, 103 tweets, 150 min read
My Authors
Read all threads
Just for fun, here's a thread with my 100 favorite songs of the decade. Z-A order....
#100 You Shadow by Sharon Van Etten (@sharonvanetten)

My favorite song from this year's album of the year (thus far). One of the best and most interesting voices in music right now.

@sharonvanetten #99 Your Parents' Cocaine by the Coup

The Coup is @BootsRiley 's day job. Whenever I think of the talentless soulsuckers in the White House I think of this song.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley #98 You Got It by Choosey & Exile (@KingChoosey w. @jimettarose)

A miracle little song from this year with a throwback sound and a groovy bridge featuring Jimetta Rose.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose #97 You and I by Margaret Glaspy (@mglaspy )

"A stomping rocker with a DGAF attitude" - @brooklynvegan

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan #96 Witness by Benjamin Booker (@bennybookmarks )

Booker sings powerfully about the fear of people of color and plays on all meanings of the word "witness." Musically and culturally necessary.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks #95 Who by David Byrne & St. Vincent (@DBtodomundo & @st_vincent)

Musician's music from musicians' musicians.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent #94 We Found Love by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris & (@rihanna & @CalvinHarris)

The best songs are meant to have an individual meaning for the listener. Is the hopeless place the limelight? A cruel society? A depressed state? Doesn't matter.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris #93 We are Young by Fun. ft. Janelle Monae (@OurNameIsFun ft. @JanelleMonae)

This song is about ex sex.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae #92 Water Me by Lizzo (@lizzo)

Lizzo is deservedly taking over the world right now. See is you can find her first few albums, much more rap focused.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo #91 Water by Ra Ra Riot ft. Rostam (@rarariot ft. @matsoR)

Has a similar beat to "Standing Outside a Tollbooth..." by Primitive Radio Gods. Maybe you disagree - don't punish me for what I feel.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo @rarariot @matsoR #90 Watching the Waiting by Wye Oak (@wyeoak)

There's not much to say about this song except that I love it so much.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo @rarariot @matsoR @wyeoak @DirtyProjectors #88 Unbelievers by Vampire Weekend (@vampireweekend)

I taught my kids the booming drum pattern so they can thump along on long car rides. Is the fate that half of the world has planned for me?

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo @rarariot @matsoR @wyeoak @DirtyProjectors @vampireweekend @samsmith @GROUPLOVE @pitbull @KeshaRose #84 Tightrope by Janelle Monae ft. Big Boi (@JanelleMonae ft. @BigBoi)

I read that Janelle Monae is the new James Brown but now that's limiting. As a performer Janelle Monae is the new and old everything.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo @rarariot @matsoR @wyeoak @DirtyProjectors @vampireweekend @samsmith @GROUPLOVE @pitbull @KeshaRose @BigBoi #83 Tighten Up by The Black Keys (@theblackkeys)

This song opened up a whole new world for the Black Keys, thanks to the production touch of Danger Mouse.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo @rarariot @matsoR @wyeoak @DirtyProjectors @vampireweekend @samsmith @GROUPLOVE @pitbull @KeshaRose @BigBoi @theblackkeys @okgo #81 The World Unfolds by Gabriel and The Hounds

This was a one-off project featuring Gabe Levine of Takka Takka, and I can't find him anywhere. Recorded with members of @TheNational and some other indie darlings. Love the cello.

@sharonvanetten @BootsRiley @KingChoosey @jimettarose @mglaspy @brooklynvegan @bennybookmarks @DBtodomundo @st_vincent @rihanna @CalvinHarris @OurNameIsFun @JanelleMonae @lizzo @rarariot @matsoR @wyeoak @DirtyProjectors @vampireweekend @samsmith @GROUPLOVE @pitbull @KeshaRose @BigBoi @theblackkeys @okgo @TheNational #80 Theme from Life & Livin' It by Sinkane (@Sinkane )

I will never stop thinking that the world is not crazy for embracing this song and the rest of the music from Sinkane's 2017 album, Life & Livin' It.

#76 TAOS by Menomena

The song is cinematic in its scope and build. Would love a new album from these guys.

#75 Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by Arcade Fire (@arcadefire)

The one and only time I saw Arcade Fire they performed this song second, and when Regine Chassagne stepped out in front and started singing I was hooked.

#74 Sounds Like Hallelujah - The Head and the Heart (@headandtheheart)

Two songs for the price of one.

#73 Sonsick by San Fermin (@sanferminband)

Lead vocals are handled by @ilovelucius. Saw this band in its nascency at LPR and it was glorious.

