Lists on BILLCS Music Blog – Page 7

8-bit Hit! – Tuned-On! Top 30 #326 – May 10/10

EDIT: Just in – A lovely acapella rendition of “8-bit Heart” with video shot by Tyler Shields, who did Simon’s wonderful photos. This will literally send shivers down your back.

“Beat Drop” live at the Roxy!

This edition of my personal chart of course coincides with the aftermath of Simon Curtis’ debut solo performance at The Roxy in Los Angeles on Thursday May 6. Our Boy Robot continues to reign the chart with “Beat Drop” (with video from the show up top) along with “Joystick” at #3. But Simon adds to his chart victory with the title track from his mixtape 8-bit Heart debuting this week at #21. Despite the high energy performance at the Roxy – and you can see the rest of the show in segments at http://www.simondaily.com – I thought Simon’s performance of “8-bit Heart” to be particularly effective (it’s at the bottom of this blog). Remember folks, this is ONLY the beginning, it’s a showcase performance to show what he can do, and that, by jove, is entertain!! So let’s see Simon on TV soon – maybe late night shows – so that he can show off his voice and talent, and reach out to a wider audience.

Penguin Prison (aka Chris Glover), like Simon, now has two songs in my Top 5. “The Worse It Gets” replaces “Something I’m Not” at #2 – and it’s such a great song for a spring or summer drive! Javi’s engaging Monsieur Adi remix of “Situation” climbs to #4, while Vampire Weekend’s “Cousins” and Florida-based Clayton Senne each climb into the Top 10. Our 2010 piano man has been playing some smaller towns in Florida and appears on The Daily Buzz on May 28! Check out his MySpace page.

All of last week’s debut fare well in their sophomore chart. Kelis’ “Acapella” may just be my new theme song for 2010 as it climbs 21-12. Mike Posner, like Simon Curtis, started out in mixtape land, and has now signed with J/RCA, who have him touring this summer. The Gigamesh mix of “Cooler Than Me” jumps 24-16 as the song is about to enter the national Top 40! “Not Myself Tonight”, one of Christina Aguilera’s more intense dance songs, is right behind at #17. And the quiet late night dance floor power of Fabio Lendrum’s “Trouble” lands at #20.

Our other debuts this week include a second round from Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land And Sea, a lilting and beautiful song called “Unwoken Dream (King With Everything)”, arrives at #24. There’s also riveting pop/dance from Australia’s The Gossip in the form of “Pop Goes The World”, and lastly a belated debut of Ryan Star’s “Breathe”. One of my 10 Performers to Watch in 2010, Ryan Star’s ticket looks like it’s arrived with “Breathe” as he continues to tour around the U.S. Check out his always active website.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #324 – Apr 12/10

This new chart came upon me so quickly while I was in New Orleans over the past week, so there’s not too much change.

Simon Curtis continues to rule the roost with “Beat Drop” on top for a second chart, with “Joystick” climbing to #3, sandwiching Penguin Prison’s mighty “Something I’m Not” at #2. Simon’s 8-bit Heart is now at over 120K worldwide downloads. He’s opening for Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean in L.A. on May 6 at the Roxy, and is developing a video with Tyler Shields (who did the wonderful album cover art). Things seem to be falling nicely into place… I predict Simon will have a record deal very soon!

Blake Lewis’ beautiful “Heartbreak On Vinyl” will attain the #1 spot on Billboard’s Club Play chart this coming week, and it’s well deserved! The song moves up 6-4 on my chart this week. Evan Taubenfeld’s Welcome To The Blacklist Club will finally be available digitally in late May, and the effervescent “Starbucks Girl” moves up 10-8. Justin Nozuka’s You I Wind Land And Sea arrives this week, and the pensive “My Heart Is Yours” jumps 12-10. But the big mover on the chart this week is by New York singer Javi. The Monsieur Adi remix of “Situation” soars 16-6… the guy’s got a great voice and you can hear it in his live cover of Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” below!

