Showing posts with label Coldplay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coldplay. Show all posts
Labels:
Beyonce,
Black Eyed Peas,
Coldplay,
Jay-Z,
Kanye West,
Kasabian,
Ke$ha,
Kid Cudi,
Kings of Leon,
Lady Gaga,
Leona Lewis,
M.I.A.,
MGMT,
Sam Sparro,
Santogold,
T.I.,
Taylor Swift,
The Killers
Bruce Springsteen landed in second place after a successful year that included a Super Bowl performance, studio album, exclusive Wal-Mart hits compilation, as well as an extensive touring schedule. Last year's chart topper, Madonna, came in third. The Queen of Pop completed her Sticky & Sweet Tour which is now the most successful tour by a solo artist in music history. Her touring revenues made up for her music sales which are lagging relative to earlier years.
AC/DC mixed touring revenues with music sales, including strong sales of their back catalog to finish in fourth. Britney Spears came in fifth following her wildly successful Circus tour and strong digital download sales of her singles. Rounding out the top ten are Pink, The Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney, and Metallica.
See the rest of the list after the jump.
Labels:
AC/DC,
Britney Spears,
Bruce Springsteen,
Coldplay,
Jonas Brothers,
Kenny Chesney,
Madonna,
Metallica,
Pink,
u2
iTunes also released a list of its top twenty best-selling songs. This is the first time the site has released this type of information before.
The top seller is the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". They also come in at No. 3 with "Boom Boom Pow". Lady Gaga is the only other artist to land two songs in the top ten. Her "Poker Face" is the second most downloaded song and "Just Dance" sits at No. 6. Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Flo Rida, and Taylor Swift also scored high downloaded singles. See the full list after the jump.
Labels:
Beyonce,
Black Eyed Peas,
Coldplay,
Flo Rida,
iTunes watch,
Jason Mraz,
Kanye West,
Katy Perry,
Ke$ha,
Lady Gaga,
Rihanna,
Taylor Swift
"Clocks"Coldplay
A Rush of Blood To The Head (2002)
In early 2008 Coldplay was voted The Band Most Likely to Put You to Sleep in the United Kingdom, seemingly a slap in the face. Although they’ve learned to “rock out” a little more than they used to, Coldplay has always had a knack for atmospheric dreamy music, and it’s not a bad thing.
"Clocks" is lighter than air. The gently tumbling piano is beautiful and its the kind of melody that's an instant classic. Our children and our children's children will recognize it their entire lives, even before they're old enough to know who Coldplay is. Despite the simplicity of the track, it feels larger than life. Chris Martin takes lyrics about clocks, tigers, and shooting apples of your head, and sells them more than he's ever sold a song before or since. "Am I apart of the cure or am I part of the disease?" Don't worry Coldplay, you're part of the cure.
"Banquet"Bloc Party
Silent Alarm (2005)
With syncopated guitars, unyielding drums, and Kele Okereke’s desperate and cathartic vocals “Banquet” is like a kick to the face. The snappy single is like a template for the band’s later hits, exploring themes of alienation, paranoia, and coming of age while mixing post punk with indie and dance rock. The song broke the band internationally and continues to be a must use track for MTV montages and extreme sports video games.
"Banquet" hits you like a machine gun with its lyrics about our disheartened generation and feelings of being underratted and suffocated. "I'm on fire so stomp me out," Okereke sings. The only deliverance comes from Bloc Party’s crisp and energetic performance. A perfect stick-it-to-the-man anthem and the best indie rock the decade had to offer.
"Run"Snow Patrol
Final Straw (2003)
In America at least, Snow Patrol will always be known for “Chasing Cars” thanks to its placement in the popular television show Grey’s Anatomy. For all the beauty and lovey-dovey feelings that song evokes, “Run” does it even better. Starting out as dark and moody rock and haunted by the protagonist’s love interest being “the only thing that’s right in all I’ve done”, the song is lifted by a sense of hope by the time the chorus comes around.
“Run” reaches hymn-like status as the strings kick in and singer Gary Lightbody proclaims “Light up, light up, as if you have a choice” and all of a sudden, running away from all this mess to a better place sounds like the answer to all of life’s problems. Leona Lewis covered the song in 2008, a version which Lightbody himself described as “phenomenal”.
"Since U Been Gone"Kelly Clarkson
Breakaway (2004)
Reality show pop stars have gained a notorious reputation for putting out crap, and in all honesty, they deserve that reputation. Inaugural idol Kelly Clarkson however, is one of the few exceptions. “Since U Been Gone” is perfect pop. Its as if it were crafted in a laboratory in Sweden bent on total domination of the world’s radio waves (which it was). Luckily, Clarkson decided the pop ditty needed a little edge and insisted on rocking out as much as Clive Davis would let her.
