From blockbuster soundtracks to feminist anthems: The best music from the 2000s
From alt-rockers Coldplay to the thundering girl-power tunes of Destiny’s Child, here are some of the YP team’s fave 00s tunes
Spectacular! Spectacular!I was obsessed with the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack when it came out in 2001, and so excited when Vol. 2 was released a year later. Moulin Rouge! is my second favourite of director Baz Luhrmann’s Red Curtain Trilogy (Strictly Ballroom tops them all); the film is beautifully crafted, dramatic, and emotional, and the soundtracks reflect it well. The mixture of contemporary pop, whimsical instrumental scores, medleys, and covers of classics is genius, and represents one of my favourite directors perfectly.
Heidi Yeung, Web Editor
Maroon 5’s debut album, Songs About Jane. This was one of the few CDs I had in my collection as a kid, and I remember stealing it from my grandparents’ house because I liked it so much. To this day, I still go back to this album, released in 2002, every so often. The album has songs to suit all weathers and moods. You can still hear some tracks from the album being played on the radio or in cafes, and I can never stop myself from singing along.
Nicole Moraleda, Sub-editor
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Definitely American Idiot by Green Day. The album came out in 2004, but I heard it many years later when I started middle school. It’s the pinnacle of punk rock, Billie Joe Armstrong’s singing voice is so unique. Even now, I listen to Wake Me Up When September Ends whenever I can. I also love listening to Boulevard of Broken Dreams. I get so emotional when I listen to it, because it takes me back to a time when I constantly felt as if I would never be able to turn my dreams into reality.
Joanne Ma, Reporter
My favourite album from the 00s is Graduation by Kanye West. I graduated from secondary school in 2007, and the album was released that year. Talk about perfect timing.
Alejo Rodriguez Lo, Videographer
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My favourite album from the 00s is 2006’s St Elsewhere by the duo of CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse, mainly because of the blockbuster hit Crazy. Besides having a cool background track paired with Green’s silky smooth voice, the lyrics really spoke to me, especially the line “Ha ha ha, bless your soul/You really think you’re in control?” I was in my early 20s then and l thought I was basically immortal and knew everything, but this line made me realise maybe I didn’t know that much.
Jamie Lam, Special Projects Editor
A Rush Of Blood To The Head, by Coldplay. This is just such a perfect record from start to finish. I remember listening to it in my mum’s car and just feeling that it was special, and I still feel that way when I listen to it now. Whether you like Coldplay’s towering, euphoric moments or their quiet, contemplative ones, this album (released in 2002) does both so well. It’s the band, and the 00s, at their finest.
Charlotte Ames-Ettridge, Sub-editor
It’s got to be Up All Night by English indie rock band Razorlight. I honestly think no other album by the band has surpassed this 2004 debut. It was one of the first CDs I bought myself, and I would play it on a loop all day, err’day. Razorlight perfectly sum up my teenage taste in music – it was all slightly grungy, slightly pretentious, and a whole lot of indie-tastic fun. Bring back the 00s music!
Ginny Wong, Production Editor
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Some of my favourite music ever was released in the first few years of the noughties, so this is especially tough. (Destiny’s Child’s Survivor was the only album I ever bought on the day of release – back in the old days, kids, you had to go to a physical shop, and pick up a CD, and queue up to pay with cash-money. Usher’s Confessions had Yeah! and Caught Up, two of the best dance-floor-fillers EVER.)
But if I can only choose one, I might have to go with John Legend’s debut, Get Lifted. The 2004 album introduced a new generation to soul music, to the impact of a good melody, to the importance of storytelling in songwriting, and to the power of a really great voice. Plus, I interviewed him once, so I have a soft spot.
Karly Cox, Deputy Editor
Survivor by Destiny’s Child. Although the band are no more, their presence – and relevance – is still felt whenever one of their songs from this 2001 album is played. Survivor’s clever rhythms, dramatic beats and power-hungry lyrics make this an anthem for women worldwide. The girls weren’t afraid to sing about controversial issues, while showing off their insane vocal range, making for one of the best R’n’B albums in the 00s.
Rhea Mogul, Junior Reporters’ Manager
Edited by Ginny Wong