Hello everyone, and welcome back to another post! I would love to review something else or talk about some sort of chart soon, but today, I am here to post about something seemingly obscure that not many people would think is real. It's not really a song review, it's just more of me showing my amusement over this. Let's do it!
INTRODUCTION
So, I was surfing the web one day recently, and I was on the website for Loudwire, a site that posts rock and metal news and lists. They had one video on their site called "Top Ten Songs Under One Minute Long", and I watched it because I thought some great punk songs would be on it. It did have stuff like "Change of Ideas" by Bad Religion and "A.N.I.C." by Sum 41, but after those two songs were shown, there was something else. It was a song called "You Suffer" by British grindcore band Napalm Death, and it was only one second long. I'm not even joking, it just started and finished so quick that I was in total shock. So this post will basically be saying everything I can about the one-second-long song, and just how amusing it is to me.
THE ONE-SECOND-LONG SONG "You Suffer" is a song released by Napalm Death from their debut album Scum, which was originally released on July 1, 1987, through Earache Records. The song and album are considered as grindcore, which is an extreme mix of heavy metal and hardcore punk; in fact, many call Scum the very first grindcore album. The album has twenty-eight songs on it that total thirty-three minutes and four seconds, which I think is just insane. Readers of British magazine Kerrang! voted it as the 50th best British album of all-time, and Robert Dimery included the album in his book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. "You Suffer", which was released in 1989 as the album's sole single, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the shortest song in the world, as it is exactly 1.316 seconds long. Justin Broadrick, a former guitarist and vocalist from the band, said once that "You Suffer" was an "utterly retarded" song that was "largely a comedy thing", and that they often played it as much as thirty times in a row in front of thirty local kids. The song's only lyrics, which are, "You suffer, but why?" were written by former vocalist and bassist Nicholas "Nik Napalm" Bullen. In March of 2007, Earache Records produced and released a music video for the song that contained footage of a girl jumping overlaid with fake blood and gunshot effects. This song seems really crazy now, huh? Well, it may be really short, but it's so significant because of how impressive people think it is.
When I first heard this song, I thought it wasn't even that real. It just sounded like a full second of noise to me. But as I heard it more and more, it seemed a little bit more like a song. I couldn't really tell what they were saying as well, just because of how quick it was. The more I listened to it, the more impressive I thought it was. I then listened to Scum in full, and enjoyed it. There are a few other songs under thirty seconds long on the album (which means last.fm doesn't scrobble them), and it was overall pretty short. I even followed through with Scum's follow-up, From Enslavement To Obliteration, which possesses twenty-seven songs in just thirty-four minutes. Two songs on that album, titled "Your Achievement?" and "Dead" are six and four seconds long, respectively, but I don't think they compare to "You Suffer". I can really just listen to songs like that at any time and not really get sick of them, just because of how unique and different they are.
Oh, and one important thing I want to mention about this song. When you listen to it, you may only hear the fast vocals yelling, "You suffer, but why?", but there are all of the regular rock instruments in the background, including some quick guitar power chords and speedy blast beats (and speaking of blast beats, the original Napalm Death drummer invented the term "blast beat". Pretty cool, huh?). One thing I did when I was bored one day was try to look up how to play this song on guitar, if it was possible. Turns out, it's really easy; all you do is in sixteenth notes, play three D power chords and finish on the fourth tick going down to C-sharp. I was surprised at how simple it was. It's probably not as easy on the drums, but I don't know since I'm not a drummer. I thought about this and realized that it may be a cool beginner song to play, because of how quick it is and all. So if you're interested in playing metal guitar, this may be a good starter song.
And finally, I was searching up the song once, and one of the auto-fill results was a slowed down version of the song. I listened to it, and it was still so short and so weird. I could hear the C-sharp power chord at the end a little better, though, which was cool. You can look that up if you think it might be cool, but please listen to the original version first, because that would make a lot of sense.
FINAL WORDS
So that is pretty much this post! If you want to listen to this song, you can check it out on YouTube here or Spotify here. If you liked it and want something a little longer, then maybe you can try one of the band's first two albums, which I may review in the future. Thanks for reading this, and I'll see you guys again soon!
Hey everyone! I'm bored right now and it's been a while since I last posted, so I'm doing this post just for fun. The title seems very vague, but I will have a lot to say about that title in this post. Let's get to it!
INTRODUCTION
Most of you reading this probably know what it's like to be a real music fanatic at this point. You listen to music all the time and love jamming out to your favorite songs and artists. But often times, you're stuck asking yourself this question: "How can I discover new music?" Well, in this post, I will not only give advice for discovering new music, but I will also talk about my own experiences and how I came to discover a lot of my favorite music, which can be an inspiration to everyone out there who is stuck on just what the heck you can listen to. And I've certainly been there, which should make me even more qualified to do this. So if you're unsure on methods of discovering new music and want some help, you're in the right place. Hopefully I don't screw up. So yeah, hope you enjoy.
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH DISCOVERING NEW MUSIC
Okay, so I think starting this post off with some life stories that have to do with this topic should be good. But in case you don't know much about me, here's some background info: I've been a big music listener and fan for almost four years now, and it all started around May or June 2015 (I was about 11 at that time) when my friend would turn on my local top 40 radio station while we would play video games together. He knew all of the songs and would often sing along to them when they came on. During the time when he was visiting (he lives 5 or 6 hours away from me so he stays for a few days when he visits), I got more and more attached to this pop radio, probably just because I had never heard a station like that before (when I was younger, my Christian mom only let me listen to the Christian stations probably because she didn't want me hearing a lot of the stuff on pop radio). After he left, I would spend pretty much all of my spare time listening to my local pop station and also things like the American Top 40 station, and it didn't take me long to discover Spotify from there. Being able to pick what songs I could listen to was like heaven for me, and I just spent even more time listening to the songs I liked from the radio on that. But when I realized how much music was out there was when I first took up the music discovering processes I sometimes use today.
Strangely enough, I didn't think too much to use the Internet when wanting to find new music to listen to, so I just went off on my own trying to find my new favorite songs and artists. I found out that I had to know what forms and genres I wanted to discover. The first thing I thought to find was rap music because it seemed that was what everyone at my school was listening to (this was around the beginning of my 6th grade year), and I thought it may be cool to try to take up rapping myself. I had heard before about big-name rap artists like Eminem and Drake, so it didn't take long for me to find a lot of songs from people like them that I loved. Following that was a short new pop music phase, and then my trap phase hit me hard. I certainly regret having that phase due to me thinking of my 13-year-old self as screwed up because of it, but one thing I did get out of it was music discovering methods. I knew what artists and genres I liked, so I just used Spotify to know what songs and artists from those genres were trending. I would find an artist that was supposedly similar to my faves or just trending in the trap world, so I just listened to a song or two from them, and that worked out perfectly. I still do that a lot to this day; in fact, I just did last night with some artists I knew were similar to my current rotation. It may seem risky, but I promise it does work.
Now let's go back to the summer of 2017, which was smack dab in the middle of my stupid teenager trap phase. I was encouraged to do an online game involving the 100 most popular songs of the 2000s, according to Billboard. I had to get familiar with all 100 songs, and then rank them from favorite to least favorite. But forget the ranking part. I didn't get crap out of that. I did get crap out of indulging myself in these songs. It was my first time in a pretty long while getting exposed to music that I wasn't used to hearing, and in this case, real music. There were some rap songs I got attached to, but there was also pop, rock, and even a little bit of country. I was getting attached to a lot of the rock stuff the most, and for once in my life I felt comfortable listening to that stuff around trap fans in school (by this point I had just started 8th grade). I did get that feeling out of doing this, but I also got a new music discovering tool for my tool box: Listening through charts or lists of successful songs.
Flash-forward to about a year later, which was actually last September. I had started high school at a pretty different school without all those unintelligent trap fans. I knew that that was my chance to really go where I wanted to go with music discovering. So I started a campaign where I would listen to the top 25 songs of every alternative chart from the previous year (2017) to 1999 (except I listened to the full '99 chart for another ranking game). I would put all of the songs I listened to in a playlist that I would then pick favorites out of. (And if you're wondering why I chose alternative, it's because I thought it would sound really good on my new headphones) I kind of look back at it now as a small failure, but it did lead me to discover many great bands from doing it, including Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Offspring, A Perfect Circle, and (cue the booing) Limp Bizkit. I don't think I'd use that exact method of discovering just because it didn't do as much as I wanted it to for me, but it did lead me to another common discovering method: Listening to albums.
I had never been much of an album person before this time. Unless it was one I had already listened to 20 times somehow, I usually got really bored when listening to them. But that changed one day towards the end of last September. I was really into listening to a then-strange band called The Offspring for some reason. They had quite a few songs I liked that I discovered through the chart-listening thing I did. Three of them, which were "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)", "The Kids Aren't Alright", and "Why Don't You Get a Job?" came off of one supposedly good album called Americana. I thought, "Hey, why don't I try listening to this? It shouldn't be too boring considering how upbeat a couple of these songs are." So I did. And it seemed to be pretty enjoyable for me, so I went on to another one that had the jam "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" on it. It was called Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. I didn't think it stood out as much as Americana, but I liked it as well, and even decided to add "Hammerhead" from it to my rock playlist. That Offspring binge kicked off a whole album phase for me that lasted way longer than I thought it would. I listened to entire discographies of artists I had already loved and discovered from the previous method, though the immediate effects only brought four songs for my playlist: "Monkey Wrench" from the Foo Fighters' The Colour and the Shape, "Bullets" from Creed's Weathered, "Riot" from Three Days Grace's One-X, and another Offspring song called "Original Prankster". I did get my huge and powerful love for The Offspring out of doing that, but when I realized I could listen to a lot of these albums on my own time, it gave me albums for that, too. So nowadays when I find myself enjoying hour-long albums from Avenged Sevenfold, I thank myself from that time for stepping out of my comfort zone to discover more.
You'd think doing all of that would cook up a big storm, but I think I was wrong. That winter, my music discovering journey seemed to hit a dead end. I had just listened to whole alternative charts that gave me a love for bands like Godsmack, Papa Roach, Breaking Benjamin, Korn, Disturbed, and Shinedown, but by the end of that month I had no motivation or direction for getting more listening music in my arsenal. I took to music servers on Discord for advice. The first piece I got was to take what Spotify gives you. That made sense to me, because after all Spotify does make a huge effort in recommending you music they think you'll like. They have this playlist called Discover Weekly that they update every week with 30 songs they think you'll like, and this dude told me it was "flames" and that it was good for discovering music. And looking back, I do not regret taking his advice. I don't listen to it as much as I used to, but it does give me a great song or two when I need one. It is good for getting into new artists as well. And that pretty much takes us to the present day, where I am just a 15-year-old rock-head who is always finding great new rock songs and bands to listen to. I know this section was pretty long, but we're getting to the fun part, trust me.
HOW TO DISCOVER?
So all of me talking about how I discovered a lot of my favorite music comes down to this question: How can any average music can discover music that they will like and want to listen to? Well, the following paragraphs should be packed with discovering methods and advice for finding stuff you like. I will try not to include methods that I have not tried or have not gotten much out of, so all of these should work for at least someone. It doesn't matter which one(s) you start with, just whatever works for you I guess. So here is the general advice and some methods that should work for you.
GENERAL ADVICE FOR DISCOVERING
1. Know what you want to discover. Not knowing what kind of music you want to discover is like driving to a place you've never been to or seen without a map or GPS: It's really hard and will probably take a while to find the place. It works the same way with discovering new music. If you don't know what you want to discover, you're going to have a very hard time getting progress. Just knowing what genre you like or want to get into is a good start. But knowing what type of charts or what era of music you want to know also works. Just have at least a little bit of a game plan. You don't need too much.
2. Don't be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. If I didn't do this, then I would still be that annoying trap teenager I was 2 years ago. It feels weird at first, but it won't be long before it does become part of your comfort zone. If there's something you think you may like but you don't know if you will, please do not hesitate.
3. It's good to discover, but don't over-discover. I actually made this mistake right after I started listening to stuff Spotify recommended to me. As a result, I couldn't keep up with everything I had discovered and added to my playlists that I pretty much had to listen to playlists with a bunch of songs I'm not too familiar with, which often times isn't good for me. I had to take a long break from discovering music after that, which wasn't too fun. So please watch yourself and try not to make this mistake.
4. Take what your streaming service gives you. I already mentioned this one, but this does help. Spotify is a great service that has personalized mixes and playlists, but lots of services have top songs playlists for many eras and genres that can be very good for someone who is looking for new stuff to listen to. If you don't take advantage of this, then you're missing out.
5. Music and reviewing websites can be your friend. When you see a critic or general person mention that a certain song, album, or artist is good, they are likely not wrong. Even YouTube videos are good for this type of thing because they play samples of these songs right in front of you. Also, along with this, try not to listen to negativity that comes from critics and websites. You don't need to prevent yourself from listening to things because critics say they suck.
EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR DISCOVERING MUSIC
1. Listen through charts of genres and eras you like or want to discover. This helped me a lot in getting more into rock music and I plan to do this with more active rock charts this summer. Just try to actively listen to whatever song comes up, and if you like it, save it to your library or add it to your playlist so you can keep listening to it.
2. Listen to albums. It may seem boring since a lot of albums can be boring, but you will quickly get used to it. Have a few go-to albums that you can queue up and listen to at any time. What albums you listen to don't matter as long as you think you may enjoy them enough that you can listen to them any time.
3. Use streaming services and recommendation sites to your advantage. I talked about this in number four of the last list, but taking what your streaming service gives you is a great way to find something new to listen to. And I mentioned music reviewing websites right after that. Another thing is to use websites like last.fm that give you recommendations based on what you listen to. It's a really cool site that I really enjoy using. You can look at my profile here if you wish.
4. What I like to call the "just because" method. This is when you pick out an artist or a song you have heard is similar to stuff you like, and you queue a lot of different things up just because. I have discovered lots of my favorite songs and artists over the years from doing this, and that's because it really does work. For example, if you wanted to try getting into post-grunge, you would go find out some of the most influential post-grunge artists, and just pick out a couple songs from each of them to listen to. And you can find what you like and go from there. It also helps with stepping out of your comfort zone, which makes it an all-around good way to find good music.
5. YouTube videos! By this, I mean videos that show charts or genre-specific songs and play 10-15 second samples of them. When I do this, I have my phone right in front of me ready to search up a song to save if I like what I heard from it. It is quick and it is effective, as these videos are not hard to find.
6. Listen to the radio. After all, that is how I came to be a music fan. Your city probably has radio stations for pretty much any genre, and you can discover lots of great stuff from there. The Music Choice channels you get from cable TV work as well.
