Albums Turning 20 in 2020

It’s hard to believe that 2000 was 20 years ago. The turn of the century brought about a lot of culturally important albums that would define where music would be heading in the new millennium. Pop artists from the late 1990s would further establish their careers in the bubblegum sphere that defined those early years of the 2000s. Bands who found their niche earlier in the previous decade would continue to reinvent themselves as musicians and songwriters for an ever-changing world. 2000 also saw the emergence of new artists and sounds that would have a major impact on what tastemakers would be listening to another decade later.

In the spirit of nostalgia, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look back at some of the most important albums of 2000. From one-hit-wonders to pop, hip-hop and rock’s heavy hitters, here are 10 albums from 2000 (and a few more) celebrating their 20^th anniversary milestone.

1.       Radiohead, ‘Kid A’: ‘Kid A’ was a controversial album when it was first released in October of 2000, but eventually became one of, if not THE most revered of the band’s works to date. Radiohead’s fourth studio album was supposed to be a departure from the guitar-rock sound they had been known for all throughout the 1990s, instead opting for a more synth-heavy touch. Pitchfork described it at the time as “the sound of a band, and its leader, losing faith in themselves, destroying themselves, and subsequently rebuilding a perfect entity. In other words, Radiohead hated being Radiohead, but ended up with the most ideal, natural Radiohead record yet.”

2.       Coldplay, ‘Parachutes’: It may not be their biggest-seller or even the band’s favorite album of theirs, but Coldplay would not be in the position they are today without the success of debut album ‘Parachutes.’ “Yellow” was a breakthrough track for the band, first at college radio and then on a wider scale. It led to the album reaching double-platinum status and an even more revered album, ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head,’ two years later.

3.       *NSYNC, ‘No Strings Attached’: Freshly independent from the slug that was Lou Pearlman after several years of legal issues, *NSYNC were ready to show off who they really were, and ‘No Strings Attached’ was the magnum opus that did so. The hysteria that ensued after the release of first single “Bye Bye Bye” said it all for the kind of career trajectory the group and pop music in general were taking in the early 2000s. ‘No Strings Attached’ became the best selling album of the year and led to a first-week sales record that would not be broken for 15 years. Justin Timberlake became a star. The album still holds weight today, as *NSYNC mania has increased with nostalgia for the late 1990s and early 2000s coming into fashion.

4.       Britney Spears, ‘Oops…I Did It Again’: After the runaway success of Britney Spears’ 1998 debut ‘…Baby One More Time,’ the singer “did it again” with her sophomore effort, ‘Oops…I Did It Again.’ Thanks to singles “Oops…I Did It Again,” “Stronger” and “Lucky,” the album sold half-a-million copies in its first day and more than 1.3 million in its first week, a record for sales by a female artist that would also last for 15 years. The album proved that Spears had staying power past her first album, as well as the place pop would take in the musical spectrum over the decade.

5.       Linkin Park, ‘Hybrid Theory’: The debut album from “nu-metal” juggernauts Linkin Park, ‘Hybrid Theory’ introduced the world to the band’s aggressive sound and personal, emotion-fueled lyrics. “One Step Closer,” “Crawling” and “In The End” found endless rotation on MTV and radio, leading the album to sell millions of copies and going on to become the “best selling debut album of the 21^st century.”

6.       Green Day, ‘Warning’: By no means their most popular (the album didn’t sell as well as any of their previous releases), ‘Warning’ brought Green Day into the new millennium with as much brash force as their 1990s fare, only with a little wiser, more eclectic touch. Songs like “Minority” and “Macys Day Parade” marked the first time the band got truly political on a record, giving rise to what would be coming from them just four years later.

7.       Dashboard Confessional, ‘The Swiss Army Romance’: The debut album from Dashboard Confessional (the solo project of Further Seems Forever’s Chris Carrabba), ‘The Swiss Army Romance’ is a necessity for anyone who claims to be into “emo.” Led by single “Screaming Infidelities” the album is full of passionate, at times self-deprecating lyrics and acoustic melodies meant to be sung along to at the top of your lungs.

8.       P!nk, ‘Can’t Take Me Home’: P!nk’s debut solo album ‘Can’t Take Me Home’ proves she’s always been a no-nonsense powerhouse pop singer, acrobatic live shows or not. “There You Go” was the big “f--- you” that most of the pop princesses weren’t doing with their music. The rest of the songs follow suit in being fiercely independent, slightly rock informed pieces.   

