Our No. 1 songs: 2007

Summary

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All Songs Considered – "Our No. 1 Songs: 2007"

September 1, 2025
Hosts: Robin Hilton, Stephen Thompson

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Episode Overview

This episode celebrates the 25th anniversary of NPR’s flagship music podcast, All Songs Considered, by focusing on the landmark songs of 2007. Hosts Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson reminisce about the year’s best tracks, their personal favorites, and the musical zeitgeist of that period, with an emphasis on the indie pop and rock that defined the era.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Soundtrack of 2007

• Indie Pop/Rock Peak:
  Robin sets the scene for 2007 as a heyday for indie pop and rock, describing it as “kinda in its heyday” (00:25).
• Choosing the No. 1 Song:
  Stephen introduces his top 2007 pick as “the sound of so much of what was around,” citing its representative nature of the era (00:48).

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2. Feist – "I Feel It All"

[01:01 – 03:10]

• Emotional Resonance:
  The opening pick is Feist’s "I Feel It All." Robin gets “a little choked up” and calls it “just so perfect” (02:09).
• Feist’s Output:
  Stephen bemoans Feist’s sporadic album releases:

  “There are some artists you wish they put out records a little more often … Feist springs immediately to mind.” (02:20)

• Quality Over Quantity:
  Both discuss how Feist’s consistently flawless releases are worth the wait.
• Notable Quote:

  Robin: “It’s flawless. Absolutely flawless.” (02:42)

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3. MGMT – "Time to Pretend"

[03:25 – 06:29]

• A Defining Track:
  Robin shifts to MGMT's "Time to Pretend," calling it “one of those songs … it's got such a hooky little synth line. The beat's killer.” (05:38)
• Underlying Sadness:
  Despite its upbeat sound, both hosts note how heartbreakingly sad the song is:

  Robin: “It's such a sad story … chasing fame and your life falling apart.” (05:38)

• Generational Nostalgia:
  Robin highlights the lyric about missing childhood innocence (06:06), and Stephen considers the song the soundtrack to a 2007 period piece:

  “If you were making a movie … this is your opening credits, right?” (06:29)

• Trends in Indie Pop:
  Stephen connects MGMT to the wave of “busy pop” bands like Matt & Kim and Peter, Bjorn and John, songs “engineered … maximally enjoyable.” (06:29)

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4. Scandinavian Music’s Big Moment

[09:35 – 12:18]

• Peter Bjorn and John – "Young Folks":
  Robin “cheats” by including this 2006 release due to its continued popularity:

  "I listened to this album non stop all through 2007." (09:43)

• Sweden’s Musical Exports:
  The hosts marvel at the surge of Swedish talent:

  Robin: “There was so much incredible music coming out of Sweden… So many.” (11:49)

• Band Roll Call:
  They mention The Concretes, The Knife, and Loney Dear, reflecting on the country’s indie boom.

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5. Canadian Gems

[12:32 – 14:02]

• The Weakerthans – "Tournament of Hearts": Stephen: “One of the most Canadian songs outside of Bob and Doug McKenzie.” (12:36)
  • Robin and Stephen reminisce about the band’s ability to convey a sense of place.
  • Stephen praises songwriter John K. Samson:

    “One of the great unheralded songwriters of the 21st century.” (13:23)

  • For Stephen, this track transports him “to a bar in Canada,” evoking both nostalgia and comfort.

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6. Panda Bear – "Comfy in Nautica"

[14:55 – 16:23]

• Iconic Experimentation:
  Robin calls this “absolutely incredible” (16:01) and notes how Panda Bear had been around for a while, but this was a breakout moment.
• The Essence of NPR Music:
  Stephen:

  “This particular song is just weapons grade All Songs Considered … distilled to its essence in 2007.” (16:14)

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7. Yearly Trends & Reflections

• 2007 marked “such a big time for indie pop and rock on the show and in general,” Robin concludes (16:23).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Robin, on Feist:

  “I wonder how much more gas is left.” (02:42)

• Stephen, on Feist never phoning it in:

  “Does not start phoning it in on Multitude.” (03:05)

• Robin, on MGMT’s bittersweetness:

  “It just crushes me.” (06:25)

• Stephen, on 2007 sound:

  “Songs that are extremely fussed over and engineered in such a way that they are maximally enjoyable.” (06:29)

• About Swedish indie:

  Robin: “That was like a gold [rush] … so many great bands from Canada and from Sweden.” (11:49)

• Stephen, on The Weakerthans:

  “John K. Samson is one of the great unheralded songwriters of the 21st century.” (13:23)

• Stephen, on “Comfy in Nautica”:

