2000
Britney Spears: Oops!...I Did It Again - Come on, who didn't own this album? I was about 8 or 9 when this came out and was not that big into music, so I still owned a cassette player, and I bought this album and ...Baby One More Time on tape and loved them until I wore them out and bought the CDs (which I also wore out).
Mandy Moore: I Wanna Be With You - I didn't discover this album until 2007, but man was it great! I loved the title track as soon as I heard it on Now 5 and kept replaying it.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music, Volume 4! - I didn't get this until Christmas day of 2000 (along with volume 5), but man, did I love these albums! They had some songs I liked and were familiar with, and songs that I had never heard before. It was cool getting this and the other Now CDs in the earlier part of the decade because I wasn't as turned on to music as I had become.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music, Volume 5! - This was probably the first CD of the decade I really wanted. As soon as I saw the commercial for this on TV, I rushed out to FYE in hopes of getting it. Little did I know, I had to wait a few weeks.
Madonna: Music - I don't know why I discovered this album 8 years after its release - maybe because its lead single had been stuck in my head? Either way it's a great album, and if you're lucky enough to get your hands on an import edition, the bonus track "American Pie" is one of the best.
3LW: 3LW - Another album I didn't discover until after its release (in this case, about a year or two). I liked the lead single and when I got the album I liked a good majority of the other tracks.
Aaron Carter: Aaron's Party (Come Get It) - Oh boy. I heard this song on Now 5 and thought Aaron Carter was the man. I bought the Hit Clip to this (anyone remember those?!), and later on decided to buy this album, which I also thought was genius.
2001
Jennifer Lopez: J. Lo - I heard "Love Don't Cost a Thing" on the radio and was obsessed with it! I bought the original issue in May 2001 before the rerelease, so the version of the album I got did not have a Parental Advisory warning or the bonus remix track, but it did have all the explicit lyrics intact on the album, and a second bonus CD with the Spanish version of LDCAT and a B-Side, called "Pleasure is Mine". The first few times I listened to the album, I missed the most obvious expletive (the "F" word) on "Play", and after listening to it again I realized it. Of course, being 8 at the time I thought it was hilarious but was scared if my parents ever found out.
Janet Jackson: All For You - I heard "All for You" on the radio and when I finally found out who sung it, I wanted the album. Just like the 'J. Lo' album, I bought the first release of the album - no extra tracks, and no Parental Advisory sticker. Only this time, I caught the expletives on this album (since there are SO many) and was mortified when I was with a friend looking through the liner notes and my friend's dad saw the (raunchy) spread-like wraparound picture for the booklet and looked through it. The booklet also contained the lyrics, and my friend's dad saw words like 'm*********r' and started laughing. Naturally my mom wondered what was funny and my friend's dad told her. My mom was mortified and told me we'd have a talk when we got home. She forgot about it I guess, since we never talked about it and she didn't take the CD away from me. Even when I was 8 I won the battles by forfeit.
Mandy Moore: Mandy Moore - The other Mandy Moore album I didn't discover until 2007, I had this album on repeat for a good two months. One of the best of the year.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Volume 7 - Again, this had all great hits on it. My favorite hit of the spring, "All For You" was on there, along with "Play" by Jennifer Lopez. Through this album I appreciated Mandy Moore even more with "In My Pocket", and I discovered great songs "The Call Remix" by BSB, and "Baby Come on Over" by Samantha Mumba (whose album I still need to get someday soon!).
Aaliyah: Aaliyah - When the news of her death broke, the only song I had heard of hers was "Try Again", because of Now 4 (later on I realized she also sang "Are You That Somebody?" in the '90s). In the weeks following, I saw various MTV and VH1 specials about her life and death, and watched her music video tribute. I fell in love with her music and videos and rushed out to get this. Later in 2001 I bought her debut album, and in 2007 I purchased "One In A Million" and upgraded to the Special Edition German imports of this album and OIAM, and also got I Care 4 U (the greatest hits album), Ultimate Aaliyah (greatest hits, rarities and VH1 Behind the Music DVD all in one collection), and the Special Fan Box (a German import). I still love this album to this day.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 8 - Around the fall of 2001 when this was released, this album had it all. It had some of the best music of the year on it and was my favorite Now album for a while. It also was the closest I ever got to hearing Christina Milian, since her debut album was never released in the U.S., and I'm still trying to snag an imported copy.
Missy Elliott: Miss E...So Addictive - Yet another album I didn't discover until 2007, this is a great hip-hop album and it also has some good songs to dance to.
Michael Jackson: Invincible - I didn't hear this one until after his death, and I don't know why this is one of his lowest-selling albums. It's still got some great dance songs and nice slower songs as well.
P!nk: M!ssundaztood - The lead single 'Get the Party Started' was a huge hit in 2002, and I didn't get this album until Christmas of '02, but I instantly fell in love with it. It was a bit on the raunchy side for me at the time, but great nonetheless. It's such a fun album to listen to, most of the songs have a great message to them, and the album never gets old.
