Every year I swear I'm not going to do my Top 100 Tracks before Dec. 31, and every year the onslaught of year-end lists that are likely to skewer what I come up with toward stuff I didn't hear till I saw them convinces me otherwise. 2009 is no different. Call me insecure if you want, but I like to stick to what I know I liked, rather than be persuaded in other directions--even if those other directions end up being right. So here, before I can change it around again, is my list.

1. Walter Jones - Living Without Your Love - DFA
2. Joy Orbison - Hyph Mngo - Hotflush
3. Art Brut - Demons Out! - Downtown
4. DJ Kaos - Love The Nite Away (Tiedye Mix) - Rong/DFA
5. DJ Quik & Kurupt - 9x's Outta 10 - Mad Science
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero - Interscope
7. Maxwell - Pretty Wings - Columbia
8. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction - Slumberland
9. Joker & Ginz - Purple City - Kapsize
10. Dâm-Funk - Brookside Park - Stones Throw

11. Tanya Morgan ft. Carlitta Durand - Never Enough (Crazy Love) - Interdependent
12. Ghostface Killah ft. Fabolous & Shareefa - Guest House - Def Jam
13. Camera Obscura - French Navy - 4AD
14. Wye Oak - I Want For Nothing - Merge
15. DJ Morgoth (Nirvana vs. Rick Astley) - Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit Up - MP3
16. Lone - Joy Reel - Werk
17. Natalie Imbruglia - Want - Universal
18. 2000f and JKamata - You Don't Know What Love Is - Hyperdub
19. Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa - Columbia
20. The-Dream - Kelly's 12 Play - Def Jam

21. New Era - Pockets On My Pannies - MP3
22. The Love Language - Sparxxx - Bladen County
23. Freddie Gibbs - County Bounce - mixtape
24. The Fiery Furnaces - Lost At Sea - Thrill Jockey
25. Unladylike - Sit Yo Ass Down (ESTL Remix) - Def Jam
26. The Juan MacLean - One Day - DFA
27. Micachu & The Shapes - Golden Phone - Rough Trade
28. Major Lazer ft. Vybz Kartel - Pon de Floor - Downtown
29. Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move - Domino
30. Bob Dylan - Beyond Here Lies Nothin' - Columbia

31. Moody - Freeki Mutha F cker - KDJ
32. House Of House - Rushing to Paradise (Walkin' These Streets) - Whatever We Want
33. Scheme - Respect the Art - Molemen/Sound Merchants
34. Noisettes - Never Forget You - Mercury
35. Ne-Yo - I Don't Care - MP3
36. The Hold Steady - Atlantic City - War Child
37. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Twin of Myself - Graveface
38. Darkstar - Aidy's Girl Is A Computer - Hyperdub
39. Simian Mobile Disco ft. Beth Ditto - Cruel Intentions (Joker Remix) - Wichita
40. Silkie - Purple Love - Deep Medi

41. Christina Milian ft. The-Dream - Chameleon - MP3
42. Dizzee Rascal - Bad Behaviour - Dirtee Stank
43. Luciano - Los Ninos de Fuera - Cadenza
44. Diego Bernal - Diego's Donut (RIP Dilla) - Exponential
45. School of Seven Bells - Iamundernodisguise - Ghostly International
46. Dyme Def - Not That Dude - 800 LB.
47. Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor (Radio Edit) - Robbins
48. Claude Von Stroke - Vocal Chords - Dirtybird
49. Busy Signal - Da Style Deh - Greensleeves
50. J. Period ft. De La Soul - Excursions (Tribute Remix) - mixtape

51. Clinton Sparks Feat. Clipse & Pharrell - Still Got It 4 Cheap - mixtape
52. Toddla T ft. Herve & Serocee - Shake It - 1965 Records
53. Still Going - Spaghetti Circus - DFA
54. Roy Davis Jr. ft. Erin Martin - I Have A Vision (The Juan MacLean Remix) - Scion Audio Visual
55. Lee Jones - Lab - Aus
56. Drake - Best I Ever Had [Clean] - Def Jam
57. New Boyz - You're a Jerk - Warner Bros.
58. Pink Dollaz - I'm Tasty - MP3
59. Kream Kidz - I'm Nasty - MP3
60. Charlotte Hatherley - White - Minty Fresh

61. Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek (Enigma Remix) - MP3
62. Vibes - Psychic - Not Not Fun
63. F.Y.I. - Nasty Girl - MP3
64. Dan Deacon - Surprise Stefani - Carpark
65. Kelly Clarkson - I Do Not Hook Up - RCA
66. Love And Theft - Runaway - Carolwood
67. brakesbrakesbrakes - Ancient Mysteries - Rough Trade
68. Lusine - Crowded Room - Ghostly International
69. Heartland - Mustache - Permian
70. Keri Hilson - Slow Dance - Mosley/Interscope

71. Syran Mbenza & Ensemble Rumba Kongo - Infidelité Mado - Riverboat
72. K'naan - T.I.A. - A&M
73. Royksopp ft. Robyn - The Girl And The Robot - Astralwerks
74. Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - Skal Vi Prøve Nå? - Eskimo
75. Royal P - Between Us - Rhythm Division
76. Solange - Stillness In The Move - MP3
77. Babydollz - Boyz In the Skinny Jeans (My Cookie) - MP3
78. Neil Diamond - The Chanukah Song - Columbia
79. Jeremih - Birthday Sex - Def Jam
80. Telekinesis - Tokyo - Merge

81. New York Dolls - 'Cause I Sez So - Roadrunner
82. Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes (Dâm-Funk Remix) - Domino
83. Bloody Mary ft. Argenis Brito - Sed Non Satiata - Contexterrior
84. Meleka - Go (Crazy Cousinz Remix) - Defenders
85. Bon & Rau - Cloverleaf Days - Smallville
86. Neko Case - People Got a Lotta Nerve - Anti
87. Professor Green (ft. Chynaman & C.O.R.E) - Upper Clapton Dance - Green
88. Swagg Kids - I'm a Nerd - MP3
89. Shackleton - Let Go - Perlon
90. Luomo - Tessio (Stimming Remix) - Great Stuff Classics

91. Weird Al Yankovic - Craigslist - RCA
92. Jürgen Paape - Ausklang (Burger/Voigt Mix) - Kompakt
93. Franz Ferdinand - Live Alone - Domino
94. Clipse - Popular Demand (Popeyes) - Sony
95. Clothesz Off Movement ft. Rome - Better Than You - MP3
96. Afrobutt - The Taste (Round & Brown) - Electric Minds
97. Cooly G - Love Dub - Hyperdub
98. Aeiress Ent - Billy - MP3
99. GusGus - On The Job - Kompakt
100. Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension - RCA

This year I've been participating in The Singles Jukebox, the review consortium organized by William B. Swygart. For year-end, Will has organized what he calls Best-Off--an eight-round heat of five songs each, with the top two finishers from each organized in head-to-head fashion in the coming weeks. The first of the two heats I helped judge, Group 5, is up today. The others are entertaining, too: Group 1, Group 2, Group 3, Group 4, Group 6.

Below, updated for the final time, are my scores from the regular season, arranged by number and then alphabetically by artist, with the average Jukebox score in parentheses. An asterisk* means I'd drop my score by a point (maybe more, but usually not) if I were doing it again. Two asterisks** means my score appears but not my review. A plus sign (+) means I'd bump it up a point.

10:
DJ Quik & Kurupt, "9x's Outta 10" (8.06)
Walter Jones, "Living Without Your Love" (7.22)
Joy Orbison, "Hyph Mngo" (7.21)
Maxwell, "Pretty Wings" (7)

9:
DJ Quik & Kurupt, "Hey Playa! (Moroccan Blues)" (8.25)
Drake, "Best I Ever Had" (5.27)
Heartland, "Mustache" (6.15)
Natalie Imbruglia, "Want" (6.31)
Ne-Yo, "Part of the List" (7.3)
Noisettes, "Never Forget You" (6.71)
Toddla T, "Shake It" (6.3)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Heads Will Roll" (8.46)

