The song at #73 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Heartbreak Warfare” by American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer. My first introduction to Mayer was his wonderful debut single “No Such Thing” in 2002. The song was a poignant look back at the high school experience that really resonated with me, as it was played a lot on the radio during the time of one of my milestone High School reunions. I loved that song so much it ended up at #17 on my Top 100 Best Songs of the 2000s list.
“Heartbreak Warfare” is another of Mayer’s songs that I love. The darkly beautiful song is from his fourth studio album Battle Studies, and though it was released in October 2009, it became a hit in early 2010, so in my book, it should be celebrated as one of the best songs of 2010, and also of the 2010s. The song is has a mellow, almost hypnotic tempo, albeit with a haunting undercurrent. Mayer is a fine guitarist, and his work on this track is particularly good, and I love the sense of bitter frustration that comes across in his silky vocals. The lyrics speak of a toxic relationship, and are a plea for his lover to ease up on her poisonous behavior in the hope they can salvage what’s left: “How come the only way to know how high you get me is to see how far I fall? God only knows how much I’d love you if you let me but I can’t break through it all.”
The song at #74 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is the beautiful “Just Give Me a Reason” by P!nk, featuring guest vocals by Nate Ruess. The deeply moving piano ballad is one of my favorite songs from P!nk, and was the third single from her outstanding 2012 album The Truth About Love. The song was a massive worldwide hit, topping the charts in 21 countries including the U.S., and received unanimous critical acclaim.
“Just Give Me a Reason” was co-written by P!nk, Jeff Bhasker (who produced the album), and fun. lead singer Nate Ruess, who also provides his stirring vocals. The song is a heartfelt plea between two people desperate to hold on to a relationship that appears to be falling apart. It was originally intended to be sung just by P!nk, but she soon realized that she needed someone else to sing the song with her, as she felt it was more of a conversation between two people rather than from the perspective of just one person in the relationship. She asked Ruess to sing the song with her as a duet, and the result was magical. The raw emotional power achieved by their dual vocal harmonies gives me goosebumps every single time I hear it.
The lyrics are so honest and relatable that I feel compelled to include them in their entirety:
Right from the start You were a thief You stole my heart And I your willing victim I let you see the parts of me That weren’t all that pretty And with every touch you fixed them
Now you’ve been talking in your sleep, oh, oh Things you never say to me, oh, oh Tell me that you’ve had enough Of our love, our love
Just give me a reason Just a little bit’s enough Just a second we’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again It’s in the stars It’s been written in the scars on our hearts We’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again
I’m sorry I don’t understand Where all of this is coming from I thought that we were fine (Oh, we had everything) Your head is running wild again My dear we still have everythin’ And it’s all in your mind (Yeah, but this is happenin’)
You’ve been havin’ real bad dreams, oh, oh You used to lie so close to me, oh, oh There’s nothing more than empty sheets Between our love, our love Oh, our love, our love
Just give me a reason Just a little bit’s enough Just a second we’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again I never stopped You’re still written in the scars on my heart You’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again
Oh, tear ducts and rust I’ll fix it for us We’re collecting dust But our love’s enough You’re holding it in You’re pouring a drink No nothing is as bad as it seems We’ll come clean
Just give me a reason Just a little bit’s enough Just a second we’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again It’s in the stars It’s been written in the scars on our hearts That we’re not broken just bent And we can learn to love again
The song at #75 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Out of My League” by Los Angeles-based pop/neo soul band Fitz and the Tantrums. Although they’d been making music since 2008, I was not familiar with them until my musical awakening in late summer 2013. One day I discovered the Billboard Alternative Rock chart, and it was a revelation! I saw songs by lots of artists I’d either never heard of, or who I knew about but wasn’t aware they had new music out. One of the songs riding high on the chart at that time was “Out of My League”, and I instantly fell in love with it’s exuberant piano and bass-driven synth pop grooves. The song is so damned electrifying and catchy, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I became a huge Fitz and the Tantrums fan, and bought their CD More Than Just a Dream, which also features their terrific follow-up single “The Walker”. I loved that CD so much I played it nearly to death over the next six months.
