Our No. 1 songs: 2005

Summary

All Songs Considered: Our No. 1 Songs—2005

Podcast: All Songs Considered (NPR)
Episode Date: August 21, 2025
Host: Robin Hilton
Guest: Stephen Thompson

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Overview

In celebration of the show’s 25th anniversary, hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson revisit 2005, picking their number one songs and reminiscing about some of the defining music and cultural shifts of the year. The episode dives deep into the emotional resonance of certain tracks, the impact of the early internet music era, and the ways that songs from 2005 have endured—or changed meaning—over time. The banter, full of humor and nostalgia, recalls the power of music discovery and the unique musical landscape of the mid-2000s.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. 2005: A “Big Year” in Music

• Format: Robin kicks off by explaining the mini-series theme—revisiting each year since the podcast launched and picking a top song for each ([00:41]).
• Stephen Thompson: New Music Friday and Pop Culture Happy Hour host joins Robin for the 2005 recap.

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2. Stephen’s No. 1 Song: The Mountain Goats – “This Year”

• Personal Impact:
  • Stephen calls “This Year” a song that has “lost nothing in the process” ([01:14]) and remains eternally relatable.
  • Quote ([02:45]):
    “This is a song that remains 100% relatable no matter where you are in your life. Even though the song is recounting this kind of this big, tragic teenage drama, the emotions in this song remain completely timeless. And it's amazing how many seemingly unendurable life events are made better by the presence of this song.”
  • Emotional resonance and catharsis for listeners at Mountain Goats concerts.
• Community Significance:
  • Robin notes listener responses—this song always comes up as a go-to for getting through tough times ([03:25]).

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3. Robin’s Picks: From Spoon to LCD Soundsystem

A Nod to Spoon

• Robin reminisces about Spoon’s Gimme Fiction album, especially “I Turn My Camera On," calling it “easily my favorite album of 2005” ([04:10]), though not his No. 1 song pick.

Top Pick: LCD Soundsystem – “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House”

• Cultural Impact:
  • Robin describes this as the “ultimate party song,” emblematic of musical change and experimentation of the early 2000s ([05:15]).
  • Quote ([05:15]):
    “When LCD Soundsystem burst onto the scene with this song… it was everywhere. It was incredible.”
• Contrast in Taste:
  • Stephen reflects LCD was “a little too cool for where my headspace was”—preferring more emotionally intense music at the time ([05:41]).
  • Quote ([06:18]):
    “This song is having a better time than I was in 2005, but a complete jam.”

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4. More 2005 Standouts and Deep Cuts

Stars – “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead”

• Stephen picks Stars’ “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” as “one of the best breakup songs ever written” ([09:14 - 09:59]).

  • The song’s structure, trading verses between Torquil Campbell and Amy Milan, offers a nuanced character sketch and emotional arc ([10:44]).
  • Quote ([10:44]):
    “This song aches in such a beautiful way. And as that song kind of blooms, there’s this point in the song where their voices come together…”

• Personal Context:

  • Stephen candidly shares his difficult 2005, discussing unemployment after leaving The Onion and life transitions ([11:49]).

Reflecting on More 2005 Albums

• Brief mentions of other landmark albums:
  • Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
    • “Illinois came out that year.” ([12:26])
  • Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine
    • Robin: “Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine came out that year.” ([12:56])
    • Stephen: “Talk about phenomenal albums.” ([12:59])

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5. Blogs & Music Discovery: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – “Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood”

• Robin spotlights Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and their breakthrough via music blogs ([15:24]).
• Quote ([15:35]):
  • “This was such a huge example of how music blogs reshaped the way people discover new music. Clap your hands say yeah really blew up on blogs… all of a sudden the whole nature of music gatekeeping was really shifting in the early to mid aughts... this band that didn’t necessarily have this huge label apparatus behind them was still able to blow up and find an audience.”
• The band’s self-titled debut is called a “tidal wave of young blood” ([15:24])—a musical and cultural signpost for DIY and internet discovery.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Robin’s dry humor:
  • “[03:25] Well, we've talked about this before on the show. You know, whenever we do a call out to listeners to tell us about a song that, you know, like, either lifts them up or gets them through. This song always comes up.”
• Stephen’s frankness on nostalgia:
  • “[11:49] 2005. Man, I was unemployed … and was not my best self. And several of these songs from this era really, really helped me.”
• On music’s emotional utility:
  • “[02:45] This song has helped a lot of people… it's very cathartic.”
• On the blog era’s impact:
  • “[15:35] ... all of a sudden the whole nature of music gatekeeping was really shifting in the early to mid aughts..."

