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 20 90s Songs That Aren’t Crap

Having been born at the very beginning of the 90s (the most peaceful decade of the 20^th century), it was inevitable that I grew up listening to the music that was pumped into my developing brain day in and day out. The 90s certainly was a great time for music. Especially with the advent of Norwegian Black Metal and Floridian Death Metal. But as I didn’t discover that type of 90s music until much much later in the 00s, it’s inevitable that I had my personal favourite pop songs.

Most 90s pop music consisted of manufactured boybands and girlgroups or football obsessed Britpop bands who popularised the lad culture now plaguing our universities. But out of all the slimy auto-tuned bullshit I had to wade through every day at school, I’ve finally gather together my personal gems of 90s pop. 

Any other 90s kids reading this are in for one heck of a nostalgia trip if I’ve included any lost memories.

20. Witch Doctor by Cartoons

This is the first in a long list of catchy tunes which were used in the soundtracks of some very bad movies. The Dutch novelty band covered this Chipmunks classic for the Rugrats Movie back in 1998. Anyone attending a sugar fuelled school disco back then would have heard this ultra camp Europop tune.

 

19. Lovefool by The Cardigans

Again, another tune used to sell another shitty film. Baz Luhrmann's atrocity of Romeo and Juliet will forever be remembered for two things. 1, Leonardo Di Caprio stealing teenage girls' hearts by dying; and 2, this memorable love anthem.

 

18. Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer

I never thoughts I'd include a Christian Rock band in any of my playlists. Unless, of course, they're a Christian Rock band who ditch their 'Jesus is hip' image for once and write a fairly descent tune which leaves an eight year old boy thinking about girls for the first time ever. 

 

17. Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65

This is one of the best Eurodance tunes to ever hit the airways. Interestingly, there's much speculation over whether the guy's singing: 'Da Ba Dee, Da Ba Die' or 'I Will Bleed, I Will Die.' A dance tune that inspired early Emo? I'll leave you to decide.

 

16. Believe by Cher

Having worked for a gay news group, it's inevitable I had to write about the exploits of the most notorious of all LGBT icons. This is one of those tunes I've had stuck in my head for as long as I can remember, and to discover it was by such an artist, it deserves all the more credit.

 

15. We’re Going To Ibiza/Boom Boom Boom Boom by Vengaboys

This is the only tie of the list, but not the first band to feature more than one song. Vengaboys, for me, put the Netherlands on the Europop map. They also interested me in Ibiza...before discovering later what vile, crude and pathetic excuses for party-goers inhabited its resorts. There's one holiday destination to ignore. And Boom Boom Boom Boom will stick in your head forever, but looking back on this as an adult - you'll be quite amazed at just how subtly these guys really were in their anthems. (Plus look out for the Bill Clinton reference in the Ibiza video).

 

14. Goodnight Girl by Wet Wet Wet

One of many examples of 'One Hit Wonderland' material for Todd in the Shadows to check out in later episodes. These guys had a couple of hits which were so-so, but they're best remembered for this very heartwarming ballad. And for being one of the few boybands with long hair too.

 

13. Stay Another Day by East 17

This is the best Christmas song ever. Why? Because it isn't about frigging christmas! Here's to the political rappers who put Walthamstow on the map.

 

12. Gangsta’s Paradise by Coolio

I've never been a fan of rap music, but this was one of the two hip hop tunes that i've learnt all the words to. The other comes later, in tribute to one of the best TV sitcoms of all time.

 

11. Barbie Girl by Aqua

If you thought Cartoons were camp enough, you've seen nothing yet. Here's to the campest Europop groups who ever graced the airways. And actually made me want to play with Barbie dolls on more than one occasion.

 

10. Cotton Eye Joe by Rednex

A Swedish Europop groups covering a traditional US folk song from the deep south. Now, I have seen everything.

 

9. C’est La Vie by B*Witched

Once again, this very catchy number will make your jaw drop when you realise just how adult themed the 'teen pop' of your generation was.

 

8. Men In Black by Will Smith

The first good song to be featured in a good movie on this list. If you were raised in the 90s then you certainly watched The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and followed the exploits of the first kid friendly rapper as he took on the final frontier and kept our planet safe from illegal aliens. Thank you Mr Smith.

 

7. Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve

As far as I'm aware, the only descent Britpop tune.

 

6. Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden

Australia's prime contender in the ongoing pop chart battle. These guys feature twice in this list, and that certainly is an achievement. Here we have one of the finest, and most minimal, love ballads of all time.

 

5. Save Tonight by Eagle Eye Cherry

Another one hit wonder for our friends on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses to check out. Sweden certainly gave us some good 90s tunes, with Black Metal, Rednex, and now this long lost gem of pop rock.

 

4. MMMBop by Hanson

Frankly the most surreal pop tune I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. And I must thank these three brothers for making male androgyny the symbol of pre-1998 hipsters. If only they'd kept it up longer. I had no idea they were still touring until very recently. Hope they still play this at the gigs.

 

3. To The Moon And Back by Savage Garden

And now for the most ambitious and most clever pop tune of the 90s. Alienation is a theme you'd expect to find in most alternative rock and metal blasts. But our boys from Aus. really made the loser kids feel better after a hard day at school. You're not alone guys. Solidarity forever.

 

2. Where I Find My Heaven by Gigolo Aunts

This has to be the most obscure song I've put on this list. And it is also the last good song to be featured in a good movie. I grew up in the heyday of Jim Carrey, therefore I saw his hilarious flick: Dumb and Dumber. What makes a good film is not just the writing, storytelling, acting and visuals; but a damn good soundtrack. And out of all the good pop rock included on that soundtrack, here's to the best of the best.

And my Number One, best 90s pop song is...

1. Iris by Goo Goo Dolls

Holy frigging god is this one damn good acoustic tune. Ironically it was used to market one of the worst films of the decade - the only redeeming feature was Nicholas Cage being...Nicholas Cage. But this tune, by one of the finest pioneers of good Alternative Rock kept me going through some of the bleakest of times. And just look at the video and listen to the way the vocals are cried out in a fashion that just screams '90s'! in your face. This song also holds a world record for being one of the bestselling rock tunes of all time. Goo Goo Dolls were originally, a committed Punk Rock band who wanted to bring acoustic melodies to the underground rock scene. And they certainly picked the best song to do just that. Such a simple tune but every lovesick teenager will relate to it. That's one of the best achievements of post-80s pop rock.