8:
An Horse, "Camp Out" (7.3)
Annie, "I Don't Like Your Band" (6.6)
Boy Better Know, "Too Many Man" (5.91)
Busy Signal, "De Style Deh" (8.27)
Cascada, "Evacuate the Dancefloor" (5.91)
Ciara, "Like a Surgeon" (5.55)*
Cicada, "Metropolis" (5.7)*
Cheryl Cole, "Fight for This Love" (4.53)
Dirty Danger "'Ard Boiled" (6.44)
Egypt, "In the Morning" (6.64)
The Field, "The More That I Do" (6.53)
Charlotte Hatherley, "White" (6)
Keri Hilson, "Slow Dance" (6.09)
House of House, "Rushing to Paradise (Walkin' These Streets)" (7.12)
Paul & Fritz Kalkbrenner, "Sky & Sand" (5.75)*
The Lost Trailers, "All This Love" (5.88)
Love & Theft, "Runaway" (6.2)
Miranda Lambert, "Dead Flowers" (6.85)*/**
Meleka, "Go (Crazy Cousinz Remix)" (6.67)
Micachu & the Shapes, "Golden Phone" (5.3)
New Boyz, "You're a Jerk" (6.78)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, "Young Adult Friction" (6.43)+
Professor Green ft. Chynaman & C.O.R.E., "Upper Clapton Dance" (7.27)
Tempa T, "Next Hype" (6.18)
Vitalic, "Your Disco Song" (6)

7:
Alien Beat Club, "My Way" (4.73)
Alphabeat, "The Spell" (6.38)
Amerie, "Why R U" (6.5)
Bisso Na Bisso, "Show Ce Soir" (6.5)
Blackout Crew, "Dialled" (5.08)
Calle 13 ft. Ruben Blades, "La Perla" (6.5)
Cam'ron ft. Skitzo & Byrd Lady, "Cookies-N-Apple Juice" (4.55)*
Chicane, "Poppiholla" (4.45)
Coeur de Pirate, "Comme Des Enfants" (6.27)
Taio Cruz, "Break Your Heart" (6.25)
Delphic, "This Momentary" (6.58)
Fefe Dobson, "I Want You" (6.93)
The-Dream, "Sweat It Out" (7.92)
The-Dream ft. Kanye West, "Walking on the Moon" (7.09)
The Drums, "Let's Go Surfing" (6.08)
Dusty Kid, "America (The Director's Cut)" (6.11)
Eels, "Fresh Blood" (4.77)*
The Flaming Lips, "Silver Trembling Hands" (5.33)
Florence and the Machine, "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" (6.4)
Girls Can't Catch, "Keep Your Head Up" (4.62)
Gorilla Zoe, "Echo" (5)
The Gossip, "Heavy Cross" (6.3)
Ellie Goulding, "Starry Eyed" (5.93)
HEALTH: "Die Slow" (5.2)
Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne, "Down" (4.64)*
Jessica Jarrell, "Armageddon" (6.62)
Jeremih, "Birthday Sex" (5.27)+
R. Kelly ft. OJ Da Juiceman, "Superman High" (5.1)*
Natalia Lafourcade, "Ella Es Bonita" (6.44)
Miranda Lambert, "White Liar" (6.5)
Ryan Leslie, "You're Not My Girl" (6.2)
Lethal Bizzle ft. Donae'o, "Go Hard" (6.22)
Little Boots, "Remedy" (6.08)
Major Lazer, "Hold the Line" (6.29)
Marmaduke Duke, "Rubber Lover" (3.86)*
Method Man & Redman ft. Erick Sermon, "Mrs. International" (6.31)+
Chrisette Michele, "Blame It on Me" (6.64)
Chrisette Michele, "Epiphany" (6.83)
Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Wayne, "I Get Crazy" (6.64)
Mos Def, "Casa Bey" (6)**
Mz. Bratt, "Who Do You Think You Are" (6.25)
Paramore, "Ignorance" (6.25)
The Pastels & Tenniscoats, "About You" (5.89)
Phoenix, "Lizstomania" (5.86)
Pitbull, "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)" (5.42)
Pleasure P, "Boyfriend #2" (4.88)*
The Prodigy, "Warrior's Dance" (5.57)
Sidney Samson, "Riverside" (6.1)
Shakira, "Lobo" (7.88)
Sharam ft. Kid Cudi, "She Came Along" (6.55)
Spinnerette, "Baptized by Fire" (5.3)
Spoon, "Got Nuffin'" (6.5)
Sticky ft. Lady Chann, "Your Eye Too Fast" (6.88)
Subeena, "Boksd" (6.57)
Sub Focus, "Rock It" (5.36)
Taylor Swift, "You Belong with Me" (8.58)
T.I., "Hell of a Life" (5.82)
Emiliana Torrini, "Jungle Drum" (6.73)
Kanye West ft. Mr. Hudson, "Paranoid" (6.71)
Charlie Wilson, "Can't Live without You" (5.11)
Young Money, "Every Girl" (5.64)

