Listmania 2007: Records of The Year

‘Tis bout that time again, folks, when everybody starts to look back at the past twelve months and come up with list after list of the year’s best (and worst) of just about anything, from music and movies to newsworthy events and electronic devices. And I am no different. Since this blog is my soapbox, I’ve come up with my own lists of favourite things of two thousand oh seven. (Yes I really have that much time on my hands.)

Anyway, for starters, here’s the (very biased) countdown of the best records of the year. I have narrowed the list down to twelve songs, one for each month starting with….

January – Before He Cheats (Carrie Underwood)

This is a holdover from December 2006 when I had finally jumped onto the Carrie Underwood bandwagon, thanks to sbanboy’s influence. The song that won me over was this one, arguably her biggest crossover hit (it’s still in the Billboard Hot 100 a year after its release.). It’s a song that shows the American Idol in a new, more daring light. When previously she was singing about Jesus taking over her wheel, ‘Before He Cheats’ shows her spurned and swinging her baseball bat at her unfaithful boyfriend’s ‘pretty little souped-up four wheel drive’. Hell hath no fury like Ms Underwood scorned.

February – Home (Daughtry)

It’s American Idol time once again and Chris Daughtry certainly had the last laugh over eventual ’06 AI winner, erm… whatshisface. Bravely rejecting offers to front already established acts like Live, Chris decided to form his own band, Daughtry and promptly released their self-titled debut album even before Taylor Hicks’. AI producers, sensing his rising popularity, promptly designated this song to serenade the deposed AI contestants. And like last year’s ‘Bad Day’, this record quickly shot up the charts and was the song everyone was humming to by the time Jordin Sparks was crowned the new American Idol.

March –Lost Without U (Robin Thicke)

A weird, acoustically challenged rendition on AI aside, this song rang loudest on R&B radio worldwide. Spending 10 weeks at #1 on the R&B charts is no mean feat for any artiste, and it was all the more impressive when you consider that Thicke is a white boi, straight out of Middle America, and is the son of the 80’s sitcom Growing Pains actor Alan Thicke!

April – Never Again (Kelly Clarkson)

This song has the most wickedly arresting first line of any song I’ve ever heard. “I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green.” Ooh, how vile! Fresh from her very successful ‘Breakaway” album, this record was expected to grab the headlines, and yet, it quickly fizzled off the charts, reaching only #6 . Her very public spat with recording company mogul Clive Davis probably caused her star to dim for much of the year. Still, this song deserves a mention, if nothing else, for its sinfully delicious music video.

May – Girlfriend Remix (Avril Lavigne feat. Lil’ Mama)

“Hey hey you you!” This insanely catchy song became an earworm that refused to let go, especially when the remixed version got more airplay than the original. ‘Girlfriend’ heralded Avril’s return to the music scene as she joined a whole army of female artists like Fergie, Beyonce and Gwen Stefani who completely dominated the upper echelons of the pop charts in ’07.

June – Bring the Rain (MercyMe)

Hands down, this Contemporary Christian Chart #1 record is the most inspiring song of the year. It gave me a lot of perspective, as I pondered about life’s challenges and disappointments and how through it all, God was always there to shield me from the storm. So bring it on, bring the rain.

July – Lost (Faith Hill)

Faith Hill staged her comeback of sorts after a year of unwanted negative publicity with this song off her Greatest Hits package. It didn’t really race up the country charts, but the song certainly caused my heart to race whenever it came on my iPod. Now as I listen to it, I look back fondly at a crush I had back in …well, July. “Is it obvious to you, when you walk into the room, your face is all I see…” Ah, and like a summer breeze, it lasted only for a while.

August – Solta o Frango (Bonde Do Role)
The title (which literally means “Release The Chicken”) may not sound very familiar to most, but this song was hugely popular when it became the soundtrack for the worldwide ad campaign for Nokia’s 5300 music/mobile phone. You know, the one where they had ordinary people dancing, from office mates to overweight brothers in the kitchen to American Football team members in the locker room. Yes, that’s the one.

September – Izinkan Ku Pergi (Kaer Azami)

I fell in love with this song the first time I saw the video on Hitz.TV. Even though it is actually about a man who loses his love to another, its melancholic theme has since been used in countless Malay telenovelas whenever there was a deathbed scene, partly because of the music video which had Kaer appear as a recently departed spirit serenading his girlfriend for one last time. So sad…. and so drama. ;)

October – Home (Westlife)

The kings of cover versions returned with this Micheal Bublè classic as the lead off single from their new album “Back Home”. Even though the original version never really caught on with me, I really enjoyed this popped-up treatment and the boys sounded as tight as ever with their sweet harmonies and heart-felt delivery. I know, I am easily impressed. So sue me.

November – Witness (Bo Bice)

The long haired southern rocker finally got to sing the songs he loves on his sophomore solo album, the independently released “See The Light”. Clive Davis was a fool to let him go, and this song is evidence that with the right material, Bo can really shine. And it proved to be quite popular with the masses too, with the music video firmly planted at #1 on VH1’s VSpot Top 20 countdown for three weeks and counting.

December – 2 Hearts (Kylie Minogue)

In the flurry of late releases, one would be forgiven for missing out on what must be the most brilliant comeback singles of the year. The still not fully recovered Ms Minogue conjured up a sexy little morsel that is right up there with her best singles like Spinning Around and Can’t Get You Out Of My Head. Welcome back Kylie!

Ok, there you have it. My personal Top 12. Overall it was a very mixed bag of music in my iPod this year and finally, honourable mentions go to Sugababes’ About You Now, KT Tunstalls’ Hold On, Justin Timberlake’s LoveStoned / I Think That She Knows, Who Knew by Pink and Tell Me ‘Bout It by Joss Stone.