Best Mash-Ups of 2006

One of the coolest musical innovations in recent memory is the mash-up. For those that may not be familiar with the term, it can best be described when you take the vocals from one song and place them over the instrumental from a different song. The artform didn’t get as much press this year as it has in past years but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some great new mash-ups floating around the internet. And since last year’s list (see Best Mash-Ups of 2005) still brings in decent traffic here naturally I would do another list this year. I tried to give credit to the creator of the mash-up, but due to some poor labeling, some have gotten lost and I even had to create a name for a few mash-ups that I discovered nameless. Also some of these songs may have been created ealier than 2006 but this is a list of songs I’ve found this year. Please do not ask for me to send you any of these songs because for legal reasons I cannot confirm or deny that any of these songs actually exist not that I would illegally download copyrighted material even though that material has been altered from any version that could be bought anywhere. If you want the unaltered album version of the songs, on the second line I will list the main songs that make up the mash-up:


1. Johnny Cash's Allstar Band's Gonna Cut You Down - DJ Schmolli
Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down (vocals), Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks (drums), Beastie Boys - Sabotage (bass), Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever (guitar), The Beatles - Come Together (lead guitar)

2. Regulate Dust in the Wind - DJ Erb
Kansas (Dust in the Wind) vs. Warren G (Regulate)

3. Light Your Fat Bottom on Fire - Aggro1
Busta Rhymes (Light Your Ass On Fire (Radio Mix) - Light Your (Explative Deleted) On Fire) vs. Queen (Fat Bottom Girls)

4. Crazy Times - Team9
Gnarls Barkley (Crazy) vs. Prince (Sign O' the Times)

5. All of My Sublime Life - Aggro1
Foo Fighters (All My Life) vs. Sublime (Doin' Time)

6. Papa Was a Clock - Go Home Productions
The Temptations (Papa Was a Rollin' Stone) vs. Coldplay (Clocks)

7. Always With You - Divide & Kreate
Willie Nelson (Always on My Mind) vs. U2 (With or Without You)

8. Hurts Like Teen Spirit - Dangerous Orange
Johnny Cash (Hurt) vs. Nirvana (Smells Like Teen Spirit) vs. Blue Oyster Cult (Don't Fear the Reaper)

9. The Money Song - team9
Hard-Fi (Cash Machine) vs. Jay-Z (Money, Cash, Hoes)

10. Walk Away and I'll Wait - Aggro1
Kelly Clarkson (Walk Away) vs. Van Halen (I'll Wait)

11. For the Love of C.R.E.A.M. - DJ BC
Wu-Tang Clan (C.R.E.A.M.) vs. The O'Jays (For the Love of Money)

12. Kelly's Smelly Behind - Divide & Kreate
Kelly Clarkson (Behind These Hazel Eyes) vs. Nirvana (Smells Like Teen Spirit)

13. Casbah Wonder - Dunproofin'
Stevie Wonder (Uptight (Everything's Alright)) vs. The Clash (Rock the Casbah)

14. Crazy Wish - DJ Nicky T
Skee-Lo (I Wish) vs. Gnarls Barkley (Crazy)

15. Smokey and the Yeah! - Pheugoo
Usher (Yeah!) vs. Jerry Reed (Smokey and the Bandit Theme)

16. Relm and Josie with Attitude - Relm
N.W.A. (Something 2 Dance 2) vs. the Outfield (Your Love)

17. Summer Digger - (Artist Unknown)
Mungo Jerry (In the Summertime) vs. Kanye West (Gold Digger)

18. The Next Fool's Gold - Hi-Fi
The Stone Roses (Fool's Gold) vs. Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg (The Next Episode)

19. I Wish My Doorbell Rang - Sam Flanagan Mix
Skee-Lo (I Wish) vs. The White Stripes (My Doorebell)

20. Water Lilly (Extended V3) - Sam Flanagan Mix
Lily Allen (LDN) vs. The Stone Roses (Waterfall)

21. Michael Feels Like Green Onions - corporation
Michael Jackson (The Way You Make Me Feel) vs. Booker T & the MG's (Green Onions)

22. U Been Throwing It Away - StvD
Kelly Clarkson (Since U Been Gone) vs. Genesis (Throwing it All Away)

23. Crazy, as She Goes - The Legion of Doom
Gnarls Barkley (Crazy) vs. The Raconteurs (Steady, As She Goes)

24. Dirty Deeds Will Rock You - Aggro1
ACDC (Dirty Deeds) vs. Queen (We Will Rock You)

25. In My Hazel Eyes (Kelly's Playing in the Cold) - Bobby Martini
Kelly Clarkson (Behind These Hazel Eyes) vs. Coldplay (In My Place)

It’s not that We Don’t Care We Just Know that the Fight Ain’t Fair

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.



