I nearly got demoted in mid-1999. At my job as a retail manager. Not because I was bad at it, but because the regional manager’s position was open and I was one of three people under consideration for it. I didn’t get it, and the person who did saw me as a bit of a threat. The repercussions of this impacted my life – and in the way I listened to music.
I was only 26. The other ‘rising star’ was even younger (though probably much keener). The person who got it was in her late 40s and was a lifer in that company. Not as smart and probably not as strong for the job as the two youngsters, but she had put in her time and we were probably not quite ready. I also heard, from those who knew her, that she could be a little petty. Let’s call her Ms. B.
I knew I would be getting demoted because I was manager of a brand new rent-to-own store in a pretty nice neighborhood. Stupid location. How can you lead a business that you don’t believe in (never rent to own – if you were ever considering it, give your head a shake), and you knew was doomed from the start? Between that situation, and the idea that this new regional manager felt threatened by me, I knew I had to do something. I saw another regional manager job get posted (closer to Toronto) – and I prepared.
Ms. B and the VP were going to visit my store later that week. I put together my numbers at each of the three stores that I had managed, using my talent with numbers to highlight my impact upon arrival. The numbers before I got there – and then for three months after.
When the VP arrived I sat down with him privately, thankful to tear him away from Ms. B. I then presented my numbers and showed him that they improved in each store after my arrival. Every time. I could even show this with the new store because we got some old accounts transferred to it from other stores (based on area). Then I pushed for the regional manager job at a GTA location that had opened up. The VP, a great guy and friendly person, told me he was impressed – he had actually come to demote me (!), but this changed things. He immediately had a closed-door meeting with Ms. B and then later came out and offered me a sideways move. No demotion. It was one of the most triumphant moments of my life. I beat a demotion, I changed the plan. I out-maneuvered my boss and avoided a pay cut. I was transferred to a different store to become manager of that one and not only that, but it was at a location right by my house.
I knew I was on borrowed time. I scraped up what money I could and bought a used, crap computer. I moved out of my place and into my girlfriend’s apartment, and got Internet hooked up there. I started applying for jobs. Really stepping it up. After a few months, I was moved temporarily to manage a store just out of town. But then – I got the job that would change my life. It was in a head office for a pet store company, based in Markham. I could leave the shitty retail job and move to a new city – at a company where I would meet my wife.
Bottom line in 2000: I spent most of it in a small downtown London location listening to music and running the store. This year the quality of music, in my mind, declined. A lot. Radiohead’s new album Kid A, in my opinion was terrible. Sure, it got a Grammy for best Alternative Album, but I didn’t like it at all. And giving it another full listen in the months leading up to this post – I still don’t like it. And Pearl Jam, my favorite band, had Binaural which I did not like at all. My all-time favorite band – The Tragically Hip – put out something horrible and it turns out that it was the beginning of the end for what had been a steady string of great rock from these guys.
This made me sour on new rock music and when I moved to Markham in the latter half of 2000, I found myself tuning into Q107 (Classic Rock) more than 102.1 The Edge (Alternative Rock). At the age of 26, this is when I started to lose my hold on staying on top of all new music. It would never leave me. Not a music fan like myself. But it was never the same. So that was the backdrop to my year 2000 in music: Listened a lot of new stuff in the first half, became disenchanted, started transitioning more to classic rock again.
Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because we can all agree that on some days, certain songs kick more ass than other songs – yet other days they do not. It all depends on mood and situation. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow – if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment and I start singing along. So I group them instead of presenting a hard-and-fast order:
Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad
…with some inter-group splitting.
31 Great Songs From 2000
54-40 – Casual Viewin’
Never Let You Go – Third Eye Blind
Yellow – Coldplay
Minority – Green Day
In The End – Linkin Park
Go Let It Out – Oasis
Angel – Shaggy
The Messenger – Tea Party
Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols
Pinch Me – Barenaked Ladies
It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
Last Resort – Papa Roach
It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy
Simple Kind Of Life – No Doubt
Why Pt. 2 – Collective Soul
I Need To Know – Marc Anthony
Doesn’t fit the mold of my taste, and truth be told I didn’t know (or at least absorb) this song at the time. It was later years where this one seeped into my head over time, and I find that I really like it.
