The 11 Best Songs By The Gaslight Anthem

  Last time the Gaslight Anthem released an album it was a couple days after the Dark Knight tragedy in Colorado.  This time, their new album comes on the heels of another tragedy, just of a different nature.  Yesterday, we lost a comedy giant.  The greatest of all time could be an understatement.  I remember a story Bruce Springsteen told that inspired him.  It was a couple of months after 9/11, when Bruce and his family were at church.  A fellow church-goer shouted to him in passing, "We need you, Bruce."  That sentiment helped push Bruce to make "The Rising"...one of the best albums of the past twenty years.  We needed Bruce's music to help us through the malaise.  He delivered.  Not everyone can be Bruce Springsteen.  But music can soothe our savage beasts.  In times of need, it's music that can keep us centered. The Gaslight Anthem is one of those bands rooted in the veins of what it is to be an average person in America.  What it means to bust your ass just to make rent, what it means to know happiness comes from a backyard bbq with friends rather than bottle service at a club, and what it means to endure extreme hardship and have to power on.  We all lost Robin Williams.  The world is less funny today without him in it.  Bands like The Gaslight Anthem remind us that we're not alone, we all share this loss together. Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Gaslight Anthem:

1. American Slang (American Slang)
2. 45 (Handwritten)
3. I Coul'da Been A Contender (Sink Or Swim)
4. Handwritten (Handwritten)
5. The Patient Ferris Wheel (The '59 Sound)
6. Howl (Handwritten)
7. Stay Lucky (American Slang)
8. The '59 Sound (The '59 Sound)
9. We're Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner (Sink Or Swim)
10. 1930 (Sink Or Swim)
11. Orphans (American Slang)

Buy The Gaslight Anthem's new album, Get Hurt...now!!   Don't forget to check out our blog's awesome new book The 111 Best Lists of the 2000s.  Available now!  

The Best Albums of 2012 (45-55):

Here it is.  My countdown of my favorite albums of 2012.  Though it's not a surprising #1 choice...my number one surprises me...because I don't love the album.  Anyway, you'll have to wait to see what that is...until then...it's time for your input.

Every year I ask you, my readers, to give me your twenty best/favorite albums.  The only rule...the album has to have been released in 2012.  That's it.

You don't need 20...if you only have 10...5...or even if you only like one release...that's fine!  Just post your top picks in the comment section.  Or email me.  And I'll add them all together and post the tally on January 1st (roughly).  Last year we had over 200 people vote...let's see if you we can top that this year.

The Best Albums of 2012 (45-55):

45.  Trust - TRST
46.  Calvin Harris - 18 Months
47.  Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten (Bonus Track)
48.  Mumford And Sons - Babel
49.  Rival Sons - Head Down
50.  Father John Misty - Fear Fun
51.  Fun. - Some Nights
52.  Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
53.  Pinback - Information Retrieved
54.  Metric - Synthetica
55.   EL-P - Cancer For Cure

Buy Theses albums and more now!!

The 11 Best Songs By The Gaslight Anthem

It's been three days since the Dark Knight tragedy.  Not only has this type event become a common American staple...our reactions have become even more typical.  Blame guns...blame culture...blame the media...blame the parents.  It's like the blame will solve the grieving.  If we can point out the fault and find the reason why this happened, then we can rationalize it.  We convince ourselves that somehow at another time...we could control it.  And...that will somehow help the grieving.  That may help...but only for the people who are not grieving.  In the movie, Bowling for Columbine...Marilyn Manson had the wisest comment of everyone in the movie.  He said that in that situation, all he would do is listen.  Because that's what the grieving needed.  As humans we share a common bond that we all suffer in some ways.  And when we're at our lowest point...what we need...is just to be heard.


The Gaslight Anthem taps in that American struggle that sometimes everyone needs to be heard.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Gaslight Anthem:

1. American Slang (American Slang)
2. We're Getting A Divorce, You Keep the Diner (Sink Or Swim)
3. The Patient Ferris Wheel (The '59 Sound)
4. Stay Lucky (American Slang)
5. The '59 Sound (The '59 Sound)
6. Boomboxes and Dictionaries (Sink Or Swim)
7. Old White Lincoln (The '59 Sound)
8. I Coulda Been A Contender (Sink Or Swim)
9. Boxer (American Slang)
10. Orphans (American Slang)
11. Bring It On (American Slang)

Buy the Gaslight Anthem's new album, Handwritten...now!

The 11 Best Songs By The Gaslight Anthem

Today, I have the lucky honor of going to E3.  The massive video game convention where you get to walk around and do nothing but play video games.  And it's not just a few panels here and there.  There are thousands of panels.  Thousands of new games.  All unreleased. 

I'd write more...but the more time I spend here...the less time I get to spend there.

Here are the 11 Best Songs By The Gaslight Anthem:

1.  The Patient Ferris Wheel (The '59 Sound)
2.  We're Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner  (Sink or Swim)
3.  The '59 Sound (The '59 Sound)
4.  I Coul'da Been A Contender (Sink or Swim)
5.  Boomboxes and Dictionaries (Sink or Swim)
6.  Old White Lincoln (The '59 Sound)
7.  Drive (Sink or Swim)
8.  Great Expectations (The '59 Sound)
9.  Here's Looking At You, Kid (The '59 Sound)
10.  Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis? (Senor and the Queen)
11.  I'da Called You Woody, Joe (Sink or Swim)

Buy The Gaaslight Anthem's new album, American Slang...now!!!