I can’t believe it’s been that long, I was a very young man back then, I’m getting so old! Hello and be welcome to my new music post of this 2023. All of these great ones are now 20 years old, find out which ones they are.
“With a hundred ways to do a dozen things, why not try it all?” – Julian Casablancas
I was checking my old notes from the 2000s, and I found a list of songs I wanted for a playlist, and just like that I remembered a song I used to love 20 years ago and it inspired me to write this new music post. Want to know which one was it? Read the descriptions I wrote about these songs.
These songs and their bands made it possible for rock n’ roll to continue being relevant after the suicide of Kurt Cobain and the shifts in music taste of the late 1990s. On this list you will find 12 songs from 12 different bands as I didn’t want one specific band to have more than one song here. You will find also different rock subgenres, from alternative, to heavy metal to nu metal and the very popular garage rock of the early 2000s.
Lots of things happened in that year 2003: The United States launched the invasion of Iraq, the Florida Marlins won the World Series, Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected governor of California and Kill Bill came out.
2003, what a nice year to be a young man… If you are in your 20s reading this take advantage of your youth, believe me it goes fast.
So, without further ado, let’s begin our memory trip.
12 - Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Suddenly an Aussie band started to appear on our screens in 2003 with this cool track that sounds like 1970s great classic rock n’ roll. Are You Gonna Be My Girl was the first single from the debut album of this band called Jet. It was hit, charting in many countries, and selling millions of copies. The lyrics are quite simple and tell about the frustration of a man trying to get one specific girl to be his girlfriend. The video, in black and white, was shot in London and features the band playing while we see images of hot women and an AC/DC t-shirt. One of the best hit wonders of this 21st century; it is also listed as one of the best Australian songs of all time. I used to have a girlfriend back in those days who loved to dance to this one; it was also a favorite when I went of road trips, people used to love it. So, if you want to dance, go ahead, it’s allowed…
11 - Crazy Town - Drowning
Crazy Town - Drowning (Official Music Video) HQ
If you were alive in 2001 you couldn’t escape from a catchy song called Butterfly by Crazy Town. After that monster hit, these guys released another album called Darkhorse, an album loved by the fans that produced two nice singles, but couldn’t keep up with the success of Butterfly. The album sold poorly and the band broke up after pressure from their record label. Drowning was the first single from Darkhorse, a hardcore song that deals with frustration and anger towards one self. The chorus is amazing and makes you feel elevated. The video features images of the band playing intercut with the story of a young man who is attacked by some douchebags, but later his friends chase them and beat the shit out of them. Too bad the guys of Crazy Town didn’t continued together, at least they gave us some really cool songs and Drowning is one of the best of them.
By the way, this is the song I rediscovered early this year, I had completely forgotten about it, and it was the one that inspired me to write this post.
10 - 3 Doors Down - Here Without You
3 Doors Down - Here Without You (Official Music Video)
The star of this band may have dwindled over the years, but they were massive in the early 2000s. Here Without You was the third single from the best-selling second album Away from the Sun. It was written by the band and supposedly inspired by lead singer Brad Arnold now ex-wife, but he also said about it: "The song's just about being away from someone, or missing them". This song is also important to many military personnel in the US who often find themselves away from their loved ones. A song I still love to hear and sing years later. You may say that it’s a little corny, but not everything has to be a masterpiece. One of the best ballads of the 2000s. Enjoy your time on this Earth with your loved ones, one day you won’t be able to do it.
9 - Linkin Park - Numb
Numb (Official Music Video) [4K UPGRADE] – Linkin Park
I never was a fan of that nu metal sound of the late 1990s, and didn’t think much of these guys either, but when Numb came out in 2003 it became the only song from this band I could listen to and made me change a little my mind about them. Released as the third single from the best-selling album Meteora (which fans say it’s their best), it became one of the band’s biggest hits, topping the Billboard charts of Alternative Songs. The lyrics deal with children who are tired of living the expectations of parents and society in general. The video was shot in Prague, Czech Republic, and features the band playing at a cathedral intercut with images of a high school where we see the life of a tired outcast girl. I used to play this song a lot in the 2000s, especially when I was doing workouts. You never get tired of this one. RIP Chester Bennington.
8 - Foo Fighters - Times Like These
Foo Fighters - Times Like These (Official HD Video)
I have to tell you, I didn’t think much of this one when it came out (I used to prefer 2002’s All My Life); but I learned to love it over time. Lead singer and guitarist Dave Grohl once called this one "The best song I've ever written”; since its release it became also a live favorite for the band. The song deals with uncertainty about a future that may not look so bright, but you have to keep moving forward anyway. It was used at some of George W. Bush's presidential campaign rallies in 2004.Cool, refreshing, a good song ideal for a road trip.
7 - The Offspring - Hit That
The Offspring - Hit That (Official Music Video)
Another song from this list I completely have forgotten about. I wasn’t until 2017, when a friend of mine was listening to music on his headphones while walking in the park. I, the always curious, asked him what was he listening and the guy showed me the screen that said “The Offspring - Hit That”, and it immediately brought back those memories. Written by lead vocalist and guitarist Dexter Holland, the song it’s about teenage pregnancy and the consequences of promiscuity. The video is very funny one, half computer-generated and half live action, that features a guy with a blue head and a dog who cannot control itself; the band is not present in the video. It was the band’s biggest hit since 1994 and a cool rock song that always puts you in a good mood.
