via Pitchfork
For #100-81.
Image via Stereogum
80. Kanye West- New Slaves (2013)
New Slaves was everyone’s first taste of Yeezus, but it still stands out as that album’s purest expression of anger. Bluntly addressing the latest form of racism, Kanye holds no prisoners in his virtuous and explosive takedown. It almost feels like a coherent, studio version of one of his legendary Yeezus-tour rants. The sparse beat allows Kanye to take center stage, and it’s exciting to hear. The explosive finale, backed by an angelic Frank Ocean and a Krautrock sample, wraps the song in an intensely satisfying package.
via Pitchfork
79. El-P feat. Mr. Muthaf**kin Exquire & Danny Brown- Oh Hail No (2012)
To hear three of today’s best spitters attack an El-P beat is a revelation. Of course, El-P acts as the master of ceremonies, opening with one of his angriest verses ever. Danny Brown closes the show by delivering a massive verse over the outro. And then there’s the main event: Mr. Muthafuckin Exquire. Delivering quite possibly the best guest verse of the decade, Exquire delivers a verse that blazes so quickly that it’s impossible to keep your jaw shut. All of this happens over one of El-P’s best beats, creating a destructive rap spectacle.
via Sonicamp
78. Robyn- Call Your Girlfriend (2010)
It’s almost frustrating that Robyn isn’t the biggest thing in pop right now. Call Your Girlfriend has everything you could want in a pop song: a great beat, stunning vocals, and a massive, MASSIVE chorus. The synths shoot like lasers in the sky, and the rhythmic claps hit like cannons. It’s hard to find pop executed this well.
via Pigeons and Planes
77. Clams Casino- I’m God (2010)
Lil B gets some of the best beats in the industry, and this is absolutely ludicrous. Case in point: Clams Casino’s triumphant and cloudy I’m God, that was thankfully released without Lil B’s vocals. Even without anyone rapping over it, the track is an engulfing experience. The vocal samples sound heavenly, while the thunderous bass conjures up grey, cloudy skies. Hip-Hop beats rarely stand on their own, but I’m God isn’t just any Hip-Hop beat.
via Monster Fresh
76. Run the Jewels- Run The Jewels (2013)
Have you ever been alone in your house, actively cheering for something that can’t hear you? Listening to Run the Jewels’ debut for the first time, their self-titled track caused me to scream “YES!” alone in my own house. It’s a riveting song that encapsulates what El-P and Killer Mike are about. There’s the 70s tinged beat with bongos, there’s Killer Mike delivering the hook, and there’s El-P dropping some of his quickest bars ever. It still gets the blood pumping, and it finds the duo doing what they do best.
via Pigeons and Planes
75. Grizzly Bear- Will Calls (Marfa Demos) (2013)
Will Calls is a weird gem in Grizzly Bear’s deeper discography. Recorded in a contentious session in Marfa, Texas, the song finds the band in a unique mood: angry. Like the other Marfa tracks, the song roars with dissatisfaction and intensity- something that, for Grizzly Bear, is uncommon. Ed Droste’s vocals over the song are dismayed and desperate, with the guitar screeching underneath. The song even offers a much-needed cool down with a beautiful saxophone outro. It’s a song that sounds completely out of character without feeling forced, creating one of the most damningly emotional songs to come out this decade.
via Chart Attack
74. Sky Ferreira feat. Blood Orange- Everything is Embarrassing (2012)
Outside of a few tracks on Night Time, My Time; Sky Ferreira hasn’t done much to establish herself as much other than an Indie Pop starlet. This is why Everything is Embarrassing works so well. Blood Orange’s production gives the song a nostalgic edge, while the verse and chorus swoon with equal power. It’s a song that gleams in the face of desperate regret. It’s a song that can make you sad while you dance. That’s more fulfilling than it sounds.
via MTV Hive
73. St. Vincent- Champagne Year (2011)
Arguably St. Vincent’s prettiest song, Champagne Year is a remorseful and nostalgic piece of beauty. The glimmering synths that open and close the track seem to sublimate in and out of nothingness. Clark sings like the quiet girl in the corner of the party. The song grumbles with St. Vincent’s aggressive experimentation, but the grumbles never grow into anything substantial. Everything bubbles underneath the surface; “It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s the one we’ve got”.
via This Goes In
72. Drake- Hold On, We’re Going Home (2013)
Drake is always best when he’s at his softest. This is why Hold on, We’re Going Home is probably my favorite Drake song. Whining desperation is what Drake does best, and he makes it sound pretty damn good. Transporting us back to the dance scene in some John Hughes movie, Drake gives us one of the sweetest pop singles this decade. He evokes 80s pop without sounding embarrassingly dated. It’s a beautiful track that shows Drake in his strongest form.
via Line of Best Fit
71. Neko Case- Night Still Comes (2013)
The New Pornographer member Neko Case has long been an exciting solo artist, and Night Still Comes beautifully proved it again. Bitter and sweet, Night Still Comes walks a line between ballad and damnation without committing. The string laden post-chorus seems to boil with disdain…despite the fact it’s incredibly pretty. Then there’s the explosive chorus, which features some absolutely stunning backing-vocals. Oh yeah, and there’s a saxophone in there too.
