A Random List of Underrated or Forgotten Pop Songs From the 2000s

So I came across a video on YouTube that contained a hodgepodge of forgotten pop songs since the dawn of the millennium. While watching, I realized that a majority of the songs on the list were contemporary hits that remain extremely popular to this day. Some forgotten songs I agreed with (i.e. Stacy Orrico's Stuck, Melanie C's Never Be The Same Again) while others have stood the test of time enough to not qualify (i.e. Alicia Keys's Girl on Fire, Carly Rae Jepson's Call Me Maybe). It got me inspired to come up with a compilation of pop songs that were huge that don't seem to get any radio airplay or brought up in the discussion nowadays. Since this will cover songs from the 2000s decade (I fell out of love for 2010s pop music so I'm a bit under the rock in that regard), I will go ahead and list my reasonings for why I feel they're underappreciated or forgotten about, including information on how successful each song performed when they first hit radio waves.

BBMak - Back Here

This song was released internationally in the United Kingdom in 1999 but it wasn't until a year later in the spring of 2000 when the song made it huge, reaching #13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the US Adult Contemporary charts. 

Unless you were of the audience that grew up listening to music from this era, it's a song that doesn't get brought up enough in the discussion. Teen pop and the boy band craze was all the rage at the time thanks in part to acts like the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, and 98 Degrees to solo acts like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. BBMak came in at the right place at the right time. Unlike most boy bands, the trio composed their music and played their own instruments. The band disbanded in 2003 only to reunite a decade later in 2018, coinciding with a comeback album the following year with Powerstation. You'd be lucky if you hear this track playing in the intercom from your local retail store.

Darren Hayes - Insatiable

Not long after the breakup of Savage Garden, Darren Hayes continued on as a solo artist with his debut album Spin released in 2002. Its first single "Insatiable" reached #77 on the Billboard Hot 100, #16 on the Adult Contemporary/Easy Listening, and #33 on the US Adult Top 40 charts respectively. 

I remember stumbling into this song on my local pop station and was amazed to hear the familiar octane voice from Darren. I had no idea Savage Garden had disbanded at this time, and I was enthralled the first time I heard it. It's ashamed it underperformed compared to his past work, and quickly flew under the radar. 

Spin received mixed reviews at the time of its release. Though he had continued to churn out albums in the years since, I feel his solo career could've been much bigger than it turned out. Yet at the same time, he's making the type of music he loves which I deeply respect. 

David Cook - Light On

David Cook won the 2008 American Idol season, coinciding with his then smash hit "Time of My Life." That same year, Cook would go on to release his major label debut album, featuring the aforementioned ballad along with the follow up single "Light On." Written by the late Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave, this song cracked the Top 20 in the US Billboard Hot 100 (#17 to be exact), #27 on the Canadian Hot 100 Chart, and #8 in Finland.

David was one of my favorite contestants on American Idol. Much like Chris Daughtry, they were avid rock fans that brought an extra flare to that scene, especially at a time when R&B and Pop were the dominant music genres. Given Cornell's involvement in the song process, I can easily indicate the parts where Cook screeches in his verses which explains the influences he inherited it from. 

This song received mixed reviews at the time of its release. A majority of original songs affiliated with American Idol have been known for their simplistic, radio friendly sound. Cook was an amazing vocalist but there wasn't much about this ballad that stood out from his playlist. He's managed to have a steady career in the years since with his most recent LP album released as late as 2015 (or 2021 if you count his EP work). His stories about his brother is very touching and I can't imagine what it's like to lose a sibling so young. He even composed a heartfelt ballad (Permanent) as a tribute to him. Nevertheless, it's great to hear he is doing well these days.

Chris Cornell featuring Timbaland - Part of Me

Speaking of Cornell, there was a period in his career where he churned out a string of solo records. In 1999, he debuted with a CD entitled "Euphoria Morning" followed up by his 2007 album "Carry On." He released his third record "Scream" which would be a departure from his traditional rock roots, vying for a more pop and electronica approach to his sound. It featured the single "Part of Me" produced by R&B artist Timbaland who had collaborated with pop acts such as Missy Elliott, Nelly Furtado, One Republic, and Justin Timberlake. While the song didn't chart the US's Billboard Hot 100, the song reached #22 in the Billboard Hot Single Sales, #9 in the Hot Dance Single Sales, and it fared considerably well internationally in Germany, Hungary, Finnish, and Austria. 

