Top 10 Noughties Songs That Aren’t Crap

Seeing that my top 20 90s songs list was so popular, I decided it warranted a follow up. The only downside is, we are now entering, in my opinion, the worst decade for pop music post 1976. 

I have lived in three decades since birth, and the noughties were, by far, the saddest and loneliest time of my life. If I were to write a memoir of my high school days I’d title it ‘Wasted Years’, after the Iron Maiden track. And alongside the horrors of high school, popular music just didn’t help at all.

But who could blame it for being such a bleak time for musicians? Unlike the peacefulness of the 90s, the noughties were a time of fear, war, terrorism, poverty, disease, Islamophobia, and the biggest economic depression since the 20s. That is why, I think, so much music sucked so badly. No matter how positive artists tried to be, they just couldn’t bring the public paranoia down. 

And that’s why I have only been able to find 10 songs for this playlist. 10 very catchy songs which will stick in my head forever, but never have the same replay value as my favourite 90s hits. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Noughties songs that aren’t crap.

10.Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne

I know this is a very middle of the road Pop Punk anthem about a boy being dumped by a girl, gets bullied and eventually triumphs over those who made him feel bad. But, I can still remember hearing this at the only high school disco I attended, and it was one of the first songs I learnt to play on the drums. Here’s to the first idea I ever had of Punk music.

9.Last Summer by Lostprophets

Now before you ask, yes I know all about Ian Watkins, (you’ve probably read what I makeof his incarceration already) and I claimed to never have been a fan of Lostprophets. But, as I also mentioned, my older brother was a keen fan of theirs, and this has to be their only song worth listening to more than once. It also gave me a feeling of hope, reminding me that high school doesn’t last forever and I’d eventually be saying goodbye. I did spend my last summer at school listening to very different music, but this is where it all began. (Also look out for Steel Panther in the video).

8.Gay Bar by Electric Six

Probably the most offensive song to make it into the charts, but it still brings out lots of good laughs each time I see the video. Oddly, this was one of the first CDs I ever bought as well.

7.It Wasn't Me by Shaggy

By far, the most quotable song of the noughties. One very catchy hip-hop piece from a rapper who always made me want to watch Scooby Doo.

6.Love Is Only A Feeling by The Darkness

The heaviest band to enter the mainstream charts. I’m not going to talk about the Rage Against The Machine number one, because that was a re-release. The Darkness were the premier cock rock band of the noughties. Camp, flamboyant hair metal is one good place to go if you just can’t work out why relationships never come your way when you’re the outsider in a boys’ school.

5.Cable Car/How To Save A Life by The Fray

Like the 90s list, we have a band whom I just can’t make up my mind on. The Fray released two very memorable pieces of heartwarming indie rock before disappearing into obscurity. Both of these had a pretty big effect on me – especially when ‘How To Save A Life’ was used in an episode of Scrubs when a patient died after a long battle to save him. Cable Car also reflected my everyday routine of seeing the same people and whether or not I could call them my friends or just people I knew as I just couldn’t read them at all. Wherever these guys are now, I do hope they’ve still got the intensity of these two hits.

4.Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

Green Day, the band that made me aware of Punk music, before I started to properly follow it. American Idiot was one of the most talked about albums of that decade, and with this track, and video, we have the Pop Punk pioneers at their most political. 

3.What Would You Do by City High

This has to be the most underrated Hip Hop track of that decade. I think people forgot about it because it came out right at the start of 2000. But I can still recall how catchy I found the chorus, and listening to the uncensored version made it all the more important to me. Hip Hop started as a very conscious and political genre of music, and here we have the most socially aware track to enter the charts in recent decades. An anthem that discusses rape, teenage pregnancy and child poverty, and gives hope to young women faced with such dilemmas. Thank you City High. You gave us the most feminist rap anthem to reach the Top 5.

2.One More Time by Daft Punk

Hands down, the most original Dance music group of recent history. Not only did Daft Punk introduce me to Electronic Dance music, but they also got me into Anime. One More Time was released just after the Pokemon explosion, and this video showed me the way into Japan’s greatest cultural export. Interestingly, the whole album this came from was made into an anime film which you can check out in its entirety below. Keep up the good work Daft Punk. You were the only thing to write home about in Tron Legacy.

And the Number 1 best noughties song is...

1.Wherever You Will Go by The Calling

I’m pretty sure these guys qualify as a One Hit Wonder, but I don’t think they had much of a career to warrant an episode of One Hit Wonderland. Nevertheless, this was one of the best selling rock songs of the decade. And on a personal level, The Calling were the first band I fell in love with and wanted to hear everything they put out. This song got me into music. After buying their first album I started buying more CDs and eventually built up my first attempt at a record collection. Here’s to the guys who started it all for me. This song and the book High Fidelity made me into an audiophile and I congratulate them generously. Wherever you have gone, The Calling, you’ll always be worth a listen for me.

