Updated Post: Selected Songs from the Best 100 Rock Albums of the Decade (in chronological order from 2000 to 2009)

This post was originally complied in September. I have edited the songs based of the feedback I have received, and since I am about to do the best of the 80s, I am reposting it again! Afterall, since music & fashion are all about recycling, why can't I recycle my blogs!? :)

Rock bands (and solo artists) have had a revival during the current decade compared to the 90s.
(This blog defines rock bands as a group of musicians (or a solo performer) who play musical instruments and are able to reproduce the the majority of their recorded music as a live act with only minor computerised assistance.).

This revival is impressive since it's been achieved despite many hurdles. Shows such as Pop Idol have become a generational music staple and carefully crafted lip syncing acts dominate the critical teenage music market. At the same time illegal downloads, MP3-4 type formats and iPod have destroyed the classic Record Shop business format and CD sales have dramatically declined in the past ten years. On top of all that genres like hip hop and rap have continued to dominate the critical USA market.

However, whilst the decade has seen many fine bands from both sides of Atlantic and Australia, most have clearly not managed to match the quality of the music of the legendary bands of the 60s and 70s. Nevertheless, I am not suggesting that the decade has not produced great songs worthy of the "classic" tag. Therefore, I have decided to list of my favourite songs of the decade and invite anyone who reads this blog to add their own favourite. However, there are three simple rules for the sake of clarity:

1. Any song suggested must have been originally released in the year 2000 or later...late 1999 is also acceptable in order to account for the occasional timing delays in case of some releases between Europe and USA
2. Bands/Solo performers who use a lot of sequenced/electronic samples do not qualify for this Top 100! The classic "Drummer, bass player, guitars, keyboards, sax and singer" must be clearly present.
3. Solo act with a band may also be included (as opposed to solo acts who are clearly dance acts eg Kylie Minogue's "Can't get you out of my head" or Madonna's "Hung up" do not qualify, but Richard Ashcroft does)

Here are my most favourite rock songs of the decade, in an approximate chronological order from 2000 to 2009. I have kept the list based on 100 albums from various acts and welcome comments with your suggested additions.

1. (Band) Coldplay, (Song) a) Yellow. b) Don't panic
2. Doves, Firesuite
3. Radiohead, Optimistic
4. Richard Ashcroft (Verve), a) A song for the lovers b)Brave new world
5. Tex Perkins, Please break me gently
6. U2, Beautiful day
7. The Whitlams, No aphrodisiac
8. Gomez, We haven't turned around
9. John Myer, Neon
10. Kenny Wayne Shepard Band, Black on blue
11. Radiohead, a) Knives out, b) I might be wrong
12. Starsailor, Poor misguided fool
13. Travis, a) Sing, b) Side
14. Turin Brakes, The door
15. Interpol, Untitled
16. Alex Lloyd, Green
17. The Roots, Seed 2.0
18. The Whiltlams, Kate Kelly
19. 3 Doors Down, Here without you
20. The Cardigans, For What it's worth
21. The Coral, Don't think you're the first
22. The Dandy Warhols, a) Heavenly, b) You were the last high
23. Death Cab for Cutie, We looked like giants
24. Jack Johnson, a) Taylor, b) Cupid
25. Jet, Are you gonna be my girl?
26. Muse, Endlessly
27. Opeth, In my time of need
28. Pete Murray, So beautiful
29. Radiohead, Punch up at a wedding
30. Snow Patrol, a) Run, b) Ways and means
31. Stereophonics, Maybe tomorrow
32. The Waifs, Lighthouse
33. Buckethead, Earth heals itself
34. The Cat Empire, Two shoes
35. Eskimo Joe, A song is a city
36. Evermore, It's too late
37. Franz Ferdinand, Dark of the matinee
38. Green Day, Boulevard of broken dreams
39. Interpol, A time to be so small
40. Placebo, To the bitter end
41. John Butler Trio, Zebra
42. Keane, Everybody's changing
43. Maroon 5, This love
44. Missy Higgins, Ten days
45. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, a) Spell, b) Let the bells ring, c) Supernaturally
46. REM, Final straw
47. Razorlight, Golden touch
48. Rocket Science, Being followed
49. Ryan Adams, English girls
50. Sarah Blasko, Don't you ever
51. Tristan Prettyman, When it rains
52. Xavier Rudd, Shelter
53. Athlete, Wires
54. Coldplay, Square one
55. Death Cab for Cutie, Your heart is an empty room
56. Dream Theatre, These walls
57. Elan, Midnight
58. Elbow, Great Expectations
59. Katie Melua, Nine million bicycles
60. Kings of Leon, King of the Rodeo
61. Pearl Jam, I am mine
62. Pete Murray, Better days
63. Stereophonics, Deadhead
64. Tristan Prettyman, Please
65. Wolfmother, a) Woman, B) Mind's eye
66. Turin Brakes, Fishing for a dream
67. Angus & Julia Stone, Paper aeroplane
68. Eskimo Joe, Black fingernails, red wine
69. Evermore, Running
70. Jen Cloher, a) rain, b) Spring, c) Peaks & valleys
71. John Mayer, Waiting for the world change
72. Keane, Nothing in my way
73. Muse, Map of problematique
74. Silversun Pickups, a) Crazy eye, b) Well thought out twinkles
75. Snow Patrol, Shut your eyes
76. Arcade Fire, a) Neon Bible, b) Keep the car running
77. Interpol, Wrecking ball
78. Katie Melua, All in my head
79. Amy Winehouse, a) Back to black, b) You know I am no good
80. Linkin Park, a) What I've done, b) Get through
81. OneRepublic, Apologize (with Timbaland)
82. Radiohead, Weird fishes
83. Travis, Eyes wide open
84. Turin Brakes, For the fire
85. The Audreys, Small things
86. Death Cab for Cutie, I will possess your heart
87. Duffy, a) Breaking my own heart, b) Mercy
88. Elbow, The fix
89. Empire of the Sun, We are the people
90. Fall out Boy, I don't care
91. Fleet Foxes, Tiger mountain peasant song
92. Gabriella Cilmi, Sweet about me
93. Kings of Leon, Sex on fire
94. The Last Shadow Puppets, a) Standing next to you, b) The age of the understatementThe c) My mistakes were made for you
95. REM, a) Accelerate, b) Houston, c) Sing for the submarine
96. TV on the Radio, Love dog
97. 3 Doors Down, She don't want the world
98. The Verve, Columbo
99. Silversun Pickups, a) The royal we, b) Growing old is getting old
100. The Fray, You found me

