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Post by Deleted on May 21, 2014 12:42:55 GMT -5
We're now several years removed from what already feels like pop culture's most forgotten decade. I think this is evident by those Toyota commercials from last year that showcased every decade from the 1960s to the present with one exception...that of course being the '00s. Personally, I think it is a very fascinating decade where a lot of things happened. The beginning was a lot like the late '90s until 9/11 came along and changed everything. The decade seemed to come to an abrupt end with the recession that kicked into full swing in 2008. Things that were taboo at the beginning of the decade (violent video games, pornography, etc.) were reluctantly accepted as part of the American mainstream by the time the decade concluded. The year 2009 was a pivotal year that really kick-started the current era that we are in now with the decline of urban music, rise of EDM, full-on explosion of social media and smart phones, etc. Of course, these are all just my opinions. Musically-speaking, the decade's biggest stars included Eminem, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and Nickelback. The charts were dominated by urban music, especially during the middle part of the decade (there was a four-year stretch between Nickelback in 2002 and James Blunt in 2006 without a non-rhythmic or non-American Idol #1 on the Hot 100). My question to you: what was the quintessential year of the decade for music and pop culture? I'm allowing two options per person in case you think those years are different.
I'm going with 2004. In music, it saw the peak of the urban music wave that in my mind defined the decade. Every single #1 song of the year was by a rap or R&B artist. "Yeah!" and "Hey Ya," two of the decade's most iconic songs, were big in '04. Songs like "Slow Motion" and "Lean Back" were big hits, and would have been seen as too ghetto just a few years prior of after. Beyonce was huge, Eminem was a news-maker and even former teeny bopper Britney Spears was going rhythmic. The music influenced the culture. People dressed like Nelly, wearing 4XL jerseys, super baggy jeans, doo rags and chains. You had little white kids trying to be hood. You had the controversial Grand Theft Auto series deviate from its usual Italian-American mafia theme to a new "gangsta" image featuring a black main character. This was the year where the 'malice at the Palace' occurred in the NBA, exposing the dark side of the allegiance between professional basketball and "ghetto" culture. The year also had its token female pop-rock hits from Ashlee Simpson, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson and rock hits from the likes of Hoobastank, Nickelback and 3 Doors Down. This was another staple of the '00s: harder rock songs being hits as opposed to the indie stuff of today.
So what do you guys think? Do you agree with me or am I totally off? If you ask me, 2004 was the quintessential year of the decade for both music and pop culture.
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Post by JessieLou on May 21, 2014 21:30:25 GMT -5
I'd actually say 2005. There was quite a variety on top 40 that year.
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Julian
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Post by Julian on May 22, 2014 16:27:38 GMT -5
I'd actually say 2005. There was quite a variety on top 40 that year. Agreed. The Slaycipation of Mimi for instance.
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2014 21:53:34 GMT -5
While "We Belong Together" was one of the biggest hits of the decade, I don't think a '90s artist making a comeback makes for the quintessential year of the '00s. Same goes for Green Day who also exploded in 2005.
It's all personal perception, but for me 2005 really lacked the iconic songs that the two years before it had. I think even 2006 had more iconic songs with the likes of "Hips Don't Lie" and "Bad Day" and the start of Justin Timberlake's huge hit streak and the Timbaland era.
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Post by JessieLou on May 22, 2014 22:14:06 GMT -5
While "We Belong Together" was one of the biggest hits of the decade, I don't think a '90s artist making a comeback makes for the quintessential year of the '00s. Same goes for Green Day who also exploded in 2005. It's all personal perception, but for me 2005 really lacked the iconic songs that the two years before it had. I think even 2006 had more iconic songs with the likes of "Hips Don't Lie" and "Bad Day" and the start of Justin Timberlake's huge hit streak and the Timbaland era. WBT and BOBD are still regularly played on the radio and are considered modern-day classics, as are Hollaback Girl, Since U Been Gone, Because Of You, etc.
