The early 2000s feel like a lifetime ago, but the music that came out during that decade will likely never leave the minds of millennials who got to experience their initial releases. Personally, I think far too many bands from that era didn’t get the love and commercial success they deserved. Let’s look at just a few examples of underrated 2000s bands, shall we?
OK Go
Any millennial alive likely remembers how big a deal that treadmill-chorographed YouTube music video for “Here It Goes Again” from 2006 was. However, a lot of this band’s other music was really good, and it’s strange to me that they’re only really known for that one song. Both their 2002 debut OK Go and the 2005 album Oh No are excellent alt-rock and power pop releases. Their newer stuff is also quite good, in my opinion.
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The Thermals
The Thermals have to be one of the most underrated and influential lo-fi indie rock outfits out there. More Parts Per Million from 2003 is a fantastic album. And while this group got more refined as the years went on, they never lost their spark. So, explain to me why their fourth album was the only one from the early aughts to make it to the Billboard 200?! It makes no sense! F*ckin A and The Body, The Blood, The Machine are both amazing albums, too, and they were even released on Sub Pop. Honestly, all four of their 2000s records should have been charting successes.
Silversun Pickups
I’ve talked about this band in the past and how I believe they deserved more than just a handful of hits. I still feel the same way, dang it! The band saw quite a bit of success with their two albums from the 2000s, Carnavas and Swoon. But the fact that only one of their singles (“Panic Switch” from 2009) made it to the Billboard Hot 100 chart will never not be crazy to me. “Lazy Eye” was on everybody’s MP3 player in 2007, and yet, that song didn’t make it to the Hot 100 and didn’t top the Alternative Airplay chart. I can’t think of a band more memorable and underrated among indie rock and shoegaze bands from the 2000s than Silversun Pickups. The charts really aren’t fair at all, are they?
Photo courtesy of Silversun Pickups’ official Facebook page
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Beatles tour of USA 1964. Left to right: Beatles members Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney wave to fans prior to boarding their plane at London airport for their tour of USA. 18th August 1964. (Photo by Eyles/Daily Herald/Mirrorpix via Getty Images) -
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UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 01: (left to right) Boz Burrell, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs of Bad Company perform on the BBC television show 'Top of the Pops' in June 1974. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
