4. Wake Up (from Funeral, 2004)
Easily Arcade Fire's most iconic and popular song to this day, 'Wake Up' is an anthem of epic proportions. Not straying too far in places from the band's frequently world-weary demeanor but with an unashamedly joyous feel to it, its uplifting choral mainframe and meandering melody are a beckon to action that you can't help but want to be part of. From a collective that were really only starting out at the time, it's been used for everything from Superbowl ads to film trailers and 'Wake Up' remains one of Arcade Fire's most powerful and emotionally engaging songs ever - filled with a very real sense of humanity, it's a rock symphony for the ages that manages to be both lyrically relatable and sonically irresistible.
3. Rebellion (Lies) (from Funeral, 2004)
Arcade Fire have never been a band to sugar-coat the truth. Between the lines of 'Rebellion (Lies)', though you may be too busy dancing away to notice it or even really care, there's a pretty unsettling inconvenient truth about how we're all living in a culture of manipulation; though it's continually shouted down with screams of "Lies! Lies!" from the rest of the band. The song is desperate-sounding and woeful in places, but magical in its composition and incredibly executed. Parts of it - the sing-along chorus, the contagious melody - almost wouldn't sound out of place in any pop song worth its salt, but the quirky baroque composition and pounding drums ensure that 'Rebellion (Lies)' instead goes down with the all-time best indie rock anthems.