Hate To Say I Told You So – The Hives
Want You Bad – The Offspring
Be Like That – 3 Doors Down
Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down
This song was actually a very good song when it came out. But I can’t think of too many songs that were more overplayed than this one in London, Ontario at the time. Which is the reason I didn’t slot this song in with the “awesome” group below…
Oops… I Did It Again – Britney Spears
I know this isn’t a typical song to my tastes, and I didn’t know it very well in 2000/2001. I never listened to the stations that played this type of music. But over the years you hear the good ones enough and they catch on. This one did.
Before You – Chantal Kreviazuk
Stan – Eminem
NSFW
Only Time – Enya
AM Radio – Everclear
Absolutely (Story of a Girl) – Nine Days
No Man’s Woman – Sinéad O’Connor
I don’t remember this song at all. I just discovered it, going through every song released in 2000. And I think it’s great. Love finding new songs!
Elevation – U2
Sundown – Elwood
A pretty good, upbeat take on a classic tune by Gordon Lightfood…
Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues – Eels
10 Truly Awesome Songs From 2000
Blonde and Blue – Headstones
Amazing song from a good Canadian band. I remember first seeing them at Another Roadside Attraction, and a couple of the band members hung out with us at our tent that night (where we were camping illegally since we didn’t have the foresight to make reservations). Listen to this song and then try to explain to me why five different lists of songs that came out in 2000 didn’t have this one even listed. I’m talking Song Facts, or Google key words “top rock songs of 2000” and click every link. Those rock “experts” sure missed out.
Outside – Staind
The Way I Am – Eminem
NSFW
Far Away Boys – Flogging Molly
Warning – Green Day
Original Prankster – The Offspring
Loser – 3 Doors Down
Again – Lenny Kravitz
Follow Me – Uncle Kracker
Only God Knows Why – Kid Rock
Hemorrhage (In My Hands) – Fuel
I compiled all of the above songs in a YouTube playlist right here
Here is the complete list from 2000:
| Awesome – 1 | Hemorrhage (In My Hands) | – | Fuel |
| Awesome – 1 | Outside | – | Staind |
| Awesome – 1 | Only God Knows Why | – | Kid Rock |
| Awesome – 4 | The Way I Am | – | Eminem |
| Awesome – 4 | Far Away Boys | – | Flogging Molly |
| Awesome – 4 | Warning | – | Green Day |
| Awesome – 4 | Original Prankster | – | The Offspring |
| Awesome – 4 | Loser | – | 3 Doors Down |
| Awesome – 4 | Again | – | Lenny Kravitz |
| Awesome – 4 | Follow Me | – | Uncle Kracker |
| Awesome – 4 | Blonde And Blue | – | Headstones |
| Great – 12 | Mr. E’s Beautiful Blues | – | Eels |
| Great – 12 | Sundown | – | Elwood |
| Great – 12 | Never Let You Go | – | Third Eye Blind |
| Great – 12 | Yellow | – | Coldplay |
| Great – 12 | Minority | – | Green Day |
| Great – 12 | In The End | – | Linkin Park |
| Great – 12 | Go Let It Out | – | Oasis |
| Great – 12 | Angel | – | Shaggy |
| Great – 12 | The Messenger | – | Tea Party |
| Great – 12 | Bohemian Like You | – | The Dandy Warhols |
| Great – 12 | Simple Kind Of Life | – | No Doubt |
| Great – 23 | Pinch Me | – | Barenaked Ladies |
| Great – 23 | It’s My Life | – | Bon Jovi |
| Great – 23 | Last Resort | – | Papa Roach |
| Great – 23 | It Wasn’t Me | – | Shaggy |
| Great – 23 | Hate To Say I Told You So | – | The Hives |
| Great – 23 | Want You Bad | – | The Offspring |
| Great – 23 | Be Like That | – | 3 Doors Down |
| Great – 23 | Kryptonite | – | 3 Doors Down |
| Great – 23 | Oops… I Did It Again | – | Britney Spears |
| Great – 23 | Before You | – | Chantal Kreviazuk |
| Great – 23 | Stan | – | Eminem |
| Great – 23 | Only Time | – | Enya |