7. Ask other people. Whether in real life or over the Internet, other people can be a great source of great new music. A good option is to find someone who has a similar taste to you, or join an online community of people who are a lot like you. These people will more than likely know at least a great song or two that you don't know, and by using them you can quickly get a bunch of new songs for your playlist. What I like to do is trade recommendations with people, which means I give them a song or album recommendation that I think they'd like, and then I ask them to give me something in return, that way we're both benefiting from the process. This is also here to let you know that if you want to know more rock songs of any kind, then feel free to ask me and I can help you out.
TOO LONG? DIDN'T WANT TO READ?
Here's a summary of all I've said in this post: All music fans should love discovering new music, but often times we don't know how. But there are many different ways of doing this. You can listen through charts or albums, or be wise and take what your streaming service gives you. The "just because" method I previously explained also works out great, as well as asking other people, listening to the radio, and watching YouTube videos with compilations of song samples in them. Some things to remember as you discover include knowing what you want to find, being open to trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone, and not overloading with stuff you're not as familiar with. If you ever hit a discovering rut and don't know how to get out of it, then just check back here for advice and you're good to go!
FINAL WORDS
And that brings this post to an end. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed making it. (And for the record, yes, I did enjoy making this) If you have any questions or want recommendations, then feel free to talk to me and ask me. You can comment here or use a site like Discord to talk. And if you have any recommendations for me, please share them because I am very open to listening to them. But that's all for now, and I'll see you all next time! Have a great life! :D
Hey there everyone, and welcome back to a seemingly random post I'm making just because I'm bored! First of all, I did get a post recommendation from the last time I posted, and I'm just letting everyone know that I am working on that and it will come when I get the chance. But for now, I have this. It's pretty self explanatory if you read the title. Have you ever been in a situation where you want to listen to new songs, but you can't because you're short on time and won't get enough songs in? Well, you've come to the right place! These are 32 songs I love and recommend to you guys that are under three minutes long. And that way, you don't need as much time to listen to them, and you can listen to more songs in a shorter period of time. A huge portion of these songs are rock and punk songs, but I threw in some country and rap songs along with it so you have a good mix of songs to get into. Also, I did set a limit of three songs per artist just so you won't have too much of anything. I will present the songs from longest to shortest, so the ones closer to three minutes will be first and the shorter ones will be last. I will post a YouTube embed for each song and make a Spotify playlist with them, which will make things easier on you. So yeah, enough talking, let's do this!
1. Ty Dolla $ign/E-40 - Saved (2:59)
I would say that rap fans shouldn't go too far into this because they may not enjoy it, but I feel like it's for everyone. It has a great beat and great rapping from both artists, and unlike most modern rap songs, it's just fun. I've been into it for a while now and you should too.
2. Skillet - Monster (2:58)
I didn't know about this song until recently, and I'm glad I found about it because I love it. At first I thought it was supposed to be an edgy teenager sort of thing, but after doing my research I found out it is a Christian song that has to do with how you feel when you're doing non-Christian things. A bit weird but that doesn't bring the song down. It's very energetic and fast and anyone who loves hype songs like that will love this. No guarantees but I think some will.
3. Godsmack - Bulletproof (2:57)
I will talk a lot more about how much I love this song when I make a top 10 Godsmack songs post (yes, that will happen eventually), but for now, let's just say that despite my somewhat disapproval of the new direction this band has taken with their new album, there were some very good songs that came out of it, and this is one of them. It's very anthemic and I love that. It's hard to get sick of because of how much heat it brings with every listen. Hopefully I still love it by the time I make that post because this will be kind of high up on that list.
4. Breaking Benjamin - Polyamorous (2:57)
It took me a few listens to Saturate to get the appeal of this song, and I don't regret listening to that album that much because of how much it's gotten me to love this song. It is under two minutes long, but there is fire in pretty much every second of it, and if you're a bit hesitant about listening to Breaking Benjamin because of the really edgy songs they have, go for this, because it's nothing but awesome. Not my favorite Breaking Benjamin song but it is kind of up there.
5. Flaw - Get Up Again (2:57)
Here's a really random song I discovered when listening to my Discover Weekly on Spotify. This is more chill and not as exciting as the four songs I just talked about, but it's still fun to hear. The guitars in the background work very well and give the song the life it needs. Chris Volz has nice vocals throughout as well. It's not a song I would recommend for people who want to start getting into nu metal, but if you want to hear a more chill nu metal song with not much of that screaming, then this is for you.
6. Michael Ray - Think A Little Less (2:57)
Looking back, I'm not sure how I discovered this song, but it doesn't matter as long as I love it, I guess. I tend to like most country songs I hear, but ones like this that just seem to stand out are the ones I like to hear the most. It's not as country as a lot of other hit country songs, so if you're not into the stuff that is a little too country then you should still proceed with this.
7. Chris Stapleton - Second One To Know (2:56)
I guess I can say I'm a Chris Stapleton fan because he has a pretty decent amount of songs that I can get into and enjoy listening to. I think I discovered this song from a game I did on Pulse Music Boards, and out of all the songs and genres in the list this stood out so much, that I started listening to it way more than I should have. I'm not sure why it's that good, it just sounds cool, I guess? I don't know. You can just listen for yourself and see.
8. City High - What Would You Do? (2:56)
I really was into this song last summer. It's pretty hard to get sick of for me which is a good sign. It's not the most upbeat or club banger-type song, as it's more of a chill old school-sounding thing, but listen to the lyrics. I haven't done my research on this song, but I think the lyrics are pretty straightforward. They seem to tell the story about someone going through certain hard times, and they are always interesting to hear. Cool how an interesting story like that is packed into this short of a time frame.
9. Linkin Park - Lying From You (2:55)
I debated on whether or not to include this or "Faint" as the third Linkin Park song for this list, and I ended up choosing this one. But definitely check out "Faint" as well because it is pretty much just as good. This is one of the highlights off of Meteora for me because of its cool rap verses and awesome screaming in the chorus. The bridge might be my favorite part, though, because the energy seems to peak then. But all of it is good and worth a listen.
10. Good Charlotte - The Anthem (2:55)
This is a really weird band, as I haven't been able to get into everything I've heard from them. Although this song sounds kind of cheesy, it is still pretty fun, and as the title hints, sort of an anthem. This is probably my favorite Good Charlotte song because it has the most energy and it's the least weird. But if you don't like songs with somewhat cheesy lyrics, then proceed with caution.
11. Godsmack - When Legends Rise (2:53)
Yet another gem from Godsmack's newest album. I don't know if I'd call it better than "Bulletproof" or not, but this really does bring the heat like it should, and if you like anthemic songs then you will like this. Also, fun fact: I put a comment on the video of this song that has 164 likes at the time of me typing this, so you can see that if you wish.
12. Three Days Grace - The Good Life (2:53)
If I redid the top 10 post I did for this band forever ago, this song would be a lot higher just because of how fun it is. About 70% of the songs I know from them are either really edgy or not very upbeat or fun, and this is one of the 30% that is nothing but energy and good things. (Just don't listen to the album if you don't like the edgy stuff)
13. Rise Against - Give It All (2:51)
When I think of great punk bands, Rise Against doesn't immediately come to mind for me, just because of their mainstream kind of nature. But they do have some pretty good songs that are worth checking out. This is one of them, as it goes hard and leaves a lot behind. If you liked this, then also check out "Savior" and "Prayer of the Refugee", which are great songs although they don't fall into the requirements for this post.
