A Belated Top Ten 2007

I had so much fun poking around my iTunes for yesterday's list that I decided to do another, this time for 2007. I paid a lot more attention to music in 2007, mostly because I didn't spend four months of it doing the Death Laser Skull Space Alien Hell Semester. So, after mentally disqualifying M.I.A. since I cheated and stuck her on yesterday's list, I hunted iTunes and the Internet to compile my very favorite songs of 2007. Here you have it:

#10: "Gunpowder and Lead," Miranda Lambert

All right, yesterday I kept the whole "justifying a country song" thing to a minimum, but today...well, this song really is crap. The lyrics are silly and white trash, her voice grates, but somehow, I just couldn't resist this damn song. This is why it's MY top ten, and not by any stretch THE top ten of 2007. I'd just be lying if I didn't stick this one on here.

#9: "Can I Get Get Get," Junior Senior

If you want to see the most terrible dancing ever perpetrated on the planet Earth, you'll be sad to know that nobody ever filmed me when this song came on my iTunes shuffle.

Bonus/#8: "Crayola," Kristin Andreassen and Megan Downes

Okay, this is cheating again since this song dates to 2006, but the video's 2007, and we can pretend (and making a 2006 list sounds like a lot of work). The song, which was recently featured on A Prairie Home Companion is cute as hell, but I'm concerned either for her color vision or her lover's ocular health, since I'm not certain how she can confuse blue, green, AND brown.

#7: "Lip Gloss," Lil Mama

I will never understand why major labels think the free advertising offered by embedding can hurt them, but you can thank them for the fake video. Insert theatrical sigh here. Anyway, I'm not much for hip-hop, but I loved this, as did everyone else on the planet, hence the inclusion.

#6: "What's a Girl to Do," Bat for Lashes

The amazingness of this song is considerably heightened by the creepy Donnie Darko-inspired video, but really, how can anyone resist that keyboard harmony?

#5: "Teenagers," My Chemical Romance

Cheating again--hey, the SINGLE came out in 2007. Of all the little emocore bands or whatever we're calling them (really, I've lost track), My Chem is the one that irritates me least. The posturing seems a little more good-natured, and for me, the songs are catchier than Panic(!) at the Disco or Fall Out Boy. For this one, if a melody ain't broke, just add some playful lyrics and call it good.

#4: "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me," the Pipettes

This video is almost better than the real one. I waffled between this and "Pull Shapes," but eventually gave it to the first Pipettes' song I ever heard.

#3: "Silver Lining," Rilo Kiley

I love Jenny Lewis in ways that some might consider suspect. This one wins from Under the Blacklight as the best showcase of her eerie and gorgeous voice. I couldn't even find the real video for this one, though, as I recall, it's just as bittersweet and wonderful.

#2: "Clothes Off!," Gym Class Heroes

Is this really my second favorite song of 2007? I'm not sure. I had initially seeded it pretty low, but it knocked Lupe Fiasco's "Superstar" out of the top ten and went on to rise easily through my list. So here it is, and it can thank the power of Stuck-In-My-Head-Ness for its ranking.

#1: "Angel in the Snow," Elliott Smith

Released in 2007. One of my very favorite songs. Elliott can do no wrong.