So much great music is stuck slowly moving up the chart, so be sure to check out tracks by Example, BT, Vampire Weekend, Ellie Goulding, Massive Attack, Clayton Senne, and The Envy. Lifehouse’s “Had Enough”, featuring Chris Daughtry, looks like it’s well on its way, rising 27-21 this week.

I previously blogged about the second Penguin Prison song to enter this chart, The Worse It Gets”. The song debuts at #17 out of the gate, is well worth your attention.

I’m really looking forward to seeing the comic book-styled film “Kick Ass”. Mika and producer Red One have the title track which enters the chart at #28, and you can watch the engaging video below.

The Beat Drops – at #1: Tuned-On! Top 30 #323 – Mar 29/10

It’s time again for a Spring Shakeup on the latest edition of my personal chart (the link is also on the right sidebar). And there’s no better way for this to happen than to see a song debut at #1 for the first time since the chart of December 10, 2007, when “How To Build A Time Machine” by Darren Hayes began the first of 5 charts (10 weeks) at the top. With the free download release this week of Simon Curtis’ 8-bit Heart, the rollicking electro-dance of “Beat Drop” commands the chart this week – you can hear it in the link at the top of the page. It’s my next favourite song on 8-bit to former #1 “Delusional”, which leaves the chart after the maximum 10 chart run.

But there’s more Simon on this chart! Since the Top 30 is by no means conventional, there are no limits to the songs that can appear, and so the naughty parallel to our friend, the video game, “Joystick” makes a huge splash, debuting at #4. You can hear the song using the link at the bottom of this page.

All of this 8-bit madness unfortunately leaves Penguin Prison’s “Something I’m Not”, another free download, moving from 6-2, and I’m not sure if it will wrestle away #1 from “Beat Drop”. After all, “Beat Drop” did knock off Lady GaGa’s “Teeth” after a 2 week stay at the summit.

Nelson Clemente’s clever and quiet electro of “90 Days” manages to reach a new peak at #5, while Blake Lewis’ ode to old-style record stores, “Heartbreak On Vinyl”, climbs to #6. Songs by Jason Derulo, Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris (the definitive version of “Hallelujah” next to Jeff Buckley’s IMO), and Evan Taubenfeld charge into the Top 10. The five debuts in the Top 10 cause massive drops by songs by Lady GaGa, Dragonette, Crystal Method, and Lifehouse, but them’s the breaks!

The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Justin Nozuka, whose “My Heart Is Yours” comes from his sophomore CD You I Wind Land and Sea, which is due for release this coming week. Other big movers in the middle of the chart include Javi’s “Situation” (23-16), a pop/dance track also available for free download that commands your attention, and Vampire Weekend’s brief but insanely catchy “Cousins” (26-20).

As “Halfway Gone” by Lifehouse is about to leave the chart, “Had Enough”, featuring Chris Daughtry, premieres at #27 from the top notch Smoke And Mirrors CD, which you will read about later in the week in more detail in this blog. Thanks to the excellent and frenetic remix by Breakage, “Dog Days Are Over”, a track from Lungs by Florence & The Machine, arrives at #30. But if there’s one low key track you must check out this week, it should be “Don’t You Dare” by Matt Morris, which is a bonus song on his debut When Everything Breaks Loose, probably because it doesn’t really fit into the rest of the mood of the album. This is a much more lushly produced, theatrical song that you might play next to earlier work by Rufus Wainwright. You can download it for free right here! (Note: I don’t link to free downloads unless they are sanctioned by the artist 🙂 )

I will be away in New Orleans during the first full week of April, so a post of my next chart may be delayed (but I’m sure I’ll be armed with all kinds of great music!).

Tuned-On! Top 30 #322 – Mar 15/10

The Ides of March are upon us tomorrow, and Daylight Savings Time has hit. Spring is, well, springing in advance in Toronto, and my work schedule is lightening up a bit to take a few days off this week. That usually means I get to play a lot of music and get caught up with new releases.

