Music is constantly in motion. It’s always changing, always growing. For our generation, it’s hard to remember a time when we couldn’t tune into our iPods and tune out the world. But it was only in the last decade that the effortless download has come into being.
From iTunes to YouTube, Myspace to American Idol, and Britney Spears to Michael Jackson, here are some of the most significant musical moments of the ‘00s.
2000:
Britney Spears’ second album sells 1.3 million copies in its first week and 500, 000 on the first day of its release; it is the most successful debut week by any solo artist in U.S. history.
2001:
Apple launches free software that allows Mac users to organize
a digital music library and burn custom CDs. iTunes is born. They release the First Generation iPod, which features the mechanical scroll wheel, 5GB data, and 10 hours of battery
life.
2002:
Kelly Clarkson is voted the first American Idol with 58 percent of the vote.
2003:
Version 4.0 of the iTunes music store launches, allowing users to purchase track downloads for $0.99 and album downloads for $9.99.
Britney Spears and Madonna kiss at MTV’s VMAs while singing Madonna’s hit, “Like a Virgin.”
2004:
Myspace launches as a social networking site that allows users to create a profile and connect with others. Tools allow musicians to stream songs, build a fan base, and gain exposure without the assistance of a record label.
Ashlee Simpson is caught lip-syncing during a live performance on “Saturday Night Live.” When the wrong song plays, she becomes visibly flustered and rushes off the stage unexpectedly.
2005:
The original Guitar Hero video game is released on PlayStation 2. The popular interactive music game is a huge hit, selling nearly 1.5 million copies.
YouTube officially launches, allowing users to submit their own creative content and embed it on other sites and blogs. The rock band OK Go releases a homemade video for the single “Here It Goes Again,” and the video quickly becomes an internet phenomenon, being viewed by over one million people within six days of release.
2006:
The Colombian pop singer Shakira and Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean debut “Hips Don’t Lie.” The mix of salsa, Cumbia, and reggaton
is an instant hit, going to No. 1 in 55 countries and becoming the best-selling single of the decade worldwide.
The one billionth song is downloaded on iTunes. That song? Coldplay’s hit “Speed of Sound.”
2007:
Live Nation signs a 10-year contract with Madonna for $120 million. Other artists follow suit, including U2, which signed a 12-year contract.
2008:
Guns N Roses finally releases the long-awaited “Chinese Democracy,” the band’s first album containing original material in 17 years.
2009:
A star-studded free concert takes place at the Lincoln Memorial for We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration. Artists including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Garth Brooks, Aretha Franklin, and others show support at the concert two days before the inauguration of Barack Obama.
Britney Spears is back on top with ‘3.’ The single makes its debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, selling 250,000 downloads at digital-music outlets.
Everyone has a different opinion about today’s music. Some believe the music that tops the charts is sadly unoriginal, giving
up depth for a beat; others believe it is a huge improvement
on the “slow” music of the preceding generation, and that it explores new and liberating realms that yesterday’s music couldn’t fathom. Still, no matter your personal opinion, everyone can agree that music in the last decade has been revolutionized. This fact leaves us all wondering: what will the music of the next decade be like?
