Every Breath You Take (Redux)

The day I was born, the number one song was Every Breath You Take by The Police. To this day, I love The Police and find it to be a great relief that I am not forever associated with, say, Rio by Duran Duran (Never made it to number one, but it did come close). Right now, I am sitting here wondering what The Police will sound like to you. Will it even be relevant? Will Sting still be around, having Yoga'd his way to immortality? Will Stewart Copeland redefine the drums once again by bringing the gong into the mainstream? Will Andy Summers...let's be honest, no future includes Andy Summers making much of a contribution to society. A coffee table book? Really? But I digress.


To put it in context, I googled the number one song on my father's birthday and found out that it was something called St. George And The Dragonet by Stan Freberg, a satire of the tale of St. George and the Dragon to the theme of Dragnet. Groundbreaking, to say the least.

Still, I think that there is value in documenting the best of what was around when you were born. One day, equipped with older and more seasoned eyes and ears, you will look back and see what you think about what the music industry was birthing while your mother spent 28 hours pumping you out (about 27 and a half hours more than most recording artists spend on their number one singles these days).

So in the tradition of the time capsule, below you will find my humbly chosen favourite albums and songs of 2010, for future consideration.

Favourite Albums of 2010:

1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
2. Foals – Total Life Forever
3. The National – High Violet
4. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
5. The Black Keys – Brothers
6. Stars – The Five Ghosts
7. Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
8. Beach House – Teen Dream
9. Land of Talk – Cloak & Cipher
10. Jonsi – Go

Honourable Mentions:

The Morning Benders – Big Echo

Kings of Leon – Come Around Sundown

The Roots & John Legend – Wake Up!

Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul

Broken Bells – Broken Bells

Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks

Karkwa – Les Chemins de Verre

The Roots – How I Got Over

Josh Ritter – So Runs the World Away

Belle & Sebastian – Write About Love

Matt Pond PA – The Dark Leaves

The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

Against Me! – White Crosses

Plants & Animals – La La Land

Favourite Songs of 2010 (sorted alphabetically because some decisions are best made for you):

All to All – Broken Social Scene

American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem

Bloodbuzz, Ohio – The National

Blue Eyed Black Boy – Balkan Beat Box

Boy – Ra Ra Riot

Bushwick Blues – Delta Spirit

Cloak & Cipher – Land of Talk

Cold War – Janelle Monae

Coquet Coquette – Of Montreal

Crash Years – The New Pornographers

Echoes – Klaxons

Every Time I’m With You – Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse ft. Jason Lytle

Excuses – The Morning Benders

Fall Hard – Shout out Louds

Felicia – The Constellations

Fixed – Stars

Girls with Accents – Fences

I Can’t Wait – Twin Shadow

I Can’t Write Left Handed – John Legend & The Roots

I Want the World to Stop – Belle & Sebastian

I’m New Here – Gil Scott-Heron

Les Chemins de Verre – Karkwa

Let’s Get Out of Here – Les Savy Fav

Little Lion Man – Mumford & Sons

Living in Colour – Frightened Rabbit

Moneygrabber – Fitz & the Tantrums

Neckbrace – Ratatat

Not in Love – Crystal Castles ft. Robert Smith

Odessa – Caribou

Out of Our Minds – Melissa Auf de Maur

Radioactive – Kings of Leon

Ready to Start – Arcade Fire

Rocket – Goldfrapp

Rules Don’t Stop – We Are Scientists

Runaway – Kanye West

Say No to Love – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Something Good Can Work – Two Door Cinema Club

Starting – Matt Pond PA

Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap

Terrible Love – The National

The Curse – Josh Ritter

The Ghost Inside – Broken Bells

The Night Before the Funeral – The Mary Onettes

Tighten Up – The Black Keys

Til the End – Remy Zero

Tornado – Jonsi

Total Life Forever – Foals

Transparency is the New Mystery – Marnie Stern

You Will Leave a Mark – A Silent Film

Zebra – Beach House