1995 in Music Review

Hey everyone, welcome to the fifth edition in a series of reviews of a year in music. So far I have covered all the 2000s together as the Noughtie series, and so far monthly, the

year 1999, then 1998, followed by 1997 and then last month, 1996.

Just in case you’re not familiar with it, here’s the format. It will be done in five parts. I'll do a brief history of what happened in that year, followed by my five favourite albums of the year, then what I think the five best videos are. I'll then do a Top 10 most impactful (still refraining from using the word important) songs from that year. To wrap it up, I'll do my favourite songs in a mixtape format. So now that you know where I'm going with this, let's get to it!

We’re half way through the decade now. 1996 was a fantastic year; let’s see how good 1995 was.

Brief History of the Year 1995 in Music

• Dave Grohl of Nirvana starts his own band and calls it the Foo Fighters. They would go on to be one of the biggest rock bands for the next decade.
• Oasis release "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" and it becomes one of the best selling albums of all time and many of the singles get to #1.
• Pink Floyd disband after a career that covered 31 years. The classic lineup wouldn’t play together again for another 10 years.
• Nickelback form. They release their first album a year later, but find worldwide success at the start of the next decade.
• In rap, Tupac gets sent to prison on sexual assault charges. Later his album, "Me Against the World" get to #1 in America, the first time in history a solo artist has a #1 album whilst in prison.
• In pop, Michael Jackson releases a double album named HIStory and it becomes the highest selling double album of all time.

My Top 5 Albums of 1995

#5 – “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” by Oasis

Released: 2/10/95

Rating: **** stars

Stand-out tracks: “Champagne Supernova”, “Don't Look Back in Anger”, “Roll with It”

 

Just in case you didn’t know, the albums lists are completely biased. Doing unbiased lists on albums is impossible unless you’re part of a collective group of people. It goes without saying that this would be the top album of 1995 in an unbiased list however, the album is the fourth highest selling album in the UK ever, it got to #1 in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Spain, it won a Brit Award for best album, two songs got to #1 in the UK charts (Some Might Say and Don't Look Back in Anger), the Brit Awards named the album the best in the past thirty years, it being on Rolling Stone’s list of best albums of all time, and other accolades.

But this is a biased list and while this is my favourite Oasis album, my feelings on Oasis are mixed. However, this is their best work and it’s got some fantastic tracks on this album, none better than the brilliant and anthemic “Champagne Supernova”, a song that most certainly should have been released as a single in this country, and of course the song that was heavily influenced by John Lennon’s “Imagine”, “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, a song that is considered one of the band’s best singles ever, this album is a fantastic listen. It’s one of those albums that you just have to hear, no matter what your taste in music is and if you like Oasis or not. It’s a classic, and a legendary album.

#4 – “Astro Creep: 2000” by White Zombie

Released: 11/4/95

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Stand-out tracks: "Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)”, “More Human Than Human”, “Real Solution #9”

Astro Creep: 2000, or if you want its elaborate title, “Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head”, is definitely my favourite White Zombie album. I much prefer the work of Rob Zombie as a solo artist rather than the band he was associated with prior, but this is a fine piece of work. The album’s sound is the closest White Zombie came to being the sound Rob Zombie is most associated with; the album is full of industrial metal, obscene lyrics and snippets from old horror films cut into the core of the tracks. The album and the single, “More Human Than Human”, were nominated for Grammy awards, and the album was and is featured on many “Best of the Nineties” album lists. It’s a truly great album, the final album White Zombie did as a group, and paved the way for Rob Zombie’s solo career to be as big as it’s become.

#3 – “Garbage” by Garbage

Released: 15/8/95

Rating: ****1/4 stars

Stand-out tracks: “Not My Idea”, “Supervixen”, “As Heaven is Wide”

Garbage’s debut album is probably my favourite, although their first three albums were all good quality. This debut has some excellent work on it, and Shirley Manson, who at this point was eleven years into her musical career, sounds fantastic. Manson has always had a good voice, but I don’t think she’s ever sounded as good as she did in 1995. The music sounds great too, Garbage have always managed to combine alternative rock with electronica and parts of dare I say it, industrial rock. There’s a certain element of Garbage’s sound that hasn’t really been replicated, despite there being a few bands that are associated with them. I thoroughly enjoy listening to Garbage’s debut album and put it on every once in a while, and it always manages to sound as fresh as it did in 1995.

