Make sure to download the newest episode of the pmaCAST: Looking Better, Shining Brighter Than You Do, featuring Four Tet, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The xx, Yeasayer, Department of Eagles, Hot Chip and more.
Artwork by the talented and generous Adam Sparpalius.
Today we celebrate the 274th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, but for the sake of simplicity, we will just call it 75% of 2009. As promised, I have updated the list of PMA’s Absolute (feel the sarcasm?) Best Songs of 2009. It was originally just my Top 10. Then it became the Top 50. Today, I have a top 50 with 25 ordered Honorable Mentions (don’t call it Top 75).
As always, I upheld only one rule while making this list: a song cannot be on this list, unless it was released as a single. As a reminder, here is my definition of the word “single” — 1) A song that has been given away for free to promote an upcoming album (known as a promotional single). 2) A song that has been played on TV or the radio (two of the largest mediums of discovering new music). 3) A song with its own music video and/or EP. 4) An album-track that has attracted enormous amounts of attention. That fourth definition is a loop hole, yes, but it’s a shame to ignore a smash hit just because it doesn’t have its own EP, amiright?
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to leave a comment, even if its obvious that you came here through Google (PMA pops up when you google “Best Songs of 2009″). As always, don’t be shy to share your personal favorites of the year. More often than not, it might help remind me of a song I may have missed. For example, last time I completely skipped on Matt & Kim’s “Daylight,” criminal, I know… but if it wasn’t for all of the people commenting on the track’s absence, I would have probably forgotten it again. And that, definitely, is a crime.
Alright, enough chit chat… let’s get started with the 25 Honorable Mentions, then the list itself.
25 Honorable Mentions for Best Songs of 2009
1. VV Brown – Shark In The Water
2. Volcano Choir – Island, IS
3. Zomby – Helter Skelter
4. Yes Giantess – Tuff ‘n’ Stuff
5. BBU – Chi Don’t Dance
6. Jay-Z – Empire State of Mind (ft. Alicia Keys)
7. Bombay Bicycle Club – Always Like This
8. The Big Pink – Dominoes
9. Lady GaGa – Paparazzi
10. St. Vincent – The Strangers
11. The Dodos – Fables
12. Hockey – Too Fake
13. The Decemberists – The Rake’s Song
14. Das Racist – Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (Wallpaper Remix)
15. Royksopp – The Girl and the Robot (ft. Robyn)
16. Dirty Projectors & David Byrne – Knotty Pine
17. The Sound of Arrows – Into The Clouds
18. Pictureplane – Goth Star
19. Metric – Help I’m Alive
20. Miike Snow – Animal
21. Little Boots – Remedy
22. Fever Ray – When I Grow Up
23. Neko Case – People Got A Lotta Nerve
24. The Maccabees – Love You Better
25. Pet Shop Boys – Did You See Me Coming?
and the top 50 are…
Tags: Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Basement Jaxx, Bat For Lashes, BBU, Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Bloc Party, Bombay Bicycle Club, Bon Iver, Chiddy Bang, Das Racist, David Byrne, Diamond Rings, Dirty Projectors, Discovery, Dragonette, Eminem, Fever Ray, Fleet Foxes, Franz Ferdinand, Free Energy, Gang Gang Dance, Gotye, Green Day, Grizzly Bear, Harlem Shakes, Hockey, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, La Roux, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Little Boots, Matt & Kim, Miike Snow, Mos Def, Music Go Music, N.A.S.A., Neko Case, Panda Bear, Passion Pit, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Bjorn and John, Phoenix, Robyn, Röyksopp, Shakira, Simian Mobile Disco, Solange, St. Vincent, Sufjan Stevens, Sunset Rubdown, Taylor Swift, The Antlers, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, The Big Pink, The Decemberists, the dodos, The Golden Filter, The Gossip, The Killers, The Maccabees, The Sound of Arrows, The Sounds, The XX, Tiësto, Volcano Choir, VV Brown, Washed Out, White Rabbits, Yacht, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, yelle, Yes Giantess, Zomby
read the name
true
incredible list for the music connoisseur,
indeed
Fleet Foxes released those songs in 2008…
TOSSER
THESE are the best songs of this year.? this has been an amazing music year, but i believe these are not the best songs. i definitly agree with empire state of mind tho, that is a beast song! i love itt.(:
This is the most boring, droning, good-for-nothing list on the web.
This is kinda … GAYY!
and your site is called – prettymuchamazing?
WRONG.
prettymuchBORING is more like itt.
GO CANADA!
omfg these are the worst songs ive ever heard are you gay or something?!
Yesssssssssssss awesome list
Very solid list. Two noteable exclusions: “Lovers’ Carvings” by Bibio, and “Despicable Dogs” by Small Black…
and I definitely thought “Tightrope” by Yeasayer was the best track on Dark Was the Night.
GOD EVERYBODY STFU.
IF U THINK THESE SONGS ARE SO GAY THEN FCKING LEAVE. GOD. NO ONE WANTS U HERE.