Rolling Stone, that magazine your dad thinks is cool, has released its list of the best singles of 2007. In a fit of curmudgeonly ill temper, the editors at the publication have passed over Rihanna’s omnipresent dance joint “Umbrella” as the song of the year, placing it at number three on the list. The top spot was ceded to Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys,” a quality track but not as good (in my humble opinion) as Jay-Z gets. A case could be made, though, that the master should be exalted over the student, and Hova walks away with the list. The problem with the list and the problem with Rolling Stone lies with the inclusion of Randy Newman’s “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country” at number two. There’s no reason to hate on Newman. He has a great catalog, and my nephew respects the hell out of his work on both Toy Story films. He is not, however, on this planet or any parallel Earth the author of the second best song of 2007. Even if Newman didn’t sound as old as the candy in my grandma’s coffee table, “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country” is a one-note piece of hate mail to the Bush administration. Though Rolling Stone is trying to show that it still cares about things that “matter,” all it does is show how way, far away it is from being a shadow of its former self. The list, like the magazine, tries to be everything to every person, and doesn’t end up mattering much to anybody. The full RS list follows:
100 "Rockstar" - Nickelback
99 "Never Again" - Kelly Clarkson
98 "Wild Mountain Nation" - Blitzen Trapper
97 "Honey Bee (Let's Fly To Mars)" - Grinderman
96 "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie
95 "Satan Said Dance" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
94 "2 Hearts" Kylie Minogue
93 "Is There A Ghost" - Band Of Horses
92 "Mistaken For Strangers" - The National
91 "Freak Out" - Liars
90 "Threshold Apprehension" - Black Francis
89 "I Wish That I Could See You Soon" - Herman Dune
88 "Computer Camp Love" - Datarock
87 "Dashboard" - Modest Mouse
86 "Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car" - Iron & Wine
85 "It's Me, Bitches (Remix)" - Swizz Beat
84 "The Crystal Cat" - Dan Deacon
83 "The State Of Massachusetts" - Dropkick Murphys
82 "Ultimate" - Gogol Bordello
81 "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe" - Okkervil River
80 "Stop Me" - Mark Ronson
79 "Myriad Harbor" - New Pornographers
78 "The Songs That We Sing" - Charlotte Gainsbourg
77 "Chelsea Dagger" - The Fratellis
76 "Go Getta" - Young Jeezy
75 "Phantom Limb" - The Shins
74 "Comfy In Nautica" - Panda Bear
73 "100 Days, 100 Nights" - Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings
72 "You! Me! Dancing!" - Los Campesinos!
71 "Impossible Germany" - Wilco
70 "Bed" - J. Holiday
69 "Seahorse" - Devendra Banhart
68 "Tambourine" - Eve
67 "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" - Vampire Weekend
66 "Big Shit Poppin'" - T.I.
65 "White People For Peace" - Against Me!
64 "The Magic Position" - Patrick Wolf
63 "Buy U A Drank" - T-Pain
62 "The Last Fight" - Velvet Revolver
61 "Down Boy" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
60 "Make It Witchu" - Queens Of The Stone Age
59 "Let It Go" - Keyshia Cole
58 "Grip Like A Vice" - The Go! Team
57 "Men's Needs" - The Cribs
56 "Lip Gloss" - Lil Mama
55 "Hold On" - KT Tunstall
54 "I-95" - Fountains Of Wayne
53 "Black Mags" - The Cool Kids
52 "Pressing On" - John Doe
51 "Killing The Blues" - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
50 "The Heart Gently Weeps" - Wu-Tang Clan
49 "Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5
48 "Kiss Kiss" - Chris Brown (Feat. T-Pain)
47 "The Pretender" - Foo Fighters
46 "Do You Feel Me" - Anthony Hamilton
45 "Halloweenhead" - Ryan Adams
44 "Bleed It Out" - Linkin Park
43 "Us Placers" - CRS
42 "This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race" - Fall Out Boy
41 "Just Fine" - Mary J. Blige
40 "Old News" - Dr. Dog
39 "Guitar" - Prince
38 "So Hott" - Kid Rock
37 "Throw Some D's" 36 "Situation" - 1990s
35 "Girlfriend" - Avril Lavigne
34 "Are You Alright" - Lucinda Williams
33 "Backed Out On The..." - Kevin Drew
32 "When Under The Ether" - PJ Harvey
31 "Don't Matter" - Akon
30 "LDN" - Lily Allen
29 "The People" - Common
28 "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" - Miranda Lambert
27 "Silver Lining" - Rilo Kiley
26 "Same Girl" - R. Kelly and Usher
25 "Teenagers" - My Chemical Romance
24 "What Goes Around..." - Justin Timberlake
23 "Teenage Love Affair" - Alicia Keys
22 "Keep The Car Running" - Arcade Fire
21 "Crank That" - Soulja Boy
20 "All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem
19 "1234" - Feist
18 "Icky Thump" - The White Stripes
17 "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" -Radiohead
16 "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" - Spoon
15 "Piece Of Me" - Britney Spears
14 "I Get Money" - 50 Cent
13 "The Past Is A Grotesque Animal" - of Montreal
12 "Gunslinger" - John Fogerty
11 "Stronger" - Kanye West
10 "Int'l Player's Anthem" - UGK
09 "Boyz" - M.I.A.
08 "Long Walk Home" - Bruce Springsteen
07 "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse
06 "Dough Is What I Got" - Lil Wayne
05 ""Four Winds" - Bright Eyes
04 "D.A.N.C.E." - Justice
03 "Umbrella" - Rihanna
02 "A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country" - Randy Newman
01 "Roc Boys" - Jay-Z
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Rolling Stone slights Rihanna and embraces Newman on 2007 singles list
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2 Responses
December 17, 2007 at 12:35 p.m.
| brian |
Just because Umberella was omnipresent doesn't mean it was the best song of the year. HOWEVER, "Roc Boys" sure as heck wasn't either. I agree that Rolling Stone is painfully irrelevant, and the inclusion of Nickelback in the top 100 moves RS closer to having as little credibility as the Grammy awards. |

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This, plus the indie/ smoking add thing... R.S. is just determined to piss everyone off this year.