I have very vague memories of this song being huge here in America. It wasn't until sometime after Cornell's death when I looked back at his song catalogs from his time in Soundgarden and Audioslave. Since I wasn't familiar with his solo work, I typed in the search engine on YouTube and this song was the first video that popped up in the results. In my honest opinion, it was a weird creative direction. Going from heavy hitters like "Rusty Cage" and "Outshined" to a radio friendly smash "Part of Me" felt like I was listening to a whole different artist. While it may have been a case of this being an experimental album, I do commend Chris's versatility even if I didn't necessarily agree with the music he churned out at this time.

Soul Decision - Faded

At the height of the boy band craze, this Canadian trio made it into the scene with their biggest single "Faded." The song reached #22 in the US Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Canada RPM and Canada's Nielsen Sound Scan charts. 

As a kid who grew up listening to teen pop from this era, I have no memories of this band. A few years back, a former YouTuber uploaded an archive of episodes of Casey Kasem's countdown throughout the years (channel ended up terminated in 2020). While listening to an aircheck from 2000, I stumbled across a track that I don't remember from this timeframe. It was a catchy pop tune that drew influences from Wham especially when it came to its vocalist George Michael. While the band as a whole did moderately well with their follow up singles in Canada, this turned out to be their only big hit in the states. After their record label filed for bankruptcy, the group disbanded in 2005 as band members went on to pursue solo projects. 

Lillix - It's About Time

Fast forward a few years later, a Canadian girl group made their major label debut album in 2003 with "Falling Uphill". Lillix (previously known as Tigerlily) came on board to the scene with their lead single "It's About Time", a pop rock driven sound in the veins of Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, and Michelle Branch. The Matrix which had been responsible for producing Avril's music also contributed to the making of their smash hit. The song reached at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, #5 on MTV's TRL Countdown, and #32 on the Top 50 CHR/Top Pop Radio & Records Charts.

I remember hearing this tune on TRL in the spring of 2003. This was a song that discusses about the ups and downs of two mates in a complex relationship. By this time, the late 90s Teen Pop fad had died down and eventually mutated into a more rock orientated sound. Lillix were garnering exposure on TV and even contributed to the cover of the Romantics hit "What I Like About You" featured in the soundtrack to the Freaky Friday remake, as well as the theme song of The WB sitcom starring Amanda Bynes and Jennie Garth.

When Maverick Records merged with Warner Group, Lillix would be dropped from their record label. They released two more albums before ultimately disbanding in 2010. 

Orianthi - According To You

Australian guitarist Orianthi emerged into the scene as a result of her contribution in the rehearsal to Michael Jackson's "This Is It" tour in 2009. After his untimely death put a permanent halt to the tour, Geffen Records released her sophomore album Believe which contained her first and biggest single to date "According to You." The song reached #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #1 on American Top 40, and #1 on Australia's ARIA charts.

While the song is not my favorite out of the bunch, I really dug the amazing guitar solo in-between the chorus and final verses. I wouldn't have discovered her if not for her breakout hit, so take it as a gateway into her music. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with established guitarists such as Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, and Steve Vai. I adore Orianthi as I always wanted to learn about playing a musical instrument (only played the guitar but even my skills are limited). I recommend checking out her music discography to have a great demonstration of her performance. 

Eden's Crush - Get Over Yourself

As the teen pop craze began to wind down, a girl group in the veins of the Spice Girls, All Saints, and B*witched emerged onto the scene. Consisting of Anna, Ivette, Rosanna, Maile, and a then unknown in Nicole Scherzinger, Eden's Crush made their presence known, debuting with their single "Get Over Yourself." The song charted at #8 and #92 in the Billboard Hot 100's weekly and year end charts respectively. Over in Canada, the song reached #1 and #27 in the Nielsen Soundscan's weekly and year end charts. 

Of all the pop groups from the late 90s and early 2000s, I completely forgot all about Eden's Crush. It wasn't until I was binge watching Sabrina when I rediscovered the girl group that so happened to guest star in the show's season 5 finale. At the time, a U.S version of Popstars premiered on the WB Network, predating the more successful music competition American Idol by a year. Add in the fact that along with Sabrina aired on the same nights, the network decided to do a cross promotion of the two shows in hopes of allowing the group to garner exposure to the masses. Unfortunately, due to the folding of their record label, their tenure did not last as they would end up disbanding in 2002.

Shifty Shellshock - Slide Along Side

During Crazy Town's hiatus, Shifty tried his hands on a solo album Happy Love Sick which was released in 2004. Its lead single "Slide Along Side" reached #38 on the US Top 40 chart, and made it to the top 20 in Italy. 