#2 – “Elastica” by Elastica

Released: 14/3/95

Rating: ****1/2 stars

Stand-out tracks: "Vaseline", "Connection", "Line Up"

Elastica’s debut album is something else. At the time, it got to #1 in the UK charts, it was certified gold, and became the fasting selling debut album of all time (it’s now Leona Lewis with “Spirit”). Elastica had a brilliant sound, mixing punk, post-punk, early indie, grunge and brit-pop together and with the fantastic female vocals of Justine Frischmann, this is one of my favourite childhood albums. It’s odd that they were as popular as they were, also being nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, considering the genre, but in the years of post-Nirvana-mania, the popularity of the harder rock sound obviously was still strong, at least for this moment of 1995. I absolutely love this album, the first half is as good as any album out there and while the quality is on the slight decrease towards the end, the final track “Vaseline”, an awesome 90 second piece, is as great an ending to an album around. Overall, this is a brilliant album, one I definitely recommend you get if you like female bands (the drummer is male mind) and the idea of a punky grungy brit-pop outfit.

#1 – “The Bends” by Radiohead

Released: 13/3/95

Rating: ****1/2 stars

Stand-out tracks: "My Iron Lung", "Just", "(Nice Dream)"

The Bends is my favourite Radiohead album, as well as my favourite album of 1995. It was a challenging time for the band. “Pablo Honey” was released; “Creep” became a huge hit in the UK and the US. The sound of their first album, a more raw and aggressive version of their eventual style, was considered a soft Nirvana, grunge if you will. They hated the idea that they were considered a Nirvana knockoff, as well as the increasing reputation to do a bigger and better song than “Creep”. They took refuge from the hype throughout 1994 and 1995, releasing an EP of the track “My Iron Lung” to show a different direction that they were heading in. “The Bends” is the end product of that separation from their debut, and it’s a transitional step to the sound they would then develop with “OK Computer” a sound they have tweaked around with, but haven’t drifted too far away from.

But I preferred this sound. It’s the hardest and heaviest album they’ve done (not that it’s heavy) and it’s just a great sounding rock album. Radiohead have been called everything, from indie, alternative, grunge, rock, dance, techno, ambient, brit-pop, everything. But this is just rock; it’s a rock album and I just love it. Johnny Greenwood was at his experimental best here, his distortions in his guitars are absolutely magnificent, and sounds best in “My Iron Lung” and “(Nice Dream)". This is just an album you have to hear, and it’s my preference over “OK Computer”, if you want to try and get into Radiohead but don’t know where to start.

My Top 5 Music Videos of 1995

#5 - "It’s Oh So Quiet” by Bjork

You can’t help but love a bit of Bjork. Iceland’s best export since four chicken breaststeaks for £1, she really was something in the nineties. So cute, so weird, so different and she had a fiery temper when she wanted to. But her finest moment really was this, a cover version of Betty Hutton’s version from 1951; a song that was forgotten about completely by 1995 was revived in amazing fashion. The video played every part in its success. The song and video were very reminiscent of the musicals of old, where normal day life is emphasised in the slow and ‘quiet’ verses and then the bright and colourful chorus brings everyone to life and lots and lots of dancing commences. Bjork’s fine video remains one of the most iconic videos of the nineties.

#4 - "Common People” by Pulp

This was one of the first music videos that really struck me as a kid. I was six years old when this came out, and I still remember being engulfed in this fantastic artistic location that the video was in. The supermarket section especially was something that stuck with me as a memory from my childhood. The art direction is just great and the homages to “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles is cool. The awful yet cool dance routine at the end makes me laugh now as it fits Jarvis Cocker to a tee. The actress, Sadie Frost, who also was in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Krays, does a great job playing the ‘uncommon’ person who likes the ‘common people’. This video is a must see if you’ve never seen it before, it’s just a great video.

#3 - "Where the Wild Roses Grow” by Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue

If there ever was such a perfect video for a perfect story told in song format this is it. Nick Cave’s “Murder Ballads”, which was released the following year and covered last month, is a phenomenal piece of work anyway, and this video gives a fantastic visual for one of the deaths in the album. “Eliza Day”, otherwise known as the Wild Rose, is played by the beautiful Kylie Minogue and her murderer is played by Nick Cave. The video pretty much word for word describes the song’s story, but it’s just beautifully crafted, filmed and acted by the two musicians. The Wild Rose is murdered by the character Nick Cave plays, the reasoning possibly being he wants her to be remembered as beautiful in his memories forever, rather than her getting old and weak. She takes him to the river, they kiss and then he kills her with a rock. He then closes her eyes, puts a rose between her teeth, and sets her body to the river. It’s a beautifully crafted death and it’s one of the best videos of the year.

