#43 Kanye West, "Stronger"

N-n-now that that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger

I love Kanye West's "Gold Digger." I'm not really sure why--didn't think much of it at first, and then suddenly, one day, I "got it"--I think it had something to do with suddenly understanding what he was saying, and that somehow made me better able to appreciate even the music, those little squiggles, everything (it's got to be the clean version, though, not so much because it's clean but because I prefer the rhythm of the chorus this way--"broke broke" just sounds better to my ears music-wise, though maybe that's just because it's the version I got used to from radio playing it so much). Every now and then I just caught by a rap single, usually when it somehow manages to link into my sometimes bizarre sense of humor, and "Gold Digger" did that. "Stronger," the Daft Punk-sampling lead single for Kanye's latest album Graduation, managed to win me over again, though once again it wasn't immediate. Now, though, that deliberately stuttery delivery in the chorus only enhances a chorus that's already strong on its own and the way Kanye eventually starts using Daft Punk's lines to complete his own sentences is irresistable for some reason. Yes, parts of the song are over-the-top, but--and even though this isn't the song's point at all--it still manages to feel like a really good psych-up kind of song.

Find it on: Graduation

#44 Jason Donovan, "Share My World"

I've got so much more to give
So much life we've left to live
I wanna share my world with you
But you've got to try too

I'll make no apologies for my inclusion of this not commercially successful single (well, it was download only and there were hardly any places the average person could be exposed to it; I don't think it was intended or going to be a smash hit) from Australian actor and former S/A/W singer Jason Donovan. "Share My World," released this past June, may not be anything special to a lot of people--accusations that it's MOR, mature radio pop with guitars, etc. would be easy to make, and I wouldn't even necessarily disagree with them--but I love it; it's got one of the most reassuring feelings of the year surrounding it. It kind of brings out the same reaction in me that my favorite modern era midtempo Take That songs do. Well-produced (lo-fi this is not) but somehow still organic sounding, "Share My World" is upbeat, comforting, and catchy. It never fails to bring a smile to my face and that's more than enough to help it make my list of the year's best singles.

Find it on: "Share My World" single

Also check out Mobius's blog, where I found out about the song

#45 Bosson, "Believe In Love"

If you believe in love, then let it show
If you want someone, just let them know
If you believe in love, then let it show
If I'm not the one, just let me know

"You" is one of the best pop songs of the decade so far, let alone 2006 (the year it was released), and of course Bosson's biggest hit, 2001's "One In A Million," is absolutely fantastic as well. The Swedish singer further consolidated his pop pedigree with the uptempo "Believe In Love," which I think was the fourth single off his latest album, Future's Gone Tomorrow, Life Is Here Today. It's very poppy (one review compared it to "Stock, Aitken & Waterman 1987") and incredibly catchy; punchy electronically-created hooks are packed into every corner of the song and the "oh-oh"s that punctuate the chorus stick in your head almost far too easily.

Find it on: Future's Gone Tomorrow, Life Is Here Today

(Obviously the video above isn't a real music video--there wasn't one, as far as I know--but a YouTube user-created series of photos interspersed with the lyrics of a Whitney Houston song.)

#46 Groove Armada, "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)"

Sat there with some new girl, what is this?
(Don't panic, panic, Mutya don't drive erratic)
That's who has replaced me, what a diss
(Don't panic, panic, don't act too manic, manic)

I don't listen to this song quite as often now, but it was the soundtrack to most of my driving around this summer. I so wish it could have been a big U.S. hit--would there have been anything better than pulling up to a car at a stoplight and hearing this song blaring out of it? Electronica group the Groove Armada team up with former Sugababes member Mutya for this catchy musically upbeat electro number about seeing your ex-boyfriend out with another girl (or, if you choose to read it that way, about Mutya's replacement in the Sugababes, though Groove Armada have said it wasn't written with Mutya in mind). Even if it wasn't quite a huge hit in the UK, it still has "personal summer hit" written all over it.

Find it on: Real Girl or Soundboy Rock

#47 Sergey Lazarev, "TV or Radio"

Anything to make it, you wanna be
Not too proud to fake it, such a wannabe

Talk about a bizarre video. Anyway, I initially expected Russian singer Sergey Lazarev's cover of "Shattered Dreams" to end up as my favorite song from his second solo album, TV Show. I liked "TV or Radio," but it felt like it verged on annoying and didn't have enough of a chorus to have much staying value. In the past few months, though, I've found myself addicted to its short horn blurts, electronically-created pop beats (very "pure pop"), and most of all that bridge, which (simple as it is) I love way too much for some reason. I'm not sure why, as this is not a frosty female-vocalled Scandi electro-pop song, but for some reason it makes me think of Annie's "Chewing Gum"--do not go into the song thinking of that, though; I think it's just I imagine the dance routine from the "Chewing Gum" video being performed every time I hear this song.

