These are the albums that shaped my taste in music in the order in which I discovered them.
Little Me belted out Madonna and Janet; then got angsty with Liz. Britpop took over my world in the mid-90s but I didn’t realize my love for Bowie til the 00s. Kate made me love pop with drama.
These are the albums that shaped my taste in music in the order in which I discovered them.
Little Me belted out Madonna and Janet; then got angsty with Liz. Britpop took over my world in the mid-90s but I didn’t realize my love for Bowie til the 00s. Kate made me love pop with drama.
1. Interpol, "Evil," 2004 🇺🇸
*12 points!*
The chorus is done 3 times, and all are different - building in length and intensity until the finale: "Why can't we just play the other game? Why can't we just look the other way?"
It's so cool, and it rocks.
youtu.be/dkpgz3uQ58U?...
1. Interpol, "Evil," 2004 🇺🇸
*12 points!*
The chorus is done 3 times, and all are different - building in length and intensity until the finale: "Why can't we just play the other game? Why can't we just look the other way?"
It's so cool, and it rocks.
youtu.be/dkpgz3uQ58U?...
2. Spiller ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)", 2000 🇮🇹🇬🇧
11 points!
Making my long list for this project, this was the 1st song I added. It's literally the 1st song I think of when I'm nostalgic for 2000s music. Now that's a hook!
youtu.be/FI3gn4APNXc?...
2. Spiller ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)", 2000 🇮🇹🇬🇧
11 points!
Making my long list for this project, this was the 1st song I added. It's literally the 1st song I think of when I'm nostalgic for 2000s music. Now that's a hook!
youtu.be/FI3gn4APNXc?...
3. Lady Gaga, "Bad Romance", 2009 🇺🇸
*11 points!*
That bit near the end when she goes from singing in French to "I don't wanna be friends / Want your bad romance!" and then there's a pause before it explodes into the final chorus... I love it so much.
youtu.be/qrO4YZeyl0I?...
3. Lady Gaga, "Bad Romance", 2009 🇺🇸
*11 points!*
That bit near the end when she goes from singing in French to "I don't wanna be friends / Want your bad romance!" and then there's a pause before it explodes into the final chorus... I love it so much.
youtu.be/qrO4YZeyl0I?...
5. Belle & Sebastian, "I'm a Cuckoo", 2004 🏴
11 points!
The ultra-high ranking was perhaps skewed by my seeing them play this live the week I finalized my list. But I'll stand by it. The song just makes me happy.
youtu.be/GuKuw71YBbI?...
5. Belle & Sebastian, "I'm a Cuckoo", 2004 🏴
11 points!
The ultra-high ranking was perhaps skewed by my seeing them play this live the week I finalized my list. But I'll stand by it. The song just makes me happy.
youtu.be/GuKuw71YBbI?...
6. Scissor Sisters, “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”, 2006 🇺🇸
Posting the superior album version here (not the music video) so you get the guitar intro!
youtu.be/k6Vu7SRMlFk
6. Scissor Sisters, “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”, 2006 🇺🇸
Posting the superior album version here (not the music video) so you get the guitar intro!
youtu.be/k6Vu7SRMlFk
7. Metric, “Combat Baby”, 2004 🇨🇦
Metric are so cool.
“I wanna be wrong, but…
No one here wants to fight me like you do
Combat baby —
Come back, baby!”
youtu.be/6rMfPvv3BMs
7. Metric, “Combat Baby”, 2004 🇨🇦
Metric are so cool.
“I wanna be wrong, but…
No one here wants to fight me like you do
Combat baby —
Come back, baby!”
youtu.be/6rMfPvv3BMs
8. The Rapture, “House of Jealous Lovers”, 2002
I enjoyed a lot of the Gang-of-Four-influenced dance-punk singles that came out in the early 2000s, and this was my favorite. How can you hear this and not get up and dance?
youtu.be/kFIHkIGUJJ8
8. The Rapture, “House of Jealous Lovers”, 2002
I enjoyed a lot of the Gang-of-Four-influenced dance-punk singles that came out in the early 2000s, and this was my favorite. How can you hear this and not get up and dance?
youtu.be/kFIHkIGUJJ8
9. All Saints, "Pure Shores", 2000
Like many, I wasn't sure whether to pick this one or the other. But looking back, "Pure Shores" was so good it got me to see the Leo movie *and* read the book.
That's the kind of power that earns a spot in my top 10.
youtu.be/dVNdTXEJv1A?...
9. All Saints, "Pure Shores", 2000
Like many, I wasn't sure whether to pick this one or the other. But looking back, "Pure Shores" was so good it got me to see the Leo movie *and* read the book.
That's the kind of power that earns a spot in my top 10.
youtu.be/dVNdTXEJv1A?...