#2 - "Dope Hat” by Marilyn Manson

I don’t know how many of you have seen this video. It’s basically Manson’s homage to one of the greatest children’s films of all time, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Just in case you’re not familiar with Manson’s full work, this was from his debut album released the year earlier, “Portrait of an American Family”. The first few Manson videos actually had Marilyn Manson with virtually no makeup, although he did have his contact lenses. This was the first Manson video for him to feature heavy amounts of makeup, and looking like the Manson we all know and love/hate. The video is pretty much the boat ride from the Willy Wonka film, with some of the images in the background being slightly more vivid than those in the original film. The funny thing is, the original scene in the Willy Wonka film was quite scary in the first place, despite it being a children’s film, and this is only a slight notch above that. The video does insinuate that these vivid images are all to do with drug use, hence the title “Dope Hat”. The CGI isn’t great, especially the awful looking ‘chocolate river’, but still I like this video and it was the first time Manson used his imagination on a visual basis.

#1 - "Just” by Radiohead

This is one of the best music videos of all time. Of all time. If you’ve never seen this video before, watch it above. Seriously.

It’s such a simple video, a simple message but it hooked every person that saw it. It doesn’t matter if you like Radiohead; you wanted to know what was said at the end of the video. The idea behind one man, just one guy, falling to the floor and lying there for no reason in the middle of a road astounds everyone around him. Everyone questions why he’s lying there, doing nothing and the man tells everyone to leave him alone as they wouldn’t understand. They beg of him to explain his actions, and he warns them, that if he tells them, God help them all as they don’t know what has been asked of him. And then the man tells them. By the way, the entire dialogue of the video is subtitled… apart from the last line! So when he tells them, you the viewer, hasn’t a clue what was said. And the consequence of him telling everyone? They all fall to the floor too, and join the man. WHAT MADE THEM DO THAT?! WHAT DID HE SAY?! GAARRGGHH! It’s just a brilliant yet simple story.

The Top 10 Most Impactful Songs of 1995

As I said, I'm NOT calling it the 'important' list, although it's more than just popularity as well. Anyway, here are the 10 songs of the year. It's an unbiased list.

#10 - "Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails

This was a promotional single rather than a commercial one, but it doesn’t matter, it was a single and it more than deserves entry in this list. No the song didn’t chart well, it got to #54 in the Radio Songs Chart in the US, and never charted here, and yes, the excellent Johnny Cash cover version was and is more popular. But the original, by Nine Inch Nails, is still well thought of today and remains one of the most amazing songs of the nineties. The song deals with self harm and self destruction and is the amazing finale to one of the best albums of all time, The Downward Spiral. Many people interpret the lyrics as a suicide note for the character portrayed in the album while others find the song dealing with the long hard road of life, battling through the scars and blood and falling to the depths of destruction only to finally accept life and finally accept that live is worth living for. I personally interpret the song as the latter and find the song a real inspiration for those who struggle with their demons in their personal lives. I’ve been fortunate not to have many struggles, and as such don’t appreciate the song as much as many other people do. But I know a lot of people who have had hard times in their lives, and find comfort in this song knowing they’re not alone. These reasons are the simple reason of its inclusion in this list, and the justification for me to call it one of the most impactful and most important songs of all time.

#9 - "Only Happy When it Rains” by Garbage

While “Stupid Girl” became Garbage’s signature track the year later, “Only Happy When it Rains” was the new platform that Garbage set for themselves. It was not only their first major hit, but it was also a decent hit in America and got them noticed over there. The song only got to #29 at the time but it was a major step forward from the previous two singles and made the band go onto bigger success. In America it got to #16 in the Modern Rock Charts, #11 in Canada’s Alternative Chart, #36 in the Netherlands and #41 in New Zealand. All these facts and figures don’t relate to the real story in which the song is still played a decent amount today and is still considered one of Garbage’s best songs. The fact that “Stupid Girl” became such a big hit later on shows the strength this song had, if it wasn’t for this “Stupid Girl” wouldn’t have done so well.

#8 - "Down by the Water” by PJ Harvey

Similarly, “Down by the Water” didn’t chart too well but as many PJ Harvey fans are also aware, not many of Polly Jean’s songs do. Similar to Nick Cave, there’s an injustice in popular music where the artist and the quality of music isn’t associated with chart success. PJ Harvey’s work is always appreciated critically, but it never turns into cash and chart success which is a damn shame. Still, this song is considered one of PJ Harvey’s biggest and best songs and still gets a decent amount of airplay today. The song may have only got to #38 here in the UK but it did pretty damn well in America, getting to #2 in the “Alternative Songs”. PJ Harvey has had better chart success in the UK since, but not many of her songs are fondly thought of and played as often as this.

#7 - "Connection” by Elastica

Elastica’s story is so sad. They had so much potential, such a kickass sound and they had a decent period of success too. Everything was going so well. “Connection” is the song that people fondly remember by Elastica and it’s still played today. It was brilliant. The song got to #17 here in the UK and #2 in the US Modern Rock Charts, quite a feat for such a new band. And then, the horrible happened. They got accused for stealing certain parts of certain songs by a band called Wire and many court settlements ensued. After that, the band turns to drugs, and lead singer Justine Frichmann admitted she was a “sad junkie” for long periods of time. They never released a new album for five years, despite announcing in 1996 they were to release new material. The band just self imploded after that. What a shame. “Connection” as a song was fantastic and the band successful at one point. Then that potential was lost to drugs. Again.

