STGA's Top 50 Songs of 2007: part 2

25. Battles "Atlas" How often do we at STGA give props to experimental music? Not a whole lot, so when an experimental rock band like Battles makes the top songs of the year you know its something special. The song swings, the vocals are weird and really kind of creepy, and it all crescendos with a robot rock type feel. It truly is an epic song. MP3: Battles "Atlas" 24. Rihanna feat Jay-Z "Umbrella" If you buy a new iMac pro, it comes with a program called Garage Band. "Umbrella" utilizes a shareware beat that comes on Garage Band called Vintage Funk Kit 03. How did a shareware beat become the biggest single of the summer? Rihanna's vocal performance and the lyrical content made the song inescapable this summer. And don't be fooled by Jay-Z's name on the song, his verse is forgettable at best. This song is all Rihanna. MP3: Rihanna feat Jay-Z "Umbrella" 23. Yung Joc feat Gorilla Zoe “Coffee Shop” Produced by Don Vito, Yung Joc's insouciant lead single from Hustlenomics was one of the most fun songs of the year. From the appearance of Pac-Mac to the song long metaphor of coffee as crack, the song is one of the most creative drug rap song ever. Also, hit maker The-Dream that wrote Rihanna's "Umbrella" sings the chorus to this great track. MP3: Yung Joc feat Gorilla Zoe "Coffee Shop" 22. M.I.A. feat Bun B and Rich Boy “Paper Planes” M.I.A. started 2007 known to most bloggers but unknown to a wide American audience. She ends the year having had a video on MTV and being considered one of the best new artists of the year. This remix of the third single from Kala really summarizes her year. Teaming up with Bun B from UGK and relatively new hit maker Rich Boy, they transform M.I.A.'s reinterpolation of the Clash's "Straight to Hell" into a hood anthem that everyone can enjoy. MP3: M.I.A. feat Bun B and Rich Boy "Paper Planes (Remix)" 21. New Young Pony Club “Ice Cream”London England dance group, New Young Pony Club scored a hit with this dead pan dance track. The song gained notoriety after being featured in an Intel Core 2 Processor commercial this summer which catapulted the album into the top 100 in three different countries. MP3: New Young Pony Club "Ice Cream" 20. Kanye West feat T-Pain "Good Life" The third single from Kanye West's seminole third album Graduation was perhaps one of the most joyous singles of the year. With T-Pain's signature autotuned vocals and sampling keys of Michael Jackson's "PYT", "Good Life" was the ultimate summer song released in October. Not to mention the pot shot at 50 Cent quoting "In Da Club": "50 told me, go 'head switch the style up, and if they hate, then let 'em hate, and watch the money pile up." MP3: Kanye West feat T-Pain "Good Life" 19. Feist "1 2 3 4" This cover of New Buffalo's unreleased song was launched into fame by its use in an iPod Nano commercial. Although Feist had gained attention through her solo work and through her work with Broken Social Scene, the success she achieved this year with "1 2 3 4" had to have been even unexpected for her. MP3: Feist "1 2 3 4" 18. Piebald "A Friend Of Mine" With Piebald announcing their break up, "A Friend of Mine" would prove to be their last single. The songs driving beat and piano riff make it the perfect wrap up to the later half of Piebald's career. MP3: Piebald "A Friend of Mine" 17. Fabolous feat Young Jeezy "Diamonds" Fabolous has had quite a few singles but none has showed off his playful simile abilities quite like "Diamonds". Here is a brief run down of the best lines in the song: "Lotta carrots, not the one's Bugs Bunny snackin' on", "But this Tiger stripe watch make your bitch a Bangles fan", "We spent more time, and "Making The Band" than Diddy did". Classic. MP3: Fabolous feat Young Jeezy "Diamonds" 16. Unk feat T-Pain, Jim Jones and E-40 “2 Step (Remix)” When "2 Step" was released it seemed like just another hip hop song with an accompanying dance that would fade into the back drop of novelty artists. When the remix was released it became clear that there was a little more girth to the song than originally thought. T-Pain drops his best verse to date with his autotuned vocals in full effect and E-40 bring a little bit of that hyphy heat to the mix. MP3: Unk feat T-Pain, Jim Jones, and E-40 "2 Step (Remix)" 15. Jay-Z “Roc Boys (and the Winner is...)” The second single from American Gangster is by far the best track on the album. The Menahan Street Band sample horns bring life and energy to the song on a fairly dark album. Jay-Z's verses are great as always. Rolling Stone named it the best song of the year, not quite that high up on my list but still a great track. MP3: Jay-Z "Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)" 14. CSS “Music is my Hot Hot Sex” Although Cansei de Ser Sexy the single was not officially released until 2007. The was featured in an iPod commercial and immediately became a sensation. iPod commercials have quickly become the launching pad for success and CSS got lucky on this one to have an awesome dance track featured. MP3: CSS "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" 13. Ghostface Killah feat Kid Capri “We Celebrate” Although I largely considered Big Doe Rehab a disappointment, Ghostface's lead single from the album "We Celebrate" was a winner in my book. The song produced the Hitmen and samples Rare Earth's "I Just Want to Celebrate" has the same feel that made "Kilo" one of the best singles of 2006. MP3: Ghostface "We Celebrate" 12. Electric Six "Down At Mcdonnellzzzzz"There is a reason why Electric Six is considered a party band, and it's because of songs like this. Their combination of disco and hard rock keeps the kids dancing and this anti-fast food song is more about fun than about a political message. MP3: Electric Six "Down At Mcdonnellzzzzz" 11. Calvin Harris "Acceptable in the 80s" Calvin Harris' kitschy dance tribute to the 