  “This is just All Songs Considered, distilled to its essence in 2007.” (16:14)

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Timestamps for Key Songs & Segments

• Feist – "I Feel It All": [01:01 – 03:10]
• MGMT – "Time to Pretend": [03:25 – 07:10]
• Peter Bjorn and John – "Young Folks": [10:35 – 11:11]
• Loney Dear – "Sinister in a State of Hope": [11:18 – 11:49]
• The Weakerthans – "Tournament of Hearts": [12:40 – 14:18]
• Panda Bear – "Comfy in Nautica": [14:55 – 16:23]

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Closing

The hosts wrap up with reflections on the importance of 2007 in shaping indie pop culture and tease their next episode, which will focus on 2008.

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Episode Flow:
Warm, insightful, and conversational, this episode is packed with nostalgia, music recommendations, and inside stories about All Songs Considered’s enduring love affair with indie pop and rock.

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Transcript

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[Robin Hilton]

It's all songs considered from Impure Music. I'm Robin Hilton. Stephen Thompson here. Welcome back, Stephen.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thanks for having me, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

So we're talking about our number one songs from the past quarter century of the show, all songs considered turned 25 years old this year. This week, we're doing the songs that take us back to 2007. So much indie pop and rock from that year. It was kind of in its heyday, in the first part of the 2000s or so. But, Stephen, how do you want to start?

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, I'm just gonna kick it off with a song that, to me, embodies the year 2007. Just the sound of so much of what was around. And also just one of the straight up best songs of the year.

[Robin Hilton]

Feist. I feel it.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

I feel it all I feel it all I feel it all I feel it all the wings are wide the wings are wide Wild card inside Wild card inside O I'll be the one who break my heart I'll be the one to hold the gun I know more than I knew before I know more than I knew before I didn't, I didn't stop.

[Robin Hilton]

I'm actually getting a little choked up. Listen to this. It takes me back and it is just so perfect. Oh, this is from the Reminder.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, there are some artists you wish they put out records a little more often, but they'll put out an album every five to eight years. Feist springs immediately to mind. Fiona Apple springs immediately to mind where I sit there and I think, like, aw, man, they only have five or six albums over the course of 25 years, and I can't think of a bad song on one of those albums.

[Robin Hilton]

So this was 2007. Then she had medals, like, four years later in 2011. Then it was another six years. We got pleasure, but she just had multitudes a couple years ago in 20. And it's flawless. Absolutely flawless. You're like, okay, well, she's been doing this for 25 years or so now. I mean, I wonder how much more gas is left.

[Stephen Thompson]

When is she gonna start phoning it in? Does not start phoning it in on multitud.

[Robin Hilton]

Gum.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

Stream through the open door Fly away, fly away what you wanna make?

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I've mentioned this several times as we've been Going through these decades that we did a version of this show for our 16th anniversary. And on that 2016 show, the number one song we picked was Radiohead's Body Snatchers. But I'm gonna go with this one. And I bet you're gonna know it pretty quickly, at least when the synth line kicks in.

[Stephen Thompson]

Totally. Is this mgmt? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling wrong in the time of my life. Let's make some music, make some money Find some models for wives. I'll look to parachute some heroin and fuck with the stars. You and my island and the cocaine and the elegant cars. This is our decision to live fast and die young. We got the vision, now let's have some fun. Yeah, it's overwhelming. What else can we do? Get jobs at offices and wake up for the morning. Forget about our mothers and our friends.

[Robin Hilton]

Talk about getting choked up. This is one of those songs, you know, it's got such a hooky little synth line. The beat's killer. But this song is so heartbreaking to me. It's such a sad story. Song of chasing fame and your life falling apart in the process. But, you know, there's this moment where he talks about how he's going to miss his sister and his father and his dog and his home and missing boredom.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

I miss the comfort of my mother and the weight of the world. I miss my sister, miss my father, miss my dog in my home.

[Robin Hilton]

You know, all these sweet, innocent things of his youth. Oh, and it just crushes me.

[Stephen Thompson]

I love a deceptively sad song. Yeah. And, boy, if you were making a movie, if you were making a period piece set in the year 2007, this is your opening credits, right? You know, you want to set the scene for exactly what 2007 in music felt like. I mean, the feist song. Yeah, no, that's all Fall into that, too. But this is kind of also picking up, like, that era of songs where you've got, like, Matt and Kim and Peter, Bjorn and John, where there's just like, a certain busy pop where it's just like songs that are extremely fussed over and engineered in such a way that they are maximally enjoyable.

