We Fume, Fix Best 20 Songs of Last 20 Years List

11/29/06, 2:19 pm EST

Nirvana

Fading Brit rock geek bible Q Magazine turns twenty this month, and has put together a list of the top twenty songs from last twenty years. So what do they chart at #1? Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Snore. It's like, yes, of course, but … also no.

This list (see the complete version after the jump) needs some merciless editing. We can cut Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha," The Prodigy's "Firestarter," and Robbie Williams' "Angel" right away (we get that "Angel" is practically the British National Anthem, but that doesn't help it suck less.) We understand these lists are meant to spark debate, and we like debate, but it's taken us 45 minutes to write this post if you include all the pacing and screaming.
Just for starters in terms of what's missing: The Strokes' "Hard to Explain," the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Maps," R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts," Echo & The Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar," Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head," Prince's "Kiss," Weezer's "Say It Ain't So," Jesus and Mary Chain's "Head On," Jane's Addiction's "Jane Says," anything from Pavement, the Pixies, Green Day, Bjork, NIN, the Cure, late 80s American punk rock, and every great hip-hop and rap song ever written. Eminem's Dido-supported ballad doesn't count.

The full list:

1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana, 1991

2. "Hey Ya!" OutKast, 2003

3. "Sweet Child O' Mine" Guns N' Roses, 1987

4. "Unfinished Symphony" Massive Attack, 1991

5. "One" U2, 1991

6. "Live Forever" Oasis, 1994

7. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" The Verve, 1997

8. "Common People" Pulp, 1995

9. "There She Goes" The LA's, 1990

10. "7 Nation Army" The White Stripes, 2003

11. "Song 2″ Blur, 1997

12. "Crazy" Gnarls Barkley, 2006

13. "Angels" Robbie Williams, 1997

14. " … Baby One More Time" Britney Spears, 1999

15. "Personal Jesus" Depeche Mode, 1990

16. "Like A Prayer" Madonna, 1989

17. "Firestarter" The Prodigy, 1997

18. "Brimful of Asha" Cornershop, 1997

19. "Stan" Eminem, 2000

20. "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" Arctic Monkeys, 2006

Elizabeth Goodman

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Comments

Matt Love | 9/10/2009, 12:21 pm EST

Is there some rule that says one song per band? Because all the best songs of the last 20 years have been recorded by just two groups. Here they are, arranged alphabetically, because there is no way to chose which of these songs are better than the others.

The Waiters - Absence
The Waiters - Back In The Day
Remote Possibility - Canis Horribillis
Remote Possibility - Canowindra
Remote Possibility - Can't Wait
The Waiters - Cast A Shadow
The Waiters - Christmas Lights (Luzes de Natal)
Remote Possibility - Coked Up In Kentucky
Remote Possibility - Give Someone You Love a Vegematic
The Waiters - I Got Ideas
Remote Possibility - Mystery Snack
Remote Possibility - Shevilla Lobole
The Waiters - Teenage Punk Rocker In Love
The Waiters - The Beach
Remote Possibility - Topango
Remote Possibility - Underwater Groove
Remote Possibility - Vacancy
Remote Possibility - War Record
The Waiters - Watermelon Sugar
Remote Possibility - Your Condition

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