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:41 — Overview of the year-by-year retrospective series
• 01:14 — Stephen picks The Mountain Goats – “This Year”
• 04:10 — Robin reminisces about Spoon’s Gimme Fiction
• 05:15 — Robin’s top pick: LCD Soundsystem – “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House”
• 09:14 — Stephen on Stars – “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead”
• 12:26 — Mentions of Sufjan Stevens’ Illinois and Fiona Apple’s Extraordinary Machine
• 15:24 — Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – “Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood” and discussion of early blog-era discovery

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Recap: The Emotional & Cultural Heart of 2005

Robin and Stephen’s warm, reflective conversation captures how 2005 was a turning point—for both indie music and the ways listeners discovered and related to songs. Hits like “This Year,” “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House,” and “Your Ex-Lover Is Dead” encapsulated the catharsis, celebration, and reinvention of the era, while blog-driven discoveries like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah hinted at the seismic changes ahead for music fandom.

Closing quote ([16:11], Stephen):
“...the whole nature of music gatekeeping was really shifting in the early to mid aughts and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were kind of a beneficiary… able to blow up and find an audience.”

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For any listener seeking a snapshot of 2005’s musical landscape—or insights into how songs become lifelines and cultural landmarks—this episode is a rich, funny, and heartfelt guide.

Transcript

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[Robin Hilton]

It's All Songs considered. And we're celebrating our 25th anniversary.

[Stephen Thompson]

Woo, woo, woo.

[Robin Hilton]

This is where you. I really thought I'd get a big round of applause or something from you there.

[Stephen Thompson]

Was I supposed to. I didn't realize. You need to tell me when I'm supposed to stand and cheer. Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Hold a sign that says applause, please. Enjoy the show Now, Stephen Thompson here hosted New Music Friday. You may know him from Pop Culture Happy Hour. Welcome.

[Stephen Thompson]

Hello, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

So here's what we're doing all this spring and summer. We closed out our regular Tuesday episodes by talking about our number one songs from the past 25 years. We did a different year at the end of each episode. We talked about every year from 2000 to 2024. That's 25 years, if you can do the math there, Stephen. Now we're expanding those segments a bit. We're offering them as standalone episodes, a little easier for people to hear and we can talk about and play a bit more stuff. We're up to 2005 now. We just had the first five years. Now we're doing 2005. What do you want to start with?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, I'm going to kick us off with a song that has gotten me through a lot of different years and lost nothing in the process.

[Robin Hilton]

What's the Mountain Goats.

[Stephen Thompson]

Very good.

[Robin Hilton]

I can't believe this is 20 years old.

[Stephen Thompson]

I know, right?

[Song Lyrics]

I broke free on a Saturday morning I put the pedal to the floor Headed north on Mills Avenue and listen to the engine roar My broken house behind me and good things ahead A girl named Kathy wants a little of my time Six cylinders underneath the hood crashing and kicking Ah, listen to the engine whine I am gonna through this year if it kills me.

[Robin Hilton]

Referencing the name of the song in that line this year by the Mountain Goats. Yeah, I know this one well.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. This is a song that has lost nothing.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

This is a song that remains 100% relatable no matter where you are in your life. Even though the song is recounting this kind of this big, tragic teenage drama, the emotions in this song remains completely timeless. And it's amazing how many seemingly unendurable life events are made better by the presence of this song. This song has helped a lot of people. If you've ever seen the Mountain Goats in concert and they get to this song. You will get a sense of how much this song means to Mountain Goats fans by how everyone in the room will shriek this song and shriek basically every word of this song. It's very cathartic.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, we've talked about this before on the show. You know, whenever we do a call out to listeners to tell us about a song that, you know, like, either lifts them up or gets them through. This song always comes up. Such a great pick, but I'm gonna play something completely different. I have to say, first thing I think of when I think of 2005 is maybe this.

[Stephen Thompson]

I turn my camera on.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah, Spoon.

[Stephen Thompson]

Spoon. I'm like, I knew the words to the song before I knew the band.

[Robin Hilton]

This album from Spoon, Gimme Fiction that came out, oh my God, I listened to it so much in 2005. Easily my favorite album of 2005. But it's not going to be my number one song pick for 2005. I know I'm kind of cheating here. I'm trying to get as much in as possible. This is going to be my pick for 2005, and I bet you'll know it right away.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay.

[Song Lyrics]

The punk is playing at my house my house I'll show you the ropes Kids show you the ropes.

I got.

A bus and a trailer at my house, my house I'll show you the ropes Kit show you the ropes.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, my gosh. When we take a walk down memory lane and think about how music was changing and all the wild stuff we were hearing coming out in the early 2000s when LCD sound system burst onto the scene with this song. Daft Punk is Playing My House from their self titled debut album in 2005. It was the ultimate party song. It was everywhere. It was incredible.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's so funny. I talked about this year being the perfect song at the perfect time for me. LCD sound system was a little too cool for where my headspace was.

