Eminem, The Offspring, Reverend And The Makers, Puretone, Mercury Rev, t.A.T.u., Will Young, Kasabian, Muse, Fatboy Slim, Robbie Williams, Snow Patrol
They are the performers of twelve vintage amusing, puzzling and sometimes shocking videos of songs that were ranked in various charts, this week (04/52) BUT… in the Noughties 2000s.
Here, they are reunited in one glorious playlist. Enjoy!
For TWENTY FOUR more ‘Vous Avez Dit Bizarre’ – Vintage 2000s Music Videos – week 04/52 – click here and here
Tracklist
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1 . Eminem – Just Lose ItEminem’s “Just Lose It,” released as the flagship single from his fifth studio album “Encore” on September 28, 2004, is a prime example of his no-holds-barred approach to satire and cultural provocation. The song, a fusion of comedic irreverence and infectious beats, takes jabs at celebrities like Michael Jackson and MC Hammer, with the accompanying music video amplifying its absurdity through outlandish impersonations and exaggerated visuals. Produced by Dr. Dre and Mike Elizondo, the track borrows elements from Eminem’s past hits, creating a self-referential commentary that is equally brash and introspective. The controversy surrounding its parody of Michael Jackson, which critiques public and legal narratives tied to the artist, stirred public debate, including criticism from notable figures such as Stevie Wonder. Despite—or perhaps because of—the backlash, “Just Lose It” performed impressively on charts, securing the top spot in markets like the UK and Australia and landing at number six in the U.S. It was ultimately recognized as both a comedic spectacle and a cultural lightning rod, earning nominations and significant viewership on platforms like YouTube, where its music video continues to draw attention. The track encapsulates both Eminem’s bold artistry and his ability to polarize, reflecting the tensions between humor and controversy in modern music. Featured on the 2004 album “Encore”.
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2 . The Offspring – Original Prankster“Original Prankster” swirls in the chaotic energy of early-2000s punk rock, smashing genre lines with its collaboration between The Offspring and rapper Redman. Released on their sixth studio album “Conspiracy of One” in 2000, it carries a sarcastic, almost irreverent edge, the kind only a band like The Offspring could deliver with a straight face. The track’s lyrical narrative of devil-may-care trickery is matched by its thudding guitar riffs and anthemic hooks, while samples from War’s “Low Rider” lend it an extra layer of funked-out mischief. The music video, directed by Dave Meyers, takes it up a notch with absurdly over-the-top visual pranks, culminating in a lightning-struck prankster—part slapstick, part dark comedy. Its MTV ban only added to the mythos, leaving it to skate along the edge of controversy and cultural commentary. The song’s promotional gimmick—a free MP3 release paired with a $1 million cash prize—speaks volumes about turn-of-the-millennium marketing madness, a fitting mirror to the anarchic tone of the track itself. Though arguably tongue-in-cheek to a fault, it delivers a high-octane blend of punk bombast and irreverent humor, making it a memorable blip in The Offspring’s catalogue and a lingering artifact of its era. Featured on the 2000 album “Conspiracy of One“.
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3 . Reverend And The Makers – Heavyweight Champion of the World“Heavyweight Champion of the World” captures a keen sense of disillusionment, delivered with Jon McClure’s unmistakably blunt vocal style. Set against a backdrop of punchy indie rock production from Jagz Kooner, the track melds sharp social commentary with a dancefloor-ready energy. The lyrics take a resigned yet sardonic look at stagnant lives, channeling inspiration from *A Kestrel for a Knave* and Marlon Brando’s lamentation in *On the Waterfront.* The infectious beat is at odds with its underlying narrative of unmet potential, creating a tension that resonates far beyond its 2007 release. Its success was no fleeting moment – reaching number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and claiming the top spot on the UK Indie Chart. The track’s momentum propelled Reverend and the Makers onto stages like Glastonbury, with McClure cementing himself as a voice for the modern working class. The music video, with its raw and kinetic aesthetic, complements the song’s exploration of monotony and escape. Sixteen years later, the song’s enduring relevance is underscored by its 2022 gold certification. Far from being a mere relic of the 2000s indie revival, it remains a cornerstone of the band’s repertoire and a vivid reflection of what it means to dream big and feel small. Featured on the 2007 album “The State of Things”.
