![]() “1979” had incredible critical backing at the time, placing at #3 on the 1996 Pazz and Jop list and later at #21 on Pitchfork’s songs of the decade. As Pitchfork mentioned, the song most recalls “1979,” the Smashing Pumpkins’ 1996 ode to youth-a song that really pushed the Pumpkins out of their alterna-rock niche to create a popular classic.Īnd like “1979,” which captured the mixture angst and hope of its generation in the same way that “Midnight City” does so perfectly, “Midnight City” has the potential to become a massive crossover hit. However, nothing quite stands out as starkly or as radiantly as “Midnight City,” a triumphant, almost symphonic tune that blends shoegaze, dream pop and New Wave with the current trend of electronic pop to create what will be remembered as one of this decade’s masterpieces. The song is surrounded by terrific tunes on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming, and the 80-minute, 22-track double album features the dance-party ready “Reunion,” the gorgeous ambience of “Steve McQueen” and the Zola Jesus-assisted “Intro.” Although the latter is my personal favorite of their tracks - a song that I feel is arguably the track of that decade - none of these have quite struck a chord with listeners in the way that “Midnight City” has. M83 is a great band and has been putting out consistently stellar work over the last decade, notably the tracks “Graveyard Girl,” “We Own the Sky” and “Kim and Jessie” from 2008’s Saturdays = Youth and “Don’t Save Us From the Flames” from 2005’s Before the Dawn Heals Us. It’s a natural reaction to such blissful musical brilliance. A friend of mine claims to have logged over 20 hours listening to it, and I almost can’t challenge him on that assertion. In equally important matters, it placed on my very objective list of ludicrously overplayed songs my iPod, and most of the music nerds I know developed an unhealthy obsession with it. If you somehow missed out on the massive outpouring of critical love for “Midnight City” last year, let me catch you up on why you should love this song: “Midnight City” placed at #1 on PopMatters’, Stereogum’s and Pitchfork’s lists of the Best Songs of 2011, at #2 on Paste’s list (after “Helplessness Blues” by Fleet Foxes) and at #4 on the Village Voice’s massively influential Pazz and Jop poll (behind three songs with far more mainstream pull). Last week, the song “Midnight City” by M83 was officially released as a single on the Billboard Hot 100 and is currently sitting at a modest #74 on the chart, not yet Adele-stellar but far from terrible.
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