2004 music. About to reach the middle of the decade, we are facing one of our favorite years globally. This is undoubtedly influenced by the age of the person who writes these words and, on a biographical level, the musical discovery that the viewing of the film entailed. film Something in Common (Garden State). In previous years, we came from enjoying a resounding success of rap and nu metal, above all else. However, the music from 2004 represents the first significant change of direction in our playlists from the 2000s.
Folk music and the most classic pop music gain strength and prominence, although it maintains a happy coexistence with the rest of the most modern genres at that time. That is why, in the following lines, in addition to being able to subscribe and listen to the playlist with 100 songs from 2004 in english we will leave you a selection with the top 11 best music of 2004. Even so, and to be faithful to the reality of the moment, in this list there will be a mixture between hit songs that everyone remembers since then, with others more personal classicsbut surely you also know.
2004 music in English
A year that begins, chronologically, with the last recording attempt to squeeze the deceased 2Pac with an unreleased album produced by Eminem and where the rapper’s main friends collaborated at the time (since 50 Cent To the group G Unit or Obie Trice). It is also the year of Akon, before becoming the king of the dance floor. Ridicule Fuck It by Eamon (He aged badly at the time). Green Day with American Idiot, Jay-Z and Linkin Park collaborating together, Diao Remote the first emo groups of success, Mase with Welcome Back disappearing again, and much more.
The aim of this blog is, in addition to compile the best music published in the year 2004 make known and claim certain artists and songs that today perhaps they are not as remembered as others. Who knows from what or where, perhaps from an advertisement, perhaps from a movie, but surely it sounds familiar to you and you like almost everything that we are going to offer you here.
Arcade Fire – Wake Up
Talk about arcade Fire at this point it is not surprising to anyone. Their first album was so special and unique that no subsequent album by the band has been able to surpass it, despite being albums of tremendous quality. At the time, I remember reading that David Bowie had recommended them as the best of the year (or more, because I speak from memory). She could have chosen any other song, because the truth is that from her debut album, Funeral you can listen to any song and get excited.
Unclassifiable, in the case of wake up the experts decided to consider it indie rock, published as the fifth and last single from the album. The song, which arose as part of a creative process closely linked to the loss of family and loved ones (hence the album title), talks about the disappointment of growing up and maturing but also how we can overcome and worry less about our struggles in adult life, accompanied by a epic and emotional melody, with violins, choirs and guitars that change rhythm frequently. The lyrics say things like:
something filled
my heart with nothing
someone told me not to cry
But now that I’m older
my heart is colder
And I can see that it’s a lie.
EITHER:
with my rays shining
I can see where I’ll be
When the reaper reaches out to me and touches my hand.
Counting Crows – Accidentally In Love
everyone remembers Accidentally In Love by Counting Crows for his appearance in the opening scene of the animated film Shrek 2 from DreamWorks. After disappearing from the mainstream after the success of Mr. Jones in 1993, they returned with a bombshell designed specifically for the film and that transported us to the happiness of its protagonist. And with some very simple bases, in fact. It doesn’t stop being one pretty classic pop rock song.
In the Anglo-Saxon world, we can say that the happy rhythm and theme of the song, which talks about what What does it mean to accidentally fall in love with someone you didn’t expect?and how that change your life for the bettermay have something to do with it, although in the non-Anglo-Saxon world its success was also quite widespread, thanks mainly to the aforementioned catchy rhythm, with acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and choirs playing almost non-stop.
Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
We return to indie rock with one of the great surprises of 2004, Franz Ferdinand. His first big international hit, take me out, was actually the second single from the Scottish band’s debut album, released in 2004 on Domino Records. It reached number 3 in the UK and number 66 in the US. The song was also nGrammy nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals in 2005.
The song has a change of rhythm and style in the middle of the trackgoing from an aggressive guitar riff to a more danceable and funky melody. Lyrics speak of an invitation to go out with someone you are attracted to, but also of the possibility that that person will reject or disappoint you, also playing with the sexuality of the person. singer Alex Kapranos.
