Jonas Brothers, “Love Bug”
Joe Jonas croons his pain in a ballad that begins as an acoustic ode to first kisses, then erupts into a full-blown rocker.
[Listen] [Review]

Ra Ra Riot, “Dying Is Fine”
With Arcade Fire-style strings, Vampire Weekend’s pop sense and lyrics from E.E. Cummings, it’s every indie-rock kid’s dream combo.
[Listen] [Review]

One Day as a Lion, “Last Letter”
Jamming on his keyboard with full force, Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha proves he hasn’t lost his fire.
[Listen] [Review]

(more…)

Nas, “N.I.*.*.E.R. (The Slave and the Master)”
Over an orchestral hook, Nas launches a narrative tour de force that skewers institutional racism.
[Listen] [Review]

Randy Newman, “A Few Words. . .”
An instant classic set to Dixieland piano, this state-of-the-union ballad calls out Caesar, Hitler, Stalin — and, of course, Dubya.
[Review]

Conor Oberst, “Moab”
With delicate vocals and defiant acoustic strums, Oberst delivers a moving runaway anthem about the healing power of the road.
[Listen] [Review]

(more…)

Beck, “Orphans”
All he needs is psychedelic guitars, fireside strumming and airy harmonies, and suddenly the Summer of Love
is back.
[Listen] [Review]

John Mellencamp, “My Sweet Love”
A Bo Diddley rhythm and bright backup vocals bolster this ode to a love that’s as classic as country rock.
[Listen] [Review]

Girl Talk, “Set It Off”
What would Jay-Z sound like if Radiohead was his backing band? This tour-de-force DJ mash-up delivers the answer.
[Review]
(more…)

Coldplay, “Lost!”
With soaring church organs and a kick-drum stomp, the band reaches the heights of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
[Listen] [Review]

Lil Wayne, “3Peat”
Alien synths and a drum-machine beat showcase Weezy’s genius couplets: Who else can rhyme “Viagra” with “Adam Sandler”?
[Listen] [Review]

Wolf Parade, “Kissing the Beehive”
An epic 11-minute jam built on pounding prog rhythms, angry guitar lines and pure animal magnetism.
[Listen] [Review]

The Virgins, “Love Is Colder Than Death”
It rocks like the Strokes’ best party tunes, but its jittery bass line captures all the anxiety of the morning after.
[Listen] [Review]

Martha Wainwright, “Comin’ Tonight”
Pete Townshend guests on this Stevie Nicks-style tune, and Wainwright conjures more drama than her brother, Rufus.
[Listen] [Review]

My Morning Jacket “Two Halves”
Americana meets doo-wop on this wistful, harmony-laden tribute to youth and being old enough to miss it.
[Review] [Listen]

Weezer “Pork and Beans”
Rivers Cuomo mocks Top 40 success on this wry cut, but with charging guitars and a singalong chorus, he’s already got a big power-pop hit.
[Review] [Listen]

The Ting Tings “Shut Up and Let Me Go”
With its sassy disco-funk strut, this ode to independence is perfect for dumping your boyfriend or your record label.
[Review] [Listen]

N.E.R.D. “Spaz”
Banking on weird synth hooks and a skittery groove, this club anthem proves the Neptunes save the best beats for themselves.
[Review]

Fleet Foxes “He Doesn’t Know Why”
Airy pop melodies, soaring “ahs” and lyrics about “hair grown long” make this pretty tune a modern hippie classic.
[Review] [Listen]

Photo: Getty

Nine Inch Nails “1,000,000″
All the classic signatures still work: industrial riffs, a pounding beat and a chorus where Trent Reznor vents his rage like a hair dryer.

Foxboro Hot Tubs “27th Ave Shuffle”
Billie Joe & Co. get nostalgic for their old junkyard days with a Nuggets-style garage-rock boogie.
[Listen]

Elvis Costello “No Hiding Place”
Costello rails against the Net on this slow-burn rocker, but he’s not too angry to leave out the “na-na-nas” and “woo-oos.”
[Listen] (more…)

Death Cab for Cutie “Grapevine Fires”
A stark end-of-days prophecy that sounds its alarms softly, with organs and shuffling drums.
[Review]

The Roots “Get Busy”
Swampy synths coat this groove while ?uestlove expertly thumps and thwacks at the drums, working his way into a thick funk.
[Review] [Listen]

Duffy “Mercy”
This Welsh singer-songwriter channels Dusty Springfield with a swinging soul melody and a voice so smoky it could fog glass.
[Review]
(more…)

Madonna “Give It 2 Me”
Pharrell provides the siren synths, and Madonna brings the fierceness on a bouncy dance tune that’s just as demanding as its title.
[Review]

Mudcrutch “Crystal River”
Think Tom Petty isn’t really a jam-band guy? This sprawling, organ-laden, Grateful Dead-style groove will prove you wrong.
[Review] [Listen]