Fitz and the Tantrums are headed by front man and lead vocalist Michael Fitzgerald, and includes the lovely Noelle Skaggs on co-lead vocals, James King on sax and flute, Joseph Karnes on bass, Jeremy Ruzumna on keyboards and John Wicks on drums and percussion. A unique aspect of their music is that they have no designated guitarist, but they more than make up for it with a strong rhythm section and generous use of King’s sax (though it’s not prominent on “Out of My League”). Sadly, their two follow up albums have been rather disappointing to me, as well as many of their early fans and music critics. They seem to have abandoned their earlier soulful, groove-based sound in favor of a more pop-oriented style that just sounds generic and predictable. Also, their newer stuff hasn’t utilized Noelle Scaggs’ great vocals nearly enough. I still like them though.
I saw Fitz and the Tantrums in concert in a double bill with Young the Giant (two of whose songs have already been featured on this list) at the Los Angeles Forum in August 2019. They put on a fantastic show.
The song at #76 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Pink Lemonade” by British singer-songwriter and guitarist James Bay. He broke onto the music scene in 2014 with his wonderful hit single “Hold Back the River”, which I liked a lot, though I didn’t really follow him or his music very much. But with his earnest, low-key style of folk rock, combined with a casual look consisting of his signature hat and long hair, Bay quickly built a huge following.
On March 7, 2018 he released “Pink Lemonade”, and a few days later, appeared on Saturday Night Live, revealing a major change in both his look and sound. When I watched his performance on SNL, I nearly fell out of my chair! Bay had ditched the hat, cut his hair and replaced his casual clothing style with a hot pink sequined shirt and black leather pants, and he looked hot! I developed a major man crush on him right then and there. As my friend Anthea commented – “who knew all that beautiful bone structure lay hidden beneath the hat and long hair!”
Not only that, I loved the song’s exuberant rock’n’roll vibe, with scratchy guitars and a soulful and sexy bass-driven groove that reminded me of some of the great songs of the 60s. The song actually has a rather rough, gravelly production sound, which some felt detracted from its overall quality. My feelings are mixed about it, and perhaps James wanted a more rugged sound. In any case, many seemed to prefer his mellower folk ballads to this edgier, heavier rock sound (not to mention his casual look with long hair, to which he has since returned), so “Pink Lemonade” was not as successful as his other singles. Oh well, their loss, as I love it and couldn’t hear it enough. The song spent five weeks at #1 on my Weekly Top 30.
The lyrics touch on escape and not wanting to commit to a relationship. The official video for the song is cleverly done, showing scenes of James dressed in a sparkling top and performing the song with his back-up band, alternating with scenes of him dressed in a silver spacesuit and sneaking into the garage while his parents are asleep to live out his childhood dream of building his own spaceship. He told People magazine: “The inspiration behind the video comes from the theme of escape that runs through the song. I was reminded of a time when I was about 4 years old and I told my parents I’d had enough of living with them and would be leaving home.”
Here’s his riveting and charismatic SNL performance, where he seems to channel John Mayer with a hint of early Elvis Presley swagger.
The song at #77 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Locked Out of Heaven” by the amazing Bruno Mars. Born Peter Gene Hernandez in Honolulu, Hawaii (but given the nickname “Bruno” by his father at the age of two, because of his resemblance to professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino) Bruno Mars is a hyper-talented singer, songwriter, producer, dancer and multi-instrumentalist dynamo with a style and showmanship reminiscent of Michael Jackson, James Brown and Little Richard all rolled into one. He comes from a musical family which exposed him to a diverse mix of music genres. His mother was both a singer and a dancer, his father performed Little Richard rock and roll, and his uncle was an Elvis impersonator, and encouraged three-year-old Mars to perform on stage. By the time he was four, he began performing five days a week with his family’s band The Love Notes, and became known in Hawaii for his Elvis Presley impersonations.
