Throughout the year, we here at Spinner have brought you the finest musical morsels we could get our hot little mitts on. So it's only fair and fitting that to mark the year's close we've taken it upon ourselves to create a countdown of the best of the best in song, for your listening re-pleasure.

'Green Light,' John Legend feat. Andre 3000

If no means no, then John Legend would like to remind us that yes means yes as he looks for the 'Green Light.' The song not surprisingly has echoes of Outkast, lyrically as well as compositionally. But it can also be seen as a traffic metaphor for a more general change of direction, as the neo-soul crooner unveils his new bad self to us with an introduction, of sorts, from Andre 3000 (no stranger to lane changes himself).
Buy it on iTunes

'Pretty Amazing Grace,' Neil Diamond

Without any drums or percussion, and a vocals-forward mix showcasing Diamond's powerful delivery, 'Pretty Amazing Grace' is indeed a pretty tune about amazing grace. But whose? A savior's? A lover's? Or is Diamond using the former as a metaphor for the latter? After all, a gospel tune from a New York Jew would be rather unexpected. Either way, he has successfully resurrected his career at last.
Buy it on iTunes

'A-Punk,' Vampire Weekend

These Ivy League preps labeled their style "Upper West Side Soweto" before the music press could mislabel them ska-punk, Afro-pop, or -- even worse -- world beat. With 'A Punk,' they borrow liberally from all three genres, ultimately fusing them together in an attractive package that is tidy, concise and just plain fun.


Buy it on iTunes

'Electric Feel,' MGMT

Without question, 2008 will go down in the indie-rock universe as the Year of MGMT. Thanks to this nifty slice of falsetto synth-dance-pop (a veritable hipster 'Emotional Rescue'), the Brooklyn duo worked their way up to indie's upper management, so to speak, ending the year as a marquee live act and future major player. By autumn, 'Electric Feel' had made it onto virtually every mix CD, road-trip playlist and college dorm in America.

Buy it on iTunes

'The World Should Revolve Around Me,' Little Jackie

The whole world does not actually revolve around this NYC duo, but for these three minutes and nine seconds, it kind of does. With an irresistible groove, singer Imani Coppola's flow goes from poignant to facetious to, ultimately, empowering. This should be the very first song anybody presses play on after being dumped. No matter how much you hurt, you'd be able to dance it off.
Buy it on iTunes

'Sex on Fire,' Kings of Leon

This Tennessee family band did an admirable job of shedding most of their unfair labels as the "Strokes from the South" and "the next Black Crowes" this year. But sex symbols they remain, and 'Sex on Fire' isn't exactly intended to squash that notion. By embracing a dark sensuality, the Kings have given their fans a wide-open fantasy while hand-delivering an anthem that you can sing along with while dressing up for a night on the town.
Buy it on iTunes

'Paper Planes,' M.I.A.

The electronica queen from Sri Lanka composed this jam with trusted conspirator Diplo, borrowing the main riff from the Clash's 'Straight to Hell.' Already sold? While parents may worry that it encourages students to daydream about the gangsta life, the song is more likely a satire of immigrant stereotypes. Regardless, as long as she keeps delivering tracks like this, M.I.A. can go bang, bang, bang, bang, and click, ka-ching, and take our money any day.
Buy it on iTunes

'Ten Dead Dogs,' Wild Sweet Orange

Now that Conor Oberst is happy and content, what we really need is someone else to take his tenderly phrased angst and run with it. With its country-leaning indie pop as an appropriate backdrop, this song's lyrical mood can be whittled down to the three words that kick off the chorus: "Oh, my God." The desperation only increases when frontman Preston Lovinggood follows it with "Is this really what you want?" Song-wise, well, yes it is.
Buy it on iTunes

'Shut Up and Let Me Go,' The Ting Tings

If you wanted to tell an ex-lover to kiss off, there was no better way to do it this year than by posting this song on your blog. As an added bonus, the British dance-pop duo's booty-shaking flow made it all too easy to lock steps with a would-be suitor for a verse or two before strutting the other way on the dance floor. And it made a damn fine iPod ad, to boot.

Buy it on iTunes

'If I Were a Boy,' Beyonce

From this song, it's evident that if Beyonce were a boy, she'd be one helluva wing man. However, like most great songs, 'If I Were a Boy' transcends gender and it touches upon communication breakdowns that anybody can relate to. In fact, we're thinking that Jay-Z could do a bang-up job on a responsorial rap, 'If I Were a Girl.'

Buy it on iTunes