top 10 of the 00’s

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Rick Right selects his favorite singles released between 2000 and 2009

First, the contenders, in no particular order: (and for you readers from US, the Brit hits are all on youtube)

1. Hey Ya — OutKast (2003)

2. Somewhere Only We Know — Keane (2004)

3. Not Fair — Lily Allen (2009)

4. I’m Not Alone — Calvin Harris (2009)

5. Dragostea Din Tei (My-a-Hee) — O-Zone (2004)

6. Like I Love You — Justin Timberlake (2002)

7. I Wanna Have Your Babies — Natasha Bedingfield (2007)

8. Where Is The Love — Black Eyed Peas (2003)

9  Dry Your Eyes — The Streets (2004)

10. They — Jem (2005)

 

Now the real Top 10:

 

10. Switch — Will Smith (2005)  The former Fresh Prince had nothing more to prove, being one of the top movie stars of the decade. But he went back to his roots, anyway, and made by far the best record of his career. It put the fun in funky. If only J-Lo could have done one tenth as well in either of her dual careers….

 

9. Sandstorm — Da Rude (2000) Normally, House music can be repetitive and downright annoying, but this one defines what little is interesting about the genre. Just when the song appears to be headed toward monotony, the whole thing drops out, and the build to get back into the original groove is one of the more orgasmic things you’ll ever hear. Plus the accompanying video not only tells a coherent story, but one with a surprise ending. 

 

8. Scandalous — Mis-Teeq (2003) This girl group had more sass than Destiny’s Child and TLC put together, but seemed destined to break up fast and furious. Yes, Aleesha Dixon profited big time in her reality TV career and as a solo artist, but this big nasty groove can’t be forgotten as the best musical moment of her career. The song even managed some US airplay, something few UK acts in the 00’s were able to get.  

 

7. One Day Like This — Elbow (2008) Why this one is here and the Keane song is just bubbling under is that by the time Elbow recorded this most beautiful song, they already had 10 years of recording behind them. They could diversify, where Keane tended to rewrite “Somewhere Only We Know” for nearly a whole album and a half. There’s also that minimal video, featuring only a young man juggling an arrow-shaped “Condos For Sale” sign. 

 

6. Hips Don’t Lie — Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean (2006) Just for the one moment in the middle where Shakira and Wyclef rap in harmony, and in Spanish, no less! Proof that feel-good summer songs can still be made.

 

5. The JCB Song — Nizlopi (2005) OK, now I’m starting to sound the sentimental fool. Sorry, but this one gets me still, and maybe it’s schmaltzy, but hey, what’s wrong with a few childhood remembrances? When the singer says his dad’s Bruce Lee, it’s hard not to think of the late Kung Fu movie star, but since this is a bit of a fantasy piece, anything is possible, n’est-ce pas? 

 

4. Chelsea Dagger — Fratellis (2006) It’s really hard to hear this song without wanting to pogo and sing along with that “Doot-do-da-doot, do-da-doot” chorus at the top of your lungs and bob your head back and forth. In a musical sense, it reminds us of the legacy 70’s Power-Pop left behind. 

 

3. Patience — Take That (2007) Yes, Yes, Yes! Not only did they come back just at the time when disgruntled ex-bandmate Robbie Williams was on a downward curve, they came back with the music Robbie left the band over, and made it 50 times better. Take That could be downright boring in their 90’s incarnation, but with a decade to mull it over, Gary Barlow showed he could crank it out, and wrote an absolutely gorgeous song. 

 

2. If You’re Not The One — Daniel Bedingfield (2002) Can anyone tell I’m over 40? OK, it’s syrupy, but damn, could you go much more sentimental than “If I don’t need you then why do I dream of you as my wife?” And what’s more, Bedingfield recorded this bit of cheek in his bedroom! What you get is entirely Daniel, and for me, seven years after, I can still hear this and get goosebumps. What a voice!

 

1. Ms. Jackson — OutKast (2001) There’s much that doesn’t compute to the average listener, like “Little nose ass home girls got they ass up in the creek, G” or “The union girl ain’t speakin’ no more cause my dick all in her mouth,” but the tale of the unwilling father-to-be taking a light-hearted approach when explaining his side to the grandmother-to-be still entertains after all this time. It’s funny, it’s intense, it’s a brilliant piece of work, and while the above nine contended, none could top it.  

 

So you can dispute all you want, e.g. “Is he out of his fucking mind?” But these are my 10. What’s yours?

 

October 19th, 2009

About Rick Right

• Stand up comedian
• Musician
• Vinyl DJ
• Voice over artist
• Musicologist
• Writer