What do you think will define this decade's music?

[trackaghost]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Okay... I'll just come right out with it. The White Stripes suck and they are terribly overrated. And I would throw Radiohead into that category as well. Their albums are hyped and the hipsters rush out to buy it without even hearing it. Then their albums fall of the charts very, very quickly because the word of mouth isn't so good. In the process, they sell tons of albums, but they have no real hit singles or radio hits. They have not really succeeded at incorporating current events and sounds while connecting with a wide audience. I can't think of anybody who was directly influenced by the White Stripes, oh, um, except Joss Stone . I think they just lucked out with exceptionally talented managers and PR folks.

Hey, thanks for revealing to me that the music I enjoy and emotionally connect to, I only like because critics say it's cool. You've opened my eyes. Obviously if you think it's overrated then it must be, and everyone else must be fooling themselves in order to be cool! How dare people enjoy music you can't connect to! The only explanation must be a case of the Emperor's new clothes!

I first saw The White Stripes when they were playing tiny venues when no one was talking about them and loved them then and now they are playing huge arenas and I still love them. And just so you know they get played on the radio here a lot. But of course what's going on in the US is way more defining than anywhere else.

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

Unfortunately, in today's world, singles are practically non-existent, radio is for sh*t, so the best we can hope for is music that crosses over commercially but doesn't suck too much. I think we can all agree that it's slim pickin's these days.

No, I don't think we can agree with that at all. There's still loads of great music that is both fantastic and hugely successful.

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

I think the first two Coldplay albums have lasting potential. Coldplay is far from being an original, but they have a sense of style and songcraft that their contemporaries lack; they have that extra indefinable something. They spawned a bunch of imitators, but nobody could quite pull it off as well. In a way they are to the 'aughts' what U2 was for the eighties.

As for their X&Y album?

Funny how you dismiss Radiohead and yet Coldplay are often considered to be a watered down version of them.

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

As much as I hate to admit it... I think the first Avril Lavigne album will be around for many years. It's not that it was any good... but it just contained so many dang hit singles and it was all very, very hook-laden and catchy.

Yes, Avril Lavigne is the defining sound of this decade. You've won me over.

Originally Posted by foxyluva

I don't think sales are the most important thing to define a deacade - as Sharon mentioned, Velvet Underground sold zilch, and are possibly one of the most influential alternative bands ever. I guess thats the point though - the defining artist of the '00s to alternative/indie kids will be different to others who are into pop or metal or folk or even classical. It just depends what scene you are into

Too true Michael.

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

As for other artists, there have been a few, but no one spectacular or trendsetting comes to mind - maybe John Mayer

Strand how can you say the Stripes aren't iconic but then mention Mayer as someone defining modern day music? This is where you lose me.
I have no idea of the Stripes' sales figures in the US but here they are huge, and they get played on the radio a lot, so I can only go on what I know.
Things like the fact that their performance at Glastonbury is still talked about years later, their albums go straight to number one and they are covered in everyday, big selling mainstream newspapers like The Mirror and The Sun in double-page spreads would indicate to me that they've made a cultural impact, and what I was trying to say before, is not that it's only critically lauded acts that are the defining artists of each decade, but their cultural impact is also important in addition to things like sales and radio play, although in this internet age I think radio play matters less and less.
Plus the majority of music acts considered to define each decade were fantastic! The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Nirvana etc. I don't think it's just the fact that they sell loads. There are plenty of acts that have sold a lot of albums that aren't considered defining.
Btw, I do totally agree about Eminem