The 100 Best Songs of 2004

100 Prince
“Cinnamon Girl” NPG/Columbia
The synthesizers are pure ’80s, the choogling pure ’70s, and the sexed-up rasp pure Prince.

99 Eagles of Death Metal
“I Only Want You” AntAcidAudio
Mean-spirited boogie about the pleasures of noncommittal sex and hurting someone else’s feelings.

98 !!!
“Pardon My Freedom” Touch and Go
Dirty-mouthed Brooklynites say, “F the motherfucking C-C” over a vicious disco beat.

97 Dogs Die in Hot Cars
“I Love You ’Cause I Have To” V2
Happy Scottish ska-punk, clearly not about the happiest relationship on earth.

96 Dem Franchize Boyz
“White Tees” Universal
These Dirty South upstarts rap like they’ve got shares in Fruit of the Loom.

95 Ratatat
“17 Years” XL
Bass-guitar/laptop noodlers make like Iron Maiden jamming with the Neptunes.

94 The Cure
“The End of the World” Geffen
Robert Smith shakes off his gloom for a moment, revisiting the romantic joy of “Just Like Heaven.”

93 Interpol
“Slow Hands” Matador
The natty NYC mopes kick out an anxious new-wave jam.

92 Cock Lorge
“Cock in the Pussy” Tubby’s
Imagine John Mayer on a 72-hour porno binge. But dirtier.

91 The Donnas
“Fall Behind Me” Atlantic
What it sounds like: A vicious backhand slap to the heavily made-up face of a talentless pop star, powered by Donna A’s disgusted sneer.
Donna R, guitarist, says: “A lot of people think it’s about being pissed off at a guy. But it’s just about coming out ahead of someone for the right reasons.”
Amazing fact: While the Donnas were recording their album, the cast of VH1’s The Surreal Life — including Brigitte Nielsen, Jordan Knight and Flavor Flav — dropped by the studio for a visit.

90 TV on the Radio
“Staring at the Sun” Touch and Go
Art-rock about sex and tragedy.

89 Pixies
“Ain’t That Pretty at All” Artemis
2004’s best comeback act pays feedback-heavy tribute to Warren Zevon.

88 N.E.R.D.
“She Wants to Move” Virgin
“Her ass is a spaceship I wanna ride,” Pharrell Williams drools on this tribal psychedelic jam.

87 Art Brut
“Popular Culture” Rough Trade
These smarty-punks’ brags make Jay-Z sound as modest as Norah Jones.

86 The Good Life
“Album of the Year” Saddle Creek
An unlikely romance sparks over booze and vomit in the ladies’ room — and pretty much goes downhill from there.

85 Phantom Planet
“Big Brat” Epic
These O.C. themesters get their post-punk on.

84 Blonde Redhead
“Elephant Woman” 4AD
Pixie-voiced Kazu Makino coos about bottomless love.

83 Faithless
“Mass Destruction” Columbia
A wizened Brit speed-raps about how way too many people wanna blow up the world.

82 A.C. Newman
“Miracle Drug” Matador
Seventies-flavored power-pop that lurches and sashays on a stop-and-start rhythm.

81 LCD Soundsystem
“Yeah” (Crass Version) DFA
This hipster dance track lays down vicious acid house that squelches across a gulping bassline.

80 R.E.M.
“Leaving New York” Warner Bros.
Remembrance of 9/11, softly couched as break-up woe.

79 Mase
“Welcome Back” Bad Boy/Universal
The Mushmouth King returns with this bouncy ode to clean livin’.

78 Courtney Love
“Sunset Strip” Virgin
L.A. decadence and killer highs followed by all-consuming despair.

77 T.O.K.
“Gal You a Lead” VP
Boy bands are back — and they’re Jamaican!

76 Fabolous
“Breathe” Desert Storm/Atlantic
Most rappers are after booty. Here, the rapper also known as John Jackson is out for…lungs?