Top 10 Feminist Rock & Metal Bands

Seeing as it's International Women's Day, I thought I'd lend you my thoughts on feminism in Rock and Metal music. Both genres have been classically viewed as misogynistic and still remain male dominated, especially the metal world. But, since the Punk explosion in 1976, feminism has been pushing itself through the ranks and scenes of the international rock world. Neither is it less relevant today, in fact, I think the world is in need of another Riot Grrrl explosion, as mentioned in my last post. So here's to my top 10 favourite and most influential Feminist Rock and Metal bands.

10. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

 

I've included the most famous of all these bands at the very end of this list because Joan Jett was never a self proclaimed feminist. But, she has certainly been regarded as a fantastic icon for women in the music business. Just listen to the lyrics of her song 'Bad Reputation' and you'll see how this angry young women and her entourage wanted to bring equality and freedom to girls all over the world. Without Joan Jett, there wouldn't be Riot Grrrl.

9. Tormentress

Not much is known about this all female five-piece, except they are one of the most successful Thrash Metal bands from Singapore. Asian Metal has certainly taken to the airwaves in all its glory in the last few years, especially with band like Chthonic playing sell out shows. But leading the way for women's rights through metal we have one of the angriest female groups I've ever had the pleasure of hearing.

8. Babes In Toyland

The first in my 'Big Four' of Riot Grrrl pioneers. Babes in Toyland began in the late 80s and were usually sidelined into the Grunge scene along with apolitical acts like L7, but they had a very angry feminist agenda. These women took the anger of 80s Hardcore Punk and gave it the gender equality twist it so desperately needed. Babes in Toyland brought Third Wave Feminism onto our radios, where it certainly needs to return.

7. Fifth Column

The second of the 'Big Four' of Riot Grrl. These girls were the most experimental of the premier Riot Grrrl scene, making very angry and snarled songs in their early years before moving into the Post-Punk scene and giving us quirky yet political numbers. Experimentation always takes a band far and these girls certainly knew that.

6. Bikini Kill

The most famous Riot Grrrl band of all time. Although they supported Joan Jett and Nirvana in their heyday, Bikini Kill never signed to a major record label and kept the DIY punk ethic alive throughout their seven year existence. They were definitely the most influential of the 'big four' and pretty much started the movement by themselves with their angry feminist anthems. I recently found out that a documentary is being made about the band's vocalist, Kathleen Hanna, who is still keeping the Riot Grrrl scene alive and well today.

 

5. The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing

And now for, unfortunately, the only all male band on this list. Steampunk music has been rising in popularity since the early 00s, but only one band seems to be putting the 'punk' into that scene. Here we have the most political and funniest Steampunk band on the planet. How are they feminist? Because their founder, stand up comedian Andrew O'Neill penned this very catchy feminist anthem which is one excellent homage to the female engineers of the 19th century; who feature a lot in Steampunk literature. Politics is now part of the Steampunk scene thanks to these guys who've shown how you can change the world through anachrony.

Also check out his stand up show in its entirety. I met this guy last year at Bloodstock, and he is one very funny dude.

4. 7 Year Bitch

 My favourite of all the big Riot Grrrl bands. I've already covered them and mentioned how woefully underrated they are, so I'll just leave you to enjoy their anthems.

3. Retching Red

A beautifully angry fusion of classic Hardcore Punk and traditional Riot Grrrl agenda. Retching Red were the premier Riot Grrrl band from the 00s, and in their two year existence they gave us some of the loudest and most offensive anthems the whole scene has churned out.

2. Poison Girls

This band, in my opinion were the first proper Riot Grrrl group. Although, they also helped form the classic Anarcho-Punk scene which makes them even more influential to Punk Rock in general. Poison Girls was formed by Vi Subversa, a 41-year-old mother of two, in 1976. When the Women's Rights Movement was beginning to take over the world, what a better time for such a band to emerge. Thank you Poison girls, you paved the way for many angry young men and women who want gender equality.

 

And the Number 1 Feminist Rock/Metal band is...

 

1. Cloud Rat

Easily the angriest band with a feminist agenda. Cloud Rat are, as far as I'm aware, the only Grindcore band with a feminist agenda. Not only do they scream and growl about the need for women's rights, but they also cover topics of Veganism and environmentalism. They are heavily influenced by the Anarcho-Punk scene which gave birth to Napalm Death and Carcass. I am pretty irritated that it's taken this long for a feminist Grindcore band to come about, but if anyone here knows of any more of these, please let me know. Cloud Rat have so far released only 2 albums, but both of them are excellent pieces of feminist anger put to the most extreme of all metal sub-genres.

To celebrate here is their 2013 album: Moshka