OK, so here's the long-awaited finale! Before you get all your complaints and comments ready...which is certainly what these types of lists are made for...make sure to check out the other 125 songs on the list. Your favorite song may have made the list in an earlier spot, or perhaps missed it altogether. Regardless, do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes here before you read what's below. Or just have at it. Your call. We stand by our earlier claim that we could put together a better 150 track list than NME. You be the judge.
25. Notorious B.I.G. "Hypnotize" - B.I.G. died too soon, but left us will a love for rap that flourished over the 15 years since.
24. Franz Ferdinand "Take Me Out" - Franz peaked too soon, but is still pumping out quality.
23. Amy Winehouse "Rehab" - I'm really upset she didn't go to Rehab, after all.
22. The Verve "Bittersweet Symphony" - Best use of a sample on this list, and it wasn't for a rap song.
21. Adele "Rolling in the Deep" - And the winner of ALL the 2012 Grammys is...
20. Dr. Dre feat. Eminem "Forgot About Dre" - For the record: we never actually forgot about you, Dre.
19. Fiona Apple "Criminal" - The video was, and still is, a little pedo…but made sense.
18. Juvenile "Ha" - The song that put NOLA on the board as more than a fad. Say "thank you" Lil' Wayne.
17. Interpol "PDA" - Perfect collection of items you want in a song from this period: lyrics, strong chorus (that wasn't too chorusy), and an epic ending.
16. Coldplay "Yellow" - The first few notes should remind you how magical Coldplay songs can make you feel.
15. Rage Against the Machine "Testify" - If Rage wasn't around, you'd have to invent them. Occupy should raise some funds to have them make a new anti-establishment anthem.
14. Jay-Z "99 Problems" - No, Jay, a b*tch definitely is not one of your problems. But diapers may be one pretty soon.
13. Outkast "Hey Ya!" - Would not have been out of place in 1964…it's a timeless track.
12. Daft Punk "One More Time" - The dance song that set the tone for the last decade of dance songs.
11. Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" - They made sure the music world knew their name by the end of the Grammys.
10. Eminem "Lose Yourself" - The story of his life really - one of the best, non corny, songs about going for your dreams….and generally just saying "f*ck it, I'm going in"
9. Kanye West "Jesus Walks" - Still amazed labels didn't sign him after this one.
8. Radiohead "Paranoid Android" - It's long, and it took a second to digest everything from the lyrics to the sound, because there is nothing in their catalog like this track, before or since. Played like a short concerto.
7. Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" - What hasn't already been said about this song? One of the few songs I've heard that floored me.
6. Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys "Empire State of Mind" - Actual New Yorkers were proud of this song. Have to like the pride Jay shows for his city. Made Sinatra take a back seat.
5. LCD Soundsystem "All My Friends" - Some people could put this at the top. The best written song on this list. Murphy (and possibly Alex Turner) is the best song writer during this list's time period.
4. Radiohead "How to Disappear Completely" - The dreariest, most depressively amazing song written in our era.
3. The Shins "New Slang" - Pretty much awesome in every way; managing to be slightly sunny, while displaying immense apathy for life in general, and even some jealousy for people with (perceptibly) better lives.
2. The Strokes "Last Nite" - The perfect indie pop rock track.
1. Radiohead "Pyramid Song" - The first 8 bars.
Awards:
Most Impressive Country: Britain - Must we elaborate?
Most Outstanding Soundtrack - Garden State
Most Popular Genre: Indie Rock - the last six years especially as music festivals like Coachella, Pitchfork and ACL Fest have become something like a career-building ground for these artists.
Most Important Genre (last 15 years): Hip-Hop/Rap - Jay-Z, Eminem, Kanye West, Outkast, Dr. Dre, and T.I. all had multiple songs on the list.
Most Overlooked Genre: R&B - Maxwell, Mary J. Blige and Jill Scott missed out, while Sade, Beyonce, Rihanna and Usher got in...R&B just doesn't translate as well across generations and airwaves. One of the reasons why even Rihanna and Usher are sounding more like electronic and pop artist than ever these days.
Most Offended Genre: Country - We'd apologize, but we're not sure what tracks to apologize for. "Breathe" by Faith Hill? Eh. Then we're finding ourselves adding more pop songs like "Smooth" by Santana feat. Rob Thomas. Songs that just don't mean anything beyond the fact that at some point they were on top of the Billboard chart and had no significant contribution to the musical path that followed over the last decade. No thank you.
Most Influential Artist: Jay-Z - On the list 8 times as an artist and over a half dozen unrecorded assists through proteges Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna and Jay Electronica
Most Potent Artist: Radiohead - 3 in the top 10; 2 more in the Top 100
Most Missed Artist: Wilco - how did this happen? Simple. They're too damn good at making great albums instead of mega popular tracks. Something bands like Kings of Leon could learn plenty from.
Most Annoying Artist: Herbie Hancock - he didn't have a track make the list, but he once stole a Best Album Grammy from Kanye West for doing Joni Mitchell cover songs. He then had the audacity to say it was an historic win for "Jazz" as if to say Joni Mitchell was a legendary jazz artist. Herbie should've been knocked down a couple of notches for that statement instead of rewarded. He's a legendary jazz musician, but he should know full and well that doing Joni Mitchell covers does not sit alongside the likes of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and Getz/Gilberto.
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