75 Maroon 5
“This Love” J Records
Yoyoing romance angst from the year’s breakout alt-smoothies.

74 The Secret Machines
“First Wave Intact” Reprise
Nine glorious minutes of block-rocking drums and Rush-inspired wails.

73 Coheed and Cambria
“A Favor House Atlantic” Columbia
Emo meets Dungeons & Dragons with this Kingston, New York, foursome.

72 J-Kwon
“Tipsy” So So Def/Arista
If you’re underage and wasted clap your hands!

71 T.I.
“Rubber Band Man” Atlantic
The biggest single of this Dirty Southerner’s career rides an ecstatic synth loop and name-checks the Taliban. Then he went to jail.

70 Jet
“Are You Gonna Be My Girl” Elektra
Aussie retro team wrangles groupies, sweats Jack Daniel’s.

69 Lloyd Banks
“On Fire” G-Unit/Interscope
What it sounds like: A party in da club while the roof goes up in flames.
Lloyd Banks says: “I wrote both verses in about 15 minutes and recorded it in 15 minutes. Me and 50 [Cent] just looked at each other like, ‘This is it.’”
Amazing fact: Banks records all his singles, including “On Fire,” at a studio in London, because it gives him more “creative space.”

68 Green Day
“American Idiot” Reprise
Inside every punk screaming at the world is an idealist trying to save it.

67 The Walkmen
“The Rat” Startime
From these NYC fancy boys, a Strokes-y snarl at one big, bad, backstabbing mo’fo.

66 Wiley
“Pies” XL
Gluttonous hip-hop brags sound like the hippest Entenmann’s commercial ever.

65 Snoop Dogg feat. Lil Jon
“Step Yo Game Up” Geffen
Snoop laces Lil Jon’s crunk-NRG hysterics with a low, smoldering rap.

64 The Thermals
“Our Trip” Sub Pop
An eyebrow-singeing, fuck-the-rules-let’s-rock battle cry.

63 Ben Kweller
“The Rules” RCA
Driving blues-rock about slackers and the girls who wanna save ’em.

62 Morrissey
“First of the Gang to Die” Attack/Sanctuary
Stunning wordplay and street-crime imagery from the master of miserabalism.

61 Avril Lavigne
“My Happy Ending” RCA
Another day, another romance gone sour.

60 Lil’ Flip
“Game Over” Columbia
The Houston sizzurp-sipper who made Pac-Man bleeps crunk.

59 Wilco
“Spiders (Kidsmoke)” Nonesuch
Jeff Tweedy finds the menacing in the mundane.

58 The Vines
“Ride” Capitol
Craig Nicholls wants to burn down the world. But first he wants a date.

57 G-Unit
“Wanna Get 2 Know U” Interscope
50 & co. aren’t the types to lick their wounds. That’s what hos are for.

56 Beastie Boys
“Ch-Check It Out” Capitol
Prime whiteboy rap, with some gray at the edges.

55 Hoobastank
“The Reason” Island
A heartfelt love song perfect for prom DJs everywhere.

54 Brandy feat. Kanye West
“Talk About Our Love” Atlantic
A united R&B front against gossip folks and cockblockers.

53 Ghostface feat. Jadakiss
“Run” Def Jam
Spaghetti Western howls heighten the drama in this cop-chase freakout.

52 My Chemical Romance
“I’m Not OK (I Promise)” Reprise
A bizarre love triangle, screamo-style.

51 Ciara feat. Petey Pablo
“Goodies” La Face
The whistling beat’s so irresistible you can forgive the booty-as-baked-goods metaphor.

50 Jadakiss feat. Anthony Hamilton
“Why” Ruff Ryders/Interscope
“What’s Going On” for the hip-hop generation.

49 Mario Winans
“I Don’t Wanna Know” Universal
R&B lothario turns down the Barry White, cranks the Dashboard Confessional.

