There was a lot of angst and pent-up anger featured in the music of the late 90s and early 2000s. Fans and artists vented through genres such as emo, nu-metal, and hard rock. These four rock songs from the 2000s have probably caused at least one hole in a rental property during that time.

“down with the sickness” by disturbed

One of the most recognizable nu-metal hits of the early 2000s is “Down With The Sickness”. Disturbed vocalist David Draiman had recently undergone vocal cord surgery for acid reflux. One day during a vocal warm-up, Draiman belted out the signature “ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah” that was then attached to the song. Overall, it’s about a struggle with individuality in an oppressive, conformist society. The intensity of this nu-metal track is sure to have lit a fire in many fans, resulting in holes in multiple rental properties’ drywall.

“break stuff” by limp bizkit

It’s just one of those days. Limp Bizkit penned this nu-metal anthem in 2000, leading to countless acts of violence. Notably, their Woodstock ’99 crowd committed various violent acts and is among the most chaotic live performances in history. Basically, vocalist Fred Durst incited a riot with this track. With lyrics such as “Don’t you know I pack a chainsaw / I’ll skin your a** raw / And if things keep going this way I just might / Break your f**king face tonight / Give me something to break.” Fans of the band looking for something to break most likely focused their anger on nearby drywall.

“the kill” by thirty seconds to mars

Initially known for his successful acting career, Jared Leto is also the vocalist of the emo-pioneering group Thirty Seconds to Mars. Their signature track, “The Kill”, is about a broken relationship. The desperation in the chorus: “Come, break me down / bury me, bury me / I am finished with you” is sure to bring out the emotion in anyone suffering heartbreak. Additionally, the song is an anthem about finding yourself. “The Kill” was a massive emo hit, peaking at No. 3 on the US Alternative Airplay chart in 2006. Subsequently, their follow-up single “From Yesterday” reached No. 1 on the chart.

Photo by Martin Philbey/Redferns

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Everyone, get your crochet beanie and chunky owl necklace out of the donate pile. We’re talking about late-2000s indie pop, whether you like it or not. Are these the best indie pop albums of the late 2000s? I wouldn’t say so. But are they still pretty good considering all the other stuff that was coming out at that time? Yeah, they’re not bad.

‘Aim and Ignite’ by Fun.

A lot of us like to dunk on Fun. for being the quintessential Millennial indie pop guys. But they did give us “Some Nights” and “We Are Young”, which have aged into their cloying sentimentality pretty well. Before that, however, they debuted in August 2009 with Aim and Ignite. This album featured “Be Calm” as the opening track, which was sort of like a precursor to “We Are Young”.

The final chorus of “Be Calm” is the real heavy hitter. “Oh be calm, be calm / I know you feel like you are breaking down / I know it gets so hard sometimes / Be calm / Take it from me, I’ve been there a thousand times / You hate your pulse because it still thinks you’re alive and everything’s wrong / It just gets so hard sometimes / Be calm, be calm.”

‘Volume One’ by She & Him

Nothing says Spring 2008 like Volume One by She & Him. Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward’s indie-twee-pop project didn’t make the most involved music. But its retro simplicity was what drew people in. Plus, the obvious flaws in Zooey Deschanel’s singing voice just added to the strange charm. I admit, I had both Volume One and Volume Two on CD and listened to them a lot. I was going through a twee pop phase, whatever.

The standout track on Volume One has to be “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”. It’s a bubbly, cutesy little tune about liking someone a lot and wanting to hang out with them, but not wanting to make the first move. “Why do you let me stay here / All by myself / Why don’t you come and play here / I’m just sitting on the shelf”. As if saying, “Hey, why don’t you ask me out? I’m just sitting here with nothing to do!”

‘Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future’ by The Bird and the Bee

Indie pop duo The Bird and the Bee released their second album Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future in January 2009. This album is one of the better ones that came out of late-2000s indie pop with a hint of twee, and it holds up surprisingly well today.

That longevity has a lot to do with the layered styles on the album. For example, “My Love” is a quintessential 2009 romantic pop song, while “Witch” is a luxurious swirl of vintage style. By utilizing a range of stylistic elements, the duo created a timeless collection of indie pop delights.

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Millennials are now at least 30 years old; therefore, we’re not running the dance floor anymore. That being said, certain hits of our era are still irresistible. These 2000s club hits are guaranteed to bring all the millennials to the dance floor.

“hotel room service” by pitbull

Released in June 2009, this iconic club hit can bring out the dance moves. Together, millennials all over the club will chant along with “We at the hotel, motel, Holiday Inn!” To this day, I can’t see a Holiday Inn without these lines running through my mind. Whether it’s at the club, at a wedding, or any social event, millennials are sure to swarm the dance floor upon hearing this Pitbull classic.

“in da club” by 50 cent

I mean, the name says it all. Released in 2003 from 50 Cent’s debut album, Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, “In Da Club” was a massively successful single. It was 50 Cent’s first No. 1 hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Rap Songs, Pop Airplay, and Rhythmic Airplay charts. Ultimately, this track is a staple of early-2000s culture, transporting a generation back to their era of flip phones and baggy pants.