Released during a time when hip-hop ruled the charts, the song only managed to go No. 2, but it is arguably the most ubiquitous No. 2 hit of all-time. Destined for heavy rotation at karaoke bars for generations to come, "Since U Gone" struck a chord with listeners. It wasn't just a bitter break up song, it was empowering. She wasn't going to mourn the loss of her lover, she was going to move on, and be better than ever. If this was the only good thing to come out of American Idol, it was all worth it.
"Somebody Told Me"The Killers
Hot Fuss (2004)
It’s no surprise that “Somebody Told Me” would end up in the upper echelons of this list, after all, this blog gets its name from it (“17 tracks and I’ve had it with this game”). Blog names aside, this song stands on its own merits as one of the decade’s best tracks. It oozes Las Vegas glam more than any other song the band has done thanks to the dirty buzz of the synth lines that share space with good old fashioned rock and roll guitar and drums.
The lyrics hint at either bisexuality, sex changes, androgyny, or all three (“Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year”) and the sexual energy in Brandon Flower’s voice is palpable. Released as the Killer’s debut single, it failed to initially get any traction but took off as soon as the British music press got ahold of it.
"Toxic"Britney Spears
In The Zone (2003)
Mid-decade Britney Spears was a pop star in transition. She had shed every vestige of her former Mickey Mouse Club wholesomeness and traded her Max Martin produced teen pop in for cutting edge electronica. Her evolution might have been necessary but, it hurt her sales and popularity. Not even a symbolic passing of the baton in the form of a televised kiss with her icon Madonna seemed to be enough to get Spears back on top. She needed nothing less than one of the most inventive pop songs of the modern age.
“Toxic” sounded like the theme song to an anime James Bond movie from space. The bollywood strings were so good it was hard to believe they weren’t sampled, and alongside the surf guitar, synthesizers, and the stop and go beat, it was clear that producers Bloodshy and Avant had struck gold. The video featuring Spears wearing nothing but diamonds was a natural choice, and her tantalizing delivery brought us so high that we couldn’t come down.
"Disintigration"Jimmy Eat World
Stay On My Side Tonight (2005)
Jimmy Eat World did not peak in 2001. Their crowning achievement is this seven minute and forty four second epic released on their Stay On My Side Tonight EP in 2005. The percussion alone is capable of sending chills down the spine of a grown man as Jim Adkins asks, “I wonder why I’m so caught off guard when we kiss/I’d rather live my life in regret than do this.” Adkins portrays the emotions of grappling with a love once so real and sweet being lost and destroyed. The sleepless nights, the endless fights, the back and forth debating that goes on in the mind of someone trying to decide if all is lost or there is still hope is all captured in the song.
In the end, the band that spends most albums convincing listeners that everything is going to be alright comes to the conclusion that everything is not alright. The love that two people once knew can be destroyed beyond repair. “Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you burn me” Adkins points out. The song reaches its crescendo as the refrain “lie, lie better next time, stay on my side tonight” is chanted amid building and dizzying guitar and drums before fading out and leaving the listener hopeless.
"Lose Yourself"Eminem
8 Mile (2002)
“Lose Yourself” justifies Eminem’s entire existence. You’d be hard pressed to find a song that can psyche you up as much as this one does. Eminem gives the best rap performance of his career over a building rock beat asking, “If you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or let it slip?” His description of the protagonist who dreams of fame only to get booed off stage and return to his trailer park is so graphic and vivid that there was no need for a movie to tell the story.
The song’s strength comes from it’s overarching theme of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Sure, it’s about a rapper, but the intensity and energy in Eminem's go-for-broke performance translate to any situation where you are the defeated underdog who refuses to be beaten again. Eminem never sounded as raw and believable as his did in "Lose Yourself".
"Umbrella"Rihanna
Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
The first time you heard it you thought it was weird. The second time you heard it, you thought it might be kind of catchy. By the third time, you loved it. “Umbrella” isn’t so much weird as it is brilliant and ahead of its time. Built, around a slick drum and high-hat loop, Rihanna sings about umbrellas as a metaphor for friendship, the kind that you “take and oath and stick it out to the end”, a topic not routinely covered in pop music. Its not about lust, and not even necessarily about romance, its about offering shelter from the storms of life, a modern day “Stand By Me”.
Originally offered to Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige, it’s hard to imagine either doing a better job than the Barbados-born pop star. Her vocal delivery, while not technically superior to her peers, is unique and unmistakable as she glides along to the mother of all hooks, “ella ella ella eh eh eh”. Her Alanis-like pronunciation of the word umbrella gives it more syllables than previously thought possible.
"Hey Ya"OutKast
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
Once every decade, a song comes around that defies genre placement. It transcends gender, age, and racial barriers to receive critical acclaim, commercial success, and be crowned an instant classic. “Hey Ya!” is such a song and it couldn’t have gotten there in a more non-traditional way. A pop song performed by one half of a hip-hop duo combining two of the most commonly used words in the English language that name checks Beyonce and Lucy Liu. It seemed like every lyric became a catch phrase (“What’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold! Shake it like a Polaroid picture!”). To this day, whenever “Hey Ya!” comes on, everyone, and I mean everyone from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, from Mick Jagger to your grandma, everyone within hearing distance will begin to tap their feet and I don’t think we’ll ever get sick of it. It’s that good.