Mars moved to L.A. in 2003 when he was 18, and a year later signed a recording contract with Motown Records, but the deal went nowhere. Success eluded him until 2010, with the release of the successful singles “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy, both of which featured his vocals. Soon after, Mars struck gold with his debut album Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which generated the hit singles “Just the Way You Are”, “Grenade”, and “The Lazy Song”. In 2012, he followed up with his hugely-successful second album Unorthodox Jukebox , the lead single of which was the fantastic reggae/pop/funk song “Locked Out of Heaven”. Among the producers who worked with Mars on the album and single were Jeff Bhasker (who also worked with fun. on Some Nights) and Mark Ronson (who produced the smash hit “Uptown Funk” that Mars sang vocals on).
“Locked Out of Heaven” was a massive hit, becoming his fourth single to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it held the top spot for six weeks. It also topped the Canadian singles chart for three weeks, and received mostly positive reviews by music critics. Tim Sendra of AllMusic described the song as “a breezy mashup of Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’, The Police, and Dire Straits“, while Paul MacInnes of The Guardian called it “a brazen but successful welding of Dire Straits’ ‘Sultans of Swing’ and ‘Can’t Stand Losing You’ by the Police.” In fact, Mars stated that The Police were a strong influence for him in writing the song, which addresses the rapturous feelings of a loving and sexual relationship, something all of us can identify with. And I especially love the pounding drumbeats just before each chorus.
Interest in these posts (and my blog in general) seems to be falling faster than a lead balloon, but I’ll soldier on. The song at #78 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Trouble” by American alternative rock band Cage the Elephant. Cage the Elephant are one of my favorite bands, and “Trouble” is one of three of their songs on this list. The song is the second single from their fourth album Tell Me I’m Pretty, (after the uneven “Mess Around”) and was released in April 2016. The album was produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and really shows his strong influence.
“Trouble” has a cool, almost magical vibe, thanks to its twinkling piano keys, xylophone and intricate chiming and gnarly guitars. I love singer Matt Shultz’s wonderful swooning falsetto in the chorus. Shultz explained to ABC Radio in an interview that the song was inspired by a conversation he had with someone close to him. “We were both presenting ourselves as being very honest in the conversation. And I felt there were several places where I was holding back, or kind of curating the idea of what I wanted projected pretty heavily as inside the conversation. So I was curious at what level they were doing the same. “So the song’s kinda just about honesty and adversity and struggle.”
The song’s entertaining video was shot in a Western theme at Joshua Tree National Park, which is near my home and one of the most popular places to make music videos.
The song at #79 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Stereo Hearts” by American rap/rock band Gym Class Heroes, featuring additional vocals by Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine. I love this song! It’s so damned catchy and upbeat, with a joyful melody and irresistible hip hop beat, and just makes me feel happy. The endearing lyrics are filled with music-based metaphors that make the song very relatable to a music freak like me. Though the song was played nearly to death on the radio, I never tired of hearing it.
The track opens with Levine singing the chorus hook: “My heart’s a stereo. It beats for you, so listen close. Hear my thoughts in every note. Make me your radio. Turn me up when you feel low. This melody was meant for you. So sing along to my stereo.” Gym Class Heroes front man Travie McCoy then raps the lyrics directed at a former loved one, using musical metaphors to proclaim his love and devotion in the hope of winning her back: “If I was an old-school, fifty pound boom box. Would you hold me on your shoulder, wherever you walk. Would you turn my volume up in front of the cops, and crank it higher every time they told you to stop. And all I ask is that you don’t get mad at me when you have to purchase mad D batteries. Appreciate every mix tape your friends make. You never know we come and go like we’re on the interstate.” Songwriting doesn’t get any better than this.
The song at #80 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Can I Sit Next to You” by Austin, Texas based alternative/art rock band Spoon. I’m embarrassed – no, make that mortified – to admit that I was not familiar with Spoon until 2017, despite the fact they’ve been around since the mid 1990s! When I heard their brilliant ninth album Hot Thoughts, I became an instant fan and started bingeing on their impressive music catalog while kicking myself for all their great music I missed out on hearing all those years. I love their unique, innovative sound, as well as band front man Britt Daniel’s distinctive gritty vocal style that gives their songs an edgy authenticity.