9.       Eminem, ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’: After finding a bit of fame the previous year with ‘The Slim Shady LP,’ Eminem returned in 2000 with the even more polarizing ‘The Marshall Mathers LP.’ While the album had its humorous, tongue-in-cheek moments with songs like “The Real Slim Shady,” it also got dark and violent with songs like “Stan” (about an obsessed fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend) and “Kim” (which made up a scenario where he killed his wife). Despite the album’s intense nature, it became one of his most successful, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide and going diamond in the US.

10.   Baha Men, ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’: Hard to imagine, but “Who Let The Dogs Out” (both the single and album of the same name) turns 20 this year. The song became inescapable that year, and even breaking the top ten on charts all over the world. It continues to be used during sporting events to this day (although not as heavily).

Additional Selections Turning 20:

·         Nelly, ‘Country Grammar’

·         Matchbox 20, ‘Mad Season’

·         Nelly Furtado, ‘Whoa, Nelly!’

·         Outkast, ‘Stankonia’

·         Papa Roach, ‘Infest’

·         Eve 6, ‘Horrorscope’

·         Disturbed, ‘The Sickness’

The musical landscape has changed a lot in the last 20 years. However, looking back on the popular albums of 2000 gives you a unique perspective on where certain trends came from. Reminisce with us on the albums above and let us know about your favorite albums turning 20 in the comments below.

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Fuel your nostalgia at Vinyl Bay 777! As one of Long Island’s top independent record shops, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a variety of genres from throughout many decades. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Albums Celebrating Milestone 10th, 20th and 30th Anniversaries in 2019

Some of culture’s most beloved albums are seeing milestone anniversaries in 2019. Whether they were released 10, 20 or even 50 years ago, these albums have left a lasting impression on music and culture that can still be felt as many years later.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look back at some of these influential albums celebrating milestone 10^th, 20^th and 30^th anniversaries in 2019. Here are just a few titles that have continued to leave their mark decades after their initial release.

Ten Years:

1.       Florence and the Machine, ‘Lungs’: Florence and the Machine burst out onto the rock scene in 2009 seemingly overnight with their debut album ‘Lungs.’ Single “Dog Days Are Over” became a runaway hit, nearly inescapable on rock and top 40 radio. The album paved the way for the band’s massive career, as well as for female-fronted radio rock bands in general.

Twenty Years:

1.       Britney Spears, ‘…Baby One More Time’: It’s hard to believe, but 2019 marks 20 years of Britney Spears’ reign on pop music. With the release of ‘…Baby One More Time’ in 1999, a then-16 year old Spears was thrust into superstardom, helping to usher in the explosion of bubblegum pop that had been starting to come up over the previous couple of years.

2.       Backstreet Boys, ‘Millennium’: Earning them their biggest hit to date with the single “I Want It That Way,” ‘Millennium’ furthered the Backstreet Boys’ stronghold on the boy band boom of the late 1990s-early 2000s. It remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.

3.       Santana, ‘Supernatural’: ‘Supernatural’ was a come-out-of-nowhere resurgence for Santana, who previously had his biggest success in the 1960s and 1970s, including a slot during the original Woodstock festival. But in 1999, the guitarist decided to add a little youth into his art, collaborating with Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Dave Matthews, Lauryn Hill and more, which catapulted him back onto the charts and giving him his best-selling album ever. He made a similar album three years later with ‘Shamen,’ but even though it boasted the hit “Game of Love,” didn’t come anywhere near the same success.

Thirty Years:

1.       Beastie Boys, ‘Paul’s Boutique’: Though it didn’t produce the same kind of hits debut album ‘Licensed to Ill’ did, ‘Paul’s Boutique’ is still considered to be a highly influential release in hip-hop. The album reinvented the group, distancing itself from the party rock of its predecessor and laying down a formula for extended success. Its legendary usage of samples became part of the blueprint that would bring the hip-hop genre into the next decade.

2.       Pixies, ‘Doolittle’: Though debut full-length ‘Surfer Rosa’ introduced Pixies to the world, ‘Doolittle’ was arguably the album that put them on the map. The album’s mix of heavy guitars, pop-y vocals and dark subject matter has become iconic in indie rock and was a precursor to grunge’s heavier vibes.

