It‘s a Wrap...2005‘s Year in Music

Jan. 11, 2006

2005 found musicians - and many others - at both ends of the year trying to help deal with the after effects of two natural disasters - a tsunami across the globe and a pair of hurricanes right here at home.  While those were obviously and rightfully two of the biggest stories of the year, there were other stories in the music community, too - several landmark albums, plenty of impressive live shows, a couple of UK rockers being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, another set of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a couple of US pop divas changing their relationship status.  Yes, sir - it was a complicated year, as most are - but most notable was the simple fact that the music community rallied to show that music can be more than mere entertainment, and that musicians themselves have plenty of heart.  That said, let’s take a look at the year in music, two thousand and five:
 
THE FIRST QUARTER:
Musicians and celebs band together in January to help raise funds for tsunami relief after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26th, 2004 generated the waves that killed over a quarter of a million people and devasted coastal landscapes from Indonesia to Africa.  In the UK, Brit stars Ronan Keating, Chris Rea, Jamie Cullum, and more record a charity single; a Welsh benefit concert features U2, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, and The Darkness;  and, stateside, NBC-TV holds the Concert of Hope tsunami benefit telethon that features performances from Madonna, Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Annie Lennox, Norah Jones, and Lenny Kravitz, among others.  And these are only a few of the events held with great sympathy for those affected by this extreme weather event.  Also in January, the Slamdance Film Festival is held, with live performances from the likes of Mike Doughty and DJ Prince Paul;  the 25th Anniversary Brit Awards takes place, with the big winners being Franz Ferdinand, the Scissor Sisters, and Keane;  and Keane themselves hit the road with openers The Redwalls, and will stay on the tour trail until April. 
In February, another Tsunami Relief concert takes place, this one in California and featuring performances from No Doubt, Ozzy Osbourne, Jurassic 5, and Blink 182.  The chewing-gum-pack-sized $99 iPod Shuffle debuts from Apple, and Dave Matthews band heads back into the studio to begin work on their 6th studio album, and the White Stripes return to the studio, too.  The Jayhawks break up while Modest Mouse and Collective Soul both hop on the tour bus, Collective Soul kick off their tour to promote their newest album, Youth, and Modest Mouse get set for a short haul through the end of the month, when they’ll be nominated for several Grammy Awards.  The 47th Annual Grammys take place in February, too, and among their honorees are Green Day (Best Rock Album), U2, and Maroon 5 (Best New Artist) - Maroon 5 also perform, as do Gwen Stefani, the Black Eyed Peas, and Franz Ferdinand.
More honors are on the way in March, when Bono is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his ongoing work for Third World debt relief.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts U2, The Pretenders, Buddy Guy, Percy Sledge, and The O’Jays.  Madonna is snagged to strike a pose for the newest Versace fashion ad campaign.  The Black Crowes play a 1-2-3-4-5 night stand in New York City, part of their decision-making process as to whether they’ll keep the band going or not (guess it worked as they’re still playing live shows together.)  And the latest SXSW Music Festival takes place, serving as a barometer for what the Next Big Things in music will be - this year’s hottest prove to be The Raveonettes, The Go! Team, perennial fave Aimee Mann, and, appropriately, Hot Hot Heat.

SPRING FLING:
As the snow melts, the music starts to heat up even more!  April sees The Killers begin their U.S. tour, on which they’ll debut several new songs (including “Where Is She” and “Higher and Higher”) that fans hope will make the cut on their next album.  Oasis nabs both Jet and Kasabian as openers for their upcoming tour dates, which will serve as promotion for the album that returned them to Oasis “form” - Don’t Believe the Truth, unless that truth means that Oasis has still got it.  Gorillaz release the much-anticipated Demon Days album, prefaced by their “Feel Good Inc.” single that takes over modern rock radio and gives further exposure to the disc, with its contributions from Deborah Harry, Dennis Hopper, and Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder.  Also in April, Garbage release their latest album, Bleed Like Me, SXSW buzz band Hot Hot Heat drop The Elevator, The Eels present the introspective Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, and The Futureheads release Hounds of Love.  And Rolling Stone releases their list of “Best Rock Movies Ever” - and the list includes High Fidelity, Almost Famous, This Is Spinal Tap (of course), A Hard Day’s Night, and 24 Hour Party People.
May means Monkey Business and ex-Matchboxes (er, Matchboxers?) - respectively, the Black Eyed Peas new album and Rob Thomas, whose solo album, Something To Be... hits stores this month, as do The Wallflowers Rebel, Sweetheart, Weezer’s  Make Believe, and Aimee Mann’s The Forgotten Arm.  Ozzy Osbourne confirms the lineup for this year’s Ozzfest, which will include Rob Zombie, Iron Maiden, Shadows Fall, Velvet Revolver, and Black Sabbath.  Neil Young begins his recovery time from brain surgery.  And the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys - namely, The Junos - honors Avril Lavigne, Billy Talent, and The K-Os.
June brings one of the most anticipated (and critically acclaimed) albums of the year - namely, Coldplay’s X&Y, with its lead off single “Speed of Sound.”  Coldplay appears on MTV to preview some songs from the disc, and it’s a great performance that gives only a hint of what a massive force they will continue to be this year.  Another landmark disc that arrives in June is the latest from The White Stripes, whose Get Behind Me Satan spurs an under-the-radar hit single (“Blue Orchid”) and garners plenty of acclaim all on its own, spurring the Stripes to kick off a round of live shows that will trickle throughout 2005.  James Blunt releases his first single, “You’re Beautiful,” and it takes over the radio in Europe, while Ocean Colour Scene release their seventh album, “A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad,” and lay claim to such fans as Johnny Depp, Oasis, and U2’s The Edge.  

