The 11 Best Songs By Coldplay

Coldplay has the dubious distinction of being that band that everyone loves but no guy ever admits that they actually like.  When your friends come over to your house and see a Coldplay CD sitting around, you make up some excuse that it actually belongs to your mom.  This works since no one buys CDs anymore except old people.  Coldplay may not be the opening music to the next heavyweight championship or football send-off. No one cruises around looking for chicks while blasting Coldplay.  And you're not going to hear the band being played over the background of your favorite video game.  But Coldplay, believe it or not...is cooler than all that.  At the end of the day, as soft as their music is...every chick in the world wants Chris Martin.  And that in itself is winning.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By Coldplay:

1. Viva La Vida (Viva La Vida)
2. Don't Panic (Parachutes)
3. Clocks (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
4. Speed of Sound (X&Y)
5. Square One (X&Y)
6. The Scientist (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
7. Life in Technicolor ii (Prospekt's March)
8. Talk (X&Y)
9. Major Minus (Mylo Xyloto)
10. Violet Hill (Viva La Vida)
11. White Shadows (X&Y) 

Buy Coldplay's new album, Ghost Stories...now!!

Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!

The 111 Best Music Lists of the 2000s

Is this the greatest book ever written?  Probably not but it's close.  I've been writing this blog for the past six years; I've written hundreds of lists.   Taking some of the best lists directly from the site and adding in some brand new lists, I am proud to present my first book.  Sticking with the theme of my blog I've delivered a book that takes a look back at one of the most chaotic decades in music.  It was the decade where music went from being physical to only existing in a digital space.  It was an era where pop dominated and rock was stuck taking the bus.  With this book, I hope to right the ship and look back at some amazing bands that were overlooked.

You can purchase the book now at Amazon and Kindle.  Right in time for all your holiday shopping needs.

The 111 Best Music Lists of the Decade

Enjoy!

The 55 Best Albums of 2011 (34-44)

Just the other night, I informed a rather astute music person that the Book of Mormon was written by Matt & Trey from South Park.  Even after I told them, they still didn't believe me.  It took a web search on a cell phone to confirm my piece of incredulous information.  It wasn't that it was impossible to think that Matt & Trey had the musical chops to write a musical...it was insane to think they had won best play...especially for a play whose signature song is "Fuck You God."  Another piece of this story is how much smaller our worlds became in 2011.  With music libraries popping up available on everyone's phone, we really saw the beginning of the future of how we will listen to music.  Apple had started it with the iphone...but the Android platform doubled the market overnight.  How far away are we from best playlists instead of best albums?  Sooner than we think...

AND....it's time for your lists!  Send me your list of your favorite albums of 2011.  I WANT YOUR TOP TWENTY.  I will compile all your votes into a master list.  Send it via emaill...or just post it in the comment box below.

Here are the Best Albums of 2011 (34-44):

34.       Fucked Up - David Comes To Life

35.       Mastodon - The Hunter

36.       The Cool Kids - When Fish Rides Bicycles

37.       Magnetic Man - Magnetic Man

38.       James Blake - James Blake (Unluck)

39.       sbtrkt - sbtrkt

40.       Cults - Cults

41.       St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

42.       Mr. Dream - Trash Hit

43.   Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto

44.   The Book of Mormon - Soundtrack

Buy these albums and more...now!!!  (all albums under $5 for a limited time)

The Unknown: Coldplay - A&B

I was turned onto an article by the AV Club referring to something called the five-album test.  It's actually an old music cliche that was originally coined by Sting decades ago.  I guess some writer thought he could pass it off as his own, hoping his audience wouldn't know about or have forgotten a 30-year-old theory.  Basically the five-album test proves true greatness.  It basically poses the theory that very few bands can have five great albums in a row, and those who do are truly worthy of legendary status.  Now the AV Club article is not only poorly written but the writer seems to have an extremely limited knowledge of music...not to mention that he contradicts himself by stating that the only criteria of establishing whether an album is great or not is whether he deems it so.  I mean...to say that Bob Dylan's early works are passable, Radiohead's Amnesiac is half a good album and Pablo Honey doesn't exist, while Speakerboxx/Love Below is spotty work and he neglects to mention the Police, considering he stole his theory from them. Doing this sketchy musical critique, you're pretty much shooting yourself in the credibility foot.  That said, the five-album test is a very interesting one.  Despite how you decide an album should be considered great or not...you'll be surprised to discover that even your favorite bands struggle to release five great albums in a row.

This week Coldplay releases their fifth album.  Most detractors will argue that the third Coldplay album, X&Y, would definitely be the low point of the band's career, it's hard not to concur that they have been a musical force for all of them.

Here is Coldplay - A&B:

1.  The One I Love
2.  I Bloom Blaum
3.  136
4.  I Ran Away
5.  Crest of Waves
6.  Animals
7.  Murder
8.  Things I Don't Understand 
9.  Proof
10.  Sleeping Sun
11.  Gravity
12.  The World Turned Upside Down
13.  How You See The World
14.  Lips Like Sugar

Buy Coldplay's new album, Mylo Xyloto...now!!

