79 - Eminem

At number 79 is Eminem. Eminem is the first, but most definitely not the last, rapper on the countdown.

Wiki - Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known by his stage name Eminem (Stylized EMINƎM), or Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Eminem quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The following album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling solo album in history. It brought Eminem increased popularity, including his own record label, Shady Records, and brought his group project D12 to mainstream recognition.

The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show also won Grammy Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive LP's. He then won the award again in 2010 for his album Relapse, giving him a total of 11 Grammys in his career. In 2002, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the film 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. "Lose Yourself" would go on to become the longest running #1 hip-hop single. Eminem then went on hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004's Encore, titled Relapse, on May 15, 2009. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the decade, and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide to date, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Eminem was ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.

He was also named the Best Rapper Ever by Vibe magazine. Including his work with D12, Eminem has achieved eight #1 albums on the Billboard Top 200 and 12 number one singles worldwide. In December, 2009 Eminem was named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard Magazine. His albums The Eminem Show, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Encore (in order) ranked as the 3rd, 7th, and 40th best album of the 2000-2009 decade by Billboard Magazine. According to Billboard, Eminem has two of his albums among the top five highest selling albums of the 2000s.

Discography -

The Slim Shady LP
The Marshall Mathers LP
The Eminem Show
Encore
Relapse

(note: leaving The MMLP and the Eminem Show on the same list as Relapse is slightly mortifying for me)

Best Songs -

Just Don't Give a Fuck
My Name Is
Guilty Conscience
The Real Slim Shady
The Way I Am
Stan
Without Me
Lose Yourself
Sing for the Moment
Like Toy Soldiers

All of these songs are off of albums other than 2009's Relapse, which suffered from the current state that hiphop is in. I thought that Eminem had lost it, but the verse he drops on the song "Forever" (the one with Kanye, Lil Wayne and Drake) knocks all three of theirs combined.

Eminem does two different things, and does these two things very well. One, he makes songs that are ridiculously fun, that have hilarious videos that go with them (My Name Is, Real Slim Shady, Without Me). The other thing he does is make songs that intense/deep/real (Stan, Cleaning Out My Closet, Like Toy Soldiers) that are written so well lyrically. He is truely one of the most talented rappers of all time and I have all the respect in the world for him to be able to last as long as he has in the fickle world of hip-hop.

Because i couldn't choose which way i wanted to go with the music selection, i picked one of each his styles. Here's LIKE TOY SOLDIERS and THE REAL SLIM SHADY.




next up: a band that has one of the most beautiful songs of all time

80 - Eagles of Death Metal

So we have made it 1/5 of the way there. Here are the next 20 bands.



At number 80 is Eagles of Death Metal. They do not play death metal. Isn't that funny? EoDM feature Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age, only here he plays the drums instead of singing and playing guitar. EoDM are like QotSA, only quirkier and extremely ... um, fruity.

Wiki - Eagles of Death Metal are an American garage rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998 by Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme. Despite the name, Eagles of Death Metal is not a death metal band. Hughes said that a friend was trying to introduce Josh Homme to the death metal genre. When he played the Polish band Vader and made a claim that the song was death metal, Homme called them "The Eagles of death metal". After hearing this phrase, he wondered what a cross between the Eagles and a death metal band would sound like. In a 2003 interview Homme described the sound of the band as a combination of "bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats and Canned Heat vocals." Jesse Hughes is known and loved by fans for his enthusiastic and charismatic interaction with audiences at live performances.

Discography -

Peace, Love, & Death Metal
Death By Sexy
Heart On


Singles -

I Only Want You
Speaking in Tongues
I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)
Cherry Cola
Wannabe in L.A.
High Voltage

Favorite Lyric -

"I'm so real I don't need to fake it" - Cherry Cola

Now please view the fruitiest, queerest video ever.... yet it's so cool
WANNABE IN L.A.




next up: guess who's back. back again.

81 - Korn

At number 81 is Korn. Korn's original 5 members included 3 who went by pseudonyms and 2 who remained using their given names.

Wiki - Korn (often stylized as KoЯn) is an American heavy metal band formed in Bakersfield, California, in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier.

Their debut album, Korn was released in 1994. The album featured the two ex-members of Korn, Brian "Head" Welch and David Silveria. The band began recording Life Is Peachy in April of 1996, and released it on October 15, 1996. Follow the Leader is recognized as Korn's mainstream breakthrough, peaking #1 on the Billboard 200 in 1998, along with its succeeding album, Issues in 1999.

The band released Untouchables on June 11, 2002, and later released Take a Look in the Mirror November 21, 2003, both peaking in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Their first compilation album, peaked #4 on the Billboard 200. See You on the Other Side was released on December 6, 2005, and Korn's untitled album was released nearly 2 years later on July 27, 2007. Korn's ninth studio album has been proposed by the band that it may be released in early 2010. Korn currently has 33 singles and 17 of which have charted.

Discography -

Korn (1994)
Life Is Peachy (1996)
Follow the Leader (1998)
Issues (1999)
Untouchables (2002)
Take a Look in the Mirror (2003)
See You on the Other Side (2005)
Untitled album (2007)
Korn's Ninth Studio Album (supposedly early 2010)

Popular Songs -

Blind
A.D.I.D.A.S.
Freak on a Leash
Got the Life
Falling Away from Me
Here to Stay
Right Now
Y'all Want a Single
Coming Undone

Favorite Lyric -

"I don't know your f*cking name.
So what, let's f*ck." - A.D.I.D.A.S.