#72 Sisyphus by Andrew Bird

The song "is about being addicted to your own suffering and the moral consequences of letting the rock roll.” @andrewbird

@andrewbird #71 Shut Up Kiss Me by Angel Olson (@AngelOlsen)

Quite simply the sexiest song of this era.

#70 Send My Love (To Your New Lover) by Adele (@Adele)

Adele is the most likely person to release a surprise album in December and make this list outdated.

#69 Run to Your Mama by Goat (@goatband)

A psychedelic rocker from the mysterious Swedish band.

#68 Rock and Roll is Cold - Matthew E. White

White is the founder of @Spacebomb records, so he knows that

a) rock and roll is in fact not cold
b) everybody does in fact like to talk shit

#67 Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells (@sleighbells)

Rides a riff from P-Funk and some great...bells to greatness. Rilly.

#66 Repetition - TV on the Radio (@TVonTheRadio)

Kick it with some complete strangers

#65 REFUSE To Be Saved by Elvis Costello & The Roots (@ElvisCostello & @theroots)

This pairing was gravitational; music lovers attracted to each other's craft.

@ElvisCostello @theroots #64 Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People (@fosterthepeople)

The lyrics are hard to digest in this era of constant school shootings, but the song is undeniably great nonetheless.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#63 Pedestrian at Best by Courtney Barnett (@courtneymelba)

I've seen Barnett play this song live 4 times, and the sheet music is just a suggestion. Great every time.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#62 Pearly Gates by U.S. Girls (@YouSGirls)

A profane interrogation of immortality of sexism. "A shimmering, roller-disco vamp" - @lindsayzoladz



#bestsongsofthedecade
#61 Orca by Y La Bamba (@ylabamba)

I don't mind if I have to wait around in the emptiness for this music.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#60 Only Skin by The Spring Standards (@springstandards)

Everybody has a band/artist that they wish would make it bigger and be able to make more music. This is that band for me. @heatherfrobb can, like, sing.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#59 On Lankershim by Foxygen (@foxygentheband

If you don't like the weather in a Foxygen song, just wait 2 minutes.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#58 One More Night by Michael Kiwanuka

Yet another Danger Mouse production special. With a great video featuring the Brooklyn Jumbies stiltwalkers.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#57 Offence by Little Simz (@LittleSimz)

Little Simz uses all the tools in the hip hop writer's kit. "The boom and snarl of Little Simz’s voice make it obvious she’s at the top of the food chain" - @pitchfork



#bestsongsofthedecade
#56 Nothing Breaks Like a Heart by Mark Ronson with Miley Cyrus (@MarkRonson w @MileyCyrus )

One of those songs that is so good and so simple that you think its a cover because you can't imagine it not existing.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#55 Nobody Speak by DJ Shadow ft. Run the Jewels (@djshadow ft. @runjewels)

"Flame your crew quicker than Trump fucks his youngest" is not exactly what they meant, but you get the idea. Watch the video to the end.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#54 Ninety Bucks by Craig Finn (@steadycraig)

Saint Finn, patron of the melancholy wanderers of the Midwest.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#53 New Brighton by Nakhane ft. Anohni (@nakhaneofficial ft. @rebismusic)

Nakhane survived gay "conversion therapy" to write this paean to living an honest and free life.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#52 New Birth in New England by Phosphorescent (@Phosphorescent)

Sounds like a song about a successful night at the bar, but it's really about the birth of his child. You can hear the ultrasound mid-track.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#51 My Silver Lining by First Aid Kit (@FirstAidKitBand)

One of 5 or 6 First Aid Kit songs that could have made this list. One of those bands that are even better live.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#50 Moves by The New Pornographers (@TheNewPornos)

TNP have such an unfair amount of talent they can lose a performer here and there and not miss a beat. This great video was made by Tom Scharpling of WFMU.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#49 Moonshine Freeze by This is the Kit (@thisisthekit)

Love this live version on KEXP - a little faster, looser, weirdness provided by the bottom frets of a guitar.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#48 Mexican Chef by Xenia Rubinos (@xeniarubinos)

Rubinos cites Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, KRS-One and Slum Village as her influences - unflinching honesty is the common thread. (h/t @REMEZCLA)



#bestsongsofthedecade
@Adele Oh my god I totally nailed it
@xeniarubinos @REMEZCLA #47 Menagerie by Caitlin Rose (@thecaitlinrose)

Rose put out two albums early this decade and has toured but been otherwise quiet since then. This song is enough! But I hope one day to hear some more.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#46 Mariner's Apartment Complex by Lana Del Ray (@LanaDelRey)