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (1-11):

In creating the top 11, it really comes down to finding albums that weren't only great but also helped define the musical landscape of the decade. These ablums don't need a lot of explanation of why they were chosen. If you haven't heard these discs...then you likely were in a coma for the Bush years. It's only fitting in my opinion, that the most potent artist of this decade (Jay-z) opens the decade with the Blueprint...and closes it with the Blueprint 3.0. I've been racking my brain...trying to come up with something clever to say that sums up the decade musically...but when sitting down to finally write it...I think letting the music play...just speaks for itself.

NOW...it's your turn....

What are your top 11 albums of the 2000s???

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (1-11):

1. Jay-Z - The Blueprint (2001)
2. Wilco - Yankee Foxtrot Hotel (2002) - War on War
3. The White Stripes - Elephant (2003) - Seven Nation Army
4. Coldplay - Parachutes (2000) - Yellow
5. Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
6. Beck - Sea Change (2002) - Lost Cause
7. Green Day - American Idiot (2004) - American Idiot
8. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007) - Reckoner
9. Kanye West - College Drop-Out (2004)
10. The Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004) - Laika
11. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

    
    

    Buy these albums now!

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (12-22)

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (12-22):

12. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood To The Head (2002)
- If Viva La Vida is this generation's Joshua Tree...A Rush would be this generation's Unforgetable Fire.

13. Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)
- If charting was based on most material released...RA would win by a landslide. But Gold feels the most personal...that the most time went into crafting this one. (La Cienega Just Smiled)

14. Jay-Z - The Black Album (2003)
- Jay-Z turned the industry on its head when he allowed the public to freely remix and distribute his momentary swan song.

15. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
- The Jam who? The Strokes tight and underplayed debut was a snub in the face of the loud and obnoxious music of the day. (Soma)

16. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am (2006)
- The Jam who? The AM's loud and obnoxious debut was a snub in the face of the quiet and mopey music of the day.

17. Bright Eyes - Lifted Or The Story is in the Soil (2002)
- This is the album that earned him the nickname: "the next Bob Dylan" or "the next Bob Dylan until the next Bob Dylan comes along." (You Will.)

18. Zero 7 - Simple Things (2001)
- If there was ever a soundtrack to this decade...Zero 7 did it first.

19. Interpol - Antics (2004)
- 20 years later...Ian Curtis is cool again.

20. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans (2005)
- The emo masterpiece from a band who has done everything in their power to be anything but... (Someday You Will Loved)

21. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising (2002)
- In the wake of 9/11, it was Bruce who came to the rescue to lead us out of the darkness. No album has ever said more about the strength and resolute nature of our country than the Rising.

22. Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
- The Kings emerged this decade as the last true patriots of American rock n roll. And no where is that more clear than on their second effort.

Buy these albums now.

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (34-44)

The 111 Best Albums of the 00s (34-44):

34. TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain (2006)
- No album felt as obscure as TV's sophomore release. And no obscure album ever rocked this hard. It was like the band knew that rock was growing stale and they were going to show us all how it was done...the right way.

35. Feist - Let It Die (2005)
- Feist's debut played like a classic album. With one half original work and one half covers, Feist followed in the footsteps of her vocal idols who commonly did this on their albums. The result was an emotionally rich tapestry that had as maturity as it did youth.

36. Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales (2000)
- Since JJ's break into commercial success, I think everyone has forgotten how much indie cred he scored on his debut. This was one of those albums that spread through word of mouth...in the way good music is supposed to succeed. Years after its release it was still gaining momentum. none of his other albums are as true as this one...and the reason why this one lands so high on this list.

37. Coldplay - Viva La Vida (2008)
- If the 80s had Joshua Tree...then the 00s get Viva La Vida. Yeah...that's right, I'm comparing the epic 80s U2 album to Coldplay. Like JT, VLV was a statement. It was Coldplay thinking big and not holding back. One million people logged into the website at 4 in the morning to grab the first song, "Violet Hill." If you get that much buzz doing anything, you're doing something right.

38. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006)
- There's no argument that Amy is a trainwreck and maybe she's one of those people who shouldn't be a star. That doesn't mean her album sucked. Quite the opposite. Most people were blown away after first hearing her...especially when they found she was a Jewish kid from England...and not some songstress from the Bronx. Her vocal range puts to shame anyone who has stepped on the American Idol stage. Folks...this is how it's done.

39. The Frames - The Cost/The Once Soundtrack (2007)
- This is the only true cheat on the list. It was hard to choose between the two since The Once Soundtrack is really just a recreation of The Cost. And without the strength of the Cost...the movie Once would have never been as good or as successful...they would have never won an Oscar...making the Soundtrack more notable, which in turn helped the original album. Get it? (People Get Ready)

40. Danger Mouse - The Grey Album (2004)
- A true landmark album. Was it proof that the Beatles were the greatest rock band of all time...or that Jay-Z was the best rapper? Or was it a combination of a brutal one-two musical punch? It took balls for Danger Mouse to be so confindent to use the Beatles...and it took a lawyer to keep him from getting his pants sued off. It was one of those albums that everyone had to hear...and there was no way to hear it. But if you were lucky enough to find a friend of a friend who could burn it for you...you were not disappointed. (Encore)

41. Kings of Leon - Because The Times (2007)
- The Kings third album feels like a wild party. It starts off mild enough...but with every track, it escalates to a new level of rowdiness. There's a definitely drunken stupor that permeates through the tracks...and an uncertainity of which song will be coming up behind the next corner. This isn't just an album...it's an experience...and one that leaves you with a great feeling just like a wild party worth remembering.

42. Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001)
- Though the brainchild of Damon Albarn of Blur...the truth is the band doesn't really exist. In fact, they are a purely virtual band...and the best selling virtual band of all time. (19-2000)

43. Weezer - The Green Album (2001)
- Very few bands are ever able to come back from the dead. But no one did it with more style and more pure kick ass lightning in a bottle than this Harvard alum. The whole album clocks in at a mere 28 minutes...shorter than most Timo Maas remixes. But it's not the size that matters...it's how you use it. (Photograph)

44. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight (2002)
- Spoon really became indie rock's little brother over the decade. Though they came out of the underground...more than anyone. They've spent most of the deceade flirting with big time commercial success...but staying just under the surface. All the while, Britt Daniel continued writing rock solid songs. This second album on Merge exhibits the evolution of their style...that wouldn't stop here.

Buy these albums now...yes...right now!!

The 11 Best Albums of 2008 (Part 5)

At the end of the day, my decision on this top 11 came down to one thing...listenability. Which albums held up to repeat listens... Which albums didn't get dated by the 3rd spin... Which albums still sounded fresh a month after the novelty wore off... Which albums I felt confident recommending to friends...

Bon Iver's album became that one album that stood above the others. It's the one album I kept going back to...the one album I could listen to on repeat...the one album that reminded me why I love music so much...

The 11 Best Albums of 2008:

1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Flume - Daytrotter)
2. Beck - Modern Guilt (only $5.00)
3. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
4. She and Him - Volume One (Get Free)
5. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line (Dying Is Fine - Daytrotter)
6. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
7. TV on the Radio - Dear Science (only $5.00)
8. Coldplay - Viva La Vida (only $5.00)
9. Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
10. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
11. Little Joy - Little Joy

The 11 Best Songs of 2008

I'm excited to try out this Amazon Widget a bit more...so I'm jumping the gun on the Best albums of the year and moving forward to the Best Songs of the year. I've installed all the songs on the widget...so take a listen. The widget is the app in the right side bar that says "Best Songs of 2008." Just click it to listen.

Here are the 11 Best Songs of 2008:

1. Kids - MGMT (Oracular Spectacular)
2. Dancing Choose - TV on The Radio (Dear Science)
3. Grapevine Fires - Death Cab For Cutie (Narrow Stairs)
4. I Stand Corrected - Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend)
5. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon (Only By The Night)
6. Ghosts Under Rocks - Ra Ra Riot (The Rhumb Line)
7. Sequestered in Memphis - The Hold Steady (Stay Positive)
8. Discipline - Nine Inch Nails (The Slip)
9. That Was Just Your Life - Metallica (Death Magnetic)
10. Everybody Here Is A Cloud - Cloud Cult (Feel Good Ghosts)
11. Viva La Vida - Coldplay (Viva La Vida)

I never do this but...Honorable Mentions:

Chemtrails - Beck (Modern Guilt)
Wreck My Flow - the dirtbombs (We Have Your Surrounded)
Hearts on Fire - Cut Copy (In Ghost Colours)
Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur - Sigur Ros (Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust)
Prostitute - Guns N Roses (Chinese Democracy)

I've also created my own MP3 store on Amazon...so check it out. I should have the widget up shortly. Many of the albums are only $5.00 right now (like Beck, Ra Ra Riot, Death Cab, Vampire Weekend, TV on the Radio, Metallica, Killers, Fleet Foxes, Coldplay)

The 11 Best Coldplay Songs

Today gay marriage became legal in California. The state didn't fall off into the ocean. A giant sinkhole didn't open up and suck everyone in. Instead, lots of people had a very good day.

Here's what I don't understand, all these anti-gay marriage haters say that gay marriage destroys marriage. But how is getting married...destroying marriage? Doesn't DIVORCE destroy marriage? Adultery? Abusive spouses? Why are all these things all okay...but more people getting married is a bad thing?

Here are the 11 Best Coldplay Songs:

1. Don't Panic (Parachutes)
2. Clocks (A Rush of Blood To The Head)
3. Easy To Please (Brothers and Sisters)
4. Talk (X&Y)
5. Spies (Parachutes)
6. White Shadows (X&Y)
7. Things I Don't Understand (B-Side)
8. Green Eyes (A Rush of Blood To The Head)
9. Speed of Sound (X&Y)
10. The Scientist (A Rush of Blood To The Head)
11. Sparks (Parachutes)

Buy Viva La Vida NOW!