As 2001 comes to an end, through all the turmoil there's one statement that can be made: This was the year for music.
Is this too big of an assumption? Maybe. This year certainly had the potential to be great for the music industry, but with the fledgling economy, lackluster record sales and the terrorist attacks, some fans seemed to have lost their way to the music store.
Yet despite all the roadblocks, music still managed to find an important spot in people's lives.
At times it served a purpose for everyone to unite and become patriotic and be thankful for our liberties. Songs like Lee Greenwood's “God Bless the USA” and Whitney Houston's rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” were selling off the charts after September 11.
However, it didn't always take a song about Old Glory to get the public in the spirit. Sometimes sentimental songs like “Hero” by Mariah Carey, a song with the same name by Enrique Iglesias and “Only Time” by Enya were getting major airplay.
Also worth mentioning is the poignant “What's Going On,” the Marvin Gaye classic remade by an A-list of stars from the music industry.
Songs that weren't categorically therapeutic served their purpose as well. Who could forget some of the summer's biggest hits, Christina Aguilera and company on “Lady Marmalade” and “Fallin'” by the industry's newest darling, Alicia Keys?
Other genres that enjoyed a popularity surge were alternative, with bands like Staind and P.O.D. having instant success on MTV.
Not to be outdone, the Pop and Hip-Hop genres had a few successful singles on the charts, including 'N Sync and Eve with Gwen Stefani.
Artists that burst onto the scene with new or debut albums like Janet Jackson, Dave Matthews Band, Missy Elliot, Michael Jackson, Sum 41 and many others were at the very least useful for fans to sing along and take their minds off the recent events.
But the attacks were not the only unfortunate ordeal the public suffered.
The untimely death of Aaliyah, just a month after her self-titled third album hit stores, drew an overwhelming amount of attention to everything the late singer recorded.
That sentiment is not lost as the music industry was hit with another fatal blow at the death of Beatles star George Harrison.
There's no doubt that music definitely had its place in our lives this past year, serving as an instigator in some instances and a buffer in others.
This year would not be considered a traditional success for the music industry, but perhaps 2002 will have different results — the same good music with happier circumstances.
