2005: #4 - "Ocean Breathes Salty"

Not sure why a mid-tempo, annoyingly pseudo-intellectual alt-rock song from an aging major label "indie" rock band makes our list at #4? We were skeptical at first, too, but when we re-listened to this track after a few years, we couldn't help but be charmed by its hokey philosophical bent and its half-hearted seriousness. It was kind of like an over-earnest "Once In A Lifetime", but not as good.

Then again, it's not like we really care - does Lady Gaga have anything truly important to say? So what "Ocean Breathes Salty" boiled down to, for us, was a pretty catchy tune with an interesting rhythm and arrangement that just happened to be on modern rock stations and not the Top 40.