14. Bad Religion - 21st Century (Digital Boy) (2:51)
First off, I would like to clear up that two versions of this song exist: One from Bad Religion's 1990 album Against The Grain, and a re-recorded one from their 1994 record Stranger Than Fiction. Both versions are good, but please listen to the version from Against The Grain because it's a lot better in my opinion. I will do a music battle post on those versions in the future, but if you want a short answer on which one, then there you go. Anyways, I will probably do a top 10 post on Bad Religion in the future, so get ready for that because this song will be high up on it. I'm glad it was released as a single because not all of their great songs from the 80s and 90s were.
15. Blink-182 - The Rock Show (2:51)
This has pretty much everything I need in a good pop punk song. It has pretty catchy lyrics that make the song sound good, and it goes hard for the whole short time that it lasts. Not the best Blink-182 song out there but this is worth checking out.
16. Lit - My Own Worst Enemy (2:49)
This is nothing but a pop punk classic. This band may seem like a one hit wonder, but they do have a few other good songs out there. However, they don't come close to topping this because of how hard to top it is. The guitar riff is great and it builds a strong foundation to keep the song going in a good way. In addition, A. Jay Popoff is a great singer and this song really shows it. It's hard to believe that this band went country recently, though, because this sound worked out great for them.
17. SR-71 - Right Now (2:47)
I think I already talked about this song in-depth in a separate post, but I don't mind bringing it up again because it's that good. The guitars are catchy, including the solo, which is worth paying attention to. Everything else builds off of the guitars and instrumental nicely to form a fun, fast-moving song. Glad it was a hit because it deserved it.
18. Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff (2:47)
Definitely proceed with caution on this one, because I think loving this song and Limp Bizkit in general is unpopular. However, if you like rebellious songs and songs about, well, breaking stuff, then I guarantee you that you won't have any problems. I just really like the guitars and Fred Durst's rapping, and I've had this song in my playlists for about six months now if I remember correctly, which is pretty good if you ask me.
19. Linkin Park - Bleed It Out (2:46)
Minutes To Midnight did have some really popular singles like "What I've Done" and "Shadow of the Day". While I like those songs, I think it's songs like this and "Given Up" that make the album stand out. This song was very well-made and well-produced, and I feel like if one instrumental or vocal thing was even slightly changed, the song wouldn't be the same. Mike Shinoda's rapping and Chester Bennington's singing are on point and do a lot to help the song be great. Pretty underrated if you ask me.
20. Weezer - Troublemaker (2:45)
I'm not sure how popular this song was, but I don't feel like it got as much recognition as it should have. The lyrics in this are fun and give the song a catchy vibe. You kind of get infested in it and don't realize that it's only two minutes and 45 seconds long, which is good because it means the song is a good listen. Any Weezer fan, or alternative rock fan in general, should like this a decent amount.
21. Thousand Foot Krutch - Rawkfist (2:40)
I kept getting recommend this band on Last.fm and other places, so I decided to give a couple of their songs a try. I found this one and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It's one of those anthem-type songs that you often can't help but love because of how upbeat and energetic they are. So shoutout to Last.fm for helping bring me to this.
22. Sum 41 - Still Waiting (2:39)
Along with "The Hell Song", this is one of my two favorite songs from Sum 41. It goes right in with bringing the hype and energy, and it stays that way for pretty much the whole song. It seems like the shorter the song is, the more energetic it can be, and this song proves that true. This should have been Sum 41's biggest hit instead of "Fat Lip" because it's significantly better in my opinion.
23. Tee Grizzley/Lil Yachty - From The D To The A (2:39)
This was my absolute favorite song about two years ago, and despite all the hours I spent listening to it, I would never get tired of it, because just like "Still Waiting", it brings the heat right off the bat, and it keeps the heat until the last beat. Even now when I value older mainstream rock over modern rap, this song is such a fun listen, and if you despise trap music that is popular nowadays, this will be a nice escape for you.
24. Linkin Park - One Step Closer (2:37)
This is not my favorite song off of Hybrid Theory because "In The End" exists, but this plays a huge role in making that album so good. It just feels perfect to me. Everything comes in at the right time and plays the role it should in the song. That screaming in the chorus and in the bridge helps as well. It's just a nu-metal classic that doesn't get old.
25. Sum 41 - Over My Head (Better Off Dead) (2:29)
As another single off the album that "Still Waiting" and "The Hell Song" were on, this was bound to not disappoint. It has pretty much the same amount of energy that those two songs do, and how it does so much in just under two and half minutes is great. I know a couple other songs called "Over My Head", but this may be the best one.
26. Art of Dying - Get Thru This (2:28)
Here's another song I found through my Discover Weekly on Spotify. I don't know any other songs from this band, but I'd like to find more because of how good this song is. The line, "If I can get through this, I can get through anything," is great and I feel like the song wouldn't be as good without the same theme. The instrumentals and vocals also are up to par. I don't know anything else from this band, but because of this song they're probably worth checking out.
27. Bad Religion - Punk Rock Song (2:27)
This is one of my current obsessions. It is not quite Bad Religion's usual sound, and while I do love their usual sound, they need more songs like this. The lyrics are a bit intriguing, and I like how Greg Graffin uses political statistics to convey a message (example: "One in five kids below the poverty line, one population runnin' out of time"). I think it is one of Bad Religion's most popular songs on Last.fm, and that is good because it deserves more recognition. If you're looking for a perfect example of a great political punk song, then here you go.
28. The Offspring - (Can't Get My) Head Around You (2:15)
The Offspring have a lot of awesome songs that don't reach the three-minute mark, so I tried to go with some shorter ones that aren't quite the normal length for a song. I don't think I have this song too much respect when I reviewed Splinter for its 15th birthday, but it grows on you like a lot of songs. It's so upbeat and has some pretty groovy riffs that help it stay that way. For me, it turned from an undeserving single to a highlight off of its album. And it can do something for you, too. Give it a try.
29. NOFX - Linoleum (2:10)
This may sound weird, but I think that NOFX's 1994 album Punk In Drublic may be one of the best albums of the 90s. This song is the album's opener, and although it wasn't released as a single, many recognize it as NOFX's signature song. It is definitely in my top three favorites from NOFX, because of that grinding riff and fun nature of the vocals and lyrics. Minus the silence from the hidden track, Punk In Drublic is under 40 minutes long, so you can listen to it in full if you ever get bored. The album has so many energetic songs that keep your attention, which is why I love it so much. Maybe I'll do a full post on it in the future.
30. Madvillain - All Caps (2:10)
You know how nowadays, people seem to classify rap music into categories such as "brag rap" and "real rap"? Well, if anything should automatically go into the "real rap" category because it just sounds better than most of the stuff out there, it's this. The production is cool, but it's the rapping that stands out as something above average that we sadly do not hear more often. So give your ears a break from low-quality modern rap and introduce them to this beauty.
31. The Offspring - All I Want (1:55)
This was one of the four singles off of The Offspring's 1997 album, Ixnay On The Hombre. I can't necessarily call it the best of those because "Gone Away" and "I Choose" are out there, but this is still a great example of a short but sweet punk rock anthem. YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH!
32. Bad Religion - Henchman (1:08)
Well, here's the final song, which means shortest song, on this list. I know quite a few good Bad Religion songs around this length, and while "Henchman" was not released as single nor seems to be a huge fan favorite, it's just a masterpiece to me. It doesn't take long for it to leave you shook from all of the energy that bursts out in the first couple seconds, which is amazing. No Control, or what I like to call "15 joints in 28 minutes", is an awesome album that you should for sure check out if you liked this.
