
Exactly 10 years ago, I watched my first GRAMMY Awards on television. It was the same year I started to appreciate the arts and the celebration of it.
It was the beginning of the coming-of-age decade when I studied and fell in love with so many music genres, from jazz, pop, country, folk, instrumental to rhythm & blues. I fell in love with a whole string of artists, especially singers before my time, like the great Ella Fitzgerald (above).
I don't like the current music scene. As compared to previous decades when music had deep soul and meaning, much of the music we're hearing these days come off trashy. But there were, I have to say, a number of artists who kept the powerful spirit of the yesteryear's music alive in the 2000's.
Here is my list of 25 of such artists - the 25 Greatest Artists of the Decade:
#25 - Alison Krauss Albums Released:New Favorite (2001), Lonely Runs Both Ways (2004), Raising Sand (2007)
Hit Singles:The Lucky One, You Will Be My Ain't True Love, The Scarlet Tide, Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On), Rich Woman, Please Read The Letter
Notable Achievements:Won 16 GRAMMY Awards in the last decade and 26 overall in her career (most for any female artist in history).
#24 - Dario Marianelli Albums Released:Being Considered (2000), Pandaemonium (2001), In This World (2002), I Capture the Castle (2003), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Pride & Prejudice (2005), V for Vendetta (2006), Atonement (2007), The Brave One (2007), The Soloist (2009), Agora (2009)
Notable Achievements:Won Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for his music composition in Atonement.
#23 - Martina McBride Albums Released:Martina (2003), Timeless (2005), Waking Up Laughing (2007), Shine (2009)
Hit Singles:Blessed, A Broken Wing, Concrete Angel, God's Will, (I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden
Notable Achievements:Won Country Music Association Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
#22 - Ray Charles Albums Released:Genius Loves Company (2004)
Hit Singles:Here We Go Again (with Norah Jones), You Don't Know Me (with Diana Krall), Sweet Potato Pie (with James Taylor), Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? (with Bonnie Raitt), Sinner's Prayer (with B.B. King), Heaven Help Us All (with Gladys Knight), Hey Girl (with Michael McDonald)
Notable Achievements:Genius Loves Company won 8 GRAMMY Awards in 2005, including Record of the Year and Album of the Year.
#21 - Justin Timberlake Albums Released:Justified (2002), FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
Hit Singles:Like I Love You, Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body, Senorita, SexyBack (with Timbaland), My Love (with T.I.), What Goes Around.../...Comes Around, Summer Love, LoveStoned/I Think She Knows, 4 Minutes (with Madonna and Timbaland), Dead and Gone (with T.I.), Love Sex Magic (with Ciara)
Notable Achievements:Won 6 GRAMMY Awards and achieved 3 number-one hits as a solo artist in the United States.
#20 - Zhang Hui Mei (A-Mei) Albums Released:Journey (2001), Truth (2001), Fever (2002), Brave (2003), Maybe Tomorrow (2004), I Want Happiness (2006), Star (2007)
Hit Singles:Truth, A Moment (with Jam Hsiao)
Notable Achievements:Won the Golden Melody Award for Best Female Vocalist in 2003 after 4 consecutive nominations and losses.
#19 - Black Eyed Peas Albums Released:Elephunk (2003), Monkey Business (2005), The E.N.D. (2009)
Hit Singles:Where is the Love? (with Justin Timberlake), Shut Up, Hey Mama, Let's Get It Started, Don't Phunk with My Heart, Don't Lie, My Humps, Pump It, Boom Boom Pow, I Gotta Feeling
Notable Achievements:Won 6 GRAMMY Awards since their breakthrough to fame in 2004.
#18 - Josh Groban Albums Released:Josh Groban (2001), Closer (2003), Awake (2006), Noel (2007)
Hit Singles:To Where You Are, The Prayer (with Charlotte Church), You Raise Me Up, When You Say You Love Me, Awake, February Song
Notable Achievements:All albums so far went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Charts.
#17 - Nelly Furtado Albums Released:Whoa, Nelly! (2000), Folklore (2003), Loose (2006), Mi Plan (2009)
Hit Singles:I'm Like a Bird, Turn Off the Lights, Powerless (Say What You Want), Try, Promiscuous (with Timbaland), Maneater, Say It Right, Do It, Broken Strings (with James Morrison)
Notable Achievements:Won GRAMMY Award for "I'm Like A Bird" and a string of BRIT Awards and Juno Awards.
