Bulletin, Summerteeth, Midnight Vultures and Eminem’s debut dominate.  Here’s the list:

95.  Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin

Isn’t it remarkable that this came out the same year as …

94.  Mambo No. 5 – Lou Bega

To all my lady friends who have names in this song, thank your lucky stars I’ve never actually listened to this before until recently.  It’s too bad the “Macarena” didn’t come out this same year, or we’d be in some serious business. 

93.  Smooth – Santana feat. Robb Thomas

I don’t know how, but in 99 and 2000, this became the most popular and overplayed song in the universe.  It was great seeing Carlos Santana get all that pub though. 

92.  St. James Infirmary Blues – White Stripes

91.  Role Model – Eminem

The Slim Shady LP is almost like a new era’s Licensed to Ill.  They’re going for the same thing, just in different eras.  Sure it’s more fun to have three rappers than one, but Eminem’s rapping makes up for it. 

90.  The Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang

89.  Nomadic Revery – Bonnie “Prince” Billy

88.  Pumping on Your Stereo – Supergrass

I often make a joke that a song sounds like it should be at the end of an American Pie movie when all the friends reunite for a party before the credits role.  This is one of those types of songs and was even in the movie Road Trip. 

87.  It’s About Twilight Now – My Morning Jacket

86.  Writing to Reach You – Travis

It’s now clearly evident that there are many bands out there that want to sound like a commercial version of Radiohead, especially in the Britains. 

85.  Once Around the Block – Badly Drawn Boy

84.  No More – Tom Petty

83.  Tender – Blur

82.  Comedy – Shack

81.  Tails Facing Up – Drive-By Truckers

80.  I Think I’m Going to Hell – My Morning Jacket

Nowadays, this song is great, but hearing the original recording compared to what it is now,  you can tell this song still has a long way to go. 

79.  Northern Lites – Super Furry Animals

78.  Hollywood Freaks – Beck

77.  My Fault – Eminem

76.  Baylon – David Gray

75.  Nothingsevergonnastandinmyway (Again) – Wilco

74.  Big Ego’s – Dr. Dre

73.  Rock Bottom – Eminem

Sampling Janis always gets you a place in my heart. 

72.  Box of Spiders – Drive-By Truckers

71.  Steal My Sunshine – Len

One hit wonders are less of a commodity in the late 90s and beyond, which makes this song more spectacular. 

70.  Carry the Zero – Built to Spill

69.  Guilty Conscience – Eminem

68.  Dora Goes To Town – Andrew Bird

I’ve had many winners and losers since I’ve started this thing.  Andrew Bird is a winner. 

67.  Got Your Money – Old Dirty Bastard

It’s hard for me to judge someone named ODB objectively. 

66.  Cold Blooded Old Times – Smog

I always enjoy when Callahan at least attempts to write a faster paced song.  They’re rare. 

65.  Milk and Honey – Beck

64.  One – Aimee Mann

For Magnolia

63.  They Ran – My Morning Jacket

62.  The Fabulous Ones – Blackalicious

61.  You Don’t Know Me – Armand Van Helden

60.  We’re Just Friends – Wilco

59.  Debra – Beck

This one is for the chickens. 

58.  When You Wake Up Feeling Old – Wilco

This sounds like a beautiful Beatles song.   The mood swings on this album are incredible. 

57.  The Spiderbite Song – Flaming Lips

56.  Too Much Sex (Too Little Jesus) – Drive-By Truckers

I don’t know the lyrics to this song, but the title seems impossible. 

55.  Party Up – DMX

Y’all gonna make me do blankety blank up in here, up in here. 

54.  I’m Always in Love – Wilco

53.  Buggin’ – Flaming Lips

52.  Temporarily Blind – Built to Spill

51.  Pieholden Suite – Wilco

This is a sneaky good song.  I’m either tremendously overrating it, or underrating it. 

50.  You’re the Good Things – Modest Mouse

You’re the loud sound of fun when I’m trying to sleep. 

49.  ELT – Wilco

48.  Just Don’t Give a Fuck – Eminem

47.  I Will Be There When You Die – My Morning Jacket

46.  Peaches and Cream – Beck

45.  Willful Suspension of Disbelief – Modest Mouse

44.  Room at the Top – Tom Petty

43.  Stop Breaking Down – The White Stripes

Right from the get-go Jack White earns the right to cover the Stones. 

42.  Candy Bird – Andrew Bird

41.  Cannon – The White Stripes

40.  Teenage FBI – Guided By Voices

39.  A Spoonful Weighs a Ton – Flaming Lips

What’s great at this point in the Lips career, is they’ve realized any early 90s fads that may have been influencing them have faded, and they make a pure album not caring about whatever trends are going on. 

