Eminem got sober, Arcade Fire got spooked, Katy Perry flashed her hits, and Kanye sang one for jerk-offs everywhere
31. Gil Scott-Heron
”˜I’m New Here’
The long-lost Seventies rap pioneer rasps his way through an acoustic version of a Smog ballad. He turns indie-rock melancholy into the darkest, deepest country blues.
32. Die Antwoord
”˜Enter the Ninja’
The year’s freakiest rap song: Three South Africans mix machine-gun flows with warped hooks, suggesting Eminem’s ”˜Lose Yourself’ on mescaline.
33. Wavves
”˜Post Acid’
The San Diego trio turn in a sweetly psychedelic punk nugget: part Buzzcocks, part acid-damaged beach rock.
34. Gorillaz feat Mos Def and Bobby Womack
”˜Stylo’
Your favourite cartoon primates cook up a disco jam that’s sexy enough to make Donna Summer sigh with pleasure. And that synth-bass line? Unstoppable.
35. Massive Attack feat Hope Sandoval
”˜Paradise Circus’
The UK trip-hoppers call in guest moaner Hope Sandoval for a narcotic ballad that’s both surreal and unnervingly erotic.
36. Drake feat Nicki Minaj
”˜Up All Night’
One of the year’s great driving songs, with Minaj “doing doughnuts in a six-speed.”
37. Lloyd Banks feat Juelz Santana
”˜Beamer, Benz, or Bentley’
Two New York badasses team up over the year’s rawest beat to celebrate paying way too much in car insurance.
38. Spoon
”˜The Mystery Zone’
2010’s most mesmerising guitar groove ”“ a dark, dubby burner with lyrics about basement gigs and lost love.
39. The Gaslight Anthem
”˜The Diamond Church Street Choir’
Brian Fallon triangulates doo-wop, Bruce Springsteen and New Jersey emo. Result: a finger-snapping ode to basement gigs and lost love.
40. Kanye West
”˜Power’
The first sign of how crazy Twisted Fantasy would be: ’Ye goes all schizoid while sampling King Crimson.
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