10. “Tipsy” J-Kwon — Mindless rhymes about intoxication over bare-bones beats never sounded so good.
9. “Evil” Interpol — Interpol has the best rhythm section in rock and roll (listen to the bass and drums during the chorus), and the skinniest neckties as well.
8. “I’ll Be Around” Cee-Lo — Timbaland’s chunky production is Heaven-sent, and Mr. Cee-Lo Green is God Himself.
7. “Float On” Modest Mouse — Whoever decided to make the members of Modest Mouse pop-stars is a genius. The members of Modest Mouse are shining geniuses.
6. “Company In My Back” Wilco — Technically this wasn’t released as a single, but by golly it should have been. With little question, Wilco is the best band in America — and, besides Radiohead, the world.
5. “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” Jay-Z — Young Hova has 99 problems, but making flawless hip-hop isn’t one of them. Too bad he made an album with Linkin Park.
4. “Take Me Out” Franz Ferdinand — When I first heard the glittering transition from the introduction to the chorus, I shed a tear for David Bowie.
3. “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” The Darkness — Great hook, great guitars, great falsetto.
2. “Drop It Like It’s Hot” Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell — Snooooooooo-oop!
1. “Toxic” Britney Spears — Mrs. Kevin Federline hits us one last time with perfect pop.