The turmoil from 2003 lead to true happiness in ’04. But if I were to nail down the year were I began to be distanced from the music scene it was this one.
I got engaged late in the summer. My free time was spent with my future wife, and usually did not involve music other than when we traveled. My commute was still the subway, but then I got another job by the summer and that one was within driving distance. But it was a short drive, so my access to new rock consisted of maybe twenty minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon. A lot of the music from 2004 I came to appreciate in later years.
So this was the year that Britney Spears married Jason Alexander (not the Seinfeld guy haha) for 55 hours, and then months later marries Kevin Federline. Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson had that wardrobe malfunction at the Superbowl. Velvet Revolver formed, consisting mainly of Scott Weiland (of Stone Temple Pilots) and Guns N’ Roses members, and released their first album (Contraband), The Killers released their amazing first album Hot Fuss, and Green Day came back in a huge with with American Idiot. Ray Charles passed away at 73, and both Creed and Phish break up.
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been tossing these up in a numerical order. We can agree that on some days, certain songs kick more ass than other songs – yet other days they do not. It depends on mood and situation. A song ranked 14th today could rank 1st tomorrow if it comes on the radio at the right moment. Instead, I group them rather than present a hard-and-fast order:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.
First, videos of the best from that year…
8 ‘Solid’ Songs from 2004
Vertigo – U2
Float On – Modest Mouse
We’ve Had Enough – Michael Jackson
Mosh – Eminem
Like Toy Soldiers – Eminem
Just Lose It – Eminem
Everything – Alanis Morissette
Matinee – Franz Ferdinand
18 Great Songs from 2004
Ride – The Vines
Crabbuckit – k-os
Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
The Reason – Hoobastank
Rich Girl – Gwen Stefani
Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
Counting the Days – Collective Soul
Wake Up – Arcade Fire
Rebellion (Lies) – Arcade Fire
Fall to Pieces – Velvet Revolver
Broken – Seether
My favorite version of this song is with Amy Lee
The Bucket – Kings of Leon
Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day
American Idiot – Green Day
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
Better Now – Collective Soul
Your Time Has Come – Audioslave
Cold Hard Bitch – Jet
6 Truly Awesome Songs from 2004
All six songs here are from two bands. The American Idiot album is Green Day’s best of all time and one of the best albums period. To bounce back from the crap they had been putting out in recent years, and in such a manner – was unexpected and very much welcome. And The Killers’ debut album also gave use three very elite tunes. If only The Killers could have replicated their early success!
Somebody Told Me – The Killers
Mr. Brightside – The Killers
All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers
Jesus Of Suburbia – Green Day
Holiday – Green Day
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams – Green Day
Follow me/my playlists on Spotify here.
The above songs are put together on a YouTube playlist for your listening enjoyment, here.
Here is the complete list of the best songs from 2004…
| Awesome – 1 | Boulevard Of Broken Dreams | – | Green Day |
| Awesome – 1 | Holiday | – | Green Day |
| Awesome – 1 | Jesus Of Suburbia | – | Green Day |
| Awesome – 1 | All These Things That I’ve Done | – | The Killers |
| Awesome – 5 | Mr. Brightside | – | The Killers |
| Awesome – 5 | Somebody Told Me | – | The Killers |
| Great – 7 | Cold Hard Bitch | – | Jet |
| Great – 7 | Your Time Has Come | – | Audioslave |
| Great – 7 | Better Now | – | Collective Soul |
| Great – 7 | Take Me Out | – | Franz Ferdinand |
| Great – 7 | American Idiot | – | Green Day |
| Great – 7 | Wake Me Up When September Ends | – | Green Day |
| Great – 7 | The Bucket | – | Kings of Leon |
