What have been the best rock songs of 2009 thus far? Well, there’s been a little bit of everything: rockers, ballads, tracks from up-and-comers, tunes from established titans, well-known radio smashes, and obscure album cuts that are just begging to be discovered. Here are 2009's top songs to this point.
15. Loaded - “Sick”
Photo courtesy Century Media.
When old-school Guns N’ Roses fans imagine what Chinese Democracy might have sounded like if the original lineup had remained intact, the betting is that it would have come close to “Sick,” the title cut off former GNR bassist Duff McKagan’s most recent album. The song’s 172 seconds are all bad attitude and guitars, guitars, and more guitars – there’s nary a keyboard or bombastic string section to be found.
14. Seether - “Careless Whisper”
Photo courtesy Wind-Up.
George Michael hasn’t received the best treatment from rock bands covering his material – let us all pause to remember Limp Bizkit’s snarky, tone-deaf cover of “Faith.” But Seether give his old group Wham’s “Careless Whisper” a vigorous, sincere redo. The original was an elegant pop ballad, but Seether turn it into a grunge heartbreaker. An unlikely hit, the song helped to renew interest in the band’s 2007 album, Finding Beauty In Negative Spaces, where it appears as a bonus track on the record’s recent re-release.
13. Disturbed - “The Night”
Photo courtesy Reprise.
Disturbed walk the line perfectly between metal and rock, appealing to headbangers while sneaking in melodic choruses that make their songs catnip for radio programmers. “The Night” is a good example of this – booming drums, sawed-off guitar riffs and a slick, shiny chorus all work in unison. Frontman David Draiman turns this Indestructible cut into an invitation to embrace the darkness within yourself, and considering how well “The Night” is doing on the charts, a lot of people are interested in accepting his request.
12. Hoobastank - “So Close, So Far”
Photo courtesy Island.
Hoobastank’s For(n)ever focuses on the sadder aspects of love – frontman Doug Robb seems to be dealing with one bad girlfriend after another on the album. “So Close, So Far” is the big ballad in the vein of their huge 2004 hit, “The Reason,” although thankfully it’s not a note-for-note rewrite. You can roll your eyes, but Hoobastank have a gift for big, emphatic relationship songs that rock fans and soccer moms can both claim as their own.
11. Shinedown - “Sound of Madness”
Photo courtesy Atlantic.
The title track from Shinedown’s superb 2008 album The Sound of Madness is a stomping, sarcastic tirade about a friend who’s constantly being melodramatic. Frontman Brent Smith advises his pal to stop thinking the world is against him and instead adopt a sense of humor. But the punchline comes in the chorus when he admits that he’s an even bigger drama queen than his buddy – if Smith can keep it together, so can his pal.
10. Linkin Park - “New Divide”
Photo courtesy Reprise.
One of this summer’s unofficial theme songs, this Linkin Park track got a lot of mileage thanks to its inclusion on the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack. At first, “New Divide” seemed rather ordinary, but over time it emerged as a strong entry in the Linkin Park canon. Maybe we just needed to erase the memories of that terrible movie to finally appreciate this song on its own terms.
9. Incubus - “Black Heart Inertia”
Photo courtesy Epic.
Included as part of a new Incubus greatest-hits collection, Monuments and Melodies, “Black Heart Inertia” is much better than your typical best-of throwaway track. To the contrary, “Black Heart Inertia” is an engaging, pop-leaning mid-tempo number that’s a bit of a departure from their normal sound. It’s a love song that’s refreshingly romantic: “You’re a mountain/That I’d like to climb/Not to conquer/But to share in the view.”
8. Chris Cornell - “Long Gone”
Photo courtesy Interscope.
Hate it or love it, Chris Cornell’s Scream elicits passionate reactions, although strong album sales haven’t followed in the wake of all that difference of opinion. Still, I think “Long Gone” remains one of the album’s surest shots, a deft blend of Cornell’s booming voice and producer Timbaland’s silky pop rhythms. Of course, even in this case you may disagree – perhaps you favor the newly remixed version of the song from veteran rock producer Howard Benson.
7. U2 - “Magnificent”
Photo courtesy Interscope.
The first single off No Line on the Horizon, “Get on Your Boots,” divided audiences, but the next single proved to be an across-the-board success. “Magnificent” combines the clanging guitar energy of Achtung Baby with the openhearted romantic fervor of U2’s ‘80s work – and yet it sounds remarkably contemporary. As always, the song’s secret weapon is Edge’s fluid, magnificent guitar playing.
6. The Answer - “Comfort Zone”
Photo courtesy The End.
We haven’t had an epic get-out-your-lighter stadium anthem on the radio this year, but that’s because enough people haven’t heard “Comfort Zone” from the Answer’s Everyday Demons. Hushed guitars in the verses give way to a soaring chorus sung by frontman Cormac Neeson, who just wants a moment with his special someone. Like everything else the Answer do, “Comfort Zone” fondly recalls the broad-chested power of ‘70s arena-rock. This song is a buried gem.