I remember hearing this song in the summer of that year. Just a feel good, laid back rap song you would crank up at a house party. It's unfortunate "Slide Along Side" failed to chart in the Billboard Hot 100. I know Shifty tends to get a bad rep in the music community (and understandably so).  I have to admit this along with "Butterfly" when he was with Crazy Town were admittedly catchy tunes growing up. Happy Love Sick would be his first and only album he has churned out to date.

Nick Carter - Help Me

During the Backstreet Boys' hiatus in 2002, Nick Carter released his debut solo album Now or Never. Its lead single "Help Me" reached #36 on the US Mainstream Top 40 chart and even cracked the top 10 in Canada and Italy.

This was a a transitional period of pop music. Boy Bands began to fall out of favor with groups either disbanding or went on hiatus indefinitely. Some members of their respective bands wound up venturing into their own. I remember hearing this song on the radio a few times when it came out but quickly fell off the radar. It took me twenty years later to rediscover it once again and I thought it was a very solid single. There was a little essence of that Backstreet Boys style of tune carried into this song while spinning it off into his own thing with more emphasis on guitar work. Interesting enough, Now or Never was released a week apart from Justin Timberlake's Justified album.

"Help Me" failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100. He released two more singles from his debut record before reuniting with BSB shortly thereafter. 

What If WWE's King of The Ring Tournament Continued As A Tradition After 2002?

It's been awhile since I've posted but since it's June, this got me into thinking about a past PPV event that WWE used to hold once a year. Before Money in the Bank took over that mantle, the King of the Ring event was named after a tournament comprising of multiple superstars competing in an elimination bracket to determine that year's winner. From 1993 to 2002, the PPV saw 10 competitors competing and winning the KOTR tournament. In some cases, the winner would qualify for a World Title shot at Summerslam (i.e. Owen Hart in 1994, Mabel in 1995, and Brock Lesnar in 2002). With the brand extension in full effect, poor buy rates, not to mention the inclusion of brand exclusive PPVs, WWE made a decision to retire the King of the Ring event from their yearly calendar.  Although they would bring the tournament back every few years since, it has since been largely discontinued. It got me pondering what if the King of the Ring continued as an annual tradition? 

Over on Re-Edit, I posted a series of tournament brackets using superstars that were on the active roster based on the timeline. This will mainly cover the years in which a KOTR did not take place (though I made an exception by rebooking 2006 including Raw superstars). It will start from 2003 and onto present day (as of this posting here in 2023). I will provide the links down below for the full brackets including the winners of their respective years. Enjoy:

2003: John Cena

2004: JBL

2005: Eddie Guerrero

2006*: Shelton Benjamin

2007: CM Punk

2009: The Miz

2011: R-Truth

2012: Dolph Ziggler

2013: Daniel Bryan

2014: Seth Rollins

2016: AJ Styles

2017: Samoa Joe

2018: Bobby Lashley

2020: Cesaro

2022: Finn Balor

2023: Dominik Mysterio

JimmytheTVFanatic

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Once & Always TV Special Review

Just recently, Netflix released a 55 minute reunion special paying tribute to the Power Rangers season that started it all. Twenty five years after the events of Countdown to Destruction, Rita Repulsa's dark side returns as she creates a time portal to prevent Zordon from recruiting five teenagers with attitude to become the first team of Power Rangers. When Rita uses her staff to kill (not destroy) the Yellow Ranger in Trini, her daughter Minh vows to avenge her mother's death by continuing on the legacy she left behind. 

Where do I begin? This was one that I, like many Power Rangers fans, had been looking forward to for over a year. When the announcement came that we would see the MMPR team reunite, I was thrilled. It was the chance to see some of our beloved characters, some of which we haven't seen in decades, in action for what could be their last hurrah; Billy and Zack, the original Blue and Black Rangers respectively make their first appearance in over twenty five years. Now as adults, they coped with the death of their teammate and friend while having to nurture a teenager determined to exact revenge by taking out the villain responsible for Trini's murder.

Although two of the original characters made their returns, Tommy, Jason, Trini, and Kimberly's actors were absent from the special. In a story twist, Rita has captured a majority of Power Rangers spanning from different teams including the latter three characters. Prior to his death, Jason David Frank declined as he announced the retirement of his portrayal as Tommy Oliver. Meanwhile, Amy Jo Johnson was offered to make a return but opted not to due to contract disagreements combined with promoting her latest Power Rangers comic. Austin St. John's legal troubles have prevented him from traveling outside the United States which meant he would be unable to participate in shooting for the episode (the show's film location moved to New Zealand from California since Ninja Storm). Lastly, Thuy Trang who portrayed Trini passed away in 2001 from a car accident, as this special was created to pay tribute to her actress and character. In their place, Steve Cardenas and Catherine Sutherland make their first appearance in nearly 5 years as Rocky and Katherine, the second Red and Pink Rangers respectively.

