The 20 Best Songs of 2009

Magazine



"Up to Our Nex"
Robyn Hitchcock

The great psych-rock surrealist struggles—in unerringly tuneful fashion—to get over, under, and around the feeling of falling in love. "So rad!" "How sad!" Neither. Both. Beautiful.

"Life in Marvelous Times"
Mos Def

Over a triumphant beat, Mos futurizes and postulates a Brooklyn of sidewalk sin and sympathy, then concludes, "We can’t be alive in no time but now."

"Raindrops"
Basement Jaxx

Pop music's MDMA moment came and went. This track brings it back—giddier. Go kiss a stranger.

"This Tornado Loves You"
Neko Case

Anthropomorphizing meteorological phenomena sounds like the stuff of kids' music; Case's breathy coo puts an end to that idea real fast.

"Bulletproof"
La Roux

A perfect pop hook backed by bubbly eight-bit bloops and delivered by a ginger-pomp'd cross between Annie Lennox and a replicant. The superhuman league.

 

 Songs 20 - 16  |  Songs 15 - 11 |  Songs 10 - 6 |  Songs 5 - 1 


 Also See:   THE 40 BEST ALBUMS OF 2009 

 

125 Comments

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Posted By Glisterine

03.14.10 10:18 PM

Hahaha, Black Eyed Peas?? With such original lyrics as "I'm so 2008, You're so two-thousand late" for an album that came out in the summer of '09, it's pretty obvious why they're not on here (yet Drake is, wtf?). I think the problem lies in the fact that you ARE listening to the radio in the first place.

Posted By Anonymous

03.13.10 7:18 PM

Where was a Black Eyed Peas Song??? There Wasnt a single BEP song on the list.

This list is horrible. I can not remember a best of list that was this bad ever. What is going on here. Are they listening to the same radio stations that I am?

Posted By Anonymous

03.12.10 1:16 PM

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Posted By Anonymous1103

03.11.10 5:45 AM

stndrds r dwn dis seasn......... most of em on da list r nt even songs........

Posted By Sakib

03.05.10 3:48 PM

Why don't anyone include "New Divide" of linkin Park. That song ruled last year.

Posted By Sammyy...

03.04.10 8:45 PM

Where are Paramore, Muse, 3Oh!3, Ke$ha, Lady Gaga ?? They gotta be much better than most of this list!!!

Posted By Luke

03.04.10 3:54 AM

Having one black eyed peas song in your list destroys any & all credibility it may have had.

Having TWO makes me feel sorry for your incredible lack of ability to hear.

Having THREE!?! My goodness. There is just no words for this kind of musical ineptitude.

Posted By Anonymous

03.03.10 5:34 PM

Who compiled this horrendous list? It's drowning in synth. I wish 2009 would have produced better rock tunes. It was all about pop and rap.

Posted By Anonymous

03.02.10 12:49 PM

By the way, the comment below isn't for Spin, their top 20 is pretty good.

Posted By Anonymous

03.02.10 12:48 PM

Umm... Are you for real??? I know 2009 wasn't a good year for music at all, but i have NEVER seen a best of list that bad.

Posted By Anonymous

03.01.10 3:16 PM

"Linda McCartney" by Don Vail is on my list.

Posted By tiburon

02.27.10 2:58 AM

not all exactly my cup of tea, but any "best of 2009" list without a single song by black eyed peas or green day is a-okay with me

Posted By Anonymous

02.26.10 8:15 PM

Mmm the top 5 is simply delightful, not sure if I would've said the top but deffinetly up there. Throw some Passion Pit and Vampire Weekend in there and i'll be happy ha ha. Perhaps a better Florence and the Machine song too, even though I do love the one chossen, I think there is better.

Posted By K

02.24.10 6:43 PM

I completely agree. They all suck.

Posted By re4all

02.23.10 6:43 PM

I agree! where is Green Day! It should be be right there on the list. solar store alternative energy sources solar power cost

Posted By Anonymous

02.19.10 1:41 AM

i would rather listen to Bullet Proof by Paul Stanley

Posted By Anonymous

02.19.10 1:32 AM

yuns music fans should listen to the new KISS album, SONIC BOOM! It's a great record, open up your minds and let KISS in!

Posted By T10

02.10.10 5:05 PM

come on people we all know that kasabian shoud be on with fire and fast fuse

Posted By Anonymous

02.08.10 8:05 PM

Thrilled about Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Phoenix...the list wasnt bad but it needed some Metric and White Lies.

Posted By Anonymouss

02.08.10 4:20 AM

What?? These songs are rubbish!! Not a single good song! I'm so disappointed in the people who chose these song!! The only one I have ever heard is Bulletproof!!
*Sigh*

Posted By Anonymous

02.05.10 10:28 PM

Holy crap, not a single song on this list is even remotely good. All these artists suck and should never have received a record deal. What happened to good artists with good songs!?

Posted By Anonymous

02.05.10 1:52 PM

I am glad to finally se a list of "Best Songs of 2009" that does not include Black Eyed Peas. Congratulations, Spin Staff, and thank you!

Posted By Anonymous

02.04.10 4:35 AM

you are all losers, have none of you ever heard of ACDC

Posted By Anonymous

02.03.10 7:24 AM

I am so glad 1901 is on this list:D & of course no 2009 best of list would be complete without kings of leon. use somebody is a great song
would have loved to see Help I'm Alive - Metric on this list too
and the 59 sound - gaslight anthem. that song really deserves more attention.

Posted By Anonymous

02.03.10 7:22 AM

whoever you are. i completely agree!!!!!!! i dont know how lady gagreflex has pulled the wool over everyone's eyes o_O

Posted By CRiSTii

01.27.10 10:14 PM

Very Vey Nice List. i prefer your list more than this one, but i do like th emajority of this list as well.

Posted By nicole

01.23.10 7:15 PM

couldnt agree more with ya!

in all accounts although i would add THE ANTLERS

Posted By nicole

01.23.10 7:10 PM

FEVER RAY

THE ANTLERS

nothing more needed...plus to all of you who mentioned Hochata it is from a 2010 album!

Posted By nicole

01.23.10 7:10 PM

FEVER RAY

THE ANTLERS

nothing more needed...plus to all of you who mentioned Hochata it is from a 2010 album!

Posted By AzPaz

01.22.10 2:53 AM

My top 20 (coming from someone in Australia, so there may be artists you never heared of and order is no object). Sorry grant you need to change your one dimensional music taste, that was one of the worst top 20 I have seen.

1. Little Lion Man - Mumford and Son
2. Broken Leg - Bluejuice
3. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
4. Fire - Kasabian
5. Uprising - Muse
6. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit
7. The Good News - Philadelphia Grand Jury
8. Summertime Clothes - Animal Collective (agree with Kaley on that one)
9. 1901 - Phoenix
10. Horchata - Vampire Weekend
11. Parlez Vous Francais ? - Art Vs Science
12. I've got friends - Manchester Orhestra
13. Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) - Blakroc
14. Dominos - The Big Pink
15. With this ship - The Basics
16. Zero - Yeah yeah yeahs
17. Over it - Dinosaur Jr
18. Heart - Bertie Blackmann
19. Help I'm Alive - Metric
20. Scumbag Blues - Them Crooked Vultures

There are some from this list, but agree with them..thanks for reading my self-indulgent list.

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