| Great – 7 | Broken | – | Seether |
| Great – 7 | Fall to Pieces | – | Velvet Revolver |
| Great – 16 | Rebellion (Lies) | – | Arcade Fire |
| Great – 16 | Wake Up | – | Arcade Fire |
| Great – 16 | Counting the Days | – | Collective Soul |
| Great – 16 | Hollaback Girl | – | Gwen Stefani |
| Great – 16 | Rich Girl | – | Gwen Stefani |
| Great – 16 | The Reason | – | Hoobastank |
| Great – 16 | Somewhere Only We Know | – | Keane |
| Great – 16 | Crabbuckit | – | k-os |
| Great – 16 | Ride | – | The Vines |
| Solid – 25 | Matinee | – | Franz Ferdinand |
| Solid – 25 | Everything | – | Alanis Morissette |
| Solid – 25 | Just Lose It | – | Eminem |
| Solid – 25 | Like Toy Soldiers | – | Eminem |
| Solid – 25 | Mosh | – | Eminem |
| Solid – 25 | We’ve Had Enough | – | Michael Jackson |
| Solid – 25 | Float On | – | Modest Mouse |
| Solid – 25 | Vertigo | – | U2 |
| Solid – 33 | (Can’t Get My) Head Around You | – | The Offspring |
| Solid – 33 | Free | – | Donavon Frankenreiter |
| Solid – 33 | Encore | – | Eminem |
| Solid – 33 | 100 Years | – | Five for Fighting |
| Solid – 33 | Heaven | – | Los Lonely Boys |
| Solid – 33 | It Can’t Be Nashville Every Night | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 33 | Slither | – | Velvet Revolver |
| Solid – 33 | Right Right Now Now | – | Beastie Boys |
| Solid – 33 | 1985 | – | Bowling for Soup |
| Solid – 33 | Goodies | – | Ciara |
| Solid – 33 | (Reach Up for the) Sunrise | – | Duran Duran |
| Solid – 33 | I Don’t Want You Back (F It!) | – | Eamon |
| Solid – 33 | L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever) | – | Kasabian |
| Solid – 33 | Since U Been Gone | – | Kelly Clarkson |
| Solid – 33 | These Words | – | Natasha Bedingfield |
| Solid – 33 | Wagon Wheel | – | Old Crow Medicine Show |
| Solid – 33 | Vaccination Scar | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 33 | Just Like You | – | Three Days Grace |
| Not Bad – 51 | Thornley | – | So Far So Good |
| Not Bad – 51 | Triple Trouble | – | Beastie Boys |
| Not Bad – 51 | An Open Letter to NYC | – | Beastie Boys |
| Not Bad – 51 | (F.U.R.B.) FU Right Back | – | Frankee |
| Not Bad – 51 | Breakaway | – | Kelly Clarkson |
| Not Bad – 51 | Bridging The Gap | – | Nas |
| Not Bad – 51 | Yeah! | – | Usher |
| Not Bad – 51 | Lose My Breath | – | Destiny’s Child |
| Not Bad – 51 | Listen To Your Heart | – | D.H.T. |
| Not Bad – 51 | Spin You Around | – | Puddle of Mudd |
| Not Bad – 51 | Left Outside Alone | – | Anastacia |
| Not Bad – 51 | Don’t Tell Me | – | Avril Lavigne |
| Not Bad – 51 | Not Now | – | blink-182 |
| Not Bad – 51 | Dip it Low | – | Christina Milian |
| Not Bad – 51 | She’s a Rebel | – | Green Day |
| Not Bad – 51 | Behind These Hazel Eyes | – | Kelly Clarkson |
| Not Bad – 51 | King Without A Crown | – | Matisyahu |
| Not Bad – 51 | My Place | – | Nelly |
| Not Bad – 51 | Welcome To My Life | – | Simple Plan |
| Not Bad – 51 | Drop It Like It’s Hot | – | Snoop Dogg |
| Not Bad – 51 | Let’s Go | – | Trick Daddy |
| Not Bad – 51 | Sunshine | – | Twista |
| Not Bad – 73 | Open Your Eyes | – | Alter Bridge |
| Not Bad – 73 | My Happy Ending | – | Avril Lavigne |
| Not Bad – 73 | Ch-Check It Out | – | Beastie Boys |
| Not Bad – 73 | River Below | – | Billy Talent |
| Not Bad – 73 | How Do You Love? | – | Collective Soul |
| Not Bad – 73 | Call On Me | – | Eric Prydz |
| Not Bad – 73 | Missing | – | Evanescence |
| Not Bad – 73 | I Just Wanna Live | – | Good Charlotte |
| Not Bad – 73 | Are We The Waiting | – | Green Day |
| Not Bad – 73 | Give Me Novacaine | – | Green Day |
| Not Bad – 73 | Leave (Get Out) | – | JoJo |
| Not Bad – 73 | I Don’t Wanna Know | – | Mario Winans |
| Not Bad – 73 | Over and Over | – | Nelly |
| Not Bad – 73 | Aftermath | – | R.E.M. |
| Not Bad – 73 | Leaving New York | – | R.E.M. |
| Not Bad – 73 | Us | – | Regina Spektor |
| Not Bad – 73 | Shut Up | – | Simple Plan |
| Not Bad – 73 | Slow Jamz | – | Twista |
| Not Bad – 73 | So Sexy | – | Twista |
| Not Bad – 73 | Dirty Little Thing | – | Velvet Revolver |
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