Do You Hear What I Hear?

Since Nathaniel is more with it than I am, he's able to do year-end roundups about music as well as movies. Failing my ability to do the same, at least in a straight 2005 context, I figure I could at least fess up to what happens to my iTunes when I sort by Play Count. And considering that I didn't buy iTunes till February 4 of this year, this works just as well as anything to reflect what I've been listening to this year. (Oh, and I know my taste probably sucks and is totally stuck in 1989-95. And that Pebbles and Soundgarden aren't supposed to co-exist, and Cinderella maybe shouldn't exist at all. What, like your favorite music isn't still what you listened to in high school?)

1. Expression, Salt 'n' Pepa
  The first song I bought, but that's not the only reason it's tops.

2. In da Club, 50 Cent
  Repeats of this and "Candy Shop" prove they really are the same.

3. Hollaback Girl, Gwen Stefani
  I know y'all are played out of this one, but I still love it.

4. Uh Huh Her, PJ Harvey
  An i-Tunes exclusive for which I was actually grateful.

5. Candy Shop, 50 Cent
  See above. Also see the 50 Cent section of this.

6. Seasons of Love, Film Cast of 'Rent'
  No, I didn't go original cast. The film was my original.

7. Mercedes Boy, Pebbles
  Is Pebbles still rolling on all that $$$ she stole from TLC?

8. Hella Good, No Doubt
  I only just learned this spring that this was a No Doubt song.

9. It's Like That, Mariah Carey
  Hardly the best of Mimi, but it was the preview taster.

10. Rub You the Right Way, Johnny Gill
  Not the softened "Greatest Hits" version, the LP track.

11. Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel
  Stuck in my head by that In Good Company trailer.

12. Getting Money, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
  A different song than "Get Money" by the same outfit. For real.

13. Rock Your Body, Justin Timberlake
  Oh, leave me alone.

14. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone), Cinderella
  Perfect karaoke track when marooned in straight bars.

15. Rebel Yell, Billy Idol
  Last spring, I was really hitting the 80s rock revival.

16. I've Been Thinking, Handsome Boy Modeling School & Cat Power
  I love Cat Power, and my friend Chad pointed me to this.

17. Jesus Walks, Kanye West
  I'm that dunce who learned this from the Jarhead trailer.

18. Fell on Black Days, Soundgarden
  Great mashup idea with Whitney's "How Will I Know," dontcha think?

19. Twilight, Elliott Smith
  First heard before Open Water at the Angelika.

20. Hold You Tight, Tara Kemp
  One of the great one-hit wonders of early '90s dance pop.

This past month has been all about Notorious K.I.M. and the Bamboozled soundtrack, especially the hilarious but still awesome Blak Iz Blak by the Mau Mau's, the deluded but righteously angry hip-hop group in the film. ("The way Frantz Fanon put it? They lucky I ain't read Wretched yet!") Also Will I, now that I know the Rent soundtrack in toto. Tune in next year to see those up top.