And that is the end of this post! Thank you, everyone for reading it, and if you think any of these songs sound cool to you, then take advantage of my commentary and give them a listen. I gave YouTube embeds for each one, and if you prefer Spotify, I made a playlist that has all of these songs in it. You can check that out here. Thanks again and I'll see you guys next time!
Hey guys, and welcome to the first post on this new blog. On here, I won't be reviewing weekly charts or anything, I'll just be posting random reviews whenever I feel like it. So don't be expecting a post every week like you're used to on most blogs, because that most likely won't happen here.
Anyways, my first post is going to be a simple but interesting post: Talking about my 25 favorite songs of all-time. I thought about this for quite a long time, and eventually decided on 25 songs to use for this list. However, my music taste has change a lot since I last blogged, so don't expect to see all of your favorite 2010s trap and dance-pop jams on here. Most of these songs are from the 1990s and 2000s, and to be exact, there are 14 songs from the 1990s, 6 from the 2000s, 4 from the 2010s, and the last one is from the 1980s. If you're an average blogger from this community that's used to blogging about modern countdowns and charts, you will most likely not know a lot of these songs, so I will be posting YouTube embeds instead of album/single covers when announcing the song so you'll have an excuse to listen to them. I also have a Spotify playlist of these 25 songs for you to listen to if you prefer to use Spotify. It can be found on the sidebar right next to you if you're interested. But yeah, I highly recommend all of these songs for anyone who's looking for great music to listen to.
Before we dive in to the list, however, I would like to give a disclaimer. I love all 25 of these songs so much and they were extremely difficult to rank, so if there's a song or two or three you wanted to see higher or not sure why they're so high, just keep in mind that I have no real preferences and just ranked them because I had to. Also, three more things. One, I did have ten honorable mentions I was going to include, but I scrapped them at the last minute because I felt like the post would be too long with them. If you're interested in seeing them (and maybe more) in a future post, probably a part two to this list, let me know. Secondly, I apologize if my explanations for the songs are short and/or bad, I haven't done this in a while so I'm not used to doing it often. I'll try to improve on that in the future. And third, if you're a 2010s kid who knows nothing about 1990s or 2000s music, you don't have an excuse to say you haven't heard the songs because of the YouTube embeds and Spotify playlist. Just a quick listen to the songs you don't know and you'll be good. You'll love at least a handful of them, I promise. Enough said, now let's get to the list!
25. Lifehouse - Hanging By A Moment
There were many post-grunge songs from the early 2000s that were big hits and appeared on lots of charts, including Nickelback's How You Remind Me, 3 Doors Down's Kryptonite, Creed's With Arms Wide Open, Vertical Horizon's Everything You Want, Matchbox Twenty's Bent, and this. And while I do love all of those songs, this is without a doubt the best of all them. It has that weird amazing feel in it, unlike all of those other songs. And although I think Brad Arnold and Rob Thomas are better vocalists in general than Jason Wade, Wade shows his vocal abilities the best here. It also has a really energetic chorus that you won't find in those other 5 songs mentioned. And I think the other elements in the song fit really well together and contribute to how good it is. I won't go into detail about that, but I will say that it's sort of a standout from the rest of Lifehouse's discography. While I am disappointed that this never hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, it deserves the honor of the most popular song of 2001 and it remains as the second-best year-end #1 of the new millennium in my opinion.
24. Katy Perry - Firework
The first of four songs popular in this decade to appear on this list, I think the lyrics say everything here. I don't usually care for lyrics in songs too much, but they're what draw me into this one. They have to do with self-empowerment, which is something I'm sure all of us will need at least once in our life. Aside from that, the song is just fun. It can be played at dances or parties or anything because it's something that you can get down to. And I like about 99.9% of songs that are like that. Combining that with amazing vocals and those lyrics makes something pretty good. This is my personal favorite song from Katy Perry, who is definitely in my top 10 artists ever, and it's probably my favorite song of 2011. Dance-pop can't get much better than this.
23. The Offspring - The Kids Aren't Alright
I doubted quite a bit about including this song, because I haven't been into the song or this band for that long. But given the HUGE phase I had with them recently, I feel as if it would be wrong to leave them out of here. I picked this song because even though it's not one of their "joke" songs that they're famous for (Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), Why Don't You Get A Job, Hit That, etc.), it showcases everything they're capable of the most. It has those extremely catchy guitar riffs, great vocals provided by the amazing Dexter Holland, and an interesting story behind it. Based on research I've done, it seems as if it's about Dexter taking a trip back to the neighborhood he grew up in, only to see lots of people he had known cross paths with misfortune or tragedy. Also, Americana, the album that this song can be found on, deals with more positive aspects of life in America, which makes this song an anomaly off of that album. Pretty genius, right? Well, I love songs written by someone that seems like they have a high IQ, which makes this song a perfect fit for this list. Catchy. Euphonious. Genius. Exactly what I need in my life.
22. Semisonic - Closing Time
Ah yes, the first of five truly amazing alternative songs from 1998 to appear on this list. It's not the best of them, but still worth including on here. Also, remember me talking about the cool meanings behind the previous two songs I mentioned? Well, if you thought that was cool, then enter the smart head of Dan Wilson, who wrote this song well enough for it to have not one, but TWO interesting meanings behind it. They are, as Songfacts says, "This song has a very literal meaning - being asked to leave a bar - but it goes much deeper than that. Semisonic lead singer Dan Wilson wrote the song when his wife was pregnant with their first child, which turned out to be a daughter named Coco. Halfway through writing the song, he realized it had a double meaning. 'It's all about being born and coming into the world, seeing the bright lights, cutting the cord, opening up into something deeper and more universal,' Wilson told Mojo." So basically, it is about the "closing time" at a bar, as the title implies, or spending your first moments in the world. It's really interesting how those two subjects can come together in this one song, and I'm impressed at how well Dan Wilson wrote it. And if you think he sounds cool, he became a very famous songwriter after Semisonic broke up, writing many hit songs such as Not Ready To Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks and Someone Like You by Adele. Very cool indeed. So yeah, this is a very great song that is a great way to start off the category of great late 90s alternative songs that will appear on this list.
21. Third Eye Blind - Jumper
"I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend..." I think this lyric is what changed my perspective on this band and turned them from a random 90s four-hit wonder to an all-time favorite for me, enough that one of these hits found a spot on this list. In fact, I would go as far as to call this my favorite song from them, as it's definitely a 90s pop-rock gem that I always think of when that category comes to mind. (And pay attention because we will be seeing quite a few more of those on here) I love the guitars in the song, and they fit very nicely with Stephan Jenkins's vocals, which are also great. And when it all has built up and comes down to the final chorus, I LOVE IT! This is the third of many flawless 90s songs that appear on this list, and while the ones to come might be slightly better than this, I still love this song a lot and the album this appears on is definitely an all-time favorite.
