In 2007, these Florida punks hooked up with producer Butch Vig for New Wave, infusing their lefty anthems with a new clarity and power. On the follow-up (also produced by Vig), some cynicism crept into Tom Gabel's lyrics: "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" is blazing Springsteen emo, as Gabel decries the misguided revolutionary politics of his youth, and on the pretty acoustic shuffle "Ache With Me," Gabel cops to a "sense of defeat." The arena-huge tunes can get a little overbearing, but cuts like the title track — where Gabel yearns to smash white crosses displayed by anti-abortion activists — are righteous, churning gut-rollers.

“I'm Yours”

Jason Mraz re-emerged after his disappointing second album with this lead single, a Jack Johnson-esque ditty about giving yourself fully to someone else. The success of the reggae-tinged song (it earned two Grammy nods and a spot on the Billboard singles chart for well over a year) was something the folk-pop singer never predicted when he wrote it in 15 minutes at home. "I played a happy-hippie chord progression that would probably work without 50 different Bob Marley songs," he told Rolling Stone. "I thought, 'It's too novelty. This is a nursery rhyme,'" concluding that "you can never guess what's gonna be a hit."