So while this edition of my personal chart (link also to the right under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART***) is chock full of stuff, the chart activity is pretty minimal. But we do have a new #1! Lady GaGa gets her first chart topper here with “Teeth”, which I think is just an incredibly wonderful and fun song. It will be competing with Penguin Prison’s quirky and amazing free download “Something I’m Not”, which moves from its debut position of 11 to 6 this week. (NOTE: Simon Curtis fans fear not – though “Delusional” will leave the chart after this one, since it’s lasted the maximum 10 chart appearances, new music from Simon is coming soon 🙂 )

A lot of the activity in the chart takes place outside of the Top 10, where there’s a passel of songs battling it out among each other. The more I listen to “Hallelujah” by Justin Timberlake, Matt Morris, and Charlie Sexton, the more I appreciate the careful harmonies and how close it comes to Jeff Buckley’s definitive version – especially given recent renditions of the song which I’ve heard in the past few weeks. Jason Derulo’s “In My Head” is an almost-singalong carried by a great melody. Dan Black’s pastiche that is “Pass That Head Noize” keeps winning creativity points from me, while “Don’t Stop” by Annie is pop/dance at its most adorable.

Evan Taubenfeld’s “Starbucks Girl” is gonna keep moving up my chart until I tire of it, even though it’s only available now on YouTube (I can still hope for a bonus live version on his upcoming CD, can’t I?). Example’s “Won’t Go Quietly” puts me in a good mood (which I’ve needed these past few weeks) and climbs 25-17, the Fastest Riser on the chart. Justin Nozuka’s “My Heart Is Yours” is right behind moving 27-20, an emotional ballad whose closest companion on the chart is “Hallelujah”. BT & Christian Burns’ “Suddenly” gets stuck in the middle but should find its way out of it in two weeks. Other debuts from last week by Pink, Javi, Ellie Goulding, and Vampire Weekend should also strut their stuff in the coming weeks.

Right now I can’t get enough of the energy from songs from Clayton Senne’s Wonderland CD, so the title track debuts at #24. I had this fascination with Massive Attack back in 1994 when they released the splendid Protection CD. After that they remained interesting to me but dropped off my radar. Now reduced to a duo, they seem to be back in the same form as 15 years ago with their new CD Heligoland, from which comes the murky, foreboding sound of “Girl I Love You”, featuring vocalist Horace Andy, at #25.

My final debut is timely. This song has been popping up on my iTouch shuffle in my car a lot lately. I saw the band open for The Midway State in Toronto last summer and was impressed at how tight they are and how lead singer Shaun Frank wins over the audience. Toronto’s The Envy signed this week to Gene Simmons’ record label, so expect to hear more from them soon. “Don’t Let Go” debuts at #29 and is available to you for free by subscribing to their newsletter at their MySpace site. Below’s a video of a recent live performance of the song. Enjoy 🙂

Show Us Your Teeth: Tuned-On! Top 30 #320 – March 1/10

Could Lady GaGa get her first #1 on this chart? While Mika’s “Rain” reigns steadily with former #1 “Delusional” by Simon Curtis right in tow, “Teeth” by Lady GaGa charges 12-3 to become her biggest hit on this chart, surpassing the #4 peak of “Bad Romance” and the current #4 position of “Speechless”. It’s really hard to say what’s my favourite song from The Fame Monster, I could pick and choose between the three and be very happy. Not to take away anything from “Teeth” (whose King5kat remix is outstanding) or even “Bad Romance”, but there are other challengers that could get to #1 too…

Also new to the Top 10 besides “Teeth” are Blake Lewis’ retro happiness of “Heartbreak On Vinyl” and “Pick Up The Phone”, the plea from the dancefloor by Dragonette. But just outside of the Top 10 is our first debut, and it’s the highest one in quite some time.

I lumped Penguin Prison’s “Something I’m Not” in with last week’s highlighted songs, but the tune has grown immensely on me during the last week to make it one of this year’s must have records, and it debuts on the chart at a huge #11! And the great part of it all is that it’s a free download! Chris Glover has a massive talent up his sleeve, and it’s too bad Interscope Records didn’t take him up on it as cited in this excellent story about him. I’m not sure if “Something I’m Not” can get to #1 next week, but it will give it the old college try! Do check it out – you will miss something special from this talented singer/producer/remixer otherwise!