If you follow this thread, or listen to the spotify list to follow, you'll see its 99 upbeat tunes and this, my go to sad song. It's beautiful. She's my man.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#45 Man I Need by Jagwar Ma (@JagwarMa)

An early part of the Australian invasion of Psychedelic rock on the excellent @MomAndPopMusic
label.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@JagwarMa @MomAndPopMusic #44 Living in the City by Hurray for the Riff Raff (@HFTRR)

An alternative universe: April Ludgate was born in NYC, not Pawnee, and channeled her iconoclastic boldness into music. This song and album would have been the result.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@JagwarMa @MomAndPopMusic @HFTRR #43 Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men (@monstersandmen)

Don't hate this song because it was ubiquitous; love it because it deserved to be.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#42 Little by Little by Radiohead (@radiohead)

Radiohead: Come for the Thom Yorke, stay for the Jonny Greenwood.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@radiohead #41 Level Up by Vienna Teng (@viennateng)

3 minutes from the start. Cue this song up. Pump your legs up and down. Crank the volume. Hit the clock. Run. Fast.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#40 KMAG YOYO by Hayes Carll (@hayescarll)

Found this song via internet music's secret weapon, @largeheartedboy and author Hannah Gersen's Book Notes playlist. A song about the oxymoron nature of military intelligence.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#39 Keep Your Head Up by Preservation Hall Jazz Band ft. Eme Alfonso (@preshallband ft. @emealfonso)

The standout track from A Tuba to Cuba, a soundtrack to a doc of the same name that connect Dixieland jazz and Cuban music.



@bestsongsofthedecade
#38 Just Noise by Norah Jones / Beck (@NorahJones / @beck)

From the Song Reader album; Beck wrote the songs and other artists performed them. This one is a perfect combo.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@NorahJones @beck #37 It's Time to Wake Up 2023 by La Femme (@lafemmeressort)

A psychedelic pop song about the ever nearer future with a nonce word as its chorus - any ideas what "transgenital" means, in any language?



#bestsongsofthedecade
#36 I'm Writing a Novel by Father John Misty

There's a...mismatch?...between FJM's sardonic songwriting and his unmatched gift for writing a crowd-pleasing melody.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#35 I'll Come Too by James Blake

The song is organized around samples from La Contessa, Incontro by Bruno Nicolai from a movie called Love Birds.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#34 i by Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar)

Kendrick Lamar is the realest rapper, wherein real means the most relatable person and not the toughest, "street"est, or whatever other stereotype exists about rap.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@kendricklamar #33 Holy City by Joan as Police Woman (@JOANPOLICEWOMAN)

Yes, anything can be a metaphor for sex.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@kendricklamar @JOANPOLICEWOMAN #32 Ho Hey by The Lumineers (@thelumineers)

This song is great and all, but Canal and the Bowery in Manhattan is not a romantic location AT ALL.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@kendricklamar @JOANPOLICEWOMAN @thelumineers #31 Giants by Sure, Sure (@suresuremusic)

Don't let the folk trappings fool you; this is the horniest song of the twenty teens.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#30 Getting Ready to Get Down by Josh Ritter (@joshritter

Josh put out this song, and a man from Idaho used it to teach others his line dance. Josh then used the video as his official video for the song. I love Josh.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#29 Gangsta by tUnE-yArDs (@tuneyards)

When she played this song at @BRICcelebrateBK, Merrill Garbus stopped mid-tune to teach the thousands in attendance the words. Cause...danger...is...crawlin...out...the...wood! C'mon people!



#bestsongsofthedecade
@tuneyards @BRICcelebrateBK #28 Fuck You by Cee-Lo (@CeeLoGreen)

That pain in your chest might have more to do with heartburn then heartache, Cee-Lo.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#27 Forget Me Not-Brian Fallon (@thebrianfallon)

"It just kind of came out happy, the music was really happy but then all of a sudden these heavy words came out and I was like I guess that's just the way its going to be." BF - @NME



@bestsongsofthedecade
#26 Final Form by Sampa the Great (@Sampa_The_Great)

Remember that greatest rapper list that came out a month ago with 50 men listed and no women? Yeah, me too.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#25 Feel Right by Mark Ronson and Mystikal (@MarkRonson
& @ItsMystikal)

This song is so filthy, the video version - set at a school talent show- had completely different verses. The prelude to Uptown Funk that few know about.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#24 Feel it Still by Portugal. The Man (@portugaltheman

Fun fact - Portugal. The Man is from Wasilla, Alaska, past home of about to be single Sarah Palin.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@portugaltheman #23 Everything for You by Lambchop (@lambchopisaband)

There is a great article in @uncutmagazine about Kurt Wagner's process in making music these days, and the not entirely related process of putting together a touring band.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#22 Don't Wanna Fight by Alabama Shakes (@Alabama_Shakes)

Brittany Howard, the incredibly talented frontwoman, has an Alabama tattoo on her right bicep. So whenever she starts dancing as she plays the guitar and sings....



