- 1 week ago
Dust off your skinny jeans and plug in those guitar pedals — Join us as we count down our picks for the most underrated bands of the 2000s that deserve way more credit than they get! Our countdown includes Jet, The Hives, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Rilo Kiley, The Darkness, and more! Which group from this era makes you the most nostalgic? Let us know in the comments below!
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00:011, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me because you look so fine that I really want to
00:06make you mine
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those underrated millennial artists
00:17Number 10, Hoobastank
00:19Where should I go? What should I do? I don't understand what you want from me
00:25Casual listeners probably remember Hoobastank for their inescapable 2004 megahit single
00:29The Reason
00:36Yet writing off this Southern California alt-rock outfit as a one-hit wonder
00:40Does a huge disservice to their deeper discography
00:42Long before the acoustic-driven ballad dominated global radio stations and MTV countdowns
00:48Hoobastank was delivering heavy, riff-driven post-grunge bangers
00:52Tracks like Crawling in the Dark and Running Away from their self-titled 2001 major label debut
00:57Featured punchy guitar hooks, driving rhythm sections, and dynamic vocal performances from frontman Doug Robb
01:09They blended radio-friendly melodies with post-grunge grit
01:13Bridging the gap between post-hardcore intensity and mainstream pop accessibility
01:17Next time you revisit 2000's rock playlists, skip past The Reason and dig into their surprisingly heavy, energetic early album
01:24cuts
01:31Number 9
01:33The Von Bondys
01:42Emerging right alongside Detroit garage rock royalty like the White Stripes
01:46The Von Bondys brought a snarling of raw energy to the 2000's rock revival that deserves far more historical credit
01:59Fronted by Jason Stolsteimer, the band burst into the mainstream consciousness with their ferocious 2004 hit single
02:06C'mon C'mon C'mon, which quickly became an anthem for video games, television promos, and sports broadcasts alike
02:12But their sophomore album, Pawn Shop Heart, was far more than just one hit song
02:17It offered a masterclass in gritty blues punk, driving bass lines, dual vocal harmonies, and electric guitar crunch
02:24With infectious tracks like Lack of Communication and Tell Me What I See
02:28The Von Bondys deliver pure garage rock swagger that still stands up as essential listening
02:41Number 8
02:42Emery
02:49In the mid-2000's, post-hardcore and emo screamer were sweeping through the alternative scene
02:54And South Carolina's Emery was leading the pack with unbelievable precision
02:58Signing to Tooth & Nail Records, the group released their iconic 2004 debut album, The Week's End
03:04Followed quickly by 2005's masterwork, The Question
03:13What made Emery stand out in a flooded market was their incredible dual vocal dynamic between Toby Murrell and Devin
03:20Shelton
03:20Seamlessly trading off crystalline melodic harmonies and throat-shredding screams
03:25Tracks like Walls and Studying Politics featured complex guitar rhythms, sudden time signature shifts, and deeply emotional lyrical narratives
03:33You fake it and I follow you
03:39Right in
03:40While mainstream pop-punk gets much of the decade's nostalgia
03:43Emery crafted complex, enduring post-hardcore classics that true scene fans will never forget
03:49Number 7
03:50The Walkmen
03:56New York City's early 2000's indie scene produced legends
04:01And while groups like Interpol grabbed headline news
04:03The Walkmen crafted some of the decade's most enduringly sophisticated noise
04:07You say it's over
04:10Sometimes I'm just happy
04:13I'm over
04:14The quintet made an indelible mark on rock history with their legendary 2004 track, The Rat
04:20Featuring Paul Maroon's iconic rapid-fire tremolo guitar and Hamilton Lighthouser's straining raw vocals over Matt Barrick's legendary drumming
04:28It remains one of the greatest indie anthems ever recorded
04:31Across albums like Bows and Arrows and You and Me
04:34The Walkmen paired vintage organs and room ambience with poetic grit
04:38They proved that indie rock could be simultaneously elegant, chaotic, nostalgic, and completely thrilling
04:51Number 6
04:53Straylight Run
05:01When taking back Sunday co-founders John Nolan and Sean Cooper departed the massive emo powerhouse in 2003
05:07Expectations were sky-high for their next move
05:09What they created with Straylight Run was a complete pivot toward delicate piano-led indie pop and heartbreaking lyricism
05:22Joined by Michelle DeRosa and Will Noon their 2004 self-titled debut album spawned the hit Existentialism on Prom Night,
05:30an understated masterpiece defined by haunting melodies and devastatingly relatable lyrics
05:35Blending acoustic guitars, piano arrangements, and poignant vocal duets
05:39Straylight Run offered a thoughtful, mature alternative to the louder pop-punk craze of the era