Waiting On the World to Change - John Mayer



Who would have thought it would be John Mayer that would best sum up Generation X/Y’s thoughts on the current state of the world? But politics aside it’s cool how the blue tint syncs up John’s deeper decent into the blues. Though it is still a little weird looking at the New York skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge and not seeing the Twin Towers. The graffiti in the video but it was kind of cheesy that they put that disclaimer at the end. More on this song when I review his new album Continuum in September



Original Fire - Audioslave



Yeah, the video has been done many times before (but this time with red tint!) the video is cool, not as cool as the simplistic firework themed Cochise, but cool nonetheless. But what’s fun with videos like this is questioning who gets pictured (is that the dude from Quiet Riot near the end) and people who didn’t make the cut (did I miss Bob Marley somewhere). More on this song when I review Audioslave’s new album Revelations in early September.



Far Away - Nickelback



Yeah, Nickelback still sands for everything that’s wrong in rock music today, but this is one of their songs that sucks the least. And music aside, the video is cool and hard not to get rapped up in the story.



Listen!!! - Talib Kweli



After review some extremely boring rappers lately, it looks like quality rap is making a comeback with The Roots coming out with an album soon as well as Ear Drum coming soon from Talib Kweli. Much like the Audioslave video, the graphics are cool, but just as the song title suggests you should just listen. Just shows you how bad rap on the radio has become.



Shelter - Kelly Clarkson



As I mentioned in my review of The Last Kiss Soundtrack (see All These Places Feel Like Home) Ray LaMontagne may most be known for have Kelly Clarkson cover one of his songs at a Katrina Benefit and here is that performance. I’m sure all the phone numbers running across the screen are still active and since New Orleans still looks like Hell even as we come upon the one year anniversary. Which is why I posted this video instead of the one of a drunken alcoholic Clarkson at a Metal Skool concert which is the funniest video I’ve seen in a while (and begs the question who took the bigger credibility hit: the dude from Yellowcard for hanging out with Clarkson, or Clarkson foe hanging out with the dude from Yellowcard). Well maybe not as funny as Denis Leary’s anti-Mel Gibson tirade at a Red Sox game. Or Neil Young on the Colbert Report. Or any interview Samuel L. Jackson has give for Snakes on a Plane. Okay maybe the Clarkson video isn’t that funny except when they rag on Britney Spears.

Car Mix - June 2006

Every once in a while I like to compile a list of songs that I’m currently listening to onto a CD to listen to in the car. So here’s some suggestions of songs that you should be listening to. The CD comes in at 76:58.

1. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall (see my album review - Her Face Is the Map of the World)
2. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
3. Hips Don’t Lie - Shakira & Wyclef Jean
4. Touch the Sky - Kanye West & Lupe Fiasco (see my album review - You Gotta Love Though, Somebody Still Speaks from His Soul)
5. Number One - Pharrell & Kanye West
6. Crazy Times (Team9) - Gnarls Barkley vs. Prince (For those keeping track at home, this is a mash-up of Crazy and Sign 'o' the Times)
7. Drive Slow - Kanye West, Paul Wall, & GLC
8. Cash Machine - Hard-FI (Another great Single of the Week)
9. Walk Away and I’ll Wait (Aggro1) - Kelly Clarkson vs. Van Halen (What mix tape would be complete without a Kelly Clarkson remix, this time with Van Halen getting the mash-up treatment)
10. Dani California’s Last Dance (Laptop Punk) - Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Tom Petty (Apparently someone pointed out that Dani California sound similar to Mary Jane's Last Dance, even though I really don't hear it, but that didn't stop an unknown mash-up artist from putting the two songs together)
11. World Wide Suicide - Pearl Jam (I hope you got this back when Pearl Jam had it up for free on their website, if not, it is worth the .99)
12. Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
13. Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic) - The Raconteurs (This and the next song were both Free Singles of the week on iTunes, but instead of getting the album versions, we get acoustic versions of their latest songs. Hopefully this tread continues)
14. Put Your Records On (Acoustic) - Corrine Bailey Rae
15. Not About Love - Fiona Apple (see my album review - I Promise You Everything Will be Just Fine)
16. Boston - Augustana
17. Brand New Way - Rhett Miller (see my album review - Sex in Wartime Is Sweeter than Peace)
18. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray (I always find it interesting whenever a former Free Single of the Week makes it into the top 25 downloaded list on iTunes, luckily, I got this song back when it was free)
19. Sway - The Perisher (This was featured during the Sadie Hawkins dance episode on Veronica Mars and it sounded familiar and lo and behold, I downloaded it back when it was a Free Single of the Week)
20. You’re Pitiful - “Weird Al” Yankovic (For those that made it to the end of my lengthy MTV Movie Awards recap saw this gem where Al is letting you download his latest parody on his website. Get it before he takes it down before you have to pay .99 for it by clicking on the song name)