10. Arcade Fire, “Rebellion (Lies)”, 2005 🇨🇦
Like all good indie kids in 2004, Pitchfork’s 9.7/10 review of “Funeral” had me running out to buy the album as soon as I could.
youtu.be/8vN2vqaEBhM
10. Arcade Fire, “Rebellion (Lies)”, 2005 🇨🇦
Like all good indie kids in 2004, Pitchfork’s 9.7/10 review of “Funeral” had me running out to buy the album as soon as I could.
youtu.be/8vN2vqaEBhM
11. The Raveonettes, “The Great Love Sound”, 2003 🇩🇰
Part garage rock, part Jesus and Mary Chain, total banger. The part at the end when you think the song is ending but they go in for one more chorus, with extra instruments? The best.
youtu.be/Akl3k1kcPvY
11. The Raveonettes, “The Great Love Sound”, 2003 🇩🇰
Part garage rock, part Jesus and Mary Chain, total banger. The part at the end when you think the song is ending but they go in for one more chorus, with extra instruments? The best.
youtu.be/Akl3k1kcPvY
13. Kylie Minogue, "Can't Get You Out of My Head", 2001 🇦🇺
As an American who moved to London in 2000, I was surprised by how big Kylie was. "Spinning Around" was catchy, sure. But then this song came out and was EVERYWHERE and I was like, "ah, I get it".
youtu.be/c18441Eh_WE?...
13. Kylie Minogue, "Can't Get You Out of My Head", 2001 🇦🇺
As an American who moved to London in 2000, I was surprised by how big Kylie was. "Spinning Around" was catchy, sure. But then this song came out and was EVERYWHERE and I was like, "ah, I get it".
youtu.be/c18441Eh_WE?...
14. Stars, "Your Ex-Lover is Dead", 2005 🇨🇦
"Live through this
And you won't look back...
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry
There's nothing to say"
youtu.be/r5Or6-HOveg?...
14. Stars, "Your Ex-Lover is Dead", 2005 🇨🇦
"Live through this
And you won't look back...
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry
There's nothing to say"
youtu.be/r5Or6-HOveg?...
15. Madonna, “Hung Up, 2005
Madonna’s 36th (!!!) Billboard Top 10 hit. I remember at the time thinking that she looked and sounded so good for such an old lady (*facepalm*)
youtu.be/EDwb9jOVRtU
15. Madonna, “Hung Up, 2005
Madonna’s 36th (!!!) Billboard Top 10 hit. I remember at the time thinking that she looked and sounded so good for such an old lady (*facepalm*)
youtu.be/EDwb9jOVRtU
16. Aaliyah, “Try Again”, 2000
What a voice, what moves, what charisma.
youtu.be/qTA0RuZoIxM
16. Aaliyah, “Try Again”, 2000
What a voice, what moves, what charisma.
youtu.be/qTA0RuZoIxM
17. Rihanna, “Umbrella”, 2007 🇧🇧
I had a hard time deciding which Rihanna song to pick, but settled on this one because it seems the most indelible. But also because of the clip I’ll link in the reply (you can prob guess which one!)
youtu.be/CvBfHwUxHIk?...
17. Rihanna, “Umbrella”, 2007 🇧🇧
I had a hard time deciding which Rihanna song to pick, but settled on this one because it seems the most indelible. But also because of the clip I’ll link in the reply (you can prob guess which one!)
youtu.be/CvBfHwUxHIk?...
18. Flaming Lips, “Fight Test”, 2003
A brilliant song about how scary it can be, to be brave.
“'Cause I'm a man, not a boy
And there are things you can't avoid, you have to face them
When you're not prepared to face them”
youtu.be/jcFKlEfu_eU?...
18. Flaming Lips, “Fight Test”, 2003
A brilliant song about how scary it can be, to be brave.
“'Cause I'm a man, not a boy
And there are things you can't avoid, you have to face them
When you're not prepared to face them”
youtu.be/jcFKlEfu_eU?...
19. Lady Gaga, “Paparazzi”, 2008
The VMAs performance of this song is an incredible piece of performance art.
youtu.be/_h6Vc9__kqM?...
19. Lady Gaga, “Paparazzi”, 2008
The VMAs performance of this song is an incredible piece of performance art.
youtu.be/_h6Vc9__kqM?...
20. Franz Ferdinand, “Take Me Out”, 2004
The song’s transition that starts at 0:55 is still so much fun.
youtu.be/Ijk4j-r7qPA?...
20. Franz Ferdinand, “Take Me Out”, 2004
The song’s transition that starts at 0:55 is still so much fun.
youtu.be/Ijk4j-r7qPA?...
21. Outkast, “B.O.B. - Bombs Over Baghdad”, 2000
26 years old and still sounds so fresh.
youtu.be/lVehcuJXe6I?...
21. Outkast, “B.O.B. - Bombs Over Baghdad”, 2000
26 years old and still sounds so fresh.
youtu.be/lVehcuJXe6I?...
23. Goldfrapp, “Ooh La La”, 2005
Allison Goldfrapp invites the listener to “dial up my number” and then performs a 3-minute disco glam seduction to a crazy catchy beat. Ooh la la.
youtu.be/uco-2V4ytYQ?...
23. Goldfrapp, “Ooh La La”, 2005
Allison Goldfrapp invites the listener to “dial up my number” and then performs a 3-minute disco glam seduction to a crazy catchy beat. Ooh la la.
youtu.be/uco-2V4ytYQ?...
24. Green Day, “American Idiot” 2004
A banger of a song that also felt *important*. Gave voice to the very 2004 feeling that the media was trying to skew things to favor the rich & powerful, & blame minorities for our problems and… hey wait a second..
youtu.be/Ee_uujKuJMI?...
24. Green Day, “American Idiot” 2004
A banger of a song that also felt *important*. Gave voice to the very 2004 feeling that the media was trying to skew things to favor the rich & powerful, & blame minorities for our problems and… hey wait a second..
youtu.be/Ee_uujKuJMI?...