Next, I have to comment about Evan Taubenfeld’s terrific track “Starbucks Girl”. Because of its connection to Starbucks, and Evan’s fans’ reaction to his use of autotune, the song has been pulled from the Welcome To The Blacklist Club CD and is no longer available as a free download. And that’s a damn shame. As is, “Starbucks Girl” has immense appeal, and the excellent, simple video expands on that appeal. Sure, I said that I’d like a version without the autotune too, but to no longer make the original version available is a mystery to me. Watch the video yourself and decide! The song still moves up 25-20 on the chart!!

The chart is full of massive activity this week. P!nk’s Grammy performance of “Glitter In The Air” is her best record in more than 6 or 7 years, and debuts at #23. New Yorker Javi, of Puerto Rican and Panamanian background, debuts at #24 with the gorgeous European-sounding Monsieur Adi remix of “Situation” . UK’s Example could give Calvin Harris a run for his money with “Won’t Go Quietly” at #25. This song may seem a little static at first but it really grows on you. Then blog-darling Ellie Goulding arrives at #26 with “Starry Eyed”, which has many remixes (including one by Penguin Prison), but my preference is for the shimmering retro Monarchy remix. Justin Nozuka’s fans light up this blog as his new CD You I Wind Land and Sea gets closer to release. “My Heart Is Yours” bows at #27. And finally, Vampire Weekend enters the chart at #28 with “Cousins”. The indie band scored a #1 Billboard album with Contra a few weeks back.

One last piece of housekeeping: I don’t think I’ve mentioned it since I started this blog last Fall. I have one rule on my personal chart. Songs must leave the chart after 10 appearances (20 weeks). This allows a fresh rotation of songs to occur, but it doesn’t prevent them from re-entering at a later date, though this doesn’t happen very often. Both Mika’s “Blame It On The Girls” and Dan Black’s “Alone” left the chart this week for this reason.

Have a great week and let’s see your comments 🙂

Joyous “Rain” is #1: Tuned-On! Top 30 #320 – Feb 15/10

He finally did it! After reaching #3 with “We Are Golden”, then #2 with “Blame It On The Girls”, British vocalist Mika goes all the way with the joyous “Rain”. It should easily stay atop the chart into March while other songs make headway.

“Rain” knocks Simon Curtis’ “Delusional” to #2 after 4 charts (8 weeks) at the top. Once Simon’s mixtape 8Bit Heart is released though when he gets to 8,000 followers on Twitter – he’s now over 7,500 – watch for an influx of new Simon songs on the chart! The free download of “Delusional” is still available right here (as well as in a link in my chart).

Lifehouse’s “Halfway Gone” moves up to #3, while Pet Shop Boys have their biggest hit on this chart in its 11 1/2 year history – of course the chart would have been generously filled with PSB songs in the 80’s and 90’s – with their cover of “Viva La Vida” mixed with dashes of “Domino Dancing” at #4. Lady GaGa’s set to have her biggest hit on this chart with “Speechless” moving from 10-5, as “Bad Romance” tumbles to #7. Nelson Clemente’s slick and mysterious “90 Days” and Crystal Method/Emily Haines’ “Come Back Clean” each enter the Top 10 for the first time.

Despite mixed public reaction to the Fixin’ To Thrill CD, the blogverse is steadily promoting the CD as Canadian band Dragonette’s latest single “Pick Up The Phone” is picking up believers. The song is the Fastest Riser on the chart this week, up 23-15. Other songs bowing in the last few weeks are no slouches either, such as those by Lady GaGa (check out the bottom heavy King5kat remix of “Teeth”), Blake Lewis (check out the LA Riots radio edit of “Heartbreak on Vinyl”), Justin Timberlake/Matt Morris/Charlie Sexton, John Mayer (oh despite the self-induced bad publicity, his songs will get him through), and Jason Derulo.

