The Escapist Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings November 16, 2009 - It seemed like an impossible task, but that didn't stop us from trying. With the first decade of the new millennium coming to a close, we decided to compile a list of the 50 most important recordings of the past 10 years — a list that covers a wide range of styles and genres, with indelible songs and albums that challenge, inspire and captivate. These are the game-changers: records that signaled some sort of shift in the way music is made or sounds, or ones that were especially influential or historically significant. Favorite records don't necessarily qualify. A lot of people, including nearly everyone at NPR Music, love Fleet Foxes' debut album, but was it one of the decade's most important? (You can tell us what you think in the comments section below.) The 50 recordings that appear here are listed alphabetically. We've included artists and bands from a number of musical worlds, from dubstep and hip-hop to Top 40 pop, classical, jazz, world, beardy folk, metal and hard rock. There's some country, too, but admittedly no grindcore or goa trance. (Again, you can tell us what you think in the comments section below.) A lot of people, including All Songs Considered listeners, helped put this list together. As we culled through the nominees, tears were shed and arguments were had. But one thing we all agreed on: This was one of the best decades yet for music. We can't wait to hear what comes next. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120326033#list A Rush of Blood to the Head: Coldplay Song: God Put a Smile Upon Your Face Before it became fashionable to bash Coldplay as a stand-in for all that is stately and milquetoast in pop music, the band made a couple of enormously successful, culturally ubiquitous and extremely well-received records. From 2002, A Rush of Blood to the Head was shaping up to be an undisputed classic at the time -- it's as artistically ambitious as it is catchy, which is saying a lot -- yet it's lost much of its critical cachet since then. Still, it's impossible to ignore its reverberations in the successful likes of Keane, Snow Patrol and other likeminded bands that ruled the charts in the '00s, and presumably beyond. For an album so widely heralded in 2002, it feels funny to say that A Rush of Blood to the Head is underrated; today, it's underrated. -- Stephen Thompson http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120409621 John Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion Arcade Fire: Funeral The Bad Plus: These Are The Vistas Beyonce: Dangerously In Love Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning Burial: Untrue Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: S/T Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head Danger Mouse: The Grey Album Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism The Decemberists: The Crane Wife Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Osvaldo Golijov: La Pasion Segun San Marcos (Saint Mark's Passion) Green Day: American Idiot Iron And Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days Jay-Z: The Blueprint Norah Jones: Come Away With Me Juanes: Fijate Bien LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver Lil' Wayne: Tha Carter III Little Brother: The Listening Yo-Yo Ma: Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet Mastodon: Leviathan M.I.A.: Kala Jason Moran: Black Stars OutKast: Stankonia Brad Paisley: 5th Gear Panda Bear: Person Pitch Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand The Postal Service: Give Up Radiohead: In Rainbows Radiohead: Kid A Shakira: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1 Sigur Ros: ( ) Britney Spears: In The Zone Sufjan Stevens: Illinois The Strokes: Is This It The Swell Season: Once Soundtrack Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate: In The Heart of the Moon TV On The Radio: Return To Cookie Mountain Various: Garden State Soundtrack Various: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack Kanye West: The College Dropout The White Stripes: White Blood Cells Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Amy Winehouse: Back To Black http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/11/the_decades_50_most_important.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crests Posted November 21, 2009 Share Posted November 21, 2009 This is a very good list, I'm waiting for a list that has Mew on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaths_friend Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 they could of done without kelly clarkson and britney Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc_squared Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 All such lists suck.:dozey: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crests Posted November 22, 2009 Share Posted November 22, 2009 They only suck because you're paying attention to the albums you don't like that are on them, and not the great albums they haven't overlooked that made it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricardo Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Well, they have a good point in that there are excellent albums but don't have the impact or the importance necessary to appear on that list. I cringe to the inclusion of Kelly Clarkson, Britney and Shakira, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMagpie Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 i actually like this list. i'm just surprised bon iver has appeared on lists above or isntead of fleet foxes Yeah, the lack of Fleet Foxes is quite puzzling. Not cool anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck kottke Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Fox on the Run was pretty cool - oh wait, that was back in the 70's...:laugh3: (disco era) Nevermind.:whistle: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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