No Skips: 3 Classic Rock Albums From the 2000s You’ll Never Have To Fast-Forward Through

When you think of rock stars, oftentimes it’s the singers and guitar players from decades like the 1970s and 1990s that come to mind—people like Robert Plant, Kurt Cobain, or Bruce Springsteen. But rock music didn’t just fall off a cliff once the 21st century began. No, it continued to soar. That’s just what we wanted to explore. We wanted to highlight three rock records from around the turn of the 21st century that belong in any pantheon of great albums. Indeed, this is no skips: three classic rock albums from the 2000s you’ll never have to fast-forward.

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‘Elephant’ by The White Stripes (2003)

The White Stripes’ first self-titled 1999 album was a lo-fi masterpiece. And then their 2003 LP Elephant was their crowning achievement. Today, everyone from rock fans to sports fans knows the song “Seven Nation Army” from the album. But the record just continues with banger after banger, including “There’s No Home for You Here”, “In The Cold, Cold Night” (sung by drummer Meg White), “Ball And Biscuit”, and “The Hardest Button To Button”.

‘Thickfreakness’ by The Black Keys (2003)

You know how some music fans say they liked a band before they got famous? How the old stuff is still better than the new stuff? Well, that case can easily be made by some fans of The Black Keys. Indeed, the rock duo’s early records were outstanding. And none was better than the 2003 LP, Thickfreakness. The LP just moves with rugged, powerful blues-rock. There are too many terrific tracks to list, but be sure to take notice of “Set You Free”, “Midnight In Her Eyes”, “Hard Row”, and “I Cry Alone”.

‘Busted Stuff’ by Dave Matthews Band (2002)

After Dave Matthews Band released their acclaimed No. 1 album Before These Crowded Streets in 1998, they were at a bit of a crossroads. In 1999, they recorded new music, but for some reason, many of those songs were dashed in favor of the electric guitar-driven 2001 LP, Everyday. But the 1999 recordings weren’t lost. In fact, they were released as a bootleg record called The Lillywhite Sessions. And later they were released in earnest on the 2002 record, Busted Stuff. That LP includes DMB fan faves like “Grey Street”, “Where Are You Going”, “Grace Is Gone”, “Big Eyed Fish”, and “Bartender”. Just goes to show—never delete your hard drive!

Photo by Jon Super/Redferns