It’s secret was sounding like everything in the history of rock and roll while sounding like nothing you’ve ever heard before. It’s an electrifying funk-dipped, pop-drenched, soul-infested three minutes and fifty-five seconds that sounds like a mash-up of the Beatles, Prince, and the Supremes from the future. The smooth acoustic guitar glides alongside the funky synth before crashing into handclaps and Andre 3000’s back up singing and one of the most poignant questions of the decade: “If what they say is “nothing is forever”, then what makes love the exception?”
"Can't Get You Out Of My Head"Fever (2001)
Kylie Minogue was a washed-up has-been before she unleashed "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" on the world. It topped the charts across the globe and even crash landed in the top ten in the U.S. Written in part by pop genius Cathy Dennis, the track follows the tried and true method of endless repetition, but somehow it manages to do it better than anyone else. "La la la" was such an obvious hook, but no one ever thought to use it over a flawless sleek dance beat in such a way that the world couldn't get it out of its collective head.
"Jesus Walks"Kanye West
Rapping over military drums and what sounds like a choir of soldiers, Kanye West opens up about religion in "Jesus Walks". Comparing needing Jesus to Kathie Lee needing Regis might seem blasphemous to some, but Kanye sells it with a convincing devoted tone. "I wanna talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoken in so long," he confesses. Despite Ye's line about radio not playing his record because it was about God, it was embraced by radio programmers and fans alike.
"Electric Feel"MGMT
"Electric Feel"Oracular Spectacular (2008)
MGMT's Oracular Spectacular wowed critics and several of its tracks landed at the tops of end of the year lists in 2008. "Electric Feel" is the psychedelic indie-electro champ of the bunch, grabbing Bee Gees falsettos and laid back post-punk rock to create a shocking ode to electric love. The tune has an almost primal sound to it, like a ritual tribal dance a band of lost boys would sing while marching around a fire in Lord of the Flies or something.
"Black Sweat"
Prince3121 (2006)
MGMT's Oracular Spectacular wowed critics and several of its tracks landed at the tops of end of the year lists in 2008. "Electric Feel" is the psychedelic indie-electro champ of the bunch, grabbing Bee Gees falsettos and laid back post-punk rock to create a shocking ode to electric love. The tune has an almost primal sound to it, like a ritual tribal dance a band of lost boys would sing while marching around a fire in Lord of the Flies or something.
"Black Sweat"Prince
Like Prince's other great songs, "Black Sweat" lacks a bass line. Prince instead relies solely on a drum machine, a high pitched synthesizer, and his voice to create this jam oozing with funk. "Black Sweat" is able to reference songs like "When Doves Cry" and "Kiss" without sounding like a cheap rewrite. Speaking of rewriting, all he needed to do was change the word "black" to "red" or "blue", and maybe he could have gotten major airtime on Gatorade commercials.
"Take Me Out"
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Is Franz Ferdinand lead singer Alex Kapranos singing about getting hit on or getting shot in "Take Me Out", or both? The band managed to put out a song other post-punk revival bands only wish they could write. The fast first verse of the song gives way to a slower, although much more rocked out chorus. The two parts of the song, each with different rhythms, work together perfectly, to create an intoxicating indie masterpiece.
"No Good Advice"
Girls Aloud
Sound of the Underground (2003)
Following the success of "Sound of the Underground", the Girls Aloud needed a follow-up smash to prove they weren't a flash in the pan. "No Good Advice" didn't sound like the song a girl group would record, its attitude, lyrics, melody, and snarling surf guitar sounded more like a 1970s punk song. Its a song about defiance. Written by Xenomania in response to losing a deal with a record company, it served as a manifesto for the Aloud who proved they could make it as the decade's most important girl group without "good advice" from naysayers.
"Yellow"Coldplay
"Never Let Me Down"Kanye West
"Take Me Out"Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Is Franz Ferdinand lead singer Alex Kapranos singing about getting hit on or getting shot in "Take Me Out", or both? The band managed to put out a song other post-punk revival bands only wish they could write. The fast first verse of the song gives way to a slower, although much more rocked out chorus. The two parts of the song, each with different rhythms, work together perfectly, to create an intoxicating indie masterpiece.
"No Good Advice"Girls Aloud
Sound of the Underground (2003)
Following the success of "Sound of the Underground", the Girls Aloud needed a follow-up smash to prove they weren't a flash in the pan. "No Good Advice" didn't sound like the song a girl group would record, its attitude, lyrics, melody, and snarling surf guitar sounded more like a 1970s punk song. Its a song about defiance. Written by Xenomania in response to losing a deal with a record company, it served as a manifesto for the Aloud who proved they could make it as the decade's most important girl group without "good advice" from naysayers.
