A decade ago, some of today’s best and iconic albums were born. Amidst all the 10-year anniversary tours and reunion shows, and just wanting a reason for nostalgia, we decided to compile our favorite songs to celebrate these anniversaries. Check out our top 3 picks and be sure to subscribe to our playlist here.
Sierra’s pick: Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree
Fall Out Boy was the first band I’ve ever “fangirled” over and this album was the catalyst for that and almost every artist I’ve listened to after. Best memories include trying to remember the extensive and nonsensical song titles and seeing the band a handful of times with my friends singing every word alongside me. Even after the great hiatus of 2009-2012, the band came back stronger than ever.
Leigh’s pick: Panic! At The Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out
It seems nearly impossible to choose just one album from this era, for it was truly the beginning of my musical journey. But one that instantly stands out is Panic! At The Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. I still remember when Sierra first introduced this band to our friends and we had no idea what she was saying when she told us their name, running the words all together in true, energetic Panic! style. The name Panic! At The Disco sounded like nonsense, yet their music was anything but. I remember feeling the energy coming from Brendon Urie and the upbeat, almost ecstatic excitement that radiated from each track. I think this album was also one of the first that I really listened to, all the way through, seeing how each song could weave and connect with the next. And then there were the masterful videos to go along with them! Of course there were notions and lyrics I didn’t understand (I still get excited when I can recite in proper time all of “There’s a Good Reason These Tables Are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven’t Thought of It Yet”), but that just made them all the more impressionable on me as I grew older. The band has since changed (and sadly, dwindled) as the years have gone by, but I am still impressed that Urie still finds his way back to these quirky, catchy roots.
Bailey’s pick: Kanye West’s Late Registration
Say what you will about the man but you cannot deny what he does is risky and innovative. Mr. Kanye West (congrats on the recent pregnancy announcement!) released Late Registration in 2005 and, post-College Dropout, affirmed for me that this was a rapper to follow. I had not taken to rap until I met Mr. West, but several of the tracks off this hefty hip-hop album remain favorites for me among his illustrious career. Of course, the cheeky “Gold Digger” and the unexpectedly affecting “Heard ‘Em Say” will be recognizable among anyone who was listening to the radio or watching MTV ten years ago; but I just really love the use of sampling that is today used over and over again; the excessive and ridiculous pride; the collaborations with mammoth rappers (i.e. Jay Z, Common, and Nas). If there was a hip-hop album to have on repeat in 2005, it was Late Registration.
Of course these are only a few albums that were released a decade ago. Check out our playlist below and feel free to share your favorite decade-old picks.
Filed under: What We're Listening To Tagged: a fever you can't sweat out, albums turning 10, almost here, anniversary tour, cartel, chroma, fall out boy, from under the cork tree, jack's mannequin, kanye west, panic! at the disco, paramore, playlist, reunion show, spotify, the academy is, tuesday tunes