Certainly, half the songs we heard in the past 10 years were not perfect. Indeed, calling said songs "ungodly abominations deserving to rot in the depths of Hell" actually isn't too far from the mark. The likes of "Blah Blah Blah," "Right Thurr," and "Rockstar" have drained from the quality of contemporary music in ways we are only now beginning to feel. The resurgence of popular alternative music has really given us a new spin on the previous ten years of music, both popular and underground. Yet we cannot lose sight of what actually was good throughout 2000-2009.
One cannot say any one particular decade of music was better than another, but the 2000s were decidedly different from the previous decade. While the 90s were mired in various, somewhat awkward, transition periods, with grunge redefining the sound of popular rock and hip-hop/R&B changing into entirely new forms, the 2000s seemed to have a pretty good handle on popular music's evolution. The popular sound focused mainly on the party anthems and the sweeping ballads. The country scene became more guitar driven, even beginning to sound a bit heavier. Metal took on very new different colors, with some following the "rap-rock" approach pioneered by Anthrax feat. Public Enemy, while others took after the nu metal of Korn and fellow artists. Indie rock had several different movements, three in particular coming into play. Radiohead's Kid A and Daft Punk's Discovery begun the age of electronica, bringing EDM into the fold in a way no one anticipated. Arcade Fire's Funeral gave new life into the sweeping symphonic sounds one only witnessed in the golden age of progressive rock. And, of course, no indie scene would be complete without the prevalence of acoustic lyricists with subtle orchestration. Rap fully came into its own, at the forefront of a new generation of music listeners; all the momentum of the late 80s and 90s made the genre arguably the most dominant force of the 2000s.
Needless to say, I've enjoyed these last few years of music.
Thus, I invite you to follow along my personal Top 100 Songs of the New Millennium. Not all of these songs are my favorites, but this is more my attempt to assemble a definitive list of the best songs of this past decade. I have not listened to every single song from 2000-2009, nor could I. I did, however, do quite a bit of research, listening through some songs I personally found distasteful and some I instantly loved. I judged these songs based on general listenability, influence, focus, intensity, innovation, emotional depth, enjoyability, catchiness, and, most importantly, how much of an impact the song makes on the listener. There will be songs on here you like, some you don't like.
Some disclaimers and rules:
- I'm not a real fan of EDM. If you enjoy it and think half the list should be full of Lindstrom and Hercules and Love Affair, then that's your prerogative. If you have some recommendations, I'm all ears.- For some reason, I never quite enjoyed Animal Collective. So, don't expect any of their songs on this list.
- There are some pop songs on here you might think are absolutely horrible. I will defend my selections, as I do find much pop music redeemable, if not downright awesome.
- I do not judge "goodness" on the amount of success an artist has. Chart sales have little, if anything, to do with this list.
- For me, music > lyrics. Certainly, some lyrics can ruin a song, but I will not discount a song purely because of bad lyrics.
- The songs all must have been released or have been on the pop charts from 2000-2009. So, some songs technically released in 1999 may be on the list.
- 4 songs per artist maximum.
Without further ado...
Songs that WOULD have made the list had 2010-2013 been included:
- "Rumour Has It" and "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele: Have they both been overplayed? Perhaps. But the biting vocals, deep emotional center, and spellbinding production certainly deserve praise.
- "Some Nights" by fun.: It sounds like Queen. We need more artists who sound like Queen.
- "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum: The emotional component of this cross-over country song is just biting. It's pure and comes from a very gentle place.
- "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People: The bass line alone secures it a spot. It provides a wholly chilling atmosphere.
- "F*** You" by Cee-Lo Green: I could have sworn this was a Stevie Wonder song the first time I heard it. Any song doing that is doing something right.
- "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams: I love disco, and this song brought it back in a big way.
- "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men: There's the perfect mix of percussion, horns, and vocals. I can ask for little more.
- "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes: This song reminds me of both the crash of Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crimson and Clover" and the voice of Janis Joplin. It's an absolute treat.
I'll be starting the list next time.
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