No need to dither. Here are my lists. They shouldn’t be considered complete in any sense. This isn’t a survey, so notable stuff I’m not all that hot on (ex. Maneater) hasn’t been included. All you’ll find here is what I was feeling at the time.
As usual, feel to post your own list or remind me of what I’m an idiot for overlooking.
The Top 20 Albums in the History of 2006
20 - Nelly Furtado - Loose
19 - Eddy Current & KSPR.SPKR - Miraculeusement: Un Mixage Collant
18 - Maximo Park - Missing Songs
17 - Hold Steady, The - Boys and Girls in America
16 - Michael Mayer - Immer 2
15 - Hot Chip - The Warning
14 - Knife, The - Silent Shout
13 - Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental
12 - Nouvelle Vague II
11 - Love is All - Nine Times the Same Song
10 - Ricardo Villalobos - Achso
09 - Mylo - Destroy Rock and Roll
08 - Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio
07 - Drive-By Truckers, The - The Blessing and the Curse
06 - Booka Shade - Movements
05 - Lily Allen - Alright, Still
04 - Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
03 - Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55
02 - Ewan Pearson - Sci.Fi.Hi.Fi_01
01 - Ellen Allien & Apparat - Orchestra of Bubbles
The Top 50 Singles in the History of 2006
50 - Peth, The - Lets Go Fucking Mental (myspace)
49 - Nouvelle Vague - The Killing Moon (stream) / Dancing with Myself
48 - Ashlee Simpson - L.O.V.E. (youtube)
47 - Jah Cure - Love Is
46 - Scissor Sisters - I Don’t Feel Like Dancing (youtube)
45 - Coldplay - Talk [Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Remix]
44 - Christian Falk f. Robyn and Ola Salo - Dream On (stream)
43 - QQ - Poverty
42 - Phoenix - Long Distance Call (youtube)
41 - Turbulence - Notorious (youtube)
40 - Hot Chip - Over and Over (youtube) / Over and Over [Solid Groove Remix]
39 - Test Icicles - What’s Your Damage [Alan Braxe and Fred Falke Remix]
38 - Mylo vs Miami Sound Machine - Doctor Pressure (youtube)
37 - Nouvelle Vague - Ever Fallen in Love / Fade to Grey (stream)
36 - Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds (youtube)
35 - Gary Allan - Life Ain’t Always Beautiful (youtube)
34 - Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On (youtube)
33 - Madonna - Sorry (youtube) / Sorry [Man with Guitar Remix]
32 - Nouvelle Vague - I Melt With You / Teenage Kicks
31 - Gnarls Barkley - Crazy (youtube)
30 - Linda Sundblad - Oh Father (youtube)
29 - September - Cry For You (youtube)
28 - Trick Daddy f. Chamillionaire - Bet That (youtube)
27 - Delays, The - Valentine (youtube)
26 - Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooh (youtube)
25 - Luke Haines - Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop (youtube)
24 - Gyptian - Serious Time (youtube)
23 - Presets, The - Girl and the Sea Remixes (youtube)
22 - Charlotte Gainsbourg - The Songs that We Sing (youtube)
21 - Lillix - Sweet Temptation (youtube)
20 - Booka Shade - Mandarin EP
19 - Killers, The - When You Were Young [Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Remix]
18 - Hold Steady, The - Chips Ahoy! (youtube)
17 - Goldfrapp - Fly Me Away (youtube) / Fly Me Away [Ladytron Dub]
16 - Annie - The Crush / The Crush [And the Left-Handed Richard X's Remix]
15 - VHS or Beta - You Got Me (youtube)
14 - Sally Shapiro - I’ll Be By Your Side / I’ll Be By Your Side [Club Remix]
13 - Tiga - Far From Home (youtube)
12 - Basement Jaxx - Take Me Back to Your House (youtube)
11 - T.I. - What You Know (youtube)
10 - Bertine Zetlitz - 500 (youtube)
09 - Oxia - Domino
08 - Lily Allen - LDN (youtube)
07 - Nelly Furtado - Say It Right (youtube)
06 - Marit Larsen - Don’t Save Me (youtube)
05 - Hussys, The - Snowboard
04 - Basement Jaxx - Hush Boy (youtube)
03 - Pipettes, The - Pull Shapes (youtube)
02 - Goldfrapp - Ride a White Horse (youtube) / Ride a White Horse [Serge Santiago Re-edit]
01 - Similou, The - All This Love (youtube)
I assembled a list of my favorite pop songs from 1995-2004 for an online poll. Along the way I made a conscious effort to avoid selecting the typical critical favorities like Radiohead, Wilco and The Strokes because they’ll be getting enough love from other people. What you’ll find here is a heavy bias toward club friendly hip-hop, anthemic UK-style pop and the different strains of Continental electronic music. And Pulp. Lots of Pulp.
