3 Classic Rock Songs From the 2000s That Make Me Feel Good

When people think about rock music, the 2000s don’t often get brought up. Classic rock enthusiasts will instead point to decades like the 1960s and 1970s—those decades, they would say, were the ones where rock was rock. Where bands like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin showed the world what the genre could be. To that, we say: you’re right!

Videos by American Songwriter

But the 2000s were another great decade of rock music, whether you realize it or not. And that’s what we wanted to explore here. We wanted to look at three bands from the 2000s that just put a smile on our faces. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs from the first decade of the 21st century that just make us feel good today.

“Mr. Brightside” by The Killers from ‘Hot Fuss’ (2003)

The Las Vegas, Nevada-born rock band The Killers rose to fame in the early 2000s thanks to this impeccable rock song. Musically lush, just as the accompanying music video is lush with visuals, this song, which sums up the feeling of seeing the person you love make out with someone else, has become one of the best rock songs of the entire 21st century. It’s a movie unto itself. Inspired by the power of those before them, including Bruce Springsteen, the Killers have since become icons unto themselves.

“The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World from ‘Bleed American’ (2001)

The Arizona-born rockers Jimmy Eat World became rock giants in the 2000s thanks to their track, “The Middle”. It was a song that found itself on movie soundtracks and television commercials in the era and the tune is still showing up in popular culture today. The 2000s were a decade of transition. No one quite knew what the new millennium would hold for us, but Jimmy Eat World helped us not feel stuck. They gave us energy and inspired us to keep going for what we wanted out of life. Don’t lose yourself in the middle of life—fight for what you want. That was the message of the tune.

“Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes from ‘Elephant’ (2003)

Where would 21st-century rock music be without the Michigan-born duo The White Stripes? The band, which released often stripped-down blues-inspired rock music, peaked in 2003 with the release of their seminal album, Elephant. And on that album was the band’s biggest hit song, “Seven Nation Army”. If you’ve been to a sporting event in the past few years, chances are you’ve heard the tribal-sounding tune over the loudspeakers. It’s a heart-pounding song that cemented the White Stripes as icons. And we love them for it.

Photo by Frank Mullen/WireImage