2000: The Year In Music

2000 – India’s population officially reaches one billion. The US election between Bush and Gore is inconclusive, eventually resolved by the supreme court. Metallica files a lawsuit against P2P sharing phenomenon Napster … and Lil Pump was born, ushering in a new golden age for music in the new millennium!

I’ll be looking at the popular and highest-rated songs / albums of the year, giving my opinions on their musicality and longevity as well as an overall verdict for the year as a whole.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Billboard Top 10 (Popular) Singles

Source: Wikipedia

10 – He Wasn’t Man Enough (Toni Braxton)

It’s comforting to know most RnB in the new millennium is still boring.

“He Wasn’t Man Enough” hasn’t stood the test of time.

9 – Bent (Matchbox Twenty)

Rob Thomas has another bigger hit this year, but his band Matchbox Twenty were more popular than I thought.

“Bent” isn’t noteworthy but it’s early 2000’s through and through.

8 – Amazed (Lonestar)

One of the better Country songs I’ve heard. “Amazing” is still pretty soppy, though.

7 – I Knew I Loved You (Savage Garden)

A super popular Savage Garden song, but “I Knew I Loved You” doesn’t hit like the others do.

6 – Say My Name (Destiny’s Child)

The first good song of 2000. These hits have been pretty boring so far.

Destiny’s Child were one of the best groups of the era, and “Say My Name” is one of their best. Very slick and catchy.

5 – Everything You Want (Vertical Horizon)

Vertical Horizon are yet another 2000’s band that have been lost to time … I thought I’d recognise more of the hits from 2000 onwards but so far I’m disappointed.

It’s catchy, I suppose, but musically very stale.

4 – I Wanna Know (Joe)

Who can forget the iconic hit “I Wanna Know” by Joe, from the famous album “My Name Is Joe”.

Slicker than some other RnB songs, but still not for me.

3 – Maria Maria (Santana feat. The Product G&B)

The grooviest song of the year.

Santana came back with a bang in 2000, and “Maria Maria” is comfortably his second best of the new era.

2 – Smooth (Santana feat. Rob Thomas)

Sure, it might be overplayed, but by golly “Smooth” does what it says on the tin.

Santana brings his trademark flair, and Rob Thomas’s vocals get stuck in your eardrums for days.

1 – Breathe (Faith Hill)

… I don’t think I’ve heard “Breathe” before, which is weird for the top Billboard hit of a year post-2000.

Generic. Bland. Forgettable.

FAVOURITE – “Smooth” (Santana feat. Rob Thomas)

LEAST FAVOURITE – “He Wasn’t Man Enough” (Toni Braxton)

Top-Rated Songs

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

10 – Since I Left You (The Avalanches)

“Since I Left You” sounds like the first song of a new era of music.

It’s clearly sample-based, but it’s remixed really well. I can see how future artists would be heavily influenced by songs like this.

9 – 3rd Planet (Modest Mouse)

The opening song of “The Moon & Antarctica” is a punchy one.

It’s not as good as the other songs in this high-rated list, but I can appreciate it.

8 – The National Anthem (Radiohead)

“Kid A” starts off subdued with its first two tracks, so “The National Anthem” comes at just the right time to blow your socks off.

That bassline kicks ass, and the various jazzy breaks from the brass and woodwind add a chaos that I adore.

7 – Ms. Jackson (OutKast)

“Ms. Jackson” is a lot more accessible than OutKast’s previous work, but not as commercial as something like “Hey Ya!”. That’s a nice balance to strike.

The production is zany and the lyrics silky smooth.

6 – Stan (Eminem feat. Dido)

One of my favourite Eminem songs.

His storytelling is gut-wrenching in “Stan”, and Dido’s choruses are haunting.

5 – Sleep (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)

The longest song on an already elongated album, “Sleep” is over 23 minutes. Yikes.

It starts off slow and picks up, but I still think it’s too long and borderline pretentious.

4 – Storm (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor certainly never half-arse any of their music – the album opener “Storm” is over 22 minutes.

If nothing else, I can say I’ve been on a musical journey like no other.

3 – Idioteque (Radiohead)

I’m not sure whether Radiohead fans love “Idioteque” as much as I do, but it’s always been a personal favourite.

Those thumping drum pads catch your attention immediately, and the haunting synths have me hooked even on my hundredth listen.

2 – Everything In Its Right Place (Radiohead)

The opener to “Kid A” is completely different to anything Radiohead had done previously.

“Everything In Its Right Place” is just as unsettling and depressing as other Radiohead tracks, but the electronic production excels in getting under your skin.

1 – How To Disappear Completely (Radiohead)

Those detuned strings, the walking bass, Thom Yorke’s heart-breaking lyrics … I can see why many tout “How To Disappear Completely” as Radiohead’s very best song.

The crescendo is masterful across the track, and once it’s over I’m left with a sense of emptiness.

BEST SONG OF 2000 – “Idioteque” (Radiohead)

Top-Rated Albums

Source: http://www.besteveralbums.com

5 – Parachutes (Coldplay)

A classic debut album from one of the 21st Century’s biggest artists.

Early Coldplay is beloved by almost everyone, and songs like “Yellow”, “Trouble” and “Sparks” are still popular almost 25 years later.

4 – Since I Left You (The Avalanches)

The Avalanches ushered in a new age of sample-based music with their debut album “Since I Left You”.

The whole album is a trippy experience, each track flowing into the next, and it never stops being innovative.

3 – The Moon & Antarctica (Modest Mouse)

Modest Mouse are a fairly popular band, but I personally can’t get into their music as much as I want to.

“The Moon & Antarctica” has a lot of songs with interesting production and musical choices, but I have no urge to go back and relisten to any.

2 – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (Godspeed You! Black Emperor)

“Life Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven” is a double album brushing on 90 minutes. With only four songs. Each one roughly twenty minutes. Hope you have a lot of patience …

This is one of the most acclaimed albums of the 2000’s, but this long-form instrumental wall of noise isn’t for me.

1 – Kid A (Radiohead)

After the Alt-Rock masterpiece that was “OK Computer”, many eagerly awaited Radiohead’s next rockin’ project. What they got instead was one of the greatest left turns in music history.

The focus on electronica adds a new depth to Radiohead’s songwriting, and tracks like “Idioteque”, “How To Disappear Completely” and “Everything In Its Right Place” are new highs in an already exemplary discography.

BEST ALBUM OF 2000 – “Kid A” (Radiohead)

Final Thoughts

These were some of the worst Billboard hits yet, but the high-rated songs were good enough to carry the year overall.

Overall Grade: B-

Aaaaand that’s my list! You can check out some of my latest blog posts below: