Best Singles of 2008

1. Duffy - Warwick Avenue

"Mercy" is more in-your-face, but this gorgeous lament was my favorite single of the year. Duffy sounds amazing, the arrangement is stunning, and the stripped down video is genuinely affecting.



2. Coldplay - Viva la Vida

Where's the guitar? The piano? The drums? The traditional elements of rock have been replaced by a lush arrangement of strings, chimes, and percussion, yet it's still undeniably Coldplay and surprisingly upbeat.



3. Estelle Featuring Kanye West - American Boy

This funky transatlantic tale of romance between a British girl and her "American Boy" was a whole lot of fun, full of great lyrics from both Estelle ("Don't like his baggy jeans, but I might like what's underneath them") and Kanye ("Dress smart like a London bloke, before he speak his suit bespoke").



4. Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown - No Air

"No Air" was one of the best pop ballad duets to come along in quite awhile. Sure the lyrics are rediculous--not only are they out of air, but apparently gravity as well (I still get visions of them sitting around gasping wildly). But it's a gorgeous production and Jordin and Chris sound really great together.



5. Delta Goodrem - Believe Again

That part of me that not so secretly loves big, over-the-top, dramatic pop songs (oh Guy Chambers, what are you doing these days?) derived a lot of joy out of this song when it was finally released in the US in July. Gorgeous.



6. Rihanna - Disturbia

Rihanna had an amazing year with lots of great singles (her Maroon 5 collaboration "If I Never See Your Face Again" should have been a bigger hit). This driving, electro-pop single, added with her album's re-release, was her best.



7. Black Kids - Hurricane Jane

In a year of a lot of new wave-flavored indie pop, this tale of a Friday night search for companionship was my favorite.



8. Sam Sparro - Black and Gold

Another straight-from-the-'80s single that really caught my attention this year. Consider it "Tainted Love" updated for a new millennium.



9. Girls Aloud - The Promise

Girls Aloud, whose sound is generally very modern, turn to a swinging '60s sound on this swirling pop number that sounded soooo perfect in London this year.



10. Ne-Yo - Closer

Push pop/R&B away from the territory of thuggish hip-hop and back toward melodic dance pop was the year's smoothest move from one of pop music's smoothest, classiest acts. Well done.



11. Kylie Minogue - The One

"Wow" and "In My Arms" were pretty good, but "The One" was the year's best single from Kylie. It wasn't a major hit (in fact, it is her lowest charting single in the UK), but that shouldn't deter you from embracing it's warm bass beat, insistent synth effects, and "love me, love me, love" chorus.



12. Fergie - Labels or Love

That this never became a proper single was a real disappointment, for it was a clever merger of the Sex and the City theme and the style of Fergie's 2007 hit "Glamorous."



13. Pink - So What

Pink delivered one of her best ever singles this year, the in-your-face post break-up punch of "So What," where she tries to humor herself and convince herself she's still on top, despite the loss.



14. Oasis - I'm Outta Time

Noel refreshingly takes over vocal duties on this plodding, dark piano ballad. Oasis at their Beatles-esque best.



15. Leona Lewis - Run

Leona Lewis finished the year with a surprise #1 hit--a stunning remake of Snow Patrol's "Run." This is why she is one of the world's hottest new pop acts. We can't wait for album #2.



16. Madonna and Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes

Madonna teamed up with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland to update her sound, but Madonna's knack for great dance pop with a killer hook didn't suffer one bit.



17. Kanye West - Love Lockdown

The opening few seconds are just electronic bass, but it sets the mood perfectly for this moody, stripped down affair. Haunting and lovely, which I never thought I'd say about Kanye West.



18. Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss a Beat

The best single ever from the Kaiser Chiefs used an effective call-and-response structure to celebrate ignorance ("it's cool to know nothing"), ironically of course, and afternoon tea.



19. Solange - I Decided (Freemasons Remix)

Too bad the rest of her album wasn't nearly as good as this upbeat pop romp.



20. Womanizer - Britney Spears

First Britney Spears single I really liked since "Toxic." Fantastic comeback.



Honorable mention: Duffy's "Mercy," Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold," Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine," Will Young's "Changes," Sugababes' "Girls," Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent," Madonna's "Miles Away," Adele's "Chasing Pavements," Coldplay's "Violet Hill," The Ting Tings' "Shut Up and Let Me Go," Chris Brown's "Forever," Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" and "Single Ladies," and MGMT's "Kids."