"Ms. Jackson"
Outkast
He was for real. So was she.
"Hey Ya"
Outkast
How good you gotta be to make music that gets the kiddos dancing and the soccer moms grooving? Of course, the irony here is the sadness—perhaps even hopelessness—of the lyrics.
André 3000 is a rare talent. There's a very solid doc. on YouTube titled "The Insane True Story of André 3000," and it's well worth a watch.
"Live Your Life"
T.I. Featuring Rihanna
T.I. could rap the Wal-Mart ad page and it'd sound cool. And Rihanna's only the baddest, sexiest bitch on this or any planet.
"Umbrella"
Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
Baddest, Sexiest Bitch + Jay-Z = Plus-EV operation.
"Clocks"
Coldplay
Heard this for the first time sometime in March 2003 on my car radio. It was about 8:30 PM and I'd just taken the East St. Louis exit off Interstate 55-70. I was en route to the Casino Queen to deal Blackjack.
"Lose Yourself"
Eminem
A real motherfucker. An all-time all timer.
"Electric Feel"
MGMT
All along the Western front
People line up to receive
She got the power in her hand
To shock you like you won't believe
Saw her in the Amazon
With the voltage running through her skin
Standing there with nothing on
She gonna teach me how to swim
Pretty, pretty good.
If you've never seen the boys rendition of the Talking Heads classic, "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)," it's worth a few minutes. They were still in college and performing outdoors for no particular audience. It's awesome.
https://youtu.be/oEqZL995rBc?si=P-qfL8SKrfLBQ4ma
"One More Time"
Daft Punk
Okay by me.
"Crazy"
Gnarls Barkley
Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse are welcome to get the band back together any time they're ready. I know I am. IMO either "Crazy" or "Lose Yourself" is the [So Far] Song of the Millennium.
"Seven Nation Army"
The White Stripes
If and when the human race makes it to Mars—and if a Halloween mask called "Elon" hasn't already fucked up the whole goddamn planet—we'll be greeted by a native guarding the door.
"What do y'all Earthlings consider a banger?" the Martian will ask. And before Jack White gets to "I'm," Mr. Mars will say, "Same."
"Gold Digger"
Kanye West Featuring Jamie Foxx
Sounded like nothing else. Still doesn't.
"All Falls Down"
Kanye West Featuring Syleena Johnson
Imagine setting out to make a song that steals the show from Stacey Dash's Hall of Fame nipples. Now imagine actually doing it.
"Hands of Time"
Groove Armada Featuring Richie Havens
First heard in Michael Mann's criminally underrated, Collateral. The silver screen's king of atmosphere has introduced me to a number of other gems, as well. Moby's "God Moving Over the Face of Waters" comes to mind.
https://youtu.be/tbXNaPyP0Fo?si=d2xYEKT4jx2PYSMx
"How Can You Really"
Foxygen
Once upon a time, I shipped this to my friend, Angelo, who liked it immediately. His reply serves as a perfect review: "Wow. That's good. Somehow manages to be a lot better than it has any right to be."
https://youtu.be/PqW7EfA3VWE?si=SDYxtBbxTO64NuJ2
"Mariella"
Leon Bridges & Khruangbin
A random 3 AM some months ago, I stumbled upon this masterpiece while grinding out equine numbers. Around 9, numbers were done and bets were in, so I headed out for some breakfast. By 9:30, I'd parked the car having listened to nothing but Mariella for six straight hours.
I can recall no other song that's bewitched me quite like the Mysterious Ms. M.
https://youtu.be/FDkUApLcTYY?si=In8CSzgzolAJ9-1X
"River"
Leon Bridges
Straight out Sam Cooke's playbook.
"Redbone"
Childish Gambino
A dose of classic 70s soul. Sly Stone approves.
"Soul"
Gary Clark, Jr.
Speaking of Soul, Gary Clark's got it, too.
Pretty face, perfect frame, you got it going on
Model walk with that baby talk, you know, girl you got me gone
You so hard to hold onto and I'm really, really hanging on
This is the smash hit that—somehow—never was.
https://youtu.be/aEJF9kInhl8?si=AbpT5_UUlUTtqpFW
"Right Above It"
Lil Wayne Featuring Drake
My real friends never hearing from me
Fake friends write the wrong answers on the mirror for me
That's why I pick and choose, I don't get shit confused
I got a small circle, I'm not with different crews
We walk the same path, but got on different shoes
Live in the same building, but we got different views
"Luven Me"
Nelly
It may not be his most well-known work, but it's clearly Cornell Haynes, Jr.'s best.
Instead of every time I call it's to bail me out
Oh why didn't I listen to things you used to tell me?
Knowin' that everything that you said would never fail me
Like they got plans for ya
Ain't nothin' I can do when them laws get they hands on you
STL represent.
https://youtu.be/vi3BStCGXwk?si=jRMfmosWApbCe6gw
"One of These Mornings"
Moby Featuring Patti LaBelle
Michael Mann. Again. This time we're on a Miami Vice boat ride.
https://youtu.be/Q39PLgQjD2Q?si=AiloXZ7avjghXKuT
"Over My Head (Cable Car)"
The Fray
I never knew
I never knew that everything was fallin' through
That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue
To turn and run when all I needed was the truth
But that's how it's gotta be
It's comin' down to nothin' more than apathy
I'd rather run the other way than stay and see
The smoke and who's still standing when it clears
The piano is as good as the lyrics.
"Say It Right"
Nelly Furtado
Back in 2006, I must have listened to this 90 days in a row on the drive downtown to clock in at The Pit to play cards.
