The year is 2007. The sun is shining. I’m in Year 9 and skipping school with my bonehead friends to catch the V-Line down to Melbourne to see The Wombats play The Hi-Fi. The Big Day Out is still alive (2007 features Muse, The Killers, The Streets, My Chemical Romance, Peaches, Little Birds, The Presets, Lilly Allen, The Vines, The Drones) and The Doctor was still on triple j.
The most I knew about politics was the catchphrase ‘Kevin 07’. Summer Heights High had just come out on the telly and Margot Robbie was on Neighbours. The White Stripes hadn’t broken up and Saturday mornings were reserved for Video Hits. The only other thing I could use my Nokia phone for besides playing Snake on the bus was a glorified brick. That, and asking my friends if they could ‘send me some credit’ because I’d blasted my last three bucks on a polyphonic ringtone. All in all, life was bloody amazing.
With that in mind, let’s take a walk down memory lane and revisit the absolute golden era that was 2007. Without further ado, here are the greatest songs of 2007.
1. This Heart Attack – Faker
Sure, they only had one hit. But still. WHAT A BLOODY HIT.
2. Song About Ping Pong – Operator Please
There is a distinct lack of songs centred around ping pong in 2018. Operator Please were absolute visionaries in the field of ping-pong-related indie pop. Someone start a GoFundMe to get Operator Please back on a reunion tour; I’ll buy every ticket just to make it happen.
3. Let’s Dance to Joy Division – The Wombats
The last time I listened to this I danced so hard I ripped by freshly purchased Cheap Monday skinny jeans right down the middle. To be fair, they were $30 a pop and were probably definitely too tight for a Year 9 disco.
4. All My Friends – LCD Soundsystem
I have remained friends with approximately zero percent of the people I once listened to this with but I don’t blame LCD Soundsystem.
5. MIA – Paper Planes
To this day, I defy anyone to listen to this and not emphatically gesture along with a series of gun shots and ‘ka-ching!’ hand gestures.
6. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs
The only great thing Kaiser Chiefs ever did was write this chorus, but it’s so loin-shakingly good I’ll forgive them for every other piece of indie pop garbage that ever fell out of them.
7. My People – The Presets
ICONIC.
8. Opinions Won’t Keep You Warm At Night – Kisschasy
Edgy as fuck. The teen angst just comes flooding back with this one.
9. Hearts On Fire – Cut Copy
Remember when synths and guitars was a bold new frontier for triple j? Cut Copy was ahead of their time.
10. Lines on Palms – Josh Pyke
Just a delicious slice of Australian songwriting, really.
11. Wild Strawberries – PNAU
I’d pick ’em then, and I’d pick ’em now.
12. Thanks fr the Mmrs
Even though they weren’t so great.
13. Rehab – Amy Winehouse
Actually, genuinely, good – and not in an ironic way. For that, it places last in this otherwise ridiculous list.