#6 - "It’s Oh So Quiet” by Bjork

What a cover version. The original is barely remembered while Bjork has made this her signature song. It’s difficult to label Bjork anywhere, she’s a bit of an enigma. But this song is the one most people remember of her, with the fantastic video and her cute looks, combined with the fun and musical elements of the song itself. The song got to #4 here in the UK while elsewhere it got to #5 in Finland, #6 in Australia, #7 in Ireland #19 in the Netherlands and #20 in Belgium.  I don’t know if Bjork thinks as high of this song as her other tracks, I mean it was a cover version after all and there are many sides and variances in her career that I’m sure she’d like to remembered more for. But she took a song that was at the time 44 years old and was forgotten about and resurrected. Great stuff.

#5 - "Earth Song” by Michael Jackson

Now now. If you’re going to complain about me putting a pop song in this list then forget about it. It’s my rules and I can break them because I’m a hypocrite. No, the reason why I’m including a pop song is purely because of the artist. Michael Jackson is bigger than pop music. His legendary career is among the elite in the world of music and deserves mention in these lists. If (and it’s still an if) I start covering the eighties and seventies, I may have to include more and more pop music, as certain pop music is well received in the rock and metal scenes.

Anyway, the “Earth Song” needs no introduction really. It’s an epic track. In terms of presentation, lyrics, message and sound, it can be argued no song is bigger and grander than the “Earth Song”. Michael Jackson pleads to the world to start thinking about the devastation humanity is doing to the world. He pleads for us to think about the environment, the treatment of animals amongst other things. The video also is grand and further emphasises this. Because of Jackson’s fame and wealth, he was able to portray a message that broke all blockages in communication in the world. Regardless of your race or language, you understood the message of the song. In its grandeur, this song is one of the greatest. It got to #1 in many many MANY countries, at least fourteen to be exact. But there’s one major negative feeling about the whole thing and many people feel this way. It just felt over exaggerated and pompous for Michael Jackson to preach about morality like that. It’s the only criticism, and the live performances and the video, which in certain elements make Michael Jackson look like a modern Jesus, adds to this frustration. Regardless of the negative connotations to the song, it was incredibly successful and full of grandeur, and deserves a mention as one of the biggest songs of the year and decade.

#4 - "Country House” by Blur

As I mentioned earlier, I was six years old when these songs came out. 1995 is the earliest year really that I thoroughly remember as a kid rather than as an adult looking back on the history of music. 1994 backwards is going to be an odd challenge for me. Anyway, I clearly remember the battle between Oasis and Blur, the “Battle of Britpop” as it’s dubbed, and I remember “Country House” beating “Roll With It” for the #1 spot. You can debate what the bigger song between those two is, but “Country House” was still a huge hit. Blur have had songs before and after this song that are more popular, but this is only one of two #1 hits the band has had (the other being “Beetlebum”). “Country House” might not have the long term airplay as other tracks but you can’t deny that this song is a classic, and it’s still catchy and sounds good today.

#3 - "Alright” by Supergrass

“We are young! We are free! We have teeth! Nice and clean! See our friends, see the sights, feel alright!” What a great song this was. It’s a shame though as it’s been misinterpreted as a song about young lads having a good time, but it was actually about young teenagers starting to discover the joys of adolescence. Supergrass will always be associated with this song even though they grew up and matured as a band, and it’s a shame really, that other songs didn’t get the same reception as this. Supergrass aren’t a bad band at all, I’ve seen them live, but they’ll never beat this track, a song that got to #2 in the charts. “Alright” still gets played today and is featured on many soundtracks even today, sixteen years after its release. This song is a brit-pop classic and is a staple in the history of the nineties in music.

#2 - "Common People” by Pulp

I’ve only just realised but the Top 3 songs of 1995 are all #2 hits. It goes to show that getting to #1 isn’t always the best thing for longevity, as I really put my foot down when I say that the Top 3 in this list are songs that have made a bigger long term impact than “Country House” and “Earth Song”.

