No matter what happens to the internet, or to the economy, random MP3s will never disappoint. That said, I will not be including T.I.’s “Live Your Life” just because it samples the Numa Numa Dance kid, alright? Jesus.

1. Lil Wayne, ”A Milli”
The Carter III wasn’t as good as the mixtapes, but “A Milli” was better than either because its bare-bones beat and Wayne’s wheeze sounded as casual as a mixtape joint — or Rakim in ’88 — but smarter, funnier and more infectious than any underground rapper’s magnum opus. Fuck “putting in work”; how about making it look easy?

2. M.I.A., “Paper Planes”
Indie and mainstream swapped places in ’08. Poptimist pundits puzzled over Britney’s entrails splayed all over the tabloids; meanwhile, M.I.A. was making a silly, lightweight anthem with finger-snaps and its own totally addictive dance.

3. Estelle f. Kanye West, “American Boy”
If there’s a deep house revival really happening, “American Boy” was its calling card. How else to explain the treble getting neatly lopped off the verse like a DJ hitting a kill switch, the disco throb underneath the chorus’ digital mating call, Estelle’s animated Betty Boop voice carrying the tune along — and Kanye’s adorably cheesy puns on UK slang don’t lower the tone, they fit right into it.

4. Kardinal Offishall f. Akon, “Dangerous”
A lovely tune that deserved to be a hit, and not only for the chorus. Kardi is the perfect foil to Akon’s flat croon, rapping circles around the beat and animating this PG fable like Disney. Still, be careful whose horse you hitch your wagon to.

5. MGMT, “Time To Pretend”
You can tell from the song’s easy “Dancing Queen” shuffle and the laser-light-show synths that they’re stoners, not cokeheads, whatever they might dream. I just like the fact that their jittery vocals make it sound like they’re so high, they might explode technicolour purple guts, like an alien in a black-light poster.