6:
Lily Allen, "22" (6.06)
Azzido Da Bass, "I Want U" (6.14)
Basement Jaxx, "Raindrops" (6.13)
Beastie Boys ft. Nas, "Too Many Rappers" (5.33)
Bless Beats ft. Charlie Brown & Wiley, "The Rain" (5.1)
VV Brown, "Shark in the Water" (7.27)
Mariah Carey, "Obsessed" (6.4)
Carolina Liar, "Show Me What I'm Looking For" (5.44)
Ciara, "Tell Me What Your Name Is" (6.55)
Clipse ft. Kanye West, "Kinda Like a Big Deal" (6.4)
Crookers ft. Kardinal Offishall & Carla Marie, "Put Your Hands on Me" (5.8)
Dan Deacon, "Paddling Ghost" (5.22)
The Dead Weather, "Treat Me Like Your Mother" (5.2)
Speech Debelle ft. Michacu, "Better Days" (5.22)
Dizzee Rascal ft. Chrome, "Holiday" (6.15)
Donae'o, "Party Hard" (6.63)
Donkeyboy, "Ambitions" (6.9)
Friendly Fires, "Jump in the Pool" (6.45)**
Future of the Left, "Arming Eritrea" (6.53)
Keri Hilson ft. Keyshia Cole & Trina, "Get Your Money Up" (6.56)
Whitney Houston, "Million Dollar Bill" (6.08)
Humphrey ft. Rohoff, "La Dans" (5.7)
Jeremih, "Imma Star (Everywhere We Are)" (5.07)
R. Kelly ft. Keri Hilson, "Number 1" (6.27)
Ben Kweller, "Fight" (5.08)**
Lil Kim ft. T-Pain & Charlie Wilson, "Download" (4.23)
Madonna, "Celebration" (4.71)
Major Lazer ft. Ricky Blaze & Nina Sky, "Keep It Going Louder" (6.71)
Make the Girl Dance, "Baby Baby Baby" (7.2)
Reba McEntire, "Strange" (6.9)
Mumford and Sons, "Little Lion Man" (6.09)
Muse, "Uprising" (5.57)
Nina Sky, "On Some Bullshit" (6.91)**
Nneka, "Heartbeat (Chase and Status Remix)" (6)
Panic at the Disco, "New Perspective" (4.1)
Sean Paul, "So Fine" (4.89)
Pet Shop Boys, "Did You See Me Coming?" (5.58)
Pill, "Trap Goin' Ham" (7.1)+
The Raveonettes, "Last Dance" (7)
La Roux, "Bulletproof" (5.6)
Tommy Sparks, "She's Got Me Dancing" (5.75)**
Jamie T, "Sticks 'n' Stones" (5.6)
The Temper Trap, "Sweet Disposition" (5.64)
Tinchy Stryder ft. Amelle, "Never Leave You" (5.85)
Jazmine Sullivan, "In Love with Another Man" (6.73)
Three 6 Mafia ft. Webbie, "Lil Freak" (5.31)
Usher, "Papers" (5.14)
Wale ft. Lady GaGa, "Chillin'" (4.79)
The xx, "Basic Space" (6)

