Are all albums celebrating a significant milestone anniversary this yr absolute gems?
On this five-part sequence, Euronews Tradition takes a visit down reminiscence lane and explores the landmark albums celebrating their huge anniversaries in 2023, and selecting out one standout album that you must rediscover or embrace as the most effective that yr needed to provide.
After our Albums Turning 10 roundup, we proceed with these 2003 releases turning 20 this yr.
Twenty years since 2003? My my, how time flies.
These had been the times... Apple had launched its game-changing iTunes Music Retailer alongside its third-generation iPod – this time with out the mechanical scroll wheel; America’s Subsequent High Mannequin sashayed onto screens; "The Da Vinci Code" had simply been revealed; Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson’s Creek ended their runs; Britney Spears grew to become the youngest singer to obtain a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame at age 21; Discovering Nemo and the ultimate instalment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King, had been launched into theatres and have become international hits; lace-up legwear, crop tops and Ugg boots had been all the craze; and a whole technology was heartbroken to listen to that Buddies would quickly be ending its 10-season run.
Feeling outdated but? Effectively, 2003 can also be the identical yr Greta Thunberg was born. Let that sink in.
Musically, R&B and pop had been dominating the charts.
Earlier than she was turning lemons into lemonade and breaking Grammy information, Beyoncé Knowles launched her solo debut 'Dangerously in Love' and made us all fall loopy in love with it. The album and its singles would go on to win Beyoncé 5 Grammys the following yr together with Greatest Up to date R&B Album.
Her future hubby Jay Z dropped 'The Black Album' with hits like '99 Issues' and 'Dust of Your Shoulder', and everybody’s favorite Atlantan duo Outkast launched 'Speakerboxxx/The Love Under', their ultimate album collectively earlier than they introduced their separation. From 'Roses' to 'The Approach You Transfer' and, in fact, 'Hey Ya', their sensible dancefloor fillers had been unescapable.
Elsewhere, 50 Cent’s 'In Da Membership' was Billboard Track of the Yr, Kelis was bringing all of the boys to the yard with 'Milkshake', Erykah Badu’s neo-soul R&B of 'Worldwide Underground' was an absolute pleasure to take heed to, Jamaican star Sean Paul was propelled to international fame with the track 'Get Busy', and the Black Eyed Peas weren’t absolutely the joke they’ve grow to be and had been making fairly the impression with Fergie’s inclusion into the crew with 'Elephunk' tune ‘The place is the Love?’
Nu-metal was not fairly lifeless however morphed into goth rock, which gained some mainstream consideration attributable to Evanescence’s debut album 'Fallen', which offered over 17 million copies worldwide. Even if you happen to weren’t a rock fan within the early noughties, there wasn’t a snowball’s likelihood in hell you weren’t singing alongside to Amy Lee’s vocals.
After a 3 yr wait, Linkin Park launched their follow-up to 'Hybrid Idea' with the incredible (and presumably superior) 'Meteora'. With out eclipsing them, progressive rock band The Mars Volta gave everybody a sonic slap with their debut album 'De-Loused within the Comatorium', a sprawling, dense and sensible avant-garde providing that left behind all method referring to the prog-rock style. If you do not know it, time to catch up.
Whereas nu-metal was on its manner out, the scuzzy indie-rock scene in full swing.
The US scene was had been it was all at, particularly in New York. The Rapture launched their dancepunk debut 'Echoes', led by the superb single 'Home of Jealous Lovers', whereas Yeah Yeah Yeahs got here in swinging with their provocative debut album 'Fever To Inform', which in some ways exemplified the NY art-punk sound. Becoming a member of them had been The Strokes and their second album 'Room on Fireplace', the follow-up to the vastly profitable 'Is This It'. Lizzy Goodman wrote a terrific e book concerning the rebirth of the New Rock rock scene these bands had been part of – ‘Meet Me within the Lavatory’ (which was later made right into a documentary launched final yr) – and it’s effectively price your time and pennies.
Then got here 'Elephant' by The White Stripes. Recognized for holding the hit 'Seven Nation Military', the album is commonly cited because the Stripes’ finest. Their fourth album garnered business success and demanding acclaim, and cemented Jack White and Meg White because the revivors of stripped-back storage rock.