Don't You See Baby, This Is Perfection

There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. I advise you to watch them first (the links to the video are the bold headers, inside the post will lead you to iTunes where you can buy the song and in some cases the video itself) before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things.


Shakira - Hips Don’t Lie (Fans Only)

Quite possibly the funniest thing ever. I don’t know why any video outlet would show the other version. Well, then again it does have Shakira in it moving like Shakira. They should have thought of doing a dudes only version too because those are the best part especially the ones who thought it was a good idea to film themselves without their shirts most notably the dude during the line, “Don't you see baby, yhis is perfection.” Sadly my tape must have been lost in the mail.


Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away

This video would have been more entertaining had it been not for the Shakira video as it has basically the same theme but with actors in scripted situations instead of real people. But the scene with the dudes in the locker room almost makes up for it. The song itself basically ends Kelly Clarkson’s run as guiltiest of all pleasures as her last two songs were no where as entertaining as Since U Been Gone and Behind These Hazel Eyes. Plus she looks nowhere as good in this video either, but I wonder with her constantly moving her hips, was this her submission to be in the Shakira video?


Not Ready to Make Nice - Dixie Chicks

I’m sure this video has some deep meaning to it, but it went way over my head which means it will go over every country fan’s head. But I have a feeling it has something to do with Bush, and his supporters, being morons. Way to continue to alienate your fan base Dixie Chicks. If you understand what’s going on, please fill me in.


The Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

Again, I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m not sure I want to. But really you can’t go wrong with weird Chinese chicks with penchants for putting croissants, doughnuts, and raw red meat on random people then have them chased by fat dudes, cops, and a dude in a grizzly suit respectively. The dude from The Flaming Lips was even the dude who got the red meat treatment.


The Wreckers - Leave the Pieces

Nothing really special about the video, but this the first real contender to top my Best Songs of 2006 list. And since I plan on buying the album, this is the only place I can listen to it before it’s released because I’m not dropping .99 for a song if I’ll be buying the album later. For those who are not sure who The Wreckers are, it’s basically Michelle Branch and some other chick.


Rihanna - S.O.S.

Again, nothing special here with the video, but the song is great, you just can’t buy it yet. And the music industry wonders why people continue to steal their product. Well don’t build up a demand if you cannot supply the product especially if they can get it elsewhere for free. Actually the video is worth watching to see Rihanna go from uber-hot to uber-creepy when she busts out her 80’s look. That is of course because the song samples the Soft Cell classic Tainted Love. I was a little weary when I first heard it but it definitely grew on me. And it looks like she will have the rare feat of having the summer anthem in back to back summers. Granted Pon de Replay grew old as the temperature grew cold and landed at the paltry 69 on my Best Songs of 2005 list. But with the nostalgia feel, maybe S.O.S. will have some staying power.



There are a bunch of cool new things over on iTunes this week. First and foremost is almost all of the Dave Matthews Band studio albums, along with Dave Matthews and Boyd Tinsley’s solo albums, for the very first time. For fans of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there is a really cool offer for those who preorder their new album, Stadium Arcadium, you get first crack to get tickets to their summer tour. And for you television buffs, NBC just recently added Scrubs to the iTunes library. I wonder if the show will have a The Office type surge, which, when put up on the service late last year, was one of the most downloaded shows and even saw a ratings boost quickly taking the show from almost canceled to being moved to NBC’s Must See TV lineup. Too bad Veronica Mars is still not on the service that way I could have downloaded the show Thursday morning and watched it later that day, but instead I have to wait until tomorrow to see the episode because it would be wrong to download it threw other means. Of course if I did, it would take until Saturday for it to actually download anyways, not that I know that from experience or anything.