My favorite track from Hot Thoughts is the deliciously sexy “Can I Sit Next to You”. The song has an almost sinister vibe, with a deep, bass-driven beat, accentuated by strong hand claps and grimy heavily-strummed guitars contrasting with twinkling and swirling psychedelic synths that impart an otherworldly feel. I love the dramatic spiraling synths in the chorus, as well as Daniel’s raspy vocals as he seductively snarls his way through each verse. It’s fucking awesome, and the surreal and trippy video directed by Marcel Dzama is both creepy and funny.
The song at #81 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Some Nights” by New York City-based alternative pop-rock band fun. Formed in 2008, fun. consists of singer-songwriter Nate Ruess, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dost and singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Jack Antonoff (who’s also front man for the terrific band Bleachers). Their debut album Aim and Ignite was fairly well-received, though a commercial disappointment. But it was their second album Some Nights that propelled fun. to international fame. The title track “Some Nights” was the second single and follow-up to their massive hit “We Are Young” (which appears later on this list). The song was a worldwide hit, reaching #1 in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium and Israel, and also the Billboard Alternative, Rock and Adult Top 40 Charts. It reached #3 on the Hot 100.
With both folk rock and power pop elements, “Some Nights” has an incredibly exuberant melody, with a powerful military-style drumbeat and Ruess’ commanding vocals that give it a jubilant vibe. The song has been favorably compared to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Cecilia”, and in fact, in an interview with Billboard, Ruess stated that Paul Simon’s Graceland was a major influence for the song. He added that the song is about “just being someone different on any given night.” In another interview with Mesfin Fekadu of the Associated Press, Ruess explained: “I’m always thinking about, ‘Who am I and why did I do something like that?’ And I think then it harkens back to my family, and I have such a strong tie to them and it’s always therapeutic to sing about them.”
The rather dark and intense video, produced by Poonam Sehrawat and directed by Anthony Mandler, depicts a fictional battle taking place during the American Civil War. The band is shown performing the song from afar as a battle breaks out, with lead singer Ruess appearing as the commander of the Union force.
In early 2015, fun. announced they were going on hiatus so that each band member could pursue their own individual projects. Ruess sang on P!nk’s 2013 hit single “Just Give Me a Reason” (which will also appear later on this list), and on Eminem’s 2014 single “Headlights”, and released a solo album Grand Romantic in June 2015 to mostly positive reviews. Andrew Dost wrote the soundtrack for the 2015 black comedy The D Train, and is currently working on new music. In addition to his work as front man for Bleachers, Jack Antonoff has worked as a songwriter and producer with several renowned artists, including Taylor Swift (on her albums 1989, Reputation, Lover and Folklore), Lorde (on her album Melodrama), St. Vincent (on her album Masseduction), Lana Del Rey (on Norman Fucking Rockwell) and The Chicks (on their album Gaslighter).
The song at #82 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Cough Syrup” by Southern California alternative rock band Young the Giant. This is the second song by them on this best of the decade list, their other being “Superposition” which ranks at #91. “Cough Syrup” is one of their most well-known songs, and my personal favorite. It was released in 2011 as the second single from their eponymous debut album Young the Giant, but the song actually predated the band, as it was composed when they were called The Jakes, and first appeared on their 2008 EP Shake My Hand.
It’s a beautiful song, with gorgeous swirling guitars, somber cello and spirited drumbeats creating a stunning backdrop for band front man Sameer Gadhia’s passionate vocals. About the song’s meaning, Gadhia has stated it was written at a time when the band was unsigned, had no money and “felt somewhat oppressed by the universal expectation of what to do in Orange County…in suburbia in general. I think we really yearned to break out of that and do something a little bit different. [The song] is kind of a cry for help to break free, not necessarily from oppression, but from the common symptoms of suburbia like boredom, normality and homogeneity.”
I saw Young the Giant in concert in August 2019 (in a double bill with Fitz & the Tantrums), and here’s their wonderful performance of “Cough Syrup”.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 