This is a new feature I'm trying out. It was inspired by I believe Stereogum. It's where I list what I believe are the top ten best songs by a particular artist. And before we get started, this is my opinion. These are not only what I think are the best songs by a particular band or singer or rapper or whatever, but are also often my favorite too. Keep that in mind. Agree to disagree from the beginning and you'll enjoy yourself more. So here we go, The Strokes.
10. "Soma" from Is This It
Number 10 was very hard to pick. It was either this or "Reptilla." Plus I was tempted to add something, anything from Comedown Machine, a record that isn't actually terrible. But I had to go with "Soma" since it's the song I most associate with really launching the whole Strokes for me. Coupled with "Is This It", it announced the Strokes have arrived.
9. "Two Kinds of Happiness" from Angles
I just love Julian Casablancas vocal performance on this song. It just is all over the place, and shows some interesting range. Plus the arrangement is kinda hot mess, emphasis on hot.
8. "The End Has No End" from Room On Fire
Hello! This song is the best. Hello! And how the song builds up to the explosion of the latter half with Julian sounding awfully angry, goodness gracious.
7. "Someday" from Is This It
The song is a little bit of a heartbreaker, seeping with melancholy. Oh and it's amazing too.
6. "Automatic Stop" from Room On Fire
Maybe the best guitar riff on any Strokes song ever. And that's saying a lot.
5. "Hard To Explain from Is This It
In many ways I find this song and "Someday" the ultimate Strokes couplet. Together they basically sum up everything about the Strokes you could ever really need. Peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter and chocolate. Peanut butter and banana.
4. "12:51" from Room On Fire
People who complain about Room On Fire being just more of the same, are you happy now? We haven't gotten a true Strokes like Strokes album since. But they aren't all wrong. The one song on the album that you can deem "experimental" and "different" is also the album's best.
3. "Under Cover of Darkness" from Angles
Angles is kinda underrated, and so is this song, a true classic that stands among The Strokes' best. It's an unpopular opinion but this song is better than anything on Room On Fire and most of Is This It.
2. "Last Night" from Is This It
Obligatory. This is the Strokes song everyone and their mom knows. And for good reason, it's fantastic. Number one party anthem.
1. "You Only Live Once" from First Impressions of Earth
It's strange that the best Strokes song ever made, and it really isn't even close, is off their junior album, the one where things started falling apart. The album is a bag of loose marbles, but somehow, someway, they made this gem.