Weezer: Pork and Beans (2008)

Weezer celebrates both uniqueness and Youtube stars. The song's genesis evolved out of a meeting Rivers Cuomo had with record execs. They wanted hits, so he wrote about it. Basically, he tells the execs and the world to piss off because he is his own person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQHPYelqr0E

Johnny Cash: I Hung My Head (2002)

Sting wrote and recorded "I Hung My Head." A young boy kills a man by accident and ends up at the gallows. Cash's version added an amazing emotional resonance to the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42D6bUta1gs

Sting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgPTVIrR9NA

Weezer: Beverly Hills (2005)

Rivers thought it would be nice to live in Beverly Hills and wrote a song about it. However, when Weezer recorded it, "Beverly Hills" came off as a bit sarcastic or even nihilistic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL_WvOly7mY

Bruce Springsteen: World's Apart (2002)

Just love this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvRXg-smk-U

Coldplay: Violet Hill (2008)

The song began as an anti-war protest and evolved into a commentary on Bill O'Reilly and banks. The band borrow from John Lennon and the Beatles as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakDItZ7f7Q

Coldplay: Lovers in Japan (2008)

Coldplay emerged as one of the bright spots in music's dark age of the late 2000s. They were one of the few acts that understood song construction. "Lovers in Japan" is a fun up tempo pop/rock tune. Music post 2010 has improved somewhat from those dark days.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTFFQkdhw6Q

Top 10 songs of the 2000s #1-10

 
1. BEAUTIFUL DAY- U2

2. The Wickerman- Iron Maiden
3. KRYPTONITE- 3 DOORS DOWN

4. IT'S MY LIFE- BON JOVI

5. IN A LITTLE WHILE- U2

6. YELLOW- COLDPLAY

7. TWO STORY TOWN- BON JOVI

8. NO LEAF CLOVER- METALLICA

9. SOUR GIRL- STP

10. LEADER OF MEN- NICKELBACK

Top 15 songs of the 2000s: #11-15

The further back I go, the easier it becomes to come up with songs...interesting.  These are favorites...

11. OTHERSIDE- RHCP

12. MINORITY- GREEN DAY

13. THINGS HAVE CHANGED- BOB DYLAN

14. BREAKOUT- FOO FIGHTERS

15. Southside- MOBY w/Gwen Stefani

Top 10 songs of 2001

My favorites.

1. WALK ON- U2

2. IMITATION OF LIFE- REM

3. JADED- AEROSMITH

4. HASH PIPE- WEEZER

5. SCHISM- TOOL

6. HOLLYWOOD BITCH- STP

7. ISLAND IN THE SUN- WEEZER

8. SOMEDAY- THE STROKES

9. ELEVATION- U2

10. STUCK IN THE MOMENT- U2 

Top 10 Songs of 2002

Once again, my favorites...This could have been almost all Bruce, but I decided to diversify.

1. The Rising- Bruce Springsteen

2. Lonesome Day- Bruce Springsteen
3. Electrical Storm-U2

4. A Little Less Conversation- Elvis Presley

5. The Hands that Built America- U2
6. Cochise- Audioslave

7. I am Mine- Pearl Jam

8. Clocks- Coldplay

9. All My Life- The Foo Fighters

10.. Last DJ- Tom Petty

Top 10 Songs of 2003

My favorites from 2003...

1. Like a Stone- Audioslave

2. Hurt- Johnny Cash

3. Stacy's Mom- Fountains of Wayne

4. Seven Nation Army- The White Stripes

5. Bad Day- R.E.M.

6. Dreams (Live)- Sammy Hagar

7. Brainwashed- George Harrison

8. Times Like These- Foo Fighters

9. Cochise- Audioslave

10. Bring Me To Life- Evanescence
 

Top 10 Songs from 2004

Once again, just my favorites.

1. I Am the Highway by Audioslave

2. Original of the Species- U2

3. Leaving New York- REM

4. It's About Time- Van Halen

5. Vertigo- U2

6. Boulevard of Broken Dreams- Green Day

7. Take Me Out- Franz Ferdinand

8. Homecoming- Green Day

9. Are We the Waiting- Green Day

10. Whatsername- Green Day

U2: Vertigo (2004)

The Edge described "Vertigo" as "the mother of all rock tunes." Bono opens with "Uno, dos, tres, catorce!" which Bruce Springsteen proclaimed "rock n roll." In English, it means "one, two, three, fourteen!" Bono claimed alcohol might have been involved at that point in the writing process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98W9QuMq-2k

Top 10 songs of 2005

1. Holiday- Green Day

2. Talk- Coldplay

3. Beverly Hills- Weezer

4. Have a Nice Day- Bon Jovi

5. Speed of Sound- Coldplay

6. Best of You- The Foo Fighters

7. Why Do You Love Me?- Garbage

8. Jesus of Suburbia- Green Day

9. Mr. Brightside- The Killers

10. Be Yourself- Audioslave.

Top 10 songs from 2006

My favorite songs from 2006...

1. Oh Mary Don't You Weep- Bruce Springsteen

2. Take a Breath- David Gilmour

3. On An Island- David Gilmour

4. Life Wasted- Pearl Jam

5. Dani California- RHCP

6. Snow- RHCP

7. Jesse James- Bruce Springsteen

8. God's Gonna Cut You Down- Johnny Cash

9. World Wide Suicide- Pearl Jam

10. Crazy- Gnarls Barkley 

Top 10 songs of 2007

My favorite ones anyway...

1. Radio Nowhere- Bruce Springsteen

2. Long Road to Ruin- Foo Fighters

3. Window in the Skies- U2

4. Tarantula- Smashing Pumpkins

5. The Pretender- Foo Fighters

6. #9 Dream- REM

7. Ever Present Past- Paul McCartney

8.Love Rein O'er Me- Pearl Jam

9. Doomsday Clock- Smashing Pumpkins

10.. Working Class Hero- Green Day

Top 10 songs of 2008

Just my favorites as usual. Most of today's music just sucks, but that is probably true of any era.

1. Pork and Beans- Weezer
2. Viva la Vida- Coldplay
3. Girls in Their Summer Clothes- Bruce Springsteen
4. Man Sized Wreath- R.E.M.
5. Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
6. Violet Hill- Coldplay
7. Nostradamus- Judas Priest
8. Supernatural Superserious- R.E.M.
9. Not My Time- 3 Doors Down
10. Saints of Los Angeles- Motley Crue
10. Nine Lives- Def Leppard

Top 10 songs of 2009

My favorites anyway...

1. Magnificent- U2
2. Uprising- Muse
3. Just Breathe- Pearl Jam
4. Breathe- U2
5. East Jesus Nowhere- Green Day
6. Oh Yeah- Chickenfoot
7. Can't Stop Partying- Weezer
8. Wheels- Foo Fighters
9. Check My Brain- Alice in Chains
10. The Static Age- Green Day

David Gilmour: Take a Breath (2006)

"Take a Breath" is one of the few songs on Gilmour's On an Island release that sounds like Pink Floyd. It was his first solo record in 22 years. The lead track earned a Grammy nod for best instrumental. The album itself sounded extremely personal with some nods to his past like "Take a Breath."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzX_zPSrqcQ

R.E.M.: Man Sized Wreath (2008)

The video for "Man-Sized Wreath" is a commentary on modern media. A digital stick figure is hounded and pursued by menacing blocks throughout. How many times have we seen a story that won't subside or has a public, or private, figure been stalked by the press or paparazzi?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFF8iwdhc0k