I understand the criticism in regards to Hollywood's fixation on nostalgia and the negative stigma that tends to rub lifelong fans of beloved IPs the wrong way. The recent anniversary team ups have treated their past Power Rangers like action figures in the background. For instance, in Super Megaforce, the season that celebrated its 20th anniversary, had some of the retro rangers return; Aside from Tommy, the rest of the other characters have minimal screen time, some didn't even have lines at all. Hell, we don't even know what they have been up to since the end of their respective seasons. For its 25th anniversary, Dimensions in Danger, while a tad bit better, suffers the same issue with returning Power Rangers in the background with no impact on the story whatsoever. 

For me personally though, I didn't get the sense of that as far as Once & Always is concerned. The special started with a traditional fight between the team and Rita's putties, which leads into the movie's plot. This was effective in a way that grabs the viewers' attention and on the edge of your seat. Barbera Goodson did a fabulous job having reprised her role as the main villain. Though we had our share of dramatic and somewhat darker seasons of Power Rangers, the fact that Rita goes as far as murdering Trini was surreal. When I first learned of the plot surrounding her death, I was a bit concerned how they would handle her death. I thought the writers found a way to incorporate it in a tasteful manner, setting the story one year after and how the rangers including Minh manage to cope with grief. 

How does Rita get revived? While her counterpart, Mystic Mother from Mystic Force remains present, it instead resurrects Rita's evil doppelganger, this time in her robotic form. It would be revealed that Billy conducted an incantation to revive Zordon after sacrificing himself to eradicate the United Alliance of Evil once and for all. That backfired and his failed resurrection came with a price. Admittedly, I oppose Zordon being revived in any capacity. Without him doing what he did, the United Alliance would have gone on to triumph over the Power Rangers in their path to conquer not only Earth, but the entire universe that was out there. It would've been a different timeline and this decision would've irked me as a fan. On the bright side, I'm glad that didn't happen.

It was very nice to see Rocky and Kat back in action. While we last saw them in Dimensions in Danger in 2018, we barely had any screen time with the two. Unlike their previous appearance, we actually get to see them do something and actually take part in the special. It turns out Rocky has become a firefighter whereas Kat is a stay at home mother raising a son alongside Tommy (retconning the flash forward scene of them as grandparents in Zeo) Though they didn't have much of an arc throughout, they did a fine job in their roles and did what they needed to do.

They weren't the only other favorites to return. We do see Adam and Aisha back on screen as they have since become space cadets traveling across the universe. According to executive showrunner Simon Bennett, it's an intergalactic organization which serves as a prelude to Space Patrol Delta. While it's great to see the former Black and Yellow Rangers, I wish we got to see them interact with our heroes more. I'm curious as to what made them decide on traveling the galaxy, and how SPA came to be (as of this blog, there is no acronym to what it stands for). Last time we saw Aisha, she stayed behind in Africa to help raise animals during the middle of a time paradox that saw the Power Rangers turned into kids. I would love to see a sequel for Once & Always down the road that expands on that. Given how convoluted of a mess the Alien Rangers arc was, I can't blame the writers for not touching on that subject. 

The production team did a wonderful job recreating Ernie's Juice Bar from the Youth Center. We never got to see a wide range shot so when I looked at a behind the scenes screenshot, I was amazed. I suppose it was replaced with the Surf Spot hangout from In Space but it appears it's still around after all of these years. We did have a brief fight scene with Rocky and Zack (the first time we get to see them interact) which, although passable I wasn't feeling it with Rocky's performance. It plays out like a standard unmorphed fight  that made Power Rangers, well, Power Rangers.

After failed attempts to morph, Minh carries on the mantle passed down by her mother and becomes the Yellow Ranger. I'll got to be honest. At first, I couldn't stand her attitude. I get she misses Trini and she had good intentions to chase after Rita and her goons. She came across entitled and somewhat of a brat towards Billy and Zack. Not only losing her mother but where was her father in all of this mess? Maybe Trini met someone during the Peace Conference, got married, had a baby, but their relationship grew sour overtime? While there are some questions I have that are lingering over my head, I think her actress Charlie Kirsch did a fine job in the role. 