#16 - Pink Albums Released:Can't Take Me Home (2000), Missundaztood (2001), Try This (2003), I'm Not Dead (2006), Funhouse (2008)
Hit Singles:Most Girls, Get The Party Started, Don't Let Me Get Me, Just Like a Pill, Family Portrait, Trouble, Feel Good Time, Stupid Girls, U + Ur Hand, So What, Sober
Notable Achievements:A 2-time GRAMMY Award winner and one of the biggest success stories of the decade in music.
#15 - No Doubt Albums Released:Return of Saturn (2000), Rock Steady (2001)
Hit Singles:Simple Kind of Life, Hey Baby, Hella Good, Underneath It All, Running, It's My Life
Notable Achievements:Won 2 GRAMMY Awards and 5 MTV Video Music Awards.
#14 - Corrinne May Albums Released:Fly Away (2001), Safe in a Crazy World (2005), The Gift (2006), Beautiful Seed (2007)
Hit Singles:Fly Away, Something About You, Fall to Fly, If You Didn't Love Me, Mr. Beasley, Everything in its Time, Little Superhero Girl, Save Me, Angel in Disguise, If I Kissed You, The Birthday Song, Love Song for #1, On the Side of Me
Notable Achievements:Named COMPASS Young Composer of the Year in 2007 and won Best Contemporary Album award at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards in 2003.
#13 - Thomas Newman Albums Released:American Beauty (2000), Six Feet Under (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Angels in America (2003), Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), Jarhead (2005), Little Children (2006), WALL-E (2008), Revolutionary Road (2008), Brothers (2009)
Notable Achievements:10-time Academy Award nominee and winner of 1 Emmy Award and 5 GRAMMY Awards.
#12 - Philip Glass Albums Released:The Hours (2002), The Illusionist (2006), A Broken Sole (2006), Notes on a Scandal (2006), No Reservations (2007), Cassandra's Dream (2007), Deferred (2007), Kremen (2007), Little Things (2007), Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts (2007)
Notable Achievements:3-time Academy Award nominee.
#11 - Rachel Portman Albums Released:The Cider House Rules (2000), Chocolat (2000), Nicholas Nickleby (2002), The Human Stain (2003), Mona Lisa Smile (2003), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Oliver Twist (2005), Infamous (2006), The Lake House (2006), The Duchess (2008), Grey Gardens (2009)
Notable Achievements:Won Academy Award and nominated for 3 in total. The most recognised female composer in the film industry.
#10 - Alexandre Desplat Albums Released:Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003), Birth (2004), Casanova (2005), Syriana (2005), The Queen (2006), The Painted Veil (2006), Lust, Caution (2007), The Golden Compass (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Coco avant Chanel (2009), Julie & Julia (2009)
Notable Achievements:2-time Academy Award nominee, winner of Golden Globe Award for The Painted Veil.
#9 - Norah Jones Albums Released:Come Away with Me (2002), Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), The Fall (2009)
Hit Singles:Don't Know Why, Come Away with Me, Feels Like Home, Here We Go Again (with Ray Charles), Thinking About You
Notable Achievements: Won 9 GRAMMY Awards since her debut album was released in 2002. With her first album, she became one of the 6 female artists in GRAMMY history to hit the record of 5 wins in one night.
#8 - Destiny's Child Albums Released:The Writing's on the Wall (1999/2000), Survivor (2001), Destiny Fulfilled (2004)
Hit Singles:Say My Name, Jumpin' Jumpin', Independent Women Part I, Survivor, Bootylicious, Emotion, Loose My Breath, Soldier (with T.I. & Lil' Wayne), Girl, Cater 2 U
Notable Achievements: Won 3 GRAMMY Awards as a Trio. In 2005, they officially earned the title of "World's Best-Selling Female Group of All Time".
#7 - John Mayer Albums Released:Room for Squares (2001), Heavier Things (2003), Continuum (2006), Battle Studies (2009)
Hit Singles:Your Body is a Wonderland, Why Georgia, Daughters, Waiting on the World to Change, Gravity, Say, Who Says
Notable Achievements:Won a whopping 7 GRAMMY Awards. Earned the status as one of the most respected singer-songwriters in the business.
