The end of a decade

Posted on August 18, 2009 by Spencer

I had my “holy shit” moment a few days ago when I realized that this is the end of the decade we’re coming up on. Where have the last 10 years gone? It seems like yesterday we were celebrating a millennium. I started compiling a list of the best albums of the decade – really Radiohead’s Hail to the Thief is six years old? It’s scary when time flies in six year chunks.

Share your favorite albums of the past decade in the comment section. I’ll be publishing a list soon.

http://jennmartinelli.net/weblog Jenn

Do we need to justify our album selections, or can we just select them? I’m feeling to defeated by heat and humidity today to do anything other than make a list:

Costello Music: The Fratellis
It’s Not Me, It’s You: Lily Allen
The Reminder: Feist
A Grand Don’t Come for Free: The Streets
Come Away With Me: Norah Jones
Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand
The Man Who: Travis
Songs for Silverman: Ben Folds
.-= JennÂ´s last blog ..Why you must read this book =-.
http://fortyninepercenter.blogspot.com/ joey

These are some of the ones I really love.
I bet I missed a few, too.

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
The White Stripes – Elephant
Gorillaz – Demon Days
Bruce Springsteen – Magic
U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
The Libertines – The Libertines
Damien Rice – O
Death Cab For Cutie – Plans
Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Dashboard Confessional – The Places You Have Come to Fear The Most
Sonic Youth – Rather Ripped
Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker
Bob Dylan – Modern Times
Green Day – American Idiot
Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C.
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Brian Wilson – Smile
The Arcade Fire – Funeral
TV On The Radio – Return To Cookie Mountain
Wolfmother – Wolfmother
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell
My Morning Jacket – Z
Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
Josh Rouse – Nashville
Kings Of Leon – Youth And Young Manhood
Kanye West – The College Dropout
Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights
.-= joeyÂ´s last blog ..Michael Vick Signs with The Philadelphia Eages =-.
Sean

Hold your horses there partner! We’ve still got over a year to go before we reach the end of the decade.

CWilloughby

Exactly! Why is everyone so eager to pronounce "the end of the decade" when we have one more year to go? Do we have no expectations for anything memorable to happen in 2010? argh, the disillusionment continues. (Folks: see this website for why 2009 is NOT the "end of the decade": http://www.timeanddate.com/counters/mil2000.html ) If this puzzles you then consider why it is, the 1900s were called the 20th century. Not the 19th century. Same principle.
Douglas Adams sure got it: http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/pedants.html

http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

Thank you.

Spencer

Am I missing something?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000s

Of course it seems to be inconsistent online – but a decade would be 10 years – 2000-2009 is ten years. Or if it’s easier – the 80′s were 1980-1989.

That means that December 31, 2009 is the end of this decade. Correct?

qwerts

No. There was no year zero, and a decade is ten years not nine. Therefore, the decade is from 2001-2010. Why do you think that Arthur C. Clark named his novel: 2001: A Sapce Odyssey and not 2000: A Space Odyssey? It was because he realized that 2001 was the beginning of the new mellemium, not the year 2000.

Reg

Yes Spencer, you are missing something. Don’t worry, most other people are as well. The millennium, the 21st century and the decade started in 2001 so this decade has another year to go. The 80′s may have been 1980 to 1989, but the decade was 1981 to 1990. Our time line went from 1 BC to 1 AD, therefore the first century AD were years 1 to 100, the first decade of 1 AD were years 1 to 10 and so on bringing us to the first decade of the 21st century 2001 to 2010.
Spencer

Not to be a pain in the ass – but before I responded I did some research and didn’t find 2001-2010 listed anywhere as the decade. I actually think the confusion lies in the fact that the millennium started in 2001; but that doesn’t mean the decade did.