The popularity of the song was also due to some extent to the novelty of the music video directed by Jonas Odell who accompanied it as it showed the band playing on stage with animated images inspired by pop art and Russian constructivism as we would later see on most of the band’s album covers.
Gwen Stefani – Hollaback Girl
As we said in the introduction to the article, the main idea when talking about the best songs of 2004 is to be as realistic as personal. Being honest with ourselves without thereby destroying the reality of that moment. That’s why we owe gwen Stefani a place of honor in our selection. Your song Hollaback Girl he was appearing on the MTV channel for months without stopping. This was influenced by the personality of the singer, capable of adapting to any rhythm to make it her own, including hip hop in this case.
As for the history of this song, the truth is that it was not the singer’s first choice to succeed. solo after the break with No Doubt. Hollaback Girl was the third single from American singer’s first solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., released in 2004 on Interscope Records. the song was written by Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Chad Hugo with the latter two handling production as The Neptunes.
The song alludes to an anonymous rival whom Stefani qualifies as a hollaback girl —»any girl»—. It also uses the classic High school rivalries and the world of female football cheerleaders as a metaphor to refer to the confrontations between the singers in general.
Between hip hop and pop, the song borders on perfection, with a catchy and repetitive rhythm, with drums, whistles and choruses that give a constant good vibe. If we add to all this the energy transmitted in the music video directed by Paul Hunter, which shows Stefani leading a group of instrumentalists and dancers in different settings inspired by urban and school culture we have a success like this for several generations.
Jem – They
One undeniable thing about pop, apart from its non-stop success for decades, is that once you start you can’t stop. For this reason, to try to make the change more natural, it is necessary to continue talking about pop. They was the first single from Welsh singer and songwriter Jem for their debut album, Finally Woken, released in 2004 on ATO Records. The song includes a sample of a 1963 vocal version of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Prelude in F minor, performed by The Swingle Singers. Song was released in the United States in February 2004, and in the United Kingdom and Australia in March 2005. The song met with a good commercial reception, peaking at number six in the UK and number 15 in Australia.
The song talks about questioning the rules we follow like sheep, without thinking if they are true or not, all over a soft and melodic rhythm, with a piano base and a sweet and ethereal voice. As was customary in this era (where people still didn’t have access to YouTube so easily), the song was packaged and sold together with a music video directed on this occasion by Laurent Briet, which shows Jem stripping naked in a spaceship in the style of Jane Fonda in Barbarella although in reality he is a boy who dreams of her while building a model of the same ship on Earth.
Kanye West – Through The Wire
Despite having talked about hip hop at the beginning of the article and having mentioned it in passing in the production of Gwen Stefani’s song, the truth is that until now it is a genre that we had not highlighted, and look, there is a lot of material on the list . To redeem ourselves, what better than to do it with Kanye West one of the most popular rappers even 20 years after he posted this Through The Wire the first single from the American rapper’s debut album, The College Dropout, released in 2004 on Roc-A-Fella Records. The song contains a sample of Through the Fire, a 1985 song by Chaka Khan.
After a car accident in October 2002, West wrote and recorded Through The Wire with a bandaged jaw, which explains why he vocalizes and sings like that. The song tells the story of his accident and his recovery, as well as his aspirations in the music industry, where until then he was considered a nut with a very good hand to produce the bases of other rappers with greater talent for lyrics.
In it music video run by Coodie & Chike we can see some images of the West accident, his recovery and what was his daily life back then. No one expected her to lose her mind so much later, with the death of her mother during liposuction surgery, her relationship with Kim Kardashian, and all the insanity of her hate speech and acts.
Micah P. Hinson – Beneath The Rose
But hey, how did we go from happy rhythms to sorrowful just like that? Ok, the previous song had a pretty sad R&B feel to it, but nothing compared to Beneath The Rose the folk song that was the second single from the American singer-songwriter’s debut album Micah P Hinson, Micah P. Hinson and The Gospel of Progress, released in 2004 on Sketchbook Records. the song was written by Hinson and produced by John Mark Lapham of The Earlies. Launched on August 23, 2004, it received rave reviews for her melancholic beauty and raspy voice.
