I have a long-running worry that the sheer volume of music out there – while it is undoubtedly a fantastic thing on balance – means that we don’t get those songs that are universally loved and experienced together. The mainstream so rarely throws up a gem (‘Hey Ya!’, the aforementioned Killers song, ‘A Certain Romance’ maybe?) and the indie scene is so fragmented that those songs that maybe should be “indie classics” either never get heard by the vast majority of even indie folk (I put Meursault in this category by the way, and hope your love for them has not yet waned) or get dismissed as a hype-fest; or forgotten for the next big thing.

As for the latter, in my honest opinion ‘All My Friends’ by LCD Soundsystem* should go down right next to ‘This Charming Man’ and ‘A Day In The Life’ in that canon of songs that are near-universally known and loved. But of course it won’t, given the state of things.

That’s why I think songs like ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ and bands like Arctic Monkeys – that really capture the imagination of the mainstream, but that can also be looked back on a few months down the line without any hint of embarrassment – are so important. They’re the only point of cultural bonding (and drunken singalong) I can expect to have with anyone of my age in 10 years time.

That and Arrested Development.

*Feel free to substitute any song you feel is more appropriate here. That fact that there’s no agreement is kind of the point!

PS. I hope some very small amount of that made a degree of sense. I won’t count on it though…