It wasn’t a good year for rock music. Even listening to these songs over and over again, trying to find some kind of connection with them – I came up empty. For the first time since 1963, I didn’t find a single song I would classify as “awesome”.
While My Chemical Romance is starting to grow on me, they will never have the impact of 2005’s Hinder or White Stripes. The Chilis also had a couple of nice songs, but to me there was nothing that put them over the top. I do appreciate Amy Winehouse and I’m including a lot of her stuff in my regular playlists. Ditto for Jack Johnson. But again – no song that ‘wowed’ me.
Personally, I was in my first full year as a married man and my first full year as owner of the domain and website ‘DobberHockey.com’. I was busy working as an inventory planner, but at this point I was starting to burn out. Doing both the day job and the passion job was killing me. Back then I was writing all the Ramblings on DH – and I tried to put something up every single day, to capitalize on the growing popularity. But it was hard.
As for music in 2006 – the one billionth song was downloaded on iTunes. It was ‘Speed of Sound‘ by Coldplay. Also that year Taylor Swift, at 16, released her first album, Keane puts out the first single ever to be released on a USB memory stick (!), and Destiny’s Child and System of a Down disbanded.
Geez, even the ‘2006 in music’ news is boring.
Okay, moving on! 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 (of which there are none for this year)
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.
First, videos of the best from that year…
23 Solid Songs from 2006
You Know I’m No Good – Amy Winehouse
Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
Yer Not the Ocean – The Tragically Hip
As the Hip entered the 00’s, the band veered from the crisp rock sound that was band oriented and seemed to focus more on Gord Downie and his voice. And that’s not a good thing. But this song brings back a little of that rock and is better for it. It’s probably the last time they ever do it, in terms of new songs.
Angel – Yonder Mountain String Band
My appreciation for bluegrass comes through a little here, and I like how this has a southern-rock feel to it as well. I had never heard this song prior to reviewing 2006 here, but have since added this one to my playlist.
Try Honesty – Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a great band with a terrible lead singer. Makes me wonder how big they would be had they gone another way with their vocalist. Ben Kowalewicz’s voice makes me cringe – it’s a joking voice I use when I make fun of a punk band…but that’s his actual voice!
Baby Hold On – The Chicks
I don’t think the Dixie Chicks released this song, but man – I really loved this one right from first play. It’s another one I hadn’t heard prior to this 2006 review.
Smack That – Akon (ft. Eminem)
Tears Dry on Their Own – Amy Winehouse
Just Like Me – DMC (ft. Sarah McLachlan)
Possibly the worst rap I have ever heard. Extremely disappointed in Darryl McDaniels here. Either rappers lose their edge with age, or he’s showing us that the rappers from the 80s have half the talent of the rappers that came after. But pulling this song from the garbage heap is a great a beat, a nice rock/rap mix of the music from the classic Cats in the Cradle – and of course Sarah McLachlan’s amazing voice.
Save Room – John Legend
Life Wasted – Pearl Jam
Who Knew – Pink
Vato – Snoop Dogg
Check On It – Beyoncé
Upside Down – Jack Johnson
The Last Night – Skillet
In View – The Tragically Hip
Yes, this one is outside of the Hip’s throwback rock style (as most of their songs were by this point in their career), but it still kinda grows on you.
Littlest Things – Lily Allen
The Older I Get – Skillet
Steady, As She Goes – The Raconteurs
Pain – Three Days Grace
Rehab – Amy Winehouse
Gone Forever – Three Days Grace
11 Great Songs from 2006
God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash
Maneater – Nelly Furtado
Chelsea Dagger – The Fratellis
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
Teenagers – My Chemical Romance
Land of Confusion – Disturbed
Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira
Welcome To The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
Dani California – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Snow (Hey Oh) – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Never Too Late – Three Days Grace
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 2005…
| Great – 1 | Hips Don’t Lie | – | Shakira |
| Great – 1 | Welcome To The Black Parade | – | My Chemical Romance |
| Great – 1 | Dani California | – | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Great – 1 | Snow (Hey Oh) | – | Red Hot Chili Peppers |
