Top 10 of 2006: Music

Welcome one and all to what has become an annual tradition, as I make my picks for the top 10 movies, songs, and TV shows of 2006. Last year I did this on the old MySpace blog so this is the premiere edition located at the Self Loathing blog.

Honorable Mention: Lights and Sounds- Yellowcard, Morris Brown- Outkast, On the Radio- Regina Spektor, Goodbye Earl- Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees, Bossy- Kellis

10. The Kill- 30 Seconds to Mars: Perhaps they made the list because of my man love for Jordan Catalano (aka Jared Leto) or perhaps it’s the fact that this song rocks your socks.

9. Crystal Ball- Keene: Ah the musical evolution of P Cobb continues as I ventured this year into Coldplay type territory with Keene . These boys really hit me with this track that reminded me that not all rock has knock your socks off sometimes it just needs to curl them up.

8. Love Me or Hate Me- Lady Sovereign: A female rapper for England sounds like nothing but a gimmick but the midget with the big ears tears it up on this track. Definitely my favorite jam of the last two months, I pray we don’t deport her.

7. Out Here All Night- Damone: Proof that the free download of the week that iTunes offer is always worth checking out. The best band name of the year brings back memories of Maiden and Priest with the excellent guitar work on this track.

6. I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor- Arctic Monkeys: 2006 was supposed to be the year of the Monkeys but it turned out to be more hype then result. I thought the music stood up the hype especially this track that I often played at ear bleed levels driving down the highway.

5. Sexyback- Justin Timberlake: This is a late entry as I resisted this song for the last 4 months. However in the end I think we all want JT to bring sexy back because the world really needs it. The song just can’t be stopped no matter how much you try.

4. When You Were Young- The Killers: Here’s a perfect example of releasing a single that makes people slobber in anticipation for an album. The classic Killer’s formula is in full effect here (speed up, slow down, speed up), and it’s done to perfection.

3. Crazy- Gnarls Barkley: These guys are hands down the artists of the year for 2006. Their album St. Elsewhere turned out to be one of those albums where you keep going back and downloading track after track. Who knew that after seeing Cee Lo spoil his daughter on MTV’s My Sweet Sixteen a couple years back that we’d be celebrating him as one of the musical geniuses of 2006.

2. Welcome to the Black Parade- My Chemical Romance: The album of the year spawned my number two single. Operatic and cinematic in its scope the track stirs the heart and feeds the brain. (Man I am on fire today with my metaphors!)

1. Gone Daddy Gone- Gnarls Barkley: 2 songs in the top 3? You betcha especially when it’s the cover of the year (sorry Me First although I love your Dixie Chicks cover). I always think a good cover is one that makes you think fondly of the original but is different enough that you can embrace it as a stand alone product. Danger Mouse takes the original beat and amps it up just enough to give this track an infectious grove that carried me through the summer.