The Top 100 Songs of 2007, Part One: 100 – 81

I was originally going to put this together with a look back at how I feel about these songs now, but that would mean writing about 2007 200 times and I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore. I have been making my top 100 lists since 2005, although the 2005 list is long gone and I can only remember the top 3 (I Predict a Riot, All the Young Fascists and Bedroom Talk, respectively).

This was my first year of writing blurbs/annotations for each song. I have a few others that I’m going to throw up over the course of the year, but for now I wanted to present – unedited – one of my first proper attempts at music writing from when I was sixteen years old. It’s not pretty for the most part, but it’s at least an insight into what I was like at the time. So, enjoy – if you can, that is!

P.S: I apologise in advance for the Korn.

– DJY, January 2014

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100. Kaiser Chiefs – Love’s Not A Competition (But I’m Winning)

All things considered, this was probably my favourite Kaiser Chiefs track on the new album. “I Predict a Riot” was my number one song of 2005, but Yours Truly didn’t really live up to the expectations. The singles were good, but unfortunately didn’t make the cut. This one, however, was a lovely Morrissey-esque number that describes the turmoil found in love, and is a worthy inclusion in the top list.

99. Muscles – Ice Cream

“WOOO! AHHH!” Let’s face it, if you’re a fan of Australian music, dancing and Triple J (preferably all three at the same time), it was very hard to escape this little tune. It was, of course, the Midnight Juggernauts that lead the Australian dance scene in 2007, but it was this small-time Melburnian that managed to do it with twice the gusto and two-thirds less people. If this song doesn’t restore your faith in ice cream saving the day, I have no idea what will.

98. James Blunt – I’ll Take Everything

You could use this track alone to show how much James Blunt has progressed as both a songwriter and musician since Back to Bedlam. With a great beat, infectious chorus and heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, this was a real surprise on first listen to All The Lost Souls – I actually prefer this over all the singles on Bedlam, and this hasn’t even been released as a single! Pity, it could do well.

97. Common (feat. Lily Allen) – Drivin’ Me Wild

Everything about this song is – Common, as an MC, can rarely put a foot wrong, if ever; and Lily Allen provides a killer hook that you just can’t help but sing along to. This stands both as one of the best hip-hop songs of the year and a standout of Common’s extensive career.

96. KoЯn – Kiss

One of the more twisted, darker tunes on the band’s untitled album. The song finds Jon Davis in a dead-end relationship, continually being “pushed away”. Sure, it’s an idea that’s been used before, but KoЯn belt this one out as if their lives depended on it. Essentially, the elements of this song are what was lacking in the band’s last three records, which disappointed pretty much everyone. Give Untitled a chance – it’s actually really good.

95. The John Butler Trio – Gov Did Nothin’

“Now I don’t wish to offend, no I don’t wanna start a fight/But do you really think the Gov would’ve done nothing/If all those people were white?”. An amazingly epic triumph from Johnny B’s latest, the dreadlocked guitar hero enlists a cast of thousands to tell a tale that is outspoken, political and powerful. Grand National is a great album, but this song rose head and shoulders above pretty much everything else on it.

94. Horsell Common – Good From Afar

Pretty much nothing hit me in the face quicker than this song in 2007. Horsell Common have always been a great band, but the urgency and heaviness found on this song matches nothing else they’ve done. The big “HEY! HEY!” chant, the pounding drums and that riff- it stuck in heads, hearts and moshpits throughout the year, and deservedly so.

93. Linkin Park – What I’ve Done

This signalled the return of Linkin Park to the airwaves. There’s no strings attached here, no hidden meaning, no complex layers – just a mainstream rock song that happens to kick arse. That’s all there is to it, and that’s why it works.

92. Foo Fighters – Erase/Replace

The Dave has been unleased after the calm that was disc two of In Your Honour. The Fooeys here are tight, energetic, loud and a whole lot of fun. How the hell they can go from the calm gentle bridge to the absolute rip-snorter of a final chorus is beyond me. Still awesome after all these years!

91. The Red Paintings – We Belong in the Sea

Another beautiful number from an incredible band. The Feed the Wolf EP felt a little too thrown together with two covers and two different versions of the same song, but the two originals found on the EP are unbelievably good. The song features Trash McSweeney at his arguably most heartfelt, and the instrumentation is perfect for the song’s mood. It’s almost as if the band can do no wrong.

90. The Chemical Brothers – The Salmon Dance

If you did not dance, laugh, or even smile at this awesome little number, your heart is dead. Nothing else needs to be said here.

89. Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm

The Monkeys wasted no time getting right back into our heads with this little ditty at the very beginning of the year. Everything about this song is simply electric, hardly stopping at all for breath- and the addition of the organ was a really nice touch. This song alone is proof that Favourite Worst Nightmare was neither a second album flop or a carbon copy of its predecessor.

88. Blaqk Audio – The Love Letter

Originally, the Blaqk Audio tune that made the cut was lead single “Stiff Kittens.” But upon further listening to the album, no song stood out more than this stunning, emotional ballad with AFI overlord Davey Havok in fine form. For a side project, B.A. has done outstandingly well. This is Davey and Jade’s Postal Service to AFI’s Death Cab- still the same high quality of music, just in the eletronica kingdom.

87. Midnight Juggernauts – Tombstone

Daft Punk. There, I said it. I didn’t want to, but it’s incredibly hard to think of this song and not think of the French pioneers. Having said that, Tombstone is a hit, with a simple robotic hook and a wave of synth that could bowl any indie kid over, and bring the stiffest body in the room onto the dancefloor. The fact that something this good in dance music comes from here in Australia is just the cherry on top! PARTEH!

86. Operator Please – Zero! Zero!

What a fantastic way to kick off the album. This basically sums up what the band is all about- viciously hyperactive pop music with twistedly good lyrics washed over it. Operator Please and Red Bull would be a daring combination, and one I’m more than willing to try at the Big Day Out.

85. The Presets – My People

The Presets kicked back into our consciences with yet another dancefloor anthem. The energy and production here are top-notch, and Julian’s howl makes for one hell of a hook. It’s more of the same power-techno-pop that we’ve heard from Presets singles in the past, and while not a lot has changed, it’s good to see the boys haven’t dropped their game.

84. Radiohead – Faust Arp

Everything about this song just works. Jonny Greenwood’s Nick Drake-esque finger picking teamed up with Thom Yorke’s complex lyrics and stripped-back vocals and the subtle introduction of the beautiful string section. This is easily the most simple song on In Rainbows, but at the same time it is also one of the true standouts.

83. Liam Finn – Second Chance

The son of the legendary Neil Finn made some cracking tunes whilst in Betchadupa, but nothing quite as extraordinary as here. Now out on his own, the bushy-bearded Kiwi blasts us with glorious alt-pop with plenty of diversity and energy. If you like what you hear, I highly recommend going out and buying his album I’ll Be Lightning – he deserves all your support!

82. Battles – Leyendecker

I could go on for ages about how amazing this band is and how much I dig their songs. But only one thing needs to be said to justify the song and its place in my top 100: “Ahh ahh ahh ahhhhhhhhahh oooh ohh ooh oh oooooooooooooooh oooooooooooooooh.”

81. Faker – This Heart Attack

Not sure what happened with Faker this year. This Heart Attack was a fantastic little ditty, catchy as all hell and a great return to form. But Be The Twilight has sunk without a trace and I have barely heard from them since. Oh well, I can always go back to “Teenage Werewolf.” Ahh, memories.