Top Singles of 2003

[Genkai]

Yay! Go me for copying off of Semjaza'a idea! Actually, I was just looking at Semji's and thought about Pitchforkmedia's top singles list, and decided that we should make our own.

But, I'll take my images from their site, hooray!

Please have reasons for why you chose them. No lists (i.e. #1.-- #2.--#3.--) without reasons. Oh, and please, no lyrics unless they're short . No one's gonna read them all, and they're annoying to wade through.

Me favorites (Top 12, for me), now!

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/02.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#1 Crazy In Love -- Beyoncé[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

You think I'm crazy(IN LOVE! Heh, I'm funny)--I like Beyoncé? Yes, I do, and so do you. Somewhere inside you, you love her loud brass background, her heartwarming "uh-oh"s and her insanely catchy chorus. [b] Crazy In Love[/b] is a natural chart-topper, it's irresistable. What else can be said? Oh yeah, and Beyoncé's weird robot walk is cool too.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/05.jpg[/img][SIZE=3][b]#2 Move Your Feet -- Junior Senior[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Junior Senior's insanely catchy [b]Move Your Feet[/b] is and amazing beginning for a great band. I first heard it when they performed live on a show covering each day of the Glastonbury Festival. The single became a hit and later my brother and I deemed it and "Crazy In Love" Our official Theme song for the summer.

The song's "Don't stop DON'T STOP don't stop the beat I can't stop CAN'T STOP can't stop the beat I won't stop WON'T STOP won't stop the beat a GO!" chorus begs for dancing, but the call is heard when Junior's Michael Jackson-esque singing style declares "EVERYBO-O-O-DY! A-MOVE YOUR FEET AND FEEL UNI-I-I-ITED, O-O-OHH!".

This song is impossible not to dance to, much less sing along to.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/12.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#3 The Way We Get By -- Spoon[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Britt Daniel's voice is displayed perfectly in this song, is it's the greatest voice in indie rock today.

I remember sitting in my flat in London, slipping in [b]Kill the Moonlight[/b] and dancing sort of boredly to [b]Small Stakes[/b] When [b]The Way We Get By[/b] came on, I went insane. I found it SO danceable! Not only that, I love the lyrics, which describe an empty life that, at the end of the day, seems very bare. The piano and bass accompany the singing so well, it's just, well, amazing. AMAZING.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/06.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#4 Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story) -- !!![/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Along with The Rapture, !!! (pronouced Chk Chk Chk, or any other one syllable sound repeated 3 times.) attacked the NYC scene with there addictive disco-punk-pop-funk mayhem. Although I personally can't understand the lyrics, apparently it's all about how uptight politicians should dance, which, in all honesty, is true--in my mind, Everybody needs to dance. Although long, [b]Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story)[/b] never gets old, and captures you with it's electronic beats and sounds.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/01.jpg[/img][SIZE=3][b]#5 Hey Ya! -- Outkast[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Although, sadly, Andre 3000's single(and whole album, sadly) [b]Hey Ya![/b] is devoid of rapping, it brings together all music fans. People of all creed, of all groups, of all images, come together under this one chart topping song. The irresistable saying 'Shake it like a plaroid pitchah" makes for great dancing, while the video's Ed Sullivan setting is quite entertaining to watch.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/08.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#6 Milkshake -- Kelis[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Whether you like hip-hop or not, the saying "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like, "It's betta than yours", damn right, it's betta than yours, I could teach you, but I'd have to charge" , from [b]Milkshake[/b],will be stuck in your head for days. The verses are sung ncely, but it's really just this chorus that will have you hooked.

Some may remember Kelis as the multi-colored afro girl who scored a semi hit with [b]I Hate You So Much Right Now[/b]. She's still the same person, but suddenly she doesn't seem quite as weird ^_^

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/38.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#7 Fix Up, Look Sharp -- Dizzee Rascal[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

"OOOOOOOIIIIIIII!!!!" Shouts Dizzee Rascal, a british UK Garage (similar to hip-hop in image, and slightly in sound, but the music is more techno-y, with heavier beats) artist, shouts at the beginning of [b]Fix Up, Look Sharp[/b]. The "Oi", slang for "hey" or "Yo", will have you hooked. Sometimes I just play those few seconds and nothing else, because the Single, as amazing as it is, still isn't quite as cool.

The chorus, though, is also addicting, though it's hard to tell what he's saying under his strangely squeaky voice and heavy British accent. As a rap fan, I can honestly sasy that this is the best song of the year that can be considered rap ([b]Hey Ya![/b] has no rapping...), though it is truly garage.


[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/11.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#8 Fight Test -- The Flaming Lips[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

The alternative stylings of The Flaming Lips on the album [b]Yoshimi Battles The ink Robots[/b] are personified in this song, the story of a man who avoided fighting, and regrets it. By the end of the song, in Wayne's words, the man finds that "to surrender to every conflict without a challenge, he finds, is worse than getting beat up."