“yeah!” by usher ft. lil jon & ludacris

All three of these artists were huge stars in the 2000s. The combination was effective, generating a global chart-topping club hit in 2004. Much like “In Da Club” one year earlier, it topped the Hot 100, the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the Pop Airplay chart, and the Rhythmic chart. Subsequently, “Yeah!” won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. It ranked second on the Billboard Hot 100 2000-2009 Decade-end chart.

“i gotta feeling” by The black eyed peas

The Black Eyed Peas generated multiple hits throughout the 2000s. In 2009, “I Gotta Feeling” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Pop Airplay chart. It debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 100, positioned behind their previous single “Boom Boom Pow”. With this, they joined a short list of 11 artists who have occupied the top two positions on the chart. Additionally, “I Gotta Feeling” topped the charts in over 20 countries in 2009.

Photo by Stephanie Keith /ABC via Getty Images

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At the turn of the century, music got particularly depressing. This contrasted with bubblegum pop that was dominating the mainstream. With emo on the rise, emotions were laid out for all to hear in the late 90s and early 2000s. Truly, this era wasn’t as bad as it seems with these depressing songs. In a heartbeat, I’d travel back in time to the early 2000s.

Nevertheless, these four Y2K songs had no business being that depressing.

“how to disappear completely” by radiohead

Radiohead set out to prove they were not a 90s one-hit-wonder act. In 1997, Ok Computer marked the band’s shift into art rock. With this, they became art rock legends by the turn of the century. Still, “How To Disappear Completely” from their 2000 album Kid A has no business being that depressing. It’s a haunting slow drag of ambient noise, with no uplifting nature whatsoever.

Thom Yorke penned the track in a time of great stress. The singer spoke with BBC News in 2017, stating that he nearly walked off stage during a performance at Glastonbury in 1997. “I just needed a break. And in fact, I didn’t get one for another year and a bit, at which point I was pretty much catatonic.”

“adam’s song” by blink-182

In 1999, Blink-182’s third album, Enemy Of The State, was a massive success not only for the band but for pop-punk in general. They were leading a charge in a pop-punk invasion at the turn of the century. Following two upbeat pop-punk anthems, “What’s My Age Again?” and “All The Small Things”, their third single had a different tone.

Primarily written by bassist Mark Hoppus, “Adam’s Song” explores themes of depression, loneliness, and even suicidal thoughts. It’s a stark contrast to the band’s other hits of the time. Ultimately, this played well with fans, as they soon included more personal tracks in future releases. Still, it’s not the vibe when you’re in the mood for Blink-182’s signature sarcastic anthems.

“how to fight loneliness” by wilco

Jeff Tweedy is known for his personal and poetic songwriting style. Fans of Wilco connect to the singer-songwriter on an emotional level, and that’s understandable. Still, “How To Fight Loneliness” carries a particularly depressing tone that can kill the mood. It’s about lying through sadness, pretending to be alright, which will never work. Tweedy knows this, and it’s not meant to be sound advice. It’s mostly a recommendation, since the answer isn’t as simple as smiling through the pain.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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The scene kid era was more about setting ourselves apart from previous decades. Each decade had its respective fashion trends that coincided with pop culture. Scene kids had their own era in the 2000s, often referred to as the Myspace era. This era was defined by skinny jeans, teased and/or straightened colorful hair, tight colorful band tees, and the Vans Warped Tour. It was a beautiful time. Scene kids everywhere, myself included, were peak “scene” in the late 2000s. These four albums were loved by every scene kid.

‘bone palace ballet’ by chiodos

Craig Owens’ flexible vocals mixed with Jason Hale’s virtuosic guitar were very distinct in a vast sea of post-hardcore bands in the 2000s. Their 2007 sophomore release, Bone Palace Ballet, was bigger and bolder than their 2005 debut. The album is the band’s masterpiece, finely curated and perfected with astounding production.

Chiodos offered their best work on this album. They carry over Bradley Bell’s beautiful piano work from the debut record. Drummer Derrick Frost graciously carried elements of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham into a new era. The sophomore album is heavier than the first, and at times, much softer as well. It became a massive commercial success for a post-hardcore band, peaking at No. 1 on the Independent Albums Chart. Additionally, the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums and No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

‘suicide season’ by bring me the horizon

For their sophomore release, Bring Me The Horizon transitioned from deathcore into metalcore. This was a great move, as metalcore was at the forefront of the scene-kid era. Suicide Season was a Myspace staple in 2008, and songs such as “Chelsea Smile” and “Diamonds Aren’t Forever” were common profile songs on Myspace. Scene kids often had images of Oli Sykes on their Myspace page too. In real life, his image was the centerpiece of countless scene-kid bedrooms as Oli Sykes became a poster boy for scene kids in this era.

‘witness’ by blessthefall

This metalcore band created an easily accessible album for non-metalcore fans to tap into. In 2009, Blessthefall perfectly balanced clean vocals with screams on Witness. It was a successful effort for the band, selling 11,000 copies in its first week. It peaked at No. 6 on the Independent Albums chart and No. 9 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart. The album features a block of notable tracks in the first half, which includes “To Hell And Back”, “God Wears Gucci”, “Hey Baby, Here’s That Song You Wanted”, and “Witness”.

Photo by Gary Wolstenholme/Redferns

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