Related: The Best Songs of 2014 (So Far)
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2. 15. "Machu Picchu"
Album: Angles
Year: 2011
Returning from a five-year hiatus in 2011, the onus was on The Strokes to burst back onto the scene with the same raw energy and sense of youthful confidence that had marked out their first three albums. As Angles' opening track, "Machu Picchu" proved that Julian Casblancas had lost neither his swagger nor that laid back, nasal drawl, but instead suggested that The Strokes had expanded their sonic palette somewhat. With a ska-like lurch to the opening melody, and a chorus more in line with the spiky rock of Is This It?, this was a welcome reminder that The Strokes were still relevant ten years on from their debut album.
3. 14. "Welcome To Japan"
Album: Comedown Machine
Year: 2013
It's always risky to include a brand new song in your "best of" list. Granted we've only had a week's worth of advance streaming to process Comedown Machine, and while it sounds little like anything we've previously heard from The Strokes, it might just prove to be their most cohesive effort since Is This It. While the album's first two singles were both entertaining albeit vastly different, neither touch the appeal of "Welcome to Japan." It's indie pop gold, from it's jaunty musical tone to Casablanca's whimsical lyrics. Any song that poses the question "what kind of asshole drives a Lotus?" is all right in our book.
4. 13. "You Only Live Once"
Album: First Impressions of Earth
Year: 2006
Fans of Drake, please note that this song was released in 2006, which means that The Strokes are the originators of "YOLO." While "You Only Live Once" may not evoke the same "fuck bitches, get money" mentality, this song is fun and light (well, as light as any Strokes song can get, considering the electric guitars and Casablancas' obtrusive vocals), and it really does make you think, "hey, maybe things aren't so bad at all." Not only was this our first introduction to First Impressions, it was also our first taste of a more refined, polished sounding band, and while it made fans realize that perhaps The Strokes' third album wasn't going to be Is This It II, it showed fans that this new direction wasn't a bad thing at all.
5. 12. "Is This It"
Album: Is This It
Year: 2001
It's been said time and again that no matter what The Strokes do, they'll never best their debut album. It's an all too common storyline in music, one that rings particularly true for this band. Because they made such a profound first impression, the bar for their success will forever hang just a few notches higher than everyone else's. That collection of songs came at just the right time, and they filled a void of attitude and appeal that had been missing in rock & roll for far too long. "Is This It," the album's perfectly casual and raw title track, set the tone for what would prove be an iconic release.
6. 11. "Red Light"
Album: First Impressions of Earth
Year: 2006
The Strokes don't have a problem with the balance of their albums. There is none of the front-loading that befalls many bands, and sees their releases marked by slow and disappointing second halves, maybe because the vast majority of their songs are great, and maybe because they keep tracks like "Red Light" for the finale. With a mix of caring, personal lyrics, and Casablancas' trademark cynicism ("get yourself a lawyer and a gun/ hate your friends new friends like everyone"), complemented by jagged riffs and a jaunty beat "Red Light" is the perfect way to close out a great album.
7. 10. "New York City Cops"
Album: UK Release of Is This It
Year: 2001
Originally recorded as a B-side to "Hard to Explain" off The Modern Age EP, "New York City Cops" is a rambunctious, in-your-face record that nearly never saw the light of day. At least not in the U.S. As a nod to the NYPD's valiant response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, The Strokes removed the song from their stateside release of Is This It, instead replacing it with "When It Started." Although a very appropriate gesture, its exclusion from the domestic version only helped fuel internal debate between Strokes fans as to which record was actually better. Need a hint? "When It Started" didn't make our list.
8. 9. "I'll Try Anything Once"
Album: Single (B-side to "You Only Live Once")
Year: 2006
“I’ll Try Anything Once” isn’t just an early demo of “You Only Live Once,” but rather a completely different emotional take on a similar rhythm and set of lyrics. The tempo slowdown and the spare production featuring only keyboard add emphasis to Casablancas’ drowsy vocals. While the final version pulses with energy, the weariness with which Casablancas sings “why not try it all, if you only remember it once,” exudes both melancholy and calm in equal parts. Not a bad accomplishment for a B-side.
9. 8. "Juicebox"
Album: First Impressions of Earth
Year: 2006
The Strokes' first single off 2006’s First Impressions of Earth didn’t arrive without controversy. Its prominent baseline was accused around the internet of ripping off such diverse sources as Weezer, the Peter Gunn theme song, System of a Down, The Cramps, the arcade game Spy Hunter, and Saturday cartoons in general. This speaks to just how catchy that line was, and it propelled the single to The Strokes’ highest U.S. Billboard Hot 100 position to date (#98). However, what most distinguishes this hit from the band’s other work is the unabashed loudness of Casablancas’ vocals. He ventures far from the land of detached cool when he throatily and repeatedly screams, “Why don’t you come over here/We’ve got a city to love.” Casablancas himself described it as “one of the more fun songs” (I think that’s all we’re ever going to get from him), and it endures because it’s one of the best examples of The Strokes letting go and truly rocking out.
