Yeah, we listed our fave singles of the decade in our '00s recap,
but decided to man up and choose the top dogs. (Also, a bit of free time helped bring this list to fruition.) So, 6 months later, here they are:
13. Outkast - “Hey Ya!” (2003)
Flaming Lips channeling Prince? Whatever. "Shake it like a Polaroid picture", indeed.
12. Pearl Jam - “The Fixer” (2009)
A late-period anthemic single by a veteran band seemingly having fun for the first time. Yes, it rocks.
11. U2 - "Beautiful Day" (2000)
A breath of fresh air at the tail end of the boy band/nü metal onslaught of the late '90s. Whew!
10. Audioslave - "Cochise" (2002)
The first—and biggest—rock supergroup of the first decade of the 21st century didn't always gel, but when they did...
9. Freelance Hellraiser - "A Stroke of Genius" (2001)
The pun in this mash-up's title arrogantly but aptly nails it. Hats off to anyone who can make us like a song featuring two artists we do not care for. Brilliant.
8. Queens of the Stone Age - "The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret" (2000)
Before QOTSA's ZZ Top influence lost its subtlety, the band could effortlessly blend menace with melody. Wish they'd revisit that.
7. Zwan - "Honestly" (2003)
A delight for those of us who missed the classic Smashing Pumpkins sound. And like #4, it gets extra points for featuring the lovely Paz Lenchantin on bass.
6. The Raconteurs - “Steady, As She Goes” (2006)
"Find yourself a girl and settle down / live a simple life in a quiet town..." Never before did straightforward advice sound so good.
5. JLS - "Maco Jones" (2003)
Everything metal is supposed to be: a riff-heavy, hard-stomping slab of in-your-face rudeness and controversy.
4. A Perfect Circle - “Judith” (2000)
As stated before, we don't share the sentiment of the lyrics one bit, but find the song and the David Fincher-directed clip, equally intoxicating.
3. Norah Jones - "Don't Know Why" (2002)
Yeah, the not-really-jazz album which contains it has since surpassed Kind of Blue as the biggest selling jazz record of all time, but this song is indeed a most beautiful thing.
2. Weezer - “Keep Fishin” (2002)
Simply put, three minutes and five seconds of pure ear-candy bliss, with a fantastic nostalgia-ride of a video clip to match.
1. Death Cab for Cutie - "The Sound of Settling" (2003)
Short, sweet and imbued with a joyous vibe not frequently heard in their catalog.