[Robin Hilton]

Do you think that song sounds like they fussed over it? Maybe they did. I don't know.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think it's like they're like studio rats, you know, who like, layered all these sounds to create something that would feel effortless.

[Robin Hilton]

Let's take a break here and we'll talk about some of the other stuff we remember most from 2007 when we come back.

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[Robin Hilton]

Our number one songs from each of these years, but we're always slipping in some others because there's just so many. And you mentioned Peter bjorn.

[Stephen Thompson]

Are they 2007?

[Robin Hilton]

Well no, I mean technically 2006, but we didn't do it when we did 2006. And I feel like I listened to this album non stop all through 2007. So I'm doing kind of a cheat here. The album Writer's Block from Peter, Bjorn and John and in particular this song.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh man.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

If I told you things I did before Told you how I used to be Would you go along with someone like me? If you a story word for word had all my history Would you go along with someone like me.

[Robin Hilton]

Young folks from Peter, Bjorn and John from the album Writer's Block. Talk about getting your its hooks into you. That just that little whistled line when.

[Stephen Thompson]

It else was 2007. Do you remember Loney Dear?

[Robin Hilton]

Oh totally. And that song, what was it? Sinister in a stage State of Hope.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

Sinister in a state of hope Summer night Bring me cold so we are in half fun. In a flash. In a flash.

[Robin Hilton]

There was so much incredible music coming out of Sweden. Peter Bjorn and John were from Sweden. Loni Deer was from Sweden. The Concretes. Do you remember them? They were from Sweden. So many. The Knife.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, sure.

[Robin Hilton]

So many incredible bands. That was like a gold. There were so many great bands coming from Canada and from Sweden, like, all around that same time.

[Stephen Thompson]

I just imagine every single one of those bands playing our NPR showcase at south by Southwest.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. Because a lot of them did.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Ended up doing that. That was also what was happening around this time. There's another really big one from 2007 that I want to. You should play something else, because I want to see if you end up picking this.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, I don't know. I'm just gonna go with the pick. That's like, hey, you know what's a song I love.

[Robin Hilton]

When you think of 2007 because you mentioned Canada.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm gonna pick one of the most Canadian songs outside of Bob and Doug McKenzie.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

Now the lounge is full of farmers for the 7:30 drop.

[Robin Hilton]

I know I'm having a senior moment. I can't. I can't get it. When they pull the 5050 and I've lost again.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

I'll go, maybe have one more brown.

[Robin Hilton]

One for the snow.

[Stephen Thompson]

Weaker Thans.

[Robin Hilton]

Ah, yeah. Oh, my God. The Weaker Thans. I love that band so much at the time. Oh, my God. Plea from a Cat Named Virt.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, my God. That song just destroyed me when that came out.

[Stephen Thompson]

John K. Sampson is one of the most. Is one of the great unheralded songwriters of the 21st century. I want more music from that guy. I feel like it's been a while. But the Weaker Thans were such a. Such a terrific band. And again, like you mentioned. You mentioned the experience of, like, suddenly you're immersed in the culture of Sweden, you know, just. Just being able to steep yourself in the sounds of a place that you're not from. This song to me, just transports me to a bar in Canada. And I don't know if you said.

[Robin Hilton]

The name of the song and what it's for.

[Stephen Thompson]

This song, Tournament of Hearts. And, you know, I grew up in rural Wisconsin. In a strange way, it feels like home.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, we'll do one more from 2007, and this is the one that I thought you might pick because it was also just such a big song for 2007.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

Yeah. Oh, my gosh.

[Robin Hilton]

Honestly, how. How did you get this job?

[Stephen Thompson]

I know this song really, really well. It's not animal collectible.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, Panda Bear.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay.

[Robin Hilton]

Panda Bear Comfyonautica. Oh, there it is.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

It is what you want to when it won't just get to go far. You try to remember always, always to have a good night. Good night, Good night. Good night. Good night, Good night, Good night, Good night, Good night, Good night. Good night, Good night.

[Robin Hilton]

So this was not his first solo album as Panda Bear by far, but it was the one that really sort of blew up for him. This song, absolutely incredible. Now, Panda Bear's back this year, another really good record.

[Stephen Thompson]

But this particular song is just weapons grade. All Songs Considered this is just All Songs Considered, distilled to its essence in 2007.

[Robin Hilton]

It really is. Well, like I said, I kind of figured this out episode would go pretty heavy on indie pop and rock. It was such a big time for indie pop and rock on the show and in general, I think. But we'll go out on this. And Stephen, I'll see you again next week when we do the year 2008.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thank you, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

For NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

[Song Lyrics / Music]

Sam.

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