Bob Dylan, when told that his record “Like a Rolling Stone” had topped a Rolling Stone Magazine poll as “Greatest Single of All Time,” famously responded “Well…this week.”

Last December, I made a preliminary list of my favorite singles of 2008, following annual lists I had distributed to friends for the two previous years. I didn’t find time to distribute the list by year’s end but in March 2009 I decided “better late than never” and went back to complete the list in order to send it out. But what I found upon revisiting the list in March was that many of my favorite singles of 2008 weren’t the same ones I had liked best the previous December. Some of the songs from late in the year that had seemed exciting at the time failed to retain their appeal. Likewise, some songs from the first part of the year which I had grown tired of by December began to reassert themselves. This exercise revealed the truth of Dylan’s quip; clearly, “best of” lists are merely a snapshot of something that is ever changing over time.

And so, with regard to my “100 Best Singles Of The Past Decade” list, I am acutely aware that a list of my favorite songs of, say, 2003, compiled today is a different batch than a list of my favorite songs of 2003 compiled in 2003, or for that matter, in 2007 or 2015. Likewise with those that made the list from this past year. Recent songs that seem exciting today might fade into oblivion; overplayed anthems might transcend their time to achieve classic status. Like most everyone else, I never want to hear “I’ve Got a Feeling” by The Black Eyed Peas again—except one day it will be played and I’ll say “Now that’s an amazing record,” the same way I did the first time I heard it last spring. I’ve included it on my list, even though I never want to hear it again–at the moment.

Finally, I left off the list anything that was released on our S-Curve Records label—but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love some of those S-Curve singles. And so, beneath my main list, I’ve included a list of 10 great S-Curve releases that no doubt deserve to make a Best of the Decade list.

Enjoy the memories—I bet you’d forgotten what a great record “Oops (Oh My)” by Tweet was. In case you’re curious, if I had to narrow it down to one best single of the decade, I’d pick “Ignition (Remix)” by R Kelly. Awful guy, great single. And if you don’t like my choices, ask me again in 5 years (or 5 months) and they just may be different. Happy new year.

THE BEST 100 SINGLES OF THE DECADE (arranged by year)
Pure Shores—All Saints (2000)
Overload—Sugababes (2000)
Stan—Eminem (2000)
Ms. Jackson—Outkast (2000)
Say my Name—Destiny’s Child (2000)
Country Grammar—Nelly (2000)
I Hope you Dance—Leann Womack (2000)
Drops of Jupiter—Train (2001)
Barlowe Girls—Superchick (2001)
No More Drama—Mary J Bilge (2001)
Last Night—Strokes (2001)
Family Affair—Mary J Blige (2001)
Get Ur Freak On-Missy Elliot (2001)
Walking Away—Craig David (2001)
Who I Am—Jessica Andrews (2001)
Oops (Oh My)—Tweet (2002)
Sk8terboi—Avril Lavigne (2002)
The Seed 2.0—The Roots (2002)
Fell In Love with a Girl—White Stripes (2002)
Good Times—Styles P (2002)
Hey Baby—No Doubt (2002)
Move Your Feet—Junior Senior (2002)
Never Leave You—Lumidee (2002)
Powerless—Nelly Furtado (2003)
Ignition (Remix)—R Kelly (2003)
Hey Ya!—Outkast (2003)
Angel—Amanda Perez (2003)
Look Good In Leather—Cody Chestnutt (2003)
Santa Cruz—The Thrills (2003)
Girls Girls Girls—Jay Z (2003)
Beautiful—Christina Aguilaera (2003)
Are You Gonna Be My Girl—Jet (2003)
Deliverance—Bubba Sparxx (2003)
Landslide—Dixie Chicks (2003)
Could Well Be In—The Streets (2004)
The Good Times Are Killing Me—Modest Mouse (2004)
How Bout That—Gisli (2004)
Who Painted the Moon Black—Haylie Westenra (2004)
Love Vibration—Josh Rouse (2004)
Sticker Song—HaDag Nachash (2004)
If I Ain’t Got You—Alicia Keys (2004)
Gold Digger—Kanye West (2005)
1-2 Step—Ciara (2005)
Doorbell—White Stripes (2005)
Bucky Done Gun—MIA (2005)
Testify—Common (2005)
The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth—Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (2005)
Ladyflash— The Go! Team (2005)
Hey Mama—Kanye West (2005)
Lua—Bright Eyes (2005)
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor—Arctic Monkeys (2005)
I Predict a Riot—Kaiser Chiefs (2005)
Baby Mama—Fantasia (2005)
Mandy–Jonas Brothers(2005)
Crazy—Gnarls Barkley (2006)
Chelsea Dagger—The Fratellis (2006)
Emily—Joanna Newsom (2006)
Unfaithful—Rihanna (2006)
My Love—Justin Timberlake & T.I. (2006)
LDN—Lily Allen (2006)
To The Ceiling—Isaac Blackman (2006)
Rehab—Amy Winehouse (2006)
Bullet—Nikola Rachelle (2006)
Ain’t No Other Man—Christina Aguilera (2006)
You Give Me Something—James Morrison (2006)
Roll It—Allison Hinds (2006)
Irreplaceable—Beyonce (2006)
Acceptable In The 80’s—Calvin Harris (2007)
People Help the People—Cherry Ghost (2007)
Hang Me Up To Dry—Cold War Kids (2007)
1234—Feist (2007)
A Postcard to Nina—Jens Lekman (2007)
Lil star—Kelis featuring Cee-Lo (2007)
Fans—Kings of Leon (2007)
Ding Ding dong (Rolling on the Floor)—Les Rita Mitsouko (2007)
Secret—the Pierces (2007)
Umbrella—Rihanna (2007)
It’s not About You—Scouting For Girls (2007)
Our Song—Taylor Swift (2007)
Paper planes—MIA (2008)
Tiger Phone Card—Dengue Fever (2008)
Acid Tongue—Jenny Lewis (2008)
Rise above—Dirty Projectors (2008)
The Girl you Lost to Cocaine—Sia (2008)
LES Artistes—Santogold (2008)
Can’t Stop Movin’—Sonny J (2008)
Take a Bow—Rihanna (2008)
Time To Pretend—MGMT (2008)
Trading Things In—Voluntary Butler Scheme (2008)
These Roses—Gin Wigmore (2008)
New Romantic—Laura Marling (2008)
Vidas Paralelas—Ximena Sarinana (2008)
White Winter Hymnal—Fleet Foxes (2008)
Speechless—Lady Gaga (2009)
Empire State of Mind—Jay Z & Alicia Keys (2009)
I got A Feeling—Black Eyed Peas (2009)
Spinnin’—Speech Debele (2009)
Bulletproof—LaRoux (2009)
Laughing With—Regina Spektor (2009)
Your Anchor—Assaf Avidan & The Mojos (2009)

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