It has been a long year in music. Last year was a standout year, but even with its deluge of critically acclaimed albums music sales still suffered. The Recording Industry Association of America began cracking down on file-sharing with new vigor, facing off against the individual music-swappers instead of the networks that supported them. File-sharing stayed at a similar level, but fewer music files were shared.
With additional fear on cheating the system, now would have been a great year for the mind boggling mass-market, corporate rock gem. And we got it. Once. Outkast shocked the world with the rare album that got everyone dancing.
But the much-anticipated albums of the year fell flat. The White Stripes' got the critical acclaim that White Blood Cells deserved but never got. , however, never merited the attention it received. White Stripes and Strokes clones, like The Music and The Datsuns effectively killed the lo-fi genre with cheap knockoff sounds. Bands who released classics last year did not venture into this year. There was no follow-up from Wilco, The Flaming Lips or Spoon.
The year failed to produce albums which were worthy of the heroes who fell. There was no match for Warren Zevon's wit, Elliott Smith's mastery of sorrow or Johnny Cash's cowboy heart.
It was a long year in music.
But that Britney and Madonna kiss was pretty hot.
#1
(La Face)
Twenty-year-old white girls like Outkast. Entertainment Weekly interviewed Big Boi and Andre 3000 as authorities on the state of music. The duo has been called the John Lennon and Paul McCartney of its genre.
Outkast does not depend on the violent gangsta image that proliferates in the hip-hop community. They are simply the best group in hip-hop. Their fifth album of original material was one of the most hotly anticipated of the year, and it did not disappoint. But not only is the most important album of the year, it is also the best album of the year.
Big Boi's effort offers contagiously energetic rhymes, the appeal of which extends beyond the typical demographics. It breaks from the traditional hip-hop narration, keeping interludes to a minimum. It is an outstanding piece of work within the norms of the genre.
More incredible, though, is Andre's solo contribution, . By engaging in something as musically conventional as singing, Dre challenges the limiting conventions of hip-hop and, with the delightful and catchy single \Hey Ya,"" truly makes hip-hop widely accessible for the first time. ""Happy Valentine's Day"" is a jubilant romp, and ""She Lives in My Lap"" has drawn comparisons to Prince.
Outkast continues to improve in experimentation and accessibility. This album eclipses its genre.
