Radio Pat's Top 100 Songs of 2006: #1-25

Here is it: the important quarter of the list! To The Killers go the spoils, but the real action is in the top 10 albums: the top 100 songs' more attractive sister, if you catch my drift.

1. The Killers - When You Were Young
2. The Fray - Over My Head (Cable Car)
3. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
4. Snow Patrol - Hands Open
5. Starky - Me Michelle
6. Sparta - Taking Back Control
7. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
8. AFI - Miss Murder
9. The Rapture - Pieces Of The People We Love
10. The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
11. The Fray - Little House
12. The Killers - Sam's Town
13. Keane - Is It Any Wonder
14. Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
15. Snow Patrol - You're All I Have
16. Evermore - Running
17. Arctic Monkeys - When The Sun Goes Down
18. Gomez - How We Operate
19. Starky - Distraction
20. Muse - Starlight
21. Chris Cornell - You Know My Name
22. Howling Bells - Low Happening
23. Love Outside Andromeda - Sparrow
24. The Futureheads - Skip To The End
25. Eskimo Joe - Comfort You

Here's some ordered notes on the top 10, followed by some non-top 10 ones.

1. When You Were Young has got all the right elements for a song, and still remains sharp and punchy on each listen. It's a brilliant track and I challenge you to defy that!
2. Over My Head is pretty close to a perfectly written song and well produced. It's also got that ability to sound as soft or as loud as the listener wants to hear. A real sing-along favourite for me as well - wonderful vocals.
3. I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor grabs you with a frenzy of guitars and then their now-signature riffery that sent Arctic Monkeys on the road to stardom.
4. Hands Open is a pure rock song, with Gary Lightbody's great lyrics: "It's hard to argue when / You won't stop making sense / My tongue still misbehaves / And it keeps digging my own grave". I'll never forgive them for not playing it live.
5. Me Michelle has got a great feel and builds well to a rock-spastic finish! The standout effort on their debut album and now one of the leaders of Australian indie in my book.
6. Taking Back Control is what I'd call music to overthrow governments to.
7. We all know Crazy, and due to its tremendously wide appeal, it should win every popular (i.e public voted) count there is.
8. I guess they'd call Miss Murder a punk anthem. I call it number 8 (burp). I got into it before it was popular (triple j) and then again when it was being played heaps, so it was hard to ignore.
9. Pieces Of The People We Love is a memorable title track from The Rapture, with an electro-indie sound. Also wins best use of hand claps in a 2006 track.
10. Chelsea Dagger is a little gem most people will never hear. I don't even think it's being released in Australia. If Arctic Monkeys went huge in 2006, I think The Fratellis have got the same sort of raw sound to get on board in future too.

• Little House is endearingly jagged to the ear, punched home by the solo where the piano and then lead guitar have their moment in the spotlight. Piano is so rarely used aggressively, perhaps because it's viewed as a "beautiful" instrument. Same with acoustic guitar.
• On multiple occasions, I've chucked on Sam's Town just to vent some frustration to the chorus "Why do you waste my time?". Another classic track.
• Distraction isn't exactly a stand-out Starky song. It just sounds nice on my stereo with the equalisers set bassy.
• Howling Bells are quite good. They feature Juanita Phillips from Waikiki, if anyone remembers them, but it's less pop and more edgier indie I suppose. Setting Sun is another one of theirs to wrap your headphones around.