Find it on: TV Show

And just because it never gets old, "Fake," a ridiculous-in-the-best-possible-hilarious way, completely fantastic single from Sergey's first album, which happens to have one of the campest music videos ever.

#48 Katharine McPhee, "Over It"

I'm over your lies,
And I'm over your games
I'm over you asking me
When you know I'm not OK

I still don't understand why this song flopped; I mean, if this incredibly commercial-sounding pop song, fronted by a good and good-looking singer, can't make it, there's not much hope for this, is there (even if "Over It"'s video may have had some odd shots and a pretty awful way of breaking up with someone, it's still better than that one)? Sigh. I don't think I've done much talking about how much I like this song on here, though I did mention it offhand once. Taking full advantage of the template created by JoJo's "Too Little Too Late," "Over It" is a laid-back sounding supposed-breakup song with more than a hint of sadness and melancholy and with a catchy groove that somehow wiggles its way into your brain and gets stuck there. I would've loved to see it be more successful, though once "Love Story" started to get promoted as the second single, I figured that would be successful just because I had no interest in it whatsoever.

Find it on: Katharine McPhee

#49 Audio Club, "Sumthin' Serious"/"Hot, Bangin', Supa, Sexy"

I can see you really got a crush on me
It's serious
I put that hook on you

Yes, this is two songs in one slot. Yes, that's probably cheating. Oh well--they're both about equally great and come from the same group, American duo (though now appearing as three people, the "extra" one being a behind the scenes, writer/producer type, I think) the Audio Club, who have now made two attempts to break out beyond one radio station play hell and don't seem to be going anywhere (though who knows, they apparently did get signed to a big label this past summer, so maybe something's in the works; the appearance of a bunch of their tracks for purchase from their MySpace--great as that is--doesn't seem like a good sign, though, unless most of them won't get used in whatever project they're working on now). I'm kind of sad about that, though--both these singles are pretty good. "Sumthin' Serious" was their first release (from before they actually had a record deal, I think I remember reading) and the goofy rapping, video, and single cover styled them as kind of a comedy group. Even if that's not to your style, though (and it's a song that some people will hate), the Gwen Stefani-mimicking singing by Ashley Alan-Lee provides pure pop hooks that are all sparkles and adorableness and were such pop perfection that I couldn't pass them up.

Second single "Hot, Bangin', Supa, Sexy" (their spelling and punctuation) established (or should have, at least) them as more than just some one-off comedy duo, though; pop with a little bit of dark electro running underneath it, the song kept some of the sense of fun from "Sumthin' Serious" (and also Brooks Buford's jokey raps) but was also a legitimately good-throughout, catchy pop song. The chorus is kind of half-pounding and the song has a great choreographed dance-friendly middle 8.

Hot, Bangin', Supa, Sexy

Find it on: the Audio Club's MySpace (where these and other songs of theirs can be purchased; iTunes also has "Sumthin' Serious")

#50 Elin, "Better With You"

Before you I just found myself in darkness
Know it's crazy
But I know you know the way I feel is true
It's better with you

I think of this as the year's lost teen-pop single. As far as I know, it was never released anywhere beyond Germany, and even there it didn't exactly set the charts on fire, peaking at #74 on the singles chart. That's such a waste, though, as thirteen-year-old Elin released a song that any of your typical Radio Disney popstars would probably score an easy hit (amongst the Disney audience) with; it's a little JoJo-esque as well (maybe a little Stacie Orrico's singles-esque as well?). Maybe the time for this sort of music has just passed, chartwise, but that's a shame. Somehow (and despite the Avril-knockoff clothing style Elin sports in the video), "Better With You" manages to seem fairly classy, despite also being obviously designed for a young singer (though luckily Elin doesn't sound like a "kid" singing). It's got a truly great catchy chorus that I can't believe didn't help the song soar to at least half-decent heights on the charts. Really a great song, and probably deserving of being much higher up in this countdown.

Find it on: Girl Talk

#51 Infernal, "I Won't Be Crying"

I won't be crying when I'm lonely
'Cause I'll be making sure I'll have a good time
Ain't nothing wrong when I'm alone now
'Cause I'm alone and I'm proud

I've never truly become a complete fan of Danish group Infernal. I'm glad they're out there and can't wait to hear the new material they've said they're working on, but I really only have a strong fondness for a couple of their songs. Luckily, when they're "on," they're really on, and "I Won't Be Crying" is one of those cases. It's a hard-hitting dance-pop song (there seems to be a lot of those around this section of the chart, doesn't there?), though this time sampling Depeche Mode so as to create a song designed for miming and gesturing (with lots of big hand gestures--the video's really missing out by not including more of those, though luckily they begin to pick up once we reach the midway point) along to in perfect make believe music video-style fashion. Irresistibly catchy and punchy, it's also got some great attitude going on--an empowerment anthem for the wronged partner in a breakup.

Find it on: From Paris To Berlin