From the 20^th anniversary of bubblegum pop’s heyday to some of rock and hip-hop’s most revered debuts and comeback’s, 2019 is seeing milestone anniversaries for some of music’s most beloved albums. Check out the list of iconic albums above and let us know what album anniversaries you’re excited for in the coming year.

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Rediscover some of music’s most iconic albums and more at Vinyl Bay 777. As Long Island’s top new independent record shop, we have thousands of titles to choose from in a wide array of genres. Browse our selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs, memorabilia and more in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Twenty Years Later: *NSYNC’s Boy Band Domination of the Late 1990s

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, takes a brief look at the lasting impact the boy band had on pop music

*NSYNC Logo. Found on Wikimedia Commons.

It’s been two decades since *NSYNC took over the global music scene with their R&B-tinged bubblegum pop, sleek dance moves and coordinated outfits. Now, the infamous boy band, made up of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass, is in the spotlight again as they prepare to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this Monday, April 30.

Of course boy bands were around way before *NSYNC was ever a thought. Menudo has gone through several iterations since the 1970s. New Edition and New Kids on the Block had all the tweenage girls falling head-over-heels in the 1980s. Go back even further and you have The Jackson 5 and The Osmonds creating those sweet harmonies.

However, pop music lost some steam in the mid-1990s. From about 1993 until 1997, grunge and alternative rock took over the top 40. Pop made its resurgence in 1998 with boy bands, notably the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, and starlets like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera leading the way.

But it is *NSYNC that really made a name for themselves above the others during that boy band explosion. Following a supercharged start in Germany in 1996 (where many American pop artists got their start at the time), the group came back to the states to release their self-titled debut, which after much publicity, was certified diamond. Their second album, ‘No Strings Attached,’ would prove to be even more successful, spawning the mega hit “Bye Bye Bye,” debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and breaking the record for most albums sold in its first week, a record that would stand until 2015. The group kept up with the momentum for their third album, ‘Celebrity,’ which also debuted at number one and nearly broke their first week sales record. At their height, the band’s name was being marketed everywhere with marionettes, notebooks, keychains, video games and more displaying their likeness.

Unlike a lot of other boy bands, *NSYNC had a fairly well-rounded sound. The group consisted of singers that filled high and mid-tenor, baritone and bass vocals to create pleasing harmonies. And harmonize they did, taking nearly every opportunity to sing a cappella for fans all over the world. Their sound also evolved over time, going from innocent pop love songs that really showed off their vocal chops to more dance-centric tunes with catchy choruses to a sound with more electronic elements to keep up with where pop music was heading.

*NSYNC still has a massive hold on pop culture and pop music. Even though the band broke up in 2002, the group’s eight years together was enough to elicit a collective nostalgia that never really let them fade into obscurity. Some of this is due to Justin Timberlake’s solo success, which continued the band’s legacy, keeping hopes of a reunion looming every time he gets a prestigious honor or headlines the Super Bowl. The other part is due to their musical influence. Without *NSYNC, pop music wouldn’t sound like it does. You can hear it in the way newer boy bands like One Direction, The Wanted and Why Don’t We play off each other. Artists as varied as Meghan Trainer, Kelsea Ballerini and Paramore’s Hayley Williams all cite the group as being influential on them as musicians.

Twenty years after the release of their debut album, *NSYNC continues to be an influential force in pop music. Though not the first boy band in recording history, their brand of harmony-filled, R&B-tinged bubble gum pop helped usher in a new sound that had not been too prevalent in the US pop music scene before 1998. With the group’s star ceremony coming up in less than a week, fans will once again be reminded why *NSYNC are so deserving of their place in pop culture history.

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Celebrate the music of *NSYNC and more influential artists at Vinyl Bay 777. Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop has thousands of titles to choose from. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. Whether you’re looking for pop, rock, jazz, R&B, classical or dance, we have you covered. And with more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what kind of gem you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.

Albums Celebrating 10 and 20-Year Anniversaries in 2018

There is nothing more popular than nostalgia. In our current collective culture, we delight in celebrating the music that we love. And when it comes to big anniversaries, we love to look back and celebrate it even more.

