Tynan's Anger

SONGS OF THE DECADE #69

[For more info, read the Ground Rules of The Song of The Decade List]

Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. (2005)




Until Demon Days, it was easy to dismiss Gorillaz as a lark, and their relative success as the result of novelty. However, if there have been any two musicians that have been consistently underestimated over the past 20 years, it would be Damon Albarn and DJ Danger Mouse. The king of Britpop and the King of the Mashup have managed to maintain their respective dignity despite all pressures to the contrary, and on "Feel Good Inc.," they put it all together on a track that emphasized that Gorillaz didn't need cartoon videos to write generation-defining music.

Realizing a good pop hit was impossible in an age when only bad hip-hop would push product, Gorlliaz worked with Danger Mouse's timeliness to use his underestimated talents as a producer of all kinds. The faceless, nameless rappers resembled those of "Clint Eastwood," but relied less on danger and more on an all-inclusive, multi-part pop hit that "Happiness is a Warm Gun" or "Paranoid Android" could never be, despite the desire to make them so. This is a fantastic concert concentrated into three and a half minutes, which, more than the presence of a former Blur member, is probably why it was so freaking universal.

Labels: 2000s, feel good inc, gorillaz, lists, pop music, songs of the decade