Songs of 2009

Now that everyone else has got their Best Of lists out of the way, or refused to write them, or refused and then did them anyway :-) I thought I'd have a go, ridiculously late or not.....

I don't think it was that good a year for the music we call Rock. The UK indie scene has been pretty ho-hum with most hip, NME-stylee bands being underwhelming, and most of the best American bands taking time off. Some memorable songs:

Zero by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs ( the coooool Karen O above )

Dominos by The Big Pink

Fire by Kasabian (no longer content with trying to be Oasis, they now want to be Primal Scream)

Invaders Must Die / Warrior Dance by the Prodigy

The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem ( great live band! )

Outlaw Pete / My Lucky Day / The Last Carnival by Bruce Springsteen ( of course! )

I'm ashamed to say that I own the latest albums by The Flaming Lips and Green Day, but haven't listened to them enough to form an opinion. Must try harder.....

The real action in the pop charts has come, yet again, from female musicians. With artists like Florence Welch, La Roux and Lilly Allen kicking arse on the dance floors the music scene is much more interesting and colourful than in the male-dominated '90s. A small (!) list follows.....

In For The Kill / Bulletproof by La Roux ( so '80s it hurts, but it's a good kind of hurt )

The Fear by Lilly Allen ( her best song yet? )

Rabbit Heart / You've Got The Love / Kiss With A Fist by Florence And The Machine

( What can I say? A fantastic Siouxsie/Kate Bush hybrid who conquers all before her )

Poker Face / Paparazzi by Lady Gaga ( see above for the new Queen Of Pop! )

When Love Takes Over by Kelly Rowland ( & David Guetta )

Please Don't Leave Me by P!nk

Untouched by The Veronicas ( Guilty pleasure alert! )

Halo by Beyonce ( you may have heard of her... )

New In Town by Little Boots

Of course, the pop world is dominated by dance and r'n'b ( Do we have to call it "urban" now? ) Melting the dancefloor are.....

Ready For The Weekend by Calvin Harris

Evacuate The Dancefloor by Cascada

Dance Wiv Me / Bonkers by the bon-bon-bonkers Dizzee Rascal

DOA ( Death Of Auto-Tune ) by the omnipresent Jay-Z, who is also responsible for.....

My Favourite Song Of The Year:

Empire State Of Mind by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys

A fantastic performance, a duet that actually works, a wonderful video, the beautiful Ms. Keys, it's all good!

Phew!

Soundtrack: Most of the above.

Updated 05/01/10

Continuing a tradition I started last year when I missed MIA's Paper Planes off my list, this year's How The Hell Did I Forget That? award goes to the wonderful Winter Winds by Mumford & Sons. ( With honourable mentions to Human by The Killers, and White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. )