"Yellow"Parachutes (2000)
"Yellow" was the song that made Coldplay, and its easy to hear why, the song is beautiful, and hopelessly romantic. The narrative of writing a song for someone makes it a modern "Your Song". "Yellow" gave Coldplay their first top ten hit, broke them in America, and propelled Parachutes to wins at the Grammys (Best Alternative Album) and the Brits (Best British Album). The tune has been covered countless times, and that's not even counting all the wooing boyfriends singing it on a clear starry night.
"Yeah!"Usher
"Apply Some Pressure"
Maximo Park"Yellow" was the song that made Coldplay, and its easy to hear why, the song is beautiful, and hopelessly romantic. The narrative of writing a song for someone makes it a modern "Your Song". "Yellow" gave Coldplay their first top ten hit, broke them in America, and propelled Parachutes to wins at the Grammys (Best Alternative Album) and the Brits (Best British Album). The tune has been covered countless times, and that's not even counting all the wooing boyfriends singing it on a clear starry night.
"Yeah!"Confessions (2004)
"Yeah!" is a party anthem that could only be made in the decade of the ringtone. Honestly, have you ever heard a song play from so many phones (either the real track or the MIDI version) as you did Usher's biggest hit in 2004? This ultimate party jam sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released, and it brought crunk to the masses and is the single best mispronunciation of an artists name in music history (Ursher has got the smack to make your bootie go...)
"Hung Up"
Madonna
Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005)
Madonna had the first flop album of her career with American Life, a divisive folk album that raged against war and Bush-era America. Ironically, Madonna took a page out of W.'s playbook by pandering to her base and returning to the dancefloor with "Hung Up". Teaming up with producer Stuart Price and sampling ABBA, the Queen of Pop made her last great pop song. It wasn't long before she would try pandering to middle America by hooking up with Justin.
"99 Problems"
Jay-ZThe Black Album (2004)
"Never Win"Fischerspooner
"Milkshake"
Kelis"Yeah!" is a party anthem that could only be made in the decade of the ringtone. Honestly, have you ever heard a song play from so many phones (either the real track or the MIDI version) as you did Usher's biggest hit in 2004? This ultimate party jam sounds as fresh as it did when it was first released, and it brought crunk to the masses and is the single best mispronunciation of an artists name in music history (Ursher has got the smack to make your bootie go...)
"Hung Up"
Madonna
Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005)
Madonna had the first flop album of her career with American Life, a divisive folk album that raged against war and Bush-era America. Ironically, Madonna took a page out of W.'s playbook by pandering to her base and returning to the dancefloor with "Hung Up". Teaming up with producer Stuart Price and sampling ABBA, the Queen of Pop made her last great pop song. It wasn't long before she would try pandering to middle America by hooking up with Justin.
"99 Problems"Jay-Z
Ten months before Jay-Z dropped the rap-rock bomb that was "99 Problems", Hova featured on his future wive's "Crazy In Love". I wonder how Beyonce felt about Jay's lyrics? "If you having girl problems I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one," he raps. His rap about being pulled over by a cop (You was doing 55 in a 54...you carrying a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are) is one of the best statements on racism hip-hop has produced.
"Never Win"Odyssey (2005)
This group of electro-clash revivalists take early 80s synth and filtered it through early 00s art-rock to create "Never Win". The track has the pulsing synth lines, the video game-like beeps during the bridge, and the careless guitar strumming, but it also has a bite to it, ensuring no one ever mistakes it for vapid.
This group of electro-clash revivalists take early 80s synth and filtered it through early 00s art-rock to create "Never Win". The track has the pulsing synth lines, the video game-like beeps during the bridge, and the careless guitar strumming, but it also has a bite to it, ensuring no one ever mistakes it for vapid.
"Milkshake"Tasty (2003)
Kelis' "Milkshake" is a dizzying sonic assault courtesy of N.E.R.D.'s minimalist production. Popular music has had its share of sexual innuendos, but few are as adventurous as this tune with Kelis demanding payment to teach how she makes milkshakes that not only bring the boys to the yard, but are better than yours (damn right). A synth-funk masterpiece.
"Apply Some Pressure"A Certain Trigger (2005)
Maximo Park had the unfortunate timing of arriving to the new-wave/post-punk revival after the likes of Kasabian and Bloc Party had already made splashy well-hyped debuts thanks to the British rock press. "Apply Some Pressure" deserves a place in the pantheon of songs. The adrenaline heavy track benefits from machine gun drums and wiry guitar that lives up to its title.
"Valerie"
Amy WinehouseVersion (2006)
BBC's Radio 1 Live Lounge show has become a perennial favorite for bloggers. The radio show features artists performing a hit of their own as well as covering another song which immediately hits the web and improves the search engine optimization of whatever blog posts it. The most famous song to spring from the show is Amy Winehouse's cover of the Zuton's "Valerie". The fact that Winehouse is singing about a woman is a moot point in this bouncy danceable retro-flashback.