Anyway, allow me to copy and paste the last sentence in the previous entry. This song is a brit-pop classic and is a staple in the history of the nineties in music. Now that was lazy on my part but that sentence fits perfectly. “Common People” is one of the biggest tracks in brit-pop history, in the nineties and possibly, of all time. “Common People” was just so amazing, describing the idea of rich and upper class people trying to fit in with the common. It’s something that does and has happened, and I think it’s something that has become more of a thing of the past now. 1995 was definitely a transitional year, not only in music where brit-pop was in its prime, but also in society. The difference in attitude between upper and lower class doesn’t really exist as much as it did in the eighties, and parts of the early nineties. This song definitely describes that subtle change. And the song itself is just fantastic, it’s very catchy and Pulp are responsible for the imagery and putting these changes into song format. Not only is the song important, but it made a phenomenal impact and is easily considered Pulp’s finest moment in the eyes of many people.

#1 - "Wonderwall” by Oasis

Well I was going to put the Mike Flowers version as #1 but last minute I decided against it. Okay seriously, I’ve covered 1995 to 2009 on this website now in this format and I can quite easily say this song is the biggest song to come out in this time period. “Wonderwall” can’t be beat in terms of impact, at the time and long term. The song is one of the most covered tracks in recent history with Mike Flowers above doing it, as well as Ryan Adams, Jay-Z, Robbie Williams, Richard Cheese and Radiohead all having a bash at it, some for comedy value, others because of the greatness of the track. “Wonderwall” joins #2 and #3 in this list as the threesome of tracks to get to #2 at the time, but then excelling many other songs, if not every other tracks to be released in the year of 1995. “Wonderwall” doesn’t really need any introduction, it’s the song Oasis will always be associated with, it’s a classic, it’s anthemic, it’s just unavoidable. “Wonderwall” will live forever in music history as one of the greatest songs of all time, if you like it or not.

The Year 1995 Mixtape

Just in case you didn't know by now...

"A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren’t to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong!"

So here we go! My favourite songs from the year 1995. Yes, this is a biased list.

1. It's Oh So Quiet – Bjork
2. Common People – Pulp
3. Just – Radiohead
4. Lump - The Presidents of the United States of America
5. Queer – Garbage
6. Down by the Water - PJ Harvey
7. Connection – Elastica
8. Daydreamer - Menswear
9. I'll Stick Around - Foo Fighters
10. Geek Stink Breath - Green Day
11. Poison - The Prodigy
12. Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs - The Cramps
13. Red Right Hand - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
14. Hurt - Nine Inch Nails
15. Do What I Say - Clawfinger
16. Shoots and Ladders – KoRn
17. Dope Hat - Marilyn Manson
18. Electric Head Pt. 2 - White Zombie
19. Bullet With Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins

And here are the five alternative songs if you don't like some of the above...

1. Alright – Supergrass
2. Ridiculous Thoughts - The Cranberries
3. I Don't Want to Grow Up - The Ramones
4. Roll With It – Oasis
5. Just a Girl - No Doubt

And there we go! The year 1995 in review! I hope you've enjoyed this. So that’s half the nineties covered, next month naturally I’ll be covering 1994 and continue my descend into music history. What we your favourite songs and albums from 1995? Any other comments or queries? Raise them below. Thanks for your time.

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Noughtie: My 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade (Part 7)

Overall Favourite Artists | Best of 2000 | Overall Least Favourite Artists | Best of 2001

Where Are They Now? | Best of 2002 | Best New Artists | Best of 2003 | My Guilty Pleasures
Best of 2004 | My Favourite Riffs | Best of 2005 | Underrated Artists | Best of 2006
 My Favourite Albums | Best of 2007 | Best Videos | Best of 2008 | Most Important Artists
Best of 2009 | 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade | 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade

To view part 1, click here.

To view part 2, click here.
To view part 3, click here.
To view part 4, click here.
To view part 5, click here.
To view part 6, click here.

Here we are, welcome to the Johnny Mercyside Top 40! It’s like the UK Top 40, but better. Of course I’d say that as it’s my biased list! Anyway, let’s get to it.

#40. “New Born” – Muse

Released: 5/6/01

Album: Origin of Symmetry

Listings: Best Riffs

Come on; is there a better song to start off a Top 40 with than this? The song I rated the best riff of the decade starts us off today and why the hell not? I absolutely love this song; I could listen to that riff all day any day (although it probably would get boring after a while). It’s definitely one of Muse’s best tracks, and if people want to listen to why Matt Bellamy was considered the best guitarist of the decade by Total Guitar, then listen to this. By the way, in that CD cover, is that guy giving out a yellow card?

#39. “B.Y.O.B.” – System of a Down

Released: 2/8/05

Album: Mezmerize

If there’s one big SOAD single I like more than Chop Suey! it’s this one. I loved B.Y.O.B., and was so excited for Mezmerize’s imminent release, so much that when this song got announced and got airplay, I really marked out. It’s a fantastic song, a very typical SOAD song, with frenetic guitars and Serj taking control of the verses. The big difference with this song is Daron starting to have more time as a singer, as he does the choruses and the “Blast off!” bit towards the end of the song. It’s a great song, a very strong political song, but even without the politics it sounds great.

