Remember 2000? It was the first year of the new millennium. We had safely survived the “Y2K bug” unscathed. Al Gore and George Bush faced off for the U.S. Presidency, and Bush won, despite losing the popular vote (and we heard the phrase “hanging chad” over and over again). A little boy named Elián González captured our TV screens and hearts with his highly publicized custody battle. Playstation 2 and GameCube were introduced to the world, The 2000 Summer Olympics were held in Sydney, Australia, and Dora The Explorer made her debut. I also turned thirteen that summer.
2000 was quite a newsworthy year, but there was also a lot going on in the music world. Boybands and pop princesses reigned supreme, rock music got a huge resurgence, bands like Linkin’ Park and Coldplay made their debuts, and plenty of one-hit wonders dominated our radio waves.
Here are 15 albums that were released in 2000, which will turn 15 years old this year!
15. Coldplay, “Parachutes”
In July, 2000 a little British rock band composed of Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion released their debut album. That band was Coldplay and that album was “Parachutes.” Though the album didn’t even place in Billboard’s Top 200 that year, it was still a solid debut (and peaked at number 51 on Billboard at one point).
The mellow, mostly-acoustic album is a pretty big departure from the big stadium anthems we know Coldplay for now, but the album was well-received by critics and garnered a 3.5 star rating from Rolling Stone magazine.
Since then, Coldplay has gone on to release six studio albums, sold over 80 million records, and have won seven Grammy’s! They may have had a humble start with “Parachutes” but they’ve gone on to become one of the biggest bands in the world.
Remember These Singles?: “Yellow”, “Trouble”
Read my full review of this album here.
14. Radiohead, “Kid A”
Every band eventually goes through their “experimental” phase, and Radiohead’s fourth studio album, “Kid A” was theirs. Released in October of 2000, “Kid A” featured less of Radiohead’s trademark alt-rock sound, and more of an electronic sound. The change in sound paid off, as the album was Radiohead’s first number 1 debut in the US, and went on to sell close to 700 thousand records in just three months. Kid A also won the Grammy for Best Alternative Album, but lost the Album of the Year award to Steely Dan.
Since Kid A, Radiohead has continued with their electronic sound, which has become more of what they’re known for than the alternative rock sound they first debuted with.
Remember These Singles?*: “Everything In Its Right Place”, “The National Anthem”
*Kid A had no official singles at the time of its release.
13. Linkin’ Park, “Hybrid Theory”
Another band that made their debut in 2000 was Linkin’ Park, with their album, “Hybrid Theory.” The California-bred band impressed fans with their unique blend of rock and rap; their nu-metal sound was fairly unique to Top 40 radio stations at the time. Lead singer, Chester Bennington, belted out the emotional lyrics (at a time before “emo” was a mainstream label), while Mike Shinoda was responsible for the raps.
The band saw much success with Hybrid Theory; it was also released in October, and sold close to 700 thousand units before the year came to an end. The album received a Grammy nod for Best Rock Album, and went on to have four hit singles.
Linkin’ Park has since gone on to release six studio albums (the most recent was released in 2014), and has made it on various “Best of the 00’s” lists.
Remember These Singles?: “One Step Closer”, “Crawling”, “In The End”, “Papercut”
Full review here.
12. P!nk, “Can’t Take Me Home”
Long before P!nk was a rock/pop star, she was marketed as an R&B artist, and her debut album, “Can’t Take Me Home” is evidence of that. Released in April of 2000, P!nk’s debut was produced by R&B heavyweights of the time, like Babyface, Kandi Burruss, and Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs. The album was even released on R&B label, LaFace Records (owned by Babyface and L.A. Reid).
P!nk has since claimed her debut wasn’t reflective of her true musical ambitions, which is apparent in the huge change of sound and image she went through after Can’t Take Me Home was released. Still, her debut was what put her on the market, and it went on to sell 1.5 million records.
Remember These Singles?: “There You Go”, “You Make Me Sick”, “Most Girls”
11. U2, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”
U2’s tenth studio album, “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”, went on to a be a big hit for the band. The disc featured a more radio-friendly sound, and had plenty of big hit singles, including “Beautiful Day” which went on to win three Grammy awards. By the end of 2000, the album had sold 1.5 million units in just the three months since its October release, and to date, it’s sold over 12 million copies.
All That You Can’t Leave Behind has remained one of U2’s best-selling and most critically acclaimed albums. Since then, they’ve released three other albums, but the legacy of ATYCLB has continued to live on.
Remember These Singles?: “Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of”, “Beautiful Day”, “Elevation”, “Walk On”
10. Shaggy, “Hot Shot”
Remember Shaggy? IYou probably don’t, considering the fact that he’s pretty much one-hit-wonder status. The Jamaican reggae singer/rapper had his first hit with “Boombastic” in 1995, but he made a resurgence with the album, “Hot Shot” in August of 2000.
Hot Shot sold an impressive 1.7 million copies, and catapulted Shaggy to super-stardom. How can we forget earworms like “Angel”, or the cheating man’s anthem, “It Wasn’t Me?”
Though he hasn’t had a hit song in many years, Shaggy is still out there releasing music; his latest album was released in 2013.
Remember These Singles?: “Angel”, “It Wasn’t Me”
9. Outkast, “Stankonia”
Speaking of hit songs, you couldn’t go anywhere in 2000/2001 without hearing Outkast’s hit, “Ms. Jackson.” The song was the number one hit from the hip-hop duo’s fourth studio album, “Stankonia.”
Stankonia, which received nearly universal critical acclaim, was Outkast’s first album to really see mainstream success; not only was “Ms. Jackson” the band’s first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, but the album also went on to sell 2.3 million records by the year’s end. It also won two Grammy awards- Best Rap Album, and Best Performance by a Duo or Rap Group for “Ms. Jackson.”