20. Chamillionaire/Krayzie Bone - Ridin'
The second of ten hip hop/rap songs to appear on this list is definitely one worth talking about, because the story behind it is part of what makes up my love for it. But aside from that, the song is just an anthem. I have no idea why but I love the beat a lot and think it makes the song sound like such an anthem. The chorus is also amazing and you can tell that Chamillionaire is excited to rap it. Both of his verses and Krayzie Bone's part are great as well. But that's not what I came to talk about. From how people interpret rap songs, I know that at first it sounds like he's trying to drive away from the police and not get caught with drugs in the car. If you thought the song was about him being a criminal like this, well, you're wrong. The topic of the song is the constant stereotyping of black people driving down the streets, especially in rough cities like Houston (which is where this guy is from). Whenever police see an African American driving down the streets somewhere like this, they always think that they're up to something, given how a lot of those situations ended up, and that's what Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone decided to rap about here. And they did such an amazing job at it. And honestly, from the way they wrote and composed this song, I don't think it could've been any better. Chamillionaire chose exactly the right words for a catchy chorus, and they did a great job making the song to be about this stereotype. This is a truly iconic and amazing song, and it definitely deserved to hit #1. Good job, guys.
19. Boyz II Men - End of the Road
I can't really say I'm a fan of R&B music from the 1990s. I don't dislike the R&B genre as a whole, but I find its songs to be boring often times, and a lot of 90s R&B songs are nothing but snoozefests to me. The songs made by Boyz II Men, however, are an exception. I do not know why, but their music appeals to me way more than average 90s R&B music does. And if I had to pick a favorite song from them, it's definitely this amazing ballad. And not to mention its 13 weeks at #1, which was a record at the time. Pretty impressive. As for the song itself, the production in this song is amazing. I don't know why, but it sounds very good to me and I think it fits very well with the song. And not to mention the vocals. They are exactly the kind of vocals I want to hear in an R&B song like this. Good thing they didn't just use their amazing vocals in this song and that they used them in other great hits like I'll Make Love To You and another certain song you will see someplace on this list. This song is a big reason as to why I think Boyz II Men's slow jams are way better than their upbeat songs like Motownphilly and Thank You (although those are good songs), and I recommend it even if you hate R&B music, because it's one of the best things we've ever gotten out of that genre.
18. Mariah Carey/Boyz II Men - One Sweet Day
I had my doubts about including this song on this list because I haven't been really into it for very long, but I don't think that matters considering how amazing this is. And I'm not sure if there's much explaining to do because the song kind of speaks for itself. The topic of the song is losing a loved one, and I think this is the best song I've heard with that as the topic. And this song is by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, who are probably two of my favorite R&B artists from the 90s, so I'm not surprised at now good they sound together. The song was also well-written and contributed some to how good I think it is. I'm not really sure what else to say because you can tell what's good about it just from listening to it, but I just wanted to mention that Despacito did not deserve to match this song's record of 16 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, because it is extremely inferior and only fueled by memes. This song's record should remain forever because it was highly deserved.
17. The Notorious B.I.G./Puff Daddy/Mase - Mo Money Mo Problems
If you know my taste really well, you might be surprised at how low this song is on this list, because I've said before that this is in my top 5 songs ever and top 2 90s songs ever. But times change, and it's here now. Either way, the song is very catchy and the fast-paced verses by all three of these rappers are fire and really show their talent. I also like the inspiration behind this song's title and chorus, which is the Biblical proverb "the love of money is the root of all evil". This song is interesting, to say the least, and deserved to hit #1 because of that. Sad that Biggie died so young because he had a great life and career ahead of him.
16. Run-D.M.C. - It's Tricky
The one and only 80s song to appear on this list is a rap classic that I never forget about when thinking of my all-time favorite rap songs. In fact, this is probably one of those songs that you know and have heard a lot in public places, but don't know the name of. It's a classic anthem that's played at sports games and other places like that, and I think it's perfect of those occasions. The beat, which was sampled from The Knack's hit My Sharona, is catchy and fits well with the rest of the song. And while I think the verses are good, the chorus is my favorite part. It's so infectious and gets stuck in your head really easily. I couldn't believe it only peaked in the 50s on the Hot 100, because it deserved to be way higher than that. #LongLiveJamMasterJay
15. Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply
I am a huge fan of Savage Garden, but I'm not sure why. I don't know whether it's the amazing vocals from Darren Hayes or the catchy instrumentals provided by Daniel Jones, but I have never disliked a song from them, because they're that good. If I had to pick a favorite song from them, it would definitely be this, even over some amazing songs like Affirmation, To The Moon and Back, I Want You, Crash and Burn, Chained To You, Carry On Dancing, etc. And the weird part is, I can do long explanations as to why most of those six songs I just mentioned are amazing, but I can't come up with much for this. I love the production in it for some reason, and Darren sounds great as usual. I don't care for the lyrics, but I think the chorus is awesome for some reason. I'm not really sure what else to say other than that this is probably my second favorite song on the Billboard Decade-End Chart for the 1990s, behind another certain song I'll get to in a minute, and my third favorite song on the all-time chart behind that song I just mentioned and another popular 2000s song. But yeah.
14. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis/Ray Dalton - Can't Hold Us
There was a time when I would get really excited when I'd hear Macklemore's name, and it was largely because of his work with Ryan Lewis that included this song. Sure, they have other jams like Thrift Shop, White Walls, and Downtown, and Macklemore had Glorious as a solo artist, but those songs don't compare to this. In fact, Macklemore's verses in this song might be the best I've heard from a white rapper other than Eminem. But the fun doesn't really start until the chorus, which gives the song its reputation in my opinion. It's so uplifting and the vocals used to sing it are also great. The beat also contributes to that. I'm so glad this song and this rapper/duo were as successful as they were, because it was well-deserved.
13. Matchbox Twenty - Real World
This criminally underrated single from this band's debut album was one I made sure to include, regardless of where I thought it would be on the list. And if you want an idea of how robbed it was, it only peaked at #38 on the Hot 100. That's pretty weak considering that Back 2 Good hit the top 25 and Push and 3AM technically were top 5 hits, and this is better than two of those songs (little spoiler for later maybe?). Anyway, like most songs on this list and in general, I like the chorus the most, mainly because of the amazing vocals and the "yeeeeah" part at the beginning of it. The verses aren't nothing, though, because as Wikipedia says, "The song was written by lead singer Rob Thomas, and details him wondering about what it would be like if he lived in various settings other than the current one, including a superhero, a rainmaker, and being a boss at a job, and if they would worsen or improve his life." I love this theme for some reason, and Rob Thomas is a genius for writing a song about it, and recording it in such an amazing way. I'm quite confused as to why I think the Yourself or Someone Like You era was my favorite from Matchbox Twenty, because it was their debut and they weren't too experienced, along with some other things I won't mention. But a little spoiler I'll give is that one other song from that album will appear on here somewhere soon. So get excited for that, I guess. Moving on for now.
12. Kid Rock - Born Free
I might get some hate for this one, just because it's Kid Rock and every music fan should know about his bad reputation and all that. But I don't care, because I absolutely love this song. Actually, it might be the only song I remember hearing a lot in my childhood (my dad would play his album of the same name a lot when I was around) that's on this list. I loved it when I was younger, and I love it now. If you love Kid Rock and/or rock/country music in general, I recommend this. If you hate Kid Rock and/or rock/country music, I recommend this. It's the best that country rock can get, by a long shot. I love his voice and the guitars in the song, and I haven't heard much better of the latter in a song like this before. But the lyrics are what draws my attention. He just describes how he's born free, and the figurative language in the verses really shows it. Connecting freedom to nature was a great idea for a song like this. And when it gets to the last minute or so, it's the best. When he yells out that he's born free for the last couple times, it's great. I love a lot of songs from Kid Rock, but if I had to pick a favorite I would not hesitate to say this one. It deserved way more popularity because it's so good in every way.