I’m not going to re-blog about the many pleasures of Dan Black’s Weird Science mixtape – “Pass That Head Noize” charts at #23 – or Evan Taubenfeld’s “Starbucks Girl” (debuting at #25). After a six year absence from my chart, it’s great to have producer/songwriter extraordinaire BT back on the scene. After a few years of critical acclaim with more experimental offerings such as This Binary Universe, BT is back in 2010 in more accessible dance territory with songs from his latest CD These Hopeful Machines. His first single, including vocals by The Bleach Works singer Christian Burns (also ex-BBMak – you heard Christian a few years back on Tiesto’s “In The Dark”), is “Suddenly”. As much as we like to get caught up in fun, lightweight dance music of the moment, the immaculately detailed layers in BT’s production and the vibrancy of the melody make “Suddenly” more than worthy of your attention.

View the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or click right here.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #319 – Feb 1/10

As you all know, “Delusional” by Simon Curtis has been monopolizing my chart since before the holidays, and Simon continues a 4th consecutive appearance (that’s 8 weeks!) at the top this week (and just you wait till you hear his upcoming ‘mixtape’ 8Bit Heart!! – more surprises than a barrel of monkeys happy with lots of bananas!). But Mika’s glorious “Rain” moves to #2 and is about to become a worthy successor to “Delusional” in what looks to be a year of Pop Pop Glorious Pop! If Lady GaGa can open up the Grammy Awards telecast and have a duet with Sir Elton John in tow (image below), then 2010 looks to be an unforgettable year in Pop Pop Glorious Pop music!

Speaking of Ms G, “Bad Romance” isn’t budging from the Top 5 yet, while the magnificent “Speechless” hustles its way into the Top 10 and pulling “Teeth” seems no mean feat as the song ties as the Fastest Riser on the chart, moving 24-18.

Lifehouse is in Top 5 territory for the first time in almost 5 years as “Halfway Gone” inches up to – #5! Nelson Clemente’s entry for Microsoft’s Playlist 7 contest ties for Fastest Riser as the many moods of “90 Days” climb 17-11. The Crystal Method’s Grammy nominated CD has yielded the pairing with Metric’s Emily Haines on “Come Back Clean”, while Dragonette’s “Pick Up The Phone” and John Mayer’s “Heartbreak Warfare” are on the upswing.

Not to sound deliberately like Yoda 😉 , but 4 debuts have we this week.

I thought Blake Lewis’ first album Audio Day Dream was unique and showed a lot of promise, but it honestly didn’t grab me much beyond some initial curiosity. I thought the trend was continuing with just-okay songs like “Sad Song” and “How Many Words” arriving to promote sophomore effort Heartbreak On Vinyl. Then comes the title track – and I melt! Perhaps unknowingly, the song speaks volumes for my generation which is just in the process of losing midsize-to-small record stores across North America, allowing us to shed a few deserved tears as testament to the power they once had. This vital song debuts at a strong #21. Good on you, Blake!

Next up, and equally vital in obvious ways, is the stunning performance that is “Hallelujah” by Justin Timberlake and protege Tennman Records signee Matt Morris, along with veteran guitarist Charlie Sexton. The Internet came along too late to chart Jeff Buckley’s essential version of Leonard Cohen’s poetry for me – though I could have in retrospect if I wanted. But this new version fits the moment and shows the diversity that is now Justin Timberlake. I’ve heard some of Morris’ debut release but it’s understated in a Joshua Radin-kind of way, so I think I have to give its songs another few listens because I’m probably missing something I didn’t think of at the time. And Sexton is deservedly upfront after years of behind-the-scenes work – I still have his 1985 debut album, and you don’t have to look past the pop gloss to see the superstar guitarist in the making at age 17.

