A decade of music: The best albums from the last 10 years 2000-2002

The last decade could be seen as one of anguish, with definitive events such as 9/11, the ongoing war in Afghanistan and even the breakdown in the economy meaning that a lot of people were remembering the last 10 years for all the wrong reasons.
However, what the last 10 years has also done is provide everyone with a wealth of great music, and many of us have used this music to shelter us from the storm of events that transpired.
As a result, with this being the first in a four part series of reviews, I have compiled a list of the best albums that the last 10 years has had to offer, year by year. So without further ado, read on and enjoy!





2000: Linkin Park- Hybrid Theory



By looking at the facts, it’s easy to see why Hybrid Theory has been my pick for the year 2000. At the time of writing it is still the highest selling debut album of the 21st century, it was given the unique honour of being certified diamond status in America, and was the highest selling album of the following year, 2001.

However if you look beyond the facts, then it’s even easier to see that Hybrid Theory has done so much more than shift a shedload of albums. It was a game changer. The subject of the “hybrid” is it’s diverse fusion of rap and metal, two genres that you think should be kept fiercely apart but on Hybrid Theory they blend together like they were made for each other. Chester Bennington’s raspy vocals team up with Mike Shinoda’s rapping, like a marriage between the world’s oddest couple that has blossomed into something truly exceptional.

At a time when pop boy bands were dominating the music scene it is testament to Hybrid Theory for ploughing nu metal into the mainstream, offering something completely original that people wouldn’t baulk at. The thrashing and crashing of the guitars and synths propelled “In The End”, “Papercut” and “Crawling” to the top of the charts, people celebrating a genre of music that had not quite heard of before.

Even when you listen to it now, it still seems fresh and unique, definitely not something that was released over 10 years ago, and I think this, above all, shows how much of a champion this album was.


Highlight tracks: In The End, Points Of Authority, One Step Closer.

Did you know? It is the second highest selling album of the 2000s, behind only to The Beatles’ 1.





2001: The Strokes- Is This It



You know when something simple is better left alone, where if it’s not broken then don’t try and fix it? Well with The Strokes’ debut effort Is This It this is one of these moments. This album is proof that stripped-back indie is one of the most beautiful sounds you will ever have the pleasure to hear. This CD could easily have hit the shelves back in the late 1970s and still wouldn’t have looked out of place, yet today it still seems so current, with the rawness of their sound meaning it will never mature and get old.

At the end of 2009 it made the top 5 in several critic’s lists of the album of the last decade, with NME voting it in at number one. With such high critical acclaim it could have been so easy for us to shrug it off and label these bunch of New Yorkers as “over-hyped”. However once you’re immersed in this record then it’s clear to see that even though New York is already renowned for churning out great bands, these guys are something special. The punchy yet elegant guitar, the simple production of an album that was recorded in a tiny basement and the constant reminders throughout to fans that music CAN be sexy are all factors that contribute to this being a stunning piece of artistry.

Another measure of a great album is how it inspires the next generation of performers, and bands such as The Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand will always be in debt to Is This It and the influence it has had on their sound.

Highlight tracks: Last Nite, Someday, Hard To Explain.

Did you know? The band deliberately left out the grammatically correct question mark from the album title because they believed that aesthetically it didn’t look right.





2002: The Libertines- Up The Bracket



Listening to Up The Bracket is like ordering a portion of rowdiness with a large side order of attitude. Everything about this album just epitomises British rock and roll. It’s loud, it’s noisy, it’s full of bad language, it’s careless and the band just sound completely smashed.

However it’s all these things that when they mish mash together they create a beautiful masterpiece. Quintessentially British, the brashness of this album means the band seem determined to include nuggets of the past 50 years or so of British rock history to make the most complete album of them all. Although in the long run it may not be considered the best British album of all time, they have definitely given it a good old stab.

Another thing that makes this album so brilliant is the glorious relationship that Carl Barat and Pete Doherty shared. T infamous bust up had dominated the headlines shortly after their second album was released, but during their time together in The Libertines their writing skills were unmatched.

They play their music as if they couldn’t care less, the guitar riffs sound like they’ve literally just rolled out of bed and some of the vocals sound a bit like that croaky voice you get when you first wake up but all of this just provides this album with a crucial jagged edge. They may not have made great waves in terms of sales or chart smashes but I honestly don’t think they were bothered at all, mainly because it just hasn’t mattered, but also because it just isn’t their style.

Highlight tracks: Horrorshow, Boys In The Band, The Good Old Days.

Did you know? The lead guitarist of The Clash, Mick Jones, was the producer for Up The Bracket.




Check back in the next couple of days for part two, covering the years 2003-2005.