The singer, with this album and his subsequent works, showed that grief was the place where he was going to move best, which is also a talent. We can see it here, with a song that talks about a lost love and the hope of finding it again beneath the rose (under the rose), a symbol of passion and secret, all accompanied by a soft and sad melody, with an acoustic guitar and a harmonica. The song has a bucolic music video directed by Phil Bebbington, which shows Hinson walking through a rural and urban landscape while singing the song.
Modest Mouse – Float On
For one, Float On is an inseparable entity The World At Large and yet here it is, separated from the first track on the album Good News for People Who Love Bad News, of which the second track (Float On) is the luminous reverse if we compare it with the melancholic tone of the previous one. In short, an indie rock song that was the first single from the band’s fourth studio album US modest mouse, released in 2004 on Epic Records. The song was written by Isaac Brock, Dann Gallucci, Eric Judy and Benjamin Weikel, and produced by Dennis Herring and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Song in 2005.
The song talks about maintaining a positive attitude in the face of life’s adversities., and how everything will work out in the end. As for the music video, which I associate with Franz Ferdinand’s Take Me Out for no apparent reason, it was directed by Christopher Mills, and shows the band playing on a stage in a pop-up book style, with different scenes that represent the lyrics of the song.
My Chemical Romance – I’m Not Okay (I Promise)
Once again, as promised, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to highlight some emo among the best music of 2004. And who better to give a good account of what it was than to dedicate this space to My Chemical Romance.
I’m Not Okay (I Promise) It was the first single from the second studio album by the American band led by Gerard Way, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, released in 2004 on Reprise Records. The song was written by Way himself, along with Mikey Way, Ray Toro, Frank Iero, and Matt Pelissier, and produced by Howard Benson.
the song is based on the personal experience of Gerard Way, who suffered bullying and depression and talks about Difficulty expressing feelings and asking for help when feeling bad. But yes, all this from a tone that is not sad at all, since the song is so powerful that one comes out of listening to it brimming with energy, with electric guitars and drums playing at a devilish rhythm. In the music video directed by Marc Webb we can see how parody 80s teen movies showing the band as some marginalized students standing up to the popular.
The Killers – Mr. Brightside
What an illusion made me see the performance of The Killers in the television series The OC – The Orange County. That being said, I also remember how a fan a friend of mine was from high school, and how he frequently mentioned the bisexuality of singer Brandon Flowers, who he told me was a Mormon, but not much, although I didn’t understand until much later that he was also a figure. important to him, when he told me years later that he was gay.
The thing is that with Mr Brightside We return to optimism. We are before one of the best alternative rock songs of 2004 and, of course, one of the highlights of the band’s debut album, Hot Fuss, released in 2004 on Island Records. The song was written by the aforementioned Flowers and Dave Keuning, and produced by the band and Jeff Saltzman.
The song is broasted in a real situation of Flowers himself, who discovered that his girlfriend was cheating on him. Song is called Mr. Brightside because he considers himself an optimist and tries to see the bright side of things although in the music video inspired by the movie Moulin Rouge and directed by Sophie Muller are seen above all Flowers’ jealousy while watching his girlfriend with another man.
Usher, Lil’ Jon & Ludacris – Yeah
We end our selection with yeahA song of crunk&B and southern hip hop which was the lead single from American singer’s fourth studio album Usher, confessions released in 2004 by Arista Records. The song was written by Usher, Lil’ Jon, Ludacris, Sean Garrett, Patrick “J. That” Smith, Robert McDowell and LRoc, and Produced by Lil’ Jonwho at that time was in full swing as a producer, as witnessed by other hits such as Quick To Back Down, along with Nas and Bravehearts, or Damn, along with the Youngbloodz.
The song talks about Usher’s attraction to a woman he meets at a nightclub and how he dances with her all night, being a much more danceable song than the other previously mentioned examples of the producer, with a synth base and a distorted voice that includes classic Lil’ Jon screams house brand.
