i'd like to hear someone's argument against radiohead.

Two of at least my top 3 Radiohead album were in the 90's (the Bends, OK Computer), and they had their biggest cultural impact in the 90's as well.

To me, it's got to be Jack White, Modest Mouse, or Spoon. Though, Modest Mouse and Spoon were just as consistently great, I don't think they had the cultural impact Jack White did.

Not a single popular song this decade?

They're the best live band in the world, but if you aren't Australian or European, you probably won't get it.

i don't know that I'd pick him as my artist of the decade, but between his quality solo albums and mega hit of "Crazy" Cee Lo had a fairly impressive 10 years.

yeah, not popular songs, popular full length albums.

Overrated.


(that's my argument )

my argument against Radiohead is that they only made one album this decade that I liked.

Personal fav: The Drive-By Truckers

All things considered Winner: Coldplay.

I'm just saying...

I know these threads grow webbed feet and waddle all over the place, but I realize now that the thread title actually didn't convey my original intent, which was "your favorite artist of the decade". But carry on.

MY favorite artist of the decade?
Probably one that released only one album, but it was a good one:
Joe Pisapia

Or maybe, Mark Sultan (BBQ). He released a few garage rock albums with different projects, and everything that I heard was really, really good. Just a lot of fun. Pure ROCK.

Say what you will. And my mind may change about this, but, off the cuff, these are the ones that are top-of-mind.

I think that you could also make a case that the artists of the decade were the producers. Some I'm thinking of include the Neptunes, Heatmakers, Bangladesh, Timberland, Kanye West, Jazze Phae, RZA and Mannie Fresh. I would argue that these people have been some of the most interesting and innovative people in music, had some of the most influence on the way music sounds, and some made some weird sounding stuff that still managed to be huge.

Why does this or anything else matter when someone's just naming their personal favorite?

Here's an argument against Radiohead, though. They kind of fuck up the whole best-of-the-decade thing because their best period was an overlap of the '90s and the '00s. You lop off either side of that, and you lose enough their best material to take them out of the running. You know, in my opinion.

I'd pick Deerhoof, by the way, and I know there's no way I can justify that to any of you so I won't bother trying.

Wouldnt be my number one, but I have certainly loved me some BBQ in the last 2-3 years....Probably picked up 7-10 of his projects in that time...

If I were picking, I would pick the Strokes. I know, I know, one album in the beginning of the decade does not make the best of the decade. But for me, it will always be what kicked off music in the 00s. It wiped out alternative rock radio and pop bands, and in my opinion gave hope to a ton of artists that they could make it. It's funny how few indie bands were out at that time compared to now. Even with the Jack White deal, the White Stripes didn't get traction until the hype machine started looking for the next "garage" act and stumbled upon White Blood Cells.

As far as most significant culturally, I think it's hard to beat Jay-Z.

Personally, I liked Spoon the best this decade as far as band/artist output.

Confirming Ayah's observation that music nerdism may look like jesuitical hermeneutics, I think of

1) Generally observed artist who both advances music significantly (exit Coldplay), represents the zeitgeist (don't think that Jack White qualifies here), and had broad popular appeal (I said Big Boi, but the argument here posited by the Georgia Clan is winning, and I recalibrate the decision and put forward Kanye).

2) An artist that works in one of my favorite idioms who advances it, aligns with the zeitgeist, and had some popular success (this is probably Wilco).

3) Tentoze's original charge: the artist that made a kind of music in many releases that haunted my soul, absorbed my brain, and broke my heart so the light gets in to wake me up: Nils Petter Molvaer

Solo:
2000: Solid Ether
2002: NP3
2005: Er
2005: Edy
2008: Re-Vision
2009: Hamada [5

With others:
2001: Radioaxiom – A Dub Transmission (Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble)
2003: Electra (Arild Andersen)
2004: Seafarer's Song (Ketil Bjørnstad)
2007: A Pure Land (Sienna)
2008: Dome (Johannes Enders)
2008: Corps Electriques (Hector Zazou)

I'm sticking with my Animal Collective choice. Truly a 2000s band, with their first album coming out in 2000, and their last in 2009. Plus, their 4 last albums were catalysts in opening the door to a lot of weird bands that were on the fringe previously. Add in the EPs and a movie, and its been an impressive 10 years.

Animal Collective would be Top 5 for me. Maybe even my 2nd choice, after Deerhoof.

Well, before tentoze clarified that he meant "personal favorite" I think the thread took on the much more interesting argument of general artist of the decade and how to define that versus everyone just posting their favorite.

For me, if this was the first half of the decade I'd probably say Radiohead. I mean, it's still hard to believe that there was once a climate where an album like Kid A debuted at #1 (pre-rampant downloading). Speaks to how popular they were at the time that it could do that even while alienating part of their fanbase.

But, I just think that they released 1 album in the last 6 years of the decade and it got more press for it's release method than the actual music. They haven't quite remained in the public consciousness like other artists have IMO.

Hey, now...I DID say, "But carry on". Besides, when did anyone's original intent mean shit around here????

P.S.- but the fact this has turned into a Radiohead dick- bumping show is pretty boring.

I'd say that's the core of the discussion. by what I read here, something is obvious now: another criterion for being the artist of the decade is diametral opinions of it. like, everybody seems to have a kind of strong position about radiohead as a band.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you here that that's a much more interesting argument. It's actually an argument I'm thoroughly sick of and care nothing about.

That's because it hinges on everyone's individual interpretation of what was "really going on" in the past decade, what "really mattered", and most of the time it just boils down to a compromise of finding your favorite popular artist. I'd rather people just name their actual, personal favorite.

I'd probably have to go with Joe Henry

Own albums:

Scar (2001)
Tiny Voices (2003)
Civilians (2007)
Blood From Stars (2009)

Production:

John Doe - Dim Stars, Bright Skies (2002)
Solomon Burke - Don't Give Up on Me (2002)
Jim White - Drill a Hole in the Substrate...(2004)
Aimee Mann - Forgotten Arm (2005)
Bettye LaVette - I've Got My Own Hell to Raise (2005)
Elvis Costello/Allen Toussaint - River in Reverse (2006)
Mary Gauthier - Between Daylight & Dark (2007)
Loudon Wainwright III - Strange Weirdoes (2007)
Rodney Crowell - Sex & Gasoline (2008)
Allen Toussaint - Bright Mississippi (2009)

All of his own albums are good to great but its all the production that puts him over the top, otherwise I might have been at least tempted to go with Jay Farrar or someone that no one else cares about here.