#38. “Pin” – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Released: 22/7/03

Album: Fever to Tell

I love “Pin”, it’s probably my favourite song by the band, it’s just 2 minutes of post-punk bliss. It wasn’t a big hit for the band, probably for this reason, but this was released when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs didn’t seem bothered about their mainstream attention. Karen’s vocals, combined with that buzz guitar just makes a fantastic track, a short one, but it wouldn’t be as good if it was extended any further. It’s just a good, no, a great song.

#37. “Chelsea Dagger” – The Fratellis

Released: 28/8/06

Album: Costello Music

I said in my “Best Albums” listing, I prefer “Here We Stand” to “Costello Music”, if minimally, but one thing that “Costello Music” did right was the singles. As an avid Fratellis fan, I’d be stupid if I didn’t say that if I hadn’t heard “Chelsea Dagger”, I wouldn’t be that big on the band. This song made the band, it was a huge hit, and is still heard even now, in football stadiums, on the radio. It was close to being put in my unbiased listing but it didn’t make the cut. The hook, the “do-do-do, do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do-do-do” is just so catchy. It’s a brilliant song, it’s just a shame that none of their other great songs get the same reception.

#36. “Michael” – Franz Ferdinand

Released: 16/8/04

Album: Franz Ferdinand

While “Take Me Out” will always remain Franz Ferdinand’s golden moment, I always preferred this. It’s my favourite single off their self-titled debut album, and I think it sounds great. The song’s lyrics have a distinct yet subtle feeling of homosexuality to it, and while Alex Kapranos has stated that the song is about two of his friends having a great time, sexually, in a dance club, he has never stated the gender of those two friends. It feels very homosexual, and the video is suggestive in that direction too. It doesn’t matter though, the song still sounds fantastic and it’s very catchy too. It’s one of Franz Ferdinand’s best songs in my opinion.

#35. “Seven Nation Army” – The White Stripes

Released: 7/3/03

Album: Elephant

Listings: Best Riffs, Best Videos

Another song that is probably not going to be beat in terms of popularity by a band. When people think of The White Stripes, they often think of this song. It was their golden moment, although they are still very popular, and definitely features in my unbiased listing. But why do I love this song so much? The same reason everyone does. The riff is so simple yet so catchy, and so memorable. The songs lyrics are great, and of course, the video helps too. I’ve just found out that this is the only song that’s made two different listings in the best riffs and videos. So there you go then!

#34. “Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!” – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Released: 18/2/08

Album: Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

Man this song is so cool. It’s probably Nick Cave’s biggest single since “Into My Arms”, which was released 11 years prior. Nick Cave never stopped making music in the 11 years between the tracks, but his popularity in mainstream music definitely waned. But he’s back with a bang, a sister project (Grinderman) and an elevated status of veteran/legend. Anyway, I went on a bit of a tangeant there! This is an awesome song, it sounds great and Nick Cave’s vocals are as smooth and poetic as usual. It’s just the way he does it though, that really cool way, his distinctive swagger really stands out in this track. It’s a piece of brilliance.

#33. “Psychosis Safari” – The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster

Released: 8/7/03

Album: Hörse of the Dög

Listings: Best Videos

“Hörse of the Dög” was full of two minute raw, punky gothabilly Halloween treats. Their second album, “The Royal Society”, was a more mainstream, pure, crisp album, with added maturity and more care into the product. However, “Psychosis Safari”, probably TEMBLD’s finest single format song, mixes the raw intensity, the punk/goth hybrid sound from the first album, with that of a song that could hit cracks into a mainstream audience, break new ground and ultimately get them some attention. That’s exactly what this song did, but they rarely capitalised on it. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good song though, it’s a phenomenal track, I absolutely adore it and love listening to it. TEMBLD at their best.

#32. “Fire” – Kasabian

Released: 1/6/09

Album: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Kasabian’s biggest song to date (it got to #3) is also the song I choose as my favourite by the band. It was definitely one of the best songs of 2009, a year I found to be quite abysmal in truth. But “Fire” stood out very well in the pack. With the very distinctive Leicester vocals starting the track off, it turns into a song that merges indie with an ambient dance chorus. The chorus just sounds great and it’s definitely one of Kasabian’s best songs.

#31. “Low” – Foo Fighters

Released: 23/6/03

Album: One by One

Listings: Best Videos

This is the Foo Fighters only entry into the Top 100 (although The Pretender did come close), but this song is just so good. I put it down as the best video of the decade, but even if the video sucked, the song still stands high as a great quality track, one that is underrated. The Foo’s don’t play this often live, and if it wasn’t for the video it wouldn’t be remembered as a single much. It’s a real shame because it sounds fantastic. I love Taylor’s drums in this track, and the guitars are great too. I’ve never understood why this song wasn’t more popular, it doesn’t help that it was the third single mind.