11. Eminem - Sing For The Moment
Eminem has two songs on this list, and this is the first of them. So in other words, both of his songs on here are in the top half. Impressive. I wouldn't quite say he's the rap god, but he's certainly up there. As for this song, the Aerosmith sample does a lot. It gives the song a structure and a mood. But that's not the best part. The best part is the amazing rapping that Eminem provides here, and it's the second-best he's ever done in a song. They describe a few different things at once, which isn't something every rapper can do. And those few things were able to connect to a sampled chorus that Eminem didn't even write. That is also impressive. At this point, I've covered pretty much everything, so I'm not sure what else to say. Let's get to the top 10!
10. Wiz Khalifa/Charlie Puth - See You Again
I didn't want to include any 2010s songs in the top 10 for certain reasons, but I had to make an exception for this beautiful song. In fact, just listen to it (if you haven't already) and you should tell why it's loved and popular. It has a fantastic chorus delivered by Charlie Puth, who really isn't the best vocalist out there. But you can tell he wanted to make this song a good one because of the theme and all, so that's probably why it's that good. And not to mention Wiz Khalifa's rapping. Wiz is one of those rappers that isn't too loved and I really shouldn't love him, but I do anyway. He was the perfect choice for the rapper in this song, and he absolutely killed his verses. As for the lyrics/theme, it was a great tribute to Paul Walker and can be used for a tribute to pretty much everyone. They chose all the right words and used them at the right times, and that's part of why this is that good. Another thing is that when I was first getting into hit music back in 2015 or so, this is one of the songs I'd hear on the radio a lot then, so it kind of marked something there. Overall, this song has great vocals, great lyrics, and was just always a song I loved, so this definitely deserves a spot on this list and in the top 10. It deserved every bit of success it got as well.
9. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones, Pt. II
To be quite honest, I'm not totally sure how to explain my love for this song. It's kinda one of those songs that you have to listen to to see the deal. But I'll try my best and see what I can do. First of all, the beat is exactly what I look for in a rap song. It sounds so good with the rapping and the rest of the song. And I really love that sample (whatever that instrument is) for some reason. Not sure why. Both Prodigy and Havoc slayed their verses and flowed nicely when rapping a message to all wannabe thugs out there. The part that leaves me shook, though, is that hook. I have no idea why I love it, but I just do. It could be the way he says "shook" or his vocals in it, I don't know. But I do really enjoy it. Not really sure what else I can say other than that as critics say, this song is the proof you need that sequels aren't always inferior to the original song. But yeah, this is very iconic and has everything I need in a rap song. Absolute perfection.
8. Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M.
The Clan are some of the gods of rap, and one of the best groups to ever set foot in the music industry, so I made it a priority to represent them on this list. I chose this song because it's referred to as their signature song, and it can be well-known from other places. (Apparently there's a new Iggy Azalea song that sampled this song and copied the chorus from this, and while that might be good, this is still the OG) But I mainly picked it because it's so amazing in many different ways. First of all, the rapping is just on point. Raekwon's verse flows very well and describes the scene where he grew up very nicely. The other verse, which comes from Inspectah Deck, and in this verse he, as Genius says, "takes you through the whole cycle of street life: from scrambling on the street, to hustling, to trying to teach the youth a better way and them not hearing you – and showing how there’s no answer." He actually might've done it better than Raekwon did since it's that good. But that's not the fun part. The fun part, and the best part of the song by far, is the chorus, which is rapped by Method Man (my personal favorite member of the Clan). It is rapped with pride, great vocals, and best of all, the right words. It gets stuck in your head sometimes because of how well-written and well-performed it was. Props to Method Man for that. And not to mention that beat. RZA did a superior job on it, and it gives the song so much of a classic and old school feel. I love that a lot for some reason. So yeah, I love this song so much, and it's without a doubt one of my favorite old school rap songs ever. When I listened to this song for the first time, it totally changed the way I viewed the subgenre of old school hip hop/rap, because it left me so shook at how good it was. So when the critics say that Wu Tang are one of the best rap groups of all-time and that Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers is one of the best rap albums of all-time, they aren't lying.
7. The Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
If you're a 90s kid or anyone who knows a lot about big chart hits, you probably have heard or heard of this song quite a few times. And when I heard it for the first time (not sure when that was), I knew right away that this is definitely my type of song and something I would always love. The guitars in it sound great, and while this isn't John Rzeznik's best vocal performance in my opinion, it still fits with the song really well and sounds good. I'm not sure what I can say about the lyrical content other than that it's not just nothing that we saw a lot of in the 90s. The chorus of this song fantastic, but I'm not sure why. It just has a great feel to it. But yeah, I don't think there's much else I can say. This is definitely my favorite Goo Goo Dolls song, and out of all the great pop-rock songs we saw in the late 90s, this is among the best of them.
6. Usher/Lil Jon/Ludacris - Yeah!
Here's a song that you have to have heard many times before if you're a music fan. But as much as I love it and Usher, there wasn't quite enough room for it in the top 5. But that's okay, because there's still a lot of fire in the top 5. Anyway, the main thing I like about this song is that insanely catchy hook. It is classic in every way possible and is very memorable because of how fun it's made to be. The other thing is Usher's vocals. They are wonderful throughout the entire song. He's without a doubt in my top 3-5 singers ever, if not my favorite. If someone other than him sang it, it wouldn't be as good. I also love the production in this song, as it really gives it quite a fun and amazing feel. I like Lil Jon's contribution fine, and as little as it sounds I can't picture the song without it. But there's also that amazing verse from Ludacris, one of my favorite 2000s rappers, that makes me love the song even more. Even the outro is iconic in its own way. This song is a big reason why Usher's Confessions is probably my favorite R&B album of all-time. It is an overall flawless song that really deserved to be the 2nd biggest song of the 2000s. Usher and Ludacris can't get any better than this.
5. Coolio/L.V. - Gangsta's Paradise
We're kicking off the top 5 with a song that people call the most iconic gangsta rap song of all-time for a reason. I'm pretty sure most people who know 90s music charts really well recognize it as the #1 song of 1995 that also appeared in the top third of the 1996 chart. And out of the many gangsta rap songs we got in the late 80s and 90s, this is easily and objectively the best one. Even N.W.A. couldn't top this masterpiece with some of their amazing songs from the late 80s. Also, even if you disagree and think songs by someone like N.W.A. are better, this one was still more successful than all of those songs. And if Ridin' by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone, which was the #20 song on this list, was discussing troubles of ghetto life and ended up being one of the most successful rap songs of the 2000s, this song was the Ridin' of the 1990s. The first thing that immediately stands out about the song is the beat. It's not the usual sound you'd hear from the 90s rap scene, but I think it fits well with the song. Then it gets to the verses, which basically describe the "Gangsta's paradise", as the song calls it. Every verse has a different story to tell, and while I'm not sure if it necessarily gets better after each one, it's still good. And after each amazing verse comes the chorus. Out of all the amazing parts in this song, the chorus is definitely my favorite. It's one of those choruses where the vocals and lyrics are so good that it gives you chills pretty much every time. That's how good it is. I do not know who this LV guy is, and I've heard of Coolio but I don't know much about him. The only thing I do know about them is that based off of this song, they have some amazing musical abilities, because they were able to put together this amazing song. I'm glad this song was really popular and successful, because it deserves it. Most gangsta rap songs released in the late 80s and early 90s weren't very popular, but I'm very glad this one is an exception.
