The 100 Best Songs of 2007

13 "The Past Is a Grotesque Animal"
Of Montreal
The best Bowie homage to mention Georges Bataille since . . . ever? Ever! Almost twelve minutes of emotional turmoil, with an intense krautrock groove full of synths and guitar. Kevin Barnes chronicles the details of a young love gone very, very bad.

14 "I Get Money"
50 Cent
This over-the-top celebration of stanky richness was one of the strongest radio hits of 2007, thanks to its grinding beat, nickel-plated hooks and 50's pile-driving rhymes.

15 "Piece of Me"
Britney Spears
Britney gets a pissed-off synth rocker to match her shaved head as she eviscerates the tabs one by one. Proof that she's got a soul — and the right producers to construct it for her.

16 "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
Spoon
Britt Daniel's sandpaper voice meets a reconstituted Motown groove built on riffing saxes, a spry dance beat and loads of reverb. A painstakingly detailed slice of indie heartache.