Then we have Norwegian singer Annie, who’s had some Scandinavian success during the past 10 years. At age 31, she reinvents herself for the world with the Pop Pop Glorious Pop of the danceable “Don’t Stop” (and yes, it rhymes) at #26. Lastly, Jason Derulo proves that autotune does not a sole hit make (there’s that Yoda again…). “Whatcha Say” is nice enough, but “In My Head” delivers the real goods, and this 20 year old bows at #27 on the chart.

And with images of the latter two below, don’t forget to view the entire chart right here or click on the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right.

Tuned-On! Top 30 #318 – January 18/10

January is usually a quite month for music, basically a time to play catch-up on stuff that I’ve heard during the last six weeks while keeping up with newer songs as well.

The release date for Simon Curtis’ ‘mixtape’ 8Bit Heart is getting closer and believe me Simon has some interesting songs in store for you. For now it will have to suffice that “Delusional” (available for a free download right here) maintains its grip on #1 for a third consecutive pair of weeks. It’s hard to get this song out of my head with its very happy home on my iTouch but a new challenger has arisen these past few weeks.

With the gift of Mika’s The Boy Who Knew Too Much over the holidays, I blogged this week about the massive appeal of “Rain”, which debuted two weeks ago on the chart. It outdoes previous singles “We Are Golden” and “Blame It On The Girls” (still at #5!) by bounding right into the Top 5, moving 19-3 as the Fastest Riser on the chart. It will be a close call in two weeks for the top spot!

All of this activity leaves Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance” stranded at #4, and has stalled the movement of “Halfway Gone” by Lifehouse, “Black & Blue” by Miike Snow, and Mitchell Hunter’s “Someone Else’s”. Pet Shop Boys however make really good on their redux of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” as that song in a medley with a few lines from PSB’s “Domino Dancing” lands at #8. Michael Buble’s dramatic cover of “Cry Me A River” ascends into the Top 10.

The biggest moves outside of the Top 10 come from two of last week’s debuts. The Crystal Method’s track with Metric’s Emily Haines, “Come Back Clean” climbs 27-19 to match the peak of 1998’s “Comin’ Back”. And I am one of many fans of The Fame Monster going GaGa for “Speechless”. That song is quite a change of pace for her away from the upbeat territory of “Bad Romance” and “Just Dance”, so we’ll see if it gets promoted to pop radio. Nonetheless, “Speechless” climbs 21-13.

The four new entries on the chart belong to Nelson Clemente’s “90 Days”, internationally known Canadian dance/rock band Dragonette with “Pick Up The Phone”, the title track from John Mayer’s “Heartbreak Warfare”, and more GaGa, this time with “Teeth” – try to check out the King Skat remix if you can.

View the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right or click right here.

Tuned-On! Top 300 of the 2000’s – FINAL (#50-1)

Here it is, the final 50 of the complete list of 300 songs, a list that I fussed over for the last few months. I may have been a little generous overall with songs from the last year, but time will only tell, since 2009 was to me a great year for new music. I think the best way to introduce this list is with some of my favourite lyrics.

I won’t worry my life away…

I’d go extra miles to show that you are the one thing that I’ve got…

Gimme gimme symphonies, gimme more than the life I see…

I know that after tonight you don’t have to talk about the stars no no…

If I have understood correctly velocity equals the distance traveled, divided by time…

Step into the light, this dog doesn’t bite, oh, just want to be your friend…

Simply being loved… is more than enough, yeah yeah…

I’m living for the only thing I know, I’m running and not sure quite where to go…

My baby’s got the lonesome lows, don’t quite go away overnight…

Feathered hair and lame heels, what turns me on is so surreal…

And I’m only makin’ it worse when I let her go, then I come on back every time I leave…

And I won’t call you baby anymore, won’t call you baby like I did before…

I’m miles from where you are, I lay down on the cold ground, I pray that something picks me up…

You know in 1987 I was dancin’ in a discotheque, and people were coming up to me and sayin’ “What is this shit??”…

The full updated list is available right here – please leave your comments and observations!! Onward to the new decade… 🙂

Tuned-On! Best of 2009, Part 2 (25-1)

To complete my thoughts on the best songs that I heard in 2009, here are a few words about each of my 25 favourites:

25. NELSON CLEMENTE “You Want Me Don’t You (Spekr Freks mix)”

My #22 favourite from 2008 received a blistering remix from Spekr Freks in 2009 that’s perfect for the crack of midnight at a club. It bodes well for new music in 2010 from this South Africa based, Australian talent.