5:
Agnes, "Release Me" (6.2)
Jason Aldean, "Big Green Tractor" (4)
Aqua, "My Mamma Said" (5.64)
Bag Raiders, "Shooting Stars" (5.18)
Beautiful Small Machines, "Robots in Love" (6)
Black Eyed Peas, "Meet Me Halfway" (4.64)
Bloc Party, "One More Chance" (4.64)
Booty Luv, "Say It" (6.11)
VV Brown, "Game Over" (6.94)**
The Ian Carey Project, "Get Shaky" (5.4)
Chipmunk, "Oopsy Daisy" (5.38)
Colbie Caillat, "Fallin' for You" (5)
Los Campesinos!, "The Sea Is a Good Place to Think of the Future" (6.47)
Kelly Clarkson, "Already Gone" (4.94)
Clipse ft. Pharrell, "I'm Good" (6.08)
Keyshia Cole ft. Monica, "Trust" (4.92)**
Herman Dune, "On a Sunday" (4.9)
Fight Like Apes, "Something Global" (6.6)
Florence & the Machine, "Drumming Song" (6.38)
Michael Franti & Spearhead, "Say Hey" (5.78)
Freemasons ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, "Heartbreak Make Me a Dancer" (6.62)
Ginuwine, "Last Chance" (5.11)
Gloriana, "Wild at Heart" (6.67)
Ellie Goulding, "Under the Sheets" (6.67)
Gracious K, "Migraine Skank" (4.83)
Pat Green, "What I'm For" (5.27)
Green Day, "Know Your Enemy" (3.64)+
Gucci Mane ft. Plies, "Wasted" (6.5)
Anthony Hamilton, "The Point of It All" (6)
Calvin Harris, "Ready for the Weekend" (4.87)
Hilltop Hoods, "Chase That Feeling" (5.12)
Whitney Houston, "I Look to You" (5.27)
Illa J ft. Debi Nova, "Sounds Like Love" (5.8)
Ironik ft. Chipmunk & Elton John, "Tiny Dancer" (3.18)
Sarah Jarosz, "Left Home" (6.6)
Kano, "Rock 'n' Roller" (3.9)
Kissy Sell Out, "The Kiss" (5.4)
k-os, "4 3 2 1" (5.44)
Little Birdy, "Summarize" (5.67)
Lord Cut-Glass, "Look After Your Wife" (5)
Mark Mallman, "White Leather Days" (4.29)
Manic Street Preachers, "Jackie Collins Existential Question Time" (4.23)**
Medina, "Velkommen Til Medina" (6.43)
Daniel Merriweather, "Impossible" (6)
Metric, "Help I'm Alive" (5.38)**
Mew, "Introducing Palace Players" (6.36)
Kate Miller-Heidke, "The Last Night on Earth" (4.2)
Misstress Barbara ft. Sam Roberts, "I'm Running" (5.56)
MPHO, "Box 'n' Locks" (5.17)
MSTRKRFT ft. John Legend, "Heartbreaker" (5.31)
New Boyz ft. Ray J, "Tie Me Down" (4.89)
Paperboys, "Lonesome Traveller" (5.91)**
Pink, "Please Don't Leave Me" (6.38)
Pitbull ft. Fergie & LMFAO, "Back to the Future" (4.73)
Pixie Lott, "Mama Do" (3.87)
Plies, "Becky" (5)
Polarkreis 18, "The Colour of Snow" (7.2)
Raekwon ft. Inspectah Deck, GZA, Ghostface & Method Man, "House of Flying Daggers" (7.36)
Jay Reatard, "It Ain't Gonna Save Me" (6.21)+
Reigning Sound, "Stick Up for Me" (6.25)
Richgirl, "He Ain't With Me Now (Tho)" (7.17)+
Hope Sandoval & the Warm Intentions, "Blanchard" (5.27)
The Saturdays, "Forever Is Over" (5.69)+
Shystie ft. DJ Deekline, "Nu Style" (7.62)
Joss Stone ft. Nas, "Governmentalist" (4.43)
The Sweptaways and Jens Lekman, "Happiness Will Be My Revenge" (3.44)
Weezer, "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" (4.91)
w-inds ft. G-Dragon, "Rain Is Falling" (4.25)

