It was fun looking back at the music of 2000, remembering what music was important to us then, and comparing that with what we find interesting to listen to now from that time period. For me, it's really interesting to look at a year in music historically; to see how things have held up over time; to remember things that were sensations of the moment but quickly faded from consciousness; to think about things that were overlooked at the time but gained recognition as time went on; to see how the music of a given year has influenced the music of today.
So, here's our list. You'll find a link to listen to each album in full at grooveshark.com. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!
St. Germain
Points: 22 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
At the Drive-In
Points: 22 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Blackalicious
Points: 22 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Ludacris
Points: 22 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Sigur Rós
Points: 23 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Avey Tare and Panda Bear
Points: 24 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
PJ Harvey
Points: 24 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Fatboy Slim
Points: 25 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Kid Koala
Points: 26 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Common
Points: 26 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Mystikal
Points: 27 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
The Apples in Stereo
Points: 28 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Peaches
Points: 28 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
The Hives
Points: 29 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Points: 30 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek: Reflection Eternal
Points: 30 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Elliott Smith
Points: 30 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Coldplay
Points: 32 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Eminem
Points: 33 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Jurassic 5
Points: 35 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
The White Stripes
Points: 36 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Modest Mouse
Points: 39 / Mentions: 4
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Luomo
Points: 41 / Mentions: 2
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
The Avalanches
Points: 58 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Since I Left You is one of the premier records of sample-based music. In all, over 900 samples went into the making of this album, and the result is a mindblowing collage, a collection of sounds that together form a whole that is completely unique and something all its own. / David Mickelsen
D'Angelo
Points: 60 / Mentions: 3
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
D'Angelo's first album, Brown Sugar, was an important moment in contemporary R&B and neo-soul. It took him five years to release a follow up, but it was worth the wait: Voodoo stands as D'Angelo's masterpiece, a masterwork of the neo-soul sound. / David Mickelsen
OutKast
Points: 72 / Mentions: 6
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Stankonia is a head-spinning listen, a kaleidoscopic array of sounds that ten years later still reveals something new upon each listen. On top of its sonic brilliance, Big Boi and Andre 3000 are two great rappers in top form, effortlessly delivering rapidfire raps on "B.O.B.," telling heartbreaking stories on "Ms. Jackson" and "Toilet Tisha," and keeping it gangsta on tracks like "We Luv Deez Hoez" and "Gangsta Shit." It's hard not to be disappointed that OutKast only made one great record as a group after this one..but of course, we always hold out hope that they hold something in store for us in the future.... / David Mickelsen
Ghostface Killah
Points: 73 / Mentions: 4
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
Ghostface Killah has been arguably the most consistently interesting Wu-Tang member as a solo artist, and his furious stream-of-consciousness rhyming was at a high point on Supreme Clientele. Numerous excellent guest appearances by much of the rest of Wu-Tang also boost the album, making it one of the best of the Wu-Tang solo albums. / David Mickelsen
Radiohead
Points: 74 / Mentions: 4
[Listen at grooveshark.com]
It seems pointless to try to say anything new about Kid A, since so much has been written and said about it. What remains important is that ten years later, Kid A is still a compelling listen, as stunning and affecting as it was upon its release. Radiohead's adoption of electronics and heavy use of vocal filters, converting Thom Yorke's voice into things inhuman, was and still is sure to be polarizing, but if there were risks involved, they yielded fantastic rewards: an album as adventurous as it is beautiful, as challenging as it is ultimately rewarding. / David Mickelsen
