Writing an intro to a year-end top 10 list has never been this easy. Normally I've got to really think about what 10 very different songs all have in common. While so much happened this year that had me thinking about the future – the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States, for example – I found that a lot of the music I was drawn to reminded me of something else... from the past.

That's not to say that any of these songs are rip-offs. Far from it. But each song has a quality to it that (either real or imagined) calls to mind something else. More often than not it boiled down to falsetto and David Bowie. But there's so much more to it than that.

Not everyone has the same taste, so I don't expect everyone to agree with all of these. But for me, these are the 10 songs that, if I were gonna start a radio station in Zwinktopia, would have been in the heaviest rotation in 2008. So join me in a trip back at 2008 before we look ahead to the future that is 2009.

1. "Electric Feel" by MGMT
Reminds me of: "Love Sign" by Prince and Toto's "Africa"
As the title implies, listening to this song will actually make you feel electric. It's just got a special... charge. It's oh-so-danceable '80s-based beats coupled with cool falsetto just never get tired.

2. "Golden Age" by TV on the Radio
Reminds me of: Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and David Bowie's "Heroes"
Musically it starts kinda simple with a funky loop with fun fuzzy bits, then blossoms into a mini-symphony. But what really makes this song incredible is the vocal quality singer Tunde Adebimpe brings to it. A suave falsetto that's reminiscent of inspiration and outspoken TV on the Radio Fan David Bowie gives way to a near rap cadensce that makes me wonder what Kanye West could make of it. The style almost overshadows the actual words, but if you listen closely, the lyrics turn out to be incredibly inspirational and poetic.

3. "Bowie" by Flight of the Conchords
Reminds me of: toned-down Tenacious D singing covering David Bowie's greatest hits
There is and always will be a lot of silly comedy rock out there. But every so often the genre is infused with genius. This is one of those moments. This song, which the duo's actually been doing a long time – they released it on one previous album and it aired last year on the self-titled HBO show – silliness may cause chuckes and its cleverness may inspire smiles, but deeper down, the subtley of smart referencing is genuinely impressive. Plus, it sounds like Bowie. And you can never go wrong that way.

4. "And Then I Dreamt of Yes" by Dandy Warhols
Reminds me of: "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve
This mellow but so not sleep-inducing tune is stacked with layers of sound. Yet it doesn't come off convoluted either. It's just a trippy dreamscape

5. "Disturbia" by Rihanna
Reminds me of: Marilyn Manson's gothed out versions of "Tainted Love" and "Sweet Dreams are Made of This"
Go ahead, try to get that "bum bum bee dum, bum bum bee dum bum" out of your head once you've heard it. Ya can't. Written by bf Chris Brown – rumor has it for himself until he figured a lady would do the vocals more justice – the song stands on its own quite well. This is evidenced on producer Brian Kennedy's MySpace where you'll find this video of a dude covering it pretty well. Still, pop princess Rihanna brings her special something to it and makes it a major (Grammy-nominated) hit!

6. "Crawl" by Kings of Leon
Reminds me of: Phil Spector's wall of sound
The rythmn guitar is kinda Nine Inch Nails. The lead guitar... Well, you know when you're mentally working out the Guitar Hero chords and sneering the lyrics while you're hearing it that it's got hit quality. This song digs in and doesn't let up for four minutes. Concisely put, it rawks!

7. "Zombie Graveyard Party" by Be Your Own Pet
Reminds me of: Gwen Stefani (ten years ago) singing the chorus to Black Flag's "TV Party"
It's twisted and silly, but there's something satisfying about a head bopping rock assault with a chorus as simple as "Life is lame so let me eat your brain!"

8. "Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head)" by Ben Folds
Reminds me of: Elton John's "Benny and the Jets"
It's as obvious as the title. And while fellow piano pounder Folds doesn't dress up in crazy costumes a la Sir Elton, he does offer a great sense of self-deprecating humor, detailing his humiliating head first tumble into the crowd at a show, as well as an addictive crowd-backed "ohoh-uhoh" singalong. But its greatest achievement is its relatability. Even if you've never performed in front of thousands in Japan and landed on your head, you can identify with that moment of total embarassment and the neve it takes to stand up and keep going.

9. "Graveyard Girl" by M83
Reminds me of: Snow Patrol covering "Melt With You" for a "Pretty in Pink" remake soundtrack
What a great blend of retro and modern from this fantastic French electro-group! Even before the lyrics invoke the queen of '80s teen angst movies, the song conjures images of Molly Ringwald pining for the guy she's not supposed to want but always does.

10. Heart Songs by Weezer
Reminds me of: actually, just old Weezer
This song is a love letter from the band to everyone they listened to growing up, from Springsteen to Slayer, with a special nod to Nirvana. Maybe it's because I'm a child of the '80s myself, but even as this tune teeters on the edge of sappiness, I actually find this really touching, particularly when the intensity amps up for some "Nevermind" nostalgia.