| Great – 1 | Never Too Late | – | Three Days Grace |
| Great – 6 | God’s Gonna Cut You Down | – | Johnny Cash |
| Great – 6 | Maneater | – | Nelly Furtado |
| Great – 6 | Chelsea Dagger | – | The Fratellis |
| Great – 6 | Back to Black | – | Amy Winehouse |
| Great – 6 | Teenagers | – | My Chemical Romance |
| Great – 6 | Land of Confusion | – | Disturbed |
| Solid – 12 | Upside Down | – | Jack Johnson |
| Solid – 12 | The Last Night | – | Skillet |
| Solid – 12 | In View | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 12 | Littlest Things | – | Lily Allen |
| Solid – 12 | The Older I Get | – | Skillet |
| Solid – 12 | Steady, As She Goes | – | The Raconteurs |
| Solid – 12 | Pain | – | Three Days Grace |
| Solid – 12 | Rehab | – | Amy Winehouse |
| Solid – 12 | Gone Forever | – | Three Days Grace |
| Solid – 21 | You Know I’m No Good | – | Amy Winehouse |
| Solid – 21 | Crazy | – | Gnarls Barkley |
| Solid – 21 | Yer Not the Ocean | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 21 | Angel | – | Yonder Mountain String Band |
| Solid – 21 | Try Honesty | – | Billy Talent |
| Solid – 21 | Baby Hold On | – | The Chicks |
| Solid – 21 | Smack That | – | Akon (ft. Eminem) |
| Solid – 21 | Tears Dry on Their Own | – | Amy Winehouse |
| Solid – 21 | Just Like Me | – | DMC (ft. Sarah McLachlan) |
| Solid – 21 | Save Room | – | John Legend |
| Solid – 21 | Life Wasted | – | Pearl Jam |
| Solid – 21 | Who Knew | – | Pink |
| Solid – 21 | Vato | – | Snoop Dogg |
| Solid – 21 | Check On It | – | Beyoncé |
| Not Bad – 35 | Move Along | – | All-American Rejects |
| Not Bad – 35 | Call Me When You’re Sober | – | Evanescence |
| Not Bad – 35 | You Are The One | – | Shiny Toy Guns |
| Not Bad – 35 | Not Ready To Make Nice | – | The Chicks |
| Not Bad – 35 | All Around Me | – | Flyleaf |
| Not Bad – 35 | What You Know | – | T.I. |
| Not Bad – 35 | SexyBack | – | Justin Timberlake |
| Not Bad – 35 | Love And Memories | – | O.A.R. |
| Not Bad – 35 | Love Hurts | – | Incubus |
| Not Bad – 35 | Is It Any Wonder? | – | Keane |
| Not Bad – 35 | Just | – | Mark Ronson |
| Not Bad – 35 | S.O.S. (Rescue Me) | – | Rihanna |
| Not Bad – 35 | Prayer Of The Refugee | – | Rise Against |
| Not Bad – 35 | Chasing Cars | – | Snow Patrol |
| Not Bad – 35 | Awakening | – | Switchfoot |
| Not Bad – 35 | Stay With You | – | The Goo Goo Dolls |
| Not Bad – 35 | Read My Mind | – | The Killers |
| Not Bad – 35 | Broken Boy Soldier | – | The Raconteurs |
| Not Bad – 35 | Animal I Have Become | – | Three Days Grace |
| Not Bad – 35 | Get Out Alive | – | Three Days Grace |
| Not Bad – 35 | Invincible | – | Muse |
| Not Bad – 35 | Jenny Don’t Be Hasty | – | Paolo Nutini |
| Not Bad – 35 | Original Fire | – | Audioslave |
| Not Bad – 58 | Irreplaceable | – | Beyoncé |
| Not Bad – 58 | Fallen Leaves | – | Billy Talent |
| Not Bad – 58 | Surrender | – | Billy Talent |
| Not Bad – 58 | The Diary Of Jane | – | Breaking Benjamin |
| Not Bad – 58 | Good Enough | – | Evanescence |
| Not Bad – 58 | Wind It Up | – | Gwen Stefani |
| Not Bad – 58 | Rapture | – | Hurt |
| Not Bad – 58 | Shine On | – | Jet |
| Not Bad – 58 | Good Day | – | Jewel |
| Not Bad – 58 | Waiting On The World To Change | – | John Mayer |
| Not Bad – 58 | Our Country | – | John Mellencamp |
| Not Bad – 58 | What Goes Around… Comes Around | – | Justin Timberlake |
| Not Bad – 58 | Touch The Sky | – | Kanye West |
| Not Bad – 58 | Black Horse and The Cherry Tree | – | KT Tunstall |
| Not Bad – 58 | Monster | – | Meg & Dia |
| Not Bad – 58 | I Don’t Love You | – | My Chemical Romance |
| Not Bad – 58 | Promiscuous | – | Nelly Furtado |
| Not Bad – 58 | Say It Right | – | Nelly Furtado |
| Not Bad – 58 | World Wide Suicide | – | Pearl Jam |
| Not Bad – 58 | Stupid Girls | – | Pink |
| Not Bad – 58 | Fidelity | – | Regina Spektor |
| Not Bad – 58 | The Good Left Undone | – | Rise Against |
| Not Bad – 58 | (When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me | – | Sean Paul |
| Not Bad – 58 | Looking For Angels | – | Skillet |
| Not Bad – 58 | Whispers In The Dark | – | Skillet |
| Not Bad – 58 | Yours To Hold | – | Skillet |
| Not Bad – 58 | I Hope | – | The Chicks |
| Not Bad – 58 | Silent House | – | The Chicks |
| Not Bad – 58 | For The Girl | – | The Fratellis |
| Not Bad – 58 | The Lonely End of the Rink | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Not Bad – 58 | Over And Over | – | Three Days Grace |
| Not Bad – 58 | Canadian Idiot | – | Weird Al Yankovic |
| Not Bad – 58 | White And Nerdy | – | Weird Al Yankovic |
| Not Bad – 58 | The Saints Are Coming | – | U2 ft. Green Day |
| Not Bad – 58 | Through Glass | – | Stone Sour |
| Not Bad – 58 | Every Day Is Exactly The Same | – | Nine Inch Nails |
Dobber's Take 
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