The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: 40-21
From breathtaking reformulations of shoegaze to British soul revival, this batch of stellar recordings from the 2000s is an eclectic one.
eminem
The Most Memorable Albums of 1999 (Part 1)
PopMatters is 20 this year -- until October when we are 21 -- and a 2009 special section celebrates the popular music that defined the year of our birth. Today we kick things off with albums from January through March, highlighted by Eminem's debut and stellar pop from XTC and Blur.
The 60 Best Songs of 2010
Journey back to 2010 for 60 slices of musical greatness highlighted by one of the most delightful expletive-ridden hits in pop music history.
‘Kamikaze’ Is Eminem at His Midlife Best, Slightly Less Deviant, But Revived, Nonetheless
Kamikaze is the result of Eminem's anguish; a scorched earth assailing of anyone who dared to doubt or diss him, that sees the Detroit rapper return to resentment for his muse.
Eminem: A Love Story
Who can listen to Eminem’s discography today and not be struck by one of popular music’s most prolonged and extraordinary expressions of interminable sadness?
Eminem – “Phenomenal” (Singles Going Steady)
For some reason it's reassuring that horrifyingly expensive, indulgent videos are not just the preserve of the fancy young starlets.
Dr. Dre: Compton (take 2)
After 15 years of largely playing mentor to developing artists, Dr. Dre makes a triumphant 11th hour solo return.
Dr. Dre: Compton
A rapper/producer that started in the '80s raps and produces a surprisingly good album three decades later.
Eminem and Various Artists: SHADYXV
Shady Records compilation celebrating 15 years of the label; one disc of new material plus one "greatest hits" CD.
The Future Is Now, and It Is Odd: A Retrospective on Hip-hop in the ’00s
The historical unfolding of hip-hop bears a strong similarity to that of literature. With that lineage in mind, it's easy to see why the '00s found hip-hop taking on its postmodern stage.
There Isn’t a Single Insertion in ‘There Goes Gravity’ That Isn’t Intriguing
An invaluable look into the lives of our most adored musicians, written with wit, humility, and vibrancy by one of our most revered music journalists.