We on Award Tour - 2006 Grammy Awards

There is nothing more disturbing than seeing that American Karaoke actually had more viewers. Seriously, people would rather watch amateurs who, if they had any talent at all wouldn’t need a reality show to get a record contract, than see U2 perform? Even the former best karaoker in the land, Kelly Clarkson, performed the first hour. Yeah, America has gone to hell in a hand basket in the past decade, but this has to be one of the saddest indicators yet. But anyways. Here’s my review of the best awards show in recent years, the Grammy's:

- The show starts up with the much hyped duet between Gorillaz and Madonna. Apparently duets these days mean the band plays a song, Madonna shows up at the end, and then quickly goes into her own song sans the cartoons. What a rip off. Plus I really didn’t care to see a 3-D version of the Gorillaz. And weren’t they missing a member? Isn't there an Asian chick in the band? And as much as I railed on the tools that watched American Karaoke, I can understand why anyone would switch the channel after see Madonna in a leotard. Luckily I taped it so I could fast forward.

- Alicia Keys, who won my hottest chick of the night award, came out with Stevie Wonder to give a way too long introduction, but they started to sing Stevie’s song was cool.

- Nicole Kidman was shown in the crowd next to Keith Urban. Interesting post-break up Nicole ends up dating another midget and Tom dates another giant.

- What was with Chris Martin from Coldplay throwing up the Spock hands during Talk?

- The Grammy’s love to do weird back to back performances and tonights was John Legend leading into Sugarland. Legend did a nice jazzier version of Ordinary People with a full band unlike the record where it’s just him and the piano. I was about to fast forward past Sugarland until I heard someone back stage talking through the speakers. Possibly the funniest part of the night. I wonder how fast that guy got fired.

- Seriously, people would rather watch American Karaoke than U2? Someone really needs to explain this to me. Way too much smoke during Vertigo though. It was funny when Mary J. Blige tried to hold Bono’s hand while he was trying to play guitar. The ending with “Coexist” on the screen was great with the Crescent Moon replacing the “C,” Star of David replacing the “X,” and the cross replacing the “T.”

- Worst dressed of the night had to go to Kanye West with the white gloves, shirt open to the navel and the Kool Moe Dee glasses.

- Wait, maybe that should go to Ben Rothertdjmtykjytberger with his jacket of Bettis’ Notre Dame jersey and a hat backwards. Why did they even let him the building looking like that?

- Was that the little girl from the video playing piano during Kelly Clarkson’s performance? It was great after the song and the camera scanned the crowd and she receive a one person standing ovation from the dude from Maroon 5.

- For years, presenters have pulled the “this next performer needs no introduction,” then proceeds to introduce them anyways. Finally Ellen actually says the line and brilliantly walks off stage. And of course Paul McCartney needs no introduction. Plus he even dusts off Helter Skelter during his performance.

- Wow, this must have been the most clothes I’ve seen on Mariah Carey since the pre-Honey days. But what was with the dude talking from the audience?

- They brought out some dude named Michael Bublé who promptly mispronounces “Extraordinary.” Way to waste you only time on primetime TV Michael.

- Kelly Clarkson beats Paul McCartney for best pop album. Using the good old Transitive Property from high school, does this mean Kelly Clarkson is bigger than Jesus?

- More country music up next. Where in the past while watching live, this made for a good bathroom break, but thanks to taping it, I could just fast forward.

- Okay, the next segment was a little hazy, and not sure if this really happened, it was so surreal, but here is the best recollection of what I think I saw. And even though I watched this a couple times to make sure, I can not validate that any of this actually First Dave Chappelle comes out to introduce a tribute possible the only person that makes him look sane these days, Sly and the Family Stone. It’s starts off harmless enough with John Legend, Joss Stone and some dude named Van Hunt who were backed by members of the Family Stone (no Rachel McAdams though), Niles Rodgers of Chic and… Randy Jackson? Then came a duet between Fantasia (how did she win a singing contest) and Devin Lima who I swear was the dude in LFO that didn’t nail Jennifer Love Hewitt (remember Summergirls? Oh never mind). This is the point where I think I was getting a contact high from the TV because Sly’s stash is that potent. Next up was Ciara singing with Maroon 5. Um, okay. Then out comes Will.I.Am doing a rap followed the introduction of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry who really don’t do anything. Then out of nowhere Tyler says, “Sly, let’s show them how we do it back in the day.” Then inexplicatively Sly himself, who is making only his second public appearance in my lifetime, come out with a five foot blonde Mohawk. Please read that last second one more time. Sly then plays a couple notes on his keyboard sings “dance to the music” about five times and just leave before the song ends. I doubt there is a better anti-drug campaign better than this segment.