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4 . Puretone – Addicted to Bass“Addicted to Bass” operates like an adrenaline shot for the drum and bass scene, delivering hyper-kinetic breakbeats and a low-end rumble that feels like it could shatter windows. The track emerges from Australian producer Josh Abrahams’ 1998 studio album *Sweet Distorted Holiday*, but its 2002 rebirth under the name Puretone propelled it into global ears, clambering to number two on the UK Singles Chart against a swirl of Apollo 440’s remix polish. Amiel Daemion’s vocals weave between ethereal clarity and gritty detachment, creating a perfect juxtaposition with the frenetic instrumental undercurrent. Both the original and the remix lean heavily into a fascination with car culture, underscored by music videos that range from an audiophile’s dreamscape to full-throttle, post-apocalyptic chaos channeling *Mad Max* vibes. The bassline here doesn’t just carry the song; it drowns everything around it, a pre-dubstep hint of the seismic influence low-frequency sounds would soon claim in electronic music. Critical acclaim followed, with the track landing accolades in Australia and a slot within In the Mix’s roundup of iconic Australian dance tracks decades later. Despite its niche beginnings, the song sidesteps being pigeonholed, balancing its aggressive sonic palette with enough pop sensibility to earn heavy rotation both in clubs and on mainstream radio playlists. Sixteen bars in, you’re either sold on its relentless thrum or reaching for earplugs, but isn’t that the hallmark of any track worth remembering? Featured on the 1998 album “Sweet Distorted Holiday”.
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5 . Mercury Rev – In A Funny Way“In A Funny Way” is Mercury Rev’s psychedelic postcard from their 2005 album “The Secret Migration.” Released as a single, the song taps into the band’s knack for orchestrated chaos, weaving layers of cosmic strings and warm, almost cosmic optimism into their idiosyncratic indie rock aesthetic. It’s less a track and more a kaleidoscope, with Jonathan Donahue’s fragile vocals floating amidst the swirl of dreamy instrumentals crafted by the band’s ever-experimental core. The album’s sound reflects an attempt to bottle the transcendent, though the results may either enchant or overwhelm depending on your tolerance for grandeur in pop. “In A Funny Way” garnered some attention, landing at #28 on the UK singles chart, a respectable notch in a mid-2000s era where such accolades still mattered. The accompanying video complements the song’s sonics with oversaturated colors and swirling visuals, striving for transcendence but flirting with kitsch. While the album hit #16 in the UK Albums Chart, Mercury Rev’s lofty ambition as always walks a fine line—enthralling in one moment and teetering into excessive whimsy the next. The intricate arrangements suggest a labor of love, though they sometimes feel more about the process than the result, like a painting with just a few too many brushstrokes layered on. Perhaps the charm lies in the band’s refusal to pare down, their commitment to maximalism echoing a bygone era where music dared to go big without apology. Featured on the 2005 album “The Secret Migration”.
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6 . t.A.T.u. – All The Things She Said“All the Things She Said” by t.A.T.u. is a thundering amalgam of early-2000s pop wrapped in controversy and rebellion. The track, an English rendition of their Russian hit “Ya Soshla s Uma,” surges forward with a relentless beat and hauntingly layered vocals that echo teenage angst and inner conflict. Released in 2002, it stormed charts globally, snaring the number-one spot in a myriad of countries, but only pulling an underwhelming peak of 20 on the US *Billboard* Hot 100, a curious blip given its worldwide acclaim. The undeniable focal point, though, is its music video—an exercise in provocation with Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova clad in Catholic school uniforms, drenched in rain, and locked in a kiss as a crowd stares on in judgment. It’s less subtle queer representation and more a clash between identity, voyeurism, and marketable scandal. Produced by Trevor Horn, the song balances icy synth-pop and emotionally charged lyrics, an abrasive anthem of obsession and societal alienation. Critics and fans either lauded it for its boundary-pushing bravery or dismissed it as calculated shock value, a testament to pop’s ability to sit squarely in cultural crosshairs. Love it or loathe it, the track refuses to fade, its themes of defiance and friction as pertinent as ever in a world still grappling with tolerance and visibility. Featured on the 2002 album “200 km/h in the Wrong Lane”.
