2000s #08 Tomcraft - 'Loneliness' (2002) #07 My Chemical Romance - 'Welcome to the Black Parade' (2006) Next up is a double whammy of chart-toppers! German DJ and producer Tomcraft, who sadly passed away in 2024, became a one hit wonder when his track 'Loneliness' reached #1 in the U.K. during 2003, after it was championed by Judge Jules on Radio 1. The song was surprisingly buried in the track list of Now! 55 despite its chart topping status, plus went uncertified for years, but has taken on a new life since featuring in the dark comedy thriller Saltburn. 'Loneliness' is now certified Gold in the U.K. and has become a firm favourite for me. I was always a fan but it has quietly crept up in my affections even more and is now one of my top examples of effective, sample driven loopy dance music, a template the 2000s went wild for. The sample in question here is Andrea Martin's 1999 single 'Share the Love'. Martin had a hand in writing many big hits, including: En Vogue's 'Don't Let Go (Love)', Blu Cantrell's 'Breathe' and Leona Lewis' 'Better in Time'. Her own 'Share the Love', emotionally penned about a selfish lover, didn't dent the chart here but would provide excellent material for a hook lifted by producers Tomcraft and Eniac. "Happiness seems to be loneliness and loneliness killed my world" is a stark focal point that is hauntingly delivered and driven home hard with the repetition. Away from the hook, I also adore the production that mixes both techno and trance sounds. The 'radio cut' is my preferred version, just because I like to go in hard with this song from the word go, so I linked that rather than the music video version - but also understand the appeal of that one too. I can sometimes be in the mood for that build-up instead which is more of a tease. Either way, this is a pleasingly dark dance banger, with another dimension thanks to the beautiful piano deviation too. ... I wrote an essay about My Chemical Romance's 'Welcome to the Black Parade' just 9 months ago, when ranking the #1 hits of 2006, so might as well cheekily lift a shorter version of my very long commentary there given it was so recent! 'Welcome to the Black Parade' was my #1 choice in that thread, with Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' the runner-up - which is the final song I cut from my 2000s top 10 here. 'Welcome to the Black Parade' was fittingly chosen as the single to lead My Chemical Romance's third album, The Black Parade. This was a concept record based on a character named 'The Patient' who is suffering from terminal cancer. The album chronicles his story as he is nearing the end of his life. The album reached #2 here in the U.K. and left a huge legacy, immediately altering the sound of 'emo' music and influencing the rap world too, particularly metalcore bands. The record's impact also stretched to alternative fashion and culture. Despite this influence, Gerard Way did not like their music being described as 'emo', finding it a restrictive label. The album's lead single focuses on the aforementioned character 'The Patient' and explores the afterlife. The song was originally known as 'The Five of Us Are Dying', as far back as 2001, but the band repeatedly struggled to feel satisfied with the final product. The turning point was producer Rob Cavallo creating its famous piano line. This addition finally motivated the group to finish what would become known as 'Welcome to the Black Parade'. The lyrics open with 'The Patient' recalling his fondest childhood memory ahead of his impending death, in this case, it's his father taking him to see a marching band, inspired by a true anecdote in Gerard and Mikey's Way's life, when their own dad took them to see a parade. As the song progresses, we learn of advice that this father had dispensed to his son in a God-like way, such as: "he said, son, when you grow up, would you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten, and the damned?". The overarching theme is overcoming darkness in the world and the triumph of the human spirit. The character never gave up on his dreams during his lifetime which means he became the hero his dad wanted, even if he does not see himself in this way. This intriguing mix of conceptual lyrics and production, that can be described as emo music, pop-punk or even rock opera, provided a unique U.K. #1 single for the 2000s. There is so much that I love about this song... from the off, that opening piano note is so beautiful and impactful. In subsequent years, it has become a bit of a meme, in a "play this to make an emo cry" kind of way. I know nothing about the theory behind piano playing but am aware that this note is a G5, thanks to the aforementioned memes. This slow start is also accompanied by an initially tender vocal performance from Gerard. The subject matter makes me feel a range of emotions. Writing about someone in terminal decline who is coming face to face with an impending death is obviously a difficult subject. But they tackle it sensitively and the creative, conceptual world allows the story to have that element of escapism too. The lyrics include imagery such as phantoms, demons and of course, the Black Parade, on top of real human connections. There is a lot of hope offered as well. Gerard's concept of a special childhood memory being your last thought ahead of the afterlife is quite a comforting outlook. The more general themes of human triumph and overcoming dark times are uplifting too - with "we'll carry on" being a particularly euphoric call to arms. The "give a cheer for all the broken, listen here, because it's who we are" also stands out to me as a great message of strength. After the introductory piano, the production continues to build tension well, as the drums during the first verse make it feel like an actual marching band is passing. Gerard Way's vocals become more passionate and striking too. 'Welcome to the Black Parade' then launches into a towering instrumental portion that shifts the energy of the song into another place. Those pounding drums and guitars are electrifying. The chorus feels genuinely anthemic while the breakdown later on is an intense ride, with "I don't care!" a powerful and defiant rounding off ahead of that final, exhilarating chorus. "We'll carry on" is the perfect note to end on, doubling in meaning as the human spirit continuing to triumph against darkness but also, conceptually, continuing in life after death. Gerard's final elongated note, taking us into the marching instrumental outro, is the cherry on top of a standout vocal performance. 'Welcome to the Black Parade' never commits to one lane and I find this constant shapeshifting a treat to listen to. I applaud their ambition here and am delighted that they were eventually able to complete the song so effectively after shelving it for quite a few years. I do have one additional thought since originally brainstorming for that commentary as it's relevant to this thread. Like 'West End Girls' referencing 'Heart of Glass', 'Welcome to the Black Parade' potentially mentions an earlier song from the countdown as well. This time it's 'Paint It, Black' by The Rolling Stones, with the "so paint it black and take it back" line.
I was intrigued to hear your thoughts on the MCR song as I don't think you were around for my 2006 #1s countdown at the time, so I'm happy to hear you're a fan too and agree on it being their best single. I think my top 3 MCR singles would be that, 'Famous Last Words' and 'Helena'! ❤️ Oh Sigur Rós somehow didn't cross my mind for that contest but they would've been a brilliant choice! What a shame that Jester's Kingdom entry DNQed back in the day, although this was the same kind of era that failed 'Unfinished Sympathy' too before rules were more strict, so taste on here clearly could not be trusted back in the day Glad you like 'Loneliness' too! Ooh thanks for that, I'll need to give those other songs a go as I don't know too much of her catalogue despite being such a fan of 'Moi...Lolita'! --- Thanks all for commenting <3 2000s #6 and #5 coming this evening. Today marks a month since I posted this thread so time is flying!