80s is as inane as it is catchy. With an uber repetitive beat and a catchy falsetto chorus Calvin Harris was lifted to super stardom. Maybe its just as someone who was born in the 80s that I like the idea of Calvin Harris being completely willing to do something for me simply for the decade I was born in. No matter if you think the song is stupid or genius, you must admit it had its place in 2007 MP3: Calvin Harris "Acceptable in the 80s" 10. DJ Drama Feat. Outkast And Marsha Ambrosius "The Art Of Storytellin Part 4" For the last decade plus there has been no rap group more prolific or critically acclaimed than Outkast. The motley crew of Andre 3000 and Big Boi remind the listeners that opposites do attact. Andre 3000's opening verse is his way of saying "I'm not just the guy that did 'Hey Ya'" although he still shys away from the typical rap fair. On the other side is Big Boi who's verse reminds us he's still a player and a g but he's still one of the best rappers over a beat in recent memory. In lieu of a new Outkast album I guess this track will do. MP3: DJ Drama Feat. Outkast And Marsha Ambrosius "The Art Of Storytellin Part 4" 9. Amy Winehouse "Rehab" Although it was released as a single in the UK in 2006, it wasn't released in the US until May of 2007. The songs neo-soul sound and drugged-up lyrical content immediately made Ms. Winehouse a star. The clash of style and lyrics was jolting at first, but once the world got to know Amy a little better it all made sense. MP3: Amy Winehouse "Rehab" 8. Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing"When Kanye West dropped "Can't Tell Me Nothing" as the first single from Graduation it felt like a new level for Kanye. DJ Toomp, the man who brought you "What U Know", provided this dark synth beat with echoing Jeezy laughter as the back drop to one of Kanye's best lyricized songs to date. MP3: Kanye West "Can't Tell Me Nothing" 7. The Go! Team "Grip Like A Vice" Since their unexpected rise to fame in 2004, the Go! Team has brought us some of the most energetic and enjoyable music on the planet. The first single from the group's Proof of Youth album perfectly signified that. The lyrics of rapper Ninja stand out yet seem lost in the music. The trumpets sound straight out of a car chase scene in a 70s blacksplotation flick. The song is just pure, unadulterate Go! Team. MP3: The Go! Team "Grip Like A Vice" 6. Fratellis "Flathead" Maybe more than any other song can the Fratellis claim the power of the iPod commercial bump. As a relatively unknown band from Scotland, the iPod commercial featuring their fourth single from Costello Music burst them into the pop music stratosphere. The songs energetic and fun persona made it the perfect feel good song for the shadows of iPod to dance to and it danced its way into our hearts. MP3: Fratellis "Flathead" 5. Fat Joe feat Ace Mack, Lil' Wayne, Birdman, Rick Ross, R. Kelly, T.I. and DJ Khaled "Make It Rain (Remix)" Rap remixes have become something of a joke. Every rap song that gets even a little bit of play seems to have a remix feature 6 artists who really just don't belong on the track at all. But when "Make It Rain" remix came out it was a breath of fresh air. At the time it seemed to be the biggest remix in history. The girth of talent was immense and more importantly the talent all lived up to their full potential. Also, kudos to R Kelly because his opening verse to this track is easily the hottest verse of the year and the hottest verse of his career. MP3: Fat Joe feat Ace Mack, Lil' Wayne, Birdman, Rick Ross, R. Kelly, T.I. and DJ Khaled"Make It Rain (Remix)" 4. Kanye West "Stronger" Two times in the top ten and three times overall Kanye makes an appearance in this countdown? Yeah, Kanye is just that good. "Stronger" was the single of the year in many people's books and for good reason. Kanye took Daft Punk's dance hall anthem and made it a club banger with all the style and cockiness that Kanye has come to be known for. Kanye West and Daft Punk is like a match made in heaven. MP3: Kanye West "Stronger" 3. LCD Soundsystem "North American Scum" Although Pitchfork and numerous others in the blogosphere have touted "All My Friends" as the single of the year, the song from LCD Soundsystem that stood out for me from their 2007 effort Sounds of Silver was "North American Scum". The songs party anthem sound and love/hate relationship with America makes it a hard song not to bob your head too. Sure it doesn't have the sophistication of "All My Friends" but it has all the fun and more. MP3: LCD Soundsystem "North American Scum" 2. UGK feat Outkast "International Players Anthem" As sad as Pimp C's untimely death was, he insured his legacy would live on by releasing this highly acclaimed single. "International Player's Anthem" combined Willie Hutch's classic "I Choose You" with Three 6 Mafia's production skills, to make the perfect backdrop for one of the most prominent rap songs of the year. Andre 3000 starts the song off by killing the beat with no drum track and it only gets better once the chorus hits. The songs lush sound and raw rapping make it the best combo of the year by far. MP3: UGK feat Outkast "International Player's Anthem" 1. Justice "D.A.N.C.E." For me the single of the year was a no brainer. As I read around others list I was shocked not to see this song top more of them. The catchy chanting chorus, the symphonic string hits, and the non-stop dance beat makes for one of the best dance songs of the decade let alone of the year. The songs many Michael Jackson references are a tribute from Justice who are avid fans and the chanting chorus was supplied by a UK children's choir. The song was unescapable and I severely doubt any of you reading this have not heard. But for some reason no matter how many times you've heard you just want to hear it more. It's addicting. It is the single of 2007. MP3: Justice "D.A.N.C.E."