No Music, No Life MMX

MMX. The Roman Numeral version of 2010. I do not know if anyone used it to describe this new decade but I was raring to use it in my blogs as soon as this year started. After all, it had that cool sound into it.

It has been my annual tradition to blog about my favorite songs of the year and this year would be no different. I carefully remembered which song I played the most each month so that I will not be having a difficult time writing this piece. This year, this blog would be different though. Instead of seeing the usual alternative and punk rock songs in this list, you will observe that there would be a wider variety with (yup, you read this right) rap, indie and pop joining my favorite genre. 2010 is not my favorite year in music due to fewer album releases from my favorite bands (that or I was just lazy to research). However, this year had me liking rap music after almost a decade of ignoring it (not totally as I listened to mainstream hits like “Low”).

This is the effect of listening to Magic 89.9 for most of the time. It is also notable that NU 107 stopped airing this year. It was not an awesome year for rock.

Just like usual, I start with December of the previous year.

December 2009: Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind. I was already hearing it in the radio airwaves as early as October 2009 but it took a while before I talked myself into downloading it. I am not a fan of hip hop music (although I used to) and I never had any rap song in this annual blog writeup. However, I could not resist the temptation when it came to this song. The ‘LeBron to New York’ hype was at its peak then (and I was still a LeBron fan then). Even if I root against New York teams, I still like the city of New York simply because I like seeing bright lights and state-of-the-art buildings. This song was simply a work of a genius. Jay-Z just immortalized himself in New York as locals might still be listening to this song decades from now.

January 2010: None. I just had a musical drought to start the decade. Not a good sign.

February 2010: Keane – Somewhere Only We Know. What a way to rebound from a non-musical month by listening to an old song! In case you did not notice the hint, I was ecstatically sarcastic. However, this song was still good.

March 2010: Ingrid Michaelson – The Way I Am. Thanks to Didi Benami of “American Idol.” Yeah, it is still an old song, but it was one of the songs that I missed after all these years. Ingrid’s voice is so soothing in this song. Simple, yet beautiful.

April 2010: Katharine McPhee – Terrified | Crystal Bowersox – Midnight Train to Georgia. It is pretty obvious that I was so into “American Idol” this year. After all, I wasted some precious hours blogging, re-watching and doing the drinking game while I listened to some horrible Tim Urban vocals. Before I declared that this year’s “American Idol” season is one of the worst seasons, I was listening to two songs that the show made me love. Didi Benami became a fan favorite when she sang “Terrified” in the auditions. It remains her best song and the best version of “Terrified.” Her indie voice coupled with the guitars just put the song to another level. However, Katharine McPhee’s version was catchier. I pretty much repeated this song 16,378 times in my iPod Touch because Katherine McPhee’s voice is full. Yup, I just mentioned that I liked a song that is catchier. It is uncharacteristic for someone who loathed pop songs.

On the other 12,784 times I did not listen to “Terrified,” I was listening to Crystal Bowersox’s beautiful rendition of “Midnight Train To Georgia.”  Simon Cowell may have disliked it and I may not be a huge Crystal Bowersox fan, but this song was a gem because she belts it nicely. I do not usually like the female background vocals in “American Idol” but listening to them in “Midnight Train to Georgia” was my guilty pleasure (especially after Crystal sings “someday he’d be a star”).

May 2010: B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams and Eminem – Airplanes Pt. 2. Long before Hayley tweeted her nude picture (which I missed considering that I usually read her tweets), this song was in constant play in my iPod Touch. This was obviously not the strongest vocals from Hayley but I still liked the song. It just goes to show how influential Hayley Williams is to me – I will love the song she is in even if it is a rap song. I actually enjoyed the rap part of this song more. After a decade, I am listening to Eminem rapping again (although his best would still be his first songs).

June 2010: Simple Minds – Don’t You (Forget About Me). How old can we get? As I celebrated my birthday, I was listening to a song that was released in the year I was born (1985). This song is even older than me. I became fond of this because I watched “The Breakfast Club” last May. Awesome song in an awesome movie. Definitive soundtrack in one of the most definitive flicks in the 1980s.

July 2010: Sara Bareilles – King Of Anything. We are already on the eighth month of this list and I still have not mentioned a punk rock song and we already have two rap songs and two indie songs. “King of Anything” was easily the best female single of this year for me. It is pleasant, catchy and gets you psyched (thanks to the clapping).

August 2010: Eminem feat. Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie. Third rap song in the list (and still no punk rock song). Rap wins my “Genre of the Year” Award. I just could not resist this song. It combined Rihanna’s distinct vulnerable vocals with Eminem’s loud rapping perfectly. All I can say was, “welcome back, Eminem!” Last year, I was wondering what the heck Eminem was doing when he retaliated from Mariah’s “Obsessed” with a vulgar rap song. I could never think that Eminem would turn things around in just a span of one year.

September 2010: Rolling Stones – Satisfaction | Katy Perry – Teenage Dream. I actually forgot which song I was listening to at these times but I am sure that I played “Satisfaction” numerous times after it was played in a “Mad Men” episode. I also know that Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” was my guilty pleasure song especially when she sings the skin-tight jeans part. I just love Katy’s sultry voice.

October 2010: Jimmy Eat World – Mixtape | Foo Fighters – My Hero. Since I have not included “My Hero” in this list before, it is valid to put it in here. (I also listened to “Learn to Fly” a lot in October but I already blogged about it two years ago.) “My Hero” became an anthem for me because of Atlanta Braves’ playoff run which had me in sports nostalgia. I think this year is the best year for me when it comes to sports. Oh wait… LeBron made “The Decision” this year. NOOOOO!!!!

As for Jimmy Eat World’s “Mixtape,” it was my early favorite in JEW’s new album. It is not as huge as “Futures,” but it had decent offerings like “Mixtape” and “Littlething”

November 2010: Neon Trees – Animal | W.G. Walden & Bennett Salvay – Friday Night Lights Theme Song. Neon Trees’ “Animal” became my favorite LSS song after I heard it being played after the World Series. I felt bad for not knowing this song earlier this year but it’s never too late anyway.

Speaking of never too late, I was able to catch up on the awesome TV series “Friday Night Lights.” I caught up right after the final season started. I have been watching the show for some months already but I fell in love with the theme song by the time I started watching Season 4. There is a huge positive vibe on East Dillon. Maybe, it is about being an underdog or maybe it is Aimee Teegarden becoming more and more attractive in the opening credits. I do not know which. But, there is one thing I am confidently sure of: Friday Night Lights’ theme song is the best TV series theme song ever.

2010 Guilty Pleasure Songs: Flo Rida feat. David Guetta – Club Can’t Handle Me; Katy Perry – Teenage Dream; Lady Gaga – Bad Romance; System of a Down – Sugar; John Williams – The Imperial March (Darth Vader Theme Song)

Song of the Year (technically, it was last year's): Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind. I would never visualize myself blogging about rap songs as my ‘best songs of the year’ two years ago.

Performer of the Year: Eminem. Welcome back!