10. 7. "Taken For A Fool"
Album: Angles
Year: 2011
A lot of people were left cold by Angles. Whether it was the high expectations, The Strokes' new, more democratic method of songwriting, or the fact that Julian Casablancas ended up recording many of his vocals seperately and sending them to the band, the album came out patchy, fragmented and, to be frank, not as good as it could have been. There were some exceptions—"Machu Picchu" saw the guys successfully experimenting with different sounds, but even better was "I'll Try Anything Once," which has all the immediacy of a "classic" Strokes song with the touches of added maturity that a five-year haitus can give a band. From the suprisingly funky verses to the razor-sharp chorus, "Taken For A Fool" showed that when they put their minds to it, The Strokes could be as vital and refreshing as they ever had been.
11. 6. "Someday"
Album: Is This It
Year: 2001
The beauty in "Someday" is that through both the lyrics and the music itself, the band looks back to a better time. "In many ways, we'll miss the good old days," reminisces Casablancas—the song is drenched in nostalgia, and the sound is raw, as if uncensored. It's this unpolished, like-it-or-not attitude coupled with a sense of vulnerability when one reminisces is what makes this song so perfect. "Someday" is also one of the rare moments when the lyrics aren't drowned in cynicism, and these hopeful, longing lyrics sound just as good.
12. 5. "12:51"
Album: Room On Fire
Year: 2003
For the casual Strokes fan or someone just starting to dig into their catalouge, "12:51" is a great gateway track to the rest of their material. As the first single off the group's second album, Room on Fire, the song is peppy, pop-driven and arguably one of their most digestible releases. Some claim the track is about a couple partying in high school, some think it's a tune about two young adults hooking up for the first time. Whatever the meaning, it's safe to say that Nick Valensi's synthesized guitar technique is really what makes "12:51" a standout Strokes record.
13. 4. "Hard To Explain"
Album: Is This It
Year: 2001
Weird to think that this was their first ever single, as many Strokes fans may have been introduced to the band through this song. Within the first few bars of percussions and repetitive guitar chords, you know they're onto something exciting. "Hard To Explain" is pure unhinged fun, and the overall sound reflects a certain mentality: when it really comes down to it, The Strokes don't give a shit about anything else but their craft. Why this song works on so many levels—from the five-second pause halfway through the song, to the relentless guitars—may be hard to explain, but it sure is easy to listen to it again and again (and again and again).
14. 3. "The Modern Age"
Album: Is This It
Year: 2001
The production on "The Modern Age" swims in nostalgia, sounding as if The Strokes is a band from the '80s practicing in one of their mom's garage. When the persistent guitar riffs and Fabrizio Moretti's stomping kickdrums are paired with a singing/speaking Julian Casablancas, you get something thoughtfully imperfect. "The Modern Age" is a bit rough around the edges, a little off-kilter, but maybe that's what makes it as good as it is.
15. 2. "Reptilia"
Album: Room On Fire
Year: 2003
Aside from those few tracks when The Strokes actually decide to calm things down a bit, the bulk of their catalogue is fast-paced and extremely catchy. However, no other song matches the intensity and sheer aggression found on "Reptilia", the second track from 2003's Room On Fire. Right from the git-go this record is all punch, led by a dueling drum and guitar battle that collides head on with Julian Casablancas' vocal snarl. It sounds amazing in headphones, and if you've ever had the fortune of seeing The Strokes in concert, you know just how intense this song can get when performed live.
16. 1. "Last Nite"
Album: Is This It
Year: 2001
"Last Nite" is classic Strokes. It's always annoying when people call something "classic," but from the first strum of the guitar, to when the drums kick in, to the raspy, yearning vocals of Julian Casablancas, "Last Nite" is the New York band's signature in so many ways. Their brand of raucous and carefree yet completely refined rock & roll is especially evident in Albert Hammond Jr.'s guitar solo halfway through the song. Hammond Jr.'s skill is relentless as his fingers nonchalantly dances along the strings, casually exploding into a reverb-filled frenzy. Their undeniably fun garage rock-influenced music sounds as if it almost comes naturally to The Strokes, and "Last Nite" makes at least that much clear.