4:
Animal Collective, "My Girls" (4.94)
Arctic Monkeys, "Crying Lightning" (4.33)
Katie Armiger, "Gone" (3.6)
Mario Basanov & Vidis ft. Kathy Diamond, "In My System" (5)
Biffy Clyro, "That Golden Rule" (5.27)
Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling" (5.5)
Boys Like Girls, "Love Drunk" (5.38)
Alexandra Burke ft. Flo Rida, "Bad Boys" (6.2)
Danny Byrd ft. IK, "Red Mist" (5.17)**
Cascada, "Dangerous" (4.73)
Cobra Starship ft. Leighton Meester, "Good Girls Go Bad" (5.56)
Death Cab for Cutie, "Meet Me on the Equinox" (4.25)
Jason DeRulo, "Whatcha Say" (4.53)
Alesha Dixon, "Let's Get Excited" (4.85)
Donkeyboy, "Sometimes" (5.73)
Drake ft. Trey Songz, "Successful" (5.69)
Dorrough, "Ice Cream Paint Job" (5.36)
Enter Shikari, "Juggernauts" (3.67)
Fabolous ft. the-Dream, "Throw It in the Bag" (4.71)
Nelly Furtado, "Manos Al Aire" (5.1)
Future of the Left, "The Hope That House Built" (4.82)
David Guetta ft. Akon, "Sexy Bitch" (4.82)
Maia Hirasawa, "South Again" (5.62)
Hockey, "Song Away" (4.62)
Allison Iraheta, "Friday I'll Be Over You" (6.6)
Just Jack, "Embers" (4.8)
Demi Lovato, "Here We Go Again" (6.53)
Mario ft. Gucci Mane & Sean Garrett, "Break Up" (4.79)
The Mars Volta, "Cotopaxi" (4.6)**
John Mayer, "Who Says" (5.22)
Jesse McCartney ft. T-Pain, "Body Language (Remix)" (5.27)
Meg and Dia, "Black Wedding" (5.25)
Metric, "Gimme Sympathy" (6.7)
Mr. Hudson ft. Kanye West, "Supernova" (5.7)
Monica ft. Missy Elliott, "Let Me Know" (4.69)
N-Dubz, "Wouldn't You" (4.8)
Pitbull, "Hotel Room Service" (5.6)
Darius Rucker, "Alright" (3.73)
Shakira, "Did It Again" (5.3)
Shontelle ft. Akon, "Stuck with Each Other" (4.08)
Slaughterhouse, "The One" (3.88)
Martin Solveig & Dragonette, "Boys & Girls" (4.93)
Teddybears, "Get Mama a House" (5.13)
Wild Beasts, "Hooting and Howling" (4.21)
Charlie Winston, "In Your Hands" (5.44)

3:
a-ha, "Foot of the Mountain" (5.12)
Alice in Chains, "Check My Brain" (5.67)
Aqua, "Back to the 80s" (5.17)
The Big Pink, "Velvet" (4.8)
Blazin' Squad, "Let's Start Again" (4.75)
Mary J. Blige ft. Drake, "The One" (4.73)
Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift, "Two Is Better Than One" (3.92)
Michelle Branch, "Sooner or Later" (4.45)
Chris Brown ft. Lil Wayne & Swizz Beatz, "I Can Transform Ya" (3.82)
Caitlin & Will, "Address in the Stars" (4.67)
Chamillionaire, "Good Morning" (5.29)
The Cribs, "Cheat on Me" (4.45)
Kristinia DeBarge, "Goodbye" (3.67)
Empire of the Sun, "We Are the People" (4.58)**
Jade Ewen, "My Man" (5.14)
Foo Fighters, "Wheels" (3.33)
Livvi Franc ft. Pitbull, "Now I'm That Bitch" (5.89)
Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks" (5.43)
Erik Hassle, "Don't Bring Flowers" (4.73)
Jay-Z, "Death of Autotune" (5.53)
Jay-Z ft. Rihanna & Kanye West, "Run This Town" (5)**
Jonas Brothers, "Paranoid" (5)
Kasabian, "Fire" (3.73)
Lady GaGa, "Paparazzi" (5.61)
Marit Larsen, "If a Song Could Get Me You" (5.62)
Leona Lewis, "Happy" (4.62)
Lights, "Saviour" (4.73)
Mika, "We Are Golden" (3.54)
Moneybrother, "We Only Die Once (And for Such a Long Time)" (4.09)
Morandi, "Colors" (4.19)**
Remi Nicole, "Standing Tears Apart" (4.43)
Nina Sky, "Beautiful People" (4.67)
OneRepublic ft. Sara Bareilles, "Come Home" (3.08)
Parachute, "She Is Love" (2.23)
Eva Simons, "Silly Boy" (5.09)
Britney Spears, "3" (6.06)
Rob Thomas, "Her Diamonds" (4.38)
3OH!3, "Starstrukk" (4)
U2, "Magnificent" (3.29)
Wilco, "You Never Know" (4.87)
Young Soul Rebels, "I Got Soul" (4.4)

