Tuesday Top Ten: Songs of the 2000s

A couple weeks ago, I posted my Top 100 albums of the 2000s. Today, I follow that up with my Top 100 songs of the 2000s. I like songs. This list was actually much easier for me to compile than the Top 100 albums. I thought it was going to be harder, since I have a much more finite number of albums from the last ten years than songs. But, as it turns out, I just started listing songs out, and I had way more than a hundred, so I just whittled the list down.

Just so we're clear, I am taking a strict view of "released" in the 2000s. Thus, if a song was on an album that was released in 1999, but the song itself was not released as a single until 2000, it can't be on the list. This, unfortunately, excludes Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'," among others. And because I am insane, I am including a playlist of all of the songs that Playlist.com has.

Anyway, here are my favorite 100 songs of the 2000s, starting with other songs I considered that didn't make the cut:

Honorable Mention (in reverse alphabetical order by song name): "Chop Suey!" - Richard Cheese; "Stones in My Passway" - John Mellencamp; "Right Now" - SR-71; "Shoot Shoot" - KaitO; "Black Plant" - The Last Shadow Puppets; "Young Folks" - Peter Bjorn & John; "Killer Parties" - The Hold Steady; "Hot Girls in Good Moods" - Butch Walker & The Let's-Go-Out-Tonights; "Devastator" - Catfish Haven; "The Pretender" - Foo Fighters; "Open Up" - Dispatch; "Hate to Say I Told You So" - The Hives; "Diablo Rojo" - Rodrigo y Gabriela; "Float On" - Modest Mouse; "Life on a Chain" - Pete Yorn; "Here It Goes Again" - OK Go; "It's OK" - Slimm Cutta Calhoun; "The Taste of Ink" - The Used; "Crawling in the Dark" - Hoobastank; "The Underdog" - Spoon; "Black and Blue" - Ko & The Knockouts; "In a Little While" - U2; "Outer Space" - Ace Frehley; "Bad Weekend" - Art Brut; "In the End" - Linkin Park; "Faded" - Soul Decision; "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse; "Shout Bama Lama" - Detroit Cobras

100. "Hella Good" - No Doubt
99. "It Wasn't Me" -Shaggy
98. "Huddle Formation" - The Go! Team
97. "Kelly Affair" - Be Your Own Pet
96. "The Dude's Old Lady" - Runner & The Thermodynamics
95. "In the Morning" - Razorlight
94. "It Returns" - The Greenhornes
93. "Mother Mary" - Foxboro Hot Tubs
92. "Crazy Bitch" - Buckcherry
91. "Don't Let Me Get Me" - Pink

90. "Drunken Lullabies" - Flogging Molly
89. "Oh My God" - Kaiser Chiefs
88. "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" - Franz Ferdinand
87. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
86. "Take It Off" - The Donnas
85. "Perfect Gentleman" - Wyclef Jean
84. "Fat Lip" - Sum 41
83. "Slither" - Velvet Revolver
82. "The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash
81. "Knockers" - The Darkness

80. "15 Minutes" - The Strokes
79. "Constructive Summer" - The Hold Steady
78. "White Night" - The Postelles
77. "How a Resurrection Really Feels" - The Hold Steady
76. "Why Don't You and I" - Santana feat. Chad Kroeger and/or Alex Band
75. "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
74. "Ms. Jackson" - Outkast
73. "Night Shift" - O.A.R.
72. "This Is Our Emergency" - Pretty Girls Make Graves
71. "Demon Eyes" - The Answer

70. "No Trust" - The Black Keys
69. "Bubble Toes" - Jack Johnson
68. "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" - Weezer
67. "Kryptonite" - Three Doors Down
66. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand
65. "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" - Dropkick Murphys
64. "Black Girl" - The Paybacks
63. "Going in the Right Direction" - Robert Randolph & The Family Band
62. "Turn It Up" - Man Raze
61. "A-Punk" - Vampire Weekend

60. "All Nightmare Long" - Metallica
59. "Hate It or Love It" - 50 Cent and The Game
58. "Banging Camp" - The Hold Steady
57. "Electric Shake" - Be Your Own Pet
56. "Baby Fratelli" - The Fratellis
55. "E-Pro" - Beck
54. "Roses" - Outkast
53. "The Middle" - Jimmy Eat World
52. "No Brakes" - The Bravery
51. "Ein Stern (…der deinen Namen trägt)" - DJ Ötzi

