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The Best 100 Songs of the Decade, 31-40


We're counting down my 100 favorite songs of the 2010-19 decade, ten at a time.

You know the drill by now....


40. Wheels / Moss of Aura - 2016

I first hears this track as some background music to a fundraising clip, and had to know what it was. It's a nice bit of music that changes just enough during its run to keep your interest, and it helps let one's mind drift (in a good way).

You can listen to Wheels here.


39. Hourglass / Soft Metals - 2013

The second of the purely instrumental tracks of the Top 100, I love the dancy nature of it as it plugs along, almost hypnotically.




38. People on the High Line / New Order - 2015

I used to (back in the '90s) think that New Order lead singer Bernard Sumner had the sexiest voice in pop music. That title has been since been taken by Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig, but here, Sumner shows glimmers of his vocal talent, particularly with the opening lyrics, "If you love me in the night, I will come and make it right." I love the way Sumner sings that.




37. Dispossessed / Nellie McKay - 2010

Another artist I've seen perform in concert, it can be argued that McKay peaked in the 00s, but she still had some good music come out in the last decade, this song at the top. It has a nice, rural southern vibe to it.

You can listen to the song here.



36. Danceophobia / Duran Duran - 2015

Probably the best Duran Duran song since the 1990s, the dance vibe is strong with this one (as it should be, given the title), and it features a spoken word section by Lindsay Lohan. What more do you want?




35. Girl on Fire / Alicia Keys - 2012

An impressive vocal range, quiet moments and hard hitting moments, melodic.




34. SHC / Foster the People - 2017

The lyrics to this track are both haunting and inspiring. I liked it the moment I heard it.




33. Blue Jeans / Lana Del Rey - 2011

One of the things I like about Lana Del Rey's songs (aside from her vocals, of course) is their composition. The tracks so often journey in and out of different sounds and chord progressions, and feature interesting samples and curiosities. Blue Jeans has all of that, and more. Of course I love the lyric, "I would love you 'til the end of time, I would wait a million years," as it's so longing and kind of pathetic in its honesty. Oh, and the video version has an extra 30 seconds at the beginning that I adore. The audio landscape there gives me chills.

You can watch the Blue Jeans video here.



32. Petrified / Flunk - 2017

I've been a fan of this Norwegian band since their debut album in 2002. Their output has varied in quality, but there 2017 Chemistry and Math album was pretty solid, with this track being my favorite of the new materiel. It's moody and hypnotic and soul searching, and I very much like the lyric, "I find it's hard not to love you. It's easy to, I can do it in my sleep."

Listen to Petrified here.



31. Magpie Eyes / Saint Etienne - 2017

Got to see them perform this in concert at Park West in Chicago. One of their best tracks of recent years. Love the upbeat lyric, "Now all I want to do, is spend more time with you."



Alright, we're ready for the Top 30. Coming soon!


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