Songs that didn't make the cut.

I just finished up my top 25 songs of 2010. The first criteria for the top 25 was that I had to have first heard the song this year (Which made songs like Kodachrome eligible). I created an iTunes smart playlist that only included songs I added to my library this year. I then sorted the list by playcount and sifted through songs that I had first heard this year. However, I made a few strategic edits... These are the songs that for one reason or another I vetoed out of the top 25. They all have the credentials but not the special something a song needs to make it to the next level.

Unattainable by Little Joy

This would have been in the top 10 according to playcounts but I didn't feel like putting a song that I didn't really like anymore in my top songs of the year. This is from the Whip It soundtrack and the only thing I really like about it is how the opening line is sung.

Cotton Fields by Creedence Clearwater Revival

I genuinely love this song but I know the effect it has on people that don't care for this style of music and I felt I had included too many old songs on the list already. After being married for 8+ years I know many ways to annoy my wife one of the most effective is to either play, sing or hum this song. CCR has a very special place in my heart and this is one of my favorites by them and I didn't ever hear it until Pandora suggested it. Thanks again Pandora!

Never My Love by Har Mar Superstar

This song had the playcounts to justify it ending up in the top 25 but I only rated it 4 stars. Back in April or so I must have listened to nothing but the Whip It soundtrack, that's the only explanation for the proliferation of songs from that album ending up all over this list. This is an alright song but not top 25 worthy.

Let Your Love Flow by The Bellamy Brothers

I didn't include this because even though I "discovered" this song this year I never liked it sincerely. I mainly would put this song on to make fun of in the car with my wife which explains all the playcounts.

Something in Common by Free Energy

This is a catchy song and I recommend it but I had the misfortune of forever associating it with the disturbing fan made video on youtube set to scenes of the movie Mysterious Skin. Nothing can turn me off from a song like Child Molestation (you can quote me on that).

These next few songs are favorites of mine but due to when they came out in the year or whatnot they just weren't listened to enough to show up on my list. I recommend all of these.

Uprising by Muse

I love Muse. Muse has about 5 songs that will be favorites of mine forever but this song, while better than most music out there, is not as good a Muse song as I'm used to. It's good but not as good as a Starlight or Knights of Cydonia in my opinion.

Fences by Phoenix

I can't stand the first 30 seconds or so of this song so I find myself hitting next a lot whenever this comes on. If I remember that it gets good and abstain from skipping it I'm always treated to a great tune from a great band.

Don't Haunt This Place by The Rural Alberta Advantage

This song is just a victim of circumstance. My iPod must not like this song or something, while not as good as the other song by them on the list (Frank, AB) it's still an excellent song. Drums are little busy for my taste but the main draw here are the vocals. I want this man to cover Neutral Milk Hotel songs immediately!

Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens

This is one of the better songs from the album it shares a title with. If I did a top albums of 2010 this would be #1 but I don't really listen to music in that way anymore so it'd be a really short list. If you need something to listen to while taking a long walk or going on a road trip just pop this in and listen to it from beginning to end. Impossible Soul is another hit from this album but it clocks in at 25 minutes and it's not very suitable to casual listening.

Home by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes

The reason I liked this song so much in the beginning was ultimately the reason why I quit listening to it. It's just such an adorable song. The banter between the male and female vocalist gets a little too cute after repeated listening. It's a good tune for about 5 or 6 listens but you might want to never hear it again after that though.

One special thing I'll be doing in honor of the first anniversary of my daughter Isabel's death is posting the thought process behind picking music for my infant daughter's funeral. There were 5 or so worship songs and 2 very special songs that my wife and I picked. These songs were always very meaningful to me but this year they've taken on a whole different subtext that I really want to share. The anniversary is 12/27/2010 but I won't likely post on the day of.

That wraps it up for songs I fell in (and out) of love this year with. I'm going to start a few different lists over the next couple weeks or so. The next thing I want to write about will definitely be Keith Green, I'll talk about my 5 favorite songs of his and probably do the same for other obscure Christian musicians and bands that had a big effect on me like Poor Old Lu, Bride, Tourniquet, Five Iron Frenzy and more mainstream mid-90s christian rock pop like DC Talk, The Newsboys, Jars of Clay and Third Day. I want to get to a point where I'm reviewing stuff as it comes out so that the older stuff is more of a special feature and not the main thing. So, send me your recommendations by posting band names and songs or whatnot in the comments!