20. Santigold - "L.E.S. Artistes" (Santogold)
It's still played quite regularly on BBC6 and I still find it irresistible.
19. Devotchka - "The Clockwise Witness" (A Mad And Faithful Telling)
The kind of indie folk that was very fashionable at the time and was always welcome to these ears.
18. Sigur Ros - "Illgresi" (Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust)
Sometimes a guitar and a voice are all it takes to make a great song. When the voice belongs to Jónsi and the melody is this beautiful, you have just that.
17. Lightspeed Champion - "Galaxy of the Lost" (Falling Off the Lavender Bridge)
The multi-talented Dev Hynes showing off his pop sensibilities in this beautiful and hook-filled song.
16. Death Cab For Cutie - "I Will Possess Your Heart" (Narrow Stairs)
This isn't a song for the impatient. That LONG intro is arguably the best thing about it, and Ben Gibbard sounds pretty convincing when he utters the title lyric.
15. Yeasayer - "2080" (All Hour Cymbals)
Their first single definitely left a lasting impression on me. Those beautiful waves of clean guitars always get me.
14. TV on the Radio - "Golden Age" (Dear Science)
Dear Science was one of my favourite albums of that year. Not easy to pick individual songs from it, but this was a fantastic single.
13. Goldfrapp - "Clowns" (Seventh Tree)
Leave it to Goldfrapp to make a song about plastic surgery sound utterly heavenly. One of her most beautiful.
12. Hot Chip - "Ready for the Floor" (Made in the Dark)
Made in the Dark was a pretty good follow-up to The Warning but this banger and the slow, sublime title track stood out.
11. Mono In VCF - "Spider Rotation" (Mono In VCF)
This Washington-based quintet left behind only one album of gorgeous cinematic songs. We loved it to bits and this was my favourite song from it.
10. Calexico - "Man Made Lake" (Carried to Dust)
This is slightly more dramatic and electric guitar-featuring than the average Calexico song, but it's equally great to their classics. Plus I really love Joey Burns' voice on it.
9. Paavoharju - "Pimeänkarkelo" (Laulu Laakson Kukista)
Sounds like a haunted music box playing in a hazy dream, with static and operatic voices weaving in and out of the mix. Not the first time I'm posting this wonderful thing and definitely not the last one either.
8. M83 - "Skin of the Night" (Saturdays = Youth)
The night was a popular subject in '80s pop and this song has that era's synthetic, decadent beauty down to a T, perfectly captured and updated for the '00s.
7. Tindersticks - "Yesterdays Tomorrows" (The Hungry Saw)
Being one of my favourite bands, the 'Sticks are never too far away from any of my lists. This is one of the best songs from their comeback album, one that gets lodged in my head for days every time.
6. Deerhunter - "Agoraphobia" (Microcastle)
From an album with several amazing songs and full of catchy guitar hooks, this is probably as radio-friendly as Deerhunter get.
5. Elbow - "Mirrorball" (The Seldom Seen Kid)
One Day Like This might be the more popular choice for wedding playlists, but this was on mine. A song I could, and still can, definitely relate to.
4. Dungen - "Fredag" (4)
My favourite Swedes offer us this fantastic instrumental slice of psych-jazz-rock, which perfectly captures the sweet feeling of, well, a Friday. Their use of the piano is key, as is the case in most of their great songs.
3. Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos" (single)
Classic case of "why on earth isn't their best song on their debut album?" (to me at least). By far the best thing ever written inspired by the (in)famous Greek island.
2. Portishead - "The Rip" (Third)
This song alone was worth the 11-year wait for Third. The way they pair the mechanical with the human is showcased all over the album, but this is an incredible song even when the mechanical is taken away.
1. Beach House - "Gila" (Devotion)
This hypnotic little world of a song is still unbeatable to these ears when it comes to 2008, and still my favourite Beach House song. Is it the keys, the guitar, the voice? Not sure, but it never fails to entrance me.
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