The music of the decade

Pete Burgess - Arts Editor

Song of the decade: Radiohead – 'Idioteque'

Cut up beats, obscure sampling and apocalyptic vocals saw Radiohead open the decade with some of its most influential music. A perfect example of turn-of-the-century paranoia, this, as much as anything on Kid A, paved the way for 10 years of creative and economic fragmentation in the music industry.

Album of the decade: Joanna Newsom – Ys

The folksy Californian harpist’s second album (named after the mythical French city) is a revelation. Containing only five songs in over 55 minutes, its sprawling orchestral arrangements, ornate lyrics and unique vocal style proved too much for some. For the converted, though, Ys is breathtaking: without question, a masterpiece.

Live act of the decade: Sigur Rós

More an assault on the senses than a traditional rock show, Sigur Rós have been stunning gig-goers worldwide for years. Sometimes joined by friends Amiina and a brass band, other times appearing more starkly as a quartet, the band’s atmospheric lighting and explosive post-rock crashes are, at their best, unforgettable.

Innovator of the decade: Björk

Ever the maverick, Björk’s experimental albums this decade have incorporated throat singing, human beatbox, industrial machinery and instruments as diverse as the kora and the pipa. Away from the studio, she has had a daughter, learnt to sail, broken the boundaries of Oscar-night fashion and won Best Actress at Cannes.

Icon of the decade: M.I.A.

Born to Sri Lankan Tamil parents and brought up across the world, Maya Arulpragasam’s brashly brilliant, politicised fusion of diverse styles makes her the decade’s most notable musical revolutionary. From her underground origins to her explosion into the mainstream via file sharing networks, she’s a perfect icon for our time.

Radiohead - 'Idioteque'

Adam Massingberd-Mundy - Performing Arts Editor

Song of the decade: Damien Rice - 'The Blowers Daughter'

Whilst it may not stand alone as the most finely crafted, most powerful or even greatest song of the decade, this track had the capacity to draw together listeners from all ages, all genres in almost universal appreciation.

Album of the decade: Arcade Fire - Funeral

No other album this decade has blended heart-wrenching loss with astounding rock music as well as Arcade Fire. It is impossible not to feel empathy with at least one of the tracks on this record, a perfect debut for a band with vast quantities left to offer.

Live Act of the decade: Muse

Lasers, smoke, bombastic, grandiose rock and the infectious wailing and crooning of Matthew Bellamy, Muse takes stadium rock to a higher plane, without compromising their music along the way. Brilliant.

Innovator of the decade: Girl Talk

Girl Talk A.K.A. Gregg Gillis has taken musical mash-ups to the next level; the opening track of his latest album Feed the Animals sampling 25 different songs alone. All unauthorized samples, Girl Talk represents the future of musical copyright and could be the barometer of things to come. I've seen the future, and it's back where we came from.

Icon of the decade: The iPod

The defining figure of music this decade hasn't been a person, but rather a small innocuous machine, the iPod. Nothing represents more succinctly how music has changed over the decade – accessible, on demand and short-lived.

Damien Rice - 'The Blowers Daughter'

Rich Powell - Music Editor

Song of the decade: The Hours – 'Ali In The Jungle'

The Hours, the master-project of Antony Genn and Martin Slattery, are one of the most underrated, underappreciated and under-publicised groups of the ‘noughties’. Consequentially, this, their calling card, remains one of the most inspiring modern day anthems that people have never heard. Here’s hoping they finally get the attention they deserve in the ‘teenies’.

Album of the decade: The Polyphonic Spree – Together We’re Heavy

Sandwiched between two flawed releases, this record remains the finest achievement from Tim Delaughter’s epic orchestral-rock project. Filled to the brim with vibrant textures and heart-warming songs, the album is a dazzling journey from start to finish.

Live Act of the decade: Duke Special

Whether taking to the stage on his own with just a piano for company or surrounded by his very own troupe of colourful characters (his backing band!), under his stage-name Peter Wilson has a unique talent for capturing the hearts and ears of an audience. Not only giving exceptional performances of his beautifully crafted songs, his warm persona makes for entertaining banter. His shows may not be the biggest around, but you’ll never forget them.

Innovators of the decade: Radiohead

The last ten years have seen the legendary Oxford-based five-piece release four truly sublime albums, each one pushing the boundaries of popular music and setting a so-far unrivalled precedent for the shape of music in the twenty-first century. They’re not just innovators for the inspired manner of their In Rainbows release; Radiohead have not only eluded the ruthless pigeonholing of today's media, but seem to have created their own genre of music. Long may they continue to do so.

Icon of the decade: Noel Gallagher

While many would immediately associate Oasis with the nineties, for me Noel Gallagher has done almost as much for the last ten years. His stoicism and uncompromising outspokenness is an example to us all, and as the music industry has become more and more divided, Noel has continued to write great music in his own inimitable style. The end of Oasis should finally signal the blossoming of a solo career that has been beckoning for so long now. The best part is, if you disagree with me, he really wouldn’t care.

The Hours - 'Ali In The Jungle'

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