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7 . Will Young – All Time LoveWill Young’s “All Time Love,” a 2006 single from his third album *Keep On*, strolls confidently into the realm of melancholic pop balladry, balancing tenderness with a whisper of yearning. Written by Jamie Hartman and produced by Stephen Lipson, the track sheds any garish pop pretensions, opting instead for delicately layered instrumentation and emotive vocals that almost ache with sincerity. Its narrative centers on the fleeting pursuit of an everlasting love, more wistful than desperate, with Anne Dudley’s gracefully arranged strings gently underscoring Will’s vulnerability. The accompanying video, directed by W.I.Z., flips between Havana’s atmospheric streets and a nostalgic wartime love story, offering a cinematic flair to the introspection—a move that feels both quaint and oddly grandiose. Peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and securing a Silver certification, “All Time Love” highlights Young’s knack for delivering understated hits without lapsing into clichés of pop melodrama. Its bittersweet resonance earned awards and nods, but perhaps the track’s true charm lies in its restraint, proving that sometimes less ostentation delivers more emotional heft. Featured on the 2005 album “Keep On”.
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8 . Kasabian – Cutt Off“Cutt Off” operates as a jagged piece of Kasabian’s early indie rock arsenal, where sleek electronics spar with a psychedelic haze that feels both chaotic and calculated. The trumpet riff, wielded like a sonic wildcard, gives the track a brassy edge often absent in its contemporaries, while the persistent bass drives it into hypnotic territory. Released as the fourth single from their 2004 debut album, the track claws its way to a respectable position at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart, securing a foothold in their launching trajectory. The song’s lyrics flirt with a kind of surreal detachment, offering nonsensical hooks that feel like corporate slogans swallowed by an acid trip—catchy but unnervingly cryptic. The single version tampered with its original drum track and mix, which might irritate purists but injects a fresh angle for a broader audience. The track’s visuals don’t bother with subtlety either; the accompanying music video, featuring a flying shark casually wreaking havoc on a city block, leans into the song’s unpredictable and anarchic spirit. The accompanying B-side, “The Duke,” curls up at the record’s fringes like a forgotten postcard, tying into the offbeat aesthetic Kasabian seemed eager to brand during this phase. Living on the only full album to feature Christopher Karloff before he departed the band, “Cutt Off” serves as a time capsule of an ambition once bitten, twice spliced with the band’s disjointed brilliance. It’s a track that doesn’t-so-much provoke singalongs as it does provoke—a stubbornly unpolished but memorable gust from the era where indie rock tried on every hat and wore all of them at once. Featured on the 2004 album “Kasabian”.
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9 . Muse – Knights of Cydonia“Knights of Cydonia” marks Muse’s audacious step into uncharted sonic territories, seamlessly merging space rock, retro-western themes, and a futuristic edge. Released in 2006 on their fourth studio album, *Black Holes and Revelations*, the track’s intricate instrumentals and theatrical flair hint at classic sci-fi and spaghetti western influences. Its galloping bassline, two-minute guitar solo, and wailing falsettos offer a maximalist soundscape that feels larger than life without spiraling into chaos. Lyrically, it wrestles with defiance and freedom, aligning well with the band’s penchant for weaving social and cosmic themes into their music. The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn, blends robot shootouts, kung fu battles, and holographic performances into a kitschy, genre-splicing visual treat that feels intentionally over-the-top. Chart performances were equally striking, with the song hitting number 10 in the UK and topping Australia’s Triple J rankings, solidifying its status as both a fan favorite and a rock staple. Live performances only heighten its appeal, with notable renditions at shows like Glastonbury 2010 and Wembley 2007, where it became the anthem of epic finales. For all its grandiosity, bits of trivia—horse sound effects, nods to The Tornados’ “Telstar,” and a Triple J Hottest 100 win—show that the track isn’t afraid to embrace its quirks amidst its ambition. Featured on the 2006 album “Black Holes and Revelations“.
