Album of the Decade? Someone having a laff?

[Happiness Stan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8363726.stm

Just goes to show what a shite decade for music it's been

 

[darkstar]

That is a NME poll though so it's obviously going to be pretty awful.
When people say it's been a poor decade for music, i don't think they have truly witnessed some of the great music around at the moment, and no i don't mean the X Factor's addition, the likes of Matisyahu, Fenech Soler, Chase and Status and going more into up and coming artists, Bluey Robinson is a phenomenal singer.
So maybe stop with the "oh musics not what it used to be' attitude and try to discover and appreciate music away from the 'Top 40" which is controlled by advertising and image.
Rant over. Sorry i just get annoyed when people mock current music when they haven't experienced the better stuff

 

[Perfect Virgo]

That is a NME poll though so it's obviously going to be pretty awful.
When people say it's been a poor decade for music, i don't think they have truly witnessed some of the great music around at the moment, and no i don't mean the X Factor's addition, the likes of Matisyahu, Fenech Soler, Chase and Status and going more into up and coming artists, Bluey Robinson is a phenomenal singer.
So maybe stop with the "oh musics not what it used to be' attitude and try to discover and appreciate music away from the 'Top 40" which is controlled by advertising and image.
Rant over. Sorry i just get annoyed when people mock current music when they haven't experienced the better stuff

I agree, there has been a great deal of good music to emerge this decade. You only have to listen to pop radio to realise it's necessary to dig much deeper for valuable, meaningful music. Several bands have produced highly original albums since 2000 and although half of the following list are American or Canadian they have each, without exception, toured the UK.

Okkervil River
The Stills
Bedouin Soundclash
Jesse Malin
The Walkmen
Clem Snide
Bell X1
Morning Runner
Hope of the States
Turin Brakes

Only The Libertines debut album (and perhaps Arcade Fire's) deserve their place on the NME list. All of these artists are highly accessible and not wildly off the map but you need to have them recommended by word of mouth or they and their like will always remain disappointingly out of reach. Luckily I exchange finds across the Atlantic with friends in the UK. Keep experimenting!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Okkervil River are a great band. I would also add Bright Eyes, Slow Club and Crippled Black Phoenix as other good bands of whom no one's ever heard.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

I really hate all popular music, with exception to Metallica, but Metallica are in a way unique, no one else really sounds like them. There are plenty of Wannabe's (BFMV for example), but Metallica are unique

 

[Ashtrayhead]

I really hate all popular music, with exception to Metallica, but Metallica are in a way unique, no one else really sounds like them. There are plenty of Wannabe's (BFMV for example), but Metallica are unique

This poll reflects the sort of music that NME cover, I would imagine! You'd get a different result in Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Side-Line, or any other non-mainstream publication.

I agree with you Sam that Metallica are unique and have a very individual sound. They cite Deep Purple as one of their big influences, and their drummer has expressed his admiration for Ian Paice's style.
It's a pity that they ripped off the Deathstars logo!
http://www.deathstars.net/

 

[zimzum42]

That is a NME poll though so it's obviously going to be pretty awful.
When people say it's been a poor decade for music, i don't think they have truly witnessed some of the great music around at the moment, and no i don't mean the X Factor's addition, the likes of Matisyahu, Fenech Soler, Chase and Status and going more into up and coming artists, Bluey Robinson is a phenomenal singer.
So maybe stop with the "oh musics not what it used to be' attitude and try to discover and appreciate music away from the 'Top 40" which is controlled by advertising and image.
Rant over. Sorry i just get annoyed when people mock current music when they haven't experienced the better stuff

Got to agree with you about Matis Yahu and Chase and Status - but most people never get to hear this stuff.

Plenty of good music this decade, some great stuff coming out of African hiphop scenes as the production values are raised, and Caribbean music going from strength to strength...

The UK top40 is not really a barometer for anything, nor is NME

 

[raindog]

I'd rate the White Stripes over any of the stuff on that list.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I've been wondering whether modern pop music really is shite or that I just can't be bothered doing the research these days like I could when I was young. That NME list was the sort of stuff I was into, but if that's the best of the decade...

 

[Norm]

All just opinions. It's a very NME selection, IMO. There's a lot of good music around, but not much of it (The Streets aside) made it to that list. I'd even say that Radiohead and the Arctic Monkeys had better albums than appear there.

 

[User482]

There are a lot of good albums in the NME top 50, but they reflect the musical taste of that publication - mainstream rock bands.

Though it has to be said that disparaging comments are often a preface to someone showing how eclectic and obscure their musical taste is. There's nothing inherently wrong with liking very succesful bands!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

There's nothing inherently wrong with liking very succesful bands!

Unless it's U2!

I did have one of the albums on the top 50 list but I've since flogged it on ebay.

There have been some excellent albums in the 90s but ones I like would be reflected in a different music papers top 50. So the NME one is a good list if you read the NME....probably.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I think they are aware of their audience... and I am sure if you read Metal Hammer, Folk Roots, Spin, or whatever you'd get entirely different lists. It's hardly worth worrying about. There's some things in there I like, some I don't... and it would be a bit worrying if one magazine or website had listed your exact personal Top 50, wouldn't it?.

 

[zizou]

These sorts of "best of" lists used to always wind me up and annoy me greatly due to favourites that were missing and some of the shite that was included, but now i dont seem to mind. I must be growing up and getting old

Not sure what i'd pick as the best album (if such a subjective judgement is possible to make about best rather than favourite - my favourite of the last decade would probably be between 'Give Up' by the Postal Service or the 'Into the Wild' soundtrack by Eddie Vedder) but the Strokes debut album was good, and was even better at the time because it seemed like they came along and helped revitalise the music scene which for mainstream rock / alternative had been drifting towards pretty awful nu-metal and bands that sounded pretty damn awful and didn't even look like proper rock n roll stars (limp bizkit etc)...Is This It may not have been musically original but there were still some great pop songs on it and the Strokes looked like proper rockstars with good clothes and cool haircuts - i know that is just style over substance but at the time it was like a breath of fresh air away from Fred Durst and his backwards NY Yankees cap!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I am actually quite comfortable with The Strokes being their Number 1 choice too. When I got that album, it was like being hit by lightening. I listened to it (literally) nine times in a row and lept about the room. I have always been a sucker for garage rock and it was garage rock better than it had ever been done before (with all the greatest respect to The Stooges and many others).