#6 - Coldplay Albums Released:Parachutes (2000), A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), X&Y (2005), Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)
Hit Singles:Yellow, Trouble, The Scientist, In My Place, Clocks, Speed of Sound, Violet Hill, Viva la Vida, Lost!, Lovers in Japan, Life in Technicolor II
Notable Achievements: Won 7 GRAMMY Awards in 20 previous nominations over the last decade and is one of the most renowned bands in the world.
#5 - Jason Mraz Albums Released:Live at Java Joe's (2001), Waiting for My Rocket to Come (2002), Tonight, Not Again: Jason Mraz Live at the Eagles Ballroom (2004), Mr. A-Z (2005), We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. (2008), Jason Mraz's Beautiful Mess - Live from Earth (2009)
Hit Singles:The Remedy (I Won't Worry), You and I Both, Wordplay, Geek in the Pink, Life is Wonderful, Mr. Curiosity, Unfold, I'm Yours, Make It Mine, Butterfly, Lucky, Live High, A Beautiful Mess, Love for a Child
Notable Achievements: "I'm Yours" spent 76 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts and holds the record for the most weeks a single has spent on the charts. Constantly performing in sold-out concerts worldwide.
#4 - Alicia Keys Albums Released:Songs in A Minor (2001), The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003), Unplugged (2005), As I Am (2007), The Element of Freedom (2009)
Hit Singles:Fallin', A Woman's Worth, How Come You Don't Call Me, You Don't Know My Name, If I Ain't Got You, Karma, My Boo (with Usher), Unbreakable, No One, Like You'll Never See Me Again, Superwoman, Doesn't Mean Anything, Empire State of Mind (with Jay-Z)
Notable Achievements: Winner of 12 GRAMMY Awards. A slew of number-one hits and albums. With her first album, she became one of the 6 female artists in GRAMMY history to hit the record of 5 wins in one night.
#3 - Beyoncé Albums Released:Dangerously in Love (2003), B'Day (2006), I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)
Hit Singles:Crazy in Love (with Jay-Z), Baby Boy (with Sean Paul), Me, Myself and I, Naughty Girl, '03 Bonnie & Clyde (with Jay-Z), Work It Out, Check on It, Déjà Vu (with Jay-Z), Ring The Alarm, Irreplaceable, Beautiful Liar (with Shakira), Get Me Bodied, Listen, At Last, If I Were A Boy, Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), Halo, Ego (with Kanye West), Sweet Dreams
Notable Achievements:Winner of 10 GRAMMY Awards since her debut solo album in 2003. Female artist that spent the most weeks on the Billboard charts in the decade. With her first solo album, she became one of the 6 female artists in GRAMMY history to hit the record of 5 wins in one night. One-half of the richest celebrity couple in the world.
#2 - Christina Aguilera Albums Released:Christina Aguilera (1999/2000), Mi Reflejo (2000), Stripped (2002), Back to Basics (2006)
Hit Singles:Genie in a Bottle, What a Girl Wants, I Turn to You, Come On Over Baby (All I Want is You), Lady Marmalade (with Lil' Kim, Mya & Pink), Nobody Wants to Be Lonely (with Ricky Martin), Dirrty, Beautiful, Fighter, The Voice Within, A Song For You (with Herbie Hancock), Ain't No Other Man, Candyman, Hurt, Slow Down Baby, Save Me From Myself, Keeps Gettin' Better
Notable Achievements:Winner of 4 GRAMMY Awards and 1 Latin GRAMMY Award. Listed #1 on COVE Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Vocalists in Music and #5 in MTV's 22 Greatest Voices of all Time. Nailed many genres of music in the last 10 years, from Pop, Rock, Classics, Rhythm & Blues to Dance/Electronic. The Madonna of the decade with her creative reinventions and exploration of vocal styles.
#1 - U2 Albums Released:All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000), How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), No Line on the Horizon (2009)
Hit Singles:Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Elevation, Walk On, Electrical Storm, The Hands That Built America, Vertigo, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, City of Blinding Lights, The Saints Are Coming (with Green Day), Get on Your Boots, I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight.
Notable Achievements:Historical 15 GRAMMY Awards in 4 years (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006) and 22 trophies overall. All That You Can't Leave Behind was hands down the best album of the decade, with How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb close behind. A whole string of phenomenal records and brilliant songwriting.