The songs I will always remember.
Artwork by Rebecca Holt
This past decade was filled with a lot of great new bands and singers coming onto the map. Even some old players in the music world came out with some new songs. There are many songs that came out over the last ten years that I could easily have put on this list that anyone would see the name of the song and say, “Oh, I know that song.” These are my top ten picks of the 2000’s.
2000 brought us singers like Destiny’s Child and Christina Aguilera. Yet *NSync’s Bye Bye Bye is the song for which I can sing every word, and I even know the famous dance moves. This was their first hit single off of the boy band’s No Strings Attached.
In 2001 I will have to go with Fallin’ by Alicia Keys. This song expressed how every woman felt about any man that hurt her, but kept her hanging on. Alicia made every woman’s voice heard through this song. This was a good way to jump start Keys’ career that has gained more recognition with every song she releases. With her amazing singing and piano abilities, to our generation, she was a new type of artist.
Cleanin’ Out My Closet is my pick for 2002. This controversial song came out with a bang. Eminem is not the first rapper to have lyrics that explains his harsh childhood, or a parent “Going through public housing systems, victim of Munchausen’s syndrome. My whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn’t ’til I grew up, now I blew up. It makes you sick to ya stomach.” This song gives a whole new insight into Eminem’s life, and an understanding of why he lives and acts the way he does: it is what his music is about.
In 2003 I really loved The Black Eyed Pea’s song Where is the Love? . This song came a year after the 9/11 attacks, and soon after the invasion of Iraq. With every line it is explained how we act and, “Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism but we still got terrorists here livin’ in the USA, the big CIA, The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK.” This song was just a wake up call for all of us about the hate that was not just the terrorism towards us, but the hatred we have within, and towards our fellow American.
It’s hard being the younger sister of a pop music icon, but Ashlee Simpson came out with Pieces Of Me in 2004, and it was a home run. It was on the Billboard top 10 charts for 14 weeks straight. I really enjoyed listening to this song because of the vulnerability she portrays in the song.
In 2005 the new hot trend was Chris Brown, with his first self-titled CD that went Double Platinum. Run It was Brown’s Debut song. With his mix of singing and dancing ability Brown became a hit quickly.
Justin Timberlake. Need I say any more? With his return to the music charts, he came back with a bang. The Sexy Back collaboration with Timberland was on the Top 10 Billboard chart for 19 weeks. With a hip new beat and provocative lyrics this song had to be on my favorite of the decade list for 2006.
“I’m holdin’ on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground.” This is the first line to my 2007 song. Apologize, by One Republic, came out on their debut album Dreaming Out Loud. This song was about a break up; a woman who a man once loved, but she wasn’t who he thought she was.
In 2008 Katy Perry came out with I Kissed A Girl. From the lyrics such as, “Us girls are so magical, soft skin, red lips, so kissable,” this song shows us the beauty of women. Katy Perry has been quoted about her feelings about women. “I can appreciate a woman’s beauty.” With a catch beat that can get stuck in your head and a rather provocative theme, this song was a hit all around the world.
My last song of the decade has to be Single Ladies by Beyonce. This song came out and it told women that it is okay to be single, that if a man doesn’t respect you then its okay to leave him. The whole, “I don’t need a man to be happy” mindset was reaffirmed. With other songs on her I Am… Sasha Fierce CD like If I Were A Boy shows the other side of what women can do. This song was everywhere, including on a SNL skit that Justin Timberlake does of him dancing to the song, and on thousands of the videos on Youtube from little girls to old people doing the famous The Single Ladies dance moves.
This is the music that has been so implanted in our minds from this decade. But, as great as this past decade was for music, I am already impressed with the artists coming out this year so far. This decade will be great for the music world.
