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Now presenting the 100 best songs of 2008, as heard, judged and ranked by one of JPP's reviewers...um, me. Over the next five days, I'll be unrolling the complete list one piece at a time. Today, numbers 100 through 76. Then two more days of 25 apiece, and then 15, before arriving at the top ten. As the numbers get smaller, explanation of why each song was chosen will grow—these get a couple of sentences; the last ten each get two or more paragraphs.

Naturally, as composed by just one man, there's no end to the number of songs I simply never heard this year (including two LPs from this site's own Top 10 album list). But even though I've missed a number of treasures, I'm confident that I came across enough to declare this a substantive collection—at least, in this music fan's opinion. So feel free to tell me what I got right, what I got wrong and what I might have missed out on in the comments section below.

The rules are pretty simple: anything released during this calendar year is eligible with a few small exceptions: no live tracks, nothing from compilation albums and nothing performed by Souljaboy (but that's just common sense). And while the list does skew towards singles/hits, lesser-known cuts from albums ranging from great to terrible were considered as well.

There is one more notable rule that I (perhaps unnecessarily) decided to adopt: in order to "spread the wealth," I only allowed one song per artist, excepting my five personal favorite full-lengths from the year (four of which received the double entries). Maybe that taints the list since it's not exactly my actual favorite five score songs, but it's close enough. Besides, I mourn dropping a lot of tunes that just missed the cut without the added loss caused by convincing myself I needed to make room for a third or fourth TVotR or Deerhunter song. Among the heavyweights that just came up short are Beck, the Decemberists, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Deerhoof and both Paul McCartney and Robert Pollard (via the Fireman and Boston Spaceships); so you can imagine it was a contentious battle. Anyway, on with the countdown:

100. Too Drunk to Dream
by the Magnetic Fields
from Distortion
[Alternative]
Stephen Merritt has never been a consistent songwriter (even the great 69 Love Songs has its fair share of losers), but whether intentional or not, “Too Drunk to Dream” is very funny. Like witnessing an inebriated fellow slurring through an atonal karaoke session, even if you cringe, you can’t stop staring.

99. The Race
by the Heavenly States
from Delayer
[Alternative/Rock]
Despite the presence of violins, pounding keys and Matsuzaki-ish oh-oh-ohhing, this is a pretty straightforward rock song and a fine closer to Delayer. Sort of New Pornographers, sort of latter-era Replacements, sort of all around good.

98. Love Is Noise
by the Verve
from Forth
[Pop/Rock]
Forth was a bit of a surprise in comparison with the Verve’s earlier stuff, and no doubt a letdown as well. But if taken on its own, far from the memories of those brilliant pop tunes from the 90s, “Love Is Noise” will have you nodding along instinctively. Ignorance is bliss, isn’t it?

97. Majesty
by the Music Tapes
from Music Tapes for Clouds and Tornadoes
[Alternative]
Recorded mostly with antique equipment, “Majesty” sounds very unique even as we recognize the patchwork ideas. Strip away the appropriate amount of fuzz and sawdust, and you have a Phil Spector blanket of jingling sparkles. May require a few listens to appreciate, but the effort pays off.

96. In the New Year
by the Walkmen
from You & Me
[Rock]
The Walkmen bounced back after the hugely disappointing A Hundred Miles Off. The woozy “In the New Year” can’t hold a candle to “The Rat,” but Hamilton Leithauser’s vocal performance is so emotional you can’t help but get swept up in the drama—the music promptly follows suit.

95. Crackagen
by Antony & the Johnsons
from Another World EP
[Alternative/Pop]
“Crackagen” is supposedly one of the earliest songs that Antony Hegarty ever wrote, and it shows somewhat. Both musically and lyrically, this one is ripe with melodrama. But unlike the slew of UK pop/rock heavyweights that tried to sell us the syrup of their souls this year, you can believe this one completely.

94. Sacred Peel
by Wetnurse
from Invisible City
[Metal/Hardcore]
Gene Fowler’s insane voice isn’t my cup of tea, but there’s no denying the musical prowess of this song. Circling guitar riffs constantly descending on our nerves and drummer Curran Reynolds’ ability to be both polyrhythmic and thunder-fisted; potent stuff.

93. Sweet Love for Planet Earth
by F--k Buttons
from Street Horrrsing
[Alternative]
This nearly ten-minute track is the kind of song you almost need to lie in bed to appreciate. Beginning with lapping twinkles, the noise builds slowly so that by the time the incomprehensible and incongruous vocals show up buried beneath the static, you’ve already melted under its spell.

92. Tomorrow
by Clinic
from Do It!
[Alternative/Folk/Rock]
Considering how little Clinic has changed over the last eight years, anything remotely different sounds pretty fresh for them. So even though there’s more than a hint of III-era Zeppelin acoustic boogie in “Tomorrow,” it may very well be their most satisfying song since “Come into Our Room.”

91. Tonight the Sky
by Sun Kil Moon
from April
[Rock]
Not many artists can sound like Neil Young and get away with it, but Mark Kozelek (aka, Sun Kil Moon) does, rarely better expressed than “Tonight the Sky,” a track that could stand alongside Young’s epic rockers like “Down by the River” and “Like a Hurricane.” That the comparison is both fair and favorable gives you an idea of how good this song is.

90. I Will Possess Your Heart
by Death Cab for Cutie
from Narrow Stairs
[Alternative/Rock]
The first single from Narrow Stairs was the unnaturally muscular “I Will Possess Your Heart,” replete with an extended rock workout before reaching the meat during the second half. Darker and heavier than most of Death Cab’s earlier successes, it’s an imperfect song but also a stirring one, whether you prefer spending eight minutes with it or just four.