That’s it for today, another 10 songs gone, 30 more remain. I hope you find some songs in this list that you have never heard before and think sound good, not all of these songs are popular and mainstream, so if I can get you into any bands that makes me a happy guy. Let me know if it becomes the case. Take care and see you tomorrow.

To view part 8, click here.

To view part 9, click here.
To view part 10, click here.

Noughtie: Best of 2008 (Mixtape)

Overall Favourite Artists | Best of 2000 | Overall Least Favourite Artists | Best of 2001
Where Are They Now? | Best of 2002 | Best New Artists | Best of 2003 | My Guilty Pleasures
Best of 2004 | My Favourite Riffs | Best of 2005 | Underrated Artists | Best of 2006
My Favourite Albums | Best of 2007 | Best Videos | Best of 2008 | Most Important Artists
Best of 2009 | 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade | 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade

Welcome to the penultimate Mixtape! We're so close to the end now, well, in terms of parts of the series. The last two as I've said before, are very long parts. So there's a long way to go yet!
But this is a Mixtape for the year 2008. Which, going on a similar vein to 2007, wasn't a great year. Music was getting much harder to find in terms of good quality music, at least for me anyway. But I have compiled enough material for a Mixtape, and that's below, but first, the Mixtape rules.

A Mixtape is a playlist of a certain genre, band or era. The list is generally 80 minutes long, the same length of a blank CD, with further recommendations if some of the songs aren't to your taste. Remember kids, downloading is wrong!

So what songs have I chosen, and in what track listing order? Let's find out!

1. Given Up - Linkin Park
2. Psychosocial - Slipknot
3. Discipline - Nine Inch Nails
4. Cyanide - Metallica
5. Mastermind - Mindless Self Indulgence
6. Sunday Bloody Sunday - Saul Williams
7. Paper Planes - MIA
8. Another Way to Die - Jack White and Alisha Keys
9. Just - Mark Ronson and Phantom Planet
10. Pork and Beans - Weezer
11. Mistress Mabel - The Fratellis
12. T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S. - The Hives
13. Ghetto Love - Spinnerette
14. Kiss With a Fist - Florence and the Machine
15. Dig! Lazarus! Dig! - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
16. Grounds for Divorce - Elbow
17. Lucid Dreams - Franz Ferdinand

Don't like some of these? Try these five:

1. Propane Nightmares - Pendulum
2. Gives You Hell - The All-American Rejects
3. The Shock of the Lightning - Oasis
4. Time to Pretend - MGMT
5. I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You - Black Kids

So there we go, 9 gone, 1 left to go. But before that, we have a teaser listing. The next listing, which reveals what I think the most important artists are of the decade, will be a taster of what artists you will expect to see in the Top 100 Unbiased listing. I haven't done much unbiased work so far in this series, but the main chunk of work, the grand finale, is all unbiased. So this will be the preview of it. That will be posted on Wedneday. Have a good night.

Noughtie: Overall Least Favourite Artists

Overall Favourite Artists | Best of 2000 | Overall Least Favourite Artists | Best of 2001

Where Are They Now? | Best of 2002 | Best New Artists | Best of 2003 | My Guilty Pleasures
Best of 2004 | My Favourite Riffs | Best of 2005 | Underrated Artists | Best of 2006
 My Favourite Albums | Best of 2007 | Best Videos | Best of 2008 | Most Important Artists
Best of 2009 | 100 Favourite Songs of the Decade | 100 Most Important Songs of the Decade

Part 3 of my Noughtie series brings our second listing to the front of the queue. For the most part, I've been a very positive guy on this site (The GameFAQs rant probably the only negative thing I've done) but I'm going to rant a bit today. I'm counting down the 10 artists that really get under my skin that have come out in the last decade. I'm not going to delay this any further, let's name and shame my least favourite artists of the decade.

10. Fall Out Boy

I'm doing a list of "Guilty Pleasures" as part of the Noughtie series later on, and there is a song by this artist that features. That's the only highlight though. I really can't stand this band, my apologies to a good friend who loves them. The reasoning is very similar for a lot of the bands on the list, it's the newish emo genre that got ridiculously popular in the middle of the decade. FOB don't impress me much at all, most particularly Pete Wenz who seems to care more about himself than the band. The one thing that really grinds my gears about this band? Their stupid song titles. Like, "Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued", "I've Got a Dark Alley and a Bad Idea That Says You Should Shut Your Mouth (Summer Song)", "I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me", "Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To Save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows)" and "I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)". I mean, what's the point? It's pathetic.