SUMMER INTO FALL:
Toronto’s Edgefest ushers in the first day of July with bands Good Charlotte, Coheed and Cambria, Billy Talent, and The Tragically Hip, while Lollapalooza - this year taking place in Chicago - rocks the Midwest with a top-notch roster of modern rockers, including Weezer, Cake, Kaiser Chiefs, The Pixies, The Bravery, The Killers, Dashboard Confessional, and Death Cab for Cutie.  July’s most notable event is a big one - Live Aid founder and Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof revamps the Live Aid concept to stage Live 8, an ambitiously successful charity event that sees performances from Paul McCartney, Robbie Williams, Coldplay, the Black Eyed Peas, Jet, Stereophonics, Sarah McLachlan, Sting, Richard Ashcroft, and more.  Live 8 is covered by television stations worldwide as well as the internet, and the outstanding turnout for the event manages to help pressure the G8 into providing more financial aid and medical care as well as cancelling debt for 18 struggling countries.
In August, fans discuss the fact that Madonna has dubbed her upcoming new album Confessions on a Dancefloor, but it remains to be seen in November what the Material Girl will pull out of her hat this time around.  Fellow female Kelly Clarkson continues to slowly roll over new fans with her steady stream of pop tunes that manage to pull her further and further away from the American Idol stigma.  “Killer Queen: A Tribute” hits stores on August 9th, and pays tribute to Queen, indeed, with cover versions of Queen songs by the likes of Gavin DeGraw, Rooney, and Sum 41, among others.  The MTV Video Music Awards honor hardworking Kelly Clarkson along with Gorillaz and Fall Out Boy.  And July’s busiest man - Bob Geldof - is nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his Live 8 work.  
And September sees a wide range of genres and events to wrap up the tail end of the summer season - U2 launch the third leg of their seemingly unstoppable Vertigo Tour on September 12th in Toronto.   Pop strumpet Britney Spears gives birth to her first child with rap wannabe Kevin Federline, who, later in the year, will release a critically-slammed rap album and will get the door to his house with Brit slammed in his face, as well.  Brit star Robbie Williams - who still has yet to make it stateside, in spite of his huge success in the UK - preps to release his new album, Intensive Care, with several exclusive club shows and other events.  And the 2005 Nintendo Fusion Tour, with Motion City Soundtrack and MTV award winners Fall Out Boy, hits the road.
 
THE YEAR WINDS DOWN:
Apple snags another one of the big stories of the year in October when it debuts its video iPod, in a new (shocking!) black color and just weeks after it announces the launch of the iPod Nano.  Fiona Apple finally, finally gets to see her much-delayed Extraordinary Machine album hit stores after much drama regarding her not-very-loyal record company and plenty of impatient, apple-mailing fans (all on Apple’s side, of course.)  New Order releases an extensive retrospective DVD that gets early critical praise and is snapped up by the band’s fans.  And The Hives continue their international tour while simultaneously promoting their upcoming new DVD, Tussels in Brussels.
Madonna regains her pop crown in November with the debut of that aforementioned Confessions... album, which revitalizes interest in the always vital pop diva, who, this time around, takes on a ‘70s disco persona that’s whip-smart, full of sass, and loaded with irresistable beats.  The White Stripes announce that they’re releasing an extra five-track rarities and covers EP, and they’ve titled it Walking with a Ghost.  Alanis Morissette drops her retrospective album, The Collection, which includes both a CD and a DVD documentary.  Pop stars and reality-show romantics Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey announce the end of their marraige.  And Beatle George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh gets its own re-release on DVD, complete with plenty of press reviews and a snazzy Los Angeles premiere event.
December might mean that 2006 is in sight, but 2005 still has a few more points to make before it passes over the baton. Aerosmith announce that they’ll be touring in 2006, and Bob Dylan announces that he’ll be hosting a brand new show exclusively on XM Radio beginning next year.  Destiny’s Child wrap up their reign as a girl group, breaking up as the year draws to a close, as they stated they would earlier in the year.  And MTV’s Big in ‘05 Awards passes out accolades to Green Day and Gwen Stefani, among others, and revs up the show’s end-of-the-year volume with live performances from Audioslave, INXS with new singer J.D. Fortune, and Chris Cornell’s Audioslave.  Big in ‘05?  Yep - an appropriate program to end the year. 
NPR’s Bob Boilen says that “...some of the smartest pop music ever was made in 2005...” and he might just be right.  So what will 2006 bring?  We’ll hope for no more disasters - simply a lot more terrific music.