89. Sussa Nita
by James Carter
from Present Tense
[Jazz]
Carter’s horn is one of the most famous in modern jazz, but as powerful as that tenor sax is on “Sussa Nita,” it’s the Spanish guitar that steals the show. When it takes center stage during the second of four acts, it transforms the melody into something akin to a strikingly melancholy tango.

88. Gravity
by the Notwist
from The Devil, You + Me
[Alternative/Electronic]
A mix of electric and electronic, “Gravity” brings space rock echoes back to earth and props the whole thing up with echoing reverb. It’s rare to hear genuine emotion as delivered in something resembling a monotone warble. But for all of its displacement, it’s hard not to really like this song.

87. Hands on Fire
by the Stills
from Oceans Will Rise
[Rock]
“Hands on Fire” might be the year’s best arena-friendly song performed by a band that might have a shot at actually playing in a packed arena (save for opening acts trying to impress a couple hundred folks amidst five thousand still-empty seats). Glossy and agile, that killer three-note hook can’t be denied. [album review]

86. Acid Tongue
by Jenny Lewis
from Acid Tongue
[Alternative/Country]
“To be lonely is a habit like smoking or taking drugs.” Lewis’ lyrics are simple but hit home. On this title track, the stripped-down melody is a traditional country ballad meets mid-70s Fleetwood Mac. It doesn’t hurt that she has one of the most appealing voices in all of popular music, either. [album review]

85. Creator
by Santogold
from Santogold
[Electronic/Dubstep]
You wanted to resist 2007's really catchy “L.E.S. Artistes” since it probably would have been a hit on MTV if they still played music videos, but it was simply too fantastic. The next single released in '08, “Creator,” is almost as good, and further proof that Santogold has a promising future. Better, in fact, than the similar-sounding M.I.A. material from last year.

Edit: Oops. Don't know where I checked my facts, but "L.E.S. Artistes" was released in '08 (not '07 as I reported) and belongs on this list. Sorry, Santi.

84. Street Lights
by Kanye West
from 808s & Heartbreak
[R&B/Hip Hop]
I’m starting to come around a bit on Kanye’s divisive new album; I still don’t like the Auto-Tuning overkill and a few offerings are pretty dreadful (“Robocop,” anyone? How about, “Heartless?”), but the soulful melody of “Street Lights” alone is worth slogging through the lows. [album review]

83. Slapped Actress
by the Hold Steady
from Stay Positive
[Rock]
A strong closer to the mostly solid Stay Positive, it finds room for Westerburg guitars and a Jerry Lee-esque piano gallop (not to mention some love for John Cassavettes). Despite the album’s name, this is a pretty grim little affair, and a fine snapshot of truth to weary road warriors.

82. Albert Camus
by Titus Andronicus
from The Airing of Grievances
[Punk/Alternative]
Titus Andronicus is much more electrifying on stage than in the studio, but “Albert Camus” comes close to bottling that chaos onto tape. A lo-fi melody floats around early on, but it’s surrounded by some truly violent and vivacious guitar and drum sensory assaults. Love it or hate it, it’s tough to forget.

81. Vision’s the First
by High Places
from High Places
[Alternative]
I normally don’t go for these sorts of experimental rhythms and noise collages, but while Person Pitch was tolerable and his Animal Collective usually less than that, this one struck just right. I credit Mary Pearson’s sweet voice; oil against water to the spazz folk arrangement.

80. Discipline
by Nine Inch Nails
from The Slip
[Electronic/Rock]
Trent Reznor’s heavy hitters don’t strike as true lately (“1,000,000” wants to be as seething as Downward Spiral’s best bets, but fumbles the beat), but he can still churn out some good dark disco. “Discipline” keeps things tight with a solid dance groove, leavened by the evocative Fragile-like piano leak that takes over on the home stretch.

79. Don’t You Know?
by caUSE co-MOTION!
From Who’s Gonna Care EP
[Punk/Rock]
This band pretty much just goes at one speed: hyperactive. If this careening pogo-rock number doesn’t wriggle deep under your skin and get you jumping, you probably have no pulse. Can something be both visceral and cathartic? I guess so.

78. Furr
by Blitzen Trapper
from Furr
[Folk/Rock]
It’s hard to believe that a song that sounds like pre-Newport Dylan (with a healthy dose of harmonious 60s UK pop) would describe the transformation of a wolfman. Not a horror tale, mind, but a quietly philosophical one buoyed by the charming melody.

77. Black Mask Men
by Dj Muggs vs. Planet Asia
from Pain Language
[Hip Hop]
Planet Asia is no GZA (and, indeed, Grandmasters was better than Pain Language), but there was no denying “Black Mask Men.” When he boasts, “I put the soul in your stereo/No matter where I go/I'm on a level that you'll never know,” you almost believe him.

76. Nonpareil of Favor
by of Montreal
from Skeletal Lamping
[Alternative/Pop]
Skeletal Lamping had wildly divergent reactions from the group’s fanbase, and it seemed like frontman Kevin Barnes (or should I call him Georgie Fruit?) had gone off the deep end. No song better showcased the clashing madness than “Nonpareil,” which lurched from glam funk to harmonic pop and then into a blaze of oppressive guitar fury. Not for all tastes, but undeniably fascinating. [album review]

Part Two (75-51)

Part Three (50-26)

Part Four (25-11)

Part Five (10-1)