My Favorite Songs From 2004

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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