Top 2(00)8 Songs of 2008 (Part 2)

Everyone who has a blog and their mother have excellent countdowns of their favorite songs/albums of 2008, so I figured I’d follow the trend and give in to the peer pressure. However, the task itself was incredibly formidable. I couldn’t really decide my favorite songs, to be honest, so I turned to my best friend/stalker, Last.FM, to tell me what my favorite songs are. Although I don’t entirely agree with the order, these are the top 28 songs I’ve listened to in the past 12 months in terms of overall plays. As always with when I talk about songs, if you’d like one of these songs to sample for yourself, just comment and let me know.

24. The Veronicas “Untouched”
Finally, the ladies V are getting some recognition in my home country. I was a huge fan of their original pop rock sound in the days of “4Ever” and “When It All Falls Apart”, but I first heard this song in the early summer, and longed for its release here in the U.S. The song has only just been released, and to my delight, is getting a pretty good response in my neck of the woods. But this song is just undeniably catchy and fun. The “la la la la la”s are wicked, and the echo and string-esque symphony counters the electro perfectly in a way that only these two could have dreamed. And to make things even better, the entire “Hook Me Up” album was incredible.
Best Part: The strings incorporated into a eletro pop song.

23. Girlicious feat. Sean Kingston “Still In Love”
I would have been the first to tell you that the girl group that got together on a television show entitled “The Pussycat Dolls Present”, and ‘presented’ themselves as a trashier little sister of PCD would be a flash in the pan. Then I heard the album, and felt like I had to make small exception. Their image may be trashy, but their music is catchy as ever, and this song is proof positive. This little gem of urban r&b is a great example of the talent in the hands of producer, J.R. Rotem (Ashley Tisdale, Sean Kingston, a million others). If only they cleaned up their image, they could have a real future, as their harmony is much stronger than PCD’s ever could hope to be.
Best Part: “I’m trying…I’m trying…but I’m lying…I’m lying ‘cuz I’m crying…I’m crying…I’m dying without you…”

22. Duffy “Mercy”
Who didn’t love this song? Like Amy Winehouse and “Rehab” before her, Duffy came over to the U.S. and we collectively fell in love with her big retro single. The song is so unique and with her 60’s soul vocals so pronounced, not to mention refreshing in an era full of vocoded poptarts. Ms. Duffy sounds like a modern day Dusty Springfield. The song was relatable, yet simple, and that’s always a good combination. Thankfully, she has survived the (stupid) comparison to Ms. Winehouse, but I hope she survives past her current title here – one hit wonder.
Best Part: That bassline with the 60’s synth and her riffs over the chorus toward the end.

21. NLT “Karma”
“Karma” is slick, sexy and harmonious in the way that *NSYNC would sound if they were still around. Oh, Geffen Records. Get on the stick. You have the next *NSYNC, with tracks produced by Timbaland (last year’s “She Said, I Said”) and OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder (“Karma”). Release the freaking album already. You know all those girls that fawn over Joe Jonas? They’d probably dig this, and so would the chicks like me, who miss the old days of teendom. The fact that all of the songs I’ve heard from NLT so far are perfect urban pop/R&B, mixed with crisp dance moves and on-point harmony makes me shake my head in shame that Geffen hasn’t gotten the memo. If these boys fall through the cracks, it would be a serious crime.
Best Part: “Story is over, turning the page…Baby, you’re history”, the whole chorus, the harmony, the falcetto, the “ka-ka-karma” repetition and the vocalist of the 2nd pre-chorus…what a voice! Really – what don’t I like?