05:45Their output remains a bittersweet testament to the creative depth hidden within the mid-2000s alternative explosion
05:57Number 5
05:59The Darkness
06:06When glam rock seemed completely dead and buried in 2003
06:10Four men from Suffolk, England strapped on Gibson Les Pauls, donned bedazzled jumpsuits, and proved classic rock was alive and
06:17kicking
06:17The Darkness took the world by storm with their debut album, Permission to Land, and its iconic lead single, I
06:23Believe in a Thing Called Love
06:31Driven by Justin Hawkins' unbelievable operatic falsetto, soaring guitar solos, and unapologetic theatricality
06:38The band brought massive fun back to arena rock
06:41While casual listeners dismissed them as a comedy gimmick
06:44Their songwriting, musicianship, and stadium-ready hooks were razor sharp
06:48Songs like Growing On Me and Get Your Hands Off My Woman prove they were one of the decade's finest
06:53live bands
06:54If you saw my obsession, you don't
07:00Number 4
07:01Rilo Kylie
07:04There are oceans and waves and wires between us
07:09Before Jenny Lewis became a celebrated solo indie icon, she fronted Rilo Kylie, one of the most vital and influential
07:16indie rock bands of the entire 2000s
07:18Alongside guitarist Blake Sennett, Lewis helped redefine the genre by fusing bright indie pop melodies, country twang, and sharp, vulnerable
07:26storytelling
07:33Albums like 2002's Execution of All Things and 2004's More Adventurous yielded timeless tracks like Portions for Foxes and A
07:41Better Son Slash Daughter
07:42Lewis' unmatched narrative lyricism tackled heartbreak, existential anxiety, and growing up with razor sharp wit and emotional honesty
07:50Rilo Kylie laid the groundwork for modern indie folk and pop acts alike
07:55Making their mid-2000s discography essential listening for anyone who appreciates brilliant, heartfelt songwriting
08:09Number 3
08:10Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeahs
08:18Emerging from the gritty New York Garage revival alongside The Strokes
08:22Yeah Yeah Yeahs delivered an intoxicating blend of art punk, post-punk dance beats, and raw emotion
08:28Fronted by the boundary-pushing, wildly charismatic Karen Oh, guitarist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase
08:34The trio redefined modern alternative music
08:37They don't want you, I gotta get away
08:41They don't want you, I gotta get away
08:44Their 2003 debut album, Fever to Tell, gave us the furious anthem, Date with the Night, alongside Maps
08:50Arguably the single greatest indie rock love song ever written
08:53Across subsequent releases like Show Your Bones and It's Blitz
08:57They seamlessly evolved from chaotic garage punk into polished, synth-driven indie pop
09:02Their sheer energy, artistic boldness, and iconic visual style remain completely unmatched to this day
09:13Number 2
09:14The Hives
09:20Dressed in immaculate matching black and white suits and oozing arrogant Swedish charisma
09:24The Hives proved to be one of the tightest live rock bands of the modern era
09:27Led by hyperactive frontman Howlin' Pele Omkvist
09:31The band exploded onto the global stage with their 2001 breakout compilation
09:35Veni vidi vicious
09:36And it's unstoppable single
09:38Hate to say I told you so
09:47Their formula was simple, but bulletproof
09:49Lightning-fast punk tempos
09:52Razor-sharp guitar riffs
09:53And catchy, column-response choruses
09:56Tracks like Walk, Idiot, Walk and Main Offender
09:58Proved they weren't just a gimmick
10:00They were master showmen who brought dangerous, electrifying fun back to rock and roll
10:05When listeners needed it most
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10:21Always on, always live
10:23Are you not entertained?
10:25Number 1
10:26Jet
10:271, 2, 3, take my hand and come with me
10:30Because you look so fine that I really wanna make you mine
10:34Taking the top spot on our list is Australian rock band Jet
10:37Who proved that raw, back-to-basics classic rock
10:40Could still completely conquer global music charts in the 2000s
10:44Their 2003 debut album, Get Born, was an absolute commercial titan
10:49Selling millions of copies powered by the iconic, foot-stomping single
10:52Are You Gonna Be My Girl?
11:00Borrowing liberally from classic rock legends like Motorhead, The Beatles, ACDC, and Iggy Pop
11:07Jet packed their track lists with explosive energy, swagger, and irresistible hooks
11:12Soaring ballads like Look What You've Done showcase their versatility
11:15While hard rocking tracks like Cold Hard Bitch dominated rock radio for years
11:20Jet delivered pure, unadulterated rock adrenaline when the world wanted it most
11:32Which group from this time makes you the most nostalgic?
11:34Let us know in the comments
11:36Let us know in the comments
11:36Let us know in the comments
11:36Let us know in the comments
11:37Let us know in the comments
11:38Let us know in the comments
11:38Let us know in the comments
11:40Let us know in the comments
11:41Let us know in the comments
11:41Let us know in the comments
11:42Let us know in the comments
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