48 Beenie Man feat. Ms. Thing
“Dude” Virgin
He’ll do ’em in a van and tie ’em to a fan.

47 Mobb Deep
“Got it Twisted” Jive
So tough they kill in front of their kids. So gangsta they sample Thomas Dolby.

46 Kanye West feat. Syleena Johnson
“All Falls Down” Roc-A-Fella
The moral? Beneath every Louis Vuitton monogram lies a fragile ego.

45 Wolfman and Pete Doherty
“For Lovers” Rough Trade
The Libertines’ rehab troller gets surprisingly sweet.

44 The Roots
“Don’t Say Nuthin’” Geffen
The best garbled hook since “Work It.”

43 Vanessa Carlton
“White Houses” Interscope
A bittersweet coming-of-age narrative, from Spin the Bottle to summer nookie.

42 PJ Harvey
“Who the Fuck” Island
A glorious mess of garage-punk sludge and pissed-off snarls.

41 The Hives
“Walk Idiot Walk” Interscope
A garage rave-up about a new Swedish dance craze (or conformist automatons).

40 Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz
“What You Gon’ Do” TVT
The crunk version of WWE Smackdown.

39 M.I.A.
“Galang” XL
Deliciously confounding dancehall-electro.

38 The Killers
“Somebody Told Me” Island
What it sounds like: Propulsive dance-rock filtered through the glitz and grime of Sin City.
Brandon Flowers, singer, says: “I think of it as our most Las Vegas song. It’s basically about picking someone up in a club, and the icebreaker is, ‘Somebody told me/That you had a boyfriend/That looked like a girlfriend/That I had in February of last year.’ I hope it helps someone.”
Amazing fact: The hook for “Somebody Told Me” actually started out as the decidedly less catchy “brother to brother.”

37 Alicia Keys
“You Don’t Know My Name” J Records
Keys longs for her crush over cascading Philly soul.

36 D12
“My Band” Shady/Interscope
Eminem and co. ponder the inequities of fame, dressing rooms and groupie love.

35 Gretchen Wilson
“Redneck Woman” Sony Nashville
An empowering big-up to the down-home girls who choose Coors over class any day.

34 Kanye West
“Through the Wire” Roc-A-Fella
This fender-bender jam launched rap’s hottest new star: Getting shot nine times is so 2003.

33 The Libertines
“Can’t Stand Me Now” Rough Trade
Good-times rock so freewheeling you can smell the beer on its breath.

32 Cam’ron feat. Jaheim
“Lord You Know” Diplomats/Roc-A-Fella
Surprisingly moving gangsta tales from this purple-clad weirdo.

31 Todd Snider
“Conservative Christian, Right-Wing Republican, Straight White American Males” Oh Boy
Not a Dubya campaign song.

30 The Shins
“Kissing the Lipless” Sub Pop
Oddball love song about grassy sheets and, apparently, lepers.

29 Snow Patrol
“Spitting Games” A&M
If Chris Martin were a stalker . . . .

28 U2
“Vertigo” Interscope
Blender’s November cover stars set their guitars to ANNIHILATE STADIUMS mode.

27 Ashlee Simpson
“Pieces of Me” Geffen
The MTV debutante looks like goth Jessica but sings like well-adjusted Avril.

26 Bright Eyes
“Lua” Saddle Creek
Conor Oberst’s sighs are hushed, but the morning-after gloom is deafening.

25 Dizzee Rascal
“Stand up Tall” XL/Matador
Britain’s finest MC spits over a pulsating techno anthem.

24 Nelly feat. Christina Aguilera
“Tilt Ya Head Back” Universal
The derrty-derrty hip-hop pinup flirts with teen-pop’s dirrty-dirrty girl.

23 Jimmy Eat World
“Work” Interscope
Sensitive boys take heed: This is how you talk a smart girl into bed.

22 Destiny’s Child
“Lose My Breath” Columbia
Beyoncé and co. reunite, hyperventilate.

21 Death Cab for Cutie
“The Sound of Settling” Barsuk
Hum-along pop about putting your feet up, sighing and letting life suck.