"Never Let Me Down"The College Dropout (2004)
Kanye West has come to be known more for his pop songs and controversial outburts, but his greatest moments are his goosebump inducing singles that pull at your heartstrings. "Never Let Me Down" is Ye's statement on love. Teaming up with Jay-Z and J. Ivy, he made the most emotional song of his career. It strays from Jay-Z's massive ego to Kanye's grandfather's battle with racism to the kind of love that inspires fierce loyalty.
Kanye West has come to be known more for his pop songs and controversial outburts, but his greatest moments are his goosebump inducing singles that pull at your heartstrings. "Never Let Me Down" is Ye's statement on love. Teaming up with Jay-Z and J. Ivy, he made the most emotional song of his career. It strays from Jay-Z's massive ego to Kanye's grandfather's battle with racism to the kind of love that inspires fierce loyalty.
Labels:
Amy Winehouse,
Coldplay,
Fischerspooner,
Franz Ferdinand,
Girls Aloud,
Jay-Z,
Kanye West,
Kelis,
Kylie Minogue,
Madonna,
Maximo Park,
MGMT,
Prince,
The Decade,
Usher
"Ms. Jackson"OutKast
Stakonia (2000)
OutKast's first No. 1 single brought this innovative, largley sample-free hip-hop duo to the general public's attention and marked the first step towards the genre's domination of America. While Andre 3000 apologized to his baby mama's mama, Big Boi stuck up for himself telling her that her grandchild is a baby and not a paycheck. The woeful account of of post-break up politics in a post-nuclear family world is for reeeeal.
"Without Me"Eminem
The Eminem Show (2001)
"I'm not the first king of controversy, I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley to do black music so selfishly and use it to get myself wealthy," rapped Eminem in 2000. The biggest white rapper became one of the most important musical forces on the planet at the turn of the century. A cross-over star, his incredible talent made critics look the other way as he celebrated drugs and murder and bashed women and homosexuals.
"Sexyback"Justin Timberlake
Futuresex/Lovesounds (2006)
It's a pretty bold claim to say you brought sexy back, especially if no one is really sure wthat it left in the first place. Dropping the new Michael Jackson schtick for a song, Timberlake channeled Prince in his fiersest, cockiest, and sexiest song yet. The haphazard and hypnotic synth grooves along with vocals that sound like they were recorded over a cell phone and gives the song an apocolyptic futuresex sheen.
"Viva La Vida"Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
Its not often that a song that doesn't use its title anywhere in its lyrics becomes a trans-Atlantic No. 1 smash. Of course, most of those songs don't get massive exposure via an iPod commercial or come as heavily anticipated as anything Coldplay puts out. Religious references and church bells raise "Viva La Vida" to the level of a rock hymn which, put out by the band at its peak of popularity, ironically chronicles a man recollecting his past glories.
"Underdog"Kasabian
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009)
Competing with the hordes of post-punk bands in the United Kingdom, Kasabian needed to keep the caffinated in-your-face rock songs coming while still evolving their sound.They did so on "Underdog" which used pulsating droid synth, hip-hop-like percussion beats, and fuzzed out country guitar riffs. The song, an ode to sticking it to the man, is defiant and danceable, angry and energetic, and ensures that Kasabian is no underdog in the battle for Brit rock supremacy.
"I'm A Slave 4 U"Britney Spears
Britney (2001)
Britney Spears completely shed her squeaky clean Mickey Mouse club image with her Prince influenced, N.E.R.D. produced single. A radical shift in her sound, "I'm A Slave 4 U" succeeded in sounding dirty before Spears even starts panting thanks to the off-kilter minimalistic backing track. Just as you start to get dizzy, Spears begins demanding respect. "All you people look at me like I'm a little girl but did you ever think it would be OK for me to step into this world?" No Britney, we expected it.
"Beautiful Day"U2
All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
With an opening is reminiscent of the "Chariot of Fire" theme , and a simplicity that enhances its beauty, "Beautiful Day" is not only one of U2's most triumphant moment of the decade, but one of the greatest moments of their career. Bono said the song was about a man who was optimistic despite losing everything. It seems to encapsulate everything the band stands for. It's epic, it's beautiful, it's love, and it's hopeful.
"No One"Alicia Keys
As I Am (2007)
Alicia Keys is hip enough and catchy enough to win over mainstream radio yet friendly enough for your mom to go out and buy her album, which is exactly what Clive Davis was hoping for. "No One" is a song that you hear for the first time but you swear you've heard it before; an instant classic. The soulful and melodic Stevie Wonder-esque tune charms you with its emphatic declaration that, "no one can get in the way of what I'm feeling".
