2010
(Or, the year the music stopped…but on a good note)
5. “Substitution” – Silversun Pickups
When reactions turn
into hurricanes / And the middle ground seems a little tame / Whether full or
empty it's all the same / It's so easy to see, everyone can agree, you're not
to blame
I already showed these guys some love in 2009 and here they are again in the top 5. I thank my former co-worker Matt for sharing his library of Silversun Pickups albums with me. Swoon is my favorite album they’ve released thus far and “Substitution” is probably my favorite track off of that album. The mellow upbeat tone just hits the spot. Fun fact: The women playing musical chairs in the video were actually playing for a real prize. According to Silversun frontman Brian Aubert, it got pretty ugly.
4. “Odd One” – Sick Puppies
Odd one, you're never alone / I'm here and I will reflect you / Both of us basically unattached / To anything or anyone unless we're pretending
Sick Puppies aren’t one of my favorites but they get to join the party. I think it’s worth noting that I consider the top 5 of 2010 to be a strong collection of songs. Maybe I latched onto “Odd One” because the lyrics attempted to soothe the disconnected feelings so many of us have had. I could try to relay some story about being an “odd one” that comes with a hidden agenda, but I’m abandoning that approach for this year. As the years progressed in this mini-series, it became less about the music and more about stories unrelated to the music. We’re in the final year of the countdown and it should be as much about the music as possible, plain and simple.
3. “Give Me A Sign” – Breaking Benjamin
Forever and ever / The scars will remain / I'm falling apart / Leave me here forever in the dark
Fun fact: Each room in this video features artwork from a Breaking Benjamin album cover. Can you spot them all? Breaking Benjamin has made the list several times this decade so it’s somewhat fitting that they make one final contribution. “Give Me A Sign” is a song I was destined to love based solely on the song title. I’m always looking for signs to explain why things are the way they are. It can be my undoing. In response to some hurdles I was having trouble getting over, a friend recently suggested that I just “ride the wave.” I’m going to take him up on that sage advice. Things may happen for a reason but there doesn’t have to be one. I don’t need to dissect and analyze everything. Keep your signs for now, Breaking Benjamin. C’est la vie.
2. “The Crow & The Butterfly” – Shinedown
Just like a crow chasing the butterfly / Dandelions lost in the summer sky / When you and I were getting high as outer space / I never thought you'd slip away / I guess I was just a little too late
This is another of those Shinedown songs off of The Sound of Madness album that enjoyed some crossover success. Fun fact: the album is the 2nd one ever to have 4 singles top the chart. There is a certain nostalgic appreciation that one can gain from this song. I know I loved it as soon I heard it and the crow/butterfly analogy is genius. I’d venture we’ve all been the crow at some point in our lives chasing after a butterfly just out of our grasp.
1. “Kings And Queens” – 30 Seconds To Mars
We were the kings and queens of promise / We were the victims of ourselves / Maybe the children of a lesser God / Between Heaven and Hell.
Anything associated to Jared Leto is pretty much pure gold. Am I right? “Kings And Queens” is an eruption of awesomeness. The buildup lures you in and by the time the full ensemble of instruments and choric chanting takes effect, you’re ready to take on whatever lays before you. The video for this song perfectly captures the possibility and promise this song inspires. The song even made its way into my sports consciousness because ESPN uses it as background music during its promotional commercials for the big tennis tournaments it airs. I couldn’t think of many better songs to close out the final year of Q101’s top 101 songs.
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