Of course, Outkast went on to release their biggest single to date, “Hey Ya!” in 2004. Outkast has been on hiatus since 2006, though Andre 3000 and Big Boi reunited in the summer of 2014 to tour at various music festivals.
Remember These Singles?: “Ms. Jackson”, “So Fresh, So Clean”, “B.O.B”
8. Matchbox 20, “Mad Season”
Rob Thomas started the new millennium off with a bang; not only was he smashing the charts with 1999’s hit single, “Smooth” (his duet with Carlos Santana), but his band, Matchbox 20 also released a hit album, “Mad Season.” Mad Season was the band’s second studio album, and it went on to sell 2.5 million copies in 2000.
Matchbox 20 had another successful album with 2002’s “More Than You Think You Are.” The band has been on and off hiatus since 2007, with their last studio album being released in 2012.
Remember These Singles?: “Bent”, “If You’re Gone”, “Mad Season (Come Undone)”
7. Limp Bizkit, “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water”
You honestly can’t think of early 00’s rock without thinking about Limp Bizkit. The American rap/metal band (led by lead singer/songwriter, Fred Durst) had a number of hits from 1999 to 2001, many of which came from the band’s third studio album, “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.”
At the time of its release, Chocolate Starfish was the fastest rock album to sell 1 million copies, a record previously held by Pearl Jam. In fact, Chocolate Starfish sold 1.05 million copies in the week it was released, and by the end of the year, it had gone on to sell 3.7 million records.
Limp Bizkit is still kickin’ around (they released a few singles in 2013, and went on tour in 2014), but most of us would probably just prefer to live in their glory days of the early 2000s.
Remember These Singles?: “My Generation”, “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)”, “Boiler”, “My Way”
6. 3 Doors Down, “The Better Life”
As I mentioned before, 2000 was a big year for rock music, and 3 Doors Down was one of the year’s biggest bands. Their debut album, “The Better Life” was released in 2000, and was a major success; not only did the disc sell 3.8 million copies in 2000, alone, but it also turned out to be the band’s best-selling album to date.
Though 3 Doors Down is still making music now, nothing has been as successful as their 2000 debut.
Remember These Singles?: “Kryptonite”, “Loser”
5. The Backstreet Boys, “Black & Blue”
The early 2000’s wouldn’t be what they were without the multitude of boybands, and The Backstreet Boys were one of the most popular ones at the time. “Black & Blue” was the band’s fourth studio album, and was released in November of 2000. The album sold 1.6 million copies within its first week, and went on to sell 4.2 million copies by the year’s end.
Black & Blue featured the band writing more of its own songs (with the members penning two songs themselves, and co-writing five others), and featured a more “mature” pop sound than their previous albums.
Like most other boybands of the time, the Backstreet Boys faded to obscurity by the mid-2000s, though they’ve made a few “comeback” albums over the years since, including 2013’s album, “In A World Like This.”
Remember These Singles?: “The Call”, “Shape of My Heart”, “More Than That”
4. Nelly, “Country Grammar”
Nelly had more success after Country Grammar; “Hot In Herre”, which is perhaps his biggest single, wasn’t released until 2002. He had several hit collaborations with artists like Kelly Rowland, Justin Timberlake and even country singer, Tim McGraw. Nelly’s latest album was released in 2013.
Remember These Singles?: “Country Grammar”, “Ride Wit Me”, “E.I.”
3. Britney Spears, “Oops!…I Did It Again”
Britney Spears was considered pop music royalty after her debut album, “Baby, One More Time” broke records, but she was solidified as the princess of pop after her sophmore album, “Oops! I Did It Again” was released in May, 2000. The album has an impressive first-week sales record of 1.3 million copies, and by the end of 2000, had sold 7.8 million records.
Since Oops!, Spears has gone on to release 7 more albums (including hit album, “Circus”, released in 2008). She’s currently at work on her 9th studio album, and performs her own live show in Las Vegas.
Remember These Singles?: “Oops! I Did It Again”, “Lucky”, “Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know”, “Stronger”
Full review here.
2. Eminem, “The Marshall Mathers LP”
By 2000, the world knew who Eminem was, and millions of fans flocked to stores to buy his third studio album, “The Marshall Mathers LP.” Released in May of 2000, the album sold 1.7 million copies in its first week and went on to sell 7.9 million by the year’s end. The disc also won the Grammy for Best Rap Album.
The album was highly controversial (especially due to songs like “Kill You” and “Kim”, the latter of which details Eminem’s plans to kill his ex-wife), and drew a lot of criticism at the time. Still, the album was critically acclaimed and fans defened Eminem’s right to free speech.
Eminem has released six albums since 2000, including his 2013 release, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.”
Remember These Singles?: “The Real Slim Shady”, “Stan”, “The Way I Am”
1. *NSYNC, “No Strings Attached”
The last album on this list was the best-selling album of 2000, and still holds the record for the highest first-week sales (2.4 million copies!). Of course, this honour goes to *NSYNC’s second studio album, “No Strings Attached.”
Prior to 2000, NSYNC had been sitting in the shadows of their rival boyband, The Backstreet Boys. However, with the success of NSA, *NSYNC solidifed themselves as the band on top and went on to have much fame and success- at least until they broke up in 2002.
*NSYNC released one last album in 2002, titled “Celebrity”, and then went their seperate ways. Since then, Justin Timberlake has had a huge amount of success as a solo artist.
Though I ranked these albums based on record sales and not personal preference, I have to say that in 2000, I DEFINTELY would’ve ranked *NSYNC as #1 on any list I made 😉
Remember These Singles?: “Bye, Bye, Bye”, “It’s Gonna Be Me”, “Just Got Paid”
Full review here.