The end of "Pop Music" (for this semester, at least!)

Last night, my Seminar in Pop Music met for its final class of the semester (excluding the final exam). This is the one where students create the content, which includes the study of popular music from 2000 through today. The textbook can't quite do this as accurately as my students, so we all do it together. They bring in the material, and I play DJ/video/audio controller. Fun fun fun. Youtube really helps on this day.

So, in a rather large nutshell:

1. "Bring in one song from one year spanning 2000-2009 that you feel represents popular music for that year."
2000----
2001--—Andrew W.K. “Party Hard”
—Gorillaz, “Clint Eastwood”
—N’Sync, “Pop”
—Orgy, “Fiction”
2002——Simple Plan, “I’d Do Anything” (power pop rock)
2003—Coheed & Cambria---“A Favor House Atlantic”
—Black Eyed Peas—“Where Is The Love?”
2004—Coheed & Cambria—“Blood Red Summer”

2006—Plus 44, “When Your Heart Stops Beating”
2007—One Republic, “Apologize” with Timbaland
2008—Katie Perry, “I Kissed A Girl”
Karson—Radiohead, “Reckoner”

Interesting, yes?

2. "Think of at least 3 bands that we didn't/couldn't cover in class who should definitely be discussed."

Incubus
Weird Al Yankovich
Garth Brooks
Johnny Cash
Ozzy Osbourne/Black Sabbath
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Judy Garland
Christina Aguilara
Depeche Mode
Charlie Parker
Coheed and Cambria
The Doors
Nine Inch Nails
Hootie and the Blowfish
The Backstreet Boys
Tears for Fears
The Mars Volta
Brittany Spears
Fall Out Boy
Morrissey/The Smiths
No Doubt/Gwen Stefani
Death Cab for Cutie
Third Eye Blind
Hanson
Brian Setzer/The Stray Cats
Kelly Clarkson
Radiohead
The Cure
Josh Grobin
Dashboard Confessional
Billy Idol
Foo Fighters
Stone Temple Pilots
Brand New
Rush
Journey
Reel Big Fish
Blink 182
Bush
Sevendust
Styx
Greenday
Weezer

Quite a list, yes? And, we did actually cover A LOT of material....but alas, how to do it all in 15 weeks?

3. "Name one or more bands who you would like to see REMOVED from the world of popular music completely." (This is always my favorite, and this question generated some surprising responses)

Nickelback
Vanilla Ice
Fall Out Boy
OutKast
Buckcherry
Chicken=dance dude
Hannah Montana
Creed
Will Smith
Jonas Brothers
Dream Theater
Hinder
J. Giles Band
John Mayer
Staind/Aaron Lewis
Revenge Sevenfold
Insane Clown Posse
Soldier Boy
Disturbed
My Chemical Romance
Great White
KISS
Tina Turner
Led Zeppelin
Pink Floyd
(Radiohead)
Scorpions
AC/DC
“Freebird”

So there you have it, folks. The past decade assessed through the wise eyes of college juniors and seniors. As I like to say in class, "Comments, anyone?"