Best of 2005 : Honorable Mention Liam Gallagher

Liam Gallagher has arrived! This is the most exciting time to be an Oasis fan in ten years. Don't Believe The Truth is the best Oasis album since Morning Glory, and the best tracks are penned by Liam! A great album that still hasn't grown stale after eight months worth of repeat listens, and they've got another one in the works. Get psyched!

Countdown : Best of 2005#1 Track/Album/Artist of the YearDamian Marley Welcome To Jamrock

That the raw, blistering, explosive single "Welcome To Jamrock" dominated pop radio and MTV in 2005 is mind-blowing. Hearing "Welcome To Jamrock" saturate American airwaves in 2005 was a major sonic wake-up call... soul-stirring and simply incredible.

Damian Marley has kicked down the door. Welcome To Jamrock is the album of the year, by far. The title track is easily the best song of 2005. Damian Marley has to be considered the #1 artist of the year. At it's core, this is Marley family affair. The entire album is co-written and co-produced by Damian and his brother Stephen. It is pure, loud, and emotionally powerful.

Welcome To Jamrock truly is a masterpiece that sonically, and lyrically cuts through today's cluttered musical landscape like a swift machete thru sticky sugarcane.

"Rastafari stands alone!"

Countdown : Top 3 Tracks of 2005 #2 Mike Jones feat. Slim Thug & Paul Wall - "Still Tippin'"*(also... Best Video of 2005)

This is one of the freshest hip hop tracks I've ever heard in my life. The beat, the violin sample, the liquified momentum, the incredible, hypnotic video (Dr. Teeth), and of course... the three spectacular verses delivered with syruppy precision by a new cast of characters staking their claim for the soul of the South. This immaculately produced track (Michael "5000" Watts) is an incredible achievement. It is just not humanly possible for me to lavish enough praise upon this transcendent, Southern-fried masterpiece.

Countdown : Top 3 Tracks of 2005 #3 Amerie - "1 Thing"

I've been trying to compile lists of best tracks, best albums, etc, for 2005. I've decided simply to list the 3 best tracks I heard in 2005. My #1 track of the year also happens to be from what I consider to be the #1 album of the year, and the #1 artist of the year. Therefore, the post that reveals the #1 track of the year, will also reveal the #1 album/artist as well. There will be some "honorable mentions" when I'm through... but let's start the countdown.

#3 track of the year...

Amerie - "1 Thing"

It's tough to try to write something about this track that hasn't already been written a least a thousand times in every other "Best of 2005" list out there. You'd have to be a soul-less drone to not "get" this song. Producer Rich Harrison slices and dices the Meters with ninja-like precision, and John Bonham-like power. I pity the sampler pads that were subjected to the pummeling assault that was the production of this beast of a track. When describing the greatness of this track's success, what's overlooked by many is the richness of Amerie's sizzling vocals, and the beautiful, shimmering synths that accompany the outro. Each element perfectly complements the other. The simplicity of this track is what propels it to the stratosphere... into the heavens... into the pantheon of all-time great R&B accomplishments.

It's The Drums, Stupid!

The Beatles - "Tomorrow Never Knows" (1966)

Ringo Starr turns rock n'roll drumming upside down and inside out... and in the process, lays the foundation for the Chemical Brothers' entire career.