I've put together this list of the best albums from the year 2000 in my opinion. Why the year 2000? Well I'm doing it for every year of this decade starting with the earliest. It is more rock orientated than anything else with a few blues and reggae albums thrown in the mix. Read and enjoy!
Coming in at number 10 on the list is Disturbed’s debut album The Sickness. This album is the most successful Disturbed album yet selling nearly 4 million copies. Nowadays Disturbed is one of the biggest acts in Rock and just released their new album Indestructible. This is my personal favorite by them and if for some reason you haven’t listened to this one yet give it a try even if they aren’t your cup of tea.
Recommended Downloads:
Numb
Stupify
The Game
http://youtube.com/watch?v=a2S-QNDzfNQ -Down With the Sickness
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14518679
Shadows Fall major label debut album, Of One Blood, lands them at number 9 on the list. This was the first album to feature Brian Fair on vocals, the guy with the long dreads. This album really helped Shadows Fall gain notoriety throughout the metal scene and are one of the biggest acts in metal today. Of One Blood was just re-released in April with a smoother version of the album as well as new artwork. Whichever version you listen to, you won’t be disappointed.
Recommended Downloads:
Crushing Belial
Of One Blood
Root Bound Apollo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zwx61GgApac&feature=related -The First Noble Truth
http://www.myspace.com/shadowsfall
Number 8 on this list is the third album by the Deftones, White Pony. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard and now has reached platinum status selling over 1.3 million albums. They also earned a Grammy for Best Metal Performance for their song Elite. Personally White Pony is my favorite Deftones album and is definitely worth picking up.
Recommended Downloads:
Passenger
Change (In the House of Flies)
Teenager
http://youtube.com/watch?v=3OpXg7BkUnc -Rx Queen
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=769597
Slipknot’s self-titled major label debut album comes in at number 7. As one of the heaviest bands at the time they began to attract plenty of attention with their death metal influenced sound. The album was well received by fans and critics. This album is the one that really put them on the map as one of the leading heavy metal acts in the world.
Recommended Downloads:
(Sic)
Surfacing
Wait & Bleed
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tvX3OtcRiFU -Liberate
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=3646959
The sixth album on the list is Zakk Wylde’s Pride & Glory. While still being Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist Wylde had formed side projects. While most know Black Label Society, his first project was Pride & Glory. It was a southern rock band that produced only one album. This is much different from the material you’re used to hearing from him, it’s more melodic but most of the songs have a great jam to it. There is also a bonus album with Pride & Glory featuring two originals and three cover songs, The Wizard by Black Sabbath, In My Time of Dying by Led Zeppelin, and Come Together by the Beatles.
Recommended Downloads:
Losin’ Your Mind
Toe’n the Line
Shine On
http://youtube.com/watch?v=qa8wueML-0k -Horse Called War
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=338941137
The Better Life by 3 Doors Down comes in at number 5. This was their debut album and was a huge commercial hit. Songs like Kryptonite, Duck and Run, and Loser gained a ton of play on the radio and was the 11th best selling album of 2000. Brad Arnold, who is the lead vocalist, was once the drummer and was talked into stepping up for the vocals. He plays the drums on this album as well as performing lead vocals. Currently, 3 Doors Down released their new self-titled album.
Recommended Downloads:
Down Poison
Better Life
Life of My Own
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GytyF0w9BL4 -Loser
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=6847524
Number 4 on the list is A Perfect Circle’s debut album Mer de Noms. Guitar Tech Billy Howerdel played his demos to Tool front man, Maynard James Keenan, which impressed him. Even though Howerdel was looking for a female vocalist, he and Keenan formed APC and released Mer de Noms, which is French for sea of names. A Perfect Circle released two more albums and is on a hiatus at the moment.
Recommended Downloads:
Orestes
The Hollow
Judith
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tWFv5ZoVET8 -3 Libras
http://www.aperfectcircle.com/
Godsmack’s second full album, Awake, is number 3 on the list. Awake went 2x platinum and the song Vampires was nominated for Best Rock Instrumental Performance 2 years after the album was released. Two of the songs were used in US Navy commercials, Awake and Sick of Life. Godsmack is on hiatus and Sully Erna is currently active on a solo tour. Personally this was the best album for me to listen to while playing the classic game Gauntlet Dark Legacy.
Recommended Downloads:
Mistakes
Bad Magick
Goin’ Down
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YDIguDs5i6w -Greed
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=8262790
Pantera’s last studio album, Reinventing the Steel, comes in at number 2. This is one of their heaviest albums and has many memorable songs. This was a dedication to their fans that they have always been loyal to. Following the album, the band went on tour to promote the album but ended abruptly due to the September 11th attacks which ended the tour and they never performed another show together again.
Recommended Downloads:
I’ll Cast a Shadow
Revolution is My Name
It Makes Them Disappear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdycqtH-eLo -Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=21830914
Coming in as the top album of the year 2000 is Corrosion of Conformity’s third CD with lead vocalist Pepper Keenan and first album on Sanctuary Records. Once being a thrash metal band, they shifted their style to a more sludgy southern sound. They made this move when Keenan took over vocals and released their first album Deliverance in 1994 with this new and in my opinion, a much better sound. America’s Volume Dealer shows COC’s talents and has a mix of some heavy songs and a fair share of melodic ones with a good groove. All of the songs are great; you won’t be skipping over any of them. COC are currently on hiatus due to Pepper Keenan being involved with Down.
Recommended Downloads:
13 Angels
Over Me
Diablo Blvd.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6qJBjctdhEw -Sleeping Martyr
http://www.myspace.com/corrosionconformity
The List only went to 10 but there were plenty of other good albums to come out that year. Click here to see the ones that almost made the list.