The Noughties in Music

The Noughties are coming to an end and what a great decade  it has been. A huge amount of events have happened in the world of music this last ten years and they’ve hit it strongly. The years passed by and we saw new genres, new developments in technology and there were many new bands which made it big during the time.

Back in 2001, two bands would form who may not have had any idea about the popularity they would get in the upcoming years. The two I am talking about are Franz Ferdinand and Maximo Park. Both of these bands would create a mix of art and indie music and reviving art rock for the masses. The two would go on to release a number of popular albums and they still grow to this day.

It is also during this year that Blur lead singer, Damon Albarn would release his first album with his new project. Named the Gorillaz, Albarn created a first with the virtual band where fans would see a 2d stage animation which would be played along to music that Albarn would create.

 Oxford alternative band Radiohead would also their fifth studio album, Amnesiac in this year. The album gained great critical response for the band yet again although it was viewed as less accomplished than their previous releases. The release went onto be nominated for a Mercury Music Prize and it was also nominated for Best Alternative album at the Grammy’s but the album would lose to PJ Harvey and Coldplay.

A small New York band would also release an album in this year. Called This Is It, The Strokes would go onto create a revolution in music paving a whole movement for the new indie scene that would be arriving in its wake.

Fast forward a year and 2002 would be as eventful as the latter year. Graham Coxon would leave Blur due to complications with the band and most horribly, Pop’s most popular untalented girl group, Girls Aloud would form from Popstars: the Rivals, the beginning of a horrible wave of karaoke reality shows.

Interpol would release their next EP which set the band apart from it’s comparisons to late 70’s post punk band, Joy Division and take away accusations of ripping them off. With this release, critics would praise Interpol for their individual sound.

           

Meanwhile, an album would be released that would launch a band into indie stardom. Up the Bracket marked raw energetic punk that had never been heard in a long time. The Libertines would be titled the “British Strokes” and the band would break boundaries between fans and the band. Their songs would often be about topics that the British fans could relate to. The relationship between members Carl Barat and Pete Doherty would echo those of the past from Lennon and Mcartney to Morrisey and Marr. There would also be a vast array of Libertines clones in the future such as the Kooks, The Paddingtons and Razorlight.

Muse and the Red Hot Chili Peppers would also release albums in this year. For Muse, this would be the continuation from the start of their career to a current critically acclaimed live and recorded career where now they would go onto sellout stadium tours and sell millions of albums. The Chili Peppers, By The Way,  would mark a departure from their previous efforts to new, darker and much more mature efforts.

 Over the following three years, music would continue to grow. In 2003 Keane released a single from upcoming album, Hopes and Fears showcasing an emerging Coldplay influenced group of bands that would include Irish band Snow Patrol. Emo would begin its growth into one of the largest trends of the noughties.

2004 had tensions between Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan blaming James Iha for the split of the band. Ramones guitarist, Johnny Ramone is hospitalised in Los Angeles with prostate cancer and Ray Charles dies of Liver failure at the age of 73. We also saw the return of Christmas single, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” showcasing a host of the years musical talent.

The year also saw the release of a debut album from possibly one of the biggest success stories of the year. Kasabian and their self titled album gained the band massive fame especially with album single, Club Foot. The album claimed critical success and the band had many songs featured throughout the media. The band created 2 further albums and both of them gained favourable reviews.

In 2005, American punk band, Blink 182 would announce their hiatus as a band and possibly the biggest event of the year included the return of Bob Geldof’s Live 8 concerts which were held around the world bring the 8 leaders of the world together in order to fight poverty in Africa.

Bloc Party would also release debut album Silent Alarm in this year. Being one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year, the band would be praised for their complex music often being compared to alternative band Radiohead.

Possibly the biggest news in 2006 was that a Sheffield band would release an album titled Whatever They Say I Am, I’m Not. The album would go onto claim major success and turn them into one of the cities biggest bands since Pulp and Suede. The band of course are the Arctic Monkeys and they have possibly become the biggest band of this decade.

2007 saw the reformation of many great bands particularly including the Smashing Pumpkins and The Police. The Kings of Leon also released third album Because of the Times. The album shot the band into mainstream success and showcased the bands new image change. The band changed from scruffy looking country musicians to that of trendy indie stars which was the most popular trend of the noughties. The band carried on gaining success to the point in which they have become a love or hate band now being criticised for selling out.

This bloggers favourite band of 07 comes in the form of a punk and surf rock band which you can see below in the video.

The year also saw the arrival of New Rave. A combination of indie music mixed with the fast paced electronic sounds of trance and techno. Staple bands of these includes the Klaxons and Late of the Pier.

Before we move onto 08, it’s a good idea that we talk about the biggest breakthrough of the decade. We are talking here about the internet and its revolutionary magic it worked on the decade. The arrival of broadband allowed bands to be able to showcase their music to many many people. Bands such as the Arctic Monkeys used this and before we knew it, a whole array of music appeared to us from our desks. Bands did not need the use of expensive advertising or agents to promote them, they were all doing it themselves. This also brought many problems however in the form of illegal file sharing. Some bands don’t mind it but others did and this lead to many legal issues against people distributing music. Internet companies were placing bans on people that shared files illegally creating possibly the most contraversial issue of the decade.

Other breakthroughs thanks to this new digital technology included the ability to record music yourself. Bands were able to record in their bedrooms rather than having to pay for expensive recording studios. We also saw the emergence of DIY record labels alongside the DIY recording methods. Suddenly, DIY was all the rage in the noughties. Bands such as Enter Shikari were possibly one of the most famous bands for this DIY ethic.

2008 saw one band taking its own approach with downloading. Radiohead’s release of In Rainbows sparked the new method of the “pay what you want” for CD’s. The meaning is obvious in the title where fans were allowed to enter any amout they wanted into the online form and that’s what they paid for.  Sticking with Radiohead, 2008 also saw one of the biggest feuds since Britpops Blur and Oasis feud, this time it was Oasis and Radiohead.

In this year Blur also reformed taking to Glastonbury the following year alongside some small shows.

Finally, we reach 2009 and what a year it has been. Kings of Leon are booed of stage at Reading due to a poor performance, the vast array of growing female artists continue to make an impact on the music scene with acts such as Little Boots, Florence and the Machine and Pixie Lott. The Ex Smiths Guitarist Johnny Marr becomes a permanent member of Leeds Indie band the Cribs and Morrissey’s final shows haven’t been his best from suffering illnesses and bottlings. Manchester legends Oasis also announced their split this year with the members taking side projects which should start early 2010.

Perhaps the biggest news of this year is the death of music legend Micheal Jackson. Jackson was found dead and the post mortem revealed that he died of cardiac arrest. Millions turned out to see his funeral at the Staples Centre and his new single, This Is It, was also released this year. Alongside that, a Micheal Jackson film was also released selling millions in the box office.

The Noughties have been a fantastic year for music with many fantastic albums being released, alot of tension and a huge amount of big musical events. There have been the birth of great bands, the death and also the rebirth of others. if 2010 to 2019 can top the Noughties, it should be a fantastic decade.