| Great – 23 | AM Radio | – | Everclear |
| Great – 23 | Absolutely (Story of a Girl) | – | Nine Days |
| Great – 23 | No Man’s Woman | – | Sinéad O’Connor |
| Great – 23 | Elevation | – | U2 |
| Great – 23 | Rock Superstar | – | Cypress Hill |
| Great – 23 | Why Pt. 2 | – | Collective Soul |
| Great – 23 | I Need To Know | – | Marc Anthony |
| Solid – 42 | Settle | – | Headstones |
| Solid – 42 | Trouble | – | Coldplay |
| Solid – 42 | The Real Slim Shady | – | Eminem |
| Solid – 42 | Hanging By a Moment | – | Lifehouse |
| Solid – 42 | I Disappear | – | Metallica |
| Solid – 42 | Ex-Girlfriend | – | No Doubt |
| Solid – 42 | Beautiful Day | – | U2 |
| Solid – 42 | Defy You | – | The Offspring |
| Solid – 42 | Judith | – | A Perfect Circle |
| Solid – 51 | One More Time | – | Daft Punk |
| Solid – 51 | Down With The Sickness | – | Disturbed |
| Solid – 51 | Black Friday Rule | – | Flogging Molly |
| Solid – 51 | Waiting | – | Green Day |
| Solid – 51 | Don’t Tell Me | – | Madonna |
| Solid – 51 | Music | – | Madonna |
| Solid – 51 | Bent | – | Matchbox Twenty |
| Solid – 51 | Bye Bye Bye | – | ‘N Sync |
| Solid – 51 | I’m Like A Bird | – | Nelly Furtado |
| Solid – 51 | Everybody Wants to Be Like You | – | Snow |
| Solid – 51 | Breathless | – | The Corrs |
| Solid – 51 | My Music at Work | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 51 | Lake Fever | – | The Tragically Hip |
| Solid – 51 | Ms. Jackson | – | Outkast |
| Solid – 51 | Man Overboard | – | blink-182 |
| Solid – 51 | Turn Off The Light | – | Nelly Furtado |
| Solid – 51 | Little Black Backpack | – | Stroke 9 |
| Solid – 51 | Jumpin’ Jumpin’ | – | Destiny’s Child |
| Solid – 51 | The Way You Love Me | – | Faith Hill |
| Not Bad – 70 | Forgot About Dre | – | Eminem |
| Not Bad – 70 | Doesn’t Really Matter | – | Janet Jackson |
| Not Bad – 70 | Take A Look Around | – | Limp Bizkit |
| Not Bad – 70 | Promise | – | Eve 6 |
| Not Bad – 70 | Stiff Upper Lip | – | AC/DC |
| Not Bad – 70 | That’s the Way It Is | – | Celine Dion |
| Not Bad – 70 | Salty Dog | – | Flogging Molly |
| Not Bad – 70 | Devil’s Dance Floor | – | Flogging Molly |
| Not Bad – 70 | Can’t Stop | – | Jacksoul |
| Not Bad – 70 | Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle) | – | Limp Bizkit |
| Not Bad – 70 | One Step Closer | – | Linkin Park |
| Not Bad – 70 | Leader of Men | – | Nickelback |
| Not Bad – 70 | Light Years | – | Pearl Jam |
| Not Bad – 70 | Change Your Mind | – | Sister Hazel |
| Not Bad – 70 | I Hope You Dance | – | Lee Ann Womack |
| Not Bad – 70 | If You’re Gone | – | Matchbox Twenty |
| Not Bad – 70 | Deep Inside Of You | – | Third Eye Blind |
| Not Bad – 70 | You’re A God | – | Vertical Horizon |
| Not Bad – 88 | Be With You | – | Enrique Iglesias |
| Not Bad – 88 | Safe In New York City | – | AC/DC |
| Not Bad – 88 | That I Would Be Good | – | Alanis Morissette |
| Not Bad – 88 | Wonderful | – | Everclear |
| Not Bad – 88 | Superman (It’s Not Easy) | – | Five for Fighting |
| Not Bad – 88 | Counting The Days | – | Goldfinger |
| Not Bad – 88 | Ride Wit Me | – | Nelly |
| Not Bad – 88 | Old Enough | – | Nickelback |
| Not Bad – 88 | Nothing as It Seems | – | Pearl Jam |
| Not Bad – 88 | Rival | – | Pearl Jam |
| Not Bad – 88 | Dance And Shout | – | Shaggy |
| Not Bad – 88 | Hope | – | Shaggy |
| Not Bad – 88 | Makes No Difference | – | Sum 41 |
| Not Bad – 88 | Painted on My Heart | – | The Cult |
| Not Bad – 88 | Boss Of Me | – | They Might Be Giants |
| Not Bad – 88 | Walk On | – | U2 |
| Not Bad – 88 | Who Let The Dogs Out | – | Baha Men |
| Not Bad – 88 | Change (In The House Of Flies) | – | Deftones |
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Dobber's Take 
Leave a Reply