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10 . Fatboy Slim – Sunset [Bird of Prey]Fatboy Slim’s “Sunset [Bird of Prey]” merges the ethereal with the mechanical, combining Jim Morrison’s haunting vocals from The Doors’ “Bird of Prey” with a hypnotic electronic beat that leans into big beat and house sensibilities. The track stakes its claim as a standout moment in his 2000 album, *Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars*, charting respectably in the UK (No. 9) while leaving a more niche impression elsewhere, from Norway to Australia. The song captures a strange tension: Morrison’s introspective musings juxtaposed against Fatboy Slim’s pulsing production, creating something both meditative and insistent. The accompanying video, directed by Blue Source, is steeped in eerie Cold War paranoia, featuring a USAF pilot spiraling into hallucinatory detachment—a nod to MKULTRA conspiracies and ’60s-era cultural anxiety. Shot at Duxford Aerodrome, it cleverly navigates visual authenticity, using a Hawker Hunter painted in removable USAF decals after more ambitious ideas were shelved, such as a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter homage. Fatboy Slim’s strength in pulling rock history into his electronic repertoire shines here, with his deft treatment of Morrison’s vocals standing apart from typical club fare, offering a brooding and otherworldly escape from the genre’s more hedonistic beats. Still, the track’s measured tempo and subdued energy may not resonate with fans expecting the frenetic chaos of his other hits, like “The Rockafeller Skank” or “Praise You.” “Sunset [Bird of Prey]” remains an enigmatic pulse in his catalog, a bridge between psychedelia and electronic music that feels hauntingly rooted in nostalgia but propelled by an unmistakably modern rhythm. Featured on the 2000 album “Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars”.
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11 . Robbie Williams – Advertising Space“Advertising Space” is Robbie Williams’ reflective nod to the bittersweet legacy of fame, dressed as a pop rock ballad from his 2005 album *Intensive Care*. The track balances sharp critique and wistful homage, weaving references to Elvis Presley’s decline and the commodification of his image. Written by Williams with Stephen Duffy, the song eschews bombast for subtlety, delivering a melody that’s plaintive yet incisive. The lyrics touch on Presley’s infamous meeting with Richard Nixon, his struggles, and faint echoes of Marlon Brando’s symbolic end. Williams, ever the showman, inhabits Elvis’s persona in the David LaChapelle-directed video, blending kitsch with poignancy as archival echoes swirl around him. This isn’t just another tribute; it’s a meditation on how icons are posthumously packaged, often stripped of their dignity in the process. The single climbed to the eighth spot on the UK charts, resonating enough to earn a Gold certification but sidestepping the saccharine veneer “tribute songs” often adopt. Performed in his 2006 “Close Encounters Tour,” the track stood out as a muted entry in an otherwise grandiose setlist, offering a moment of introspection in an often larger-than-life repertoire. Love or loathe the commentary, “Advertising Space” compels listeners to reckon with the uneasy marriage of fame’s heights and its inexorable lows. Featured on the 2005 album “Intensive Care “. |
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12 . Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol isn’t just a song; it feels like a confessional whispered into a void, hoping for someone to hear. Released in June 2006 as part of their fourth album *Eyes Open*, the track radiates simplicity so naked it borders on audacity in a world that often prefers its emotions wrapped in metaphors. The lyrics hang suspended in the moment, with Gary Lightbody encapsulating a desire so pure it’s almost too intimate, allegedly inspired by his father’s matter-of-fact phrase about unwavering devotion. Musically, it unfurls patiently, never rushing to arrive anywhere, allowing its sparse arrangement of chiming guitars, plaintive piano, and swelling strings to echo the unhurried ache of its words. Jacknife Lee’s production leans into restraint, avoiding bombast for a minimalist build that crescendos in emotional resonance without ever leaning on heavy-handed flourishes. Its prominence exploded after being featured in *Grey’s Anatomy*, a show that practically minted a genre of emotionally manipulative soundtracks, solidifying its appeal in bittersweet moments of pop culture melodrama. The track peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100, achievements undercut by its marathon longevity, spending what feels like forever in chart limbo and earning the dubious prestige of being one of the most overplayed songs of its era. And yet, the repetition never quite wears it down, perhaps because its content resists cynicism; it’s too honest to feel manufactured, even when it’s played at the hundredth wedding or breakup scene montage. The accompanying video, with its stark visuals of Lightbody lying prone in various locations, mirrors the song’s sense of stillness, refusing to compete for attention. It’s no surprise that “Chasing Cars” became the most-played UK song of the 21st century by 2013, a title that feels both fitting and slightly damning—a triumph of universality in an era where intimacy is an algorithm’s goldmine. It treads the delicate line between heartfelt and saccharine, occasionally tipping into the latter but never so far that it loses its footing entirely. Love it, tire of it, or begrudgingly admire its unshakeable ubiquity, “Chasing Cars” is less a moment in music and more a ghost that lingers, haunting playlists and memories with its fragile, unadorned sincerity. Featured on the 2006 album “Eyes Open”.
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