- Next up is yet another Jay-Z/Linkin Park mash-up. This was really cool at first but now it’s just getting tired. Well that was until Paul McCartney came out to sing Yesterday. And if there was anything that came close to Sly’s oddness it would be Jay-Z telling Sir Paul to “Take ‘em up top.” I think I may still have been high. Oh and Jay-Z just happened to be wear a John Lennon shirt. Too bad Jay-Z didn't come out during Helter Skelter and did a couple bars of 99 Problems like from the mashed-up The Grey Album. Yesterday not the best song here.

- Interesting after announcing that Sometimes You Can’t Make it on Your Own won Song of the Year they played We Belong Together instead.

- He may have been the worst dressed, but Kanye wins performance of the year with his college battle between KW State and JFU at the Grammy Halftime Show. This should have been the Superbowl halftime show because it was much more entertaining. But I really hope this is the last time we see Jamie Foxx milks Ray Charles memory. Sadly I doubt that will ever happen. It was nice to see the resurrection of Broke Phi Broke too. And how to cap such a great performance, apparently the Gammy’s though a gratuitous shot of James Taylor would do it. Yeah.

- Green Day wins Record of the Year. Yawn. They were so last year.

- How did Christina Aguilera go from the hottest chick on the planet to the trashiest to now looking like drag queen? This is a crime against humanity.

- Even Kanye couldn’t get too made at U2 winning Album of the Year for the second time, the other being The Joshua Tree. Which begs the question, what did Achtung Baby lose to? (Update: Achtung Baby lost to Eric Clapton's Unplugged in 1993. Also up for the award that year - the Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack. I wish I made that last part up. Annie Lennox's Diva and KD Lang's Ingénue rounded out the catergory.)

- For some reason they saved the obligatory old white dude speech for the end. But at least he didn’t whine about music downloads like Michael Green always did.

- I know people won’t like this comment, but I think everyone stopped reading along time ago especially after the Jesus mention, but I’ll say it anyways, Hurricane Katrina was the best thing to happen to Dr. John. Without it he’d be currently hanging around obscurity but with everyone’s guilt, they feel obligated to drag him out to every major event since then.

- The show ends with a great Wilson Pickett tribute, even if Sam Cooke messed up the second verse.

Car Mix - February 06

Every once in a while I like to compile a list of songs that I’m currently listening to onto a CD to listen to in the car. So here’s some suggestion that you should be listening to. The CD comes in at 78:15.

1. Ohio (Come Back to Texas) - Bowling for Soup
2. I Wish My Doorbell Rang (Sam Flanagan Mix) - Skee-Lo vs. the White Stripes
3. Boulevard of Broken Songs (Dean Gray) - Green Day vs. Oasis
4. Breakdown - Handsome Boy Modeling School (This essentially boils down to a remix of the same song that appears on the Jack Johnson album)
5. Original of the Species - U2
6. Don’t Give Up (Africa) - Bono & Alicia Keys (This is a remake of the old Peter Gabriel song with proceeds going to the “Keep a Child Alive” charity)
7. Adelaide - Old 97’s ( This song was featured at the end of the Veronica Mars episode where Duncan rode off with his daughter into the sunset; you can either buy the song from iTunes or if you are a cheapskate, the band has the song available for free on their website http://www.old97s.com/)
8. O’ Sailor - Fiona Apple (See my album review - I Promise Everything Will Be Just Fine)
9. I Wasn’t Prepared - Eisley (See my album review - You Humor Me Today)
10. Talk - Coldplay (See my album review - All That Noise, All That Sound)
11. Landing in London - 3 Doors Down & Bob Seger (See my album review - If I Get Boring, Would You Still Call Me Superman?)
12. U Been Throwing it Away - Kelly Clarkson vs. Genesis (The great Clarkson mash-ups just keep on coming)
13. Me Plus One (James Iha Remix) - Annie
14. Be Without You (Remix) - Mary J. Blige & Stat Quo (See my album review - Anyone Who’s Ever Loved You Know What I Mean)
15. Heard ‘Em Say - Kanye West & Adam Levine (See my album review - You Gotta Love it Though, Somebody Still Speaks From His Soul)
16. Keep Doin’ - 2 Skinny Dorks (A local band, I even had a class with one of the dorks in college; you can check out their music and download this song at their website http://www.2skinnydorks.com/)
17. Get Out Of My Mind - Hootie & the Blowfish (See my review - State Your Peace)
18. Nice Talking to Me - Spin Doctors (See my review - The Longer We Talk the Less We Say)
19. Lazy Sunday - Chris Parnell & Andy Samberg (Best SNL skit in ages)

