50 Singles of 2010
Eminem got sober, Arcade Fire got spooked, Katy Perry flashed her hits, and Kanye sang one for jerk-offs everywhere
11. The Black Keys
”˜Everlasting Light’
A steady-grooving blues-rock ballad, with Dan Auerbach’s falsetto floating over craggy funk like some beautiful ghost.
12. Mark Ronson and the Business International feat Q-Tip and MNDR
”˜Bang Bang Bang’
Ronson turns a French kiddie tune into a Technicolor hook on this synth-pop fire starter.
13. The Dead Weather
”˜Hustle and Cuss’
Jack White and Alison Mosshart howl over the dirtiest riff of the year, generating ungodly amounts of sexual electricity.
14. Big Boi feat Cutty
”˜Shutterbugg’
OutKast’s brawnier half throws an electro party, coaxing players to the dance floor with a nasty ghetto-tech bass line.
15. Drake
”˜Over’
Drake rhymes about how stardom is both terrifying and awesome. With a huge, clattering beat, it’s also irresistible.
16. Cold War Kids
”˜Coffee Spoon’
SoCal kids hallucinate about the high life, turning “ascetics wring their hands” into a killer chorus.
17. LCD Soundsystem
”˜I Can Change’
The year’s best Depeche Mode song is also its best Smiths song. James Murphy shows off a great falsetto while expressing pain with wild humour.
18. Jenny and Johnny
”˜Scissor Runner’
Power pop finds its own George Burns and Gracie Allen. Her best borscht-belt joke? “I’ll forgive you/If I outlive you.”
19. The New Pornographers
”˜Your Hands (Together)’
The indie-rock collective harmonises about silver bullets and piles on the classic-rock guitars. Result: bizarro pop that’s hard to shake.
20. Best Coast
”˜Boyfriend’
A heartbreaker about a lonely summer ”“ imagine Brian Wilson as a sensitive stoner girl.
