Filed under: News
01/07/2009

XLR8R's 50 Best MP3s of 2008

Words: Jennifer Marston

We put up tracks, you hit download, then we sent our data-collection elves out to find out XLR8R.com's most popular MP3s of 2008, according to our wonderful readers. While some obvious choices are here (M83, Hercules and Love Affair, Flying Lotus), our list does contain some surprises (Rainbow Arabia, Débruit, Neon Neon), a surprising amount of dubstep, and a whole lot of remixes. Now, let's hope everyone's had their fill of Lil Wayne for one year.

50 Raz Mesinai's Badawi - "Kode9 vs. Badawi - Den of Drumz"
49 Reefer - "Let it Go (Flying Lotus Remix)"
48 Matty G - "West Coast Rocks (The Glitch Mob Remix)"
47 Rainbow Arabia - "Omar K"
46 Praveen & Benoit - "Embers"
45 Débruit - "Pointy"
44 M83 - "Graveyard Girl"
43 Daedelus - "Now's the Time (Live)"
42 Jamie Lidell - "Little Bit of Feel Good (Mochipet Remix)"
41 Caspa - "Ohh R Ya?"
40 The Carps - "Heaven's Gates & Hell Flames (Redux) feat. The Cool Kids"
39 Restiform Bodies - "Panic Shopper (Tobacco Remix)"
38 Pole - "Alles Klar"
37 FOOL - "Drama (Rustie Remix)"
36 Madlib the Beat Konducta - "The Ox (805) feat. MED and Poke"
35 Samiyam - "Track 20"
34 Deadbeat - "Night Stepping"
33 Mike Slott - "Knock Knock"
32 ANAVAN - "Boom"
31 The Pharcyde - "Runnin' (Philippians Remix)"
30 Autechre - "Altibzz"
29 Marbert Rocel - "Tttictictac"
28 Z Man w/ Dnae Beats - "Shuddup"
27 Mochipet - "Hope Again feat. Mykah9 and Taiwankid"
26 Flying Lotus - "Robo Tussin feat. Lil Wayne"
25 Telefon Tel Aviv - "Helen of Troy"
24 Daedelus - "Make It So (XXXChange Remix)"
23 Meanest Man Contest - "We Wouldn't Want it Any Other Way (Débruit Remix)"
22 Jay Haze - "90 Deep"
21 DJ J-Laini - "Fuck N Tell"
20 Rusko - "Get Ya Cock Out"
19 Flying Lotus - "Tea Leaf Dancers (Remix)"
18 Zomby - "The Lie"
17 Mochipet - "Hope Again (edIT Remix)"
16 Top Billin - "Willing"
15 Señor Coconut - "Around the World"
14 Headman - "Catch Me If You Can (Bag Raiders Remix)"
13 Ellen Allien - "Bim"
12 The Streets - "Everything Borrowed"
11 Benga - "Roller"
10 DJ KO - "Someday"
9 Daedelus - "Obama"
8 Skream - "Losing Control"
7 Sébastien Tellier - "L'amour et la Violence (Boys Noize Remix)"
6 The Kills "Cheap And Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)"
5 Poni Hoax - "Antibodies"
4 Neon Neon - "I Lust You"
3 Hercules and Love Affair - "Blind"
2 Nalepa - "Monday (The Glitch Mob Remix)"
1 Lil Wayne - "Lollipop (Nasty Ways Remix)"

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14 comments XLR8R's 50 Best MP3s of 2008

Anonymous (not verified) Wrote

Sat, 01/10/2009 - 22:55

wow

silverbeat (not verified) Wrote

Sun, 01/11/2009 - 12:41

brilliant, thank you so much

EmSixTeen (not verified) Wrote

Mon, 01/12/2009 - 04:58

Thanks a tonne for this.. Always meant to get more into XLR8R and this'll gimme a big chance to see that.. and a lot of goods music :D

Inge Janse (not verified) Wrote

Mon, 01/12/2009 - 15:23

Truelly marvellous list. I couldn't resist writing about it on http://www.eclectro.nl/2009-01-12-xlr8r-presenteert-de-50-populairste-mp.... Thanks for all the good music!

Evan (not verified) Wrote

Tue, 01/13/2009 - 09:17

My favorite mp3 of the year (not on the original download list) is an obscure one from this group, Bossasaurus. The song is called "The Wait Is Over". This group treads the line between great samplers such as DJ Shadow and more synth-based disco-funk like Justice. The song evolves dramatically from beginning to end, going from upbeat to epic to aggressive in a way I have never heard before. While I agree all of the songs on this list are dope, none of the above are as intricate or fresh as this Bossasaurus joint. You can check them out at myspace.com/bossasaurus or here's a link to "The Wait IS Over" (used with permission from artist) : http://www.bossasaurus.com/bossasaurusthewaitisover.mp3

Smoke (not verified) Wrote

Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:38

thank you so much for doing this, what a great list! y'all completely rock

th' mole (not verified) Wrote

Wed, 01/14/2009 - 16:48

now who's gonna be the superhuman to upload a zip of all these?

jameschutney (not verified) Wrote

Thu, 01/15/2009 - 16:49

seriously you're going to tell me that a remix of lollipop is everyone's favorite track of last year? i thought xlr8r readers were supposed to have discerning taste. it's not even that great of a track. that whole 'future bass' thing, or whatever it's called, is so overrated. it's just a bunch of guys with laptops who make the same shit over and over again.

Anonymous (not verified) Wrote

Mon, 01/19/2009 - 08:36

Sweet! But can you fix this track? Daedelus - "Now's the Time (Live)" http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2008/01/nows-time-live

do geese see god? (not verified) Wrote

Wed, 01/21/2009 - 20:29

these tracks are no longer downloading for me... :(
is anybody else having the same problem??

Anonymous (not verified) Wrote

Sun, 01/25/2009 - 22:46

I used to be able to aswell but now I cant

Anonymous (not verified) Wrote

Sun, 01/25/2009 - 22:58

why do these downloads which are free have a link next to them saying "buy from itunes" If you click on the link it takes you to itunes and you can actually buy it for $1.69.?????? really weird