Album Review: Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", Arguably Roger Waters at his best lyrically, & Gilmour & Wright at their best instrumentally. The result is one of the greatest albums of all time!

Music in my view is a religion, it's personal & private & should be respected by those who may disagree with your musical opinions! What sounds unique & irreplacable to my ears may sound out of tune to someone else's and vice versa.

At the same time, like proven scientific discoveries, opinions in the art of songwriting are at times fully aligned.

Pink Floyd's 1975 album "Wish You Were Here" combines both of the above into one album. It is religiously loved by many fans around the world & at the same time is universally acknowledged as one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and in that I mean all genres & not simply progressive/space rock as Pink Floyd are known for, and yet it has never been accused of being pompous or self indulgent.

The reason the album is not pretentious is probably because it is a heartfelt dedication to the wayward Pink Floyd founding member "Syd Barrett', who was suffering from LSD induced schizophernia & the major songs "Wish You Were Here" & "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" are written about.

At the same time, the band, at the height of their international success, make a direct and pointed attack on the music industry & its money grabbing & at times sleezy record executives (with the famous line.."The band is just fantastic, That is really what I think, Oh by the way which one's Pink?")

Even before I start a brief review of the songs in the album, let me state some of the other interesting points about this album which by themselves would make it unique and in a calibre of its own::

• The cover/sleeve photos,all designed by the great Storm Thorgeson are amongst the most brilliant front & back & sleeve photos of all time. The front cover being a man shaking the hand of another man on fire! (see above for all photos on album's sleeve/cover/back)
• The album was the potential "career ruining" album for Pink Floyd because it was the band's next album after their massive & legendary 1973 album "Dark Side of the Moon" (which ended up remaining in the Billboard Top 100 Album Charts for 10 years in a row and is still one of the Top 5 highest selling albums of all time)
• The lyrics & song titles represent Roger waters at his absolute best & the highest point of his creativity. at the same time, David Gilmour's & Richard Wright's contribution to the 27 minute epic "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" is Pink Floyd at its synergistic best. (David Gilmour also wrote the music to waters' lyrics for the title song Wish You were Here)
• Gilmour's fantastic lead guitar & Wright's unique keyboard sounds (plus mason's simple yet brilliant drumming & Waters' bass) make the the album haunting & meloncholic whilst amazingly enjoyable to listen to.
• Syd barret is reported to have turned up to the studios during the recording of the album & not recognised by any of the band members initially (due to his much older looking appearance as a result of drug use & mental illness)

Instead of teh usual song by song review, and since the album only contains 4 songs(1), I rest my case with simply reprinting the lyrics for Shine on you crazy diamond & Wish you were here (both about Syd barrett).

Simply read each one, preferably whilst you are listening to the song, and see for yourselves the creative genius of the"sums much bigger than the parts" at work in Pink Floyd. enjoy! They are universally acclaimed as two of the greatest rock lyrics of all time by Roger Waters. Look out for great phrases which I have highlighted in italics.

Shine on You Crazy Diamond
(Song 1 on the Album, Parts 1-5)

Remember when you were young,
You shone like the sun.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Now there's a look in your eyes,
Like black holes in the sky.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

You were caught on the crossfire
Of childhood and stardom,
Blown on the steel breeze.

Come on you target for faraway laughter,
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr, and shine!

You reached for the secret too soon,
You cried for the moon.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Threatened by shadows at night,
And exposed in the light.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Well you wore out your welcome
With random precision,
Rode on the steel breeze.

Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

(Song 5 on the Album, Parts 6-9)

Nobody knows where you are,
How near or how far.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

Pile on many more layers
And I'll be joining you there.
Shine on you crazy diamond.

And we'll bask in the shadow
Of yesterday's triumph,
And sail on the steel breeze.

Come on you boy child,
You winner and loser,
Come on you miner for truth and delusion, and shine!

Wish You Were Here

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skys from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?


And did they get you to trade
Your heros for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

I hope you can see what I mean!

My rating: The greatest album of all time: 10/10