21 'The Fear' by Lily Allen - quite timely considering her new outing, this deftly showed her at her lyrical and musical best with a fine line in barbed punnage about the tabloids.
22 'Hometown Glory' by Adele - cat nip now to many unfortunately, which does her and her first hit no favours. She broke the mold with this tune about south-east London.
23 'Overload' by Sugababes - points to this track when asked 'how would you put together the perfect girl group debut single?'
24 'Lonesome Tears' by Beck - more well known for his Haircuts and Losers but Beck's beautifully crafted, understated 'Sea Change' album was easily his best and this is the best track from it. Strings by his Dad too!
25 'Since U Been Gone' by Kelly Clarkson - easily the best tune from a reality tv series winner that saw some absolutely ear-bleedingly hideous monstrosities foisted upon us in this decade. And don't let Kelly near your wardrobe...
26 'PDA' by Interpol - this, rather than their Joy Division- aping debut single, was what made me sit up and notice them. I'd then go on to be ever so slightly obsessed with them.
27 'Insomnia' by Faithless - hands down the best alliteration of the Noughties - 'tearing off tights with my teeth' - you're now singing it in your head aren't you? Arguably the best dance track ever, let alone the decade.
28 'Bonkers' by Dizzee Rascal - it only took about four minutes for Dizzee to go from hard-edged bot in da corner to media darling - but good on 'im I say. Bonkers just cemented that position and made him as close to the UK version of a US rapper's career trajectory that we've ever produced.
29 'No I in Threesome' by Interpol - pretty much the most Interpol-ish of all Interpol songs, showing off all the band members at their best. The video also perfectly matches the moody, strange energy of the track.
30 'Hounds of Love' by The Futureheads - who knew in 2000 that what we needed was a Sunderland version of a Kate Bush classic. Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh...
31 'La Ritournelle' by Sebastien Tellier - sparkling, twinkly remixed tune with a vid guaranteed to leave you misty-eyed.
32 '2+2=5' by Radiohead - the angry side of Thom and the boys barking out how 'you have not been paying attention' and continuing to twiddle with strange bits of electronic equipment.
33 'Rehab' by Amy Winehouse - the tune's almost become as iconic as herself and although there are better examples showcasing Amy's amazing vocals, no track is as synonymous with her as this one.
34 'Last Night' by The Strokes - ah, the world's best pub singer at their energetic slash laid-back finest.
35 'Love's Not a Competition (But I'm Winning)' by The Kaiser Chiefs - more well-known for their brand of chirpy, chipper jump-up-and-down numbers but this has two things going for it - video filmed at Colombus Circle, NYC and a track of sufficient quality that not even Paramore could run it!
36 'Rebellion (Lies)' by The Arcade Fire - stunning live, with a chorus made for crowd sing-a-longs and a track that fits their travelling troubadour schtick to a tee and what turns out to be their best tune.
37 'Pyramid Song' by Radiohead - instead of the angry side, this time its the melancholic side that's on display here in a haunting, powerful ballad with a video to match.
38 'Special' by Mew - probably the track and video I've played the most from the band that I'd say was my best accidental discovery (thanks MTV). Nothing beats a tune sounding like you've stumbled into it half way through and some strange Scandinavian black and white dancing by a lake and a dining table.
39 'Crystalised' by The XX - back when they were four (members rather than years old, but they weren't far off I suppose). They offered something unique with sparse electronics and duelling male/female vocals and then took over the world a little.
40 'Biology' by Girls Aloud - as innovative a pop song you could hope to find or three catchy bits from different songs spliced together - you decide. But definitely the best of the band put together by Geri Haliwell, Pete Waterman and Dr. Fox - what could possibly go wrong?
Now listen to a good old earful of all of these over on that there Spotify malarkey...and if you missed the previous 320 (!) you can listen to them here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
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