6 - The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (Official Music Video)
The Elephant album of 2003 has been named the best garage rock album of the 2000s, it was the fourth album by the duo The White Stripes, and Seven Nation Army was the first track and the first single released from the aforementioned album. Written by lead singer, guitarist Jack White, the song deals with the band’s rising popularity and the negatives that came with it. The title Seven Nation Army is a throwback to White’s childhood; apparently, when he was a kid his misheard the words "Salvation Army” and thought they were saying “Seven Nation Army”. The song was immensely popular in 2003; I remember that bass line at the beginning was enough to put you in a good mood and start rocking. It won both a Grammy and an MTV award. It begins with a cool riff, it has power and it’s catchy at the same time, like a good rock n’ roll song should be. No wonder it became a staple in stadiums and arenas around the globe. Too bad Jack and Megan didn’t continue playing together, but we have this masterpiece for all eternity. Sing out loud!
5 - Coldplay - Clocks
Coldplay - Clocks (Official Video)
Every time you hear that piano starting you know you feel something magical around you. The third single of the very successful A Rush of Blood to the Head album from 2002. The lyrics, like many of Coldplay’s, deal with love, but also with time in the context of a conflicted relationship, where do we from there as time slips away? I remember you could hear this song everywhere, and even people who didn’t like rock music really liked it. It also appeared on an episode of fourth season of The Sopranos, my favorite TV series of all time. It won the Grammy for 2003 Record Of The Year. You will never forget about this one.
4 - The Strokes - Reptilia
The Strokes - Reptilia (Official HD Video)
The garage rock of the early 2000s proved rock n’ roll was still alive and it’s not going anywhere. In those days you couldn’t get away from The Strokes who in 2003 released their second album, the follow-up and somewhat second part of their first one of 2001. Reptilia was the second single from that album and, at least for me, the best song these guys have ever pulled out. Written by lead singer Julian Casablancas, it makes reference to that part of the human brain that is completely animal, and therefore the singer is not thinking clearly; the word “Reptilia” is a scientific term and it’s not mentioned in the song. Vivid, unique and wild, it also has one of the best bass intros of the 21st century and Casablancas’ voice sounds great. In the video, directed by Ridley Scott’s son, you can see many close shots of the members of the band, their instruments and even their shoes. One of the most perfect rock songs of the 2000s. Rock on!
3 - Jane's Addiction - Just Because
Jane's Addiction - Just Because
This explosive track was the first single of Jane’s Addiction long awaited third album. Written by the whole band and released in the middle of 2003, it was Jane's Addiction only song to enter the Billboard Hot 100, making it their most successful song to date. Too bad these guys couldn’t continue together after this hit; they separated one year later. They went back together in 2008, released an album and occasionally do some concerts and even go out on tour, but they haven’t replicated the success they had with this song. The video features the band performing inside a dome of lights. That riff at the beginning is enough to put you in a great beast mode. A cool song by one of the greatest alternative bands ever; addictive, with a groove and lyrics you have to sing out loud. Enjoy!
2 - Audioslave - Like a Stone
Audioslave - Like a Stone (Official Video)
In the early 2000s one of the best supergroups of all time was formed when guitarist Tom Morello, and the rest of the guys of Rage Against the Machine joined forces with Soundgarden’s frontman Chris Cornell. They released their eponymous debut album in late 2002. Like a Stone was the second single from that album. It was the band’s biggest hit and probably their best song, a great ballad with a killer guitar solo; the lyrics are about an old man waiting for death who sits alone and remember all of his friends that have died before him. The song was nominated for a Grammy. The video was shot in a Spanish-like house in California. A song for the ages you never get tired of listening to. RIP Chris Cornell.
1 - Metallica - St. Anger
Metallica: St. Anger (Official Music Video)
Yeah, I know the St. Anger album has been much demonized over the years, but it was a success back then, selling millions of copies and spawning four singles. Producer Bob Rock was the one who played the bass in the album after the departure of Jason Nested; bassist Rob Trujillo joined the band later and is the one that appears in the photos of the album. The eponymous song was the first single, it was written by the band and Bob Rock. Vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield has said that the song is about using your anger in a positive way, and the part of that sings "Saint Anger around my neck”, is a reference about how Catholics use the figures of saints in necklaces. The video was shot in San Quentin State Prison, with the band playing around hundreds of real life inmates. The song was a hit in the Rock Track and won a Grammy of Best Metal Performance. I bought the St. Anger cd in 2003 and I still have it in my collection; it’s not going away from there.
So, that’s it guys, 12 songs I used to love 20 years ago. I hope you have liked this post, but do me a favor, would you? Tell me what do you think? Which one of this great songs did you like the most? Did you discovered something new? Am I forgetting a good rock song from 2003? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section. Follow my blog for more content like this one.
Now check my last music post right here:
@thereadingman/10-creepy-rock-videos-to
(Image at the beginning via google.com)
Wishing you all the best for this weekend!
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Take care
Orlando Caine