Korn manages to pull off nu-metal as a genre, particularly in their music prior to 2005. For the countdown purposes, we're just going to pretend the last two albums (minus a couple songs) never happened.

And now, listen to GOT THE LIFE


next up: a side project of a member of a band in the top 10 on this list

82- Pepper

At #82 is the band Pepper. Pepper has been compared to Sublime, and if you take one listen, you'll know why.

Wiki - Pepper is a rock band originally from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, but has since relocated to Southern California. They play a mix of reggae, dub and rock. (thanks, wikipedia. you provide so little sometimes.)

Discography -

Give'N It
Kona Town
In With The Old
No Shame
Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations

Best Songs -

Stone Love
Ho's
B.O.O.T
Too Much
Back Home
Ashes
No Control
Your Face

Pepper has a number of songs that are provacative to say the least lyrically, such as "Point and Shoot" and "Give it Up", but most of these tend to fall flat. Contrastly, it's the subtle yet well-put together songs, such as "Back Home" and "Ashes" where Pepper exceed.

Favorite Lyric -

"What’s done is done
It’s in the past
Its ashes" - Ashes

Now watch this way TOO MUCH


next up: a bands whose most famous song has the lyrics "Boom na da noom na na nema"

83 - Talking Heads

At number 83 is the Talking Heads. They are one of the very few 1980's bands that I appreciate.

Wiki - Talking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison. Auxiliary musicians also frequently made appearances in concert and on the group's albums.

The new wave musical style of Talking Heads combined elements of punk rock, avant-garde, pop, funk, world music and art rock. Frontman and songwriter David Byrne contributed whimsical, esoteric lyrics to the band's songs, and emphasized their showmanship through various multimedia projects and performances

In 2002, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of the band's albums appeared on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Notable Albums -

Talking Heads: 77
More Songs About Buildings and Food
Fear of Music
Remain in Light
Speaking in Tongues
Little Creatures

Popular Songs -

Psycho Killer
Take Me to the River
Life During Wartime
Once in a Lifetime
Burning Down the House
And She Was
Road to Nowhere

Best Lyric -

"There is water, at the bottom of the ocean" - Once in a Lifetime

I hate 80's music for the most part, but, similar to Brand New, making it on to this list as a genre that I don't like is just all the more impressive.

now see all the 80's glory in:
BURNING DOWN THE HOUSe

Talking Heads - Burning down the house
Uploaded by Dan_of_the_Land. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

next up: a band from our 50th state

84 - Third Eye Blind

At number 84 is alternative-rock band, Third Eye Blind. 3EB performed at Loyola back in 2008 during my freshman year.

Wiki - Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The band's current line-up is Stephan Jenkins (vocals, guitar), Brad Hargreaves (drums, percussion), and Tony Fredianelli (guitar, vocals). Original bassist Arion Salazar has not been playing with the band, and his future as part of the band is unclear. It is reported on the band's Facebook page that he is able to return whenever he wishes, as there is an "open door policy" for him. Abe Millet, of Inviolet Row, has been filling in for Salazar during recent concerts.

After the success of their eponymous debut album in 1997, the band released one more album, 1999's Blue, before guitarist Kevin Cadogan was released under controversial circumstances. In 2003, the band released Out of the Vein. In 2008 the band released the digital EP Red Star. After a six year hiatus from releasing a full length album, Ursa Major was released on August 17, 2009.

The band has announced that a possible B-Sides album, potentially entitled Ursa Minor, is in the works.

Discography -

Third Eye Blind
Blue
Out of the Vein
Ursa Major

Best Songs -

Losing a Whole Year
Graduate
Jumper
Semi-Charmed Life
How's It Going to Be
Never Let You Go
Wounded
Crystal Baller
Bonfire

Favorite Lyric -

"Where we used to laugh, there's a shouting match
sharp as a thumbnail scratch
A silence I can't ignore,
like the hammock by the doorway we spent time in
Swing's empty" - How's It Going to Be

Treat yourself to a little:
DEEP INSIDE OF YOU


next up: the band that told us there is water at the bottom of the ocean

85 - The XX

At number 85 is a British alternative band, The XX. The XX released their debut album, "XX" in 2009.

Wiki - The xx are a three-piece band from Wandsworth, south west London, England, formed in 2005. The four original band members met at Elliott School, notable for alumni including Hot Chip, Burial and Four Tet. Originally a four-piece band, keyboardist Baria Qureshi left the group citing exhaustion as the reason.

The group's debut album, xx, was met with critical acclaim, with a "universal acclaim" ranking on Metacritic. It also ranked well on "best of the year" lists with Rolling Stone placing it at #9 and NME placing it at #2. NME also placed them at number 6 in the 2009 NME The Future 50 list.

Best Songs -

VCR
Islands
Heart Skipped a Beat
Stars
Night Time
Basic Space

Favorite Lyric -

"I am yours now
So now I don't ever have to leave
I've been found out
So now I'll never explore" - Islands

The XX are a unique blend of indie rock with melodic hip-hop, but still manage to maintain a chill persona.

Want a snippet? Listen to:
VCR


next up: a band I saw not too far from home