via Gutter Magazine
70. Wu Lyf- We Bros (2011)
We Bros is an insane, jubilant slice of pop-rock glory. The guitars bounce around in glee, while Ellery James Roberts delivers a roaring vocal. The Rhythm in the song shifts around constantly, with the song charging forward at breakneck speeds. The gang vocals convey a sense of deep brotherhood in the simplest of ways: WE BRO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-OS.
via Hot New Hip-Hop
69. Pusha T & Kanye West- New God Flow (2012)
This was the song where Pusha T came into his fullest form. Snorting and snarling over the same piano chords, Pusha T mutates into one of Rap’s best MCs right before your eyes. Then T and Kanye go at it over gun shots, which is just as exciting as it sound. It’s hard to really talk about this song without simply saying “Pusha T is the best”. So yeah: Pusha T is the best.
via MTV Hive
68. Cloud Nothings- Wasted Days (2012)
I’ve never had a heart attack, but I’m guessing listening to Wasted Days is as close as I’m going to get without eating too much cholesterol. Nearly 9 minutes of devastating Indie Rock, the song is a restless epic. An anthem for being insignificant and disappointing, Baldi & Co give us some of the heaviest self-loathing ever. “I THOUGHT I COULD BE MORE THAN THIS” becomes a desperate cry for help at the end of the song, where the entire band quickly descends into madness. It’s intense enough to induce a panic attack, proving that this former Indie Pop group was to be taken seriously.
via The Insperation Room
67. Rihanna- We Found Love (2011)
Normally, Calvin Harris’ beats sound generic and uninspired. Somehow, a miracle struck on Rihanna’s We Found Love. A club anthem for the ages, the cerebral beat brilliantly expresses a sense of joy and hope. Did the song lead to Harris being omnipresent in pop music, to the point of over-saturation? Yes. Was it worth it? For this song? Yes.
via YouTube
66. Mr. Muthaf**kin Exquire feat. Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, & El-P- The Last Huzzah! (2011)
At the end of 2011, felt like a New Years celebration for 2011. Danny Brown & Das Racist just had huge breakout years, and Exquire just dropped a pretty great mixtape. Of course, we can also look at this track without analyzing what it means. It’s one of the prime posse cuts of the decade: Despot (Drop an album) energetically introduces the track, Das Racist give us some of their best verses, Danny Brown leaves a dent, and Exquire delivers an incredible verse as the closer. Oh yeah, and El-P gives us one of the most brilliant rap verses of all time. In case you were unaware, he’s counting on each line. Even after some of these guys have flamed out (and blown up, if you’re Danny Brown or El-P), this song is just as exciting as it was 4 years ago.
via We All Want Someone
65. Titus Andronicus- In a Big City (2012)
In a Big City is an anthem by a band known for anthems. Being a disgruntled man myself, I identify a lot with In a Big City. Masterfully written by Patrick Stickles, it finds the band in cleaner waters than the filthy, rugged The Monitor. However, the song is just as powerful as the entirety of that album. With drums that would fit in a military march, the wailing finale finds the band doing what they do best. Angry, insignificant, and unsatisfied, it’s a song that desperately aches for independence and power.
via Pitchfork
64. Death Grips- I’ve Seen Footage (2012)
“I hated most of it, but that I’ve Seen Footage song was catchy”. Anyone who isn’t a Death Grips fan probably has this opinion, and it’s no wonder why. Combining their aggressive distortion with a massive hook, the song is deliriously catchy. Endlessly quotable and weirdly danceable, it’s a song that gives us the best of Death Grips in a package: memorable hooks, intensely interesting lyrics, and an insane beat. NOIDED.
via Pitchfork
63. Janelle Monaé feat. Erykah Badu- Q.U.E.E.N. (2013)
Janelle Monaé can create a wildly structured song, and Q.U.E.E.N. is no exception. A big statement song, it’s a typically funky piece of pop. But it twists and turns in unpredictable ways. We get a bridge from Erykah Badu, we get a great horn interlude (something that Monaé loves putting in her songs, and I will not front and pretend it’s not a great thing, and we get one of the best rap verses of the decade…from a person who isn’t even a rapper. In fact, that final rap is even more potent today than it was in 2013. “I’m tired of Marvin asking me What’s Goin’ On”. Huh.
via Disco Naivite
62. Youth Lagoon- Montana (2011)
Bedroom pop is often inconsequential, but Youth Lagoon proves that there are exceptions to the rule. A beautiful song, it’s hard not to get swept up in the intense reverb. Lead by a piano and beat, the song slowly builds to a beautiful climax. After the dust begins to settle, it’s almost hard to say goodbye. Which is the point of the song.
via YouTube
61. Kanye West- Power (2010)
Is this Kanye West’s signature song? It’s not his best, but it certainly encapsulates everything we love about Kanye’s music. It’s brazenly narcissistic, boldly produced, and the samples are absolutely insane (KING CRIMSON!). The song feels like a call to action, with everything locking perfectly into place. Not to mention we get some of Kanye’s best rapping ever (Outside of the remix of this same song, which would be on this list if it was just Kanye). It’s a massive song that gives us the purest example of Kanye possible.
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See #60-#41 (Out Tomorrow)
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