Best of 2005

Since 1996 I have made a CD of my favorite music from the past year and here is the CD I have made from this past year but I like to put songs in reverse order as so they are counting down to the best song. This CD clocks in at 77:06.


1. Love Love Love - Tristan Prettyman
2. Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
3. Fix You – Coldplay
4. You and Me – Lifehouse
5. These Words - Natasha Bedingfield
6. Doesn't Remind Me – Audioslave
7. Existentialism on Prom Night - Straylight Run
8. Breakdown - Jack Johnson
9. Diamonds From Sierra Leone - Kanye West
10. Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley
11. Telescope Eyes – Eisley
12. The Blower's Daughter - Damien Rice
13. Ordinary People - John Legend
14. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
15. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
16. Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own - U2
17. Breathe (2 AM) - Anna Nalick
18. Gold Digger - Kanye West & Jamie Foxx
19. Landed - Ben Folds


To see how Landed stacks up to past #1's, here are a list of those from years past:

1996: No Diggity – Blackstreet & Dr. Dre
1997: Foolish Games – Jewel
1998: One Week – Barenaked Ladies
1999: Genie in a Bottle - Christina Aguilera
2000: Maria, Maria – Santana & the Product G&B
2001: Everywhere – Michelle Branch
2002: Fell in Love with a Girl – The White Stripes
2003: The Seed (2.0) – The Roots & Cody ChessnuTT
2004: All Falls Down – Kanye West
2005: Landed – Ben Folds


As for the artist that made the most impact in the last year here are the ones that showed up most on my Best of lists (for those lists, click on the Best of 2005 label):

1. Kanye West (Best Songs – 2, 11, 32, 39, 79; Best Albums – 2; Best Videos – 2, 9, 16, 28) - It looked like Kanye this year was the ultimate bridesmaid with the runner up position on all but one of my lists. But he did have the unofficial best quote of the year if that is any consolation.
2. The Killer (Best Songs – 5, 21; Best Albums – 14; Best Videos – 4, 8; Best Mash-Ups – 10, 21) - This band really grew on me this year with their blend of catch hooks, inane lyrics, and of course a video with Eric Roberts and a Kate Bosworth look-a-like.
3. U2 (Best Songs – 2, 50, 57, 60; Best Videos – 10, 20) – They may have been a little more higher had How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb had been eligible this year, but unlike the Grammy’s, my year actually runs from January to December. But the album would have definitely been high on my Best Albums list if it were.
4. Dave Matthews Band – (Best Songs – 35, 46; Best Albums – 5; Best Videos – 17, 27; Best Mash-Ups – 13) – A band so great I dedicated a whole week to when Stand Up was released and they didn’t disappoint.
5. Kelly Clarkson (Best Songs – 6, 26; Best Mash-Ups – 2, 4, 12; Best Videos – 21) – Had anyone said that Clarkson would be near the top of any list let alone Best Artist a year ago, I tell them they were crazy. But thanks to some amazingly entertaining mash-ups, the karaoke queen rightfully deserves to be on this list. And the mash-ups just keep on coming as I just heard another one, Since U Been in Centerfield - Kelly Clarkson vs. John Fogerty.