"Cry Me A River"Justin Timberlake
Justified (2002)
Breaking up is hard enough, but having your ex tell you to cry a river and for the world to hear (not to mention make a music video where he breaks into your house and puts a video of him kissing another woman on your television) makes it a million times worse. The song is claustrophobic with Timberlake's falsetto traversing the organic soundscape created by Timbaland. Interestingly enough, Britney Spears responded to Justin Timberlake's attacks with an apology in the form of "Everytime".
"Whenever, Wherever"Shakira
Laundry Service (2002)
Scoring hits in Spanish and English with equal ease, Shakira is the postergirl for international boundary-defying pop and "Whenever Wherever" is its theme song. Shakira's vocals are like a wild Latin version of Alanis Morisette singing over an orchestra of tribal drums and Australian didgeridoos. Her pleas that, "we're meant to be together" sound not only like a fiesta in your ears, but a call for world peace.
"In Da Club"50 Cent
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)
50 Cent has become so irrelevant that its hard to remember the time he was one of the most important rappers around, if only for a moment. "In Da Club" was a slurred club banger and a bold debut for the one time drug dealer. Even with Curtis Jackson's rough past, including being shot nine times, his invitation, "come give me a hug," as well as reminding us that everyday is someone's birthday somewhere, made him lovable.
"Beware of the Boys"Panjabi MC feat. Jay-Z
Legalised (2002)
There was a time in the mid-2000s when every pop hit had an Eastern flavor to it. Jay-Z's "Beware of the Boys" with Panjabi MC is one of the reasons why. Hova outsourced his backing track, using "Mundian To Bach Ke" by Panjabi MC and adding a rap over it. Like a snake charmer, Jay brings Brooklyn and Lahore together for four unifying minutes. The chorus is sung in Punjabi (no, that's not a slur, Punjab is a region in India) and the instrumentation is of the hypnotic bhangra variation.
"The Scientist"Coldplay
A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
I still don't understand how Chris Martin pulled off the video for "The Scientist". Singing the entire song forwards while time moves backwards, Martin delivers one of the most poignant songs in Coldplay's body of work. "Nobody said it was easy," he sings, "Take me back to start". The piano is simple and steady, the percussion light and understated. Written about man's powerlessness in the face of love, the song was inspired by the solo work of George Harrison.
"Don't Tell Me"Madonna
Music (2000)
Madonna kick-started the decade with a tripped out electro-folk album and had the balls to simply name it Music. With "Don't Tell Me", the pop star waxes poetically over a stuttering guitar lick that was so ahead of its time that some listeners tried to return their copy of the album thinking it was faulty. Tell the bed not to make, take the black off a crow, but please, don't ever tell Madonna to stop.
Labels:
50 Cent,
Alicia Keys,
Britney Spears,
Coldplay,
Eminem,
Jay-Z,
Justin Timberlake,
Kasabian,
Madonna,
OutKast,
Shakira,
The Decade,
u2
The album was a diluted art form by the turn of the century. Greedy record executives reasoned that if a hit song was big enough, they could slap it onto an album with 11 other tracks of filler and people would pay $14 to buy it instead of just selling a physical single. That's how Vanilla Ice, Chumbawamba, and Natalie Imbruglia sold so much. That model worked fine in the booming economy of the 1990s, but it wasn't feasible.Another nail in the album's coffin came in the form of Napster, which by 2000 was only a few months old. As the site grew larger, illegal downloading began to chip away at album sales, foreshadowing the eventual havoc it would wreck on the industry. When the iPod debuted just over a year and a half later, the single was resurrected as consumers could spend 99 cents to get a solitary song instead of buying an entire album.
As the decade drew to a close, one of the album's leading supporters, Radiohead's Thom Yorke announced that his band was done making albums. Recording a full length had become a "drag," and in this digital world, instantly available singles and EPs were the way to go. Another popular although less critically acclaimed group, the Black Eyed Peas, made similar comments, saying that the album was dying, that in its place would be a living breathing musical creation that would live online.
Even 17 Tracks is feeding this notion as our best albums of the decade list is only 25 creative works while our singles list is a sprawling seven-day-100-entry affair. Still, its easier to latch onto three minutes and 30 seconds of music rather than a 45 to an hour long piece of work. So many of todays albums are nothing more than a collection of songs anyway, strung together with no thought of making something that is lasting and can be called art.
What this list represents is 25 albums that are art. They aren't just a few radio hits slapped onto a disc filled with filler, they are a collection of songs that collectively mean something. They are proof that the album is not dead. You can hop onto iTunes and download the 'must download tracks' that are listed below each album description, but if that's all you listen to, you're doing yourself a disservice. Consider those songs something to whet your appetite, these albums were meant to be listened to in their entirety.
25. American Life (2003)
Madonna
[Maverick/Warner Bros.]
Nowhere near as successful as Green Day's similarly themed album, Madonna tore apart Bush-era America in her forray into folk pop.
Must download tracks: "American Life", "Hollywood", and "Easy Ride"
24. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
Arctic Monkeys
[Domino]
The Arctic Monkeys faced intense pressure as the hyperbolic British rock press labeled them the next big thing. They delivered with the fastest selling debut album in UK history.