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Post by Jason on May 22, 2014 23:32:07 GMT -5
Interesting post, KP. I'll give you 2004 as a possible candidate. That was a pretty big year, especially musically-speaking. Before I read what anyone had to say in this thread, the first year that jumped out at me was 2006. Timbaland re-emerged as a popular producer, pushing Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado to the top of the charts. "My Love," "SexyBack," and "Promiscuous" were all huge that year. As you mentioned, "Hips Don't Lie" was another big song. 2006 also boasted smash sophomore albums by Beyonce, Sean Paul, & Rihanna. Who WASN'T saying "to the left, to the left" when someone got on our nerves during the fall of that year? Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" was huge (as was the show it was featured on, MTV's The Hills). The All-American Rejects, Panic! At The Disco, and The Fray rejuvenated the Pop/Rock genre along with another solid pair of hits by Nickelback. Fergie's "London Bridge" had everyone chanting, "Oh snap!" (or "Oh sh**!," if being crass was your thing ). Akon, who was everywhere during the middle to end part of the decade, started his ascension to mainstream popularity that year with "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You." Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, and new arrival, Ne-Yo, made R&B a solid genre that year too along with fleeting, yet popular hits by the likes of Cherish, Cassie, and Danity Kane. Big Hip-Hop hits that year too... "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire...T-Pain arrived, Ludacris ("Money Maker") and Bubba Sparxxx ("Ms. New Booty") both had big hits that year too. My other entry in the ring is 2003. There were huge Pop/Rock hits that year...Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You," 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You" and "When I'm Gone," plus hits by Trapt, Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch, Simple Plan, Santana with Alex Band, and more. Evanescence arrived with a bang. "Bring Me To Life" was inescapable that year. The Black Eyed Peas emerged from Alt Hip-Hop obscurity to become a Mainstream Pop powerhouse that would last into the 2010s starting in 2003 with "Where Is The Love?" On the Pop side of things, Justin Timberlake, who was featured on that song, continued to take over as a solo artist. Additionally, just two words: Christina. Aguilera. Three HUGE hits that year from her Stripped album. Beyonce emerged that year as a solo artist with arguably one of the most popular songs of the decade, "Crazy In Love." Hilary Duff and Stacie Orrico were also minor success stories from that year. 2003 was the year Jewel confused everyone when she released "Intuition" and made her fans think she'd sold out and made a "pure" Pop album. She had recorded the song as a purely sarcastic joke, but it turned out the joke was on her. Most people weren't in on the joke and it was a pretty decent hit for her. Hip-Hop-wise, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, and Chingy all had big hits that year. Nelly had us shaking our tailfeathers. 50 Cent arrived with "In Da Club." That year, Lil' Jon helped usher-in the Southern Rap sound that has dominated the genre ever since. Kelly Clarkson parlayed her reality show fame from 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol into real success with the release of her debut album that year and its hugely popular single, "Miss Independent." And thus, a whole new generation of wannabe-singers discovered a NEW way to cut corners on the way to fame and fortune. Also that year, the Dixie Chicks - arguably Country music's most popular act at the time - were exiled from the genre for their now infamous comments about President Bush at a concert in the U.K....the effects of which rippled throughout the music industry for the next several years. I'll even say myself that 2003 might not be the best candidate. It sort of served as a transition year from the more "late 90s-ish" early 2000s to the rest of the decade. BUT, both 2003 and 2006 had a balanced mix of hits from all different genres.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2014 0:50:57 GMT -5
While "We Belong Together" was one of the biggest hits of the decade, I don't think a '90s artist making a comeback makes for the quintessential year of the '00s. Same goes for Green Day who also exploded in 2005. It's all personal perception, but for me 2005 really lacked the iconic songs that the two years before it had. I think even 2006 had more iconic songs with the likes of "Hips Don't Lie" and "Bad Day" and the start of Justin Timberlake's huge hit streak and the Timbaland era. WBT and BOBD are still regularly played on the radio and are considered modern-day classics, as are Hollaback Girl, Since U Been Gone, Because Of You, etc. I'm not arguing with that at all. I just don't think they stack up to the modern-day classics of 2003, 2004 or 2006. Interesting post, KP. I'll give you 2004 as a possible candidate. That was a pretty big year, especially musically-speaking. Before I read what anyone had to say in this thread, the first year that jumped out at me was 2006. Timbaland re-emerged as a popular producer, pushing Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado to the top of the charts. "My Love," "SexyBack," and "Promiscuous" were all huge that year. As you mentioned, "Hips Don't Lie" was another big song. 2006 also boasted smash sophomore albums by Beyonce, Sean Paul, & Rihanna. Who WASN'T saying "to the left, to the left" when someone got on our nerves during the fall of that year? Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" was huge (as was the show it was featured on, MTV's The Hills). The All-American Rejects, Panic! At The Disco, and The Fray rejuvenated the Pop/Rock genre along with another solid pair of hits by Nickelback. Fergie's "London Bridge" had everyone chanting, "Oh snap!" (or "Oh sh**!," if being crass was your thing ). Akon, who was everywhere during the middle to end part of the decade, started his ascension to mainstream popularity that year with "Smack That" and "I Wanna Love You." Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, and new arrival, Ne-Yo, made R&B a solid genre that year too along with fleeting, yet popular hits by the likes of Cherish, Cassie, and Danity Kane. Big Hip-Hop hits that year too... "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire...T-Pain arrived, Ludacris ("Money Maker") and Bubba Sparxxx ("Ms. New Booty") both had big hits that year too. My other entry in the ring is 2003. There were huge Pop/Rock hits that year...Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You," 3 Doors Down's "Here Without You" and "When I'm Gone," plus hits by Trapt, Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch, Simple Plan, Santana with Alex Band, and more. Evanescence arrived with a bang. "Bring Me To Life" was inescapable that year. The Black Eyed Peas emerged from Alt Hip-Hop obscurity to become a Mainstream Pop powerhouse that would last into the 2010s starting in 2003 with "Where Is The Love?" On the Pop side of things, Justin Timberlake, who was featured on that song, continued to take over as a solo artist. Additionally, just two words: Christina. Aguilera. Three HUGE hits that year from her Stripped album. Beyonce emerged that year as a solo artist with arguably one of the most popular songs of the decade, "Crazy In Love." Hilary Duff and Stacie Orrico were also minor success stories from that year. 2003 was the year Jewel confused everyone when she released "Intuition" and made her fans think she'd sold out and made a "pure" Pop album. She had recorded the song as a purely sarcastic joke, but it turned out the joke was on her. Most people weren't in on the joke and it was a pretty decent hit for her. Hip-Hop-wise, Lil' Kim, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, and Chingy all had big hits that year. Nelly had us shaking our tailfeathers. 50 Cent arrived with "In Da Club." That year, Lil' Jon helped usher-in the Southern Rap sound that has dominated the genre ever since. Kelly Clarkson parlayed her reality show fame from 2002 as the winner of the inaugural season of American Idol into real success with the release of her debut album that year and its hugely popular single, "Miss Independent." And thus, a whole new generation of wannabe-singers discovered a NEW way to cut corners on the way to fame and fortune. Also that year, the Dixie Chicks - arguably Country music's most popular act at the time - were exiled from the genre for their now infamous comments about President Bush at a concert in the U.K....the effects of which rippled throughout the music industry for the next several years. I'll even say myself that 2003 might not be the best candidate. It sort of served as a transition year from the more "late 90s-ish" early 2000s to the rest of the decade. BUT, both 2003 and 2006 had a balanced mix of hits from all different genres. Great analysis, and I appreciate the details. The summer of 2003 was when I first became aware of popular music...I'll always remember hearing "Get Busy," "Right Thurr" and "Miss Independent" and thinking they were pretty cool. Things definitely felt like a big deal that year with JT and Beyonce showing that they could be just as big (if not bigger) solo than in their groups. I'll always associate '03 more with the urban-leaning stuff, but the pop-rock was pretty good too. "Stacy's Mom" especially stands out to me as an iconic and memorable song. I've been having 2006 flashbacks a lot lately. It was my favorite year for pop radio, which was just on fire that year, especially in the summer and fall months. That was the ONLY stretch of time where it was actually my radio format of choice.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2014 8:59:58 GMT -5
I'd actually say 2005. There was quite a variety on top 40 that year. I would go with 2005 as well, for the same reason. It's also the year I began to follow music much more closely (and started my chart).