Throughout the pond, 2003 was an excellent yr for British and Irish bands.
Radiohead launched 'Hail to the Thief', an under-appreciated album impressed by the unfolding warfare on terror and political instability of the time. Cementing that Brit Pop was really lifeless and buried was Blur’s 'Suppose Tank', a incredible (and in addition under-appreciated) document which noticed Norman Cook dinner and William Orbit on producing duties and giving the album an experimental dance music really feel. Muse had been nonetheless listenable with their third album 'Absolution', The Darkness gave us 'Permission To Land' and reminded listeners that the Skinny Lizzy sound was alive and effectively, and The Thrills’ 'So A lot For The Metropolis' was a lo-fi indie pop deal with.
And who may neglect the debut album by the late Amy Winehouse, 'Frank'. It will not be as robust as 'Again To Black' however it supplied a glimpse of her soulful expertise that has gone on to encourage numerous artists. As for these bemoaning the dearth of pop right here, let’s point out Sugababes and their third (creatively titled) album 'Three' which gave us the hit single 'Too Misplaced In You', and their counterparts Women Aloud, who launched the frankly wonderful 'Sound of the Underground'.
Nonetheless, if there’s one document turning 20 that deserves to be championed essentially the most, it’s… Effectively, it’s two of them from the identical artist…
Daniel Dumile aka: MF DOOM aka: King Geedorah aka: Viktor Vaughn, with the twin serving to of 'Take Me To Your Chief' and 'Vaudeville Villain'.
A yr earlier than he would drop his uncontested masterpiece 'Madvillainy' beneath the alias Madvillain, the late masked British-American rapper with a penchant for aliases dropped two information in 2003, beneath two completely different monikers.
The primary was 'Take Me To Your Chief', beneath the King Geedorah alter-ego.
Geedorah is a sci-fi monster that's loosely based mostly off of King Ghidorah, the three-headed monster that has beef with Godzilla within the Godzilla films.
This dramatic, sci-fi really feel is current all through the album and marked it out as one of many first hip hop information to dive so deeply into sci-fi themes. DOOM is extra current on the manufacturing facet of this one (in comparison with 'Vaudeville Villain'); he seems on a handful of songs however shines attributable to his infectious beats and the TV loops and cartoon snippets he weaves into the rapping.
From the terrific opener ‘Fazers’ (“He wanted to cease earlier than he caught the knee-drop / Even provide you with extra zip-zip than ZZ High”) to frantic ‘Fastlane’ (“Life in itself is sort of a bid / And if you happen to scared to die you then scared to stay”) and ‘Anti-Matter’ (“Not a film plot twist like a tornado / If I wanted my meat burned I might go to Sizzler”), the album performs out just like the deliriously artistic soundtrack to the most effective kaiju film you’ve by no means seen. It’s extremely advisable.
The second album, launched merely a few months later, was 'Vaudeville Villain', the primary album launched by DOOM beneath his Viktor Vaughn persona.
Primarily based on the Implausible 4 villain, Dr. Victor Von Doom, the Viktor character is an irresponsible and nerdy timetraveller who additionally consists of sci-fi references into his lyrics, particularly Star Trek: "Captain's log supplemental / The Klingons at the moment are aboard the Enterprise rental-vessel".
DOOM’s lyricism is genuinely awe-inspiring on this one, and the sounds peppered by way of the runtime additionally characteristic superhero cartoons from the '90s.
The general narrative of 'Vaudeville Villain' follows how Viktor Vaughn grows to grow to be the true villain, even finally assembly his evil idol, MF DOOM, in direction of the tip of the album.
In the event you’re getting a headache from the sheer variety of intertwining personas, concern not. All of it is sensible whenever you’re listening to it, and each albums 'Take Me To Your Chief' and 'Vaudeville Villain' work superbly effectively as a back-to-back pay attention. They’re each a sworn statement to the creatively boundless MF DOOM, a rapper / producer who sadly died in 2020 and who left a listing of terrific R&B information.
These two are up there with the most effective, and there’s little question that 2003 was his yr - the yr of the villain.
Be part of us subsequent week for Half 3 on this sequence - the most effective albums turning 30 in 2023.