In looking back through what I bought, heard about, and maybe even listened to over the past ten years, two themes seem to stand out: albums released in the second half of the decade are unfairly marginalized -- in fact, I suggest compiling best-of-the-decade lists every five years to compensate -- one of my top 10 albums was released from 2005-2009. And, the first decade of the 21st century seemed to have inspired more song cycles/pop operas than I can recall. Off the top of my head, Drive-by Truckers, Decemberists, Green Day, Rev. Hammer, My Chemical Romance, Sufjan Stevens, the Hold Steady. Remarkable, and I'm sure there are many more.
So here's my list...annotated commentary on the jump. Not all completed yet, so check back often. Or even occasionally.
10. Tabla Beat Science -- Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove
9. Spoon -- Kill the Moonlight
8. Death Cab for Cutie -- We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
7. P.J. Harvey -- Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
6. Jay-Z -- the Black Album
5. Sun Kil Moon -- Ghosts of the Great Highway
4. Radiohead -- Amnesiac
3. Arctic Monkeys -- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
2. Sleater-Kinney --- All Hands on the Bad One
1. Green Day -- American Idiot
10. Tabla Beat Science -- Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove
9. Spoon -- Kill the Moonlight
8. Death Cab for Cutie -- We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
7. P.J. Harvey -- Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
6. Jay-Z -- the Black Album
At one point, the thought was this was his "final"
album, but seemingly it has turned into the end of the beginning or the beginning of the middle, or something like that. Colossal tracks like "Justify My Thug" (with that killer Madonna sample) and "99 Problems" will likely endure musically, but "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" arguably led to the celebratory action by many athletes of "dusting off" their jerseys after a score. Does influence reach much further than that?
Along with Radiohead, an argument can be made that Jay-Z was the artist of the decade considering the caliber of releases, his being first hip-hop artist to headline Glastonbury, his role as CEO of Def Jam, his general nice-guy mantle. In a genre not exactly known for magnanimousness, his late-notice fill-in for the Beastie Boys at All Points West following the announcement of Adam Yauch's (MCA) cancer was kicked off with "No Sleep til Brooklyn," class all the way. Oh, and the Black Album was half the inspiration of Danger Mouse's Grey Album, a sensation that introduced most of
us to Danger Mouse, the visibility of which begat Gnarls Barkley and "Crazy."
All roads lead to Jay-Z?
5. Sun Kil Moon -- Ghosts of the Great Highway
4. Radiohead -- Amnesiac
3. Arctic Monkeys -- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
As those who knew me from circa 2006 until the release of Humbug last summer know, I thought Alex Turner could do little wrong. (Humbug was a lot wrong and the less said about it, the better.) I didn't think too hard about my favorite
Aughties album, but I couldn't decide what should be 2 and what should be 3.
Sleater-Kinney wins for "lifetime achievement," but the record I probably
played the most was the Monkeys' ridiculously fantastic debut. Brash, loud,
danceable, with overstuffed verses and choruses full of put-downs, slang, and -
what the heck -- name-dropping the Montagues and Capulets, some Shakespeare
yeah, as all proper British lads should. And delivered in a thick Sheffield brogue. Ah,
bliss.
Ground-breaking? Not necessarily musically, though Arctic Monkeys - arguably - were the first
band made by harnessing MySpace, or at least marshalling the power of the
internets. By the time Whatever They Say... was officially released, they had already had a #1 single and the album is the fastest-selling debut in UK-chart history. Take that, Oasis. In the meantime, I'm spinning "Fake Tales of San Francisco" for the millionth time. "...all the weekend rock stars are in the toilet practicing their lines...."
2. Sleater-Kinney --- All Hands on the Bad One
1. Green Day -- American Idiot
A massive effort and worth all the attendant praise, awards, etc. The punk rock blazers
are there ("She's a Rebel"), the Billie Joe ballads are there ("When September
Ends"), the ridiculous hooks are there (every song), but there was more:
mid-song tempo changes ("Jesus of Suburbia/..."), verbal gymnastics aplenty, and
the visceral need to get the frustration off their chests comes out of every,
um, digital byte.
The two towering singles - "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Holiday" are back-to-back in the sequencing which seemingly shouldn't work on face value given their wildly different tones butit does and sets the stage for the denouement of St. Jimmy.
The band toured behind the album relentlessly and performed at the Berlin stage of Live 8 blowing everyone else away, regardless of continent. (In the live gig, cause concert subcategory, only the (briefly) reunited Midnight Oil's crushing the cricket pitch in Melbourne for Sound Relief betters it.)
Rumors of an American Idiot movie version have seemingly petered out, but a staged musical was produced at the Berkeley Rep theatre on the lads' stomping ground - just a handful of miles from 924 Gilman - and the show is now confirmed to have a Broadway debut. Perhaps the country has moved on, speaking of the political circus (perhaps not), but the music still deserves a big stage.
There is absolutley no doubt that Jay is close to being the best rapper of all time.
There is absolutley no way that Jay is one of the best rapper alive.
superb! Jay Z is a an astounding dude.A genuine modern day role model. I took my family to see him last year in concert and had a incredible time.