Though it may utterly shock and surprise you, these lists were finalized during my current “adult” years, and not in the years during which these songs came out. The thing is, they’re inextricably linked to the memories from those times. Even though I didn’t become an avid music listener until 2002, the bits and pieces of music I’d hear in the two years prior cemented themselves in my subconscious and are probably never going to be chipped away.
I’m basically trying to explain why you’ll find Staind, Linkin Park, et al. on these lists and not Radiohead, Dismemberment Plan, and other highbrow picks.
Top 25 Songs of 2000
25. The Battle- Hans Zimmer
24. Stan- Eminem feat. Dido
23. The Need- Templar
22. A Song for the Lovers- Richard Ashcroft
21. Million Miles Away- The Offspring
20. Sparks Are Gonna Fly- Catherine Wheel
19. Bedbugs- ClarkNova
18. Why, Pt. 2- Collective Soul
17. Knife Prty- Deftones
16. Last Day of Summer- The Cure
15. Home- King Cobb Steelie
14. Porcelain- Moby
13. Below the Stars- King Cobb Steelie
12. Fiction (Dreams in Digital)- Orgy
11. Here’s to the Night- Eve 6
10. Alive- Edwin
9. Hemorrhage (In My Hands)- Fuel
8. 3 Libras- A Perfect Circle
7. Pinch Me- Barenaked Ladies
6. Silence (Airscape Remix)- Delerium feat. Sarah MacLachlan
5. Better Off Alone- Alice Deejay
4. Nothing As It Seems- Pearl Jam
3. Change (In The House of Flies)- Deftones
2. Ground Beneath Her Feet- U2
1. Stand Inside Your Love- The Smashing Pumpkins
Top 25 Songs of 2001
25. Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger- Daft Punk
24. Afterglow- Jet Set Satellite
23. High Voltage- Linkin Park
22. The Other Man- Sloan
21. Knee Deep- Big Wreck
20. Space Between- Dave Matthews Band
19. Lullaby- The Tea Party
18. For You- Staind
17. Nice to Know You- Incubus
16. Bonecracker- Shocore
15. Best Way to Die- Jet Set Satellite
14. Angels- The Tea Party
13. First Time- Finger Eleven
12. Crystal- New Order
11. Lateralus- Tool
10. Blurry- Puddle of Mudd
9. Evolution Revolution Love- Tricky feat. Ed Kowalczyk
8. It’s Been Awhile- Staind
7. (Speed Kills) The People That We Love- Bush
6. Carmelina- Matthew Good Band
5. Some Things Never Fall- The Black Halos
4. So Far Away- Stabbing Westward
3. Striptease- Hawksley Workman
2. Crawling- Linkin Park
1. The Shame of Life- Butthole Surfers