"Miles Davis and the Cool (Acoustic)"
The Gaslight Anthem
Honey, put on your red dress and your diamond soled shoes
Climb on out from that window, climb on out of your room
Cause I've never had a good thing, and I always had the blues
But I heard that you always kinda wondered, Miles, strike up the cool
Those lyrics might not be as cool as the man himself, but So What? Neither is anything/anyone else.
https://youtu.be/iSQJTTFUj3U?si=Nj0CCxqXpQ7XMpcI
"Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) (MTV Unplugged)"
Jay-Z Featuring Jaguar Wright
Look scrapper I got nephews to look after
I'm not looking at you dudes, I'm looking past ya
I thought I told you characters I'm not a rapper
Can I live? I told you in ninety-six
That I came to take this shit and I did, handle my biz
I scramble like Randall with his
Cunningham but the only thing running is numbers fam
And to top it off, Questlove banging the drums.
"Snow (Hey Oh)"
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The best song the Chili Peppers ever made is "Soul to Squeeze." But Snow's a pretty close second.
"Howling At Nothing"
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
Howlin' feels like Motown circa '65. Turns out it's a wickedly talented hillbilly from Herman, MO.
https://youtu.be/AzqmVa6n-es?si=DXCmTlYIEl4voBkc
"When You Were Young"
The Killers
The best song off their second album is their best song—full stop.
"Runaways"
The Killers
We got engaged on a Friday night
I swore on the head of our unborn child
That I could take care of the three of us
But I got the tendency to slip when the nights get wild
It's in my blood
He said she might just run away somewhere else
Someplace good
We can't wait 'til tomorrow
"Wagon Wheel"
Old Crowe Medicine Show
Completed a Bob Dylan song and lost all his money playing poker? I'll never accomplish the former but I've managed the latter too many times to count. No shot we wouldn't be friends IRL.
"Colder Weather"
Zac Brown Band
"Rolling in the Deep"
Adele
Adele is an uncommon talent who's produced plenty of memorable songs. But Deep is her best.
"Humdrum Town"
Theophilus London
Still no idea how Theo didn't hit big on this.
https://youtu.be/r2jBlPml7N4?si=h6DOTIv8ls_BkIYh
"Life Don't Last That Long"
Anders Osborne
As Gambooling Twitter pal, Jon Lerner, said: "The dude's got a lot of soul."
When I moved to California
I had a friend out there
My scarlet begonia
Hollywood affair
I got caught up in the big wave
Riding that big (guitar shout)
But my heart was being different
I knew it wasn't you
Fo sho.
https://youtu.be/GU_fTBYoZM4?si=XmEATRtqCclEG-y7
“The Edge of Glory (Live on the Stern Show)"
Lady Gaga
Put on your shades, cuz you'll be dancin' in the flames.
https://youtu.be/r0X7PodqDSE?si=smn5scAjKAcALbLy
"Guess What"
Syleena Johnson
This lady can belt 'em out.
https://youtu.be/7CjFuyA4-aM?si=9Xd6JIrYOu0AFH48
"I'll Be Your Man"
Black Keys
Hung.
"Little Black Submarines"
Black Keys
Certified Black Banger.
"Oh Josephine (Live)"
The Black Crowes
No waiting for redemption, no leaving love behind
You got to know where you wanna be, it gets cold outside
It's too late to play it safe so let's let it all ride
Yeah, let's let it all ride, let it all ride
https://youtu.be/ebEPYhPtQJI?si=92Z9n82bopO7668L
"New Theory"
Washed Out
A summer song if there ever was one.
https://youtu.be/v00RQms9QiM?si=X7nzBosxiI7hDyPs
"The Hills"
The Weeknd
The Weeknd is living, jamming proof that with talent, hard work and lots of good drugs, new sounds are still possible.
"Sit Next to Me"
Foster the People
Simply a better song than "Pumped Up Kicks." And I dig Kicks and its Talking Heads vibe.
"Somebody That I Used to Know"
Gotye
Textbook one-hit wonder. One-hit wonders get an awful wrap. O-HWs are [usually] great, but more importantly, they're a great reminder of what an incredible feat it is to write one goddamn song that grabs so many people.
"I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Original)"
Mike Posner
A crushingly sad song that somehow makes me happy. The sped-up remix got the radio run, but the original was always the best. And like my man, Joe Holleman, mentioned: "He gets bonus points for Dylan homage."
"Sunrise"
Ryan Bingham
Here I go again
Straight up out the motel
Hock my guitar out of a pawn shop jail
If I quit, I'm just rolling the dice
Couldn't pass up the red beans and rice
Singing
Oh, my my
See them girls shake their ass
Underneath the sunrise
Oh, my my
Taste the sugar on their lips
Underneath that moonlight
https://youtu.be/slXapoOyrzw?si=_BLOW9r9HaNntNX5
"Hurt"
Johnny Cash
Cash took a great, well-known tune and made it his own. Exactly what Trent Reznor was afraid of.
"Riptide"
Vance Joy
Quirky, awesome little song. And you can't beat the Midnight Cowboy reference.
"Do You Feel Me"
Anthony Hamilton
Best scene in American Gangster.
"The Seed (2.0)"
The Roots Featuring Cody Chesnutt
Tough sledding making music better than this.
And Questlove. Again.
"Colors (Official Live Session)"
Black Pumas
And last but goddamn very near the best.
https://youtu.be/0G383538qzQ?si=dN84sCY-uRYclntS