2:
Ace Hood ft. T-Pain & Akon, "Overtime" (4.22)
Akon, "Be with You" (4.38)
The Big Pink, "Dominos" (4.5)
The Cast of Glee: "Don't Stop Believing" (4.62)
Miley Cyrus, "Party in the U.S.A." (6.69)
Deadmau5, "Ghosts 'n' Stuff" (3.86)
DJ Khaled ft. Usher, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross & Drake, "Fed Up" (4.1)
Paloma Faith, "Stone Cold Sober" (4.73)
Tiziano Ferrero ft. Kelly Rowland, "Breathe Gentle" (5.56)
Gaggle, "Crows" (5.5)
Kings of Leon, "Notion" (4.47)**
Adam Lambert, "Time for Miracles" (3.55)
Lenka, "The Show" (4.92)
Matt & Kim, "Daylight" (4.41)
Karen O and the Kids, "All Is Love" (4.08)
Owl City, "Fireflies" (4.28)
Rick Ross ft. T-Pain, Lil Wayne & Kanye West, "Maybach Music 2" (5.06)
Simian Mobile Disco, "Audacity of Huge" (6)
Frank Turner, "The Road" (4)

1:
Toby Keith, "American Ride" (4)
Linkin Park, "New Divide" (3.85)**
Milow, "Ayo Technology" (2.23)
Miss Li, "Dancing the Whole Way Home" (5.29)
Lisa Mitchell, "Coin Laundry" (3.2)
Muse, "United States of Eurasia (Collateral Damage)" (2.94)**

0:
Chris Brown, "Changed Man" (1.88)

Alfred Soto, illuminating, on the selling of mid-'80s roots-rock.

What's in a decade of band names? Philip Sherburne decides to find out. Overwhelming, probably definitive, and surprisingly entertaining--reading it gave me mental whiplash of the sort you usually get from a densely packed DJ mix, appropriately enough.

I don't know why, either.

No comment necessary.

I've had a couple of very busy weeks, largely due to end-of-decade writing, much of which will be appearing this week. eMusic's Yearbook is the thing I'm probably most excited about reading: Hua Hsu on 2000; Melissa Maerz on 2001; me on 2002; Matthew Fritch on 2003; Douglas Wolk on 2004; Chuck Eddy on 2005; Jess Harvell on 2006; Vijith Assar on 2007; Christopher R. Weingarten on 2008; J. Edward Keyes on 2009. (Their Top 100 albums begins here as well, though that's the editors' list.) I also did something for The A.V. Club's best comedy albums (Flight of the Conchords), its top books (Mark Harris's Pictures at a Revolution), co-compiled a list of electronic albums with Andy Battaglia here, and wrote blurbs for the Top 50 albums list, which starts here. (I did Clinic's Internal Wrangler, 35th; Clipse's Lord Willin', 34th; Basement Jaxx's Kish Kash, 29th; Missy Elliott's Miss E . . . So Addictive, 23rd; Daft Punk's Discovery, 20th; and LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver, 14th.) I also wrote up a short list of albums that should have been on the list but weren't. And I contributed this crack at an etymology of "indie" for NPR.

I also reviewed the new Ted Gioia book--oy.