I’m in the process of ripping everything here from my CD collection. It should make a decent iTunes playlist, so if you want a copy let me know. If not, at least tell me what I’m an idiot for forgetting.
100. Art Brut - Formed a Band
99. Goldfrapp - Pilots
98. Schneider TM - The Light 3000
97. Phoenix - Everything is Everything
96. Oasis - Don’t Look Back in Anger
95. Kelly Clarkson - Since You Been Gone
94. Massive Attack - Protection
93. Ce’Cile - Hot Like We
92. Dizzee Rascal - I Luv U
91. De La Soul - Stakes is High
90. Girls Aloud - Sound of the Underground
89. Pulp - A Little Soul
88. Mylo - Drop the Pressure
87. Bloc Party - Helicopter
86. Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
85. Turbonegro - Denim Demon / (I Fucked) Betty Page
84. Scarface - My Block
83. Go Home Productions - Jet Lady Joe
82. Frou Frou - Let Go
81. Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
80. Basement Jaxx - Where’s Your Head At
79. Jurgen Paape - So Weit Wie Noch
78. Juan MacClean, The - Give Me Every Little Thing
77. Trick Daddy - Dro in Da Wind
76. Vybz Kartel - Sweet to the Belly
75. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Murder on the Dancefloor
74. Super Furry Animals - Juxtaposed With U
73. Pulp - F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.
72. Ted Leo - Me and Mia
71. Primal Scream - Swastika Eyes
70. My Chemical Romance - I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
69. Cam’ron - Hey Ma
68. Roll Deep Crew - Let It Out
67. Plan B f. Wonder - Cap Back
66. Non-Prophets, the - Damage
65. Sage Francis - Makeshift Patriot
64. Felix Da Housecat - Ready 2 Wear
63. Kelis f. Andre 3000 - Millionaire
62. Justin Timberlake - Like I Love You
61. Covenant - Bullet
60. Basement Jaxx - Romeo
59. Nelly - Hot in Here
58. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Mixed Up World
57. Saint Etienne - Heart Failed (In the Back of a Taxi)
56. Wire - Read & Burn 2
55. Wire - Read & Burn 1
54. Tatu - Not Gonna Get Us
53. Turbonegro - I Got Erection
52. Rapture, The - House of Jealous Lovers
51. R. Kelly - Step in the Name of Love (Remix)
50. Ce’Cile - Rude Bwoy Thug Life
49. Scissor Sisters - Comfortably Numb
48. Raekwon - Rainy Days / Remix
47. Super Furry Animals - Something 4 the Weekend
46. Saint Etienne - He’s on the Phone
45. Oasis - Don’t Go Away
44. Rebirth Brass Band - Rebirth Melody / Casanova
43. Pulp - Misshapes / Sorted for E’s & Wizz
42. Phoenix - Too Young
41. Lil Jon and the East Side Boys - Get Low
40. Girls Aloud - Love Machine
39. Alex Gopher - Party People / [Remix]
38. Pulp - This is Hardcore
37. Knife, The - Heartbeats
36. Annie - Heartbeat
35. Girls on Top - I Wanna Dance with Numbers
34. LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge
33. Coldplay - Clocks / Royksopp Remix
32. Coup, The - Me and Jesus the Pimp in a ‘79 Granada Last Night
31. Common - The 6th Sense
30. Junior Senior - Move Your Feet
29. Streets, The - Weak Become Heroes / Royksopp Remix
28. New Radicals, The - Mother, We Just Can’t Get Enough
27. Lightning Seeds - Three Lions
26. Nas f. Jadakiss, Ludacris - Made You Look (Remix)
25. Missy Elliott - Get Ur Freak On
24. Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia - Blind Spot / Invisible Bend
23. Tatu - All The Things She Said
22. Basement Jaxx - Good Luck
21. Outkast - Hey Ya!
20. Heiko Voss - I Think About You
19. Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting For / Jacques Lu Cont Remix
18. Girls Aloud - The Show
17. !!! - Me and Guiliani Down by the Schoolyard (A True Story)
16. Missy Elliott - For My People [Basement Jaxx Remix]
15. Go Home Productions - Shannon Stone
14. Nelly - Ride With Me
13. Kylie Minogue - Can’t Get You Out of My Head
12. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With you
11. Jay-Z - Girls, Girls, Girls
10. New Radicals, The - You Get What You Give
9. Saint Etienne - Action / Mr. Joshua Edit
8. Basement Jaxx - Red Alert
7. Daft Punk - Digital Love
6. Usher f. Little Jon & Ludacris - Yeah!
5. Pulp - Disco 2000
4. Kylie Minogue - Love at First Sight
3. Jay-Z - Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
2. Yo La Tengo - Tom Courtenay
1. Pulp - Common People