Well, to commemorate the end of this decade (I guess this depends on which school of decade counting one ascribes to. I'm a decade starts with 1 type person, since there is no year 0, so to me this is a silly list, but I'll stick with the popular trends here.) This was a special decade for me. Although I did pay attention to trends in the 90's, this decade was the first that I listened to new bands throughout the entire ten years. I often wonder how people will look back on the 2000's music wise. The 90's started with grunge and ended with the most bland, unoriginal crap-rock in music's history. This decade continued the trend, but the underground showed some promise. Electronica and hip/hop invade every aspect of popular music. Rock was officially buried as irrelevant (for the most part), leaving evolution to the hip/hop crowd. Indie rock became big, which was another word for more bland, rehashed crap that was a mostly major-label trend, despite the trendy name. Granted, this decade did have some of the greatest recordings of all time, but for the most part, this was another decade of CRAP!! Further proving my point that music has stopped evolving. We saw the return of the 80's, 60's, and 70's style wise, since nobody had any new ideas. After twenty years or so, we apparently forget what the music of that time was like. God help us when bands look back to 90's for some "new" ideas. Ok, enough bitching about how bad this decade of music was, now for some good!
Top 25 Albums of 2000-2009
25. Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way (2002)
By far the most relaxing album these guys have ever done. For once the Chili Peppers actually sound like 40 year olds. This is not a bad thing; they wear the hat well, dishing out some of their best songs in years, such as "Can't Stop", "Minor Thing", and "Venice Queen". Sadly, it is also twenty minutes too long and filled with boring, minor key ballads that became big hits for some stupid reason. Still one of their best efforts.
24. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
Hopefully, this album will be remembered as another great album in Radiohead's outstanding catalogue and not that one album that old band gave away for free online. I paid $15 for the album and it was worth every penny. For those used to the ridiculously dense soundscapes of Radiohead's past album ,this stripped down effort may seem a letdown. After a few listens, the songwriting reveals its rewards and further shows that Radiohead is The Beatles of now.
23. Flaming Lip - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
Let's not hate this album. Yeah, it may have been one of the big albums to usher in the whole "indie rock" phase, but this is too weird to be overtly pop. A modern psychedelic masterpiece with a keen ear for pop melodies.
22. Opeth - Blackwater Park (2001)
Opeth is extremely bad at two things, changing their sound and making bad albums. Although this sounds like a rehash of everything after My Arms, Your Hearse, they finally find the perfect mix of mellow prog rock and "kick-you-in-the-balls" death metal. Enlisting Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree was the best decision they've made in their career; his production style suits the band perfect on this, their strongest album.
21. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia (2002)
Steve Wilson once again proves that it is possible to make relevant original prog-rock in the 2000's. As a bonus, he recorded a list of songs that could easily be radio hits as well.
20. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Lyre of Orpheus/Abbatoir Blues (2004)
Somehow, Nick Cave excels at two opposite things, hard rock and sad-bluesy ballads. He show both sides in this double album. This is my current musical addiction. Check out this crazy Aussie if you've not yet.
19. Medeski, Martin, and Wood - Uninivisible
After Combustication and the avant-garde The Dropper, MMW finally finds a way to combine electronica and the soul-jazz styles of Jimmy Smith with one of the catchiest jazz albums every made.
18. Air - Talkie Walkie (2004)
This may be a formulaic effort. This may be once again, another rehashing of their masterpiece Moon Safari, but I really don't care. This is catchy, beautiful, and relaxing. The French know how to do electronic music right.
17. Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors (2002)
The only thing nerdier and more inaccessible than Scandinavian Metal is Avant-Garde Scandinavian Metal. Oddly enough, this is their most accessible. It is also awesome.
16. Kanye West - Graduation (2007)
Finally, Kanye West releases an album that isn't bloated or filled with skits that poison the minds of impressionable inner-city youths. Instead, he made a quick effort full of perfect pop songs where he shows that he is one of hip/hops most innovative producers. If only he rapped about things that didn't make him such an asshole.
15. Common - Be (2005)
Ah, Common is such a breathe of fresh air. He is a positive, intelligent rapper, who actually delivers poetry, like the father's of the genre intended. Throw in Kanye Wests ability to make a melody stuck in your head and you get one of the best hip/hop albums of the decade.
14. Tool - Lateralus (2001)
Just like Aenema, only more self-indulgent and long. Thank goodness Aenema was so amazing. Tool strikes again.
13. The Roots - Phrenology (2002)
Ah, The Roots go experimental! For the follow-up to their commericial breakthrough, Things Fall Apart, the live hip/hop band (god, I love saying hip/hop band) decided to make ambitious, progressive hip/hop, mixing club music, jazz, hard-core punk, and old-school rock and roll creating one of the most exciting hip/hop albums of all time. Oh yeah, it is also full of some great pop hooks.
12. Q-Tip - The Rennaissance (2008)
Here's a word to those younger, phoney rappers, Q-Tip always has been, still is, and always will be catchier, more intelligent, and in all ways better than you. Just deal with it.
11. Sigur Ros - Takk (2005)
Ok, this is a controversial choice over the also incredible album (), the sixty minute, untitled masterpiece of eight untitled songs all in a made up language based upon ancient Norse and Icelandic. The problem is, () is just too hard to digest as a whole. Takk is shorter, tighter, more accessible, yet just as powerful and beautiful. It is incredible to listen to Sigur Ros, knowing that this is the sound of the typical rock lineup, keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums (with some strings and horns for extra depth). They are either a band to love or hate; they are self-indulgent, pretentious, and their music is really too complex for its own good. That said, they also have created a sound that has never been done before. I also doubt too many people will choose to play a rock guitar with a cello bow anytime in the near future.
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