As for the final showdown, the Dino Megazord makes a comeback since the beginning of season 2. I'll admit the design was pretty cool although the zord fight on the moon falls short compared to Mighty Morphin's heyday. We do get to see our main heroes go up against Robo Rita on the Moon Palace. Surprisingly, she gets impaled by Billy's Power Lance which is something you wouldn't see in a regular Power Rangers episode. To be fair, the rest of his teammates contributed to Rita's destruction using their respective signature weapons (Zack's Axe, Kat's Bow, and Rocky's Sword). I wish we got to see her palace getting destroyed by having Rita initiate a bomb sequence that if she failed, she could take the rangers down with her; This trope may have been done before, but something to the effect of which the penultimate battle feels more urgent. 

The ending was sweet yet melancholy in a way. Billy, Zack, and Minh are back at the juice bar reminiscing on the good times they shared with Trini. There was a reused clip from a season two MMPR episode where Kimberly and Zack are performing a song which, at the time, was dedicated to Tommy and his uncertain fate as a Power Ranger. While JDF and Thuy Trang are no longer with us, this clip serves as a reminding tribute to the cast members that helped shape the franchise. Had Amy Jo returned, I could easily imagine her actually singing another rendition of that performance alongside Zack. Regardless, I thought they handled it brilliantly.

Overall, I had a blast watching this special. Granted it had its share of problems and I was disappointed we didn't get to see a full reunion with all of the original cast members available. David Yost and Walter Jones did phenomenal in their roles, acting like adult versions of their characters. It was surreal to hear Katherine shouting out pterodactyl; By the time she came onboard, the dino coins were destroyed and they resorted to using ninja powers. It would also mark the first time Zack got to interact with the second set of rangers with Adam, Aisha, Rocky, and Kat. Even with the shoddy CGI effects during battle scenes, the crew made the most of the budget they were given. It may sound ideal but I'd really want the special to succeed that will warrant more reunion team ups of this magnitude. I know Rotten Tomatoes isn't a reliable source, but considering how high of a review percentage it's gotten (very uncommon with Power Rangers), perhaps this could be a sign of things to come? Some things may sound too good to be true but man did I enjoy it.

JimmytheTVFanatic

If The Last of Us Cordyceps Outbreak Happened in 2003...

So I've been following the TV adaptation of the Last of Us on HBO Max, and it's been receiving overwhelming praise by gaming fans and TV viewers alike. While the show doesn't completely deviate itself from its source material, there are a number of key differences between that and the video game. One example would be that the program dates back to 2003 as opposed to 2013 when the Cordyceps outbreak unfolds. It's amazing to think how different events would've played out had civilization as we know it had ended twenty years before. Can you imagine how different the timeline would be in a world where we would miss out on some milestone accomplishments in society? What about the kinds of technological inventions that would never see the light of day due to the mass exodus of the human population? It's surreal to think about, and one that I'm glad we did not have to witness. But here is a list of things that may not even happen had the outbreak occurred:

• Shrek 2 wouldn't have been released to theaters, as production would have halted
• Britney Spears's fourth album "In the Zone" is never released despite being on the verge of completion (Outbreak Day was 9/26 whereas the album's launch date was 11/1)
• America's war against Iraq would've lasted a few months rather than spanning a good chunk of the decade
• Same sex/gay marriage would never have been legalized in the United States
• Social Media outlets such as Face Book, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram wouldn't have existed. It's something to note about because Face Book is mentioned in the Last of Us DLC Left Behind when Ellie and Riley were taking pictures inside of a photo booth .
• The first iPhone project never happens therefore the iPhone is never released. In retrospect, it has revolutionized the way we utilize our phones. The lack of a transmission feed makes over the air communication inaccessible. 
• Representing the AFC division in the NFL, the New England Patriots would not have had the dynasty they ended up having. This meant winning multiple AFC Titles and Super Bowl rings than any team in the league in history
• Kevin Feige, Hollywood movie director who contributed to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), catapults Marvel superheroes into pop culture relevance.
• Digital downloading for music never truly evolves pass the CDs and mixed tapes (though devices such as Napster, Limewire, and the iPod were around, it took awhile for the music industry to fully embrace the idea. In reality, the advent of music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SiriusXM really helped bring exposure to local artists in the scene)
• The Last of Us video game is never developed therefore this adaptation would never be made (LOL but seriously though)

These are just some scenarios that came up from the top of my head. Hell, I wouldn't even be typing this blog up since there would be no electricity to charge my laptop or any electronics. What other events would not have happened had civilization ended in 2003? 

JimmytheTVFanatic