The sounds of [b]Fight Test[/b] are pleasing to the ear and the chorus is fun to listen to. The words, too, are very easy to understand... Which is good.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/17.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#9 Pass That Dutch -- Missy Elliott[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Undeniably catchy( in that to sing along you only really need to know 3 words.."pass that dutch"..), [b]Pass That Dutch[/b] is one more genius song that Missy has under her belt. The musical genius has produced another one of her delectable hip-hop tracks, with funky beats and meaningful (and not-so meaningful) lyrics that one can sing along to. Her voice in unmistakable, and pleasing to the ear. I love Missy. I should put this higher, now that I think about it. But I don't want to makesome chain where I have to change the numbers on all of them.. So..yeah.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/10.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#10 The Seed 2.0 -- The Roots featuring Cody Chestnutt[/b][/SIZE] [/center]

Although it ogt massive play on soft rock stations, it's still a gerat song. [b] The Seed 2.0[/b] is not The Roots' best song, but is amazingly catchy. Cody Chestnutt, though he prefers to stay away from the mainstream, does a great performance while The Roots provide, well, everything else. And,of course, when it's over , you say to yourself..

"DAYUMN I LUH ME SUM ?UESTLOVE!"

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/22.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#11 12:51 -- The Strokes[/b][/SIZE] [/center]


Okay, okay, The Strokes always sound the same, but you gotta love this song. Sorta new wavy, catchy, and filled with weird lyrics("We could go and get 40's/ **** going to that party,"), [b]12:51[/b] isn't necessarily a party song, but is the sorta song you wanna listen to late at night. While you eat tofu.

[center][img]http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/top/2003/singles/31.gif[/img][SIZE=3][b]#12 Mundian to Bach Ké (Beware of the Boys) -- Panjabi MC featuring Jay-Z[/b][/SIZE] [/center]


This track by our favorite indian artist, Punjabi MC, got major club play during the year 2003. Yes, this might be only because of Jay Z, but might it also be because everyone needs some middle eastern beats to dance to once in a while? I think so. What a great funky beat. too bad Ihaven't been hearing it around lately.. *tear drop* Anyway, [b]Mundian to Bach Ké (Beware of the Boys)[/b] Is a great dancing song that's gotten everybody hooked at one point.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the list of Genkai's Top Singles Of The Year!

[wrist cutter]

In no particular order.

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/beautifuldreamer.jpg[/img][b]GLAY - BEAUTIFUL DREAMER/STREET LIFE[/b]

This is definitely one of the most pleasant surprises of this year. It's been a long time since the last GLAY single, and it really wasn't all that great either. So between those two things, I honestly wasn't anxiously awaiting this single much. But both songs are really great, some of the best GLAY has ever made. It really restored my faith in music, as certain bands have been disappointing me lately... but certainly not GLAY.

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/zangai.jpg[/img][b]BUCK-TICK - zangai[/b]

BUCK-TICK has been around for over two decades, with tons of great songs and nearly 200 total. Yet, here's this single. "zangai" is definitely in my top 5 songs from this band, despite there being so many others. It's such a great, rocking song, with an incredibly catchy melody. The c/w, "GIRL", is another great song, though quite different. "zangai" is one of those must-hear songs of this year.

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/news.jpg[/img][b]SURFACE - NEWS[/b]

I didn't recognize how great this song was at first. In fact it seemed really dull. But as I began understanding the lyrics a bit more, as well as listening to the song a lot, it really has grown on me. Perhaps even better than "NEWS" is the c/w song on this single, "shokutaku". It sounds a bit similar but has a lonelier, more desperate sound to it that I really like. Two great songs, even though I couldn't tell at first.

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/imfinethankyouandyou.jpg[/img][b]SURFACE - I'M FINE THANK YOU AND YOU?[/b]

I must've listened to this song at least 100 times in those first few weeks that it came out. It's one of those wonderfully addictive SURFACE songs that sounds happy enough but has a serious tone as well. The c/w, "kitto", certainly isn't bad either. By far the biggest flaw in the title track is that there's no guitar solo, something that was also missing from the album that followed, "WARM".

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/uzu.jpg[/img][b]Porno Graffitti - uzu[/b]

I've never been more disappointed with a Porno Graffitti single. When I initially heard this song, I didn't like it AT ALL, which is rare because I love nearly everything they've done. Yet as I continued to listen to it, and the release of their fourth album "WORLDILLIA" drew closer, it finally hit me. Slowly at first, but then I finally understood the song and now I love it. It's one of Tama's more serious pieces that can be certainly more hard to appreciate than other songs, but it has definitely grown on me. The other song on this single is the upbeat "WORLD SATURDAY GRAFITTI", written by ak. homma (none other). This song is so incredibly catchy, even moreso than their previous singles written by him "Mugen" and "AGEHA chou".

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/otononaimori.jpg[/img][b]Porno Graffitti - oto no nai mori[/b]

The first single penned by Akihito, he really did a great job with this song. It's rather straightforward really, using the old "really slow and quiet verses, really loud and dramatic choruses" technique. Sure it's been done before, but Akihito's melody here is just so great, I can't stop singing this song. The simple arrangement works pretty well for this song really. The only complaint would be that it's fairly predictable... but I can look past that for this song.

[img]http://jikannohizumi.hypermart.net/crap/melissa.jpg[/img][b]Porno Graffitti - MELISSA[/b]

Of all the Porno Graffitti singles released this year, this is definitely the best. The title track, written by ak. homma, is one of his catchiest songs in a LONG time. He really did an EXCELLENT job with this song, I've probably listened to this single more than any of the others released this year. Perfect song.

[Genkai]

Hmm.. I actually like uzu better than MELISSA. *shrugs*

But then again I don't like Porno Graffitti ALL that much.