The nine hundred and eighty-second song: Mercy - Duffy
While Amy Winehouse might have been the most notable female vocalist of the era, there are a number of others who rose up at tthe same time. Duff is one of them, and the swinging Mercy is memorable enough to remember. It's a track that lets itself stick with you.
The nine hundred and eighty-third song: Sabali - Amadou & Mariam
There's often a treat to get a world music track like this, one that gives you something different you couldn't have expected. There is a contemporary dance beat in this, but the way the sounds are formed and the track is formed stands out in how different - and full - it feels.
The nine hundred and eighty-fourth song: Divine - Sebastien Tellier
Divine is a pleasantly welcome throwback to the pop of yore, with acapella backings and a smooth synth backing track. It's simple enough, with the requisite Eurovision break, but it's just a joy at the same time.
The nine hundred and eighty-fifth song: Mykonos - Fleet Foxes
There's something slightly experimental that's starting to peek through in music, as if we're experimenting what the next decade will bring musically. Mykonos' chorus are simple harmonies in a way that works strongly, creating a spiritual feeling while the track remains as quite straightforward rock otherwise. It's a strong, welcome sound.
The nine hundred and eighty-sixth song: Time To Pretend - MGMT
The electronic rock of MGMT creates a party feeling that also feels unsettling, the depression of loneliness inside a celebration of a fictional rockstar life. The lyrics are exquisite and the combination here works in creating and enhancing that edge.
The nine hundred and eighty-seventh song: Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap
This is a fairly simple, fun and accessible indie rock song, Not overly complex, but accessible and simple enough to stay fun. Perhaps it's not spectacular, but it works.
The nine hundred and eighty-eighth song: L.E.S. Artistes - Santogold
In the strengthening of pop, this is another track that just feels good, at a point where it feels electronic music is getting even better integrated.
The nine hundred and eighty-ninth song: Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon
Going back and forth between pop and rock, Kings of Leon's sound feels quite a modern rock sound, present without overwhelming you, giving some good lyrics with a memorable hook, while the music works in that solid alt rock way.
The nine hundred and ninetieth song: One Day Like This - Elbow
The classical opening, using a string section that keeps going through the entirety of the track while the traditional rock instruments stay in the back. As the "Throw those curtains wide" chant starts, it feels like it's holding back, never quite giving a release I'm looking for.
The nine hundred and ninety-first song: Viva la Vida - Coldplay
For a band that divides opinions, listening and focusing on the lyrics shows an interesting depth of references - it starts early on with what could be sung from the perspective of the last emperor of China. The music is stadium filling, a clear anthem that some might feel over the top, but it stands as a song that tells a vivid story in both lyrics and music.