20 Franz Ferdinand
“Michael” Epic
Four straight Scots hit the discothèque on a quest for hot male ass.

19 Gwen Stefani feat. André 3000
“Bubble Pop Electric” Interscope
Chaotic electro and teasing lines about getting it on in the backseat.

18 The Streets
“Dry Your Eyes” Vice/Atlantic
This weepy get-over-your-breakup jam’s like Usher’s “Burn,” BBC edition.

17 Usher
“Confessions Pt. II” Arista
The baby-mama-drama jam of the year.

16 Terror Squad
“Lean Back” SRC/Universal
Finally, a suave move for fat bastards who can’t climb stairs, much less dance.

15 Twista feat. Kanye West and Jamie Foxx
“Slow Jamz” Atlantic
This unlikely boudoir track should come packaged complete with massage oils and a light dimmer.

14 Modest Mouse
“Float On” Epic
Pudgy boozer and lead singer Isaac Brock cracks a smile, takes his indie squad to the big leagues.

13 Britney Spears
“Toxic” Jive
Mrs. Federline perfects her sex-kitten purr over spiraling dance beats.

12 Von Bondies
“C’mon C’mon” Sire
What it sounds like: The most hummable emotional breakdown of 2004.
Jason Stollsteimer, singer, says: “It’s about an abusive relationship that I watched happen. It’s so weird — it’s the happiest-sounding song, but the lyrics are so gruesome. When I played it for my grandparents they were like, ‘This is really catchy!’”
Amazing fact: “C’mon C’mon” was originally going to be a B-side. The album was already being printed when the record company decided to add the song at the last minute.

11 The Darkness
“I Believe In a Thing Called Love” Atlantic
Falsetto-spandex-hair-metal Chernobyl!

10 Loretta Lynn feat. Jack White
“Portland, Oregon” Interscope
Country music’s grande dame returns spunky as ever, with thanks to the man in white.

9 Eminem
“Just Lose It” Interscope
Popping off Pee Wee Herman samples, Wacko Jacko digs and fart noises, Marshall Mathers reclaims his throne as pop’s shrewdest 7th grader.

8 Art Brut
“Formed a Band” Rough Trade
Pistols-indebted howl at self-importance.

7 Scissor Sisters
“Take Your Mama” Universal
Oedipal come-ons from NYC’s new gay superteam.

6 Yeah Yeah Yeahs
“Maps” Interscope
Unexpected pimps of the power ballad.

5 Rilo Kiley
“It’s a Hit” Brute/Beaute
Jabs at stupid white men and self-indulgent songwriters.

4 Kanye West
“Jesus Walks” Roc-A-Fella
WWJD? Chill with murderers, strippers and drug dealers on this gospel-pop hit, that’s what!

3 Jay-Z
“99 Problems” Roc-A-Fella
Producer Rick Rubin and Jay-Z team up to unleash the rap-rock monster we never knew Hova had in him.

2 Franz Ferdinand
“Take Me Out” Epic
Masochistic pleas, desperate love, sniper metaphors and Scottish accents fuel the year’s sexiest rock single.

1 Usher feat. Ludacris and Lil Jon
“Yeah!” Arista
What it sounds like: Racy come-ons set to an air-raid drill of shrieking synths, the year’s best song evoked the danger and thrill of an illicit dancefloor hook-up.
It singlehandedly redefined roughneck R&B and became as omnipresent on radios as volume knobs.
Usher says: “It’s about a guy who hits the club, and a woman seduces him. She leads him to the dance floor, then he realizes she knows his girl. But he can’t turn back. She makes him say ‘Yeah!’ I knew this could be the record of the year. And here we are!”
Amazing fact: Lil Jon had to scramble to redo the “Yeah!” beat after he learned Petey Pablo had recorded a song using the same one.