A lot has happened in music in the last 10 to 20 years. Pop and rock continued to shift and evolve into include new and different aspects. Over the last two decades, we’ve seen the rise of both bubble-gum and electronic pop. Nu metal broke out, followed by pop punk, indie rock and other genres. We’ve also seen albums become classics of R&B, pop and rock.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at just a few of the albums celebrating tenth and twentieth anniversaries in 2018. Here are ten that will get you feeling all nostalgic for the “good old days.”

(Note: For this article, we’ve chosen to look at albums released in 2008 and 1998. Another article with albums turning 30, 40 and 50 will be released soon.)

10 Years

1.       Vampire Weekend, ‘Vampire Weekend’: Vampire Weekend broke out in 2008 with their self-titled, self-produced debut album. Their sound borrowed from African music, combining that with punk and airy indie-rock, which gave the band a unique niche that no one has been able to replicate yet. The album was ranked as one of the best albums of the year, as well as of the last decade.

2.       Coldplay, ‘Viva La Vida’: While Coldplay had their initial success in the early 2000s, the band had a real pop breakthrough with their fourth album, ‘Viva La Vida,’ in 2008. The album debuted a new, more pop-rock influenced sound for the band, which both fans and critics loved. Its title track earned the band its first number one hit in the US and UK, as well as a Grammy for Best Rock Album.

3.       The Gaslight Anthem, ‘The ‘59 Sound’: The Gaslight Anthem became punk’s breakout band in 2018, releasing their sophomore album, ‘The ’59 Sound,’ to critical acclaim. The album led to tours with Social Distortion, as well as Bruce Springsteen, an artist the band would find themselves compared to until their break-up in 2015.

4.       Adele, ‘19’: In 2008, Adele was a fresh-faced pop singer-songwriter just hitting the pop charts. Releasing her debut album, ‘19,’ that January, it quickly rose to the top of the charts, hitting number one in her native UK and four in the US. “Chasing Pavements” was a modest hit, but it got Adele recognized by VH1, who featured the singer as one of their “You Outta Know” artists.

5.       Lady Gaga, ‘The Fame’: When Lady Gaga released her debut album, ‘The Fame,’ in 2008, it blew up. The album topped the charts all over the world for nearly two years and became one of the best-selling albums of the last decade. The singer’s electronic pop helping to usher in a more dance-centric new era of pop music.

20 Years

1.       Korn, ‘Follow the Leader’: In 1998, nu metal was coming into its own and Korn were at the forefront of the new genre. Their third album, ‘Follow the Leader’ became one of the genre’s cornerstones, producing hits “Got the Life” and “Freak on a Leash” that dominated airplay on MTV.

2.       Destiny’s Child, ‘Destiny’s Child’: Before Beyonce became one of the biggest names in pop music, she was a member of the ultra-successful girl group Destiny’s Child. In 1998, the group released their eponymous debut album introduced the world to their sweet harmonies and laid the groundwork for their later success.

3.       Lauryn Hill, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’: Following her time with The Fugees, Lauryn Hill released her only solo album, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.’ The album received a lot of praise, even being called one of the greatest albums of all time. In fact, the album was so highly regarded that it was included in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. Following the album’s success, Hill virtually disappeared from the public eye, though people are still raving about it two decades later.

4.       Hole, ‘Celebrity Skin’: Hole hit their stride in 1998, releasing their third and most commercially popular album, ‘Celebrity Skin.’ Led by the success of the album’s title track, ‘Celebrity Skin’ went platinum multiple times and became the band’s first album to chart in the top ten of the Billboard 200.

5.       The Offspring, ‘Americana’: Before ‘Americana’ was released, The Offspring had already gained a big commercial following. However, post-‘Americana,’ that following grew. “Pretty Fly for a White Guy,” “The Kids Aren’t Alright” and “Why Don’t You Get A Job” played in heavy rotation on MTV. The album remains the band’s second-best-selling album, going more than 10 million copies over the last two decades.

There are a lot of great albums that are celebrating 10 and 20 year anniversaries in 2018.  For a trip down memory lane, check out the albums above and let us know what albums you’re nostalgic for.

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Feed your nostalgia by picking up music from these artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777. Long Island’s favorite new independent record shop has thousands of titles to choose from in an array of genres. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location or online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added all the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.