Top 50 Songs of the Decade 15-11

15. Bon Iver - For Emma (2008)

I have professed my love for this song in the past and it looks like I’ll have to profess it again. A beautiful song inkeeping with a beautiful album, ‘For Emma’ tells the tale of a relationship breaking down in front of our very eyes (perhaps ears is more appropriate). A typical enough story but the manner in which Vernon tells it makes it one of my favourite songs of the decade.

14. Radiohead - Videotape (2007)

With it’s sparse arrangement and typically eerie vocals from Yorke, ‘Videotape’ was my personal favourite from ‘In Rainbows’, Radiohead’s last album. The lyrics reflect the tone of the song, talking about death and, although the meaning is up for debate, the relationships he’ll be judged upon when he reaches those “pearly gates”. Whatever the meaning, it cannot be argued that this is a deeply moving song and, arguably, one of Radiohead’s finest.

13. The Cribs - Be Safe (2007)

Featuring vocals from Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, ‘Be Safe’ was, in my opinion and from the general consensus, the highlight of ‘The Cribs’ 2007 album ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’. Ranaldo sets the tone of the song with the first line - “One of those fucking awful black days…” - his verses are pretty much extremely long rants about life in general. As the singalong chorus introduces itself, you can’t help but become swept along with the anger of it all.

12. Jamie T - Here’s Ya Getaway (2007)

Shockingly, ‘Here’s Ya Getaway’ didn’t make Jamie T’s excellent debut (Panic Prevention) but, in my opinion, it’s his best. Jamie T does melancholy so well and this song is no different, an exceedingly sad song done brilliantly. The song’s meaning is, once again, up for debate but my interpretation is that he’s sick of the society he’s living in but cannot escape. One of his friends does so and he’s got mixed emotions; sad as they’re leaving but happy as she has done what he can’t. Whatever your interpretation though, you can’t argue that it’s a belter of a song.

11. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great (2006)

One of three stand-out songs on ‘Sound Of Silver’, ‘Someone Great’ is a more standard song than we’re used to from Murphy’s band. That’s by no means saying it’s a simple song, anything but. 6 and a half minutes long, the song concerns the idea of “someone great” leaving. Whether they leave permamently (through death) or just on a personal level (leaving Murphy) is heavily debated (take a look at ‘SongMeanings’ if you don’t believe me). Personally, I believe the lyrics are tailormade towards coping with the death of “someone great” but you can interpret is as you will. Ambiguous lyrics aside, this is a brilliant song and one that suggests that LCD Soundsystem should keep it simple more often.