9. Avril Lavigne

I don't know what gets on my nerves about her more, the fact that she was an annoying punk wannabe or that she was a mainstream seeking punk wannabe after her first two albums. She's a pretty lady though, I wouldn't say no if I were single and she was interested, but her music still sucks. Once again there is one guilty pleasure of hers that I like, that you will find out about in that listing. Her worst moment for me? Probably her cover version of Chop Suey! Not heard it? Here you go, click here. Don't thank me.

8. My Chemical Romance

It's difficult, the past three artists on this list all have a place in my listing for my Guilty Pleasures. So if I like one song by these artists, is it hypocritical that they are in this list? Possibly. Anyway, I hate My Chemical Romance, they are just one of those bands that make me cringe when they're on. Gerard Way of course, pisses me off. Not only because I want to bang his wife, but because he doesn't deserve to (I kid, they look very happy together so I'm happy for them really).  My Chemical Romance is just a really frustrating emo band, I just don't get what's the big deal about them. How did they get to #1 in the UK? I can't really put into words why I hate them, I just do.

7. The Ting Tings

Finally, a band that isn't considered emo! This band have disappeared recently (thank god). Crap, I might have woke them up. Let's hope not. My least favourite two-piece band are just to personal taste really, you can make a case that their songs are catchy, I just find them annoying. Each to their own, I can't really say more than that.

6. Kate Nash

Another one of these pop rock breeds that are becoming a bit of a regular thing recently. The main thing I don't like is her vocals, not so much the style but her voice. There are many people to "talk" in their songs, Nick Cave is the best of them all, but Kate Nash's annoying Cockney accent that does it. It's just frustrating, and arguably talentless.

5. The Used

The Uses are dificult because I hadn't heard of them for ages, but then all of a sudden they were everywhere and everyone who liked the type of bands were like "ooh my god the Used are amazing!". They're very similar to My Chemical Romance in style, apart from they talk about self harm a lot more, which is one of my least favourite musical topics to listen to. Self harm lyrics are fine if you're trying to avoid kids doing it, but the amount of bands that do talk about it kinda has the opposite effect, and almost encourage it (not on purpose of course).

4. The Darkness

Man, I hated this band so much when they were around. Thank fuck they're not around anymore, although there is persistent rumours around that they might reunite. I hated this band with a passion when they got popular, it of course was Justin Hawkins' over-dramatic vocals, the very repetitive guitar riffs. More than anything though was the ego, Justin had too big an ego, too big that I predicted the lack of interest in their second album and their commercial flop, back in 2004. I'm happy about that, they were a one album band because their gimmick flopped immensely. Let's hope those rumours are wrong and that they stay away from the charts.

3. Panic! At the Disco

This one is a more personal dislike than a "this band sucks" dislike. My fiancée, bless her heart, got their debut album not long after its release and couldn't stop playing it. I'm not kidding, she really couldn't  stop playing it. She probably played it none stop for about 9 months I'd say. Vivi took over 9 months to be born. I liked the latter experience more. Since then however the band seem to have fallen under the radar and I probably won't hate them as much as I did back then. Still that debut album... thankfully I'm not doing a "least favourite albums listing", that's all I've got to say.

2. 30 Seconds to Mars

I like Jared Leto as an actor, he's good as a supporting actor. However I can't stand this band. The thing that gets on my nerves about him in this band? He's 39 years old, yet his music appeals to 13 year old kids who wear skinny jeans all the time. He knows this too. Why? At least the majority of emo bands or bands that appeal to emo kids are usually in their mid-twenties or younger. They sing about the problems they faced as teenagers, and these problems are the same as the problems teenagers face today. Yet this is a guy who's teenage life left him a good 20 years ago. I just don't get it. Trying to take a positive out of a negative here, I do however recommend you watch this video, for their song "A Beautiful Lie". I don't like the song at all, but this is a phenomenal video, and the cause that the video and single is for is a great one. Check it out.

1. Paramore

Here we are at #1, based on the theme of the listing it can't be much of a surprise. Paramore just piss me off because their music is just awful, Hayley Williams pisses me off just because she doesn't actually do anything interesting at all. But she has red hair! And? I can't say anything complimentary about her as a person or a singer whatsoever. The band is splitting apparently because she's getting a lot of attention but for what? Some people just aren't worth their weight in salt. I actually can't think of a single positive thing to say about this band so that's more than a good enough reason for it to be my #1.

Well that's my pessimistic listing over. I've got to be honest I didn't really enjoy writing this. I'd rather write about artists I do like and respect. But this gives you a taste about what I don't like in music I suppose. I like being positive and saying good things. Also, if you like any of these bands, that's cool, each to their own I suppose. I'll be back on Tuesday with something that interests me much more, quite possibly my favourite year of the decade, the best of the year 2001. Thanks for reading.