Top 10 Best Musical Acts of the 21st Century
No, good music is not dead. There have been plenty of fantastic bands, singers, rappers, and producers from the past decade-and-a-half that prove that. Let's take a look at them, shall we?He's not considered one of the greatest rappers of all time for nothing. Eminem not only broke racial barriers in the hip-hop genre but managed to make some incredible and iconic music in the process.
There's no other way to say it: Eminem (and Slim Shady, of course) is just a fantastic rapper. His voice, his flow, the beats, the lyrics - all perfect, all the time. (Just pretend that whole Encore thing didn't happen.)
But what's my favorite Eminem song?
Well, honorable mentions go out to Stan, one of the darkest and saddest stories ever told through music; Not Afraid, which is inspiring and powerful and brought him back from a major career slump. And, of course, the classic Lose Yourself.
My favorite Eminem song is Rap God. Just listen to it, and you'll probably know why.
Despite coming from the nu-metal genre, one of the worst things to come out of the early 2000s, Linkin Park has proven time and time again that they can really make some music. And when they do, it's fantastic.
Whether you're a fan of their older, more nu-metal influenced stuff like "Hybrid Theory" or "Meteora," or their newer, more alt-rock/electronic rock inspired albums like "Minutes to Midnight" or "Living Things," you simply can't deny these guys have talent to spare.
Chester Bennington is a great singer, and unlike most metal bands, when he screams, it lends actual power and emotion to the song. Mike Shinoda is an extremely skilled rapper and has even proven to be a good singer at points.
While most people hate more experimental albums like "A Thousand Suns," I actually enjoy and respect that Linkin Park is willing to experiment and go outside their comfort zone.
And the music. Oh boy, the music.
They have so many good songs: "In the End," "Papercut," "Numb," "Breaking the Habit," "Faint," "What I've Done," "Leave Out All the Rest," "Shadow of the Day," "Given Up," "Waiting for the End," "The Catalyst," "Burn It Down," "Castle of Glass," "Powerless," "Final Masquerade"... it's all so good!
But hands down, my favorite Linkin Park song is "New Divide."
I don't care that the Transformers movies were awful. "New Divide" is one of the most powerful, explosive, and downright incredible rock songs I've ever heard. It's greatly overlooked as far as Linkin Park songs go, so I implore you to go listen to it right now. It's simply incredible.
Look, guys, whether you prefer old LP, new LP, or all of LP's work, there's no denying they are one of the most talented, defining rock bands of the past century. And it's a damn good thing that they exist, because without them, we'd have something seriously missing in the music industry.
I love you, Linkin Park.
It could be no other. Coldplay is my all-time favorite band. I've never heard a group of musicians capable of producing such incredible music in my life.
Chris Martin has one of the most amazing voices in musical history, and the rest of the band's musical skills all culminate in something truly admirable. I've never heard a bad Coldplay song. They're an example of a band that does everything right. Even the Beatles had a few failures here or there, but Coldplay? Never. Not once.
Some great Coldplay songs include:
Fix You - Their signature song. A heartbreaking breakup ballad that deserves a listen.
Clocks - A Grammy-winning piece of art that keeps you captivated in the music all the way through.
Violet Hill - An impressive rock tune with great lyrics and a powerful message. A must-listen.
Yellow - An honest, beautiful love song with fantastic lyrics.
Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall - An upbeat tune that will put you in a good mood instantly.
A Sky Full of Stars - An electronica-fueled masterpiece, made with the help of Avicii.
There's also The Scientist, Speed of Sound, Lost!, Paradise, In My Place, Shiver, Talk, Magic... too many great songs to count.
But of all of them, their greatest work has to be their timeless masterpiece Viva La Vida, which may very well be the greatest song ever written. There is no denying it. The song is simply a masterpiece. A beautifully crafted, amazingly performed musical masterpiece.
Coldplay has been continuously recording for 15 years now, and thankfully, they show no sign of stopping. Coldplay has always been a part of my life, and a big one. They have been responsible for some of the greatest music in history.
Coldplay, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for all the fantastic music you have bestowed upon the world. I love you.
The best for me because of his sheer consistency in making incredible, original music. Eminem hasn't been great for over 10 years, whereas Kanye has adapted his style time and time again, and it's always brought us greatness.
Once again, I'm at a loss for what to say. OneRepublic is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated bands out there. They've made lots of truly amazing music, but sadly, lots of people ignore them.
I almost can't describe how much I absolutely love these guys. Frontman Ryan Tedder is a musical genius. His songwriting, singing, and production capabilities are through the roof. And with the rest of the band with him, he has created some damn fine pieces of music, if I do say so myself.
Some of their best songs include the wonderfully optimistic Good Life, the atmospheric, emotional Say (All I Need), the catchy, upbeat Counting Stars, and the simply amazing Stop and Stare.
But the best of the bunch is All the Right Moves. It's majestic, fun, has excellent production, one of Tedder's best performances to date, and even a really cool music video. You have to give it a listen. You will love it.
First off, let me address something: I am well aware of Green Day's output in the '90s. Yes, Dookie was a good album. Yes, they had lots of success before the turn of the millennium.
But in my opinion, Green Day really hit their stride in 2004 with the American Idiot album, which to this day remains one of my all-time favorite albums. Oh yeah, 21st Century Breakdown was pretty good too.
Green Day is probably one of the most iconic punk-rock/alt-rock bands in the world, and with good reason. Billie Joe Armstrong is a great singer, and they have essentially perfected punk-rock music. Who doesn't love rocking out to these guys?
Honorable mentions for best song from the 21st century go to the tragic, heartbreaking Wake Me Up When September Ends, the explosive, politically charged Holiday, and the amazing 21 Guns.
But I would have to say their best song is, undoubtedly, Boulevard of Broken Dreams. I've been in love with that song since it first came out, and to this day, it remains one of my all-time favorite songs.
Amazing. Honestly underrated. So underrated. Drake's album went platinum before it even dropped. He's not getting the credit he deserves.
The Script. What can be said about The Script? These guys have composed some of the most beautiful, emotional, and downright incredible pieces of music in history.
I'm at a loss describing just what a fantastic band The Script truly is. Lead singer Danny O'Donoghue (not sure I spelled that right) has one of the most amazing voices in music history, and his vocal talent has helped them produce songs with pure, raw emotion.
I had trouble picking their best song. There's the inspiring Hall of Fame, the depressing If You Could See Me Now, and of course, the heartbroken, impactful masterpiece that is Breakeven (Falling to Pieces), a song which, quite frankly, makes me want to tear up each time I hear it.
But the winner for me is Six Degrees of Separation. It's just a perfect example of how truly sad and, more importantly, relatable breakup songs can be.
The Script is one of the greatest bands it's ever been my pleasure to listen to. Let's hope they keep on going far into the future.
On the start of her career, she performed at an event called the Lollapalooza Festival during 2007 whereby a record label company Interscope found her due to her performance... read more
If any artist has helped shape electronica as a legitimate form of music in the past few years, it's definitely Avicii. His unique blend of folk music and EDM is very admirable, to say the least. Between the beautifully ambient "Levels" and the iconic folktronica smash "Wake Me Up," he has many impressive works under his belt.
And my favorite song of his would have to be "Hey Brother." It's surging, powerful, and simply incredible. A truly fantastic song.