It seems like the decade was just beginning. I can remember witnessing the transformation from alternative rock to indie music as the preferred genre for so many fans, and boy, was it exciting. Since the decade is winding down now, I’d like to take a few minutes to honor the bands that I believe to be the best of the decade.

In doing this, I’d like to narrow it down to five before choosing one in my mind whose influence and body of work was stronger than any other. There’s no right answer to this, as it’s all a matter of personal tastes.

The first time I heard the White Stripes, I heard their White Blood Cells album, and I was floored. Their sound was a classic one, but a fresh sounding one at that. This band’s work was full of energy, and Jack and Meg White were great.

Most notably, they spearheaded the whole garage rock movement and many bands followed suit. More importantly, they produced a handful of quality records throughout the decade and the two of them have a sound that’s richer than bands with give and more members. The White Stripes get a nod for innovating music that’s simplistic in its roots.

Another obvious contender is Radiohead. While the band became very popular during the previous decade, they became even more well respected during the past ten years.

This band has stopped at nothing to continue pushing the limits in terms of musical boundaries, and they’re still going strong at the end of the decade.

We’ve mentioned a garage rock band and an experimental band, and now it’s time to mention a more traditional rock band. Wilco incorporates elements of a number of different genres, but the purity of the band’s music is strong and lasting.

Making the decision to drop its record label when they rejected Wilco’s version of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was an integral point in the indie rock movement, and Wilco’s music has been some of the best of the decade.

It’s really hard to name just one band as the best of the decade, but Wilco gets it in my mind.

This author has a new site that speaks about the Satellite TV for PC scam concerns, and many other pieces of writing.