Santogold “Creator”
Santi White howls over alien-sounding keyboards and heavy dancehall rhythms in the best new tribal anthem not written by M.I.A.
[Listen]
(more…)

The Raconteurs “Carolina Drama”
Jack White tells the story of a boy who kills his mom’s boyfriend — it’s an epic blues jam even Jerry Springer would love.
[Listen]-[Review]

The Rolling Stones “She Was Hot”
Jagger and Co. rescue this 1983 groupie tale from obscurity, building it into a bold ode to nostalgia.
[Listen]-[Review]

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds “Today’s Lesson”
Over a hypnotic bass line, Cave howls an awesomely dirty love song about a guy who digs a girl with “pretty knees.”
[Review]

Gnarls Barkley “Charity Case”
Cee-Lo filters his voice through druggy, distorted funk loops, then bargains for salvation over tinkling chimes and chain-gang gasps.
[Listen]-[Review]

Foals “Electric Bloom”
Interlocking guitars and electromagnetic percussion help this Oxford group find the perfect middle ground between Brit pop and art rock.
[Review]

R.E.M. “Man-Sized Wreath”
In a raw rock opus that evokes R.E.M.’s early days, Michael Stipe rages against the nation’s leaders and followers alike.
[Review]

Panic at the Disco “Northern Downpour”
If the Beatles lived to wear guyliner, they might have written a gorgeous, harmony-laden ballad like this.
[Review]

Moby “Disco Lies”
Moby wisely returns to his clubland roots on this track, celebrating the classic Nineties house sound, complete with diva hollers.
[Review]
(more…)

Kathleen Edwards “Oil Man’s War”
Over ascending piano chords, this moving country fable follows two draft dodgers crossing into Canada.
[Listen][Review]

The Black Crowes “Oh Josephine”
A swaggering rocker that begins with a heartfelt blues lament, then explodes into an energetic, extended coda.
[Listen][Review]

Stephen Malkmus “Real Emotional Trash”
The ex-Pavement frontman floats through a ten-minute opus of cosmic guitar jamming.
[Listen][Review]

Erykah Badu “My People”
Produced by Madlib, this blippy groove is both Badu’s rise-up anthem and the artiest R&B song of recent times.
[Listen][Review]

Jeffrey Lewis “I Ain’t Thick, It’s Just a Trick”
Anti-folk singer-songwriter Lewis proves the classic fist-shaker by U.K. punks Crass is still relevant, still raging.
[Listen][Review]

[Photo: Getty]

Michael Jackson, Akon and will.i.am, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ 2008″
Akon remakes MJ’s jam as a surprisingly soulful piano ballad. [Listen]-[Review]


The Raveonettes, “Aly, Walk With Me”
The Danish duo’s stark, pulsating shoegazer ballad burns slowly until the guitars erupt.
[Review]


Janet Jackson, “Feedback”
A high-voltage club jam with thumping, robotic beats and Jackson’s vocals digitized so she sounds like a brand-new megapop superstar.
[Listen]-[Review]


Aidan John Moffat, “Hungry Heart”
Ex-Arab Strap singer delivers a dirgelike Springsteen cover that’s just as moving as the original and slightly dirtier.
[Review]


Bob Mould, “Again and Again”
Over acoustic guitars and synths, Mould delivers a furious midlife-breakup anthem. Proof that old punks still rage.
[Listen]-[Review]

Hot Chip
“Made in the Dark”
Brit dance-club brats parse the difference between sex and love over vintage-soul licks and choirboy harmonies
[Review]

Jack Johnson
“Go On”
With sparse guitar and clear vocals, Johnson sticks to the basics on this highly focused track, a sweetly swaying love song for his kids.
[Review] (more…)

Lupe Fiasco “Little Weapon”
The unlikely alliance of Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump and rapper Fiasco yields a message song linking video games to Third World violence.
[Listen]-[Review]

Cat Power “I Believe in You”
Cat Power transforms Bob Dylan’s 1979 ode to Jesus into an inspirational tale about her own salvation.
[Listen]-[Review]

The-Dream “Nikki”
The R&B guru behind Rihanna’s “Umbrella” wisely saved this embittered message to an ex-girlfriend for himself.
[Listen]-[Review]

Ringo Starr0
“Liverpool 8”
Ringo recalls his days “with George and Paul and my friend John” on this sweet look back at his life, hometown and career.
[Review]

Black Mountain
“Bright Lights”
Equal parts Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Black Mountain pull off the rare feat of making a sixteen-minute opus an album high point.
[Listen]-[Review]

Wu-Tang Clan “The Heart Gently Weeps”
The unlikely pairing of the Wu-Tang Clan and Dhani Harrison finds new life in the Beatles classic.
[Listen]-[Review]

Wyclef Jean “Fast Car”
Clef proves himself a capable Garfunkel in this reggae-folk duet with Paul Simon straight out of the Tracy Chapman school of metaphor. (more…)