Must download tracks: "I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor", "Dancing Shoes", and "When The Sun Goes Down"
23. Futuresex/Lovesounds (2006)
Justin Timberlake
[Jive/Zomba]
Justin Timberlake's sophomore solo effort teamed him up with Timbaland for what would become the producer's creative and cultural peak. The Tims blew our minds with ridiculously good pop.
Must download tracks "My Love", "SexyBack", and "What Goes Around...Comes Around"
22. Plans (2005)
Death Cab for Cutie
[Atlantic]
For Death Cab's major label debut, Ben Gibbard and company created a sprawling soundscape that spanned "the length of the isle of Manhattan" and reflected on the meaning of love, life, and death.
Must download tracks: "Marching Bands of Manhattan", "Soul Meets Body", and "I Will Follow You Into The Dark",
21. The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)
Mariah Carey
[Island]
Mariah's mid-decade comeback album showcased the voice just as strong as ever, but more reserved. It remains Carey's classiest album to date.
Must download tracks: "We Belong Together", "Shake It Off", and "One and Only"
20. 808s & Heartbreak (2008)
Kanye West
[Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam]
Kanye ditched his four year college theme plan and rapping when his mother died and his fiance broke it off all in the same year. His emo-pop art masterpiece became his most divisive release.
Must download tracks: "Welcome to Heartbreak", "Heartless", and "Love Lockdown"
19. Breakaway(2005)
Kelly Clarkson
[RCA]
Kelly Clarkson let the real her show in her sophomore album, rocking out to some of the best pop rock tunes this decade has heard. Still the best release by an American Idol alum.
Must download tracks: "Breakaway", "Since U Been Gone", and "Behind These Hazel Eyes"
18. Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
Coldplay
[Capitol/Parlophone]
Coldplay became the world's biggest band, but they needed an album to justify that to themselves and everyone else. Ditching a formula that had already sold millions of albums, they teamed up with Brian Eno and ruled the world.
Must download tracks: "Violet Hill", "Viva La Vida", and "Lost!"
17. Sam's Town (2006)
The Killers
[Island]
Brandon Flowers boasted that Sam's Town would be one of the best albums in 25 years. It's actually the 17th best of the decade. Toning down the synth-glam, the Killers made a the great American rock album.
Must download tracks: "When You Were Young", "For Reasons Unknown", and "This River Is Wild"
16. Back To Black (2006)
Amy Winehouse
[Island/Universal Republic]
Amy Winehouse captivated the world with her bizarre behavior and catchy neo-retro sound. Filled with drug and alcohol references, her album mirrored her tabloid life, which didn't stop her from winning a slew of awards.
Must download tracks: "Rehab", "Tears Dry On Their Own", and "Love Is A Losing Game"
15. Transatlanticism (2003)
Death Cab for Cutie
[Barsuk Records]
Death Cab's breakthrough album took snapshots of life, a New Year's party, rummaging through a glove compartment, making out in the back of a car, and it found the drama, beauty, and pain that exists in those moments in time. Ben Gibbard's lyrics are pure poetry.
Must download tracks: "The New Year", "Title and Registration", and "The Sound of Settling"
14. Intimacy (2008)
Bloc Party
[Wichita]
Bloc Party is the sort of band that assaults your ears with raw visceral guitar and rapid-fire percussion. Not exactly intimate. They managed to craft a deep and emotional record however, one with songs that perfectly describe the rage, anger, and sadness in losing love.
Must download tracks: "Mercury", "Halo", and "Signs"
13. Blackout (2007)
Britney Spears
[Jive]
Britney Spears is shockingly absent on her greatest album. Her voice is shredded through vocodors to become another instrument in her producer's arsenal, but its haunting, danceable, and dark vibe is a frighteningly accurate soundtrack to her self destruction.
Must download tracks: "Gimme More", "Piece of Me", and "Break the Ice"
12. The Blueprint (2001)
Jay-Z
[Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam]
Jay-Z wowed the world with his soul sampling The Blueprint, an album that became the blueprint for hip-hop in the 2000s. Without it, Kanye West would never had made it big (he produced several songs), sampling wouldn't have become the default option in rap, and the "-izzle" phenomenon would have never happened.
Must download tracks: "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls", and "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)"
11. A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
Coldplay
[Capitol/Parlophone]
Coldplay's second album cemented their status as one of the biggest bands of the decade. More rocked out than their debut, they still managed to produce some beautiful, lighter than air tracks that resonated with the hopeless romantic in all of us.
Must download tracks: "The Scientist", "Clocks", and "Green Eyes"
10. Give Up(2003)
The Postal Service
[Sub Pop]
When Death Cab's Ben Gibbard and electronic artist Jimmy Tamborello teamed up, the results were breathe-taking. Their one time Postal Service gig was an indie laptop daydream, and the biggest selling album for the Sub Pop label since Nirvana.
