This post was submitted by Rocky

So… I did not know this before I started putting this latest mix together, but it turns out that my favorite song of the ’00s is “Your Ex-Lover is Dead” by Stars. Weird, right?

But I guess not, since it’s a beautiful song that makes me tear up a little every time. I swear to God it’s like cutting an onion; it’s involuntary. The last ten years of my love life can be most aptly described as… stupid, really, and this song manages to twist its melancholy little knife in all the right places. “And all of that time you thought I was sad? I was trying to remember you and me.” Well, that’s the saddest thing of all, isn’t it? Anyway, this afternoon while I was once again holding back tears at my desk (and ironically eating onion rings…), it suddenly occurred to me why I really love it: it’s a sad song about a breakup, but really it’s about getting over it and moving the fuck on. (Which, yes, obviously, but I have a point. I promise.) You see, once that ball drops next Friday night, that is exactly what my plan is. To live through this and not look back, and to just be a little better and braver and more creative in the years to come, because, seriously, you guys? Fuck 2009 and fuck the 2000′s. All ten of them. As Stars would say, “I’m not sorry I met you. I’m not sorry it’s over. I’m not sorry there’s nothing to say…” There were some nice moments. I have cool friends. But for the most part, I’m like “What’s next?” Amirite, folks?

Anyway, just thought I’d share…

But before we all throw our middle fingers up into the rear-view and drive off into this exciting new decade, we thought it might be nice for our last new post of the year to revisit some of the decade’s most beautiful, most interesting, most affecting songs, as chosen by… well, me. The ’00s get a lot of shit for being the decade when we as a culture held talent and inventiveness and originality at bay with pitchforks and flaming bags of poo. But, fortunately, there were a few songs that were able to slip through, and here are 25 of them for your enjoyment. Some are happy, some are sad, and some are – gasp! – covers, but to me they all share the musical fearlessness, the lyrical honesty and the emotional intelligence that defined the best art of this cookie-cutter, feckless, CGI’d, vocodered horror show of a decade. Also, since we here at TNG like to consider ourselves pretty fearless and honest and original (often to our detriment), we thought a few good tunes would be a pretty fitting end to our crazy year.

That said, here is a quick, but important programming note! TNG will be dark tomorrow and Xmas Day, as well as on New Year’s Eve and Day. Next Monday through Wednesday, stop on by and check out the best of TNG 2k9, where we will relive all of our favorite posts from the last year. We’ll resume our normal schedule on Monday, January 4 (with a few exciting surprises)! Stay tuned!

Until then, everybody! And from all of us here at TNG, a tip of the hat to all of you who come check us out day after day, who contribute your lovely comments and pieces, who come out every month to Homo/sonic, Transformer and She.Rex, and who support us in our mission to bring queer people from all walks to the table. We truly couldn’t do it without you all and we love the living shit out of you. For real. Have the happiest holiday ever and we’ll see you in 2010!

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