[Robin Hilton]

You sound like maybe you were in a different space.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was very much in like, give me some strings to reflect my sadness.

[Robin Hilton]

It wasn't this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Song. This song is having a better time than I was in 2005, but a complete jam.

[Song Lyrics]

Well, everybody's lined up my house, my house and Sarah's girlfriend is working the door Got everybody's PA in my house, my house all the robots I saw descend from the bus.

[Robin Hilton]

So let's do this, let's take a quick break and when we come back, we can run through some of the other music that takes us back to 2005.

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[Robin Hilton]

All right, you're going to hear this a lot as we move through the years. And that's the fact that there's way more stuff than we could ever play on a single show. But what's something else that takes you back to 2005 specifically?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, I'm going to follow your Fun Party jam with one of the best breakup songs ever written.

[Robin Hilton]

Stars. Mm, well, set yourself on fire, isn't it?

[Stephen Thompson]

The song is called you'd Ex Lover is Dead.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, right, right, right. We played this on All Songs Considered. I remember when it came out.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, that's because you have ears.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, it's not like this song was everywhere, right?

[Stephen Thompson]

No, but one of the best songs of the 2000s.

[Song Lyrics]

God, that was strange to see you again Introduced by a friend of a friend Smiled and said yes, I think we've met before in that instant it started to pour Captured a taxi despite all the Rain we drove in silence across Pens Champlain and all of the. That time you thought I was sad I was trying to remember your name.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, yeah. I'm so glad you brought this one up. This is one I had not thought of in a long, long time.

[Stephen Thompson]

This song aches in such a beautiful way. And it's like a character sketch of these two people because we played the first verse, which is Torquil Campbell. And then Amy Milan, the other singer and stars, kind of takes over and they're kind of taking turns and he's posturing and he's such a jerk, and she just has so much more perspective than he does. And as that song kind of blooms, there's this point in the song where their voices come together, but time and.

[Song Lyrics]

A face that you.

Feel it and you couldn't choose.

[Stephen Thompson]

Have you ever been through anything?

[Robin Hilton]

No. Have you ever just everything works out for me I don't know what it is. I've experienced no sorrow have you ever.

[Stephen Thompson]

Stared at a hurdle this sorrow?

[Robin Hilton]

Sure. But I don't think in 2005, you clearly were going through some sort of breakup or something. I don't know. But we were having very different years in 2005.

[Stephen Thompson]

2005. Man, I was unemployed in 2000. I left my long running job at the end of 2004.

[Robin Hilton]

At the Onion.

[Stephen Thompson]

At the Onion. You know, And I also just was not making a bunch of great decisions in my life in general and was not my best self. And several of these songs from this era really, really helped me.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, like with all of these years that we're looking at, as we look back at 25 years of all songs considered, there's about a billion other songs that we could play.

[Stephen Thompson]

We haven't even talked about the Sufyan Stevens records.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I was gonna say Illinois came out that year.

[Song Lyrics]

Oh, great intentions. I've got the best of interventions but when the ads go, I think.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine came out that year.

[Stephen Thompson]

Talk about phenomenal albums.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, my gosh.

[Song Lyrics]

I certainly haven't been shopping for any new shoes and I certainly haven't been spreading myself around I still only travel by foot and by foot it's a slow climb But I'm good at being uncomfortable so I can't stop changing all the time I notice that my opponent is always on the go and won't go slow so's not to focus and I notice he'll let you ride with any guide as long as they go fast from whence he came but he's no good at being uncomfortable. So we can't stop staying exactly the same.

[Robin Hilton]

Such a huge year. But if you want to talk about songs that made you feel better and feel great, I'm going to go with this one. You got it yet?

[Song Lyrics]

Now that everybody's here, when we face.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, I know what this is. Clap your hands say yeah yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Clap your hands say yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was like, it's not David Byrne.

[Song Lyrics]

There are things we can control.

When.

We become less than human. There are people who say why oh why now? There are other ways to do.

[Robin Hilton]

This was the first record that clap your hands say yeah. The self titled record from Clap your hands say yeah. Upon this tidal wave of young Blood. It was the track that closed out that album.

[Stephen Thompson]

This was such a huge example of how music blogs reshaped the way people discover new music. Clap your hands say yeah. Really blew up on blogs. You know, you like download an MP3 and you know, like all of a sudden the whole nature of music gatekeeping was really shifting in the early to mid aughts and clap your hands say yeah. We're kind of a, we're a beneficiary of that where like this band that didn't necessarily have this huge label apparatus behind them was still able to blow up and find an audience.

[Robin Hilton]

So that was the self titled album from Clap youp Hands say yeah. And the song they closed with upon this title, Wave of Young Blood. So much we could talk about. But we'll go out on this and until next time, thanks, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thank you, Robert.

[Robin Hilton]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's all songs considered.

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