Best Songs of 2005

Before I go into the granddaddy of my Best/Worst Week, I would like to make special mention of something that really defies category yet was the most entertaining thing I saw or heard this year – R. Kelly’s Trapped In the Closet masterpiece. I didn’t think there could be anything R. Kelly related that was funnier than Dave Chappelle’s skit, Mr. Kelly found a way to top it and Trapped in the Closet is probably the only thing released this year that is a first ballot entry into the Scooter Hall of Fame. Now onto the Top 100 Songs of 2005, and feel free to leave your favorite songs of the year in the comment section:


1. Landed - Ben Folds
2. Gold Digger - Kanye West & Jamie Foxx
3. Breathe (2 AM) - Anna Nalick
4. Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own - U2
5. Mr. Brightside - The Killers
6. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
7. Ordinary People - John Legend
8. The Blower's Daughter - Damien Rice
9. Telescope Eyes - Eisley
10. Portions for Foxes - Rilo Kiley
11. Diamonds From Sierra Leone - Kanye West
12. Breakdown - Jack Johnson
13. Existentialism On Prom Night - Straylight Run
14. Doesn't Remind Me - Audioslave
15. These Words - Natasha Bedingfield
16. You and Me - Lifehouse
17. Fix You - Coldplay
18. Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day
19. Love Love Love - Tristan Prettyman
20. Ohio (Come Back to Texas) - Bowling for Soup
21. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers
22. Somebody - Bonnie McKee
23. Gotta Get Up from Here - Ellie Lawson
24. I'm Feeling You - Santana & Michelle Branch
25. Work - Jimmy Eat World
26. Behind These Hazel Eyes - Kelly Clarkson
27. 1 Thing - Amerie
28. Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day
29. Club Foot - Kasabian
30. Testify - Common
31. Speed of Sound - Coldplay
32. Heard 'Em Say - Kanye West & Adam Levine
33. Soul Meets Body - Death Cab For Cutie
34. The Mixed Tape - Jack's Mannequin
35. Dreamgirl - Dave Matthews Band
36. Ashes - Embrace
37. Chocolate - Snow Patrol
38. Bullet and a Target - Citizen Cope
39. The Corner - Common, the Last Poets & Kanye West
40. A Lifetime - Better Than Ezra
41. Stars and Boulevards - Augustana
42. Home - Marc Broussard
43. Get Back - Ludacris
44. Sitting, Waiting, Wishing - Jack Johnson
45. Son's Gonna Rise - Citizen Cope & Santana
46. American Baby - Dave Matthews Band
47. Better Days - Goo Goo Dolls
48. Beverly Hills - Weezer
49. When in Rome - Nickel Creek
50. All Because of You - U2
51. Who Did You Think I Was? - John Mayer Trio
52. Some Hearts - Carrie Underwood
53. Trouble - Bonnie McKee
54. The One I Love - David Gray
55. Mind on the Road - Reverend Run
56. My Doorbell - The White Stripes
57. Original of the Species - U2
58. Revolution - Eric Clapton
59. Used to Love U - John Legend
60. City of Blinding Lights - U2
61. Inside Your Heaven - Carrie Underwood
62. Back to Me - Kathleen Edwards
63. Collide - Howie Day
64. When the President Talks to God - Bright Eyes
65. World On Fire - Sarah McLachlan
66. Chariot - Gavin DeGraw
67. Just Feel Better - Santana & Steven Tyler
68. In the Rough - Anna Nalick
69. Pon de Replay - Rihanna
70. Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
71. Over My Head (Cable Car) - The Fray
72. O' Sailor - Fiona Apple
73. You Gonna Love Me - Da Backwudz
74. Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy
75. Be Yourself - Audioslave
76. Walk Tall - John Mellencamp
77. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
78. Bad Day - Daniel Powter
79. Go! - Common, John Mayer & Kanye West
80. Landing in London - 3 Doors Down & Bob Seger
81. One Love - Hootie & the Blowfish
82. The Harder They Come - Willie Nelson
83. Your Time Has Come - Audioslave
84. Let Me Go - 3 Doors Down
85. Be the Girl - Aslyn
86. Right To Be Wrong - Joss Stone
87. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz
88. DOA - Foo Fighters
89. She Said - Brie Larson
90. Talk - Coldplay
91. Perfect Situation - Weezer
92. Who We Are - Hope Partlow
93. Till I Get to You - Nikka Costa
94. 4ever - The Veronicas
95. She Says - Howie Day
96. Everything to Me - Liz Phair
97. Empty Room - Marjorie Fair
98. Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy
99. I Wasn't Prepared - Eisley
100. Give a Little Bit - Goo Goo Dolls


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