4. The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Yes, as crazy as it sounds, I love this song enough to call it the fourth best song I've ever heard. There might be a lot I'd have to explain, but we'll get to the fun parts in a minute. As for the basics, I think that bass/guitar/whatever that is in the background sounds really good, and it was fitting for this song for some reason. Jakob Dylan (who is Bob Dylan's son, by the way) did an amazing job on the vocals, and because they're that good I can't really picture anyone else singing it. But the thing that really makes this song stand out from the others is the lyrics and theme. I don't usually pay attention to lyrics in songs and judge songs off of them, but this is one of the most well-written songs I've heard in my life. And as much as I don't want to be that guy, all I can really tell you is that you have to listen to the song to see the deal. It's like Radiohead's album Kid A: You probably won't get it within the first few listens, but there's a point when it finally clicks with you and you really enjoy it because of that. (OK, I haven't listened to Kid A enough times and "gotten it" yet, but still, not my point) It took me around 10-20 listens to get it and understand everything behind the words of the song, and while I'm not trying to force you to do that, this song has a lot of potential in it that is waiting for you. The least I can really say about the theme is that it can be inspiring in many different ways, as this and other songs like it sort of helped me get through my last weeks of middle school, which were kind of hard for me. You'll see why if you give it a chance. It's overall a musical masterpiece that is so good that there are only three songs out there that are better than it in my opinion. And now is the time to introduce those three songs, so let's get to it.
3. Matchbox Twenty - 3AM
Well this is that one song of theirs that I foreshadowed would be coming while I was talking about Real World. And as much as I'd hate to say it again, this is another one of those songs like Kid A that you have to listen to lots of the times in order to understand. Alright, now here's a flashback to last winter. I was in the car with my dad one day and I think I heard a song of theirs (it was most likely Bent) on the radio. I told my dad I sort of liked the band, and that's when he recommended this song to me. And next thing you know, I was at home listening to it. I enjoyed it, although I didn't quite like it as much as the other two songs I knew from them (Bent and Unwell). I listened to it more over the next couple of months, and then there was a point, probably in around February or March, when it finally clicked with me and I was able to understand it and really love it. It took over two months, but it happened and that's what matters. Anyways, aside from my personal experiences, this song is from the point of view of lead singer Rob Thomas as a teenager, when his mom had cancer and was given six months to live. It's a very touching topic and one that seems hard to write about sometimes, but it was written very nicely and doesn't have much room for improvement. And just like pretty much all of the other songs on this list, these words are put into song form in a very great way that really catches my ears. I'm not quite sure if this is Rob's best vocal performance in my opinion, but it's up there. And the guitars add to the song for sure as I think they flow with it very well. All of these things end up being put together, and for me it results in something totally amazing and worth putting this high on the list. It's definitely not a song for everybody, but it's definitely one for me.
2. Linkin Park - In The End
Linkin Park are awesome. They have so many jams that it's hard for me to remember them all. In fact, they might even be my favorite rock band ever considering how easy it is for them to make a great song. Their big break on this list is right here at the #2 spot with a song that is hands-down the best hard rock song ever made. And honestly, most of the explaining for this can be done when listening to the song, because even if you don't like it, it's not too hard to see why it's so loved. It has lots of things I usually hear in an awesome song: Great vocals, great rapping, great instrumentation, great lyrics, and a very high energy level. It also contains a combination of genres, which I love to hear as well, especially when Linkin Park does it. Mike Shinoda's rapping really couldn't have been much better, and the same goes for Chester Bennington's vocals. They are totally on point. And you might be able to tell by now that I love high energy songs, and this is no exception. This is a truly incredible song that in every way deserves to be this high on this list, as much of an honor as it is. And I don't want to be that guy, but just one listen and you can tell why everyone loves it. Best hard rock song ever.
So we have reached that all-important moment where I reveal what you guys have been waiting for: My favorite song of all-time. As amazing as all of these 24 songs are, it wasn't a very hard choice to put this song above all of these, because it's such a flawless masterpiece that sounds amazing in every single aspect. But what could it be? A cool pop song from the 2000s? Nah. An awesome rock song from the 90s? I wish, but no. A very aggressive rap jam that has some of the best lyrics every written with a theme that is very inspiring in it? Well...
1. Eminem - Lose Yourself
If I had to be honest, who doesn't love this song? It has lots of cool things in it that at least one of them has to be for you. And as for me, it has pretty much everything I need in it, and all of these things combine nicely enough to make something awesome. As for these things, there's lots of them. First, the song definitely has meaning in it. The lyrics are some of the most memorable ones written by Eminem because of the theme and how well they fit together. Also, I can't say this about too many songs, but the intro in this song is perfect. It sets the stage for the song in the right way, especially with the spoken words in it. The building up instrumentals do a lot for me, too. The first verse describes Jimmy Smith Jr., also known by his stage name B-Rabbit, who is the protagonist in 8 Mile, the movie that this song was written for, and the movie's opening scene where B-Rabbit gets the chance to be in a rap battle but "choked" and couldn't come up with a single rhyme. Basically, he was so nervous that he wasn't even able to recite the lines he wrote down in advance. The time eventually runs out and he loses the battle. As bad as that sounds, the next lines describe him after this loss: Going back to the real world and realizing that he's just a broke man working a dead end job and there's not a big chance of him leaving Detroit. But he knows that he's not gonna give up, and that although his back is on the ropes (think boxing), he can still seize the moment and achieve his dream of becoming a famous rapper. The entire first verse is extremely well-written and there is not a better way that he could have described the story through there. But that's not all.The chorus of this song is so iconic that I can't even put in words how much I love it. It sums up what was mentioned in the intro and seals the song's lyrical quality. It goes back to the topic about if you get one shot to do something you've dreamed of doing, you should take the opportunity, because there's not always another chance. What I also love is how it connects to Eminem's rise as a rapper, and that this is the situation he faced. His demo tape made it to famous rapper and producer Dr. Dre, even after Em came in second in the Rap Olympics competition shortly before. He got his one shot when he met Dre for the first time, and at that meeting they recorded three songs, including My Name Is, in under six hours. After My Name Is was a big hit, Em's career had taken off. That's why I think the chorus is so significant, as he made it about what to do if you face that situation, and he connected it with his story and rise to fame. Amazing. The second and third verses are amazing as well. The second verse described how B-Rabbit can become successful and his state of mind after losing the battle, and after hearing that iconic chorus once again, we hear the third verse, where it is confirmed that the song is from the perspective of Marshall Mathers and not B-Rabbit. The verse is about him about to take his next shot at battling, knowing it may be the only opportunity he'll get. And then the chorus goes in again to top it all off. So yeah, there's basically everything I need here: A great beat that combines rock and rap perfectly, great vocals, a great theme, and a very energetic chorus. It's practically impossible to make a song as good as this one, which is why it's without a doubt my favorite song ever. Good job, Eminem, You really pleased me this time around.
And that wraps up this post! If you stuck around long enough to get here, thanks, I really appreciate it. As for future plans for this blog, I just plan on posting more lists of my favorite songs and maybe some chart or album reviews. If you have any comments about this post or want to suggest a future post idea, then be sure to comment and let me know about those. But until then, have a great day and I hope to post again soon!
Also, the Spotify playlist with these songs is on the sidebar if you're interested in listening to the songs that way. Trust me, you'll like a lot of them. Now I'm done. See you next time!
