As a new crop of musical artists begin to grow towards international stardom, it’s hard to not hear the artists that they’ve been inspired by. For a lot of these new Gen Z artists, this inspiration comes from the 2000’s. Pop artists like Troye Sivan and Charlie XCX pull musical inspiration from french disco-tech and ’90s EDM, and artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter derive their branding from the personas of 2000’s starlets like Britney Spears and Beyonce. Here’s some of the debut albums that made a splash then, and continue to makes waves today through their impact on up-and-coming artists.
1. Lady Gaga – The Fame (2008)
It’s hard to imagine humble beginnings for one of the biggest names in pop music today, and that might be because it didn’t happen. The Fame remained on the Billboard 200 charts for over 39 weeks and earned Lady Gaga her first Grammy award. From rumors of sampling goth legends The Cure to actually sampling euro-disco powerhouse Boney M., Gaga uses her knowledge and love of popular music to influence each track off of The Fame. Electro pop meets 2000’s dance music sensibilities in this one of a kind chart-topping album. Alongside artists like Cascada, Gaga would usher in an era of dance pop.
2. Panic! At The Disco – A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (2005)
Commonly hailed as part of Tumblr’s “emo trinity,” Panic! At The Disco certainly had one of the best debuts out of any of its 2000’s emo contemporaries, like My Chemical Romance or Fall Out Boy who both leaned more punk in their debuts. The album is a journey through the band’s personal life as well as the history of their sparkling hometown of Las Vegas.
The first half of the album leans into the increasingly popular pop-punk and rock sound of the time, where the second half turns into an exploration of what modern cabaret music might sound like if written by teenagers hooked on Fall Out Boy. An overall oddball of an album, its popularity definitely inspired more pop-punk and rock bands of the time to branch out.
3. Gorillaz – Gorillaz (2001)
A side project for Blur frontman Damon Albarn, Gorillaz took art pop and meshed it with hip-hop to create what would become a popular formula for pop music moving forward. Experimental drum loops and repetitive samples curl around rap interludes from a plethora of featured artists. Tracks like “5/4” and “Double Bass” play with the logistics of music itself, adding uncommon instruments and using unusual time signatures. The level of experimentation throughout the entire album has created tracks that remain as relevant today as when they first came out.
4. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)
Only three years after their first gig, Arctic Monkeys smashed into the indie rock scene with their first album. One of many notable rock bands to come out of the 2000’s, their first album stood out as being both reverent of it’s predecessors in rock and standing confident in being something entirely new. This album would go on to cement Arctic Monkeys as a staple of the indie rock genre.
5. Taylor Swift – Taylor Swift (2006)
A perfect amount of heartbreak and teen angst made Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut unforgettable when it was released, and it remains that way today. “Picture to Burn” went viral recently for its original lyrics, and “Our Song” is frequently discussed as one of Swift’s best. A sensation within the country music world, this first album took the charts by storm, with “Teardrops on my Guitar” reaching 13 on the Billboard top 100. Her work on this album would go on to inspire droves of teenage girls to pick up their guitar and write.
6. The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)
A powerhouse of the pop rock scene in the early 2000’s, The Killers’ first album contains not one, not two, but three of their biggest hits. From “Mr. Brightside” to “Smile Like You Mean It” to “Somebody told me,” Hot Fuss is packed with radio hits. With raspy monotone vocals and a catchy synth rock sound, The Killers set a precedent for indie rock and pop punk bands that would come to follow in the 2010’s.
7. Beyonce – Dangerously In Love (2003)
With features from Jay-Z and Missy Elliot, Beyonce’s first solo album was bound to make waves. Equal parts seductive and heartfelt, Dangerously In Love showcases Beyonce’s showstopping vocals at center stage. Not only would the titular single go on to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, but the album would reach No.1 on the Billboard 200. Alongside the success of Destiny’s Child, this album helped to propel Beyonce into international fame.
8. Yelle – Pop-Up (2007)
Yelle has definitely come a long way since they were one of the first instances of a viral hit for their single “Je veux to voir” on MySpace. Their genre of upbeat, electronic, French dance music has become a staple in American pop music in the years since Pop-Up‘s release, with artists like Charlie XCX and The Dare using French dance music as inspiration for their most recent hits.
9. Three Days Grace – Three Days Grace (2003)
A mixture of rage, paranoia and guitar riffs heavier than their lyrics, Three Days Grace exploded into mainstream popularity through their first album. Reaching No. 1 on Billboard, “Just like You” was the breakout hit off of this album, though it was closely followed by “I Hate Everything About You.” Falling squarely between nu-metal and grunge, the band took elements of both to make a sound completely outside of any band at the time or since.
10. Marina and the Diamonds – The Family Jewels (2009)
Boasting some of Marina and the Diamonds’ most well-known hits, The Family Jewels is filled with quintessential 2000’s electric pop flair. Bridging the gap between the flashy pop of the 2000’s and the introspective pop music of the 2010’s with its sarcastic witticism, Marina’s debut is hard to forget in our current pop climate. Marina’s sharp lyrics have gone on to inspire a wave of artists with cutting observationalist sarcasm.
11. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (2007)
A shared opinion on the unoriginality in pop music between two friends turned into some of the most recognizable tracks of the 2000’s. From being used in shows like “Skins”, “Gossip Girl” and “The Vampire Diaries,” they had their fair share of exposure. MGMT’s signature upbeat electronic sound and stereotypically dull pop lyrics made them perfect background music for these TV shows, proving their initial point about the flashy yet uninspired state of popular music.
12. Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day (2009)
Gaining notoriety on MySpace for his song “Day ‘N’ Nite,” Kid Cudi was picked up by record producers not long after his song went viral. He featured this song, as well as its space theme, on his debut album. Creative samples combine with lo-fi and upbeat ambient instrumentals to compliment Kid Cudi’s vocals. His work stands out as new and inventive, as well as inspirational for many experimental rappers to follow.
13. Florence + The Machine – Lungs (2009)
Sitting at the tail end of the 2000’s, Florence Welch struck gold with “Dog Days Are Over.” The album set itself apart by being part pop and part indie, but entirely catchy and fueled with feminine fury. Lungs ushered in a slew of angry and danceable indie pop gems. In the past few years, each song off of Lungs has gotten it’s time in the sun via TikTok’s revolving door of trending tracks.
14. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever to Tell (2003)
Is this rock music? A fever dream of experimental synth and frontwoman Karen O’s haunting screams, this album immediately put the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on a different level from most, if not all, of their peers in the alternative indie scene. Songs like “Maps” and “Date With The Night” spin in completely opposite circles, making it hard to believe that they coexist on the same record. Despite the harsh transition of sound from song to song, there’s a palpable consistency and flow to every song on the album that makes it more than disjointed noise.
15. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory (2000)
As Linkin Park begins touring again with their controversial new lead, Emily Armstrong, their first album remains as prominent as ever. Attempting to fold together the nuances of both rap and metal, a new genre of music emerges out of Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory that sits most closely to punk and nu-metal. Today, a plethora of bands from across punk, rap, hardcore, and metal draw inspiration from the creative mixture of genres within this album.