Please provide backup (a URL from an official source) – if I’m wrong, I’m wrong – but I’ve yet to see anything other than opinion here.
Spencer

A little more – here is the definition of decade I’ve seen in a number of places. The following is from the Apple dictionary which is sourced by the Oxford American dictionary: a period of ten years beginning with a year ending in 0.

also http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/decades
NOT

There is a mathematical, logical answer to this question; and there is a popular answer. The mathematical fact is that decades, centuries and millennia all end on December 31 of the year ending in zero.
The popular idea that they end with the 9 year comes from unwillingness to wait, fascination with the change to the zero year, publications such as Newsweek that are apparently starved for feature topics, and from confusion with other ten year periods such as the 60s.

http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

Here comes the mathematician. What did Mark Twain say – "there are lies, damn lies, and statistics." Why Isn't this debate over? You're dead wrong on decades – decade has a definition that you need to look up. A decade is any 10 year period of time. For instance 1996-2005 is a decade. The "eighties" is 1980-1989, not because of math, but that is how that decade is defined.

For the purposes of the "A Rubber Door" universe – the decade ends 12/31/09. You can live in your own universe if you'd like.

Linda

And I guess you can choose to as well. There simply was no Year Zero, so the true decade doesn't end for another year. But this is America, baby–we're all free to live in denial if we want. Happy New Year's, all the same. ;)

http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

I love the irony in your response. Check the links I provided as proof. If you have any proof to sure up your argument, I'd love to see it.

Tessa

Spencer.

You can relax. One more year to go! It’s very simple:

1.The 1st year of the 21st century and of the first decade of the 21st century was 2001 – obviously. The clue is in the number ’1′.

2.The 10th and last year of the 1st decade of the 21st century will be 2010 – obviously. The clue is in the number ’10′.

There is a concerted effort by major media players to deny these facts for commercial purposes.

Clear thinkers will, of course, ignore them and respect true chronological facts and conventions.

http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

Being that decade is a subjective term, I'll decide it is whatever I feel it is.

Tessa

That's all very well and good, Spencer – in a general sense.

But if you're going to tie it up the 'decade' timeframe with centuries and millennia specifics become necessary.

The 100th year of the 20th Century and last year of the 2nd Millennium was definitely and indisputably 2000.

The 1st year of the first decade of the 21st Century and of the 3rd Millennium was definitely and indisputably 2001.

The last day of the first decade of the 21st century and 3rd millennium will definitely and indisputably be December 31st 2010.

http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

I really don't care to argue. There are tons of places where you can go and argue your point. By the time the nex millenium and centrury close we'll be dead and gone.Stop being so dogmatic and go with flow – because honestly, most people just don't care. I'm one of them.
http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

And really, what about this decade makes you so passionate about extending it? Was it the George Bush years? Maybe 9/11 or Katrina? How about the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan? Maybe the global financial breakdown?You know what they say: ignorance is bliss – for me this decade ends next week.

Tessa

"I had my “holy shit” moment a few days ago when I realized that this is the end of the decade we’re coming up on" – are those the words of someone who doesn't care, Spencer?

You make it seem important at the top of the page and now, as the facts become clearer to you, you want to make it seem not so important after all.

Some mixed up kid it seems – and not only in getting your decades, centuries and millennia a year out of sync with the chronological facts.

Don't be corporate fodder, Spencer – Rage Against The Machine!

http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

You're right. I change my mind.

Making up my picket sign right now.

qwerts

When the Julian calendar was created, there was no year zero. it went from 1 B.C. to 1 A.D. So if you start from the beginning, you have to start from year 1. Year 1 through year 10 = first decade; year 11 through year 20 = second decade; year 21 through year 30 = third decade; and so forth.
http://intensedebate.com/people/speener speener

You "1" people are so annoying. Trolling the internet for "end of the decade" lists to further your argument. Sad. I wish I could think of inconsistencies in the calendar to refute you – if maybe certain years were of different lengths, or some days were shorter than others, maybe if months weren't all the same length.

Regardless – when people refer to the 60's – it's a cultural reference not a chronological reference. And since a decade is any 10 year period, that is correct. If thinking that that 2000's end in 2010 makes you feel smarter or better about yourself, then I'm happy for you.

As for that – as the owner of this blog, the 2000's end in a week here. And that's the final word.