50. "I Predict a Riot" - Kaiser Chiefs
49. "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" - The White Stripes
48. "Sex On Fire" - Kings of Leon
47. "Pledge of Allegiance" - Louis XIV
46. "Without Me" - Eminem
45. "B.O.B." - Outkast
44. "Wasted Generation" - Steel Dragon
43. "Someday" - The Strokes
42. "Great Expectations" - The Gaslight Anthem
41. "Hot in Herre" - Nelly

40. "My Doorbell" - The White Stripes
39. "Alright Alright (Here's My First, Where's the Fight?)" - Sahara Hotnights
38. "Gold Digger" - Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx
37. "California" - Phantom Planet
Damn, I miss The OC.
36. "My Mind is Ramblin'" - The Black Keys
35. "Get Low" - Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz
34. "All My Life" - Foo Fighters
33. "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
32. "Good Morning Aztlan" - Los Lobos
31. "Holy Roller Novocaine" - Kings of Leon

30. "All This Time" - Heartless Bastards
29. "Saturday (Ooh Ooh)" - Ludacris
28. "Woman" - Wolfmother
27. "She Hates Me" - Puddle of Mudd
26. "Teenage Dirtbag" - Wheatus
25. "Jolene" (live) - The White Stripes
24. "Hard to Explain" - The Strokes
23. "In Your Eyes" - Runner & The Thermodynamics
22. "If I Can't" - 50 Cent
21. "Keep Fishin'" - Weezer

20. "I Hate My Fucking Life" - Marc Pinansky
19. "I Get Wet" - Andrew W.K.
18. "Still Take You Home" - Arctic Monkeys
17. "Lady Ann" - Township
16. "Fever Dog" - Stillwater
15. "You're Pretty Good Looking (For a Girl)" - The White Stripes
14. "Something Good" - King Konga
13. "Salute Your Solution" - The Raconteurs
12. "We Want Fun" - Andrew W.K.
11. "Black Thumbnail" - Kings of Leon

10. "Fluorescent Adolescent" - Arctic Monkeys
This song is about longing for one's youth -- which we can all relate to -- and it's just a really good, catchy song. The first line to this song is great: "You used to get it in your fishnets / Now you only get it in your night dress." And only in British songs do you get prominent use of the word "daft."
9. "10 a.m. Automatic" - The Black Keys
This is my favorite Black Keys song. It's a great rock song with a great riff.
8. "Mr. Brightside" - The Killers
The first time I heard this I thought it was fantastic, and my opinion has never changed. I love the story of deception or perceived deception, as some guy is going to sleep while his girlfriend is smoking another dude's cigarettes while waiting for a cab with the dude. Or so he assumes.
7. "Chelsea Dagger" - The Fratellis
Everyone knows the refrain ("do do-do do do-do do do-do-dah-do"), since it's plastered over sports arenas, beer commercials, and movie trailers, but my favorite part it when it kicks into the chorus. The song builds perfectly, and the band makes great use of anticipation, so when that guitar slides down the fret board, the listener is ready for the payoff.
6. "Ignition" (Remix) - R. Kelly
"Now usually I don't do this." With those words -- which do not refer to urinating on underage women -- R. Kelly kicks off one dastardly catchy song about partying in hotel lobbies. This song should be on every wedding reception playlist.
5. "Massive Nights" - The Hold Steady
A shining example of what is right in the world of rock and roll. This song is anthemic and fun, detailing the madness that comes with a high school dance, and, in my mind, established The Hold Steady as one of the best rock bands of the decade.
4. "Offend in Every Way" - The White Stripes
Story of my life.
3. "Stumble and Fall" -Razorlight
Like many of the songs on Razorlight's debut album, this song is catchy, punky, and edgy, making effective use of the crescendo.
2. "Hey Ya!" - Outkast
What I remember most about "Hey Ya!" is how insane people used to go when it came on. I was at a bar in Bloomington when I was back for a football game, and "Hey Ya!" came on the juke box. It soon turned into bedlam. People immediately started dancing on chairs and tables. I'm not sure there's been a catchier song put out in the last ten years and, as far as I'm concerned, this is one of the top five pop songs ever written.
1. "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" - The Darkness
The first time I heard this song, I fell in love with it. The guitars. The falsetto. The machismo. It's exactly what the rock world needed in 2003 (and still needs, in my opinion). I can't get tired of this song.