At the turn of the century, music got particularly depressing. This contrasted with bubblegum pop that was dominating the mainstream. With emo on the rise, emotions were laid out for all to hear in the late 90s and early 2000s. Truly, this era wasn’t as bad as it seems with these depressing songs. In a heartbeat, I’d travel back in time to the early 2000s.
Nevertheless, these four Y2K songs had no business being that depressing.
“how to disappear completely” by radiohead
Radiohead set out to prove they were not a 90s one-hit-wonder act. In 1997, Ok Computer marked the band’s shift into art rock. With this, they became art rock legends by the turn of the century. Still, “How To Disappear Completely” from their 2000 album Kid A has no business being that depressing. It’s a haunting slow drag of ambient noise, with no uplifting nature whatsoever.
Thom Yorke penned the track in a time of great stress. The singer spoke with BBC News in 2017, stating that he nearly walked off stage during a performance at Glastonbury in 1997. “I just needed a break. And in fact, I didn’t get one for another year and a bit, at which point I was pretty much catatonic.”
“adam’s song” by blink-182
In 1999, Blink-182’s third album, Enemy Of The State, was a massive success not only for the band but for pop-punk in general. They were leading a charge in a pop-punk invasion at the turn of the century. Following two upbeat pop-punk anthems, “What’s My Age Again?” and “All The Small Things”, their third single had a different tone.
Primarily written by bassist Mark Hoppus, “Adam’s Song” explores themes of depression, loneliness, and even suicidal thoughts. It’s a stark contrast to the band’s other hits of the time. Ultimately, this played well with fans, as they soon included more personal tracks in future releases. Still, it’s not the vibe when you’re in the mood for Blink-182’s signature sarcastic anthems.
“how to fight loneliness” by wilco
Jeff Tweedy is known for his personal and poetic songwriting style. Fans of Wilco connect to the singer-songwriter on an emotional level, and that’s understandable. Still, “How To Fight Loneliness” carries a particularly depressing tone that can kill the mood. It’s about lying through sadness, pretending to be alright, which will never work. Tweedy knows this, and it’s not meant to be sound advice. It’s mostly a recommendation, since the answer isn’t as simple as smiling through the pain.
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