24. MARIANAS TRENCH “Masterpiece Theatre Part 1”

To me this is the showcase track from the Masterpiece Theatre, the first part of an intriguing rock opera that surrounds their other hits “Cross My Heart” (#37 on this list), “All By Myself”, and “Beside You”. These west coast Canadians far exceeded my expectations with this well-produced and extremely well done record.

23. MANS ZELMERLOW “Rewind”

A new Swedish star who should be on the international tip sometime in 2010. This breezy reflection on summer is only one reason for that.

22. GARY GO “Wonderful”

I missed this new UK singer opening up on Mika’s Fall tour but hopefully he’ll make the rounds again. “Wonderful” is an urgent, heartfelt tune to turn to when you feel down in the dumps – it will certainly pick you up.

21. RYAN STAR “Last Train Home”

The second song in this list from 2008 to receive a re-release, and the first of two in the Top 25 from this singer. Ryan Star’s from NYC and this striking rock ballad commands your attention. Few male rock singers these days have voices this good.

20. BEYONCE “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”

Yes it was a little tired by year’s end with even Alvin & The Chipmunks getting in on the act, but there’s no denying the hook or the impact that it had on women at the start of 2009. Songs like this show why Beyoncé is a superstar.

19. EVAN TAUBENFELD “Boy Meets Girl”

The first of two songs in the Top 20 from this talented LA-based singer/guitarist. The mix of 80’s and 90’s pop culture references and playful vocals make “Boy Meets Girl” a unique gem looking to be uncovered a little more in 2010.

18. PRESETS “If I Know You”

I missed their Toronto concert so I caught it when I was in California in April. This Australian duo creates such an intense show, more reminiscent of dark and dangerous 80’s acts like Shriekback and The The than anything else. “If I Know You” is a little less dark and dangerous, focusing in on a great melody and story while maintaining that relentless beat that pervades their live show.

17. JON McLAUGHLIN “You Can Never Go Back”

I’m not sure if it was entirely intended, but this track from this Indiana-based singer channels the Electric Light Orchestra so much for me. With ELO-like musical flourishes and melody, and even a reference to “Xanadu”, I was sold! It’s one of the highlights of Jon’s OK Now CD even if I think so for all the wrong reasons.

16. NADIA ALI “Love Story”

This former iio singer released her debut solo CD Embers, which includes this #1 club hit. Nadia has a great voice that’s been missed these past few years after the demise of iio (who appear a few times on my Top 300 of the decade), and this gentle dancefloor filler has hopefully kickstarted a long solo career.

15. PIERRE “Broken”

Pierre Lewis is one of several new singers I enjoyed from England, and his emotional ballad “Broken” has endured throughout the year for me. It also works just fine as a dance tune in a snappy remix by Joe 90. Look for more songs from Pierre in 2010.

14. MIKA “We Are Golden”

“We Are Golden” is the anthem of 2009 and a great start to a sophomore effort following Mika’s success in 2007. The Boy Who Knew Too Much is top notch ear candy that occasionally goes over the top – and enjoyably sol.

13. THE SCRIPT “Before The Worst”

It’s hard to believe some of these Irish lads were once in the boy band MyTown… they have come a long way to make a debut CD that appeals across the pop, rock and alt.rock genres. “Before The Worst” is their second song on this list, and was released as a free iTunes single early in 2009. It’s the best track on their CD, wearing its emotion on its sleeve while allowing the listener to empathize. The journey for these guys has just begun!