Must download tracks: "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight", "Such Great Heights", and "Brand New Colony"
9. Richard X Presents His X Factor Vol. 1 (2003)
Richard X
[EMI/Astralworks]
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That was the attitude EMI took after bootleg mash-up artist Richard X was caught illegally distributing mash-ups. This authorized compilation of mash-ups rerecorded by a slew of Europe's biggest pop acts made for the decade's best pop album.
Must download tracks: "Being Nobody", "Finest Dreams", and "Freak Like Me"
8. Kid A (2000)
Radiohead
[Parlophone/Capitol]
Radiohead welcomed the new century with a disc that oozed millennial fears and paranoia. An alternative rock band using electronica was something new and unheard of, but it won over critics and fans alike.
Must download tracks: "Everything In Its Right Place", "The National Anthem", and "Idioteque"
7. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
OutKast
[LeFace/Arista]
This wasn't an OutKast album, it was two solo records stitched together, sort of a reverse White Album. The Speakerboxxx side is classic old school hip-hop, a fitting successor to OutKast's body of work at the time. The Love Below was a psychedelic freak-out that drew its influences from the entire history of pop, rock, and rap.
Must download tracks: "Hey Ya!", " Happy Valentine's Day", and "Love In War"
6. Is This It (2001)
The Strokes
[RCA]
There was a lot of pressure on the Strokes when their debut album came out, so much so that they ironically named their album Is This It. Fortunatley, it was it. The group deserved all the accolades the rock press threw on them and they kickstarted the garage rock revival with this energetic debut.
Must download tracks: "Last Nite", "Someday", and "Hard To Explain"
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5. Interventions and Lullabies (2003)
The Format
[Elektra]
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The Format
[Elektra]
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The Format's 60's inspired guitar pop is the kind of music that you hear for the first time but you swear you've heard it before. Its so catchy and so familiar, yet so original. Exploring themes of youth, coming of age, and both finding and falling out of love to roll-your-windows-down rock is a beautiful combination.
Must download tracks: "The First Single", "Tie The Rope", and "On Your Porch"
4. Silent Alarm (2005)
Bloc Party
[Wichita]
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Don't let the title fool you, there is nothing silent about Silent Alarm. But alarm? Yes. As the premier band in the post-punk genre, Bloc Party introduced themselves with a dance rock debut featuring hard hitting rhythmic friction and pointed lyrics that moves at breakneck speeds. It's an album about growing up in the modern, cold, uncaring world, something every teenager and twenty-something can relate to.
Must download tracks: "Banquet", "Helicopter", and "Like Eating Glass"
3. Bleed American (2001)
Jimmy Eat World
[Dreamworks]
.
Jimmy Eat World was dropped from their record label following their criminally underappreciated Clarity, but the band refused to let that get them down. They went on a grueling touring schedule and recorded their next album on their own dime. The airtight Bleed American was a perfect pop rock album, so perfect in fact, that labels were tripping over themselves to sign the band. Retitled Jimmy Eat World after September 11, this album is a prototype that both J.E.W. and other bands have unsuccessfully tried to replicate.
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Must download tracks: "Sweetness", "The Middle", and "Hear You Me"
2. Hot Fuss (2004)
The Killers
[Island]
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2. Hot Fuss (2004)
The Killers
[Island]
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The Killers were an American rock band who tried to sound British but were raised amind the glam and glitter of Las Vegas. The result was one of the most exciting debuts, not only of the decade, but in the entire history of rock and roll. They fit it all into Hot Fuss. There is sex, mystery, love, pain, synth, and a gospel choir. It couldn't have been pulled off without the knowledge and ambition of front man Brandon Flowers. Flowers understands rock and roll. He understands where it's come from and what it means. He has ambition rivaled by few in the music industry. It's evident in Hot Fuss, an album that so desparatley wants to be numbered among the greats, and pulls it off without sounding like it tried too hard.
Must download tracks: "Mr. Brightside", "Somebody Told Me", and "All These Things I've Done"
1. The College Dropout (2004)
Kanye West
[Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam]
Kanye West's debut is a concept album about what it meant to be an African-American in turn of the century America, a successor to The Miseducation of Lauren Hill. Ye touched on drugs, religion, family, and working out so you could get yourself an NBA player and quit your day job at the mall. West appeared in the liner notes wearing a striped rugby shirt with the collar popped, not a basketball jersey and backwards hat. He refused to conform to the stereotypes of who a rapper is supposed to be. In doing that, he opened up the genre to a whole new audience. Capitalizing on what OutKast had already done for rap, Ye took it a step further, and soon, indie kids and rock snobs were certified Kanye West fans. West has proven himself to be one of the decade's most important and influencial artists, and one of the most important rappers of all time, but he has yet to come close to the grandeur of his debut album.
Must download tracks: "Jesus Walks", "New Workout Plan", and "Never Let Me Down"
td:ar albums number 25-1
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