best of 2008?

well, i haven't seen more than a handful of movies this year (w., baby mama, dark knight - interesting choices...) and read only a smattering of books (no country for old men, twilight -yeah, that's right - y - the last man, the watchmen and v for vendetta) but i've listened to a lot of music. now, i'm not saying it was all released in 2008 - but according to my iPod these are the songs i listened to most this year...

chasing pavements by adele ... i. love. this. song. when i learned that a 19 year old girl was singing i was shocked! she sounds like a younger amy winehouse - without the crack.
you know i'm no good by amy winehouse ... speaking of crack - is amy still alive? poor thing. i loved this second single off back to black. i keep my virtual fingers crossed that amy lives to record another album. could it be wishful thinking? what a talent.
single ladies (put a ring on it) by beyonce ... i heard this song once and had it stuck in my head for a few days. i finally broke down and bought it this morning.
my best friend's girl by the cars ... i'm not sure why this one had so many plays. it's a great song and all but, uh, hmm. i must have been in to it early in the year.
viva la vida by coldplay ... i love the fullnes of this coldplay record. i also used this in my 2008 retrospective movie.
don't believe in love by dido ... i love dido. she's like a down comforter in the middle of a snow storm. her voice just warms me. i also think she is underrated just a little bit.
anything, anything by dramarama ... i hadn't heard this song since the mid to late 80's on live 105 out of san francisco and then in january they appeared on the ellen degeneres show as a surprise for her birthday. apparently ellen likes herself some catchy, classic jangely rock and roll too. awesome.
hard sun (main) by eddie vedder ... i listened to the soundtrack to into the wild a lot. especially after i saw the movie. the music is so moving and corin tucker's harmony during the chorus makes me long for corin to stop mommying and make some damn music!
don't push by the exit ... i got this song long ago as a free download and i ended up loving it and listening to it a lot. it reminds me of like, the jam or something like that.
low (feat. t-pain) by flo-rida ... i dare you to hear this song in the morning and not find yourself mumbling "how 'bout them apple bottom jeans boots with the fur" some time later in the day. after mumbling that line there is usually someone behind you you says "fuuurr."
another round by foo fighters ... i really did love this double album, in your honor. i really got in to the acoustic side and i love this song.
are you that somebody by the gossip ... my dear beth ditto took on this aaliyah song on their live release live in liverpool. her take is just amazing. i haven't seen beth in the que since she cut and dyed her hair orange and shaved her eyebrows. girl, we have to talk.
naked as we came by iron & wine ... i bought this cd our endless numbered days on a whim and it quickly became one of my favorites. perfect cold weather, curling up with a book and coffee/tea music.
last goodbye by jeff buckley ... i'm trying to stop this song. i really am. it's like crack. it's so brilliant and hits a nerve with me when he sings "this is our last embrace/must i dream and always see your face/why can't we overcome this wall/well maybe it just because i didn't know you at all" [*sigh*] it'll probably make next year's list too. i'll talk to my therapist about it.
today by joshua radin ... this is the previous song's antithesis. most of joshua's songs are about breaking up but this one is about falling in love - "lately i've lost my tongue/today you found the sun/i know not long has grown/well i thank god you came along."
super duper love (are you diggin' on me?) by joss stone ... sharon burned me a cd of joss stone songs. she is amazing. a little white girl from england singing like a seasoned blues singer in a dark club.
lovestoned/i think that she knows interlude by justin timberlake ... damn you, justin timberlake! why do your songs have to be so freaking catchy?
love lockdown by kanye west ... i know a lot of people want kanye to stop all this singing business and get back to rapping, but i must say i was impressed with his actual singing voice. sure the voice box thing was a little dated but the hook and drum line is brilliant.
portland, oregon by loretta lynn ... i love anything that has to do with portland, oregon. i also love loretta lynn. jack white helped. whatever.
got money by lil wayne ... what best of 2008 list doesn't have lil wayne on it? well not this one! i'm always late to what's cool in the world of the boom boom music so i thought i'd try out what everyone was talking about. turns out it's pretty great.
4 minutes (feat. justin timberlake & timbaland) by madonna ... can timbaland and justin timberlake make something bad? i haven't heard it yet. tick tock tick tock tick tock!
family affair by mary j blige - this song has nothing to do with families or affairs just to get crunk 'cause mary's back! hell yeah! i'm pretty late to the genius of mary j but i saw her storytellers and she is the real deal. i was impressed. and this song? well, probably one of the best in her catalog.
one step closer to you by michael franti & spearhead ... late again. this time spearhead. sharon again. thanks. we saw them twice this year. once in the cold and rain in bend ("365 days of sun!") and once at the roseland here in the city. awesome.
where i stood by missy higgins ... i bought this cd because i was going to go see missy higgins and joshua radin with my cousin patty. i ended up not going but loving this cd by missy. very, i don't know, indigo girl-like.
funhouse by p!nk ... how can you not love p!nk? she's hot and writes catchy pop songs with the best of them and hot. also, how can you not love a song that has the lyric, "this used to be a funhouse/but now it's full of evil clowns"?
smile by pearl jam ... i know this song is over 10 years old but i love it. and yes, it makes me smile.
stories from the city, stories from the sea by pj harvey ... wow. pj harvey had a serious resurgence in my life, especially this album. if i had a list of top ten favorite albums this one would be close to the top. [ok, you know i have a list of top ten albums.] i couldn't chose one song from it so the entire record makes the list. i listened to this cd probably for about the entire month of october. i don't know why. i know pj harvey isn't for everyone - she's like anchovies, most people hate 'em - but this is her most accessible record. the way this record sounds is what draws me to it - the music evokes so many emotions. from the loud opening of 'big exit' to the strain and yearn of her duet with thom yorke 'this mess we're in' to the serene ending of 'we float' this album is about love. love for a city. love for another human. and to quote mary j, "for pj harvey, that's rare."
the bends by radiohead ... whoa, i got in the way back machine for this one. after the pj harvey obsession, the album the bends fell in my lap. i don't have time to get into my radiohead issues because i'm getting picked up for work in a few minutes, but to my dismay, i loved the bends and mostly the title track.
close call by rilo kiley ... i think i've listened to this song the most of any on the list in such a short period of time. also, the girl i had a crush on this summer loved rilo kiley and this song.
i know, i know, i know by tegan & sara ... i think i've said it about this song before but i wish someone had written it about me.
the way i are (feat. keri hilson & d.o.e.) by timbaland ... timbaland wins having four songs on the list that he was a part of. he's like the harvey keitel of music!
almost rosey by tori amos ... tori's concert at the schnitz was a highlight for me this year as was her album american doll posse. this was a song i fell in love with after hearing it live. thank you, tori, for still making vital music. i look forward to the next.