38.  Deception – Blackalicious

37.  Heartbreakin Man – My Morning Jacket

36.  Time Trap – Build to Spill

35.  You Didn’t Know That Though – Blackalicious

It’s not what they’d be doing in a couple years with Blazing Arrow, but Gift of Gab hints at how great they can be on this song. 

34.  Madeline-Mary – Bonnie “Prince” Billy

33.  In a Future Age – Wilco

32.  Porcelain – Moby

Yes, I only like this song because of its appearance in The Beach, and I don’t know which is worse.  It’s like I got lucky, married a yuppie, took her for what she was worth, but then started dating a singer and becoming a swinger. 

31.  Still DRE – Dr. Dre

It’s cool hearing Dre and Snoop together again after several years. 

30.  Jimmy the Exploder – The White Stripes

Yes, hard rock has basically been dead as a genre until now.  Jack White in the house and he’s needed desperately. 

29.  Nicotine and Gravy – Beck

28.  The Next Episode – Dr. Dre

27.  What Is the Light? – Flaming Lips

26.  Via Chicago – Wilco

25.  Forgot About Dre – Dr. Dre

It’s almost sad how poorly most Dre ages.  Yes Dr. Dre, it was YOU who taught the listener about smoking trees.  Speaking for potheads everywhere, though I’m not one, I’m pretty sure we lightning up when you were still just saying no with NWA because it was giving people brain damage. 

24.  Astro – The White Stripes

Maybe Jesus can do the Astro. 

23.  Race For the Prize – Flaming Lips

22.  She’s a Jar – Wilco

21.  A Minor Place – Bonnie “Prince” Billy

20.  The Plan – Built To Spill

They’re firing on all cylinders on this one. 

19.  The Spark that Bled – Flaming Lips

I stood up and I said yeah. 

18.  Evelyn Is Not Real – My Morning Jacket

Some bands get the advantage of me seeing them play songs live 10 years after they were some little band that nobody cared about. 

17.  The Gash – Flaming Lips

16.  Else – Built to Spill

I love when these guys put it all together and create one of their masterpieces.  This is one of them. 

15.  How To Fight Loneliness – Wilco

Just smile all the time

14.  The Real Slim Shady – Eminem

Every now and then a pop sensation comes out and you have no idea why.  Eminem is the opposite of that.  He also references “mp3” on this song, so the times are changing. 

13.  Can’t Stand It – Wilco

Wilco’s country based fans were disappointed with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot when it came out due to it being a different step for them.  You can hear that beginning on Summerteeth, so I’m not sure why they were that surprised. 

12.  Suddenly Everything Has Changed – Flaming Lips

11.  Sexx Laws – Beck

Beck just keeps on getting better. 

10.  Night on the Sun – Modest Mouse

Freeze your blood and stab into me …

There’s one thing to know about this town.  There’s not a person that doesn’t want me underground, and it’s all right.

This is my choice for the best remorseful hangover song ever. 

9.  Bawitdaba – Kid Rock

This song has aged pretty well.  It’s hard work liking a Kid Rock song, but hey , Joe C is dead and this song kicks ass. 

8.  Big Pimpin’ – Jay-Z

I can’t believe I’m ranking an Eminem song better than my favorite Jay-Z song but the truth is, Eminem’s debut album is light years not just more energetic and fresh, but simply better than anything Jay-Z has ever done.  That being said, everyone loves “Big Pimpin.”

7.  Mixed Business – Beck

6.  Get Real Paid – Beck

Ultimately this is probably the song that made me love Beck.  I’m sure I heard many songs before this of his that I liked, but this is the one that made me realize he was something special. 

5.  You Were Right – Built to Spill

I’m a complete sucker for the gimmick of this song.  I don’t see how anyone that listens to music that’s greater than 10 years old could not like this song.  Sure, the lyrics kind of aren’t theirs, but yet, they completely are. 

4.  My Name Is – Eminem

It’s hard to call Eminem a gangsta rappa cuz he’s not, even though he has a bad attitude.  He makes music listening better though.  It’s great to have him. 

3.  A Shot in the Arm – Wilco

Summerteeth has every right as any other Wilco album does when considering their best, and this may be the best song on it.  So nice, they had to put it on the album twice. 

2.  Waiting For Superman – Flaming Lips

For a brief moment on the Flaming Lips best album, they sit back and take this beautiful breath. 

1.  Superfreaky Memories – Luna

I wish I could tell people why I loved this song so much.  Sometimes I tend to glamorize songs about smack even though I have no clue what a heroin buzz is like, nor do I care.  I love heroin influenced music though, and this is another example, but that has nothing to do with why I love this song.  When you hear it for the first time, it doesn’t sound too spectacular, but then you keep hearing it, and like watching The Big Lebowski it continually gets better.