#bestsongsofthedecade
#21 Digital Witness - St. Vincent (@st_vincent)

I feel guilty about promoting this song about the perils of on-line life on Twitter. Bask in the discomfort.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#20 Default by Django Django (@thedjangos)

The song was recorded in the bedroom of drummer David McLean, who is the younger brother of Beta Band drummer and Die Hard protagonist John Maclean.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@thedjangos #19 Dead Still Dance by ALO (@alomusic)

"Sounds Like This" was the best jam band album of the decade; @ me all you want.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#18 Deadly Valentine by Charlotte Gainsbourg (@cgainsbourg)

The lyrics to this song are the standard wedding vows; the video features a lifelong relationship between Gainsbourg and @Blood_Orange



#bestsongsofthedecade
#17 Daromres y'n howl by Gwenno (@gwennosaunders)

Not only is this one of the top 100 songs of the decade, it's my favorite song in the Cornish language.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#16 Can't Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Ray Dalton (@macklemore; @ryanlewis ft. @RayDaltonMusic)

Any running playlist without this song is incomplete.



#bestsongsofthedecade
@macklemore @RyanLewis @RayDaltonMusic #15 Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd (@theweeknd)

How many times did you sing this song before you realized he was singing about acute cocaine intoxication?



#bestsongsofthedecade
#14 Bright Whites by Kishi Bashi (@Kishi_bashi)

Kishi Bashi is putting together a documentary about the internment of Japanese Americans slated to come out next year.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#13 Born in Love by Horsefeathers (@krshorsenews)

A beautifully composed song about finding love after a life of travail.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#12 Before We Run by Yo La Tengo (@TheRealYLT)

I love songs like this that seem to be constantly building but keep you wanting it to go on forever.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#11 Bedouin Dress by Fleet Foxes

"Bedouin Dress' is about how in relationships I've felt that I've had a lot of capacity to give back. And sometimes that's because I've been so focused on music."



#bestsongsofthedecade
#10 Astonished Man by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down (@thaogetstaydown)

On a great episode on @SongExploder, Thao Nguyen explains that this song is about her estranged father. Fun Fact - Thao is now the host of songexploder.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#9 Art House Director by Broken Social Scene (@bssmusic)

My favorite BSS songs are sung by Andrew Whiteman. Or Feist. Or Amy Millan. Or Kevin Drew. Or...



#bestsongsofthedecade
@bssmusic #8 Angeli-Ko by Melissa Laveaux (@melissalaveaux)

Watch, listen and learn about American colonialism in Haiti!

From one of the best and most original albums of the decade.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#7 A New Wave by Sleater-Kinney (@Sleater_Kinney)

The first song that plays whenever I start my car. I'll never be sick of it.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#6 Almost Had to Start a Fight/In and Out of Patience by Parquet Courts

Lead singer A. Savage is also a talented artist - he did the artwork featured in the video.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#5 All the Girls are Complicated by Laura Cantrell (@LauraRCantrell)

Is the accompanying video a reference to the famous Rolling Stones Some Girls album cover?



#bestsongsofthedecade
#4 All of the Lights by Kanye West (@kanyewest)

Hard to pick one song from this album. Check out the @dissectpodcast for amazingly thorough analysis of MBDTF.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#3 All My Favorite People by Maren Morris w. @brothersosborne

Between her sophomore album, her participation in the supergroup @TheHighwomen
, and her impending motherhood, it's been quite a year for @MarenMorris
.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#2 About a Bruise by Iron and Wine @IronAndWine

I can eventually figure out what Iron and Wine songs mean - or at least have a theory - but this one's got me stumped. Doesn't matter.



#bestsongsofthedecade
#1 1977 by Ana Tijoux (@anatijoux)

Tijoux is a rapper of Chilean descent born in France because her parents left Chile to escape Pinochet. You might recognize the song from an opening scene in Breaking Bad.



#bestsongsofthedecade
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh.

Enjoying this thread?

Keep Current with DeLaJeff

Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

Twitter may remove this content at anytime, convert it as a PDF, save and print for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video

1) Follow Thread Reader App on Twitter so you can easily mention us!

2) Go to a Twitter thread (series of Tweets by the same owner) and mention us with a keyword "unroll" @threadreaderapp unroll

You can practice here first or read more on our help page!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!


This site is made by just three indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3.00/month or $30.00/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!