Britney Spears: Britney - This album was a big change for Britney, as it was more sexual and daring for her at the time. I enjoyed the lead single since I had been a Britney fan for a while, and was thrilled when I got this for Christmas of 2001.
No Doubt: Rock Steady - No Doubt's only full-length studio album released this decade is an album I didn't truly appreciate until a few years after I had this.
2002
Tweet: Southern Hummingbird - The lead single, "Oops, Oh My" is what made me buy this album, and I think it's one of the first songs that I liked for the beat, more than the lyrics or theme of the lead single.
Ashanti: Ashanti - Got this after hearing "Foolish" and "Happy". It's a great album and I occasionally still listen to a few tracks off of this one.
TLC: 3D - I didn't get into TLC until last year, but this album was one of my favorites, only behind their 1999 album, Fanmail.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 10 - This was a great mix to listen to in the summer of 2002, and it introduced me to yet another artist that I loved whose album was never released - Jade Anderson.
Jennifer Love Hewitt: BareNaked - I didn't listen to this album until 2007, but it easily became one of my absolute favorites of the decade.
Jennifer Lopez: This Is Me...Then - Another great album by J.Lo that was easy to get hooked on.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 11 - This has some of the best mainstream radio music from the last half of 2002 on it.
2003
Lisa Marie Presley: To Whom It May Concern - I blind-bought LMP's second studio album back in 2005 when it came out, and I rediscovered it this year. This year I also decided to buy this album, her debut. It's probably better than her sophomore album and I never skip a single track. Too bad she's so underrated.
Liz Phair: Liz Phair - Liz Phair was known throughout the '90s for her Indie style music, and this album is considered her transformation to more mainstream, pop/rock music, which is why many people bashed this album. I discovered this only last year, but I see nothing wrong with it and this is one of my all-time favorites.
Madonna: American Life - Not many people like this one, but I consider it one of Madonna's best. It's just so different from anything she had done before.
Black Eyed Peas: Elephunk - I didn't buy this album because of "Where is the Love?", I actually because of "Hey Mamma". It's a great album.
P!nk: Try This - For some reason, this is P!nk's lowest-selling album to date, and I'm not sure why. Every single track is golden, and this album is my favorite album of the decade. 6 years later, I still listen to it and it never gets old.
No Doubt: The Singles: 1992 - 2003 - This was the perfect CD for me as a casual No Doubt fan - it turned me on to some of their best work from the '90s as well as some of their more recent hits.
Britney Spears: In The Zone - Another great album by Britney. On this one she tries different styles of music, and change is always welcome.
Kelis: Tasty - I don't care what anyone says, this album is Kelis' best to this date. It's very soulful and funky, with a little bit of hip-hop thrown in.
2004
Janet Jackson: Damita Jo - Released in the weeks following her infamous Superbowl incident, I still had high hopes for Janet. I loved the lead single, but the Superbowl incident really hurt the sales of this truly underrated album.
Various Artists: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 15 - This was probably the last ever Now! album that was truly great from start to finish.
Collective Soul: Youth - The lead single, "Better Now" had been stuck in my head for a while, so I decided maybe the album was worth a listen. Boy was I right!
Hilary Duff: Hilary Duff - I bought Duff's first album upon release, but this one is the best one she's released. It's still a guilty pleasure of mine.
Bowling for Soup: A Hangover You Don't Deserve - This was the first BFS album I got, and I loved every song from start to finish.
Gwen Stefani: Love, Angel, Music, Baby - Having been a fan of No Doubt, this was a definite buy for me, and it did not disappoint.
2005
Lisa Marie Presley: Now What - This was a total blind-buy for me. I had only heard her 2003 single "Lights Out" only once or twice before. I had a store credit to Costco as I had returned something I didn't want and they didn't have anything good - plus I don't go there often. I was glad I made this purchase - it's such a great album!
Black Eyed Peas: Monkey Business - This album was a great improvement over their last, and if you can get past the annoying lead single, "Don't Phunk With My Heart", you got yourself a decent album.
Mariah Carey: The Emancipation of Mimi - Didn't give this one a listen until 2008 when I became a fan of Mariah's, but this album is great.
Rob Thomas: Something To Be - I liked most of Matchbox Twenty's singles so I decided maybe this would be worth the purchase, and it was.
Madonna: Confessions on a Dance Floor - Wow. This album is great! I can listen to it nonstop. It's one of Madonna's best.
R. Kelly: TP.3 Reloaded - Although I can't stand R. Kelly now, there's a few of his songs from the earlier part of the decade I'll listen to occasionally. A majority of them comes from this album and the other one of his from 2007.
Coming Soon: 2006 - 2009!
). I can't stand pop acts like Britney or NSync. I'd make a list of actual music, but as far as I'm concerned, aside from John Mayer, Coldplay, and some rock bands now around (and good rock, not that emo crap), mainstream music stopped being worth my time once I learned Led Zeppelin broke up 30 years ago.