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MIKEB
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Post by MIKEB on May 23, 2014 10:30:11 GMT -5
This is a tough one for me. Many of the songs I listen to from the 2000s have a lot of emotional and sentimental attachment to them so it would be hard for me to judge without including that in there somehow. Even looking at my Decade-End Chart's Top 10 of the decade, 2006 has 3 songs in there while several other years have 2 (so obviously, a few years have none), but for the overall Top 100, 2002 has far and away the most songs on there while 2001 and 2008 both have the least. I'm sure I could write an essay about why each year could serve as the best year musically each decade and never be completely set as to why it is or isn't.... I dunno. I'm stuck. I have fond memories of music from each year but having to choose just one, I don't think I could do it.
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this weeks #1 on goodie's chart: uptown funk - Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars
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Post by goodie on Jun 15, 2014 2:42:48 GMT -5
for me 2003 stands out...
ignitiom in da club lose yourself get busy cry me a river crazy in love bring me to life where is the love all the things she said beautiful hey ya ... all memorable hits even to this day!!!
2001 comes in a close second, if not first!!! it wasn't me can't get you out of my head how you remind me hanging by a moment like a bird butterfly kryptonite case of the ex ride wit me let me blow ya mind hero ooops hit em up styles family affair can we fix it smooth criminal survivor bootylicious 7 days drops of Jupiter let's get married ms jackson
2005 has potential but misses the mark for me... some big hits but nothing stands out as absolutely amazing!!! don't cha candy shop axel f you're beautiful bad day hollaback girl since u been gone lonely no more we belong together 1 2 step
2004 is one of the weakest in my eyes!!! yeah turn me on my immortal toxic this love she will be loved milkshake
the last 5 years all blend into 1... it's hard to know what songs come from what year as songs seem to linger in the charts for ages!!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2014 1:01:18 GMT -5
Well, you're all amazing for having such good memory! I can barely remember a few albums or songs and when they were released. Still, I voted for 2001. I do remember that Stereophonics' "Mr. Writer" was released and it was such a cool song. Also Tori Amos released her second best album "Strange Little Girls". Also, the closer we were to the 90's, the better the music was. While every year since then has had amazing music (if you do some digging) I think that popular music and the trends that brought us the dominance of rhythmic, edm and indie, have been increasingly worse every year. I just hope there comes a year when REAL talent is played everywhere, and not these silly clones of each other with music that is created only to gain money cause people like to shake their asses. I still have hope
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Post by Cody on Jun 18, 2014 11:07:52 GMT -5
2005...it changed alternative music too. That's the year Fall Out Boy's "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" came out and pop/punk changed the face of both CHR and Alternative radio.
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Post by JessieLou on Jun 18, 2014 13:28:39 GMT -5
Well if we're going by personal taste then it is 2000 for me
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Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2014 12:23:57 GMT -5
2004 was truly an all-encompassing year for Pop. We had hip-hop, ballads, pop, hard rock, and everything in between. And what about indie? Some of the biggest indie staples were smashing on the Alt charts. Hard rock still managed to find a place there. So 2004 by far.
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Post by Cody on Jun 24, 2014 22:33:37 GMT -5
On second thought, I would argue that the quintessential month was August 2001, when Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" was released as a single. IMO that marked the end of the 90s, as far as musical style went.
I generally group everything that came out before "How You Remind Me" hit #1 with 90s music. Same goes for the 90s to an extent, as I group everything before September 1991 when Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was released with 80s music.
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