12. FLORENCE & THE MACHINE “Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)”

Florence Welch is a unique new voice for the next decade as heard in the powerful songs on her band’s debut CD Lungs. “Rabbit Heart” for me has the most memorable imagery in a chorus of any song on this list and that combined with its gothic pop trappings makes it one of the finest records of the year.

11. MIKA “Blame It On The Girls”

If the triumph of “We Are Golden” was not enough, next up from Mika in 2009 was this simple and snappy pop/dance tune with a story. It’s theatrical qualities make it pretty much irresistible. I’m looking for Mika to take his show on the road again in 2010 so that I can see it all brought to life!

10. AGNES CARLSSON “Release Me”

The biggest breakout of the year from Sweden is Agnes Carlsson, who acquired an international #1 club hit and Top 5 UK pop hit with “Release Me”. Great vocals, commanding performance, this song had it all.

9. DAN BLACK “Alone”

The first of two Top 10 entries from the talented Mr. Black from England is “Alone”, which is not a ballad but an uptempo dance track. It’s one of several reasons to watch to see what Dan Black has to offer in the next few years. The world needs more of his kind of musical alchemy.

8. RYAN STAR “Right Now”

The second of two entries for Mr. Star, could there be a more positive and upbeat song released in 2009? This song makes you feel your mortality through your bones.

7. THE FRAY “You Found Me (Lenny B mix)”

Back in the Spring, I was listening to my car radio and a syndicated radio show was on. As I was listening, all of sudden ‘YOU FOUND ME” resonates through the speakers – and instead of a softer AC melody what follows is a throbbing dance beat before the vocals cut in. You see, I didn’t , and still really don’t, like the original version of this song. But Lenny B transformed it and brought out the meaning of the song for me. When remixes are great, they really work. This one made my heart pound.

6. EVAN TAUBENFELD “Cheater Of TheYear”

“Cheater of the Year” was my introduction to Evan Taubenfeld in 2009, and is his second appearance in the Top 20. Lyrically, this song pulls no punches about its subject, but Evan makes it fun and entertaining for the listener, and simply makes you want more.

5. 100 AKRES FEATURING ROZ BELL “Pink Cadillac”

“Pink Cadillac” is the best completely free download of the year. UK based 100 Akres had a hand in producing Canadian Roz Bell’s 2008 hit “Yesterday Man”, but this time he brought Roz into his territory, this being a funky track that is highly reminiscent of some of the best blue eyed soul of the 80’s, such as songs by The Kane Gang and Paul Young. That such a great track was given away to us music fans made me hungry for similarly great online freebies. And you know what, they’re out there!

4. NOAH “Mannequin”

Other bloggers discovered Ottawa-based Noah before I did, but I’m so glad that I found this song through them. Noah certainly has his own unique scat-type vocal style that when mixed with electronic dance music, creates an even more extraordinary blend. I’ve read that he’s put on energetic shows in Ottawa and NYC. While I couldn’t hear anything else quite as riveting from his CD Human Geometry, I’m looking forward to hearing more from Noah in 2010.

3. ROYKSOPP FEATURING ROBYN “The Girl & The Robot”

Norwegian producers Royksopp meet Swedish star Robyn for a brilliant moment in electronic dance music that had online musicphiles raving, and then there was the live performance video too. It takes you to one of those magical places in music history that you know can’t be repeated.

2. DAN BLACK “Symphonies”

The second of two Top 10 entries for Dan Black found him taking two or three steps ahead of his 2008 download “HYPNTZ” by forgetting about the Notorious B.I.G. sample he tried to acquire and instead transforming it into this sweeping contemporary piece of electronica. It’s one of the most beautiful songs of 2009 and the decade.

1. SAM TAYLOR “Run Away”

“Run Away” takes my breath away every time I play it, and I first heard it back in February, so it has held court over the entire year. UK singer Sam Taylor is such an understated talent, he has a voice and delivery that can make anyone melt, yet he’s only had a handful of songs appear online, and the only ones commercially available are through the “Beautiful People” TV soundtrack from which this song comes. Watch out 2010, it could be Sam Taylor’s year!!

You can view the full list right here.